"It failed."
Among the three kings quietly watching the projection screen, it was the Great Brahma King who first broke the silence. His tone was calm and peaceful, betraying no unusual emotion.
The blue Phantom Spirit King nodded in agreement. "Mm, it seems these invaders are indeed skilled. To so quickly find the Wheel Yama King's template weakness…"
"Yes, after all, the Yama state was only bestowed upon an elite mob template. Though it possessed the protection of a world-class item, these elite mobs did not have immunity to instant death." The Great Brahma King observed closely. On the enemy ninja's twin blades had been an added instant-death effect, triggered by probability. Though the chance was very low, with that one strike, the other side had clearly realized the Wheel Yama King could not resist instant death effects.
"Tch, they're just a bunch of trash." The Wheel Yama King, whose projection avatar had been destroyed, shut down the screen in dissatisfaction.
—"Yama, they are not trash."
A three-layered female voice, as if descending from beyond the heavens, resounded throughout the Sixth Heaven of Desire.
At the sound, the three kings immediately ceased channeling their authority and dropped to one knee in midair.
"Welcome, my lord." ×3
In an instant, the entire Sixth Heaven was shrouded in black light. Yes, light should not be black, but in this moment, the three kings experienced firsthand a scene that defied all common sense.
Under this overwhelming force that bent the very laws of physics, even the proudest Wheel Yama King displayed the utmost reverence, awaiting the descent of this great existence.
The once-writhing Vipralopa power upon the cocoon's surface had now fully contracted inward—proof their master had finally gained complete control over the vessel.
Thump… thump… thump…
Alongside the cocoon's tremendous pulses came deep, heavy heartbeats. With each echo, a colossal pressure spread outward.
Even the invincible-seeming three kings bowed lower under the crushing weight, sweat dripping from their foreheads.
"This… this power…" For one obsessed with strength, the Wheel Yama King was shaken by such overwhelming might. His very body creaked under the strain. It should have been unbearable agony, yet he wore an expression of bliss. "Following my lord truly was the wisest decision I ever made."
Whooo~
From within the cocoon came a long, satisfying exhale. With that breath, countless cracks spread across its surface. The black light saturating the Sixth Heaven grew ever denser. Beneath this eternal night, under this breath, all other sounds vanished.
Perhaps it was just a simple cutscene. Or perhaps even the heavens could not bear to witness the birth of such a calamitous demonic embryo.
Even in the distant First Heaven, the Shitennō Heaven, Momonga's group felt the unprecedented pressure.
They had just defeated the Wheel Yama King and successfully recovered the Depiction of Nature and Society. Still immersed in triumph, they could not help but whisper nervously as they looked upon the sudden change in the skies.
As players, their in-game mindsets were usually detached.
"Momonga-san, this looks bad. Maybe we should retreat right away." Peroroncino summoned his yo-yo weapon once more.
"Momonga-san, regardless of whether you wish to stake the name of Ainz Ooal Gown, we must retreat this time." Takemikazuchi's years of battle-honed instinct locked onto a certain point in the sky. His intuition screamed that an unfathomable being had just swept its gaze over them.
Just from that glance, every buff in his system bar was erased instantly. In their place appeared a flood of debuffs: Gravity, Blindness, Paralysis, Confusion, Stun, Fear, Tremble, Bind… one after another.
Even the dreaded "Brahma Chant" debuff reappeared, escalating at an even more outrageous speed than before.
"Everyone, it's not that I don't want to leave, but I simply cannot cast any spell to take us away." The green glow around Momonga's body flickered constantly—this was his undead passive skill endlessly cleansing negative debuffs. Yet the next moment, new debuffs would be applied, keeping the cycle unbroken. Because of this, he was completely unable to cast properly.
The other magic caster, Adams, was in even worse shape. In the face of this energy that utterly opposed holy power, his strength had been drained entirely by just a single glance from that unknown existence. Only the "WORLD" defense from his cross-shaped world-class item barely allowed him to resist being dominated.
"Judging by this, it must be the final boss of the dungeon." The commander displayed a bitter smile emote. "This dungeon really doesn't play by the rules… no wonder it's been rated the first ever 'End-Tier' dungeon."
Just as they were immobilized by the debuffs—
The sky split open with a massive black spatial rift. From within, a white cocoon slowly floated out. Surrounding the cocoon were three figures, and to their shock, the players recognized them as the three GMs originally assigned by the officials to guide the raid.
Now, these three GMs stood expressionlessly around the cracked cocoon, gazing coldly down at the players below.
"What… is going on?"
As Momonga voiced the classic line, the silver-white knight beside him had already made his decision.
"Momonga, take them and leave. I'll hold them off."
With difficulty, Takemikazuchi drew a silver-white statue from his dimensional pocket. It depicted a humanoid figure holding up the sky with both hands. This was one of the rarest and most precious world-class items.
[Atlas].
Once Takemikazuchi activated it, his entire body glowed white. He quickly merged with the statue, his body swelling under a surge of mysterious power. In an instant, he grew hundreds of times larger, his form transmuted into diamond-like armor that was nearly impervious to blades or spears. All the debuffs binding him were dispersed at once.
An immeasurable martial aura burst outward, shaking the heavens and earth. Even top players under world-class protection were stunned by the sheer might Takemikazuchi displayed.
"Oh? A fight to the death, then?"
A cold, indifferent voice reverberated within the cocoon. But Takemikazuchi had no time for details.
Empowered by the [Atlas], he stomped the ground, cracks spreading for dozens of miles. Like a titan tearing through the sky, he leapt straight toward the cocoon guarded by the three GMs.
In this [Heavenly God Descent] state, his stats had reached the absolute limits permitted by the system template. For a short while, he had become the strongest form a player could possibly attain.
Thousands of meters vanished instantly before his godlike stride. In the next moment, his right hand cleaved the sky with his longsword.
[Champion Divine Skill · Dimensional Slash]
Under the Atlas' blessing, the strike reached world-shattering levels.
Everything in its path, from the clouds above to the grass and earth below, was cut in two.
It was as if God had split the heavens apart. The purest manifestation of strength, the ultimate spirit of resistance. Anyone who saw it would believe this light could cleave all creation.
Yet the three GMs simply stood coldly before the cocoon. They made no move to stop the Dimensional Slash, merely watching as the massive space blade descended.
Their arrogance sparked a flicker of hope in Ainz Ooal Gown's members.
If they could delay this boss even for a moment, they might escape the dungeon. Seeing the three GMs here, they already suspected that being defeated would mean falling under enemy control as puppets.
All their hopes were pinned on the slash as it struck the cocoon. But the moment it touched, before their eyes, the enormous Dimensional Slash vanished completely.
Without warning, without any sign or reaction, Takemikazuchi's strongest strike—unleashed through fusion with a world-class item, the proudest blow of Ainz Ooal Gown's mightiest warrior—vanished as though it had never existed.
At the same time, a massive backlash crossed space and time, slamming into Takemikazuchi. His once diamond-like armor and exoskeleton cracked all over. A spray of blood burst forth, and in an instant his HP plummeted to a sliver.
At that moment, whether it was the members of Ainz Ooal Gown, the black-armored World Champion, or Adams—if they could show facial expressions in the game, they would have all worn the look of "despair."
Meanwhile, the immense cocoon finally reached its end. Its surface began to split apart, black radiance spilling out from within.
And into the ears of every player present, including Momonga, came the dungeon's tailor-made BGM—"Return of the Demon Buddha."
Amid that soul-shaking music and the black light, a breathtaking figure slowly emerged under their upward gazes.
One step, two steps…
Those bare, delicate feet seemed to tread directly upon everyone's hearts. Such a scene might normally stir endless allure, but now, every player felt only suffocating pressure and dread.
As the figure walked through the sky, the black light that had blanketed heaven and earth gradually faded. At last, the players beheld with their own eyes the existence that filled them with such foreboding.
—A young woman, no taller than any ordinary person, appearing only seventeen or eighteen years of age.
Her beauty had surpassed all mortal limits. Under some special blessing, she had transcended the boundary of heaven and man, reaching a realm beyond description.
Her eyes remained closed, long black hair cascading behind her. From her ears hung a pair of sun-shaped Ōtsutsuki earrings. Draped upon her was a resplendent black robe trimmed with gold, embroidered with five-clawed dragons and twisted Sanskrit. A faint, otherworldly halo shimmered intermittently behind her head.
Around her body swirled the overwhelming power of the Vipralopa. Even a single leak of its aura shattered earth and sky, whipped up storms, and distorted space itself.
Above her head, four characters burned bright, declaring her identity as an End-Tier Boss:
[Demon Buddha Māra]
Rank: End-Tier
Level: ????
Abilities: ????
…
The rest of the data was entirely obscured—meaning this Boss stood far, far beyond the current players.
And she was none other than Satsuki Ōtsutsuki, now in full command of the Demon Buddha's power.
"You among these invaders are indeed a rare strong one. Had you chosen to flee without hesitation just now, perhaps a sliver of chance would have remained."
Her voice—layered as though countless tones overlapped—echoed ethereally as she gazed at the giant insectoid player before her. "You must realize, failure here is not as simple as returning to town. Your body, your will, even your very life, may be forfeit."
In his Heavenly God Descent state, Takemikazuchi had partially broken free of the player database's limits, able to display subtle actions beyond the game's usual boundaries.
His avatar coughed up a mouthful of blood into the air.
"Speaking of my will to an NPC may be absurd, but…" His multicolored, glassy insect eyes glimmered with determination. Striking a pose, he declared: "One who does not save the weak has no right to be called strong! The path of strength I pursue will always be to draw my blade against greater foes, for the sake of protecting the weak!"
Behind him, the phrase once mocked by comrades as a joke—[Justice Descends]—now radiated with monumental weight.
At his words, a strange light flickered in the girl's eyes. With a casual gesture, she drew back the Vipralopa power that had been crushing Takemikazuchi.
"This one wishes to know your name."
Breathing raggedly, Takemikazuchi struggled to raise his longsword. He abandoned his shield entirely, turning his body to stand between his immobilized companions and the enemy, gripping his blade with both hands.
"Ainz Ooal Gown—Takemikazuchi!"
"Mm. This one shall remember it."
"A strange Boss… but not one that inspires dislike."
Enough words. A world-shaking aura of death surged from Takemikazuchi's body, and from his insectoid mandibles burst a cry of agony.
"Uaaaahhhhhhh!!!"
Through his screams, a pair of radiant butterfly wings tore open from his back, vast enough to blot out the sky.
This was the hidden ultimate ability of the insectoid race—Cocoon into Butterfly.
In this state, all insectoid attributes broke past their limits and ascended to a higher template group. But the price for this brilliance was inevitable death. Only when Takemikazuchi resolved to risk everything would this final secret art be revealed.
Yet this was not the end.
Muttering issued from his mandibles—words that sounded like a dirge, or perhaps a tribute to his own past.
"I understand there are no eternal victors in this world, nor endless triumphs…"
In his colossal butterfly form, his voice resonated low and solemn, piercing straight into the heart. Even the very air seemed to halt its flow, as if bearing witness to the birth of a miracle.
"Once-kings will one day fall to earth, defeated by new challengers…"
His tone rose in strength.
"But belief in protection is different. As a spirit, it shall be carried on forever…"
Holding his longsword across his body, Takemikazuchi locked eyes with Demon Buddha Māra, now level with him.
"So even if the path is strewn with thorns, even if the end is certain defeat, I will wager everything and challenge this fate! This time, not for glory, not for victory, but to protect—the bond with my companions, and the ten years of memories we share… to protect Ainz Ooal Gown!"
With his declaration, every witness beheld how the greatest pinnacle of player power in all YGGDRASIL was born.
The butterfly-shaped Takemikazuchi began chanting. Golden light engulfed him—his ultimate Champion Divine Skill.
"For this— I, Takemikazuchi, forsake the title of Champion, in exchange for a chance at victory!"
[Transcendent Divine Skill · Fight Against the Fate]
Skill Description: There are no eternal victors, nor everlasting champions. Yet even when facing certain defeat, a Champion wagers everything to challenge fate. Abandon honor, pluck your own wings, arise! Brave one, draw your blade, and cut down all—at this moment! Even fate itself cannot ignore you.
Before the eyes of the few remaining players, Takemikazuchi's form turned into the purest light.
That light screamed beyond the limits of hearing, moved faster than sight itself could follow.
Even the three kings—now servants of the Demon Buddha—turned to watch the might displayed in this instant.
This was the strongest power a player could command under the system's authority.
The light then became a sky-rending slash.
No— not one slash, but a thousand!
The moment the skill was unleashed, the entire server lag spiked sharply.
It was a technique so great that even the servers themselves could barely contain it.
[Instant Thousand Slashes]
In Satsuki's vision—
Countless blades of light, crossing times and dimensions, struck at Demon Buddha Māra from every direction.
This fusion of thousands of slashes, even through the eyes of an End-Tier existence like Satsuki, was dazzling beyond measure. For an instant, it reminded her of the fleeting radiance of her fellow Senju clan beneath the sun long ago.
That man, for the sake of his clan and the future, had chosen to sacrifice his life to perish together with an unprecedented foe. Even at the end, he could not overcome the will of heaven.
And now, someone else walked that same path—though this was only a virtual game, and players did not fear death of the body when their avatars fell.
Still, the feelings of mutual support and protection among those here were no illusion. All the more so when this hero willingly cast aside his most treasured "Champion" honor—for the sake of protecting his companions.
Perhaps this was the one thing most precious to the towering insectoid warrior, second only to "companions" and "justice."
Thus, she stopped the three kings when they tried to use authority to erase the strike, instead silently watching as the brilliant sword-light, like a meteor across space, descended before her.
This was the swan song of a guardian who sacrificed everything. As an End-Tier Boss, she should accept it. Indeed—she must.
So, in the instant before the blade struck, Satsuki casually lifted a single hand, lightly placing one finger in its path.
CLANG!!!
Blazing light exploded at the point of contact. Everything nearby was sliced into atoms by the radiance, and even the entire Sixth Heaven of Desire groaned as it was split in two.
A vast black rift yawned across the sky, tracing the sword's trajectory, silently proclaiming the strike's brilliance.
And yet, at the end of that rift, Satsuki hovered in midair, stopping the apocalyptic blow with just one raised finger.
Her unruffled expression mocked Takemikazuchi's sacrifice as meaningless.
"Even after all that… the outcome still cannot be changed?"
Giving everything, yet unable to move fate in the slightest—such was the end for most in this world. The strength of fate lay in its absolute cruelty and impartiality.
Takemikazuchi had staked it all, even unleashing a [Transcendent Divine Skill], only to meet the tragic end of failure. His form shrank as the Cocoon into Butterfly backlash struck. His body began to crumble away.
"It seems… my training was still not enough. Sorry, everyone."
...
This scene drew heart-rending cries from his companions.
"Takemikazuchi!!!!"
"You single-minded fool!!!"
"To throw away your 'World Champion' class like that, you… damn bastard!"
Every member of Ainz Ooal Gown—even the Divine Exorcist who had always scorned heteromorphs—shouted hoarsely despite the crushing Vipralopa power, some voices even breaking into sobs.
"Silence!"
With a wave of Satsuki's hand, the Vipralopa pressure surged, even blocking their chat channels.
She coolly examined the fingernail nicked by the sword's light.
In less than a breath, the flaw repaired itself completely.
Lowering her hand, Satsuki cast her gaze upon the players below. Her ethereal voice rang cold:
"Leave what you carry. Disappear."
The domineering words of an End-Tier Boss brooked no resistance.
Her golden eyes opened slightly, releasing a radiance that enveloped the entire Shitennō Heaven.
All who met that light were plunged into absolute darkness and silence, stripped of all five senses. Their HP bars were forced down to a single point.
With a flick of her hand, the [Atlas] was torn from Takemikazuchi's body, pulled as a stream of light into her grasp.
Yet in that unnoticed instant, a flash of blue light rippled. The sacrificed [World Champion] hidden class, and the permanently lost attribute points from his ultimate skill, were quietly restored to Takemikazuchi.
It was the Phantom Spirit King who had done this. Bowing slightly toward Satsuki, she revealed nothing.
Satsuki did not acknowledge her. She only regarded the [Atlas] briefly.
Then, with but a thought, this goddess-like girl opened a vast teleportation gate upon the ground of the Sixth Heaven. The half-dead players were immediately sucked inside.
They were forcibly expelled from the dungeon.
—
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