BOOOOOM~
A colossal beam of light ripped through the heavens with the might of creation itself, crashing brutally into the earth.
The azure pillar resembled a requiem for a falling star, determined to erase all anger, all energy, and all existence in its final instant.
Even thousands of meters away, where the others stood, the indescribable force of destruction caused the ground to quake and sway violently.
"Momonga-san… was that super-tier magic?"
Peroroncino sent a horrified emote, his trembling finger pointing toward the beam. "Next time you use a spell with particle effects like this, at least give me a heads-up so I can lower my graphics settings! My frame rate just dropped into double digits."
"Ah, sorry, sorry, Peroroncino-san."
Momonga raised the golden staff in his hand. "I didn't expect that with its help, my super-tier magic would be boosted to this level."
The two World Champions exchanged speechless looks. Truly, each era had its own gods of magic.
Even Nishikienrai, hidden in stealth, was forced out of concealment by the shockwave alone.
"Momonga-san, I think this spell's power may already rival Ulbert-san's Catastrophe."
"Not at all, this is only because of the equipment's amplification. On my own, Ulbert-san is stronger," Momonga replied with his characteristic humility.
Just then, the Divine Exorcist, Adams, shouted loudly: "Be careful! The enemy is counterattacking!"
Though the super-tier magic had been earth-shattering, no one thought it could defeat the foe outright. Instantly, they all shifted into battle stance.
Excluding Nishikienrai, who slipped into invisibility, magic patterns lit up beneath each of their feet, interlinking into a massive formation.
Those two minutes of chanting had done more than add a "few buffs"—they had prepared a grand strategy.
On the other side, the Wheel Yama King, now serving as boss, erupted from the massive crater left by Fallen Down at impossible speed. His body glowed faintly with radioactive light effects, but bore not a single wound.
With one glance, he saw through the intruders' setup. "Hmph, you think arranging such a formation will allow you to contend against me?"
Having seized the Depiction of Nature and Society, the Wheel Yama King blinked several times through the air, charging straight into the heart of their formation. His twin wings flashed with crimson radiance.
With a single beat, countless razor-sharp scarlet feathers tore through the air, streaking toward Momonga and the others. Their trajectory made clear it was a targeted skill.
"Touch Me-san!"
"I know!"
No further words were needed. The silver knight's right hand gripped the longsword that had felled countless foes. With a sudden slash through the air—
[Champion Divine Skill · Supreme Aura Break Slash]
This ability was exclusive to the special class "World Champion." Its lesser versions were Aura Break Slash and Greater Aura Break Slash.
The former could nullify spells of tier 3 or below, the latter tier 7 or below.
But the Champion's divine skill—Supreme Aura Break Slash—could erase even super-tier magic!
By virtue of this single move, within Ainz Ooal Gown, only Ulbert, the World Calamity, who possessed an equivalent-level special class, could duel Touch Me as an equal. Any other caster would inevitably fall before him.
The golden blade of the slash spread into an immense curtain of light. Under layers of luxurious buffs and the aid of a world-class item, it became an unparalleled defense.
Scarlet feathers crashed into it with relentless force, sparking clanging sounds like steel on steel. But then—something none had expected occurred.
Even with such preparation, even with a divine skill, they could not withstand the enemy's casual strike.
The immense sword curtain buckled under the barrage of crimson feathers, retreating step by step. Spiderweb cracks spread across its surface, the stressed impact points groaning creeeak, creeeak, threatening to shatter entirely.
At that critical instant, another equally grand golden sword curtain overlapped atop it, sealing the cracks and elevating its magic-nullifying effect to a higher level.
It was the same Champion Divine Skill—Supreme Aura Break Slash.
With the two Supreme Aura Break Slashes overlapping, the once-precarious situation stabilized. The divine sword curtain held firm against the endless barrage of crimson feathers.
Everyone clearly saw who had acted: it was none other than the coalition's overall commander, himself also a bearer of the [World Champion] class. (…Do I not deserve a name?) He too was clad in the distinctive armor exclusive to World Champions—black where Touch Me's was silver, but otherwise nearly identical.
"This setup… a Dark Knight and a White Knight joining forces against a Demon King?"
Peroroncino couldn't resist a jab, even as he drew back the golden Houyi Bow. The blazing "Sun-Shooting Arrows" ignited behind him, and his aim locked squarely on the foe now named the Wheel Yama King.
[Storm Boost · Gale Arrow Rain]!
Peroroncino's fingers danced across the bowstring like a pianist's hands, producing countless afterimages. In the blink of an eye, innumerable Sun-Shooting Arrows tore through the air toward the Wheel Yama King.
"Hmph~~"
A scornful snort echoed. The Wheel Yama King showed no fear before the sky-darkening storm. With a casual sweep of his hand, a massive scroll unfolded between them.
The Depiction of Nature and Society absorbed every last arrow into its hundred inner dimensions. But he wasn't finished. Snapping his fingers, he sneered: "Take them back."
The scroll trembled. Thousands of glowing circles shimmered into existence, and from each circle shot forth a reflected Sun-Shooting Arrow—now aimed at Ainz Ooal Gown's party.
The Sun-Shooting Arrows were not magic attacks. They pierced straight through Aura Break Slashes. And by the same logic, the defense of Supreme Aura Break Slash could do nothing against them.
"This—impossible?!"
Even Momonga, master of the "Easy PK Ritual for Anyone," felt his form flash green in shock. But this too had been within his calculations.
He slammed the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown to the ground once more. A massive array expanded outward—
[Greater Mass Teleport] activated.
In the instant before the deluge of arrows struck, the Ainz members vanished from the spot.
The ground they had occupied was obliterated in a carpet-bombing of divine arrows. Thousands of Sun-Shooting Arrows, infused with solar fire, unleashed flames strong enough to incinerate anything below artifact-grade.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!
The explosions raged without end. Each arrow carried a meteor-like property of secondary detonation—sacred damage of the most lethal kind. Even without the Instant Death Domain, any player caught head-on would have been instantly killed.
When the devastation subsided, the group reappeared, stepping from another direction through warped space.
"Momonga-san, this boss is broken! It even uses items on its own? I say we retreat!"
Peroroncino lowered his Houyi Bow, recognizing the futility. His attack not only failed—it had been reflected and turned back against him.
And he wasn't alone. Everyone who had witnessed it felt the urge to retreat.
A GM that wielded world-class items intelligently? What chance did mere players have?
"No!"
Momonga's voice cut sharp with resolve. His crimson gaze fixed firmly on the Wheel Yama King, who glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.
"He is not invincible. And as this is our first battle alongside these companions, I would rather fall in defeat than flee in disgrace!"
Gripping the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, Momonga stepped forward, his declaration bold and unyielding:
"Under the name of Ainz Ooal Gown—we shall not be defeated!"
"You're not the only ones who refuse defeat!"
The black-armored World Champion also strode forth, golden light enveloping him in a Devotion Shield.
It was absolute defense—an invincibility-like barrier, the ultimate secret of the highest-tier holy classes.
"I won't let you heteromorphs hog all the glory as heroes."
The Divine Exorcist, Adams, raised his massive cross, pouring streams of holy energy into it. That Devotion Shield was his creation.
And in the next instant, the crimson figure of destruction descended once more.
"Impressive resolve… but all you are doing is struggling like trapped beasts."
Even as the Wheel Yama King's voice resounded, everyone realized with horror that in the blink of an eye, he had already appeared in the very center of their formation, glowing with a violent crimson radiance.
"Allow me to show you… the ultimate power of this world."
[Amon Aeto · Eternal Blazing Sun]!!!
Amon Aeto was the earthly name of YGGDRASIL's fire elemental god, a deity known only through lore and statues. Whether this god truly existed had long been a matter of debate among elementalists—especially fire mages.
To invoke his name as a prefix for a spell was far beyond any player's reach. It was a unique power only GMs could construct as special skills.
By invoking Amon Aeto, the Wheel Yama King revealed his other identity—one who occasionally role-played as YGGDRASIL's fire god, albeit only as a voice actor.
The crimson glow condensed above his head. Before their eyes, a blazing miniature sun, no larger than a millstone, appeared.
Holding this terrifying orb aloft in one hand, the Wheel Yama King swept his gaze over the intruders, all frozen in place by the spell's effects.
"Now then… what will you do, when stripped of all ability to act?"
Green flashes rippled over Momonga's form—not merely because his skill bar had gone entirely gray in "Silence," nor because he couldn't even move.
No, his alarm was greater still: When did even bosses gain access to time magic?
The instant teleportation that had brought the Wheel Yama King into their midst couldn't have been simple speed. If it were, he could have slaughtered them all in an instant.
That meant he had shifted into another timeframe—time magic. And beings from separate frames could not directly inflict damage on each other.
Yet not everyone was bound by the spell.
"Did you forget me?"
The black-armored World Champion, glowing with the golden Devotion Shield, resisted the Eternal Blazing Sun's suppression through sheer invincibility.
He raised his sword and pointed it straight at the Wheel Yama King. An invisible thread of fate instantly linked the two.
[Champion Divine Skill · Death of Enemies]
Effect: You may slay your designated nemesis with a single strike.
Description: This is the ultimate proof of being a Champion. Every Champion has conquered all foes in their world to stand unrivaled. Any designated as their nemesis is fated to meet only defeat.
But immediately, a system alert popped up: [This entity is too powerful to be designated.]
"Hahahahaha! An insignificant ant dares to name me its nemesis?"
The Wheel Yama King laughed thunderously, still holding the blazing sun aloft. Then his face hardened.
"Who gave you such courage?!"
Suddenly, the Eternal Blazing Sun burst into countless nail-sized white spheres. Each one was compressed solar flame, imbued with properties that ignored magic immunity and bypassed all resistances.
Their sheer number rendered evasion impossible. And within the Instant Death Domain, even a single hit meant instant annihilation.
Realizing his nemesis skill had failed, the black-armored Champion immediately stepped in front of Adams. He knew all too well: as the sole holy-class support present, Adams' survival was vital.
Under Adams' full support and the reinforcement of a world-class item, combined with the Champion's own exclusive gear, the golden Devotion Shield miraculously withstood the storm of Eternal Blazing Sun.
Had anyone glanced at the Champion's system log, they would have seen his entire screen flooded with lines:
[You resisted Amon Aeto · Eternal Blazing Sun]… [You resisted Amon Aeto · Eternal Blazing Sun]… repeated endlessly.
Meanwhile—
As the blazing [Amon Aeto · Eternal Blazing Sun] bore down on them, the members of Ainz Ooal Gown were frozen in place by its crushing effect. Then, a radiant glow erupted from a ring on Momonga's finger.
Even the Wheel Yama King paused at the sight. For he recognized it at once—this was the mark of a true whale, a paying player's treasure: the Shooting Star Ring.
This ring could amplify [Wish Upon a Star] into a more practical and easier-to-cast super-tier spell. Its value could be summed up in one line—Momonga had staked his entire year-end bonus into gacha pulls to obtain this single item!
Previously, Momonga had used it to wish for "Party-wide immunity to one death."
With its power to warp fate itself, the overwhelming blaze of Eternal Blazing Sun was swept aside, completely nullified by the even more unreasonable authority of a paid item.
"My power—dispelled? Impossible!"
Stripped of his past persona and memories, reshaped into a new will, even the Wheel Yama King faltered before this incomprehensible force.
"You were too confident, Wheel Yama King!"
In that instant, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown triggered its Auto-Counter ability in response to Eternal Blazing Sun.
[Auto-Counter]: When struck, there is a chance to refresh all skill cooldowns and restore all MP.
The seven jeweled serpents adorning the staff all glowed, channeling energy into Momonga and forcibly refreshing every skill. The silence effect was also erased in the process.
And that was not all.
Nishikienrai broke stealth at last, twin blades Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi flashing as he struck at the Wheel Yama King's back.
Caught in a long post-cast stiff state from having his spell dispelled, the Wheel Yama King was momentarily unable to act—and was struck.
The system log chimed: HP -20.
"That's it?"
Recovering, the Wheel Yama King lashed out with his wing, nearly clipping Nishikienrai. Only his Glorious Verdant Body auto-trigger and a well-timed Substitution saved him from the monstrously wide attack.
The Wheel Yama King's crimson gaze locked on Momonga. "You went to such lengths—only to shave off twenty hit points?"
"No…" Momonga's scarlet eyes glowed as he tightened his grip on the staff. "It was to confirm something. And now I have my answer."
"What answer?"
"I'll gladly explain once you're dead."
With that, he raised the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown high, chanting his ultimate incantation:
[The Goal of All Life Is Death].
A massive brass clock face appeared behind him. As its chime rang, a dreadful premonition surged in the Wheel Yama King's chest. He spread his wings and charged, determined to kill the skeletal caster before the spell could complete.
But a wall of countless blades materialized, forming an impenetrable barrier. Even he could not ignore them.
For this was the world-class item—Billion Blades.
"This—was swapped in with that ninja's substitution?!"
In his moment of shock, his last chance slipped away.
Momonga's follow-up spell had already activated: [Widened Effect · Wail of the Banshee].
The shrieking cry pierced the Wheel Yama King's ears, stunning him.
He tried to invoke time magic, but Momonga had already anchored the area with Time-Space Anchor, preventing any frame-shift escapes.
"I suppose I can now call myself a Time Management Master!"
Momonga pulled out a crimson, diamond-shaped gem, crushed it without hesitation. (Green gems meant instant cast, red gems meant instant resolution.)
The normally lengthy cast of The Goal of All Life Is Death completed in an instant.
As the clock's hands struck twelve, a final chime resounded—the sound of ending.
The once-proud Wheel Yama King's face contorted in disbelief before his form disintegrated into fine powder, scattering into nothingness.