Chapter 395: 373 The Sun Under the Night
"That sword..."
Almost at the same time, including Ainz, all the heteromorphic beings of the Nasalik Underground Tomb noticed the sword in Reiger’s hand.
The shape of the sword in his hand did not differ much from the one Reiger had just used, except it had multiple red patterns that outlined a divine design resembling that of a deity. It seemed to flash a red light in waves, clearly indicating that it was a powerful weapon far surpassing the previous one.
On that sword, there was a clearly perceptible high temperature radiating, causing the temperature around to subtly rise by more than ten degrees.
Such power gradually made the faces of Ainz and the others grow stern.
"Legendary... no, could it be a Divine Artifact?"
Ainz whispered to himself.
He wanted to use the magic "High-Tier Item Appraisal" on that sword.
This magic could appraise magical items, allowing the caster to obtain specific information about the appraised item.
However, the distance was too great, and given the recent events, Ainz was now hesitant to casually approach Reiger.
Although, being an undead of the skeleton species, Ainz had very high resistance to slashing attacks, which was why he emerged unscathed from Reiger’s recent violent slashing. However, if the opponent used a Divine Artifact, the damage dealt would likely not be so easily mitigated by resistance.
In particular, the high temperature emitted from that sword truly put Ainz on guard.
Undead were not only greatly damaged by holy attributes but also had no great resistance to fire attacks. Therefore, undead like Ainz and Shalltear, aside from being wary of holy attacks, usually harbored a great deal of caution towards attacks of the fire attribute as well.
At this moment, the sword in Reiger’s hand gave Ainz the impression that it was very likely a magic weapon of the fire attribute.
"But isn’t he proficient in thunder attribute attacks?"
Ainz quickly reviewed the intelligence brought back by Shalltear in his mind.
The information Shalltear brought back to the inhabitants of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was plentiful, containing many valuable things, which allowed Ainz and the others to learn of Reiger’s capabilities.
"Proficient in thunder attribute attacks, even more skilled in close combat, a master of the sword (blade)."
"Capable of using various systems of magic and able to enhance multiple magic effects."
"Highly resistant to fire attributes, tolerant to negative attribute attacks, and immune to various negative effects, able to ignore debuffs from psychic, individual interference, curses, and so on."
In summary, he was a very versatile warrior with few weaknesses. Ainz hadn’t expected that even his ninth-tier instant death magic would be completely nullified by the adversary.
It is known that Ainz specialized in necromancy as a Magic Singer, not like Reiger who had an extremely low success rate for casting instant death magic against opponents of higher strength.
He possessed specific skills and abilities to strengthen his instant death magic, ensuring a high success rate even against opponents of the same level or those stronger than himself.
And yet, in such a scenario, Reiger completely ignored his instant death magic, causing Ainz to gain a newfound understanding of how troublesome Reiger was.
As a result of this, Ainz quickly revised his strategy for dealing with Reiger in his mind, planning to no longer use magic that inflicted negative effects but instead to shift to direct attacks.
However, there appeared yet another change in Reiger which had not been mentioned in the intelligence reports.
This human powerhouse, who was supposed to specialize in thunder attributes according to Shalltear, not only equipped a weapon that looked like a Divine Artifact but even his breathing rhythm had changed.
He became stronger than before.
He became hotter than before.
He became more ferocious than before.
"Breathe—"
Even though he was currently under assault from Albedo wielding a World-Class item, with the great axe about to chop down onto him, Reiger disregarded it entirely and even closed his eyes. He breathed in a great amount of oxygen with a ferocity that made one wonder if his lungs might burst.
With the intake of a large amount of oxygen, the aura emitting from Reiger changed.
Before, Reiger gave off a mystical air, powerful and conspicuous yet without the slightest hint of presence or momentum. He appeared like a lurking dragon, exuding a contradictory sense.
But at this moment, the lurking dragon that was Reiger seemed to have awakened, causing Ainz to feel a bit dazed.
In a hazy vision, Ainz thought he saw a bright sun, saw it rising from the darkness.
An astonishing sense of crisis surged into Ainz’s heart.
"Wait! Albedo...!"
Under the dominion of an ominous premonition, Ainz couldn’t help shouting out to Albedo, who was attacking Reiger.
But it was too late to speak now.
"Die, you lower life form!"
Albedo swung her pitch-black axe downward with tremendous force, casting the axe blade flickering with dark light towards Reiger’s head.
If someone were to block this strike with a weapon, that weapon would surely be destroyed in an instant, the defense would fail, and the person’s head would be smashed like a watermelon by Albedo’s great axe.
Through the exchange just before, Reiger should have realized this, so logically, he wouldn’t confront Albedo head-on with a weapon anymore.
Just when everyone thought this, Reiger simply remained with his eyes closed. He raised the blazing Divine Artifact in his hands, blocking in front of Albedo.
"Clang—!"
The great axe fell like a meteor from the sky with a terrifying impact on Reiger’s raised sword, causing a clashing sound of metal that echoed through the night sky and also stirring up a circle of wind resembling shockwaves, which shook around Reiger and Albedo.
This blast of wind, if it were on the ground, would surely have crushed hundreds of meters of the surface, creating a deep crater.
And at the center of the blast, Reiger remained unmoved, with eyes closed and sword raised, stably and squarely catching Albedo’s powerful strike.
His sword, far from being destroyed, didn’t even have a crack.
"What...!?"
Albedo was shocked.
It was then that Reiger spoke lightly.
"It seems that the indestructible property is still effective even when facing a World-Class item that exceeds first-rate armament in performance."
Reiger slowly opened his eyes.
The eyes glittering with transparent luster still flickered with flames.
"Fall back, Albedo!"
Ainz’s anxious shout reached Albedo’s ears.
But it was too late.
"Boom!"
As a terrifying heat along with scorching flames erupted from Reiger’s body, the divine sword, drawing a near perfect circle, enveloped in flames that seemed to purify everything, slashed at Albedo like a sun.
"Sun Breathing·First Form·Round Dance."
The slash of the sun tore through the night sky, banishing the darkness, as well as the presence of evil.
"Puchi!"
Albedo didn’t even have the chance to react before the perfect circular strike easily penetrated her armor, her defenses, slicing her flesh.
Blood sprayed from Albedo’s body.
"Aaaahhhhhhhhhh...!"
Albedo let out a shrill scream.
"[Triple Enhancement·Thunder Strike Extinction]!"
Albedo’s screams seemed to detonate something in Ainz’s chest, and even the calmness of his undead spirit couldn’t contain the surge of fierce emotion as he uttered the incantation filled with rage.
In an instant, three thunderous bolts, as if condensed from numerous strikes of lightning, descended from the heavens, bombarding Reiger.
"Boom!"
The thunderbolts pierced Reiger’s body, piercing his figure, completely engulfing him.
However, this scene did not bring joy to Ainz; instead, it made the red glow in his hollow eye sockets contract.
"[Greater Teleportation]!"
Without hesitation, Ainz activated a teleportation spell.
At the same time, Reiger’s figure appeared like a mirage behind Ainz, accompanied by the shimmering heat haze.
"Sun Breathing Fourth Form·Illusory Sun Rainbow."
Using the dancing heat haze to hide, Reiger managed to slip behind Ainz unnoticed, launching a fiery slash at him.
Unfortunately for Reiger, Ainz had cautiously used teleportation magic, disappearing from the spot, causing Reiger’s fiery slash to miss.
Despite the miss, Reiger was not discouraged; instead, he too activated a spell.
"[Greater Teleportation]."
The next second, after Reiger disappeared from his spot, he appeared right in front of Ainz as his figure materialized.
"No...!?"
Ainz was shocked.
Reiger, now a man of fire, his whole body bursting with intense flames, lunged at the Ainz standing in close proximity.
"Sun Breathing·Seventh Form·Yang Hua Strike."
The horizontal thrust was not only swift as a burning meteor, but it was also surrounded by rings of flames, scorching everything in its path.
"Bang!"
Ainz had no chance to avoid it, and the fiery strike hit him head on.
"Aaaahhhhhhhhhh...!"
Instantly, Ainz too let out a cry of agony.
As a skeleton, Ainz should have been completely immune to piercing attacks, but the flames carried by Reiger’s strike seemed as though they could truly purify evil, landing on Ainz’s body, causing him such unbearable pain that it felt as if he was being melted.
"Lord Ainz!"
"No!"
"Stop!"
Shalltear, Demiurge, and Cocytus, unable to keep up with the rapid change of events, screamed in shock and anger as they saw what unfolded.
"[Holy Light Spear Throw]!"
"[Hellfire]!"
"[Immovable Ming King Strike]!"
All three Guardians unleashed their trump cards simultaneously: the Holy Spear radiating purity, the pitch-black flames of hell, and the wave-like slashing strike, all bombarded Reiger at once.
In response, they were met with even more ferocious flames.
"Sun Breathing Eleventh Form: Halo Dragon Head Dance!"
As the dancing flame dragon appeared, the whole world lit up.
The dragon, ablaze with roaring flames, danced in the night sky, scorching the atmosphere as it streaked toward the three Guardians.
"Puchi!" "Puchi!" "Puchi!"
With the sound of three slashes, the fire dragon swept past Shalltear, past Demiurge, and past Cocytus, leaving a huge gash in each of their bodies as if it had bitten through their flesh, spilling copious amounts of blood.
Screams echoed to the heavens.