None the less it was exactly what had happened. An incredibly fast object had travelled through the slight opening in her guard and had caused a hole big enough to stick a thumb through.
Even for the well trained Zesshi who had faced pain before this unexpected situation had caused her for as short as it was to divert her attention from her opponent to her injury.
A fatal mistake.
"Take this! Skill activate [Shockwave Punch]!"
Although the step in wasn't as fast as Zesshi's, it was still able to close the distance at such speed that she could not dodge it in time.
Zesshi was surprised. Beneath the hood there was actually a clear women's voice. For a women besides herself to be this strong was remarkable but at the same time…
"You think I can't block this much huh? Just try it! [Impregnable fortress]."
The highest of defense skills had been activated and imbedded into her scythe.
Even if this woman did possess significant strength and speed, against this defense skill it would still not be enough. And indeed even Yuri did not possess enough strength to break through this guard but that was not her intention in the first place.
Upon the moment of impact a crystal clear 'cling' sound could be heard from the metal of the gauntlet and the scythe's pole coming together.
Zesshi smiled. Even with her injured leg and internal damage that she still hadn't confirmed whether it was being repaired by her armor's healing properties, even this much of a disadvantage was not enough.
Yuri's attack had been blocked.
Just as Zesshi was about to counter, she felt something. Like what one would feel whilst standing in a vehicle that started moving, she felt a sense of displacement.
Her entire body suddenly felt a great pressure like a hurricane was coming towards her. Before Zesshi could understand what was happening it was already too late.
[Shockwave Punch], amongst Yuri's classes there was a class called single blow which allowed her to use special type of one hit punches with different effects that had a cooldown afterwards. Amongst them [shockwave Punch] was useful in that it had a powerful knockback even if it was blocked.
Zesshi flew far further than the first time. The first punch had knocked her down but this one had send her flying through the air. She felt herself crash through something hard before finally landing on the floor of what appeared to be one of the houses around the market place.
Damn she sent me flying that far. What kind of skill was that? Well at least in here that long range attack won't hit me here probably.
As Zesshi got up she realized that she had overlooked one critical factor. In her quick rage she had forgotten that there was another thing that she had to take into consideration.
"That werewolf!"
After being knocked back into one of the houses she had lost sight of both her opponent and that monster that was still lying unconsciously on the ground.
The two couldn't possibly…
Hoping that her suspicions were wrong and that she would not see what she feared she would, she jumped out of the hole in the house that she had made crashing in and…
No one
Zesshi's fears were right. The appearance of the hooded woman and the long range attack were not coincidences. No if anything it made perfect sense that that weird monster didn't come here alone.
Everything, from the first attack of that long range magic user to the last blow which had sent Zesshi flying. All of it had been to divert her attention from the monster in order to create an opening to save him.
Zesshi looked around frantically, they could not have gotten far. But no matter how much she sharpened her senses she could not detect even the slightest trace of neither the hooded woman nor the wounded werewolf.
As if they had vanished from thin air, the only thing that was left of either was the puddle of blood that Lycan's body had formed.
Faced with this all that Zesshi who had never been so humiliated in her life before, all she could do was let out a angry cry that was could be heard from far away.
"Daaaaaaaaaamn it aaaaaaaaall!"
The hunt had failed.
Part 4
"Lycan, do you have anything to say for yourself."
Lycan who was a level 85 crimson werewolf emperor, had inherent racial traits to nullify fear. But even he could do little more than cower in front of the people scolding him. In front of him stood arguably the strongest warrior of Nazarick 'Ruler Of The Frozen Glacier' Cocytus, the person that strictly speaking was Lycan's superior 'True vampire' Shalltear Bloodfallen and of course the lord of death itself and manifestation of power and divinity in Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown.
In front of these three, Lycan could not do more than prostate like a sinner before a god. Yuri and Shizu who were just behind him were doing the same but they were in a considerably better spot the Lycan was.
Lycan was sweating bullets as he could not find the words to respond to his masters. For him who was supposed to be a strong wolf predator kind of guy, he now felt like a little rabbit about to be eaten by a real predator.
After his fight with Zesshi he had been carried off by Yuri to safety and afterwards teleported to Nazarick to be healed up. A series of events that Lycan had a very hard time being happy about as now he was prostrating in the Supreme Being's room about to face what looked like a death sentence.
What fate will await me? By comparison getting chopped up by that kid's scythe right now looks more pleasant. Why did those two simply not kill me before the enemy could capture me alive?
"Do I need to repeat myself again? What do you have to say in your defense before Ainz-sama?!
The one who addressed him once more was Shalltear. Right now she would not think twice about killing Lycan for shaming her in front of Ainz.
Lycan immediately snapped back into reality. Whatever the maids' thoughts were was none of his concern right now. He had committed several blunders the likes of which even the other floor guardians' mistakes could not be compared to, whatever punishment he got would be well deserved.
"…no, this one has no words for his failures. I can only request to give me the appropriate punishment and to not hold Yuri-sama and Shizu-sama responsible for my actions as well."
Although he couldn't normally and especially now shouldn't care about the two maids behind him, becoming the reason for their deaths would surely leave a bitter aftertaste in the afterlife. If at all possible he wished to avoid dragging anyone else down for his mistakes.
"Yuri. And. Shizu. Are. Not. Being. Discussed. Here. You. Are."
"That's right we'll deal with them later. Right now this is about you defying your master's orders and not only that but you lost to a human in battle! How do you intend to clear away the stain you have left on Nazarick's reputation?!"
"That's…"
Shalltear's words carved at Lycan like a knife. If you searched every one of the ten floors of Nazarick you would be hard pressed to find a single servant that wouldn't say "I will take my own life as penance". But Lycan was different, the words that should have come out as naturally as breathing wouldn't leave his throat. Was it due to him existing without a function and place or was it because of his pride that he refused to die such a simple death. Not even Lycan knew the answer.
"Such a useless pawn, my deepest apologies Ainz-sama, this one has caused trouble for you yet again. Even though Lycan isn't technically my subordinate, I request that you punish me alongside Lycan for his mistakes."