95

Ainz exhaled, finally managing to put his excited mind in order.

Leveling up, skills, levels... All this information was definitely interesting, important and even intriguing to think about. However, if he were to concentrate on it excessively, Ainz was afraid that he would lose grasp of the much closer and even more important things in the overall picture.

More precisely, the completion of the quest!

Well, the last battle of the Singularity, to be exact.

Ainz exhaled once more and then turned his gaze to the two Servants near him..

Ainz, Baal and Cainabel. The three 'main' fighting forces of Chaldea were gathered at the moment on the bridge of Ainz's ship in a kind of war council, a meeting where Ainz planned to do the three things that he did best in life.

Plan battle tactics, delegate authority, and finally let his much smarter and more capable subordinates go about their business… Hmmm, he seemed to be very talented at this for some reason.

"That is all of the main battle plan on my end.", - Ainz finally uttered his last phrase, ending his suggestion for the final battle plan, and fell silent. Planning to allow two of his, ahem, field commanders to express their own opinions, and express their own ideas - "Any suggestions on your part?"

"Absolutely not," Baal was the first to speak out after Ainz's words, "If the plan was concocted by you, my lord, then it is definitely the best possible one."

'This again' - Ainz groaned inwardly, almost resorting to covering his head with his hands in dismay 'Why do I feel like I'm trapped now? What was it? Repeat a lie a thousand times - and it will become the truth... Someone said that in the past - Tabula maybe?'

Ainz would be lying if he said that he didn't like it when his subordinates thought he was a cool omniscient deity of some sort. Who in their right mind wouldn't like that?! However, at the same time, it could sometimes be tiresome. Especially when Ainz was considered by everyone to be infallible on occasions when Ainz himself was not at all sure about the quality of his decisions. Especially, when he wanted the other much smarter Servants to give their own plans… Maybe not from Cainabel.

Ainz believed, with a high degree of probability, that his plan was not perfect in any way. After all, there is no such thing as perfection. His plans were at least adequate according to all the information collected by Ainz and his conjecture about their future fight. However, as already mentioned, Ainz did not believe that he could ever achieve a perfect plan and therefore was always ready to listen to opinions to improve it. And when there were no suggestions or even complaints for improving the plan, the first thing that came to his mind was definitely not that he had achieved perfection somehow. But that someone had missed a very big mistake lurking in his plans.

"Hmm…" - Cainabel murmured out - "I see... I think I have begun to understand the purpose of this battle."

"Oh, that's good..." Ainz exhaled.

'Has Cainabel just realized now of all time why there is a need for a final battle in this Singularity!?' - Ainz blinked in disbelief - 'To kill all enemies and therefore win... Seems like that's how it's usually done for?'

However, as usual, Ainz did not ask for any clarifications from the puzzling things that were said to him, hoping that his silence would be correctly perceived by his subordinates as him not understanding what they are talking about. And not somehow be finagled into being misunderstood that he understood or something. HA! What a joke that would be.

"I must admit. It was also somewhat incomprehensible to me, up to this moment, why it occurred to you, my lord, to destroy Poseidon…" - Baal exhaled and shook his head.

'What's wrong with killing Poseidon?!' Ainz blinked in silent confusion. It seemed to him, up to this point anyway, that killing Poseidon in general was the most logical and obvious step he took in this Singularity.

"However, now I seem to be finally able to unravel your plan, my lord," - Baal smiled, and then threw a mocking glance at Cainabel, - "Its complexity, however, could only cause difficulties for people who are limited in their perception and intelligence…"

'Ouch' - Ainz felt a prick from Baal's words that hit its target too accurately - 'Well, I don't understand the genius of my 'plan'!'

"What self-confidence, Baal," Cainabel smiled, baring her fangs in the process, in response, and then turned her gaze to Ainz, "Of course I understood my master's plan. And that's why I want to ask a question and offer my assistance. After all, my second Noble Phantasm is perfectly suitable for completing your plan."

'Cainabel's second Noble Phantasm?!' - Ainz blinked, and then, just in case, glanced again at Cainabel's parameters that were available to Ainz instantly - 'Why would she want to use it?!'

Cainabel's second Noble Phantasm was not as destructive as her third. But it still fell into a special category of danger, so its application was very... Narrowly scoped.

"Oh, it is your cluelessness of the situation that speaks of your immaturity and weakness", - Baal smiled mockingly at Cainabel, - "My second Noble Phantasm fits no worse - and, I must say, a needle driven into the heart of the target is no less dangerous than thoughtless barrage of cobblestones at the target - but much more elegant."

'And now they are talking about Baal's second Noble Phantasm…' Ainz shook his head. In both Baal's case and Cainabel's case, their second and third Noble Phantasms were categorized as 'pull only in a pinch'. So their current willingness and eagerness to use them in the next fight was… Alarming.

Ainz wondered what he could do to deter them from using it. In the event of him forbidding it, judging by the fact that Cainabel and Baal themselves had already said that it was a perfect suit to the plan, he would need a reason and an explanation. Needless to say, Ainz had none of this.

If he simply said 'No', accompanying it with his beloved excuse of 'you will find the reason yourself at the right time'. Then there would be two possibilities of how the situation would resolve. In the first possibility, his subordinates would not have found a reason, imagined they might be. And then Ainz would have to tell even more lies, or risk his esteem falling in the eyes of the Servants. In the second, much worse case, Cainabel and Baal would 'find' the reason for his actions. If he was extremely lucky it would be the real reason, that he doesn't want the level of destruction their Noble Phantasm would cause. But what's more likely to happen is that they would 'see' what's the reason is in their own opinion, in which case his battle plan could undergo even more radical changes.

As a result, deciding that a known evil is better. Or more precisely, the known behavior and plans of his two Servants, in which they used their currently not forbidden 'largest-caliber' weapon, so to speak, is better than an unknown one. Even though Ainz could not see where in his battle plans they would use it unless he asked, which is not going to happen. Ainz sighed, "Apparently, you have understood my plan correctly."

"Only the most superficial part of it, my lord." Baal smiled at Ainz. "I'm still curious about what happens after the battle."

'After?' - Ainz blinked - 'After the battle we would return to Chaldea... Isn't this how it usually goes?'

"Your confusion speaks only of your limitations, Baal", - Cainabel did not fail to use the chance to return Baal's insult back to him, - "My lord's plan is not limited to the battle ahead. It had begun much earlier. Focalor was only the first step to the final verdict of their self-appointed King."

'Whoa, whoa, whoa! STOP…! The situation is escalating too quickly!' Ainz waved his hands frantically… inwardly. 'What does Focalor have to do with the battle plan?! I was just trying to get information from him, nothing more!'

"This fact is as obvious as your inability to understand the meaning of my words in view of your limitations, my dear," - Baal smiled mockingly again, - "But, I admit, I really shouldn't have expected more from you."

"You are too self-confident for someone whose face is within reach of my teeth, hands, feet, umbrella and blood," Cainabel smiled toothily back.

"You are too self-confident for someone I know so many things about,'' Baal rolled his eyes while keeping a friendly smile on his face. Which made the expression on his face look like an understanding smile displayed by a high school student would show when looking at a boasting toddler that had just learned to count to ten, and was smug about it. - "I suppose even you are not stupid enough not to know about the abilities of my second Noble Phantasm."

'The relationship between them is not getting any better…' - Ainz exhaled, after which he decided to interfere in their conversation, - "You shouldn't quarrel over trifles. We are all allies here - and you are the commanders of your own squads. And I would like you two to postpone your problems at least for the sake of the common goal."

"Of course, my lord," the response from Baal and Cainabel was instantaneous and fully synchronized, just like their facial expressions. Ainz recoiled from the two horrifyingly unnatural friendly smiles that turned towards him, and then exhaled.

"Okay, as we have come to a decision to the battle plan, I can't stay with you any longer," Ainz nodded, and then, when two of his Servants disappeared, exhaled.

Oh, how he hoped that the last battle in this Singularity would not bring him any more nasty surprises...

It was hard to say that walking around the ship brought Ainz any satisfaction or calmness. But it was better than just sitting on the bridge of the ship, that way lays depression and even more annoyance for him. So his choice to simply take a stroll around the ship was the most logical of all possible.

Plus, seeing his Servants - and the temporary allies of this Singularity - lifted Ainz's mood. It is as if he were once again leading a raid, preparing for yet another boss fight...

"Senpai!" Mashu's shout made Ainz blink, causing him to pay attention to his newly 'levelled-up' Servant, "Senpai!"

"Oh, Mashu," - Ainz smiled warmly at the girl, - "Did something happen?"

"No, but I wanted to tell you something", - Mashu, after taking a couple of steps walking alongside Ainz until he stopped, then she exhaled sharply, - "Senpai, my Servant is…"

"Galahad. Yes, the Servant had given your new skills and Noble Phantasm", - Ainz nodded graciously, then noticed how Mashu had froze, as if struck by thunder, - "Is something wrong?"

"Senpai, did you… you knew?" Mashu blinked at Ainz in confusion, "But… Since when?"

"From the very beginning", - Ainz recalled that moment in Mashu's battle with Poseidon where her stat sheet was updated - 'Hmm, if she had levelled-up without completely killing the boss... Does it mean that each of Poseidon's core, in this case, gave a certain amount of experience for destroying it?'

"You could even say that I was hoping for it," Ainz nodded. Indeed, seeing a Servant levelling-up was an extremely interesting moment for him.

"You… were the one to cause it?" Mashu froze in uncertainty after hearing Ainz's answer.

"Well no, I didn't. I just created the conditions for it to happen," Ainz coughed into his fist in embarrassment. Needless to say that he did it on purpose, that was the reason he only sent Mashu to fight Poseidon after all, - "In fact, you did everything yourself…"

"S-senpai…" - Mashu swayed in place from the shock of receiving that information, then exhaled, - "Although, indeed, what I was counting on, of course you did it…"

"I just created the proper conditions," - Ainz, who was somewhat embarrassed to hear undeserved praise addressed to him, coughed embarrassedly, - "Anyway, Mashu, did you want something?"

"N-no…" - the girl shook her head, then, realizing something, nodded, - "Although, yes. Senpai, what's our plan for the battle ahead?"

"Hm?" Ainz blinked, "Oh yes, the plan... Nothing special. You, Mozart and Asterios will take on those that you can deal with, while I tackle... Someone more serious."

"The Demon King?" Mashu looked seriously at Ainz, who exhaled and shook his head in denial.

"I believe that you three can handle a Demon King without my support... Probably", - Ainz nodded, - "I will be present, but I will be focused more with someone... With whom you may have difficulties handling."

"Another god?!" - Mashu recoiled in horror, - "Why would there be another one?"

"Hmm, why…" Ainz sighed, "You should have understood when fighting Poseidon… As for that possible enemy, it might be a god, or maybe even some Servant… Focalor had warned me that the Demon Kings have some plans of last resort. So the fact that they have let a god roam free, means they have something more threatening… In any case, Mozart's abilities are excellent in any battle as a support, your defense is unsurpassed, and Asterios is an excellent offensive force. Together, you shouldn't have any problems fighting anyone."

"I see…" - Mashu sighed, - "I... I trust your judgement, senpai. If you are planning to do something, then it's clearly the best possible option."

'I just want you to level up again in this fight…' Ainz exhaled. 'I wonder after we return from the Singularity - will I be able to get the Servants to do push-ups and exercise? Or does the levelling-up process only work only when you kill opponents? That is the question…'

"Don't worry, Mashu," Nevertheless, that is for the future, deciding to support the girl now, Ainz smiled, "Although my current body is limited, I have enough abilities to kill someone like a Demon King ten times in a row."

"Thank you, senpai", - Mashu smiled back, and then caught herself, - "And as for Focalor…"

"Hm, Focalor…" - Ainz blinked, - "He cannot fight without his King's mana and I would not want to become his master at the moment while this Singularity still exists. The probability is too high that he will try to betray us and switch sides back to his allies again. Even if the probability of such a thing happening is but one hundredth of a percent, I am not ready to take such risks."

"I understand that, senpai," Mashu smiled, "But why not just ask Medea's help so that she would transfer her mana to him? Or Baal even?"

"Oh…" - Ainz blinked, then nodded slowly, - "That's what you mean…"

Ouch.

Ainz felt like someone had just punched him in the head.

A misstep. A big misstep.

Of course, Ainz could not transfer his mana to Focalor, because he simply did not possess such abilities even if he wanted to. But, Medea or Baal clearly possessed the ability, not being limited by the abilities from Yggdrasil. Ainz could have asked Baal to transfer some of his mana to Focalor and then just replenish all of Baal's mana through their link...

"Yes, I see…" - Ainz swallowed the lump in his throat, - "Definitely... Yes, of course! It would have been a simple and straightforward action that would have allowed Focalor to join the fight, but…"

'I didn't think of it.'

"I… decided to give Focalor an important mission!" Ainz coughed a few more times, "Yes, this will be the last, most important mission for Focalor. Using which I can finally be sure of his loyalty, definitely!"

"Ooooh…" - Mashu's look was simply unbearably respectful, if not adoring, - "I understand…"

'Mashu, I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose face in front of you!' - Ainz exhaled and smiled, - "Now you understand me, Mashu?"

"No," Mashu shook her head, making Ainz freeze for a second, and then smiled, "But I trust you, senpai."

'I want to jump out of my body and fly away somewhere out of shame…' - Ainz froze - 'Hmm… I think I can actually do that... But where to put the body, that's the question…'

Mashu, not able to listen to the rambling in Ainz's head, had already gone about her business, thinking that she should leave Ainz to think about matters much more pressing...

Cainabel looked at her team with displeasure and exhaled.

She, um... Given her master's plan - her actions were somewhat limited up to a certain point. And this, in turn, meant that her subordinates had to fight too.

Cainabel exhaled, finding Altera with her gaze. Altera was strong, so Cainabel would really like to hope that she could deal with the opponents on her own. But if among the enemies there was someone close to her level - or even have strong defensive abilities - Altera would clearly have problems. At least she would be unable to destroy the enemy with one blow...

"Do not worry, Medea" Atalanta's cooing voice made Cainabel twitch her ear and turn her gaze on the two heroines of Argo. An archer with cat ears and a spellcaster who have barely entered puberty in her appearance, - "I will protect you. Protecting children is what I have vowed to do."

"I'm not a child," Medea breathed out in annoyance in response. "It's just an outer appearance."

"Asterios does not look like a child, but he is still a child", - Atalanta judged fairly, - "You look like a child and also you love sweets."

"It's a normal feature of any adult to love sweets!" Medea stamped her foot indignantly.

Those two... Cainabel needed to seriously strain her mind in order to come up with how to use them on the battlefield.

Baal, teleporting to the bridge of the ship assigned to him as his headquarters - by the grace of Drake - pondered.

Battle plan, hmm...

Baal was not a warrior, after all. A politician, a schemer, and, even more, a top-class businessman, but not a warrior.

But he was an excellent showman, so Ainz's plan, revealed to him in all its glory, was very tempting for him to upstage. Yet, he was entrusted with not only preparing the stage for the main actor this time, but also leading the audience to the crescendo. This was already a good enough offer for the showman in Baal. No need to risk oblivion to get something better.

But still…

Nero... Not bad - by the standards of this world - fighting ability, but she overly relies on the dueling style of battle.

Drake, hmm... Nothing without her Noble Phantasm.

And Medea. A woman of excellent appearance, character and ability, but overly reliant on fighting from behind the backs of other combatants. Although, of course, not without surprises up her sleeve to anyone that got near. Baal would like to hope that she would still find a way, in the event of a one on one battle with an enemy, that she would not only retreat, but also be able to delay, and ideally fight the enemy. However, it was hard to imagine that Medea would have had time to cast more than a couple of spells before being defeated if the enemy could reach her. If there were more soldiers under Baal's command...

Thinking about this, Baal looked up into the sky.

Mozart sighed. He was not a warrior, it was simply not a part of his aspect. He knew a couple of the tricks of battles, like 'hit until they stopped moving', but that is where his knowledge of dueling skills ended.

However, Mozart could not be in any way called stupid.

His spells, his powers, were not particularly suited to deal direct damage, but together with Mashu and Asterios...

Mozart looked at his two companions and exhaled.

Mashu was very versed at holding back the enemy, and Asterios is very good at inflicting damage.

Mozart, hmm... Well, he could cast spells. It might even be useful in some cases.

Mozart exhaled and looked at Ainz.

At least he could always hope for his help. If Ainz weren't by his side...

Mozart frowned at his own thoughts and looked at Mashu and Asterios, who communicated - as far as possible for a Berserker - with each other and shook his head.

Then the roles of Ainz's Servants would have to be changed a lot ...

Medea, the elder, breathed out.

She was going to fight in another battle…

Battles were not a novelty to her. In the harsh reality of her life, Medea had to fight, kill, lose - and, in some summoning - to die.

The only thing that distinguished the battle on the horizon from the rest at the moment was her strong enough confidence in her victory.

However, the reason for this was definitely not in her allies - at least not in most of them.

Francis Drake... She wasn't much without her Noble Phantasm. It was certainly impossible to underestimate the strength of her ghost fleet - however, the extreme sluggishness of her Noble Phantasm reduced her already low utility in battle. Of course, if you give her a little time, she would demonstrate her strength, similar to that of an avalanche falling on their enemy. But in the battle between Servants, even a second of delay could cost her life - and victory. Which in this case was much more important.

Nero, hmm...

Medea's gaze inadvertently lingered on the figure of the Red Saber, forcing the other Servant to look back with interest.

"Did you see something beautiful ~ umu?" Nero smiled back at Medea, forcing her to sigh.

It could not be said that Medea was nervous before the fight, but maintaining dialogue was definitely preferable to silence, so the Witch of Betrayal breathed out, "If only you would accommodate my one question. Why is an Emperor of Rome appearing on the battlefield with a blade in her hands? Isn't this more the lot of bloody warriors, and not the refined aristocrats of high society?"

"Hmm?" Nero blinked, as if she did not immediately understand what was just said. She then answered with the tone with which a person would answer the most obvious question in the world. "I just love beauty ~ umu.

"Hmm?" In her turn, Medea looked at Nero in confusion, waiting for an explanation.

Nero, realizing that what she had said was not enough for Medea to understand her intent - which was somewhat strange for Nero herself - nevertheless answered, - "There is beauty in every battle. In the swing of blades, in the clash of destinies, in conflict. And I just love beautiful things ~ umu."

Medea, hearing the somewhat unexpected answer, blinked and then looked away, letting Nero know that the dialogue was over.

Ha…

Madness? Perhaps madness was the closest definition that Medea could pick, to the answer she heard.

The madness that haunted every Roman Emperor. Madness, ha...

Pursue beauty, hmm... To fight for an illusion...

Medea's melancholic mood made her reach out for the dagger hanging from her belt.

Rule Breaker... A blade that shatters illusions. A very funny Noble Phantasm.

Medea, the witch of betrayal, considered many things an illusion. Beauty, love, even magecraft itself.

Magecraft, the illusion of divine power superimposed on this world...

Medea's thought then turned mocking... no, Medea did not condemn magecraft. On her part, on the part of one of the greatest magi in the entire history of mankind, it would be hypocritical to condemn the thing to which she owed her power to. However, hmm...

Magecraft, not true magic, but that of a craft, available to a select group of people, could not produce anything that would not be within the power of manual labor, the mind and hands of a normal human. In a sense, science came out less deceiving than the illusion of power presented by magecraft...

Medea shook her head, after which she dropped the useless line of thinking.

It is simply silly reasoning born from idleness. Everything will be over the moment they manage to win a second for the Noble Phantasm Drake. And even if not...

"Ah, knowledge, the key to strength", - Baal's voice next to her made Medea shudder and look at the man next to her.

"Oh, no, no, I have nothing against it", - Baal immediately waved his hands, as soon as Medea caught his glance, - "And anticipating your question - no, I can't read the mind. I'm just very observant…"

At this moment Baal smiled, - "And I advise you to remember this for the future."

Medea, the younger, exhaled.

She was going to fight in another battle…

Medea could fight. She knew spells and understood the principle of battle. But she didn't feel any readiness to fight.

Pain Breaker... Even her Noble Phantasm reflected her nature.

A Noble Phantasm born of the belief that all pain is only an illusion. Ugliness, betrayal, even bodily pain are just a passing illusion that can be shattered by desire and the purity of your heart.

A silly thought, but Medea, Princess of Colchis believed it.

Perhaps it was her faith that cost her too much. Jason...

The thought of her lover made Medea freeze in realization.

There was a non illusory chance that Medea would meet Jason in battle.

Medea believed that Jason was a hero, that he deserved to be the great leader of the Argo. Could she fight him for real? Could she even cast a spell that meant harm on him?

Medea did not deny her ugly nature as the manipulative traitor she was destined to become. But faith, this stupid faith in her own essence and in her illusory love... What could she do against it?

Just standing there, taking the blows on herself, hoping that this way she can save at least someone, even if at the cost of her own suffering and pain.

Pain Breaker, huh...

Medea looked up at the sky.

"The moon has disappeared," Medea exhaled. No, she did not have any preference for fighting under the moonlight or the night sky. But Medea, trained by Hecate, felt a little more confident under the moonlight. A quirk of psychology, and nothing more, but still...

"The night is much closer than you think," Cainabel's voice made Medea jerk in surprise, before turning to the girl who looked with a smile at the slowly brightening sky, "And the night is hungry…"

Mashu exhaled.

Another battle. She was ready to fight, even the jitters she should feel before the battle had finally disappeared. She was entrusted with a mission and she will succeed at it - at any cost.

'But if an enemy appears that I cannot win against…' - Mashu chose not to pay attention to Galahad's voice in her head.

"Be quiet" - Mashu exhaled.

'A noble handsome charismatic hero who will save me at the very last second…' Mashu growled at the Servant in her head, making Galahad laugh in response.

'Oh, don't worry' - Galahad, laughing away, nevertheless continued to talk - 'I, in fact, also want to see Ainz in action. Perhaps he will use some other horrific trick that destroys all living things, or maybe one that would violate the laws of magic, perhaps even something that changes the world of its own accord... It would be very entertaining to watch.'

"You do know that it would take something really out of the ordinary before Senpai decided to intervene on his own?", - Mashu shook her head, - "He has entrusted this battle to us."

' Just admit it, you also want to watch him wave his hands and everything will suddenly turn out well, don't you?' - Galahad asked a question, to which Mashu could not find the correct answer to.

After waiting for a few seconds to be sure, Galahad shouted sharply - 'Look, a flying Ainz!'

"Where?!" - Mashu reacted before she understood what Galahad had just said - "Mou, I liked it better when you were silent..."

Galahad responded with a laugh again.

Exhaling, Ainz dropped his arms, looking at the Servants around him.

Well, one could say that the greatest of his magic that was available to him was just performed. Ainz's adequate deputies have taken their positions, which means that the most that Ainz could now hope for was that his next 'ingenious plan' would work exactly as he hoped it would.

Ainz's gaze focused on the approaching island, where what Ainz himself could only call a fortified fortress was located and exhaled.

Even if he were a very stupid person, he would not have been able to pass by such a place. It shouted to the heavens that 'this is where the last battle will take place'.

Exhaling another breath, Ainz gave the last order for this Singularity.

Baal, Medea, Drake and Nero.

Cainabel, Medea, Atalanta and Altera.

Mashu, Mozart, Asterios.

And Ainz.

Mind resolute, Ainz looked up at the approaching enemy's lair.

It is time to end this Singularity - once and for all.

Rank: [RANK_NAME]