"What!?"
"Lord Ainz, are you serious?!" Shalltear and the others couldn't believe it.
"The fall of Nazarick is inevitable. We are powerless against the Church of Destiny," Ainz explained. "As your master, I have an obligation to ensure your safety. You are the lives created by my friends."
Ainz's voice trembled. He felt extremely guilty. He had failed to spread the name of Ainz Ooal Gown and now was even losing the guild's headquarters.
"Ainz-sama..." The Guardians felt confused.
However, Albedo approached, knelt, and said softly, "Ainz-sama, you are our supreme master. As long as it is your command, we will obey it!"
Hearing that, the others agreed.
"You're right!"
"Lord Ainz! We will obey your command to the death!"
"Alright! In that case, let's begin the evacuation," Ainz said, touched.
Ainz then explained his plan: "I have instructed the Pleiades to open an escape route on the tenth floor. All of you will go there. I will stay to repair Nazarick and summon mercenary monsters to buy time."
The Guardians were shocked. "Lord Ainz! You're not going to evacuate too?!"
"No way! If Ainz-sama doesn't go, we won't go either!"
"Too noisy! Be quiet!" Ainz yelled. "Don't worry, I have no intention of sacrificing myself."
He explained that he had to stay for two reasons. First, to repair Nazarick, he had to use the [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown], which only he could access. Second, he raised his hand, showing the Ring of Resurrection on his left middle finger.
"This ring is very powerful. As long as I wear it, I will be the most difficult among us to kill. Therefore, there is no danger in staying here."
He then instructed the Guardians to retreat as soon as possible. "If you want to help me, retreat quickly. That way, I can leave here and reunite with you all sooner."
The Guardians no longer objected. They hurried away, leaving Ainz alone.
Ainz controlled Nazarick. He hadn't lied. He would go to the evacuation point after everything was finished. However, one thought bothered him. If Nazarick fell completely, would Albedo and the others be okay?
The next morning, Kael took the golden flying boat to the edge of the battlefield. The Church's army had continued to attack Nazarick all night.
"How is the situation?" Kael asked Lakyus, who rushed to greet him.
"There seem to be no problems," Lakyus replied. "Nazarick has been restored five times. Various monsters tried to break through, but we successfully repelled all of them."
Kael nodded, then leaned back lazily on the throne. They could have destroyed Nazarick faster, but it was better to give the soldiers a chance to level up. After all, Ainz and the others were already trapped, so there was no need to rush.
"Hm?" Kael suddenly frowned. He stared at Lakyus. "Did anyone from Nazarick appear last night?"
"No, why?" Lakyus asked in confusion.
Kael felt strange, but he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
Three hours later, the Church's army successfully broke through the ceiling of Nazarick's eighth floor. A giant towering tree, the Inverted Tree, was visible inside. The tree was the residence of the eighth-level Guardian, Victim.
The eighth floor was Nazarick's strongest defense. Many "dangerous beings" and the strongest NPC, Rubedo, were there. The monsters inside were instantly activated, and the Church's army faced a fierce counterattack.
But...
"Something's wrong!" Kael suddenly stood up, throwing his wine glass onto the flying boat's deck. His expression was filled with rage, as if he felt he had been deceived.
"These bastards! They ran away so fast!"