However, there were certain beings who admired the beauty of the tornado and stood still even though they realized it would claim their lives. Those that remained could be considered deviants.
The Dark Young arrived before Ainz, bent its knees, and lowered its tentacles. It was probably displaying its submission to its master.
Nimble smiled, his face twitching, as the monster acted in a manner more fitting of a puppy.
The Dark Young’s front was bathed in fresh blood, and what could not be seen had already been absorbed by its skin.
It wrapped its tentacles around Ainz’s waist, then extended several more to firmly grip his body before raising him up. Then, it placed him on its head.
“I believe the original plan was that I would cast a spell to make a breach, and then the Imperial army would charge in behind, but there doesn’t seem to be any movement from the Imperial Army.
Nimble had nothing to say.
Just like that. The Empire had broken the terms of the agreement which they themselves had made with the King of their allied country.
However, one could not blame the knights for losing their nerve. Nimble would probably defend them even in front of Jircniv, because he knew the extent of the terror which gripped them.
“Ah, I have no intention of rebuking you. I am aware that if you decide to launch an assault, there is a chance you may be trampled along with the enemy. Truthfully speaking, if that happened, I would be hard-pressed to explain those deaths to your Emperor. Well, in that case, I guess I will handle your part of the job as well.”
Nimble looked to the company of the undead, which had remained still.
“Will… will… will the undead troops make an assault, then?”
“Oh, no, these dear little lambs have done most of that already, I simply intend to clean up. Mare, do not lower your guard.”
“Yes, yes! Please leave it to me, Ainz-sama!”
Nimble could not speak.
He still wanted to continue the assault, even after all of this. The one who had cast the spell himself.
Does he intend to personally exterminate everyone on the battlefield?! Does his appetite for slaughter know no limit?!!
“To think… it’s not enough. Is he a devil?”
Although he was muttering to himself, Nimble’s words were louder than he thought, and Ainz turned his terrible visage on him from where he was seated atop the Dark Young.
He shook his head at the quivering Nimble.
“Do not be mistaken. I am undead.”
What Ainz must have been trying to say was that he was not a demon that exalted the idea of evil, but an undead that hated life. As such, he would not permit a single soldier of the Kingdom to escape. Part of that was taking even more lives than had already been lost.
This answer was both the most likely, and the most disastrous.
Being that he was undead himself, if Ainz wanted to slay everything that lived, then it was possible that his sights might someday be set on the Empire, which was filled with the living.
No, that horrific future was inevitable.
As he was wondering what he should do, assaulted by chaos and fear and lacking any ability to focus himself, Nimble heard the final words Ainz spoke.
“…And it seems I have found my target.”
The base camp of King Ranpossa III was located in the center of the Royal army. It was surrounded by banners belonging to numerous nobles of the Kingdom of Re-Estize.
Although there had been many nobles gathered here before, now only a few remained. Most of them had already fled, and the number of people who remained in this camp could be counted on two hands. But of course, nobody would be angry at the nobles for fleeing.
“Leave me behind and run!”
“Your Majesty, this is no time for jokes! Please flee with all haste. Once it catches up with us, we have no chance to survive!”
Gazef’s subordinate, the vice-captain of the warrior band, was speaking.
“How can I, as the King, run away?”
“Even if your Majesty stays, there is nothing you can do. Should you not return to E-Rantel and plan the counter-attack?”
Ranpossa III smiled bitterly. It hurt to listen to those words.
“That’s right. Even if I stay here, there is nothing left for me to do.”
It was impossible to rally his shattered army under these circumstances. This was not a slight on Ranpossa III; no other commander would have been able to do it either.
“Your Majesty! There’s no time! Listen up, even if you have to drag him back in chains, you must bring his Majesty home!”
With that, Gazef’s subordinates leapt into action.
Wasting more time would endanger not only himself but the people around him. With that in mind, Ranpossa III made his decision and rose to his feet.
“Alright. Let’s go. But what will change if we flee now?”
The footfalls shook the ground like an earthquake as they drew closer. But even under these dangerous circumstances, Ranpossa III remained calm. It was far cry from the chaotic noises the nobles had made.
“To begin with, we can’t ride. If we try to flee on horseback, they’ll catch up with us. They seem to target large groups of fleeing soldiers first. As such, there is no other way for us to be saved.”
It was only now that Ranpossa III realised that these men from the nobles’ mounted troops had come here for precisely this reason.
“So all we can do is run on foot.”
Some of the warrior band began removing and discarding their armor.
“These men will carry your Majesty while fleeing.”
“And what of the rest?”
Not everyone had removed their armor. The vice-captain and his comrades were still wearing it.
“We will act as a mounted distraction and flee in the opposite direction.”
Ranpossa III understood their determination from the clear smiles on the warriors’ faces.
“Impossible. You are the treasures of our Kingdom! No matter what, you must survive! I still need you to serve my children!”
“Of course. Although we intend to be bait, we do not intend to die!”
That was a lie. They were planning to die. Or rather, they had accepted that death was their destiny.
Ranpossa III tried to think of something convincing to say, but no words came. In the face of the warriors’ smiles, anything he thought of seemed to wither and blow away.
The warriors helped remove Ranpossa III’s armor.
A warrior in pure white armor stepped forward. He was Climb, his daughter Renner’s loyal subordinate, and the only one who had stayed here until now.
“Allow me to assist in the diversion. Although we don’t know if these monsters have eyes, but if we wave our flags non-stop, we should be able to draw their attention. And this armor should be quite eye-catching.”
Climb held the Kingdom’s flag in his hand. it had been dirtied by the footprints of fleeing soldiers, and seemed like a hint as to how to deal with the current situation.