Liberation of Loyts

Liberation of Loyts was the third large scale battle in the Roble Holy Kingdom. It was the start of the Holy Kingdom Liberation Army's retaliation against the Demi-Human Alliance. 
== Background ==
After Remedios Custodio and her diplomatic entourage secured the personal assistance of the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown to aid the Liberation Army to retake the Northern Holy Kingdom, Ainz suggested them to change the location of their base as it's possible that its location could had been exposed. To avoid a possible attack, they agreed to make the first move and relocate. Even worse, they still needed to secure provisions. Lacking funds to buy provisions from their neighbors and allies in the south at the coast, along with the loss of their queen, Remedios decided to use the Sorcerer King's idea to focus her force's efforts on attacking the prison camps and liberating the people, hoping that by liberating enough of the populace, it would increase the fighting strength of the Liberation Army and acquire much needed food supplies from the enemy camps.Overlord Volume 12 Chapter 3: Beginning the Counterattack 
== Battle ==
The Liberation Army travelled by the shore of the Kingdom thanks to Ainz's suggestion that it would be easier to hide their tracks by the sea. Their first target was a small village occupied by the Bafolk. The human fighters utilized siege tactics, breaching the village fortifications in a two-ponged attack with angels from the air and infantry from the ground. The angels summoned by the Liberation forces were the first to reach the walls and proceeded to attack the watchtowers whilst the Bafolk archers tried to aim at Remedios leading the charge from the ground. Remedios easily cut down the arrows coming at her with her sword as she ran towards the gates. The angels swiftly killed the Bafolk archers at a watchtower. The paladins following behind the captain then brought out the battering ram and tried to use it to break open the gate. 
However, the Bafolk had proven to be underhanded fighters. One stationed at a watchtower held a human girl in his grip and used her as a hostage to force Remedios to call of the attack of her soldiers and their summons, forcing Remedios and her Paladin corps to retreat in fear of hurting the child. Ainz Ooal Gown then arrived with Neia Baraja at the scene and urged Remedios to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, Remedios's unwillingness to endanger innocent lives regardless of cost and her stubbornness prevents her from acting. The Bafolk killed the hostage by cutting off her head as a demonstration of his leverage over them, then brought a second hostage, a human boy before them and demanded that the paladin gather her people on horses. 
Remedios caved into the demands, much to Ainz's dissatisfaction as the demi-humans would now realize that using hostages were effective against their forces, making their surprise attack on the village moot as the remaining Bafolk shore up the village's defenses. When Neia pleaded to her senior to accept that casualties were necessary for the greater good, she remained obstinate, as she believed that if any innocents died, then there would be no justice. The Sorcerer King thought that he should make an example of them and approached the Bafolk holding the hostage. When the demi-human tried to intimidate Ainz, he told it that a single human life meant little to him and casted a [Fireball] that killed both the hostage and the demi-human, demonstrating to the demi-humans that using hostages is pointless and they should fight with all their strength. A lightning spell was then cast at the fortified gates of the village, blasting it open. The Sorcerer King urged the paladins to resume the battle and wipe out every Bafolk that was still alive. Ainz's efforts enraged Remedios, who was unamused by an undead monstrosity killing off an innocent child for the sake of breaking a stalemate, but Gustav Montagnés and several other Paladins and Priests paid him their thanks.
The Sorcerer King then carried the body of the deceased boy to a clearing. With the help of Neia, they cleaned the body for a burial. As Neia spoke with Ainz, she sees more into how human Ainz really is when he speaks of making difficult decisions as a leader of a nation. Once the village was finally liberated, the Liberation Army found that demons were skinning the villagers for some unknown purpose. The survivors from the camps were grateful of their savior, although it became fear when they found out the one that saved them was Ainz, an intimidating-looking undead. The body of the boy and Ainz's part in his death was brought into question especially by the boy's father who was devastated. The father blamed Ainz for his child's death, but the man's anger was dispelled when Ainz gave him a borderline sociopathic speech that his son's death was his own failure for protecting him, and he was a weak man to allow the strong like the Bafolk enslave him and his family. Despite Ainz's words were in-nature a rant that shows how little Ainz cared about people he doesn't know, it still expressed a ring of truth that none in the group denied. 
After attacking the first prison camp and freeing the people who joined the ranks of the Liberation Army, the resistance went after the next prison camp the next day. The Liberation Army's attack on the first camp yielded less than expected food stocks, and thus there was pressure to raid the demi-human occupied encampments to acquire much needed supplies. The demi-humans in charge of inspection of the camps would also likely detect that the camps were being liberated sooner or later and notify Jaldabaoth to send a deadly army towards them, hence the need to continue the advance while the humans had the element of surprise.
The Liberation Army had two options; to flee south and joining forces with the armies stationed there, or to strike first at the Demi-Human Alliance and conquer a small city. Though the two plans had merits and flaws, after questioning the demi-humans in the previous camps, and later executing them, Captain Remedios opted for the second as there was supposedly someone with royal blood imprisoned there. If the information was true, the Liberation Army's situation would greatly improve, and the rescue of the noble might allow them to negotiate with the southern forces to send more reinforcements. Since the city was guaranteed to have more enemy demi-humans guarding it, the paladins pressed their rescued captives into military service to bolster their numbers. It was decided by the leaders of the advancing army agreed to attack at day, as it would be disadvantageous to the humans at night. 
Upon reaching the city, the battle lines already formed up among the human fighters with the paladins at the front followed by the militiamen and lastly the priests. The plan for the attack on the city was the same as the Liberation Army's attacks on the previous settlements; using angels to suppress the demi-humans at the walls, while the paladins broken down the gates. The militiamen in the attack would be limited to intimidating the enemy through their use of numbers. The citizens that made up the militia were ordered to avoid fighting, unless absolutely necessary. 
Though Loyts was a small city, it was still very large for a region and had portcullises reinforced with iron and made of stone walls. Unlike the previous prison camps the city was nearly impregnable, making it troublesome to the attackers. Remedios led the paladins to a charge at the gate with the angels flying overhead attacking the demi-humans at the wall. The wall being manned by Bafolk took casualties as did the summoned angels. Though the paladins assaulted the gates they were, hindered by the portcullis and the spears of the Bafolk. To further deter them, the demi-humans poured boiling hot water from the murder holes, but it had little effect as the paladins casted [Protection Energy Fire] on themselves.
The militiamen eventually reached the wall using the cover of makeshift wooden shields and began aiming at the demi-humans targeting the angels. The summoned angels took friendly fire but the priests also contributed by summoning more angels into the fray. Once the city gate fell, the paladins and militiamen flooded the city. The demi-humans who witnessed Remedios skills in battle were shaken and became more frantic. Unfortunately for her, one of the Bafolk used a young hostage to delay the advance of the paladins and demanded that the priests recall the angels unless they will have blood on their hands. Despite meeting strong protests from her men this time, Remedios still fell for the exact same trick and attempts to negotiate, unwilling to sacrifice even a single person for the sake of upholding Holy Queen Calca's ideals. Seeing the stalemate would greatly cripple the offence, Ainz decided to intervene on his own. He tried to convince that she is just giving the Bafolk an impression that hostages would be effective and Neia went in to speak with her as well, but to no avail. Ainz then proceeded to go into the City with Neia and deal with the enemy on his own.
Once inside the City, he used [Great Magic Seal] and [Mass Hold Species] to pacify the demi-humans, then summoned ten High Wraiths and ordering the paladins to stand back since they would unleash a fear-inducing aura around them. The Bafolk, seeing Ainz tried to use their hostage to force him back, but the undead was unfazed. One of the demi-humans, mistaking Ainz for a summon by Neia Baraja, pleaded her to call him back, but Neia was only confused by the notion. Ainz then released an aura that overpowered both the Bafolk and the Hostages and immobilized them with [Mass Hold Species]. 
Ainz advanced forward towards, but not after casting [Greater Break Item] to destroy the portcullis to open the path for the paladins to enter the city. Just as the paladins moved to tie the demi-humans, a Berserk Bafolk fell down from the city walls and stabbed its spear at Ainz. The Sorcerer King evaded the attack, which led to the spear killing one of the immobile Bafolk. Ainz, with swift movements then grabbed its head. The Berserk Bafolk reacted by driving the spear right through Ainz, but the Sorcerer King was unharmed and proceeded to crush the demi-human's skull. 
The Liberation Army and Ainz proceeded to enter the city streets. The undead released by Ainz left the Bafolk in disarray. A horde of the frighten demi-humans ran towards Ainz and Neia which the Sorcerer King then eliminated with a [Fireball]. As Ainz and his squire Neia approached the city plaza, they encountered the leader of the Bafolk, Buser, the King of Destruction. The demi-human king was largely unaffected by the fear inducing powers of the Wraiths due to his magical equipment. Buser seeing Ainz, mistakenly believed Neia to be a necromancer. He was corrected, however, by the Sorcerer King when he offered Buser to either be killed or kneel in servitude. With his name as a lord at stake, Buser declined as he already knelt in subservience to another. 
Ainz then used [Create Greater Item] to conjure a two-handled sword and parried a blow from Buser's [Shield Bash] which sent the former back. The two kings then engaged each other, exchanging attacks. The Sorcerer King then chose to throw his weapon at Buser, but his equipment blocked the attack, leaving the Bafolk only slightly scratched. The blade from the throw was recalled to Ainz's hand and was altered to a halberd. He attacked Buser with a feint, but the demi-human successfully blocked it and leapt back to use [Sandstorm] and created a rushing sand burst at Ainz. His opponent's eye vision hindered, Buser activated two Martial Arts techniques: [Essence Seal] and [Grand Power Strike]. In addition he activated Charge Without Hesitation and charged at him. However, Ainz caught the blow on his halberd, taking a sunder attack meant to damage his weapon. To Buser's utter shock, the weapon was unharmed. Ainz informs him that the weapon was made through magic, but to Buser's knowledge weapons made by magic would still be fragile. This was not the case for Ainz who told the demi-human that though he should not be bound by a fixed worldview. The Overlord then dismissed the halberd and grasped two black longswords in his hands and goaded Buser to continue fighting wondering aloud with that was his only trump card. Buser thinks it to be a ploy to tire him out as Ainz who was undead would not tire unlike him. 
The Sorcerer King seeing that there was a misunderstanding, dispelled his weapons to leave him vulnerable. Buser seeing an opportunity stabbed at Ainz's unprotected body only to find that the Sorcerer King was unharmed despite the blows. No matter what attack the demi-human used, his opponent remained unmoved. Ainz believing that he had seen all that needed to be seen from Buser's Martial Arts, moved forward to eliminate Buser. Buser feeling the abnormality of his opponent, tried to offer his surrender, citing that he would be useful to Ainz if he wished to defeat Jaldabaoth. To entice the undead of his value, Buser even offered his collected treasures. This did not work, as Ainz believed that his habit of collecting the skulls of children would make some of his subjects unhappy. Buser seeing the he was about to die, tried to scramble away but met his end when the Sorcerer King casted [Death] on him. 
== Aftermath ==
The outcome of the retaking of the city and freeing its citizens were attributed to the power of the Sorcerer King. Not only that the attacking paladins and militiamen were virtually unhurt, and while some of the imprisoned residents had lost their lives in the chaos, it was a shockingly small amount. Whilst the paladins busied with tasks in securing the city, Ainz claimed the spoils of Buser's equipment. He then went with Neia to investigate a large building in the center of the city. There they found what was left of the central base of the command of the city, finding papers containing what was detailing reports on experiments conducted on humans and demi-humans. The building still contained living test subjects which prompted Ainz to call for the priests to tend to the survivors. There were also orcs found among the test subjects. Ainz and Neia were left to handle the orcs who were all traumatized by the inhumane treatment under Jaldabaoth and his demonic minions. Ainz after some convincing managed to coax some details of their imprisonment from their representative, Dyel Gan Zu of the Gan Zu. From the orcs the Ainz and Neia learned that the demi-human prisoners were not part of the Alliance that attacked the Holy Kingdom, in fact made as examples by the Demon Emperor for refusing to join him. The orcs learning that the Sorcerer King was not going to kill them, only wished to return to their homes and forget about their hellish experience. Even when the topic of forging an alliance to fight against Jaldabaoth, the orcs were hesitant to join having been broken by the demon and losing the courage to fight. Though disappointed by their choice, Ainz agreed to send them home, but offered them refuge in his kingdom. The offer was quickly rejected as the orcs only wanted to flee to somewhere safe. Thinking they insulted their host the orcs feared that they would face an execution by Ainz. Despite Ainz assurances that they had nothing to fear from him, the demi-humans did not trust him. To their surprise Neia came to defend Ainz's integrity before the prisoners stating the undead was a noble and honorable being, and that he spoke the truth of his kingdom being a place of coexistence for all races. After listening to Neia's support for the Undead, Dyel stated he would pass Ainz's offer to the rest of his people and any other demi-humans that wished to escape Jaldabaoth. After supplying the members of Gan Zu with food rations, Ainz then used his magic to transport them back to the Abelion Hills.
After the city of Loyts was secured, the Liberation Army found Prince Caspond Bessarez interned among the captives. The prince's safety was declared a boon to the resistance and was introduced to Ainz Ooal Gown and Neia Baraja by Gustav Montagnés. The prince personally thanked the Sorcerer King for his efforts in helping to reclaim the stolen territories of the Holy Roble Kingdom. He discussed the next step with Ainz in retaking the Holy Kingdom, and the plan to retreat South to regroup with the main force.
Caspond later allowed Ainz and Neia to take their leave so that he may rest. After the two left, he spoke to Remedios and Gustav of the war effort. Rather than return to the South, Caspond stated that they would stand their ground in the city and draw Jaldabaoth to them. In order to get the demon's full attention, he intended to delay the evacuation to the South long enough for the demon's forces to arrive. He wanted to force a situation in which the Sorcerer King would have to fight against Jaldabaoth, and also decrease the amount of demi-humans in the area. He ordered several remaining demi-humans freed to spread the word of the city's liberation so that the plan would go accordingly.
Unbeknown to anyone inside the Holy Kingdom Liberation Army, the Prince is already killed and replaced by a Doppelgänger, and they relinquished their control over their army to the Sorcerer Kingdom without knowing it. Demiurge later arranged a massive Demi-Human army to attack Loyts and ordered the Doppelganger to ask Ainz for a list of people he wants Demiurge to spare during the attack. Ainz gave the order to "leave as few alive as possible" to the Doppelgänger, who then relayed it to Demiurge and in-return the Demi-Human elites.
== References==
Category:Events
Category:Main Story Events
Category:Battles and Wars
Category:Volume 12-13 Events