51

Unfortunately, despite Romulus' offer to accommodate her stay, Nero left Rome immediately after it became clear that the unknown attacker did not cease their attempts to break through Ainz's defense from observation even when Ainz is in the presence of Romulus. So it became quite clear that the interloper was not on Romulus' side. Unfortunately - or fortunately at least for Ainz - this time Romulus did not ambush them with another "dinner" as Caesar did. Instead of a festive table ladened with food, he led Ainz into a room located not far from the throne room, which was most likely the room used for negotiations. At least the large round table inside the room implied such a thing, the table at which Ainz, Romulus and everyone else managed to fit themselves in. Though…

'Even when he is not doing anything - I still feel that he is somehow outclassing me…' - Ainz looked at Romulus, sitting opposite him. Unfortunately, because of his immense size, it was simply impossible for Romulus to sit in front of Ainz in one of the normal chairs. So he took a seat on a titanic chair, one with a size capable of shaming some small pitiful human throne, and sit on a chair placed at some distance from the table. This was logical, given that because of his stature his knees would be exactly at eye level to the other Servants. However, because of this, it seemed as if Romulus is continuing to sit on his throne, and Ainz, who is sitting at the table, was simply a peasant delivering a petition to his king - well, or, in this case, to the emperor.

Ainz once again looked closely at the man, after which he looked at the three Servants of Romulus, who had taken a position next to the gigantic Servant, recalling what information Jeanne could convey to him.

"So, everything is exactly as we expected," the man in the suit and glasses straightened his long black hair, which went down to his lower back, after which he puts his hand into his breast pocket, removing a cigarette case.

"Lord El-Melloi," Romulus' voice resounded calmly, "I asked you not to smoke inside my palace."

"Yeah… you did," the man sighed, after which he immediately returned the cigarette case back into his pocket and then stared at Ainz.

Waver Velvet, a Demi-Servant just like Mashu. However, if the identity of the Servant who settled in Mashu could not be determined by Jeanne because of how the Servant himself hid their identity, then in Waver's case there were no such difficulty.

'Zhuge Liang' - Ainz felt a herd of goosebumps run along his spine - 'One of the Great Strategist of the Three Kingdoms. A strategist that was equal to Sun Tzu himself. The owner of a whole bunch of strong skills for commanding armies, a mediocre magician, a weak Servant in terms of parameters and the owner of an incredible Noble Phantasm of the EX rank. How bad it is now to meet him of all people…'

"Waver," the boy next to Zhuge frowned, "Who would have thought that you would start smoking..."

'Alexander III of Macedon' - Ainz looked at the boy - 'More precisely, his younger self. A boy, that would one day will be known as Alexander the Great. Not the worst in a straight battle - not the strongest either. His Noble Phantasm is not that strong and his skills are both not so numerable and not powerful. Apparently, his adult version is much more dangerous…'

"You are both boring," Leonidas sighed, after which he looked around at Ainz and his Servants.

'Leonidas I,' recalled Ainz, 'As a Servant he is not particularly strong, but given his skills, Endurance and his Noble Phantasm, he is more than suitable for the role of keeping the attention of his enemies and tanking their hits, a Tank in short.'

After summing up the abilities of Romulus' Servants , Ainz then turned his gaze back to Romulus. Romulus also simply stared at the Necromancer, causing the meeting room to fall into silence for several seconds.

"I think you know the general situation that has developed around me," Romulus glanced at Ainz, to which simply nodded slowly.

"In general," Ainz answered and smiled with his "salesman smile."

"The appearance of the magical barrier definitely causes concern on my part, especially considering the fact that hordes of barbarians are also present on the threshold of Rome," Romulus gazed at Ainz carefully, "However, there is one problem that interests me more. Until recently, during the course of a month and a half that we spent studying the barrier, nothing inside it showed any activity, at least... Until, by your own admission, a spell of yours created an explosion inside the barrier."

Ainz thought for a few seconds, and then slowly said, "You think... That am I somehow connected with this event? With the appearance of the barrier?"

In a certain sense one could think so, although it would require some very twisted logic. Since the barrier was clearly summoned because of the emergence of the Singularity and Ainz was engaged and responsible for the investigation of the Singularities, it could be said that in a certain sense both the appearance of the barrier and Ainz presence were really connected in some way. It was impossible to deny that a connection existed. But still…

"At least two explosions that occurred were related in some way to your spell, child," Romulus kept his calm and even polite tone, but Ainz grimaced, sensing an unspoken suggestion that sounded close enough to the accusation.

"Do you really think that my involvement is dangerous?" Ainz smiled, trying to show with his expression the absurdity of the situation, "Or even that I... was somehow responsible for the appearance of the anomaly?"

Cainabel, sitting not so far away to Ainz, tensed, anticipating that gradually the peaceful conversation would begin to turn into something dangerous - and also very desirable for her.

"Of course not, child," Romulus, however, only smiled in response to Ainz conjecture calmly, "However, it's quite difficult to ignore the fact that a certain connection between your presence and the reaction from the barrier existed. For a long time, my court magis and Lord El-Melloi here have been studying the barrier, but so far they have not been able to come close to even finding out what is behind the barrier, or finding a way to influence it. At the same time, the presence of you and your Servants have caused a very noticeable reaction."

"I suppose that is true," Ainz just nodded at these words, and then raised his head, "However, in that case... Why not just let me get to the barrier?"

Ainz's suggestion caused Romulus to pause for a few seconds in thought, after which he silently turned his eyes to Waver - or rather, to Zhuge Liang who is sitting opposite the magician.

"It will depend on on you reason for doing so, which is what exactly?" Zhuge looked at Ainz from behind his glasses.

Ainz did not like his gaze. There was something in that gaze... Appraising. Dangerous.

"As was observed by the honored ancestor," Ainz smiled with his "dutiful" smile, "My appearance provoked a reaction from the barrier — or rather from someone who is behind the barrier. In this case, I can assume that perhaps I will be able to exert some influence to the barrier... Or even destroy it."

Ainz was not bluffing when he claimed that he could break the barrier. Of course, if this barrier was really strong, he might have to sacrifice his puppet body in the end. But, even without taking any drastic measures into account, he still had the ability to use some dispelling magic without stressing the fake body too much. For example, "Anti-Magic Field" or even "Greater Magical Dispel". Of course, some spells and barriers of too high a rank could resist the effect of these spells, but they still had a chance of success.

"This…" - Zhuge thought for a second, not taking the eyes behind his glasses from Ainz away - "It could work…"

Ainz smiled confidently.

"However," Zhuge Liang suddenly added, and Ainz felt his simple solution to the problem slowly begin to fade. "What if it doesn't work?"

Ainz could answer this question, but noting that Zhuge Liang have not finished his reply, only silently shook his head, allowing him to continue.

"Until the two explosions, the state of the barrier was stable even though we could not find a way to destroy it," the tactician continued, "However, your actions provoked some kind of change behind the barrier. If you then fail to influence the barrier, then perhaps it will be for the better. If you manage to influence it - or even destroy it - the consequences... It's rather difficult to predict. Especially now that Rome is on the verge of a possible invasion due to the presence of the barbarians."

"If you manage to destroy it, so that whatever is behind the barrier would no longer remain hidden, it will still be located in the middle of Rome, while another group of attackers are literally on its doorstep," Zhuge Liang then glanced at Alexander, who was sitting next to him, "I believe in the power that Romulus' possessed and I also know of the strength that we Servants possessed... However, the attackers are not weak, not weak at all. Hasty actions in this situation are simply too dangerous."

Ainz looked thoughtfully at Zhuge Liang.

All the above sounded logical. More than logical even.

Ainz then looked at Romulus.

"Yes," he smiled, "Child, may your strength serve Rome. Together we will be able to destroy the barbarians threatening Rome, and after that the destruction of the barrier will become our common task."

Ainz felt a sense of deja vu.

In fact, it was about the same proposal that he received from Nero.

'Join us, together we will defeat everyone else and then immediately deal with your problem!' - such was Nero's plan. That was also Romulus' plan.

In general, and in its essence, this plan was very logical, so there was no need to look for a hidden reason.

But Ainz was looking for it fervently anyway. Again, it was just his senseless paranoia... However, it was paranoia that Ainz could not ignore.

"Together with your Servants we will become an unstoppable force," Leonidas felt that this is the right moment to intervene in the conversation, "Moreover, even Nero will not be able to resist the voice of logic and will be forced to listen to us and go over to our side."

Ainz couldn't reply to this argument unequivocally or quickly, so he tried to make the time, "Hmm... By the way, although I'm well apprised of Nero's childishness, while looking at you, venerable ancestor, I cannot help but notice your protectiveness of your title as Emperor... Not something I would have expected from you."

Hearing this, Romulus only sighed.

"I didn't want this position," Romulus looked up at Ainz sadly, "Indeed, I never asked for this... However, it is necessary. Really necessary, only in this way is it possible to preserve Rome."

"And why is that?" Ainz asked a question, trying to get Romulus to talk more.

"Nero... Is a beautiful child," Romulus smiled, "Like Caesar, like Caligula... They are all my beautiful children - but they are still only children. Even though they have achieved a lot of great things, they cannot compare with their progenitor, at least for now. They wish the best for Rome, but only I can save Rome. Only I have enough strength to withstand the barbarians and only I have enough experience to preserve this empire."

"That's why?" Ainz was distracted for a second from his thoughts, "I understand your point, however... Nero would be glad to fight side by side with you. She does not dispute your superiority - all she wants is a title, a title that proves her worth. She would not be at all opposed to letting you become her first governor or adviser... or whatever title that you may want."

"Such a thing is indeed possible," Romulus sighed sadly, "Nero... Really is a beautiful child. However, that is not what I meant. No matter how powerful the adviser is, he will always remain second in line. The emperor will always be the first. The emperor is the symbol of an empire, it is the symbol of Rome, it is the symbol that encourages soldiers to greatness, the symbol that unites citizens in purpose. That title is not just an empty title with no meaning... It is something that stands at the head of an empire."

"That's how it is," Ainz nodded knowingly, "I understand."

Ainz did not understand at all.

'What nonsense!' - Ainz shouted in his mind, almost showing his disbelief on his face. 'This is just nonsense! This whole conflict arise simply out of nothing! One wants to be the Emperor because she wants to be it, deal with it! The second does not allow her to become the Emperor because he wants to be it too, deal with it! I would understand a similar conflict arising between two children... Well, I can understand that Nero would do it, given that she herself is essentially just a grown up child. However, Romulus does not look so childish to just say "No, I am the emperor!" If he really cares so much about his people. If he really believes that he should help the empire in this way, then shouldn't he put the good of the empire above his own petty ambitions? He could take any position or title that he wants - an adviser, patron, even as the first senator - but instead grabbed onto his position as "emperor" with a death grip... It's just nonsense!'

On the other hand... Servants were indeed irrational creatures.

How could a Servant created by his legend as a "King" simply abandon his title of "King", if such a thing was the trait that defines his personality? If you look at it from another position - it was like trying to force Ainz to abandon his "Ainz Ooal Gown".

Never.

However, while in the case of Nero, "the emperor of the Roman Empire" was one of her defining legend, in the case of Romulus, his description was "the divine ancestor of Rome" not the "emperor." This meant that while it would weaken his position, it is not impossible to give the title of Emperor to Nero. Yes, it is possible that, as an emperor, he would indeed have more power to preserve Rome, but his current behavior and actions did more evil than good. Distancing himself from Nero in the face of the barbarians brought him only harm...

'It's just nonsense…' - Ainz sighed.

However, Romulus, not capable of hearing Ainz's thoughts, suddenly froze, after which he looked up, "Hmm... It seems that we have guests."

Ainz looked up at Romulus. "Servants?"

"Yes," Romulus nodded. "Two... And I can assume that their intentions are not of the most peaceful ones."

Ainz froze.

"The barbarians went on the offensive?" Ainz started thinking. "A distraction?"

Romulus only glanced at Zhuge Liang that adjusted his glasses, "I cannot deny the possibility of it. Maybe."

"Strange..." - Ainz thought again - "Why attack now?"

Before his appearance at this city, the opponents of Rome had been been content to sit in their camp for almost a month and a half... Why attack now? What changed?

'Someone who was trying to spy on me from behind the barrier got a counterspell to the face,' Ainz suddenly realized.

"What is the likelihood that the barbarians are associated with the emergence of the magical barrier?" Ainz glanced at Zhuge Liang.

"One hundred percent," he answered calmly, realizing that Ainz had come to the same conclusions that Zhuge Liang himself had most likely come to.

Ainz froze.

But why now?

Why attack right now?

There was no logic to this.

If an unknown opponent was afraid to attack Romulus in Rome all this time, then attacking him now, when Ainz was next to him, was very reckless and illogical. Even when the enemy does not know the full capability of Ainz and Cainabel, whose strength was difficult to evaluate, the fact that there are five more Servants in Rome is unquestionable. The Servants that he brought with him would be a tremendous force. If the enemy was not so sure of victory over Romulus, now the probability of his victory was virtually zero. Of course, Ainz could simply retreat - but this did not cancel the stupidity of the enemy. Even if you remove Ainz from the equation, the rest of his Servants will not disappear. If the enemy was constantly afraid to attack Romulus because of the fear that the forces of Nero would come to the aid of Romulus in such a case, then what should have changed now?

Perhaps the unknown entity who controlled the Servants from behind the barrier really just panicked after he couldn't break through Ainz's defense twice, it was possible... But why now? A month and a half of unknown expectations and unknown actions just to suddenly derail everything in three days?

It was just too weird for Ainz.

"I guess that is so," Ainz sighed.

Could it be that the Servants sent to fight be used to gather information about Ainz?

Ainz froze.

That sounded... Alarming.

An unknown spell caster used a spell to spy on Ainz - and this failed to work twice. The spell caster then decided to possibly sacrifice two Servants in order to collect information about Ainz.

Romulus did not want to let Ainz into the barrier because he did not want to frighten off the enemy. That was logical.

Romulus also did not want to lose his leverage over Ainz.

The barrier was, quite simply, the centerpiece of the whole Singularity. One way or another, he needed to get into it. Romulus had access to the barrier and he planned to exchange this access for Ainz's help.

However, even if Ainz decides to agree to the proposal of Romulus and join his group, the destruction of the barbarians will take some time, probably not too long. A time that the spell caster would be best used to gather as much information about Ainz as possible.

Was it possible in this case that the unknown spell caster was a Master on his own right... And used his two Servants to lure Ainz?

But that was strange. Indeed, in this case, Romulus and his Servants could deal with the attackers on their own.

'Could' - Ainz suddenly realized, casting a glance at Zhuge Liang and Romulus - 'But they won't.'

Romulus also wanted information on Ainz's capabilities. Although he could fight the two Servants on his own or sent his Servants, Zhuge Liang already said that it could be a distraction. So, using the possibility that it was all a trap, Romulus could refuse to fight the Servants. Ainz could ignore the threat in such a case, simply retreating from the city, forcing Romulus and his Servants to fight on their own. However, any chance for further negotiations would be destroyed and Ainz would be left without support from Romulus. Of course, he would still be able to get to the barrier with the support of Nero, but in that case he would have to enter into an open confrontation against Romulus and his Servants. If he really was so sure of his unwillingness to give the throne to a girl, then only a battle awaited them. A battle in which Romulus was probably a very, very dangerous adversary.

Ainz froze and looked at Romulus. Was he able to come up with all this?!

"And you are very funny, four-eyed man," Cainabel grinned, leaning her back against the backrest of the chair, casting a glance at Zhuge Liang, "Good plan."

'Wait, him?!' Ainz was surprised then looked at Zhuge Liang. The tactician, however, only glanced at Cainabel.

"Come on, don't play with me with that 'I don't understand what you are trying to imply' look on your face," Cainabel grinned.

Ainz, of course, ordered Cainabel to behave peacefully, but this time he was grateful to her. Was it really Zhuge Liang?!

'Cainabel' - however, just in case, Ainz used his link with the girl to make sure - 'Are you breaking my order?'

'What?!' - instantly Cainabel, who was lounging in her chair, suddenly straightened up - 'But I praised him, Master, as the rules of etiquette require!'

'Praised?!' - Ainz was surprised - 'So that's what counts as praise for you?!'

Just in case, nevertheless Ainz clarified - 'Cainabel, for the future... Better just keep silent.'

'Of course, my lord' - the girl immediately apologized - 'Please forgive me for my misunderstanding…'

"That means..." finally Ainz attracted attention to himself, "Definitely, the appearance of the two Servants are bad. However, what makes this situation even more dangerous is the possibility that this is only a distraction."

"In that case, because you have showed hospitality to us," Ainz nodded to Romulus, "Let us show a bit of hospitality in return and deal with the two intruders."

"That is not necessary, child," Romulus tried to object, "I am sure that the strength of my Servants will be enough for this..."

"And yet" - Ainz smiled a fake smile, - "Consider this an apology for the fact that we came to visit you empty-handed."

"Hey, Master," but before Ainz could teleport away, a voice stopped him. Turning around, Ainz could see Cu Chulainn shaking his hand.

"Master," he said, "Some rumors have reached me that you give out gifts for good behavior..."

"And what do you want in such a case?" Ainz looked at him. Now was not the best time to discuss the possibility of awards.

"Well, there are two intruders," Cu Chulainn grinned.

Ainz nodded and sighed - "Do you want to take one of them for yourself?"

"Yeah," the man grinned, rising from the negotiating table, after which he took a step toward the magician.

'And yet, Master,' Caster said suddenly using the link between Servant and Master, 'Could you remove your limitations?'

Ainz wondered for a second, 'The Mana limits?'

'Yeah,' Cu Chulainn agreed and snickered in anticipation.

Ainz thought for a second, and then sighed - 'I'm sorry, but no. You can't withstand all of my mana.'

The worry itself was absurd. There were Servants so powerful that Masters trying to supply them with mana were dying of exhaustion. There have never been any Masters in history with such mana reserves to strangle a Servant with it.

But if there were exceptions in the world, then Ainz was clearly one of those.

'Okay' - Cu Chulainn sighed - 'Then... At least give me the maximum that is possible.'

Ainz thought for a second - 'This... is possible. But not here. I would not want to accidentally break the marble floors.'

'Okay' - Cu Chulainn grinned, after which he looked at Ainz - 'I thought that you didn't like to fight.'

'I don't like it,' Ainz answered calmly, after which he looked at Romulus and then at Zhuge Liang, 'But as they say... Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.'

'What?' Cu Chulainn looked at Ainz with a blank look.

'Nothing,' he answered, after which he cut off his connection with Cu Chulainn and looked at Romulus. "Can you tell me where the Servants are?"

"At the west gate," Romulus answered graciously, "The gate where you entered from. And once again - I am immensely grateful to you for your help."

"Not at all," Ainz smiled. "Besides, I still need to check one more thing... About the Servants."

Thanks to the teleportation ring, Cu Chulainn was immediately next to the western gate. To be more precise, it was about two kilometers away from the western gate, on the edge of the road where Romulus pointed him to.

"Teleportation is such a cheat" - Cu Chulainn grinned with a pleased smile - "But since this cheat is in my hands - I have no objections to this."

Two kilometers was a distance too big to say that this position was "near" the gate, but such a distance even for a Servant like Caster, who could not boast a considerable rank in Agility and speed, it was still an insignificant distance, to say nothing of the approaching Servant.

"Speak of the devil," Cu Chulainn turned his eyes.

A cloud of dust rising in the distance due to the speed of the Servant hid their features, but Caster could see the massive body of a man without any problems. However, Caster's success ended there.

"He is, however, quite hefty," Cu Chulainn shook his head. Maybe the man was not the size of Romulus, but he still towered head and shoulders above Cu Chulainn himself - "Oh well. The larger the Goliath, the louder it falls."

"Hey Master" - Cu Chulainn talked to Ainz via the link - "How to say it right... Limit Break!"

Cu Chulainn thought for a second whether there would be a need to explain to him exactly what he had in mind, but Ainz correctly understood Cu Chulainn's intention, so after a second he felt incredible power running through him.

It was not like an uplift and surge of strength, either from an inspirational speech or the second breath of an exhausted athlete nearing the finish line. It was a real quantifiable force.

"If you think about it, which of us generally has more strength?" - Cu Chulainn thought abstractly for a second.

Pure mana struck in all directions, literally blowing the surrounding landscape near Cu Chulainn in a wave. It was like a tsunami suddenly rising from the ground. If Cu Chulainn was now in a forest, then the sudden impulse of force would probably tear out the trees with their root, sending them on a short flight.

The echo of the unexpected flash of mana attracted the attention of the Servant, who was silently moving toward his target, forcing him to stop.

"A huge guy, huh," Cu Chulainn shook his head. "And also in armor."

The man who got up close to Cu Chulainn turned out to be a mountain of muscles - "Another of this kind in the Singularity" - dressed in what Cu Chulainn could doubtfully attributed to Chinese armor in red and gold colors.

"Not that it will help him in any way" - Cu Chulainn sighed and focused on his Mana reserves.

It seemed that the mana provided by Ainz was endless, at least from the point of view of Cu Chulainn himself. His parameters jumped one rank, except his Luck...

"Is this some kind of curse or what?" Cu Chulainn sighed. Even more so, his Noble Phantasms... Although their own rank also increased, so he could assume that their strength increased - the parameter of his Noble Phantasm, denoting their "mystery" - the measure of their metaphysical strength or effect in the world, also remained the same.

"Yet these things are not related to the amount of mana granted" - the guy sighed. His Divinity also remained at its previous level, although his Protection from Arrows received a plus to its strength...

"Damn it, how strong is he really?!" Cu Chulainn shook his head.

Cu Chulainn was ... Not the most powerful Caster, or Servant, for that matter. He probably would have managed to defeat Caesar if he could keep him at a distance... But, perhaps, that was his limit. Someone like Arthuria or Jeanne, not to mention Cainabel, remained beyond his capabilities. Of course, if we talk not only about direct combat, then Cu Chulainn could compensate for some weakness in this regard with the help of preparations, runes and the correct use of tactics, but almost any Servant could do that. In direct combat, Cu Chulainn was not the strongest Servant.

Until Ainz lifted the restrictions on his mana supply.

Cu Chulainn exhaled and smiled a predatory smile. Now? Now, he would perhaps be able to teach something to Arthuria in a one-on-one battle.

"Hey," noticing that the unknown enemy did not move from his position, Cu Chulainn waved his hand, "Guy. I'm not sure who you are, but I would not want to kill someone without knowing his name and goals. Won't you be so kind as to introduce yourself before our fight?"

Cu Chulainn did not particularly count on being given the name of his adversary, but it was still worth a try. His possible incarnation in a Lancer class, for example, could even be tricked this way.

The man, who was silent before, froze for a second, after which he opened his mouth...

A metal rattle, as if several mechanical parts had crashed into each other, hit Cu Chulainn's ears.

"A Robot?!" - Cu Chulainn looked at the enemy in surprise, but he was no longer there - "And where..."

Cu Chulainn did not receive an answer to his question, at least not in a way he would have liked.

The blow of a monstrously huge spear sent Caster into flight, after which the man who just appeared next to Cu Chulainn roared.

"Berserker!" Caster finally realized the identity of the Servant, feeling the full force of the blow, "Ouch! He could have killed me with that!"

Most likely, the Cu Chulainn from before, who had the insignificant Endurance of rank D as a Caster, would have died from that blow. However, for the Cu Chulainn of the presents, who, thanks to Ainz's intervention, gaining rank C Endurance, this was a major but not fatal blow. At least no more than six broken ribs.

However, Berserker did not stop his pursuit and clearly did not plan to engage in dialogue, instead choosing to immediately rush after Cu Chulainn.

"Not so fast, big guy!" - Cu Chulainn grinned. "How is this ring used..."

A second later, Cu Chulainn disappeared literally in the middle of his flight, forcing Berserker, who was moving toward his target, to stand still for a second. After that, Cu Chulainn's spell struck the giant, sending him flying.

"An eye for an eye!" - Cu Chulainn grinned maliciously, then grimaced in pain - "How many ribs did he actually break in me with that blow?!"

The spell that was sent, after Cu Chulainn's increased strength, actually doubled its power, forcing the Berserker to fly like an arrow fired from a bow. If Ainz were around, he would definitely shake his head and say that the spell "Fire Arrow" of such strength was usually a privilege of the seventieth level. However, Ainz was not here and there was no one to argue about the power of the spells.

The fire spell that struck Berserker caused their armor to be covered in soot and dent a little bit, but the Mad Enhancement allowed him to withstand it without any significant damage to their capability to fight. It meant that there was no reason for Berserker to stop his onslaught.

Instantly the frozen Berserker rushed toward Cu Chulainn, reducing the distance at the speed of a racing car.

"Oh, this thing needs a recharge..." - Cu Chulainn thought about the ring and looked at Berserker. He probably would have been able to easily catch Caster... If not for some help from Ainz, of course.

Cu Chulainn abruptly stepped away from the approaching Servant, not inferior in speed to the Berserker, and then Caster casted a suitable rune. A second later, the legs of the huge Berserker was entangled with vines, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

With a jerk of his foot however, the Berserker was able to break the vines by simply taking a step toward the mage. To the mage, who took advantage of the small respite granted to him, it was all the time he needed.

"Teacher, of course, told me not to mix the runes..." - Cu Chulainn grinned smugly - "But she's not here, so..."

Another explosion consumed Berserker, this time hiding him fully in a flash of light. The fiery inferno rose ten meters above the battlefield, instantly burning out what was until recently only peaceful meadows.

"Damn, not as impressive as Ainz's" - Cu Chulainn frowned. It was not his strongest spell, but "Napalm" was also not Ainz's strongest spell.

"I would like to see Ainz's battle now..." - Cu Chulainn allowed himself a second of thoughtfulness, but also not taking his eyes off the moving bulk of Berserker - "I'm sure he looks much more impressive now..."

Cu Chulainn was right, the battle of Ainz's was in some way really impressive.

Only there was nothing to look at.

Berserker stopped instantly as soon as he felt the appearance of an obstacle in front of him. As a Berserker, he was not interested in obstacles, in any other case, he would simply ignore it - or destroy it. After all, this was his purpose.

He, along with his... Comrade, that was the most correct term. Together with his comrade, the second Berserker, was supposed to attack Rome. It was an order from someone he respected. From the creature that was able to win the respect of even a Berserker.

Was it his Master?

No. Berserker did not have a Master. But if he had a choice, he definitely would choose this human as his Master.

Is it human nature?

It was a philosophical question that Berserker did not care about. Although if he were summoned in his other class, for example as a Rider, Berserker would be interested in ruminating about those thoughts - but now Berserker simply could not be bothered at all. He was insane, after all.

However, the thing that arose as an obstacle in his path made even the mad Berserker to stop in their steps.

"Good afternoon," the stranger's voice came clearly to the Berserker, "My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. I'm sorry, but I really need to test one of my theory, so if you don't step back now... I will have no other choice but to engage you."

Berserker did not understand what was said. Could not understand.

However, even his mind stricken with insanity understood.

This will be the most difficult battle that Berserker could ever imagine.

Berserker's madness consumed his mind like a leech, but even it couldn't completely swallow his mind and make him throw himself at the enemy instantly. Even if Berserker lost the ability to speak, he still understood.

In this battle, no tricks, no feints, no tactics and strategies will help him. He had no right even for one second to be distracted from this battle. Berserker realized that he had one single chance in this fight.

Berserker slowly, as if reluctantly, was able to utter a single phrase that was not swallowed by his madness.

"Athanaton," Berserker, whose name was once Darius III, spoke slowly the name of his Noble Phantasm, "Ten Thousand Immortals."

After a second, the Noble Phantasm of Darius took shape.

Darius' Mana struck in all directions, taking the form of an army. His immortal army.

In life, Ten Thousand Immortals were the elite guard of Darius, a symbol of the power of the Persian kings. Their elite army, which became his own Noble Phantasm.

However, a funny fact, "immortals" was not the real name of this army. This was the name that the Greek chroniclers of the time awarded to them. However, over time... This name has acquired much more meaning than their original name.

Immortals. The eternal guard of the Persian king. Warriors who followed their king even to the next world, and returning after. Those who were no longer human. Those who have become truly immortal.

Ten thousand dead soldiers of Darius.

Each of them took shape separately, gaining shields, blades, spears, bows... And a bone body. The body of the undead.

Each of the soldiers was a small fry compared to a Servant. But ten thousand? Ten thousand could have buried any enemy under them.

However, this was only part of Darius Noble Phantasm.

When Alexander the Great led his troops to conquer Persia, he first encountered a great horror within it, a monster capable of smashing a soldier into bits, forcing trained war horses to flee in fear.

War elephants.

Of course, for a Noble Phantasm, something like a war elephant was nothing more than an absurdity. However, when your army become undead, and your faithful war elephant terrified your enemies when they are alive - after becoming a Servant, it also undergoes certain changes.

Just as the army of Darius became undead, his war elephant turned into a monster. Now it was not even an animal - it was like a giant black haze created from the fear of soldiers who first encountered the invincible beasts, and the horror of the enemy, who were crushed by the creature's huge legs. It was a beast similar to a chimera, but surpassing its strength by several orders of magnitude not only in its power, but also in its mystery. It was a titanic Phantasmal Beast comparable to the Pegasus of Medusa in strength. It was a living embodiment of horror, almost indestructible and full of black magic, ready to crash upon the enemy.

However, even if an incredibly powerful hero could defeat ten thousand immortals, and then destroy the beast created by the Noble Phantasm of Darius, he would not find another easy target. After all, in the end he was to meet with Darius himself.

In the hands of Darius, perched on the back of his beast, two huge axes appeared, made as if from darkened gold, the blow of each of which could even cut a Servant with one blow. The power of Darius exceeded many, and even among the Berserkers he would take a place of honor. His Endurance would allow him to withstand more than a dozen blows from even the most powerful of opponents. And his Agility would amaze anyone who might be foolish enough to think that Berserkers must be slow. But even that was not his last trump card. His main trump card was his Battle Continuation of rank A. With such a rank in that skill, Darius could continue to fight even after being almost completely destroyed. A torn heart or with copious amount of blood flowing out of his body - nothing would stop Berserker in battle, until his opponent could overcome his incredible strength and make a strike of great strength, capable of finally stopping the creature's great onslaught.

Darius III alone could take a place among the strongest Servants of the Throne of Heroes, comparable with Romulus in battle.

But…

"The Undead are weak, but their number can become a problem," the enemy opposite Darius sighed. "Besides, it's a very interesting summon you have here... I can't immediately say what powers it possesses, but it alone could be compared with a middle-ranked Servant... Probably. And that's all so…"

Darius suddenly felt something that a Berserker like him should not have even known.

Fear.

"With all the power of your Noble Phantasm..." Darius suddenly realized that even his strongest trump card did not make the enemy to move in anyway.

No way.

If Darius was summoned as a Rider, he would be afraid of a battle with such an opponent. However, Darius was summoned as a Berserker and therefore reacted in the only way that a Berserker could.

"Attack!" - his command was heard, reaching all his soldiers - "Attack! Attack!"

Only an animal roar escaped from Darius' throat.

"But even so, to remain without any magical defense and without any protection from insta-kill," the enemy sighed and raised his hand.

The troops of Darius rushed forward and his beast followed them, but Darius understood. Even with such a show of force, even in this battle. Even putting all his strongest cards on the table.

From the very beginning, his adversary came only to test his theory and nothing more.

"Death," came Ainz's voice.

After a moment, it was all over. The armies of Darius, which could have buried dozens of Servants, only managed to take a few more steps before each of the Immortals fell to the ground instantly crumbling to dust. The great beast of Darius could not even take a step, instantly losing its strength, after which the beast simply turned back into black smog dispersing on the wins. Then the already dead body of Darius III finally touched the earth, hitting it with a great thump, and then froze. Now forever.

"I apologize," Ainz said calmly, after which he glanced at the fluttering remnants of the Noble Phantasm, "But looking at this I cannot call such a battle other than... Disappointing."

For a second, Ainz froze, thinking, after which he looked up at an unknown anomaly in the sky and shook his head. "I hope that Cu Chulainn likes his battle more."

Death Magic

A Skill, indicating that its owner was initiated into the secrets of the magic of death, necromancy and the darkest of secrets of the universe. A skill suitable for necromancers, black magicians... and clerics. Despite the fact that the magic of death is associated by people with death itself or the darkness brought with it - only by understanding the essence of death can one try to defeat it. In the end, the doctor studies the disease before he can begin the study of possible treatments. So the unending pursuit of a goal, inaccessible even to True Magic, a madman can achieve the sacrament of resurrection only by knowing the sacrament of death.