Chapter 18

— Ulber Alain Odle —

"Bwahaha!" Peroronchino laughed as he watched the raiders scramble forward blindly into the tomb. "It's just as you said, sis; they're running around like chickens with their heads cut off!"

"I'm glad it worked out that way," Buku said while staring off at the door to the throne room. The three of them were gathered around the throne while the others were scattered within the Nazarick, ready to fulfill their tasks and defend or head out.

"It was a solid plan. Good job, Buku." Ulbert gave the slime girl a nod, which she returned. Internally, he was already thinking forward about the plan to deal with these attackers once and for all.

They didn't worry at all about Kakuei; when the signal came, Asgard would be theirs, which was guaranteed and set in stone, but dealing with the raiding force and keeping Nazarick was their main priority, and honestly-

It was going to be close.

Ten thousand was a large number, especially when that number represented a raiding party. Nazarick had incredible defenses and mechanisms set to preserve the tomb in case of an attack like this, but Ulbert didn't know how much they'd be able to bear.

Everything was riding on the floors leading up to the eighth. Every floor before the eighth needed to thin out the herd as much as possible so that the guild could eviscerate the attacking force from existence once they made it to the eighth.

Thankfully, several members would sit on the first three floors to aid Shalltear, the NPC created by Peroronchino, in the coming battle. Shalltear is one of the strongest NPCs Hell's Paradise has created, and though she doesn't hold any affinities that will make her stronger against the raiding party, she also shouldn't be taken out easily. She can buy time and take out many of the forces; that's what matters.

"You worry too much, Ulbert." Pero chuckled. "Sure, they may get past my honey snookums, Shalltear, but let's be honest, the Sixth, Seventh, and Eight Floors? Impossible. Two words, 'The Web.'"

Ulbert stared at Pero for a while and let out a sigh. "Yes, you are correct. Those three floors should take out their forces, and worst-case scenario, they make it here, and we call Kakuei back to make a final stand. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that."

"Even if it does…" Bukubukuchagama said, "By then, the forces would be exhausted of their resources, and their numbers should be manageable. Kakuei would honestly be overkill. Trust in our guild, Ulbert."

Ulbert stayed quiet at that. He could never come to trust the guild in its entirety.

Trust Kakuei? Sure, he's the leader. Trust Momonga? She's a genius, one he respects greatly. Buku can be considered the same. Bellriver is another intellectual that rivals even him in IQ. Touch Me and Pero are moralemoral boosters that give their ranks amazing depth and power. The rest-

He doesn't care for them; they don't care for him.

"I will trust them because you believe it is the right thing to do." Ulbert nodded, earning a happy noise from Buku and a tired groan from Pero.

"Better than nothing, I suppose." The bird-man shrugged.

"Now then, let us see how they handle the first three floors."

— Kakuei —

I sat down with a firm grin on my lips as I sat down on the throne of Asgard's strongest guild.

Taking this guild base… was incredibly easy.

AngelBright, the leader of Seraphim, was smart enough to leave behind fifteen guild members to defend, but where he messed up was taking most of the strongest NPCs their guild has over to Nazarick.

I barely had to try to reach this place, and considering the average World Enemy can take out thirty prepared level 100s at once, and I have two World Items in both hands…

They didn't stand a chance.

With Seraphim dealt with, I knew the reinforcements would be on the way, courtesy of Buku, who planned for Ulbert to appear before the raiding party and inform them about what I was doing.

The fools, this fight was over when they decided to split their forces.

Either run back out and head back to their guild base or continue the push forward; doing both was never an option.

I stood up from the throne and made my way over to the treasury. There was likely a level 100 NPC within ready to guard the treasury with its life, and honestly, I hoped for it!

I could use another small warmup to prepare for the end of Asgard.

I grinned internally as I pulled my blades back. A random thought just occurred in my mind. I am a World Enemy, and I'm about to bring an end to a World. This is the day of Asgard's destruction; this is Ragnarok!

*BOOM*

I slashed through the door in an X-shape, destroying it and allowing me access to the treasury. I walked forward and locked eyes on the NPC standing in the middle of the room.

[Uriel (Lvl. 100) NPC]

[Guild: Seraphim (Rank: Guardian of Treasury]

The figure was a hulking angelic man with long golden hair and crystal blue eyes, the picture-perfect angel in all of humanity's eyes.

I'd enjoy shredding this guard and bathing in the spoils!

— Touch Me —

Touch Me stood in the middle of the hallway, waiting for the army of players to come. His task? To take out as many players as possible and make a strategic retreat. Immediately after, the players will have to deal with several of the other guild members along with Shalltear and her vampire brides, which would definitely thin the herd a great deal before they can move onto the Fourth Floor.

He didn't like this plan one bit, not because it wasn't a good plan, but because of how much this raid would most likely impact the game. To take down a single guild is one thing, but to take down all of Asgard in one fell swoop was good for them but bad for the player base. To lose everything they have would undoubtedly have them quit the game, especially since they'd have no chance of ever getting their gear back. Still, he had to agree that Asgard was prejudiced against all Heteromorphic players, and they needed to be stopped here.

So, Touch Me agreed to stand at the front and be the first real player vs. player fight they would face here.

*STOMP* *STOMP* *STOMP* *STOMP*

He heard the audible footsteps of the approaching raiding party. Touch Me drew Durandal, the Word Item holy blade, bound to his player and stabbed it into the ground as he waited for their approach. He also silently activated as many buffs and resistances as he could.

For better or for worse, this fight would shape this game that he loved forever.

— AngelBright —

The forces of Asgard and the extras that followed rushed forward with haste. They needed to finish this raid as soon as possible! He never would have believed Hell's Paradise would not only predict their attack but push them into a corner with such a large force.

Because of their haste, they had lost several low-level Mercenary NPCs and some low-level Guild NPCs, which didn't do too much to diminish their forces, but to say it didn't impact them at all would be a massive lie.

AngelBright hoped with all of his heart that the rear flank would be capable of dealing with the World Enemy, KakueiSolos. He knew how powerful that player was, along with what World Items he possessed, and honestly, AngelBright didn't like their chances, but if anything, they could buy time.

At the end of the day, that's what this entire raid came down to. Time. And as AngelBright came to a complete stop, forcing his forces to as well, he realized that they were swiftly running out of it.

"Touch Me, winner of the Jotunheim Tournament." GoldenLight pointed his blade at the armored insectoid that stood in their way and slowed them down.

"We do not have time for dramatic flare; take him down!" AngelBright ordered, raising his off-hand and firing a spear of golden light at Touch Me. The Insectoid raised his blade and absorbed the attack with ease.

"Holy Blade, Durandal." AngelBright kissed his teeth in anger. That wouldn't be easy to deal with at all. Durandal allowed for the complete absorption of Holy Magic. There were exceptions, but the exceptions were costly and time-consuming to prepare. Not only that but using them against Touch Me alone would be a waste.

"I have a job to do; I will carry it out against you evil-doers in the name of perfect justice!" Touch Me raised his blade and dropped into a low stance.

"Charge him!" AngelBright roared, rushing forward with a great deal of his forces following. He made sure to fall just behind his men; after all, if he died here, his forces would be confused and without their best leader-

Which would doom them.

Touch Me's blade shined, and AngelBright, as a World Champion himself, knew exactly what Touch Me was doing.

"Tanks-" He called out, but it was too late.

"I call upon the Angels who serve the God of Justice, give me strength, and hold this offering of mine! DIMENSION SLASH!" Touch Me shouted as his entire body was enveloped in blue light that quickly focused around his blade before firing out-

*BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM*

AngelBright was launched back by the intensity of the attack; the wind brushed past him and pushed the forces behind his back as well. He didn't need to look up to know what had happened to the forces in the front, more specifically, their tanks.

As the dust produced from thefrom in the insanely powerful dimensional slash settled, it was revealed that only Touch Me remained at the front. Over ten players had just been cut down by his powerful dimensional slash.

"He had to have used fifty justice stamps; nothing else would generate this power level!" AngelBright gritted his teeth. A good deal of their most powerful tanks went, and they weren't even through the Third Floor yet!

"GoldenLight-" AngelBright called before looking around and seeing that he was nowhere to be seen. His blood ran cold as he looked up at his party status to see that GoldenLight's HP was at zero.

"... No."

"I've done more than I expected; I hope justice smiles upon you all in your punishment and you seek out atonement. Your sentence is due; now it's time to pay the price." Touch Me bowed before teleporting away.

… He showed up, annihilated their tanks and the Co-Leader of this raid, and then left…

"FUCKING MONSTERS!"

— Chapter End —