*SLASH*
*THUD*
With a swing of his sword, Shido killed the last ogre that was escaping.
"Is that the last of them?" Shido turned his head and asked Lukrut who was too stunned to say anything.
"Y-Yeah, that's the last one." Lukrut replied. He was very surprised seeing how Shido could eliminate the ogres and goblins. He wasn't the only one who thought like that since Peter and the rest of the Sword of Darkness thought the same.
After the negotiation with Nfirea Bareare, the party immediately leave and travel to get herbs. Nfirea and Ninya rode the wagon together while the others walk in foot as they guard the wagon. Shido became closer with the Sword of Darkness along the way talking with various things.
On the other hand, Lukrut tried to flirt with Nabe only to be either thrown with cold words or completely get ignore. However, it seemed that this guy is an M since he was blushing whenever Nabe said insults.
The rest of the Sword of Darkness was used to it and chose to ignore him as if they didn't know Lukrut. Ainz only shook his head at this and only Shido watched this guy get wreck by Nabe.
...
Ainz also put back his large swords on his back again after finishing the other monster. He glanced at around and saw the corpse of the monsters scattered everywhere. Then he shifted his attention at Shido who was talking with Lukrut.
"He's strong." Nabe walked on his side while her eyes were fixated at Shido.
Although Nabe looked down on humans just like everyone in Nazarick, she couldn't rid of the feeling that Shido was a very dangerous foe. She was always on guard because of that, but seeing his real ability, Nabe's guard raised up.
"I know," Ainz said with a slight nod before turning and walking toward the others.
Meanwhile, the members of the Sword of Darkness were still processing what they had just witnessed.
"They're strong… unbelievably strong," Peter muttered, eyes wide with disbelief. He had fought monsters before, but never had he seen such overwhelming power, monsters that would normally require careful planning and teamwork were eliminated with ease. Ainz would kill them with one slash while Shido skillfully kill them elegantly.
"Their strength… would you say it's around Mithril? Maybe Orichalcum?" Ninya asked, still trying to gauge the impossible gap between them.
Dyne shook his head slowly, his expression serious. "No… it's beyond that. What we saw back there, that was Adamantite level, without a doubt."
Dyne responded to Ninya's question, his tone firm as he explained just how powerful the three truly were.
"Haaah… well, at least I'm relieved they're on our side." Peter said with a sigh, a smile tugging at his lips. "With them around, this quest is practically guaranteed to succeed."
"Yeah." Nfirea agreed with a nod, the tension in his shoulders easing. "It's a huge relief knowing we'll have a smooth journey with them around."
...
"You're strong." Ainz approached Shido and said.
"I could say the same to you." Shido smiled and replied with a shrugged.
However, he noticed Nabe was glaring at him with her cold eyes seemingly displeased with how he talk so casually with her lord.
But Shido didn't care about her reaction. If she's angry with his response then he could do nothing about it. He was not bothering them so they should also not bother him since if Nabe did something dumb, Shido would definitely teach her a the reason why he was called a harem protagonist.
"Do you want to have a spar?"
"Momon-san!"
Ainz asked Shido to a spar which startled everyone especially Nabe since she couldn't accept the fact that Shido was on the same level with Shido. In her eyes, Ainz was the strongest being in this world and the one who is bound to rule the world in the future.
"Calm down, Nabe. It's just a friendly spar," Ainz said, raising a hand to stop her from speaking further. His tone was firm but composed.
He then turned his crimson gaze back to Shido. "What do you say, Acheval-san?"
Although Ainz was not the type to act on impulse, his desire to test Shido's true strength was genuine. He couldn't shake the feeling that what Shido had shown during the battle was only the surface of his capabilities. In fact, Ainz even suspected that Shido might be a fellow YGGDRASIL player, an unsettling thought that made him increasingly wary since he didn't know if Shido would be a friend or a foe.
Shido stared at Ainz face that was fully covered with a helmet as if he was thinking deeply. Ainz didn't know what Shido was thinking but his heart was beating fast since he was afraid that Shido would see his real appearance, but he didn't know that Shido had already seen his skeleton face the first time they met.
For a moment there was only silence in the air, but it was cut by Shido's reply. "Alright, let's spar."
"Good." Ainz said and prepared his sword once again.
"Are you ready?" Shido asked Ainz. He also wielded his sword once again and form a stance.
"I'm always ready," Ainz responded, raising his sword with both hands, the tip pointed toward his opponent.
Around them, the others instinctively stepped back, watching closely as two monsters in human form prepared to clash, each hiding power that could shake nations.
"Good." Shido smiled and before anyone could react Shido vanished from his spot.
"FAST!" 2x
Even with their heightened senses, they could barely follow his movement because of his monstrous speed.
The next moment, he reappeared right in front of Ainz, his blade already descending in a sharp vertical arc.
*CLANG!*
Ainz managed to raise his greatsword just in time to block the strike. Sparks flew from the clash, and the shockwave kicked up dust and wind around them.
"Momon-san!" Nabe was worried when their first clash collided. She could immediately tell that Ainz was in disadvantage.
'Heavy…!' Ainz thought, gritting his teeth behind the helmet. The force of the blow was staggering, if not for his maxed-out stats, he was sure that he would bent down on his knees.
However, it was understandable considering Ainz wasn't exactly proficient in close quarter combat since he was originally a magic caster and not a warrior. If it was a battle of magic, Ainz was sure that he could immediately defeat Shido, but in his current form, he wasn't exactly sure if he could defeat Shido.
Shido, on the other hand, showed no sign of hesitation. He continued his relentless assault, his blade moving so quickly that it seemed to blur in the air. The sheer speed of his strikes made it nearly impossible for the naked eye to follow the trajectory of his sword. The only indication of his movements was the constant shower of sparks when their sword collided against each other.
Though Shido was fast, Ainz was also fast. Despite his towering stature and heavy armor, Ainz moved with surprising speed, his massive sword cleaving through the air with precision. He fought back, striking with force, but each of his moves was either dodged or parried by Shido.
"...Are they still humans?" Peter's jaw drop open as he watched the insane battle going on.
"This skills, they are definitely on other level compared to us. I'm sure that they should be as strong or stronger than the Head Knight of the kingdom." Lukrut for once said something reasonable.
Dyne nodded at his speculation and added "As the saying goes, 'There is always someone better.' We should not compare ourselves to them, instead we should work harder so we could achieve a greater result and become stronger."
Hearing Dyne's words, a spark of hope ignited in the hearts of the onlookers. Their spirits lifted, and a new sense of determination filled the air. They realized that while they might not be on the same level as Shido and Ainz, there was always room for growth and they were ready to put in the effort.
Nfirea who was in the wagon together with Ninya couldn't say anything since the battle was too much for him. It was a realm that he couldn't enter. Secretly, he clenched his fist and thought, if he had that power then he could protect his childhood friend forever.
His internal struggle went unnoticed by the others, who were too absorbed in the intense clash between Shido and Ainz.
However, Nabe was different. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced by a rare seriousness as she watched Shido relentlessly press Ainz into a defensive position. She stood still, her eyes narrowing, focused entirely on the fight. Her hands crackled with electricity, as though she were preparing to intervene with a spell at any moment.