Gazef gathered his people together, he knew that the upcoming battle would probably be his last, but this didn't make him afraid.
He didn't want to wait for the cover of the night or for the people of the Slane Theocracy to attack the village.
Even if the chances would be better if he were to wait for them to attack the village and involve Ainz, he could never do it.
This would go against the very reason why he came here.
"Warriors! We are going to ride out and break through the encirclement!" He shouted loudly, and his man in response showed determined faces.
"Yes, Captain!"
Although they weren't anything special, none of them had a talent but each of them was trained by shedding blood and sweat, each of them deserved their place in his Warrior troop.
His own death didn't face him, but he didn't want them to die as well.
He knew since the day he took his first life, as a mercenary, that one day someone would come and take his life.
A man like him, who makes violence his profession, seldom ends peacefully, but this was fine with him.
"After breaking through the encirclement, ride straight forward, the destination is E-Rantel and to group up with our comrades!"
He may die in this next battle but his men didn't need to be dragged down with him.
Those people of the Theocracy were after his life, so no matter what he couldn't get away from this, but he had hope that his man and those villagers could be saved.
The desire to save the villagers didn't come from him sympathizing with the villagers' plight or something.
It actually had a very simple reason, he was the Warrior Captain of the Kingdom of Re-Estize and his job was to protect the people of the Kingdom with his life.
And so he would do it.
Just before they wanted to ride out of the village, Ainz, together with Dōji and Albedo, came towards his side.
"Sir Stronoff, do you not plan to wait for the night to come?" Ainz asked before Gazef could ride away.
Gazef shook his head, "No, I don't think it would be useful. There is a spell called [Night Vision], so I don't think we will get an advantage through the cover of night, but rather fall further into an even more disadvantageous situation."
Ainz nodded his head in understanding, but Gazef continued, he wasn't ready with his words.
"Also, for what we plan to do, we need their attention. We will guide them as far away as possible from the Village. I will leave the lives of the villagers in your capable hands Master Gown."
The look in Gazef's eyes gave Ainz a feeling, that this was a man he could respect, even if humans had become just insects in his eyes.
He could respect the determination of the man in front of him.
Ainz didn't speak for a long time before suddenly taking something out of his pocket.
It was a small wooden carving, seemingly some kind of totem or something.
He held it out to Gazef and said, "This is for you Sir Gazef Stronoff, take it with you Warrior Captain."
Gazef took what Ainz handed him, looking at the wooden carving, Gazef felt nothing special about it. But this didn't mean he wasn't thankful, "A gift from you Master Gown how could I refuse it."
He thought of it as a last ornament, maybe something religious like the mask worn by Ainz, and put it into his own pockets.
"Then Master Gown, this is goodbye."
Without hesitation, Gazef rode off towards his own death.
Looking at this, Ainz was deep in thought when beside him Dōji spoke, "I think Cocytus and Sebas would like this man very much."
Albedo of course saw no value in this man at all and she didn't understand why her Lord gave such a gift to an insignificant lifeform like this.
"Why do you think so?" she asked with some annoyance in her otherwise enchanting voice.
"Well, a man with a strong will who is not afraid to die for what he believes to be right. Cocytus would probably say something like, *This. is. a. true. Warrior.* while sebad would silently approve of someone who despite all odds being stacked against him, went ahead to death for what he believed to be right."
Albedo wanted to retort that this was just an insignificant lifeform, with no worth at all. But she didn't come to speak, because the person in between them spoke up.
"You are right, Dōji. I believe both of them would have approved of this man, called Gazef Stronoff." he paused for a while, thinking about something, "Knowing full well that the enemy's target is himself, he still went ahead without hesitation. He could have stayed inside the village and waited for their attack, to try and involve us in the fighting."
"But he didn't do that."
Dōji nodded, while Albedo still didn't understand what was so worth about this human, so she asked.
"Lord Ainz, is this the reason why you swore on your name to protect this village?" it had irked her since she heard it, but she didn't dare question her master, in the end, she still needed to know to further understand why her master saw this man as worthy of such a promise.
"Hmmm..." Ainz didn't know why himself, but if he had to point out why then it would be because Gazef Stronoff had the gaze of a man that was determined to... die.
He admired that because it was something he could never do.
"Maybe...maybe not..." Ainz didn't elaborate, but there was no time for it as well.
At this time, the Village head together with two more villagers suddenly came over running with looks on their faces that showed anxiety and fear.
They were out of breath when they reached Ainz, but even while trying to catch his breath, the village head spoke.
"Hu...Lord Ainz... hu...the Warrior Captain has left... why is he not defending us?" There was anxiety in the man's words and it was already turning to anger.
"The Warrior Captain did the right thing. Those people... they are after him and if he stayed here, then this place would have become a true battlefield. Those people from the Slane Theocracy probably wouldn't mind getting rid of the villagers at the same time as Gazef."
Ainz said it bluntly, which made the Village head realize why the Warrior Captain had left, and even implied with his tone of voice that the end for the Warrior Captain wouldn't be any good.
This made the village head ashamed of his attitude and assumptions, he had thought Gazef had abandoned them, but it was the exact opposite. Gazef Stronoff rode away just so this village wouldn't become a battlefield and that they may stay safe.
"Then should we stay here?"
Ainz shook his head, "No, the Warrior Captain will try to create a breakthrough and gather as many enemies as he can in his way, so that you may have a chance to flee."
He paused and then suggested, for now, you should gather the people in your house, I will set up a magic defense there so that you may remain safe until we are clear."
"Thank you Lord Ainz, we are being a bother to you again..."
Ainz simply waved him off with his hand, "Don't worry, you should concentrate on gathering the people."
"Yes Lord Ainz." The village head then went off, leaving Ainz and company gazing after Gazef and his people.
.
.
.
The horse under his feet was tense and anxious, even when it was a war horse trained for battle. He didn't know if it was precisely because of this that it had picked up on what they were going to do.
But his horse definitely knew, they were riding into their deaths.
His body was tense but his gaze showed no anxiety, only the purest determination.
But he wasn't alone, his men behind him did not need to die here, just as he turned around, wanting to apologize to the people of his Warrior troop, he nearly bit his tongue.
He couldn't bring the words out, those gazes that he saw in his man, were those of men who were the same as himself.
They all came here knowing full well that it was their road to doom, but none showed fear or anxiety, only endless determination.
It would be an insult to these brave warriors and their determination if he said what he wanted to.
"Don't worry about it, Captain!"
"Yeah, we are going to get through this!"
"We aren't going to chicken out!"
The man spoke to him, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"You guys..." Gazef was speechless for a second and then turned his head forward again, "Let's show those from the Thecrocy that we won't tolerate their actions of harming our people!!!"
"Yeahhh!" they cheered and rode even faster than before.
Gazef looked at the Casters with their angels by their sides in the distance, he picked up his bow and drew an arrow onto it.
His target was one of the Casters, the shot was perfect going straight for the target's head...
...but a magic shield blocked it.
"Tsk." clicking his tongue, Gazef threw the bow aside, he knew it was worthless.
If he had arrows that were enhanced by magic, then he could break through those small magic shields, but he had none.
He needed to get close to those casters because he couldn't fight them from a distance at all. Even he, the strongest Warrior of the Kingdom had no chance against these Casters if he couldn't get close enough.
There was no hesitation as he spurned his horse to gallop faster and faster, the Warrior's behind him didn't hesitate either to follow after him.
At this time, more and more of the enemy troops appeared in the vicinity, it was clear that they didn't get there so fast by walking.
"Tsk. I hate Casters..."
Casters always had the possibility of making the impossible possible, while warriors only had their bodies to fight their enemies head-on.
Suddenly the horse under him started to slow down by itself, not listening to its rider's commands at all.
"Tsk, mind control magic!"
Jumping off his horse as he realized this, Gazef landed in between his troops galloping further ahead.
"Captain! Here!"
One of his men stretched a hand towards him.
Gazef stretched his hands towards it but pulled his hand back the next moment.
One of the summoned Angels came swooping in targeting him directly with its flaming sword.
His hands immediately went to the sword hung on his waist and drew the broadsword from its leather sheath.
Gazef dodged sideways, letting the sword of the Angel hit thin air, as he swung his own sword at the Angel.
Hitting it into the waist, his sword simply wouldn't get through and was even slowly pushed back out through the self-healing of the Angel.
"Without magic, they won't take damage it seems."
[Focus Battle Aura]
Using a martial art to imbue his fighting spirit into his weapon, Gazef charged at the Angel that had taken a distance before coming for its next attack.
But it never had the chance.
Giving a wild battle cry, Gazef simply split the Angel right down the middle.
Disappearing after turning into thousands of light particles.
Gazef's gaze wandered ahead and what he saw, gave him hope for his men.
They had broken through with their charge, while he was focusing on the angel.
"Now let's begin..."
Just when he thought they had disappeared into the distance, suddenly the sound of hooves came closer instead of getting further ahead.
His eyes soon caught sight of his men, who had already broken through, charging at the enemy ahead from behind.
"You guys... You Idiots! But I'm so damn proud of you!"
Although he wanted them to flee, he was proud of his Warriors, who chose to fight for their kingdom even when all odds were stacked against them.
"I can't lag behind either!"
He screamed as he charged the next angel and split it apart on the waist with a swing of his fighting spirit imbued Broad Sword.
On the other side, the man who was charging at the now-gathered troops of the Slane Theocracy stood against even more impossible odds than Gazef.
In terms of pure strength of the body, these men may stay at a similar level with the Archangel Flames.
But in terms of skills and magic, they were simply too far behind.
"Send out some Angels to kill those Warriors, but focus most of them on Gazef Stronoff! Don't give him a chance to get close!"
Nigun Grid Luin, the Captain of the Sunlight Scripture also appeared on the Battlefield, commanding the troops under him, while on his side an even more magnificent Angel watched over the Battlefield.
Seeing how his troops were decimated, their horses dominated through magic, while Angels charged to kill them, enraged Gazef.
He searched for a breakthrough to change the tides of this battle and his eyes landed on the man giving commands.
"If it's this way, then I can only go straight for their Commander!"
Making his choice, Gazef charged ahead but was intercepted by 6 angels stepping in his way.
"Get out of my way!"
[Sixfold flash of Light]
With one strike of Gazef, as he passed through the angels ahead of him, six beautiful arcs of Light slashed at the six angels.
Cutting them apart with a single move and turning them into specs of light.
This was his strongest martial arts in full actions, giving the men who had fallen to the ground from their horses and were fighting with the countless Angels a glimmer of hope.
Nigun who saw this, didn't show any emotions as he continued to order his man, "Go summon as many Angels as possible and send as many of them as possible at Gazef Stronoff!"
His man followed his words and continued to Summon new angels, for those who were defeated.
Gazef found himself, standing in front of at least twenty Archangel flames.
Gritting his teeth, he charged ahead without the slightest fear.
.
.
.
His mind was blurry, how long was he fighting? How many angels did he cut apart?
He didn't know.
But his body hurt, his mind was blurry and his men lay on the ground groaning in pain or not moving at all.
Surrounded by Angels, which seemed to Jim like an endless horde, he struggled to keep standing.
He couldn't fall yet!
*Puff*
Pain spread through his body, coming from his waist.
Swinging his sword backward, the object which had been thrust through his side was taken out again.
But the pain only got stronger.
'No, I can't fall yet!'
Pulling all his strength out of his body, he wanted to continue fighting, but all the strength he was pulling to keep himself up, seemed to disappear somewhere along the way.
Soft gras touched his face.
'Have I fallen?'
Gazef Stronoff, with countless wounds and cuts on his body, lay flat on the ground.
Surrounded by Angels all around, his death was just a moment away.
"Good! Finally fallen down, now get him! Attack together all of you! I want to make sure he is dead!" The Commander of the Sunlight Scripture Nigun shouted.
'No, I can't die yet...'
'Even if it is just one more enemy I take with me...'
Remembering the person who would protect the people of the village, Gazef felt relief that he only needed to make sure to kill as many as he could.
'Right... as long as I can make it even a little bit easier for Master Gown later...'
Gritting his teeth so hard they made sounds like they would Crack apart, he put all strength into his body, even if he hadn't any, his determination filled it with new strength.
Rising from the ground as he cried out, "I will defend this Kingdom until my last Breath!!!"
The angles all took a step back at the sight of the man, who should have no strength left in his body to even crawl, standing up again through sheer determination and willpower!
Nigun on the other hand didn't understand this man at all, "You should quit your useless struggle Gazef Stronoff."
"You should have realized, that your life's worth is more than hundreds of times the worth of those useless villagers and yet you went right into this trap."
"So quit your useless struggle and accept your fate! Only then will I show mercy and grant you a painless death!"
But Gazef didn't answer, simply gazing at him with the same determination as before.
It irked Nigun and so he wanted to wear down his spirit, by explaining the futility of his struggle.
"After we have killed you, we will go ahead and take the lives of those villagers as well. All you did was extend their suffering, you won't be able to save anyone!"
"Hahhahahaha!" what came as an answer was something Nigun didn't expect at all.
Gazef Stronoff, who was basically on the brink of Death, was laughing at him.
Just as he wanted to ask why, the answer came.
"You may kill me today, but you are a fool if you believe you can kill the villagers. They are under the protection of someone much stronger than me!"
"Don't talk nonsense, there is no one in the kingdom who is stronger than you."
"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not..."
"Tsk..." Growing annoyed with this useless conversation and the even more useless struggle of Gazef Stronoff, Nigun gave another order, "All Angels Attack!"
'What will this guy's face look like when he meets Ainz Ooal Gown and his comrades?'
'Anyway, it's a good gift for the road to the afterlife...'
"I think it is time for me to switch." A voice suddenly sounded right beside Gazef.