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Altera slowly raised her blade into a defensive posture while concentrating on the movements of the enemy in front of her.
Any wasted movement, any over-extended blows, and any opening in her stance must be annihilated. Any mistake on her part would be taken advantage of and she cannot spare a single one, as just one mistake would spell her doom. Her opponent could finish her off with one blow, of course not for good, just this round.
Altera did not take her eyes off her opponent. Even the basic biological actions of a living creature - like breathing, blinking, and sweating - were suppressed by her monstrous skill which gave her unparalleled control over her body.
The price of any mistake was so high that she cannot afford to spare any attention on such trivialities.
"Oh, is that all you can do?" Her opponent, Cainabel, began to mock Altera, smiling mockingly all the while. "A little tin soldier should be steadfast... Although, looking at you, I would have believed that you would have played the role of a ballerina in this fairy tale... Hmm, no, the ballerina was described as beautiful…"
Altera was not ignorant to human emotions, so she could determine that such words were meant as mockery without any hesitation. Though it was somewhat more difficult for her to determine the cause or purpose of such mockery, the concept of "hurting others for pleasure" was not a groundbreaking revelation for Altera. Of course, given the fact that they are currently sparring, it was possible that Cainabel was provoking Altera so that she would attack recklessly in a fit of anger. However, over the past sparring rounds, Cainabel should have noticed that such mockery would not provoke Altera in any way. Therefore, of the two possible reasons, the first was still the most possible, Cainabel simply enjoyed hurting others whether by actions or words.
"It looks like this tin soldier is broken," Cainabel sighed and then rolled her eyes. "It happens all the time with these mechanical toys, they break from any little things."
"Although they do say that everything can be repaired, even a faulty android," Cainabel smiled, and then rushed forward at such a speed that even Altera had to resort to blocking the attack head on. A course of action that she would prefer not to do in a battle against an enemy with such a monstrous level of physical strength, - "You just need to hit it even harder!"
Cainabel's attack was so powerful that the floor under Altera's feet cracked under the pressure and Altera had to strain all her muscles to remain upright and not simply crumble under the overwhelming force. Of course, the fact that the arena hasn't simply turned to rubble was due to the many reinforcing spells and barriers that were placed on the training room that was designed for sparring between Servants. Even then, the overwhelming strength of the two battling combatants still caused untold amounts of destruction to the arena. If Altera used her Crest of the Stars and Cainabel began to fight seriously, transforming herself, then the entire training hall would simply be swept up into dust by the hurricane-like forces involved.
After Cainabel's attacks were stopped dead by Altera's blade, a punch from Cainabel followed. Even though Cainabel's position, floating in the air, and lack of a firm foothold means that the force behind the punch would be greatly weakened. Still, the complete surprise over such an unexpected attack still caused Altera to dodge backwards. Such nonsensical attacks caused no end of troubles to Altera.
After Altera easily dodged the attack, Cainabel immediately followed after Altera and attacked yet again. After gaining some distance Altera was able to avoid the attack but was only able to give a light counterattack in response. Altera's counterattack was light enough that it would stand no chance in breaching Cainabel's defense, still Cainabel evaded the attack by jumping backward. Altera quickly realized that it was not because she was afraid of the attack itself, but because she simply did not want to give Altera even a chance to touch her. Perhaps this was the reason why Altera was able to spar with Cainabel for so long even though she was outmatched in the Singularity.
Cainabel, after landing with a light pirouette on the ground, rushed forward and delivered a sweeping blow towards Altera, allowing her time to counterattack after evading the sweeping blow. However, unceremoniously, Altera's counterattack was easily blocked after her blade was handily grabbed by Cainabel's free hand. The deadly deadlock was broken when the blade was immediately released after a moment, as if Cainabel felt that it was unpleasant even just holding on to Altera's weapon.
Altera leaped back again to gain some distance. If she was to use her skill then it would not be a problem for her to turn the entire training hall into her preferred battlefield. However, this, like battling with full force, was forbidden due to the destructiveness of such a course of action.
Cainabel, not lagging behind, threw herself forward toward Altera with another attack - this time using her small umbrella in the manner of a small one-handed spear. She attacked Altera with a series of quick stabs, each of which Altera was able to easily parry away from herself.
"An opening!" - after parrying one of Cainabel's stabs, Altera sharply countered, putting all her strength into the blow.
The sound of torn fabric informed her that her attack had reached its target, piercing through Cainabel's body.
A few words in a language from which Altera wanted to instinctively pinch her ears closed informed her that her only successful attack was inconsequential.
A second later, a sharp forceful blow knocked Altera away, sending her on a short flight to the wall. A sharp cracking noise of concrete mixed with the cracking of bones, notified anyone who could hear it who came out victorious in that collision. However, the fact that Altera was now in a boneless heap and in no position to continue the spar did not stop Cainabel.
"Filth!" Cainabel struck Altera, who was no longer capable of resisting, again and again, "Don't think much of yourself just because you could hit me!"
Cainabel raged like a wild beast - delivering random blows to random places. Someone stuck in Altera's position would surely try to protect against these blows. But Altera did not consider such a thing necessary. Their official spar was over, which means there was no point in continuing the battle. Now it was not sparring, but rather a beating.
Cainabel beating were without a special purpose - just like the way she fought. This made her a problematic adversary.
Altera, being gifted in everything related to the conduct of warfare and especially in battle tactics, found Cainabel a problematic adversary precisely because tactics were useless in battling her.
Altera could analyze any fighting style that she saw - but Cainabel did not have a fighting style. Like a wild beast, she acted solely relying on her brute physical strength and overwhelming speed, delivering random shots that were inflicted without any style or skill relying simply on her instincts.
Another of Altera's ribs cracked, after which Cainabel slowly pulled away from her.
"Hm," Cainabel, now with a hole in her chest, from which not even a drop of blood dripped down, nevertheless pulled away from Altera after several blows, "Whose victory is this?"
"Yours," Altera answered emotionlessly. Cainabel asked this every time after their sparring session, as well as the next question, - "Score; thirty-nine - zero in favor of Cainabel."
Cainabel, pulling back, exhaled and grunted, - "Exactly. Thirty-nine... I'll finish at sixty-nine and then that's it."
Altera slowly rose from her boneless stupor, completely healed, after which she extended her hand forward, another part of their sparring 'ritual'.
Cainabel, after grabbing Altera's hand, jerked it sharply toward her mouth and then dug her sharp fangs into the outstretched hand. After a second, Altera felt her mana supplies being emptied along with the blood that Cainabel was drinking from her. After a second Altera would witness the wound that she inflicted on Cainabel started closing. Even the ruined clothes on Cainabel's body were being mended, of course such an occurrence was not an anomaly as a Servant's clothes were part of them after all. After a few more sips after she was one hundred percent healed. Cainabel recoiled and slowly exhaled.
"Ha... For all your weaknesses and shortcomings, your blood is of excellent quality," Cainabel exhaled and her cruel expression morphed to that of a slightly silly smile - like that of a drunkard who had just tasted a fine wine would show. Then, with a shake of her head, she looked at Altera with an appraising look, "What did you understand from this spar?"
It was a slightly newer addition to their 'ritual', in contrast, the first ten sparring sessions Cainabel simply defeated Altera, waited for her to heal, then started beating her again. After which, probably after releasing some steam and with Cainabel muttering something about "relaxation for the soul" after each sparring after that Cainabel began to demand from Altera her perspective on what happened in their spar, particularly on why Altera lost.
"I prioritized attacking the enemy whose defense had opened up, forgetting about my own defense in turn," Altera always answered with short answers, but, honestly? She didn't particularly understand the meaning of such questioning.
"Why?" Cainabel looked at Altera with the same look with which a genius, very cruel and smugly, would look at an idiot.
"This was one of the rare opportunities to attack the enemy, which proved unassailable to me in any other conditions," Altera answered mechanically, after which she let go of her iron tight control over the biological functions of her body for a second, slowly exhaling her held breath and blinking.
"And what would you do next after inflicting only one minor wound to an opponent that is superior to you while opening yourself up for retaliation?" Cainabel snorted. "I drank so much of your blood that I know more about you than you yourself do. But, I admit, I'm starting to doubt the efficacies of my own abilities. You are supposed to have the Tactics skill, but looking at you now, I begin to doubt if you have the ability to reason at all. On the other hand given that you are a mechanical idiot, I am not even particularly upset with the facts that have been revealed to me. You can't have the ability to reason if you don't even have a brain…"
Altera just glanced at Cainabel without responding to her diatribe. Strictly speaking, this was the problem of her battles with Cainabel. Altera was not so stupid as to rush into going on the offensive while knowing that she would die after inflicting only a small wound. The main crux that made it difficult for her to fight Cainabel was that she couldn't expect in advance any of Cainabel's actions. Sometimes, when she struck, Cainabel would respond with a counterattack of incredible ferocity, sometimes - on the contrary, she would go on defense. Altera could not predict the course of the battle, and therefore was forced to use every opportunity to inflict any damage. The most positive outcome being that she managed to inflict three wounds on Cainabel, followed by an immediate defeat.
"This is due to the incompatibility between our fighting styles," Altera replied coldly.
"What kind of a fool…" - Cainabel exhaled, - "That is the point, if you are fighting with an unpredictable opponent that is superior to you in everything then using Tactics does not work in such a battle. Damn you, Attila the Hun! Feel the battle in which you fight! Watch how the blood of the enemy glistens on your blade! Enjoy the battle!"
Enjoy the battle...
Altera must have enjoyed fighting. In fact, that was why she existed. Altera, the child of destruction, was created as an instrument for the destruction of civilizations, an ideal warrior. She had to enjoy the fight...
After a second Altera was distracted by the feeling of her bones crunching into place. Altera quickly realized that Cainabel is using her Noble Phantasm to quickstart Altera's regeneration by using her own blood.
"If I need to beat you another hundred times, do it again and again so that even your rusty brain remembers this. Believe me, I will beat you a hundred times," after which, Cainabel began to ramble yet again, "And another hundred for making me beat you a hundred times to convey such a simple lesson that even a dumbass - no - even Jeanne! - could perceive from the tenth beating."
Altera just nodded, after which she glanced at Cainabel, after her body finished regenerating she got up from the ground. It seems that their next round would begin soon.
Three two one…
"Oh! Ahem… " Altera froze in place after hearing an unexpected voice. A voice that was familiar to her and yet unfamiliar at the same time, - "It seems that you are quite busy here…"
Cainabel, the adversary with whom Altera had kept her eyes on all this time, unexpectedly ceased her aggressive stance. As if she had not threatened to beat Altera down another hundred times her body language changed so abruptly and then she turned away from Altera, "Oh, my lord! What a fortuitous meeting!"
"Cainabel," after gaining confirmation that Cainabel wouldn't rip her guts out anytime soon, Altera was able to turn toward the speaker, "Altera."
Altera glanced up at her new Master, Ainz.
The creature in front of her looked... Horrific? Unbelievable? Mighty? It was difficult to find a specific word to describe the creature in front of her.
Ainz, a creature without flesh and blood, made a very strong impression on Altera. The mantle on his shoulders fluttered from a barely noticeable draft, fluttering like the ever encroaching darkness of death that swallows a person in the most unexpected hour of their life. The black gaps of his empty eyes blazed with the crimson flame of malice and primordial strength, as if they were capable of sending the soul of any mortal to the very depths of hell. Eyes that could send a person to hell simply with a gaze. His snow-white bony hand as if created by an unknown master... Held the door to the training room open.
The beautiful epithets stopped coming after that strange image.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to distract both of you," Ainz nodded slowly.
"Oh, my lord!" Cainabel hastened immediately, "How can you distract us with your presence! We are forever glad that you have decided to honor us with your presence, my lord!"
"Ahem, yes..." Ainz coughed into his fist, then looked around the training room, and after noticing the widespread destruction, came to the obvious conclusion, "Oh, it looks like you were in the middle of sparring..."
"Just finished, my lord," Cainabel smiled, but Altera managed to hear Cainabel's muttering under her breath "rather, it's like trying to teach a stupid dog a trick..."
Altera probably should have felt some indignation from such words, but she received the insult with the same unchanging facial expression as before.
"Hm, I see...," Ainz nodded, after which, looking at Cainabel, he asked a question, "Are you two getting along?"
"Oh, my lord," Cainabel grinned, "I really enjoyed our spar."
"Hm, that's good," Ainz nodded, after which he suddenly looked at Altera, "and you?"
Altera thought for a moment, after which she slowly looked at her hands and her blade, which she continued to hold in a tight grip.
"I suppose..." Altera was silent for a second, evaluating her emotions, "Yes."
Ainz just nodded at this terse reply. Indeed, in any ordinary human speech, the "I suppose yes" construct was a standard way for confirmation. However, in Altera's case, the situation was somewhat more complicated because she really only assumed her own feelings rather than actually feeling them.
More precisely, as a child of destruction, Attila, the leader of the Huns, an instrument of war, she should have enjoyed battles, sparring, and spilled blood. Did she really enjoy it though?..
It was extremely difficult to find an answer to Altera's pondering. Despite the fact that she was not at all blind to the emotions of others, her own emotions remained a big mystery to her.
"Is that so?," Ainz nodded. "Then I suppose you will not mind if I observe one of your sparring sessions?"
Cainabel froze, after which her gaze suddenly became focused on Altera. She, realizing that an answer was expected from her, nodded in response, "Yes."
"Of course, my lord," Cainabel answered after hearing the reply from Altera, after which she took a step back, slowly returning to her original position before Ainz entered the room. Altera wanted to ask if Ainz wouldn't be risking his safety if he were to remain on the sparring field...
After a second, Ainz's figure disappeared into the air. Altera froze trying to figure out what had happened. After a few seconds she realized that even if Ainz's figure had disappeared, Ainz's presence was still felt in the room. After even a more close observation, she could see his translucent outlines not far away from them.
"Transitioning into spirit form..." Altera nodded. Of course, that was the ability that most of the Servants possessed - on the other hand Ainz... Didn't look like a typical Servant...
"Ahem, Altera," suddenly Altera heard Cainabel's voice, "If you would be so kind, please take your position across from me."
Altera felt a jolt of surprise. She could easily identify this emotion, given her abilities.
In their earlier spars, Cainabel would definitely throw a remark like "I understand that you are only a little tin soldier, but that does not mean that you are allowed to just stand still and not move" - however, this time Cainabel showed incredible courtesy for her by using such polite words like "please." This surprised Altera most of all.
Cainabel, for all the time that Altera was lucky - or not - to know her, showed so many personality traits, but politeness was one of the few that she definitely did not show at all.
Cainabel... Is afraid of Ainz.
This realization caused Altera's mind to blank out. Fortunately, her endlessly trained reflexes still forced Altera's body to raise the blade to her preferred stance even without any direction from her paralyzed mind.
"Three…" - Cainabel started counting out the beginning of their spar, - "Two... One... Start!"
After that, Cainabel launched immediately into the offense. However, unlike her usual sweeping attacks this time she acted... With caution?
Altera, even though she was currently being distracted by her thoughts, easily parried the attack, but restrained herself from counterattacking, taught by bitter experience, and instead went on the defensive. Cainabel, noticing this, attacked again - however, this time... She did not look like a beast. Her attacks, although it was still a series of random attacks without adhering to a particular style, did not paralyze the target with pressure and rage, but for some reason Cainabel's current demeanor was guarded and careful.
'Why?' - Altera glanced at Cainabel while diverting another attack, and then another and another.
Cainabel fought... softly. Extremely soft for some reason.
Altera dodged back from another blow, after which ,trying to confirm her theory, decided this time to counterattack instead, turning her defensive posture into an attack. A sharp blow forward...
Cainabel failed to dodge the attack and Altera's counterattack left a small bleeding scratch on Cainabel.
Altera immediately retreated just in case Cainabel decided to attack ferociously in reply. Another jolt of shock ran through Altera's mind as she was focused at the small drop of blood that fell to the floor...
Blood…
Altera blinked in shock - a mistake that she would have never made under any other conditions. If this was their usual spar this mistake would be immediately taken advantage of but which went completely unnoticed in the current one.
Cainabel... Bleeding.
Though in previous spars Altera have managed to injure Cainabel, Cainabel had never before allowed — even if it was a grievous wound — to allow her blood to spill onto the floor. What has changed now?
Altera launched several more minor attacks, placing close attention to Cainabel assiduously... Still she restrained herself from committing herself to counter attacking.
Another scratch traced Cainabel's cheek.
The only change in their situation was the presence of Ainz. But how would Ainz observing their spar lead to Cainabel suddenly allowing her injuries to show its effects?
Altera repulsed several blows, after which her mind came up with a suitable conclusion.
'She is trying to show to Ainz... that this is a difficult battle for her.'
Blood was a kind of indicator for Cainabel. If Cainabel's blood was flowing, it means that for her this battle was so difficult that she couldn't afford the distraction of always controlling her own blood not to spill from her wounds. That it was a battle in which she is trying her best.
Altera blinked again, and then decided on taking a risk.
Having struck another blow, Altera deliberately positioned herself so that he would be open to a counterattack. In any other spars, this would mean a terrifying blow would immediately follow that would end the sparring session in a heartbeat...
A sharp pain immediately pierced through Altera's body, but instead of an absolute attack that would end the spar, Cainabel only dealt a sharp blow to Altera. The attack was weak enough that it only caused a, relatively speaking, shallow wound on Altera. After dealing this inconsequential wound Cainabel immediately put some distance between them as if expecting some kind of great retaliation.
It seems that Cainabel is not trying to end the battle with Altera right now because Ainz was looking at her. In other words, she is trying to... Show Ainz an interesting fight.
Altera blinked, after which she looked at Cainabel seriously.
A similar change of priorities caused by Ainz...
Altera could not even imagine a reason for this. Of course, she had heard the story that Ainz had killed her in the past, but such a dramatic change in behavior...
Was Ainz really that dangerous?
Altera repulsed a few more blows, after which, becoming a little bolder, she lunged forward. Cainabel easily repulsed the attack, after which she launched a series of counterattacks, gradually increasing her speed...
Altera suddenly felt...
That she's starting to enjoy this battle.
The battle with Cainabel did not take too much time - but it was Altera's best result at the moment. The six minutes during which Cainabel gradually increased her aggressiveness were... Interesting? Enjoyable even, to some extent...
Altera, of course, lost in the end. However, unlike almost every battle before - her loss did not end with a sharp overwhelming blow that would drive her into the ground, and after that a series of attacks, beatings, from Cainabel. Rather, Cainabel, who had suffered several scratches, was, in the course of the spar, able to significantly hurt Altera, to the point where the winner became obvious. After which Altera, not seeing the point in continuing the battle, admitted her loss. Cainabel, then took a step back, and just as easily retreated from the defeated Altera.
"The win is mine, my lord," Cainabel nodded.
"Hmm…" - Ainz thought for a second, - "Of course, I'm not a professional, but it seems to me... That in Altera's fighting style there are too many obvious attacks that would open her defence for retaliation... And you, Cainabel, are lacking the ferocity in your attacks to take full advantage of it…"
Ainz's tone remained fairly even - and because of the low reverberating voice of the magician, it was extremely difficult to determine his intentions. Moreover, Ainz's face… his skull, didn't show any of his emotions, because of which Altera was forced to conclude that Ainz could easily see through the actions of Cainabel and was able to see that she was sandbagging. Since, of course, even a layman could easily notice the consciously made mistakes in the battle between two warriors, especially for a creature of such caliber like Ainz. Most likely, he is speaking with sarcasm.
"Oh…" - Cainabel, apparently having come to the same conclusion, slowly lowered her head, - "I understood."
"Good," Ainz nodded, ending the conversation in a hurry as if saying that he could no longer tolerate such tomfoolery - "In this case, as I see, you are working tirelessly. It's good that everything moves as it should…"
After that, Ainz froze and shook his head, "Hmm... By the way, Cainabel..."
"My lord," the vampire, whose wounds were already beginning to heal, looked at Ainz in a confused manner.
"Since we had finished the big countr... Singularity", - Ainz interrupted himself halfway, - "I would like to ask you... What exactly do you want as a reward?"
Cainabel froze, and then lowered her head, "My lord, serving you is the highest reward that I can be honored with."
"Ahem, of course," Ainz nodded, after which he shook his head a little, "But still..."
"My lord," Cainabel nodded slowly, after which she glanced at Altera, "I already got everything I wanted."
If your Master handed you to me, then from now on I will be your Master, until Ainz decides otherwise. So I'll even make a stupid dog like you worthy of my servant. Is what Altera could pick up from Cainabel's glance.
These were the implication of Cainabel's gaze and Altera could not disagree with them. More precisely, she, as a Servant, was a tool of the Master, and if her Master decided to give his Servant to another, then she, as an obedient tool, could not do anything other than just to nod and follow the new rules. As an android and a child of stars, she was accustomed to such things.
However, Ainz thought differently.
'Hah…' - Ainz looked thoughtfully at Cainabel - 'I never thought... That is, all this time she just wanted to get herself... a partner?'
Of course, Cainabel did not give the impression of a sociable and easy-going person... No, probably, this was the problem with trying to please a Servant who is recalcitrant. One way or another, all people want company - and Cainabel, who found it hard to get along with people, probably also wanted it. Most likely, she simply lacked the communication skills and therefore finding her a partner - or even, rather, a younger colleague in her care - a kouhai as it is - was pleasant for her.
'However…' - Ainz thought for a moment, looking at Altera - 'Even if Cainabel wants to spend time with her - Altera can be hard-pressed to deny her advance because of Cainabel's character... Hmm, maybe in this case she also needs some kind of compensation?'
"Altera," Altera flinched when Ainz looked at her, "What do you want?"
Altera pondered the question for a while.
It was unlikely that it was such a comprehensive question as in 'whatever she wanted' it's likely that Ainz wouldn't use the grail to fulfill her wants... So she had to choose some more or less logical answer that Ainz could fulfill...
Altera looked at Cainabel - so quiet and submissive in the presence of Ainz - and then nodded.
"I would like to fight you, Master," Altera looked up.
Her past battles with Cainabel proved to her that in a sense she still liked to fight. And of all the possible choices of opponents that are available to Altera right now, the opportunity to cross blades with someone who made even Cainabel tremble with fear seemed extremely interesting to Altera.
"Oh, ahem," Ainz glanced at Altera, "I see..."
After Ainz spent some time looking around the room, he glanced at Altera again, - "How many rounds of sparrings have you done?"
"This will be the forty-first," Altera nodded.
"Forty-first, ahem, with me..." - Ainz thought for a second before nodding slowly. "If it's the forty-first, then, like Ainz Ooal Gown, it will be suitable for me... However!"
Ainz looked at Altera. "Forty-one is a huge number. Even if you are a Servant, I still want it to be your last round of sparring - after that... Ahem, take a rest somewhere, probably…"
"My body can withstand many more rounds", - especially given the treatment she received from Cainabel. And also thanks to Ainz's endless mana, she doesn't need to worry about her mana reserve during training.
"It is indeed possible for you," Ainz nodded. "But I would not want you to force yourself to exhaustion. Definitely, all people need some amount of relaxation."
People, ha...
Altera felt a strange emotion hearing such a statement, but she did not have time to really think about it.
"Drink this," Ainz handed Altera a flask. "This is a healing potion and endurance potion."
Altera instantly took the potions offered to her, and then drank them. To battle Ainz, she most likely really needed to be in her best shape.
A moment later, all of Altera's wounds were healed, after which she felt her fatigue — the insignificant part that still managed to accumulate in her tireless body — disappeared completely. After a few moments revelling in the feeling she rose from her place.
Cainabel, looking at the fight that is about to take place she started grinning and took a step away from the two combatants. Unlike Ainz, who she didn't really know the full capability of, given Cainabel's capability she will most likely be completely protected from any consequences of the battle. As much as the abilities that the combatants could bring out, none of it would endanger Cainabel without totally destroying the entire room. On the other hand…
If Ainz saw through their fake battle, and judging by his comments he did, this meant that he wanted Altera not to restrain herself in this battle at all and he himself most likely would not either.
Of course, the use of Noble Phantasms was still prohibited - and judging by Cainabel's reactions and stories, it would not be strange if Ainz did not even need anything like this to defeat Altera. However, even without resorting to their Noble Phantasm, this round of sparring will definitely create an untold amount of destruction. It would not be strange if the whole room, except for the protective barriers, was destroyed during the battle. Altera understood this reality and therefore did not plan to underestimate Ainz in this battle and go all out.
Slowly retreating to her preferred position, Altera stood at the ready.
"Yes, ahem, an important clarification," Ainz nodded to himself, after which he looked at Altera, "I understand that you most likely want a battle in full force... But I do not want to kill you."
Altera objected, "But I can be summoned again."
"Yes," Ainz agreed, "But the killing of a Servant - my Servant... Especially with my own hands - is absolutely forbidden."
Altera thought for a second before Ainz hurried to speak out to her - "Attack me at full strength, however. I'm just saying that in this case, something else must be considered as the conditions for victory."
"In that case," Altera thought, "Inability to continue the fight could also be considered as a lost."
"Good," Ainz nodded, and then slowly made his position several meters in front of Altera, "Cainabel, if you would count us down please."
"Three." Cainabel raised three fingers up.
Ainz... He was a magician, as far as she knows. So, of course, Altera had to force him into close combat as quickly as she could.
"Two", - Apparently, his specialization is area of effect attacks and necromancy... However, given that there were no bodies around the room suitable for necromancy, it could be assumed that Altera should only be wary of wide area destruction spells, - "One…"
"Start!" After a moment, Altera rushed forward.
"Ainz Ooal Gown won", - Altera did not even have time to take a step before Cainabel announced her loss.
"Hah?" - Altera turned to Cainabel, before she understood what was said - "But how..."
After that, Altera felt something strange with her body and raised her hands to her face to inspect it.
Her hands, the color of mocha coffee, were almost completely transparent. In other words, Altera was in her spirit form.
A second later, Altera tried to materialize - but she could not.
"I'm sorry," Ainz suddenly appeared next to Altera. No, it seemed that he had somehow evaporated from his previous position and unexpectedly just appeared next to Altera, - "I used the "Etherial form" spell on you. You cannot materialize until the spell effect passes or I remove it."
Altera turned her gaze toward Ainz.
Her skill, Civilization Erosion, was one of her greatest trump cards. The ability that allowed Altera to break any spell, transform any weapon, and control any object that she could infuse with her mana. There was only one exception.
This skill did not affect herself.
Altera glanced at Ainz - shocked.
The battle - if it could be called that - took less than a second.
A second later, Ainz cancelled his spell, allowing Altera to materialize again.
"But... how could you cast the spell so quickly?" Altera was not inclined to self-praise, but her agility was of the highest A rank. In other words, it was difficult for many Servants to even react to her movements, not to mention surpassing her in speed and having enough time to neutralize her before she even took one step.
"Oh," Ainz shook his head, "You had demanded for a battle with my full capabilities... So I stopped time."
Stopped...
Time…
Altera blinked, unsure that she had heard what was just said correctly.
"Hm, in that case, if that's all..." Ainz shook his head, "I'll leave you two to it."
"Of course, my lord," Cainabel smiled immediately, looking after the departing figure of Ainz.
Altera just kept standing still.
"It was interesting to watch you in the stopped time," Cainabel grinned.
"You..." Altera turned her gaze to Cainabel. "Didn't you also become frozen with time?"
"Of course not!" Cainabel was clearly indignant at such an assumption, "Stopping time is a basic trick for someone of mine — or Ainz's — level."
Altera felt her worldview crack, and then she nodded, "I understand."
"Hm, it seems Ainz had ordered us to stop our spar," Cainabel sighed. "Well, orders are orders."
"Little tin toy," Cainabel turned to Altera, "let's go, at least have a bite of something… Or someone..."
Altera nodded slowly, after which, looking up at the ceiling, she stared at Cainabel purposefully, "You... Can you tell me more about Ainz?"
Cainabel, who had looked at her with almost tangible contempt before, thought for a moment, after which she grinned and her face bloomed into a smile, "Oh... For such a thing you came to the right place..."
Name: Attila
Race: Heteromorphic
Title: Great King of Destruction
Occupation: Servant of Ainz Ooal Gown
Residence: Chaldea, training room in the residential wing
Karma: +100 (Neutral Good)
Race Level: Golem (15)
Automaton (10)
Child of Stars (5)
Class Level: Swordsman (15)
Destroyer of Civilizations (5)
Tactician (3)
Others (20)
Total: 30 Racial Levels + 43 Class Levels = 73 General Levels
HP: 80
Mana: 60
Physical Attack: 60
Physical Defense: 0
Agility: 80
Magic Attack: 0
Magic Defense: 60
Resistance: 80
Special Abilities: 90
Ability: Photon Ray
Level: 80
Extremely strong physical attack capable of striking covering some distance, that's all. Just an extremely strong physical attack imbued with piercing damage. Nothing more. Although the damage done is certainly beyond praise and can, if it hits, even kill a player of the eightieth level. Of course only if the player decided that taking a luminous drill to the face is a good way to spend their time and prepared no defenses or countermeasures
Player Comments:
- Just a very strong build for dealing physical damage. True, without any physical defense... Well, seriously, everything in the build went so well and such a cool build would have turned out quite powerful, and then for some reason decided that a physical oriented build needs no physical defense… Glass cannon indeed.
- Child of Stars? Destroyer of Civilizations? Damn, someone is really lucky to find such unique classes...
- The ability is simple, strong, and yet without any additional effects in play. For any ordinary MOB it will do. But then the moment she encounters any opponent with physical damage immunity... to be demolished by a first-level ghost…
- Physical defense! Urgently raise the physical defense! And sweetie, if you do it would be an honestly good build! How can you miss such an elephant in the room...
