Overlord Premise Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you a new chapter! Shalltear has fallen to mind control. That shouldn’t be possible, given her Racial Immunity to mind control effects. Momonga and Nazarick have a crisis situation on their hands! They must investigate what’s going on and find out everything they can before making any moves. What they learn may not be good though. Will Momonga have to do something he’d never do if he had any say in the matter? How will this situation impact Momonga on every level: physically, mentally, and emotionally?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 9 – Crisis Situation, Momonga vs Shalltear

Momonga sat on the throne of Nazarick while looking into a Mirror of Remote Viewing. Within the mirror was a Shalltear, standing in the middle of a clearing within the forest. Just left there by whoever had attacked her while she was out on the mission that he’d assigned her. His fist clenched on the armrest of the throne, his emotions bubbling beneath the surface like a pool of magma.

Albedo approached the throne and gave Momonga a bow, her face serious as she was acting in her role as Guardian Overseer. “All of the Floor Guardians that had left Nazarick, besides Shalltear, have returned. None of them showed any signs of mind control.” The Succubus reported their current findings.

‘How did this happen?’ Momonga questioned himself, going over what little information he currently had. A [Message] Spell to Sebas had let him know that Shalltear had split off from Sebas and Solution just as planned. Shalltear was tracking down a lead on a skilled Martial Artist among some bandits, while Solution and Sebas headed to the capital of Re-Estize to gather more information and discreetly make a few more influential connections where possible. ‘Shalltear has complete immunity to mind control effects. So, the only thing that could get past that would be a ridiculously powerful item made for that specific purpose. Such an item would have to be Divine Class at the very least.’

Beep Beep

Two short beeps alerted Momonga to an incoming message. He placed his index and middle finger to his temple and answered the spell. “Narberal, this had better be important, I told everyone not to disturb me!” Momonga’s frustration spilled over into his voice and he grimaced at himself for being short with Narberal. Touching the immovable core within, Momonga evened out his emotions. “Nevermind, what do you have to report?”

Within the room rented by Momon and Nabe, Narberal sat on the floor with the [Rabbit Ears] spell active to listen in for any suspicious movement outside the room. “You received a message from the Adventurer’s Guild. The leader, Ainzach, wants to meet with you. A vampire has attacked an area outside of E-Rantel. The Guild needs your help. They sound desperate.”

“I’m on my way. Let them know I’ll be there soon.” Momonga gave Narberal her orders quickly. He really didn’t want to bother with this, but this meeting may provide some new information that he didn’t have yet.

“My Lord?” Albedo spoke as Momonga stood up from the throne. “What should we do about the human woman brought back by Shalltear’s Vampire Bride?”

That had been an unexpected surprise just before dawn this morning. The lone Vampire Bride had been carrying a red-haired woman that Shalltear had ordered brought back to Nazarick and left unharmed. Apparently, Momonga had given her an YGGDRASIL potion for some reason and Shalltear hadn’t known what else to do with the Adventurer woman.

“Right, Brita…” Momonga nearly let out a heavy sigh at the further complication of the current situation. “For now, keep her asleep with Magic. Once we’ve figured out the situation with Shalltear, then we’ll handle that matter. Make sure that Pestonya takes proper care of Brita until that time.”

Albedo bowed in acceptance of her new orders. “It shall be done, Lord Momonga.”

“Make sure that Shalltear is kept under surveillance at all times. Should anyone come near her location…” The colors of his ever-shifting eyes turned pitch black. “Eliminate them.”

“As you command, my Lord.” Albedo bowed with her yellow eyes nearly glowing. No one was allowed to harm a member of Nazarick and get away with it. That included Shalltear, even if she and the vampire bickered with each other.

-Later ~ E-Rantel Adventurer’s Guild-

In the upstairs meeting area sat five men. Three Adventurers sat on one side of the long table, Ainzach sat at the head of the table, and Momon sat on the other side of the table.

“I’d like to thank you Mithril plate Adventurers for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with me.” Ainzach spoke to begin the meeting. “Now, let’s get down to business. Last night a Party of seven Adventurers was attacked by a vampire. We have the bodies of five Iron plate men accounted for. However, the lone woman of the Party hasn’t been found and only the Ranger made it back to E-Rantel to bring us this information.” Ainzach did well to keep his voice steady and his emotions in check at losing another Party from his guild so soon after the Swords of Darkness had been wiped out. “Here’s what we know about the vampire’s appearance. She has long silver hair, a large mouth filled with incredibly sharp fangs, and a body that doesn’t look fully human.”

‘Shalltear’s [Blood Frenzy] and the innate transformation of True Vampires.’ Momonga knew exactly what the report was describing.

“If we’re dealing with a vampire, then we must keep it from entering the city at all costs. Left unchecked it could turn E-Rantel’s population into slaves, making hundreds of Lesser Vampires in the process.” Ainzach laid out the graveness of the situation plainly. It was a horror story that many knew, regardless of their social class or occupation. The story of a seemingly abandoned village being found by travelers, only for the sun to set and reveal that the entire village had been killed and turned into vampires.

“Was this foul beast connected to the recent cemetery incident?” Bellote, Mithril plate Adventurer and leader of the Party ‘Sky Wolf’, asked Ainzach. He was a somewhat plain-looking man with light brown hair and dark blue eyes. His armor, however, was of a quality that many Adventurers could only dream of being able to buy. Proof of his long and successful career.

“Well, I’m sure that Mr. Momon would know the answer to that.” Moknach, leader of the Party ‘Rainbow’, nodded to Momon. He was a somewhat large man, with long blonde hair and narrow eyes. His nose was slightly large and he had large blonde eyebrows as well. Like Bellote, his armor was of good quality beyond the reach of most Adventurers.

“Must be nice to get bumped up all the way to Mithril after just one Quest.” Igvarge, the leader of the Party known as ‘Kralga’ spoke up with a blatant mocking lilt in his voice. He had dark brown hair, slightly tanned skin, and dark eyes. At the moment his arms were crossed over his chest as he looked across the table at Momon.

“This isn’t the time to be acting like that, Igvarge.” Bellote shot a look at his fellow Mithril plate Adventurer. They were potentially facing down a vampire attack, they should be working together, not sending snide comments at each other.

Igvarge only scoffed, but he stopped talking for now.

“After investigating the cemetery, we have confirmed beyond doubt that Zurrernorn was involved.” Ainzach looked seriously at the three Mithril Adventurers.

“Zurrernorn… The death cult that’s obsessed with the Undead?” Bellote grimaced at the confirmation. “Then this vampire must be connected to them.”

“We can’t say that for certain.” Moknach reasoned since they had a lack of evidence connecting the two. “Though, if I had to guess, I’d say it’s a decoy.”

Igvarge smirked at Moknach. “Sure, but it doesn’t take a vampire to kill Iron plates.” That would be a waste of resources even if the remainder of the cult members were fleeing under the cover of the chaos brought about by the vampire.

“Let’s just concentrate on finding the fiend.” Ainzach stopped all talking by raising his voice noticeably. “She was last seen near the caves were bandit activity has been reported. I’ll send out a skilled search party to scout the area.”

Momon straightened up as an idea to keep the Adventurer’s Guild out of this came to mind. “I’m certain that this vampire isn’t connected to Zurrernorn.”

All four men turned to look at Momon at the same time.

“And how could you be so sure?” Ainzach questioned, his eyes narrowed at Momon’s words.

“If the description is accurate, then that vampire goes by the name of Carmilla.” Momon said, pulling the name from a vague memory of a chat he’d had with Peroroncino back when his friend had been creating Shalltear.

“Carmilla?” Ainzach looked perplexed by the name for a moment. “I take it you’re familiar with this creature then?”

“Indeed, we have a history.” Momon confirmed, quickly stringing a tale together while touching the unshakeable core of his being to make sure he didn’t stutter or trip over his words. “I’ve encountered her before, years ago, and tracked her for some time as well. She’s powerful, not just any man can compete with her strength. I was certain that I’d slain her the last time we met. But now… I shouldn’t have underestimated a vampire’s regenerative power.” He lowered his voice and put a bit of a growl in it to mimic frustration. His face not being able to be seen thanks to his helmet made the acting easier to pull off. “This time, my team will get rid of her for you, no problem.” Momon stated firmly and without a hint of doubt.

While Bellote, Moknach, and even Ainzach gasped slightly, Igvarge seemed to take offense.

“The hell you will!” Igvarge said with a glare, not willing to give up a vampire hunt to Momon’s team alone.

Ainzach silenced Igvarge with a stern glare before looking back at Momon. “You’re sure that you can kill her?”

“Definitely.” Momon reached into the pouch on the right side of his waist. “Because this time around, I have this.” He set the Sealing Crystal he’d taken from the Sunlight Scripture on the table for the other men to see. “Sealed within this crystal is Eighth Tier Magic, Holy Magic at that.”

Another round of gasps came, this time from everyone at the table, as they stared at the faintly glowing crystal.

“Th-That’s impossible… Everyone knows the Eighth Tier is just a myth.” Ainzach shook his head once.

“No way! That thing’s a fake!” Igvarge denied outright with a derisive sneer.

Momon put the Sealing Crystal back into his pouch. “I could get it appraised, but we’d be wasting valuable time.” He turned to look at Ainzach.

Ainzach stared into the visor of Momon’s helmet for a long moment. “Your reward?” It was best to know what Momon wanted for taking on this dangerous emergency upfront.

“Details can be hammered out later; however, I expect a promotion to Orichalcum.” Momon stated his one condition that he wouldn’t be swayed on.

“Orichalcum…” Igvarge nearly bit out. Momon was a greenhorn newbie to the Adventurer’s Guild and had already shot straight up to Mithril rank, something that had taken Igvarge years to accomplish. To hear Momon demanding a promotion to Orichalcum already ticked the more senior Adventurer off.

“Must I demonstrate my strength time after time?” Momon questioned the gathered men.

“As you wish.” Ainzach acquiesced with a slight nod to the black armored man.

Igvarge shot to his feet. “I’m going too!”

“You’d just slow me down.” Momon said, shooting down the other man.

“How dare a newbie like you talk to me like that! Screw you!” Igvarge shouted at Momon. “We don’t even know how powerful this vampire really is!”

Moknach raised his voice now. “Knock it off, Igvarge!” He’d dealt with the other man enough to know how aggressive and standoffish he could be.

“There’s no need for such hostility.” Bellote agreed with Moknach, looking at Igvarge with eyes that clearly told the other man to sit down.

“Tagalong, if you must, but I warn you…” Momon looked at Igvarge through his visor. “It means certain death.”

Ainzach, not wishing to drag this out any further, looked between Momon and then Igvarge. 

“Can your teams be ready and get to the area before nightfall?” No one had to be told just how foolish it was to challenge a vampire at night.

“Not a problem for us.” Igvarge confirmed, shooting a condescending look towards Momon.

Momon nodded to Ainzach. “It won’t be a problem. Just some appropriate preparation beforehand and we’ll set out immediately.”

“Very well, take care of this vampire and your promotion is guaranteed.” Ainzach nodded to both men.

With that, the meeting was dismissed and Igvarge was the first to leave, clearly wanting to try and get ahead of Momon.

-Later ~ Forest near Shalltear’s Location-

“You, son of a bitch!” Igvarge cursed at the Monster that had slaughtered his team. “What the hell are you?!”

“Hamsuke is Hamsuke, that she is.” Hamsuke replied as she fulfilled the task given to her by her Master. “You’ve crossed into an area forbidden by my Master! For that, your lives are forfeit!”

Igvarge snarled at the giant hamster-like Monster. “I’m gonna kill you, damn it!”

“I don’t find that likely, that I do not.” Hamsuke’s scaled tail lashed out and struck Igvarge in the side of the head before the man could even react. His feet left the ground as he rag dolled through the air for a moment and then hit the grass and dirt with a thud.

“Next was…” Hamsuke thought for a second. “Right! Take the bodies back to Nazarick for tests!” She looked at empty air for a moment before a spider-like creature with bladed legs faded into view. “I leave the transport to you, invisible Assassin.”

Three more Eight-Edged Assassins faded into view as they briefly dropped their invisibility. The Monsters picked up the corpses of the Adventures and then vanished into invisibility again, the only evidence of their passing being the occasional rustle of leaves through the forest.

“That was excellent, Hamsuke.” Momonga praised his…pet? Subordinate? Regardless, Hamsuke had earned herself praise.

“Master! Lady Albedo!” Hamsuke gave a bow to the two as they emerged from the forest where they’d been hidden, waiting for Hamsuke to deal with the Kralga Party. “Hamsuke will prove her usefulness and loyalty, that she will!” Hamsuke declared brightly.

“Good work.” Momonga nodded. “Return to your patrol and keep this area secure.”

“Yes, Master!” Hamsuke shot off into the underbrush of the forest to continue patrolling this section of the forest until her Master told her otherwise.

Momonga looked at Albedo. “Let’s continue on, Albedo.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Albedo walked side by side with Momonga as they approached the area where Shalltear had been left.

It didn’t take them too long to reach their destination. Both entered into a somewhat large clearing to see Shalltear in her normal gown, just standing listlessly without moving.

“Shalltear.” Momonga spoke to the vampire.

Shalltear didn’t move, seemingly not registering the presence of Momonga and Albedo.

“Shalltear! Answer your Master, you disrespectful little…” Albedo growled, but was cut off as Momonga raised his arm in front of her.

“Can this really be?” Momonga muttered as he looked at Shalltear’s lack of reaction. “It can’t… But Shalltear is clearly affected.” His prismatic eyes looked over the area, seeing evidence of fighting, however little there was. “Someone fought her, and then her mind was overtaken. But she was left here, without orders to obey. Was the casting incomplete?” Momonga pondered on this strange situation. “We need to break this spell that’s over Shalltear.” He raised his right hand and revealed the rings he wore on his fingers, including one that he normally didn’t wear. “Though it’s a small shame to waste such a powerful item on a counter-spell.”

Albedo blinked, very familiar with the various rings that Momonga wore and never having seen the one on his right index finger before. “What is that, my Lord?”

“A super rare ring. It’s known as ‘Shooting Star’.” Momonga answered Albedo. “Three times a day it allows the wearer to cast the spell [Wish Upon a Star].” He still remembered spending his entire summer bonus to get this ring. The Gacha system to get it had not been kind to him at all.

“That’s powerful.” Albedo could only look at the ring in awe.

Momonga looked at her. “You’ve never seen Super Tier Magic?”

“No, my Lord.” Albedo shook her head. “I’ve only heard rumors of its existence. And that it’s stronger than a Tenth Tier spell.”

“Correct. Using it requires a certain skillset. One that I happen to possess. MP doesn’t effect the spell at all, and there is a long cast time. However, we don’t have to worry about that.” Momonga said as he took a few steps forward towards the unresponsive Shalltear. Seeing her like this truly hurt his heart. The only reason he was able to maintain his calm was because of the metaphorical death grip he had on the immovable core of his being. He raised his right hand into the air as the ring began to glow. “This ring cancels out the casting time. It even activates the spell without using any Experience Points. I should be able to release Shalltear in no time flat.” Beneath Momonga’s feet multiple white-blue Magic Circles formed.

“But, my Lord, Shalltear is a servant. There’s no need to use such a precious item on her.” Albedo said, but then swooned a bit as she placed her hands over her heart. “Your compassion knows no bounds!”

“Shooting Star!” Momonga activated the ring as it glowed brilliantly. “Now ring, cure Shalltear of all her status effects, I command you!”

The glow from the ring intensified as it accepted the ‘wish’.

Crack

The Magic Circles below Momonga’s feet shattered into fragments and rose up into the air before vanishing.

“What’s this?” Momonga’s eyes went wide as the spell failed. ‘It doesn’t make sense! Whatever did this is stronger than Super Tier Magic?’ That ruled out even Divine Class items, as their effects were below Super Tier spells. ‘No…’ Momonga instantly realized what they had to be dealing with. He was at Albedo’s side in a blur. “We’re leaving!” He took Albedo into his arms and the two vanished with Momonga’s [Greater Teleportation] spell.

Kilometers away, Momonga and Albedo reappeared in a brief flash of light. Albedo was resting her head on Momonga’s shoulder, her cheeks red and her heart fluttering.

But it was not to last long.

“Damn it…” Momonga moved away from Albedo. “Damn it!” He kicked the ground and sent a wave of dirt across the field they were in with just his raw strength. “Damn it!” Another kick. “Damn it! Damn it!” Another kick that tore up more of the ground followed. “Raaaggghhh!” He bellowed his rage and even as he tried to rein in his out of control emotions.

“A-Are you okay, my Lord?!” Albedo was genuinely worried, never having seen Momonga like this.

“Hah… Hah…” Momonga finally managed to grab the core of his Primordial Deity being once more and slowly calmed down. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have acted that way in front of you.” Momonga apologized to Albedo.

Albedo took a step closer to Momonga. “Did something go wrong with the spell?”

“The ring was definitely activated correctly. However, the wish was not granted. Only one thing is capable of withstanding a Super Tier Magic spell.” Momonga looked at Albedo seriously, his ever-changing eyes a storm of colors. “A World Item.”

Albedo went absolutely still upon hearing that.

Momonga only took a second to make his decision. “Albedo, we’re returning to Nazarick. When we arrive, set the security level to maximum. Then bring Yuri Alpha and Shizu Delta to the throne room.”

“It will be done, my Lord.” Albedo confirmed her orders immediately.

The two vanished through a [Gate] a second later.

-Nazarick ~ Throne Room-

Momonga, Albedo, Yuri Alpha, and Shizu Delta were gathered together before the throne not even half an hour after Momonga and Albedo had returned. The [Gate] spell made travel distance a nonfactor for those in Nazarick that could use it.

“We’re going to the treasury.” Momonga said plainly before raising his hand and displaying his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. The four of them vanished in teleportation a second later.

-Treasury-

The room the four teleported into was filled with massive hills of gold coins, jewels, ingots of precious metals, and shelves filled with all manner of valuable trinkets and artworks. While the three former NPCs gazed around the room for the first time, none of them ever having been here when YGGDRASIL was just a game, Momonga took everything in with a nostalgic eye.

‘It’s been a while since I last came down here in person.’ Momonga could truly appreciate the vast riches before him now that everything was real. “Let’s go. [Mass Fly]!” Momonga cast the modified spell, allowing him to bring the three women into the air with him and pass over the veritable hills of riches without having to walk around them or wind their way between them.

“Yuri-nee.” Shizu spoke to Yuri. “The air has a magical deadly poison in it.”

“Oh?” Yuri didn’t look surprised at Shizu’s revelation, though she hadn’t picked up on the poison herself.

“The air around the Treasury is polluted to prevent invasion.” Momonga told the three women as he flew them through the air. “If you don’t have an item or ability that makes you immune to poison, then you’ll die in three seconds.”

Yuri tilted her head slightly. “Is that why you chose me, a Dullahan, and Shizu, an Automaton, to join you, Lord Momonga?”

“Yes, exactly.” Momonga confirmed for the battle maid. ‘There’s also another reason to bring Shizu. But hopefully I won’t have to ask her for assistance.’ The four of them came to a gentle landing before a square of absolute blackness blocking the only other door in the massive room. Pointing at the protected door, Momonga spoke again. “This is the weapon storeroom.”

“If this is the weapon storeroom does that mean the other treasures are hidden somewhere else?” Albedo asked curiously.

“Yes, it does.” Momonga said, giving the Succubus a nod of confirmation. “My friend, Genjiro, liked to keep things tidy. Everything should be sorted into categories like: weapons, armor, accessories, consumables, crafting materials, etc.”

Momonga realized that Albedo had no idea about the layout of the Treasury at all just from her single question, but reasoned that she’d never been able to get to it before he’d given her the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown anyway. ‘What am I thinking? We don’t have time for this.’ He still talked and thought too much whenever he was going over the details of Nazarick.

Momonga approached the blackness covering the door. “Okay, the password is…” he racked his brain for a moment only to have to admit (just in his own mind) that he’d forgotten the password. ‘Let’s see, this usually gets something to happen with the various mechanisms of Nazarick.’ Momonga straightened up and spoke with a bit of grandeur. “Glory to Ainz Ooal Gown!”

Bzzt

With a short buzz a line of text appeared on the black wall.

‘The hint is in Latin… Crap, Tabula was always so into that.’ Momonga thought to himself with a small sigh. Glancing back at Shizu he wondered if he should have her input the password. ‘Shizu knows how to get past all of Nazarick’s gimmicks, so I’m sure that she could figure it out in no time, but…’ He really didn’t want to look forgetful in front of the former NPCs and potentially fail to live up to their high views of him. “Pretty sure it was… Thus, you shall possess the light of the whole world and all obscurity will fly away from you.”

Shizu nodded when Momonga glanced over his shoulder at her.

The blackness vanished and two large doors were revealed.

“The mausoleum is up ahead.” Momonga told the three women as they walked down the corridor behind the large doors.

“The…mausoleum, sir?” Albedo wasn’t familiar with that location either.

‘So she really doesn’t have any information on the areas that we kept out of the basic plans of Nazarick.’ Momonga could confirm that now. “Have you heard of Pandora’s Actor?”

Albedo brightened up just a little at knowing about the other NPC, having felt like she was lacking as the Guardian Overseer by not knowing about the locations within the Great Tomb that she was seeing for the first time. “Yes. He’s the Area Guardian of the Treasury, although he’s about as strong as Demiurge or myself. You personally created him, and he is the one responsible for Nazarick’s financial affairs.”

“That’s correct. But he…” Momonga turned when he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching.

The figure that appeared from the opposite corridor of the large room they’d just entered was a Brain Eater, a Heteromorphic Race vaguely resembling Cthulhu from Lovecraftian Mythos. This one was a grey-white color with long tentacles that flowed from its head and down to its shins. It wore what appeared to be modified medieval torture devices made of black metal.

“Lord Tabula Smaragdina?!” Albedo exclaimed upon seeing her creator for the first time in years. The light in her eyes dimmed a second later though before she glared at the Brain Eater. “No…it’s not!”

Shizu pulled out one of her guns and aimed it at the perceived intruder.

Yuri equipped her gauntlets and took up a martial arts stance, prepared to defend Momonga and Albedo.

“Who are you?! Even if you mimic his presence, I would never mistake my own creator!” Albedo nearly snarled at the imposter. When no answer was forthcoming, she glared coldly at the Brain Eater. “Kill it.”

Before Yuri or Shizu could act on that order, Momonga intervened.

“That’s enough. Pandora’s Actor, change back.” Momonga ordered.

The fake Tabula lost all texture and turned a bland color reminiscent of clay before the body shifted and then reformed into a male form that was dressed in a yellow military uniform with red accents, a matching military officer’s hat sat upon the oval-shaped head of the person before two black holes for eyes formed and a mouth that looked almost identical to the ‘eyes’ formed in the proper place.

“A Doppelganger!” Albedo recognized the Race of the creature instantly.

The Doppelganger snapped off a perfect salute. “Welcome and thank you for coming my creator, Lord Momonga!”

‘Right… I made it a bit over the top like this… So embarrassing.’ Momonga didn’t cringe, but it was a close thing. “I see you’re as energetic as ever.”

“Yes! I am energetically going about business here!” Pandora’s Actor confirmed brightly. 

“Speaking of which, what can I do for you?” The Doppelganger gasped before speaking again. “Could it be…?! IS IT FINALLY TIME TO USE MY POWER?!”

Momonga touched the unshakable core within him. “No. I came to get some of our treasures from the deepest room. The World Items.”

“WHAT?!” Pandora’s Actor exclaimed with what could only be called awe. “You mean it’s time to use…” He made an exaggerated motion with his arms. “The items rightfully termed our last resorts…” He spread his arms wide. “That have the super dreadnought power…” He put his three-fingered hand over his face, in what was a classic Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure pose. “To warp the very world!” He placed his right hand over his heart and raised his left hand high into the air like some Shakespearean actor.

‘Why did I make him like this?’ Momonga questioned himself and his past choices. Making Pandora’s Actor over the top, especially about Magic Items had seemed to make so much sense back then. But seeing it live and up close was just…too much. “Yes… That’s right. Bring me Billion Blades, Hygieia's Chalice, Avarice and Generosity, and Depiction of Nature and Society.”

“What about the other two?” Pandora’s Actor questioned with his hand still over his heart.

“Leave them.” Momonga ordered. “Those are single-use items. Their power is immense, so we need to carefully consider when to use them.”

“I will have them for you shortly, Lord Momonga!” Pandora’s Actor saluted again.

Momonga barely held back a heavy sigh. “We’re going to the mausoleum now. Have the World Items ready when we return.”

“Understood! Take care, ladies!” Pandora’s Actor tipped the brim of his hat to Albedo, Shizu, and Yuri.

“Okay…?” Albedo wasn’t sure how to respond to Pandora’s Actor and his over the top personality. Neither Yuri nor Shizu looked very impressed with the Doppelganger either.

Momonga looked at Albedo. “There’s one last thing that we need to do before entering the mausoleum. Albedo, hand your Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown to Pandora’s Actor.”

Albedo flinched at Momonga’s words and looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Not like that.” Momonga reassured her quickly. “Up ahead is the last trap. The golems and avataras there are programmed to attack anyone with a teleportation ring.”

Albedo slowly took off her ring and took out a handkerchief to safely wrap it in. “I-If that’s the reason then…” She held the folded handkerchief out to Pandora’s Actor. But when the Doppelganger went to take the handkerchief, he found that he couldn’t.

“Lady Albedo…could you let go?” Pandora’s Actor requested as the Succubus had a death grip on the other end of the folded cloth.

Albedo had tears in the corners of her eyes as she reluctantly released the handkerchief. “M-My ring…”

“Albedo, please come along.” Momonga did let out a small sigh as he motioned for the Guardian Overseer to follow him.

As the two walked down the corridor that was the mausoleum, Albedo noticed the various statues in the alcoves of the walls. “Lord Momonga…are these statues depicting the Supreme Beings?”

“Yes, the avataras are modeled after my friends.” Momonga confirmed as he looked at the likenesses he’d made of his friends. “I created them one by one as they left.” He reminisced briefly for a moment. “They look kind of crummy, don’t they?”

“Not at all!” Albedo denied, shaking her head. “But…Lord Momonga, considering these statues and the name of this place…did the other Supreme Beings pass away?”

“That’s…not quite right…” Momonga said in response. ‘To be fair, I don’t know what happened to everyone. Maybe some of them really did die.’ There had been a few members that had simply never come back after logging out normally one day. Bellriver had been like that, his main items had been locked onto his character, so the avataras depicting his character was equipped with some of his older gear that Momonga had hoarded for his own sentimental reasons. “Look over there.” He pointed to the last four empty alcoves on the wall. “You see those four spaces? One of those is where my avatara will go.” These were the spaces for the last four people that hadn’t been greyed out in the Guild list on the last day of YGGDRASIL.

“P-Please… Please don’t…” Albedo had her hand clenched into her white dress over her heart. “Please don’t say such things!” She begged, looking up into Momonga’s eyes with tears welling up in her own. “Lord Momonga. Lord Momonga, who so mercifully stayed behind with us… I hope from the bottom of my heart that you will always be here to reign over us!” Albedo collapsed to her knees as the first tears fell from her eyes. “I beg you… I beg you…”

Momonga kneeled down and pulled a handkerchief from his inventory to gently wipe away her tears. “Forgive me.”

“Lord Momonga… P-Please promise me… That you won’t abandon us and leave this land!” Albedo sobbed; the tears unstoppable now.

“Albedo…” Momonga felt his heart clench at seeing Albedo like this. So close to breaking as she poured her heart out to him.

“Why won’t you promise me?!” Albedo looked up at Momonga pleadingly. “Does something displease you?! If so, please tell me and I will eliminate it! If I bother you, say the word and I shall kill myself!”

“NO!” Momonga’s voice reverberated like thunder in the mausoleum. His voice alone made Albedo stop speaking and both Yuri and Shizu flinched even from the respectable distance they stood at to give Momonga and Albedo their space.

Albedo looked into Momonga’s eyes, the myriad colors swirling through his irises like a storm. She couldn’t look away as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and kneeled down to be at eye level with her.

“Listen to me. First off, there’s practically no way to save Shalltear.” Momonga explained as he maintained eye contact with Albedo. “The mind control is due to a World Item. There’s nothing I can do about it unless I have a similar World Item.”

“That’s why you came here, to get the World Items, then?” Albedo guessed as the last of her tears stopped.

“There were said to be two-hundred World Items in YGGDRASIL. One of the twenty with unprecedented powers should be able to break the mind control on Shalltear.” Momonga said as he kept Albedo focused on his words. “However, I hesitate to use one rashly now that we know such dangers lurk in this world.”

Albedo was stunned and spoke her pure thoughts without thinking. “The Supreme Beings worked hard to collect those World Items! I think they’re worth more than we are!”

“…You do?” Momonga looked at her with powerful emotion in his eyes. Albedo felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized the look as denial. Momonga didn’t agree in the slightest that the World Items were worth more than the members of Nazarick. If he had to use up one of the two single-use World Items to bring back even a single one of them, Albedo was fully convinced right then and there that Momonga would do so without a second thought. “Albedo. I intend to fight Shalltear alone.”

“I know you’re going to fight Shalltear. It would be foolishness to just leave her like that! But why?! Why do you need to fight her on your own?! Wouldn’t it be better to crush her with numbers?!” Albedo asked as her heart felt like it was going to shatter.

“No, Albedo.” Momonga shook his head once. “There are three reasons I have to fight. One is that… I don’t know if I’m truly cut out to be everyone’s Master.” His expression showed the uncertainty of his position for the first time in anyone’s presence. “Seimei told me that even he was uncertain if World Items had made their way into this world. So I should’ve taken precautions against them just in case. Not doing so was my error as ruler.”

“Lord Momonga, your very presence here is valuable to all of us!” Albedo assured him even as her voice rose along with her emotions. “You don’t need to make up for some crime by fighting Shalltear alone….”

“That’s not all.” Momonga cut her off. “Shalltear is out there all by herself. It could be a trap. Using a Guild member as a decoy to lure in Guilds and crush them…that’s a common tactic. If we attack with small numbers, it’ll force them to be on guard for an ambush. That’s the second reason.” Momonga fully grabbed onto the core of his being. “And the last reason is… I’m going to kill her.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll go!” Albedo placed her hand over her chest. “I have a World Item, so I’m the most appropriate for the job.”

Momonga looked into her eyes. “You think you can win?” It was a rhetorical question. Albedo could only flinch slightly in response. “Shalltear is strong.” Shalltear was built with Classes and Skills specialized for combat. Judging purely on strength and her stats, she was probably the most powerful NPC in Nazarick. “That’s why…it has to be me. I’m the only one in Nazarick who can beat her in a one-on-one fight.”

“But… Lord Momonga…” Albedo tried to speak, but stopped when Momonga spoke again.

“You all have the knowledge of your Skills, Spells, and Classes. But that’s only half of what you need.” Momonga said with utter surety.

Albedo clearly didn’t understand, her confusion plain on her face. “What’s that mean?”

“Have you accumulated experience?” Momonga asked, already knowing the answer. “The ability to use your powers is different from the experience gained through actual use.” He remembered the battles he’d seen since coming to this new world; Gazef’s fight against the Sunlight Scripture, The Swords of Darkness on the quest with Nfirea, Clementine’s fight with him in the cemetery. He clenched his fist powerfully. “I’m the Guild Master of Ainz Ooal Gown! I have a great PvP Record! How could I lose to someone that relies solely on skill?”

Sure, Momonga had always preferred roleplaying to making his character a PvP min-max build, but even in YGGDRASIL’s height of popularity, he’d held onto the top spot in the middle ranks. It basically made him the best of the ‘average’ players, and maybe he couldn’t beat anyone that seriously min-maxed their character solely for PK-ing or PvP, but he had all of the built up experience to get the most out of his playstyle.

“And most important of all. I was good friends with Peroroncino.” Moonga looked up at the avataras of his friend. “The battle is over before it begins…Shalltear.”

Albedo got back to her feet and cleared her eyes. “…Lord Momonga, I won’t try to stop you anymore. Just please promise me…” She looked up into his eyes again, her yellow gaze filled with her belief and trust in Momonga. “…that you’ll return.”

“I promise. That I will defeat Shalltear…and return to this place.” Momonga promised as he took her hands in his and let his wings out to gently encircle Albedo.

-Cliff overlooking Shalltear’s Location ~ Afternoon-

A [Gate] opened in the air and from the swirling void, Momonga emerged. A few seconds later and Aura came through, followed closely by Mare. Aura had a massive scroll hanging at the small of her back by a large strap that went over her left shoulder, across her chest and over her right hip. On Mare’s hands were a pair of gauntlets. The one on the left was black with glowing red striations along the forearm, just from looks alone one could tell it was a wicked thing. In contrast, the gauntlet on the Dark Elf boy’s right hand was pure silvery white with a wing motif on it that gave a more soothing feeling.

“Aura, Mare, this is where we part ways. Scout the area for enemies as soon as we do. Understood?” Momonga gave his orders.

“Lord.” The Dark Elf Twins acknowledged with soft voices.

“But… If you find yourselves outnumbered by even the smallest degree, retreat to Nazarick immediately.” Momonga made it clear that he expected them to follow this order, even if it meant leaving him behind.

“Understood, Lord Momonga.” Aura closed her eyes and bowed her head. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in her chest.

Mare closed his eyes and bowed his head as well. “We will do as you command.”

“Excellent, make sure that you do.” Momonga said patiently, knowing that neither of the young Elves liked this. “Remember, your retreat is an important part of my overall plan. Also, the Depiction of Nature and Society, as well as Avarice and Generosity, are World Items treasured by Nazarick. They must never be taken from us. Depending on the situation, they could me more important than your lives.” Momonga didn’t fully believe that, but he knew the importance would make Aura and Mare retreat to Nazarick to fulfill his order to protect the World Items, which in turn would protect the Twins themselves.

“Yes, Lord!” Aura and Mare said in unison.

‘Strange. I used Magic to detect the user of the World Item controlling Shalltear, but they’re not nearby.’ That was saying something, given the range of Momonga’s spell. ‘Did they really just leave her out here alone? It doesn’t make sense.’

-Nazarick ~ Momonga’s Office-

Sitting on the two sofas that sat parallel from each other with a coffee table in between were Albedo and Cocytus. The door to the office opened and Demiurge entered, closing the door behind him. He made his way over to the sofas and sat on the same one as Albedo. “I’m here. Now then, care to tell me what’s going on?” He clasped his hands together in and rest them on his knees.

“You already know the answer to that.” Albedo glanced over at Demiurge. “Everything that Lord Momonga told me was conveyed over [Message].”

“I was referring to why you let him go without support.” Demiurge’s tone was noticeably sharper.

Albedo paid the sharpness no mind. “It was the Master’s call, I simply obeyed it. As I hope you intend to.”

“Why did you not protest?!” Demiurge demanded; his voice rougher now. “We could’ve sent in minions in case this was a trap! If all the Guardians fought together, there isn’t a force that could overtake us! I couldn’t begin to guess the reason behind his decision, but it is obvious that Lord Momonga was lying to us! Don’t pretend you didn’t notice it!”

Albedo closed her eyes and gave a single nod. “Yes. It is as you say.”

“Then WHY did you allow him to leave without support?!” Demiurge demanded, his volume rising with his agitation. “When Lord Momonga wanted to go to E-Rantel without a Guardian escort, you STRONGLY objected to it! So why would you possibly be okay with him doing the same thing now?!”

“Because he was quite adamant about beating Shalltear with his own two hands.” Albedo stated simply with a calm smile.

Demiurge looked at her like she’d just said something stupid.

Albedo looked up towards the ceiling. “His pure determination was intense. As a woman, seeing my love so resolute, I simply couldn’t bring myself to oppose my dear Lord Momonga’s wishes any further. It may have been irreverent of me, but I’ve decided that I don’t really care.” She had a little smile on her lips. “Besides, Lord Momonga promised that he would return to us. I know in my heart that he will do just that.”

“So you made your decision based on emotion, instead of logic.” Demiurge said with distaste. “Did you forget that he’s the last of the Supreme Beings that created us? It is our duty to keep him form danger, even if that danger comes from his own actions! He may scold or even kill us for it, but we must do something!” Demiurge stood up from the sofa.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Albedo asked without opening her eyes.

“I’m sure it’s obvious. Me and my subordinates will go…” Demiurge stopped talking as 

Cocytus’s halberd blocked his path. “Hah… I see. This was your plan from the beginning.”

“That’s correct.” Albedo said with a small smile on her lips.

“You’re a fool!” Demiurge nearly roared. “What if Lord Momonga perishes as a result of this folly?! Are you prepared to face the consequences of that outcome?! We pledged our loyalty to him! Once he’s gone there will be no one left to serve!”

Albedo still didn’t open her eyes and her expression didn’t change in spite of Demiurge’s chastisement. “He will return to us, I’m sure of it.”

“YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY KNOW THAT!!!” Demiurge’s eyes snapped open in his rage, revealing them to be diamond-like with dozens of edges as if shaped by a master gem cutter.

“You should believe in your Master.” Albedo’s eyes were now open and she looked at Demiurge reproachfully. “As a Guardian isn’t that also one of your duties?”

“Tch!” Demiurge had nothing to say to that and he sat down on the sofa with a small growl before turning to look at Albedo. “Alright, but if something were to happen to Lord Momonga, I will demand that you step down as leader of the Guardians!”

Fssshhh

A cloud of frosted vapor escaped from Cocytus’s mandibles. “You would have her relinquish a position given to her by the Supreme Beings? That is BLASPHEMY Demiurge! Of the highest caliber!” The Vermin Lord was clearly agitated by what he’d just heard.

“As you wish.” Albedo accepted without fear before turning her eyes to Cocytus. “Tell me, Cocytus, what do you think are the odds of Lord Momonga being victorious?”

Cocytus was silent for a moment. “Five to five… I cannot say with certainty that either side has enough advantages to tip the scales in their favor.”

Demiurge let out an agitated hiss at the coinflip odds.

“I see. Then let’s watch as the battle unfolds and witness our glorious Master surpass the odds.” Albedo smiled at the circle of Magic that showed Momonga’s current position as he walked through the forest towards Shalltear’s location.

-Momonga-

‘I wanted to secure a place for Nazarick in this new world. I made sure that our movements were discreet and didn’t attract attention as much as possible. So how did this happen?’ Momonga reached to to a low-hanging branch that was in his path. “I don’t know who did this yet. But when I do, I will destroy them! I’ll make sure they deeply regret their actions. They’ve started a fight with Ainz Ooal Gown, and that is the fastest way to the grave!” He snapped the branch like it was a chopstick and tossed it aside before continuing on his way.

As he got to the edge of the clearing, a small cliff separated him from the flat ground that Shalltear stood on. He looked at the still motionless Shalltear with anger, not for her, but for the ones that had put her in this situation.

‘I’m not sure if this is the best way to handle this. Aura and Mare seem to be going along with it, but I doubt I fooled Albedo. I’m not sure that our resurrection items or mechanics work like they did back in YGGDRASIL. But I’m about to start a fight with our lives on the line. Because…’ Momonga recalled Albedo’s look when she declared that she’d kill Shalltear. ‘Because I can’t bear the thought of any of you fighting each other to the death.’

“I am the great Ainz Ooal Gown! This sacred name can never be tarnished by defeat!” Momonga declared, just in case anyone was watching from afar with a form of Reconnaissance Magic that Nazarick hadn’t been able to block. “[Body of Effulgent Beryl]!” 

The spell took effect as Momonga’s body glowed green for a moment.

Shalltear still didn’t react in the slightest.

“Hahaha…” Momonga chuckled at his hypothesis being correct. “Just as I thought. Unless I pull Aggro with an actual attack, you won’t go into combat mode, will you? Just like any MMO boss fight.” Predictably, Shalltear didn’t respond. “Sorry, Shalltear, but I’m taking full advantage of this. You’ll have to wait a little longer.”

With that Momonga took a deep breath, filling his lungs with as much air as possible.

“[Blessing of Magic Caster]!” Momonga cast another spell as his body glowed gold with a diamond-like pattern. “[Infinity Wall]!, [Greater Full Potential]!, [Magic Boost: Holy]!, [Freedom]!, [False Data: Life]!, [See Through]!, [Paranormal Intuition]!, [Greater Resistance]!, [Mantle of Chaos]!, [Indominibility]!, [Sensor Boost]!, [Greater Luck]!, [Magic Boost]!, [Draconic Power]!, [Greater Hardening]!, [Heavenly Aura]!, [Absorption]!, [Penetrate Up]!, [Greater Magic Shield]!, [False Data: Mana]!, [Triple Maximize Magic: Explode Mine]!, [Triple Magic: Greater Magic Seal]!, [Triple Maximize Boosted Magic: Magic Arrow]!” Momonga’s body glowed a kaleidoscope of colors as spell after spell was applied to him. With his preparations complete, he stepped to the edge of the small cliff. “Let’s begin.”

The vast array of Magic Circles formed around Moonga’s body, all of them a mix of blue and white. Lines of pure mana were emitted from the center of each Magic Circle, even the ones that were slowing revolving around the edge of the array.

Even far away where Aura and Mare were, the twins could see the outpouring of power from the spell that Momonga was preparing.

“What’s that?” Aura questioned her brother.

“I think it’s, maybe, Super Tier Magic.” Mare answered after a second.

Aura hummed thoughtfully. “That’s supposed to be even stronger than Tenth Tier Magic.”

-Nazarick ~ Momonga’s Office-

“Isn’t it a little early for that?” Demiurge questioned Albedo and Cocytus.

“It’s more like a Skill; it doesn’t use any MP.” Albedo told the Arch Devil what she knew about it.

Fssshhh

The clouds of frost once more escaped Cocytus. “It may be free to cast. But once it’s used, he won’t be able to cast it again. A bold tactic, to say the least.”

“What is his plan?” Demiurge wondered. “Perhaps he wants to diminish Shalltear’s HP quickly, so that she won’t have time to counter him?”

-Momonga-

“Still no enemies?” Momonga kept his sense sharp for any hostile presence. In YGGDRASIL, those that tried to cast Super Tier Magic were sitting ducks waiting to be taken out if they didn’t have a solid defense from their fellow Party members. “Interesting. They could be hiding in wait for me, but I can’t miss this opportunity to attack.” He reached into the black void that was his inventory and pulled out a silver metal strap. The strap wrapped around his wrist to reveal itself to be a digital watch. “Goodness, I’m really going in blind.” He tapped the watch to set a timer and heard a familiar voice.

“I’ll set that alarm for you, Onii-chan~!”

‘Bukubukuchagama… You just had to give me a watch with your ‘Moe’ voice on it, didn’t you?’ Momonga let out a small sigh at the old prank. “Too bad I can’t mute the voice on this watch.”

The array of Magic Circles around Momonga shifted and got wider and taller, signaling that the spell was ready to cast.

“Now then, let’s go.” Momonga raised his arms and spread them out wide. “[SUPER TIER MAGIC: FALLEN DOWN]!!!”

BOOOOOOOMMMMMM

A massive pillar of intense light slammed straight down onto Shalltear, blowing apart the entire section of forest and cratering the ground, leaving a deep depression in the earth. The power of the spell lasted for exactly six seconds as it expanded and destroyed the entire area that Momonga has targeted.

When the spell vanished, the landscape had changed, and the dirt was blacked within the crater left behind. Thick clouds of dust hung high in the air, partially obscuring the sun and casting the soon-to-be battlefield into deep shade.

“Ahahahahaha!” Shalltear’s laughter came from the clouds of dust settling on the ground. “Be careful, Lord Ainz! I might think you’re trying to kill me!” The vampire giggled, now wearing her Bloody Valkyrie armor and equipped with her Pipette Lance. “Nice try~”

“It wasn’t much of a present, but I hope that you enjoyed it.” Momonga replied with a small smirk. ‘Strange, even under mind control, she’s still calling me Lord Ainz as I instructed her to do when outside of Nazarick.’

“Oh, I most certainly did!” Shalltear smiled up at Momonga. She swiped her lance to the side to clear away the lingering clouds of dust. “What a treat this will be! I get to enjoy killing a powerful man like Lord Ainz with my own two hands! How wonderful~!”

Momonga tilted his head slightly. “Interesting. Why are you still calling me that?”

“Oh, come on, isn’t it obvious? You are still one of the Supreme Beings, Lord Ainz, calling you anything less than that would be the height of arrogance.” Shalltear answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

“Who is your Master, Shalltear?” Momonga asked directly, wanting to know just how much this mind control was messing with Shalltear’s mind.

Now it was Shalltear’s turn to look confused. “What kind of question is that, Lord?” She blinked as the words flowed so easily from her lips. “Huh? This doesn’t make sense… Why do I want to kill my beloved Master? Because I was attacked?” She tilted her head to the right and then the left. “Because I feel compelled to?” She looked back at Momonga. “I have to use all of my strength to counter and destroy whoever tries to bring me home. But why my beloved?” Shalltear looked pensive for a brief moment before she refocused. “I don’t know what’s going on. But now that I’ve been attacked, I have no choice but to tear you limb from limb, Master!”

“I see. Very well then.” Momonga had now confirmed that Shalltear’s mind control was indeed incomplete.

“You seem dressed for the occasion, Master.” Shalltear said while eyeing up his normal silvery Divine Class robe and his assortment of rings and other items.

Momonga was the one to chuckle this time. “Yes, it would feel rude to not give it my all while fighting you, Shalltear.”

“Oh, I’m just aquiver with excitement!” Shalltear laughed and bolted towards Momonga.

“Watch your step.” Momonga cautioned just as Shalltear activated the spell he’d planted beneath the ground beforehand.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

The [Triple Maximize: Explode Mine] detonated, blasting Shalltear backwards.

Momonga could see with his Racial Trait [God Eye] that the mine spell had only taken a small amount of Shalltear’s HP. Nonetheless, he still began to play the psychological game. “You should be more careful. You never know what kind of spells I’ve set up around me.” With a confident smile, he used a Racial Skill to start tipping the battle in his favor. “[Skill: Consecrated Ground]!” The ground around Momonga began to shine a soft white. The light spread across the ground almost instantly until the entire crater was covered by it.

“Tss!” Shalltear hissed lightly as just standing on the softly glowing ground was painful and needled at her HP. With a flap of her wings, she was airborne and the pain stopped. “What kind of Skill is that?!”

“As a Deity, what ground is more holy and consecrated than the ground I tread upon?” Momonga asked rhetorically. “But if you prefer to turn this into an aerial battle, I can do that too.” He spread his wings wide, ready to take flight.

Shalltear dive bombed towards Momonga, her Pipette Lance aimed to skewer him. “As if I’d let you!”

“[Holy Flame]!” Momonga utilized his Elementalist (Fire) Class to summon the divine golden white flames and blast the charging Shalltear with them before she could try and change course.

“GAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!” Shalltear wailed as her Negative Karma score amplified the damage done to her by the [Holy Flame] spell. She flew backwards with a strong flap of her wings and yet the golden white flames clung to her form. In an instant, Shalltear’s body faded away into mist and the flames went out.

“Not good enough! [Maximize Magic: Astral Smite]!” Momonga held up his right hand and dozens of needles of white magic tore through Shalltear’s mist body.

The mist fell to the softly glowing ground and reformed into Shalltear. “Tss!” She hissed as the holy ground one more caused her pain and needled at her HP which had taken a decent hit from the [Holy Flame] spell. With a flap of her wings, Shalltear rose off the ground again. “[Regenerate]!” She went for a continuous Healing Spell to try and gain her HP back over time.

Momonga raised his hand above his head. “I’m not going to make it that easy! [Maximize Magic: Gravity Maelstrom]!” A black sphere crackling with dark purple electricity formed above Momonga’s palm before he launched the spell at Shalltear.

“[Greater Teleportation]!” Shalltear vanished and the gravity spell made another crater in the ground. “Huh?!” Shalltear had meant to teleport almost on top of Momonga so that she could get in a powerful strike with her lance. But she’d been rebuffed mid-teleport and now hung in the air. ‘Is this the obstructing spell [Delay Teleportation]?!’

“[Fire Storm]!” Momonga cast the AOE Magic and Shalltear was engulfed in powerful flames.

“Gnngh!” Shalltear barely muffled her cry of pain. “[Force Sanctuary]!” Shalltear cast and a brilliantly gleaming white box formed around her, protecting her from all sides. “[Greater Lethal]!” She cast the most powerful Healing Spell she had on herself, one that worked off of Negative Energy, unlike normal Healing Spells.

“[Maximize Magic: True Dark]!” Momonga cast and a pitch black tower of Dark Magic slammed down on the [Force Sanctuary] shattering it under the powerful onslaught. “[Maximize Magic: Brilliant Radiance]!” Momonga wasn’t going to give Shalltear any time to heal. The blindingly bright blast of Holy Magic forced Shalltear back as she tried to avoid the powerful spell.

‘He must’ve used another spell or skill to further amplify his Holy Magic, knowing that as an undead, I’m weak to both Holy and Fire.’ Shalltear grimaced at the damage she’d received even after avoiding most of the spell. “[Wall of Stone]!” She placed her hand on the still glowing ground and a thick wall of rock rose upwards, separating her from Momonga’s sight. She still took a small amount of damage from the brief contact with the holy ground, but it was minimal.

“[Maximize Magic: Gravity Maelstrom]!” Momonga threw the ball of insanely powerful gravity at the stone wall.

BAM

The stone was instantly turned to dust, leaving Shalltear exposed.

“[Greater Magic Seal: Release]!” Momonga released the [Triple Maximize Boosted Magic: Magic Arrow] that he’d sealed before the fight began. Thirty powerful arrows of pure Magic blasted towards Shalltear, looking to tear her apart.

“[Negative Impact Shield]!” Shalltear raised her hand and thrust her palm outwards, a red wave of energy destroyed the Magic Arrows before they could touch Shalltear.

“What?” Momonga looked perplexed at what had just happened.

Shalltear couldn’t help by smile smugly. “What’s the matter, Lord Ainz? Did you not know about this Skill of mine?”

“No, I didn’t, but it won’t save you!” Momonga aimed at Shalltear’s airborne form. “[Triple Maximize Magic: Call Greater Thunder]!”

“[Maximize Magic: Vermillion Nova]!” Shalltear had a red Magic Circle appear in front of her palm before Momonga (and the area around him) was engulfed in a massive fireball.

At the same time, three bolts of lightning all slammed into Shalltear at once. She fell out of the air and hit the consecrated ground again, quickly leaping back into the air with a pained hiss.

“You’re not the only one with a few tricks up your sleeve, Shalltear.” Momonga revealed that he’d take no damage from Shalltear’s fire spell. “Fire Immunity is a rather useful resistance to have, wouldn’t you agree?”

‘Immunity, huh?’ Shalltear grimaced as that element of attack was closed to her. “[Mana Essence]!” She cast and her red eyes glowed a bit. ‘As a Caster, Lord Momonga’s strength only lasts as long as he has MP.’ She saw the giant prismatic cloud around Momonga that indicated his currently remaining mana. ‘Still, he has a staggering amount of mana… Where did he get so much power?’

“[Maximize Magic: Reality Slash]!” Momonga flew towards Shalltear at speed, his wings nearly slicing through the air at the speed he was moving.

Space slid apart, along with Shalltear’s body, as the spell cleaved through reality. Blood erupted like a fountain from Shalltear for a moment, before the vampire smirked and her body moved back together and her blood quickly reversed course through the air and returned to Shalltear’s body.

“Ahahaha! You look surprised, Lord Ainz! I guess you didn’t know I had this skill either?” Shalltear laughed teasingly.

“What did you do?!” Momonga demanded while flapping his wings to gain some distance, avoiding being stabbed by Shalltear’s Pipette Lance.

“Don’t worry, Lord Ainz, I didn’t cheat! This was another Skill that Lord Peroroncino gave me!” Shalltear had an excited grin on her face. “My creator saw fit to bless me with many skills, you see?” An ethereal light appeared in Shalltear’s hand. “Perhaps you didn’t know about this one either? It’s called the [Purifying Lance]!” The light formed into a large spear that quickly shot towards Momonga.

Momonga swatted the lance away with his pure white wing, knocking a couple of feather’s loose. The lance blasted apart more of the scorched ground. “[Holy Protection] makes most Holy Attacks ineffective against me.” He cautioned Shalltear. “[Triple Maximize Magic: Reality Slash]!” The Primordial Deity sent three space-cutting slashes at Shalltear as she flew towards him at speed, looking to skewer Momonga with her Pipette Lance.

“Guh! Nnnh! YAH!” Shalltear took all three slashes, but her body quickly slid back together and all of her blood returned back to her shredded form restoring her to the same HP she’d had before taking all three [Reality Slash] spells. “[Negative Impact Shield]!”

“Grk!” Momonga bit out as he was slammed into the ground at speed. “So, it can be used for offense too, I see.” He flapped his wings and was mobile again as Shalltear came after him with a flurry of thrusts from her lance. “[Maximize Magic: Shining Burst]!” A flash of Holy Light stalled Shalltear’s endless stream of attacks for a second, causing her some moderate damage in the process due to her very negative Karma Level. With some space made, Momonga was able to get out of melee range from Shalltear.

“[Summon Household]!” Shalltear’s shadow seemed to waver, as did a black aura along her back. From the shadows poured forth a horde of Vampire Rats, Vampire Bat Swarms, Elder Vampire Bats, and Vampire Wolves.

Shalltear was about to stab one of her Vampire Rats and restore a bit of her HP, but before she could, all of her kin had died and been purified into ashes. “What?!”

“Did you not notice this whole time, Shalltear?” Momonga questioned. “Perhaps you didn’t notice because of the consecrated ground constantly harming you, but you’ve been under the debuff effect of my [Deity Aura] this whole time. Weak familiars like those can’t survive the combination of my [Deity Aura] and the [Consecrated Ground] Skill at the same time.”

“Damn it!” Shalltear cursed as her plan to restore her HP through friendly fire went out the window. A bright white light formed in front of Shalltear. An amorphous ball as white as pure snow stretched and shifted before turning into an exact copy of Shalltear, minus any color other than white.

Momonga grimaced, knowing how much more difficult this fight had just become. “Einherjar… Your trump card.”

Shalltear grinned at Momonga. “I’m not surprised you know of this Skill of mine, Lord Ainz. My creator, Lord Peroroncino, loved talking about it within Nazarick, after all.”

“Two Level 100’s…it’s not my lucky day.” Momonga looked between Shalltear and her Einherjar copy. “[Triple Maximize Magic: Gravity Maelstrom]!” Three of the black spheres with crackling purple electricity leaping from them were launched at Einherjar and Shalltear. The Einherjar dodged the first one and knocked the second gravity orb aside with her copy of the Pipette Lance.

Shalltear hadn’t been as lucky. The third [Gravity Maelstrom] had passed right through her left arm, removing it entirely. “Heh…” Shalltear only grinned as her arm reformed, like it had never been damaged.

-Nazarick ~ Momonga’s Office-

“Cocytus, what’s happening?” Demiurge questioned the most knowledgeable when it came to combat and skills.

“Shalltear’s unique Skills are powerful, and they’re pushing Lord Momonga back, but…” Cocytus took a moment to think. “Such powerful Skills would have to have limits to how many times they can be used in a day. “Shalltear is having to burn through them to bring down Lord Momonga’s MP. As a Caster, Lord Momonga’s power will decrease to almost nothing if he runs out of MP.”

Abedo said nothing, her eyes never once straying away from the Magic allowing them to view the battle between Momonga and Shalltear.

-Momonga vs Shalltear-

“Damn… It…” Momonga weaved through the air as he did his best to dodge all of the attacks from both Shalltear and her Einherjar.

“You seem to be slowing down, Lord Ainz!” Shalltear made use of an opening created by Einherjar to strike Momonga in the stomach.

Momonga knew that if the hit lasted more than a second or so, then Shalltear would gain back HP. Thankfully, he’d prepared for just such an attack in advance. “Body of Effulgent Beryl: Activate!” Momonga’s body glowed green, and he was suddenly a few meters away. All the while Shalltear’s Pipette Lance didn’t light up signaling that it was turning damage done into HP for the user.

Shalltear didn’t look pleased that her weapon’s special ability hadn’t been able to activate.

‘I need a way to get rid of Einherjar.’ Momonga dived towards the ground with the pure white copy of Shalltear following after him. “[Greater Teleportation]!” Momonga vanished in a flash and Einherjar slammed into the ground from the speed it had been diving at. ‘Einherjar might have the same stats as the original, but it can’t use Magic or Skills.’ With a second to breathe, Momonga knew one way to get out of this two-on-one situation. “Skill: [The Goal of All Life is Death]!” A clock face appeared behind Momonga’s back. “[Widen Magic: Cry of the Banshee]!”

An ear-splitting shriek shook the air of the battlefield, making both Einherjar and Shalltear briefly flinch. Shalltear was quickly able to figure out what was going on.

“You should be thankful, Shalltear! Not many ever get to see the Eclipse Class’s unique Skill!” Momonga stated, even as Einherjar blitzed towards him, ready to continue the fight. The clock behind Momonga had already counted down and just as the Einherjar’s copy of the Pipette Lance was about to strike Momonga the hand of the clock struck twelve.

Gong

Everything within one-hundred meters of Momonga died.

The air felt stagnant. The ground had turned to sand. There was no sound at all.

Einherjar had vanished upon dying.

Even the dust in the air that had been obstructing the sun had seemingly disappeared, letting the battlefield be bathed in sunlight.

Momonga stood across from Shalltear with an intrigued look on his face. “That must’ve been quite an experience. How did you enjoy your first foray into death, Shalltear?”

“I expected nothing less from you, my Lord.” Shalltear replied, looking back at Momonga with a grin. “For a second I thought I would share the same dark fate as my Einherjar. But how can you use the Eclipse Class? I thought that was reserved for Overlords that had focused on Necromancy and Instant Death Spells?”

Momonga was glad that Shalltear had asked, as it let him further buy time. “My Deity Race affords me many things. The power over Life and Death is one such thing. Another is that I can earn Classes that would normally be exclusive to specific Races, so long as I meet the requirements to obtain them.”

“My, my, how great you are, my Lord.” Shalltear’s eyes glowed. “[Mana Essence].” She looked at his mana, the once massive and towering prismatic cloud was now only a haze around his body. “But it looks like you’re about out of MP. Meanwhile, I’m freshly revived with full HP and ready to keep fighting.”

‘You even gave her an instant Resurrection Item, eh, Peroroncino?’ Momonga almost wanted to curse at his old friend for being so ‘doting’ when it came to Shalltear. “Yes, as you say, my MP is very close to depleted.”

“Still, you were amazing and I also have no MP or Skills left. I can’t imagine any way it could’ve been a closer match.” Shalltear had a smile on her face as she took her first step towards him.

“Honest praise, I’ll accept it graciously.” Momonga gave Shalltear a smile in return. “You truly have me cornered.”

Shalltear stopped with her next step. “Then why don’t you run away?” She asked, and Momonga could see the genuine concern and care for him in her blood red eyes, even through the mind control. “At this point it seems like your only chance for survival…”

Momonga held her gaze even as his heart was twisting itself into knots. “You might be right about that. But, truth be told, I don’t care. I’m a selfish man, and stubborn beyond measure. I don’t want to run.” He raised his hand in front of him and looked at it contemplatively. “It’s funny. I feel strangely fulfilled as Guild Leader, but given the circumstances, I don’t quite understand why that is. Perhaps no one can? Maybe it’s because while I held the position of Guild Leader, I mostly focused on the day-to-day business and administrating regulations. But right now, I’m fighting on the front lines for my Guild. It may be just self-satisfaction...”

“So it’s pride? Here I was thinking you were beyond such human feelings.” Shalltear expression showed how interested she was in keeping this conversation between them going, a soft smile on her face as she learned more about her beloved.

“Who knows? You might be right about that.” Momonga chuckled as he let out a long exhale. “Mostly, I just don’t want to lose anyone, especially not you, Shalltear.”

‘D-Did my heart just skip a beat?’ Shalltear questioned herself even through the haze in her head from the incomplete mind control.

“Hah, look at me, I’ve really put a damper on the mood, haven’t I?” Momonga straightened up and spread his wings once more. “Let’s continue our duel!”

Shalltear’s expression became a vicious smirk. “Any last words?” She pointed her Pipette Lance at Momonga.

“I could wax on about how I’m defenseless without my MP. But instead, I think I’ll thank you for fighting me with everything you have.” Momonga nodded to Shalltear with a knowing smile. “If you’d fought me any other way then I’d have never been able to execute my plan so flawlessly.”

“What?” Shalltear blinked at his words.

Momonga took on a lecturing tone as he explained his words. “In PvP, the most crucial part of combat is deceiving your opponent with false information. For example, using spells to enhance your future casting, or increasing your defenses far beyond what your opponent can hope to surmount.” Shalltear tightened her grip on her lance until her knuckles nearly popped. “I knew that you could use [Life Essence] and [Mana Essence] to check the state of my HP and MP, so I cast both [False Data: Life] and [False Data: Mana] before the fight started. But you were solely focused on my MP. Next time you engage in PvP you should constantly check both. Knowing everything about your enemy is vital if you want to execute your strategy.” Momonga nodded at Shalltear. “I learned a lot about your abilities while my friend Peroroncino was creating you. You were his pride and joy. Ever since we came to this world, I’ve made it a point to familiarize myself with ALL of the information on Nazarick’s former NPCs. Even still, after Pandora’s Actor, the one I know the most about is probably you.”

“B-But you didn’t know my Skills…you said so.” Shalltear was visibly shocked as she looked at Momonga.

“I was lying, of course. I thought you’d use them more boldly if I pretended not to know.” Momonga told her simply, giving a little shrug for added effect.

“Grrrrnnnn!” Shalltear growled in frustration and anger at being played for a fool the whole time. “RAAAHHH!!!” She flapped her wings and rocketed toward Momonga with her lance thrust forward.

Momonga flapped his own wings and flew to the side, well out of reach of Shalltear’s lance. “You remember that I said I cast [False Data: Mana] earlier? Don’t you want to know what I falsified?”

“[Mana Essence]!” Shalltear nearly faltered in her next charge as she saw the haze around Momonga’s body rapidly expand into a prismatic cloud once more.

-Nazarick ~ Momonga’s Office-

Bam

Cocytus’s hands slammed onto the coffee table. “Impossible! There’s no way to recover MP like that mid-battle!”

“How did he hide so much extra mana?” Albedo looked on with wide eyes.

“[False Data: Mana] only prevents your opponent from accurately seeing your mana, it doesn’t store or replace it.” Demiurge pushed up his glasses, making them reflect the light a bit. “Lord Momonga has been fighting with a handicap since the start. He purposefully saved this last reserve of mana for the end of the battle.”

“Still, the fact that he would fight someone like Shalltear with a handicap is astounding!” Cocytus said as a burst of chilled air escaped from him.

“Oh, my beloved is truly wonderful!” Albedo swooned, wrapping her arms around herself as her cheeks turned pink.

-Momonga vs Shalltear-

“AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!” Shalltear screamed as her body was suffused with a powerful green glow. Her flesh smoked and her eyes bled as she writhed and staggered backwards.

“Healing Magic is more like a poison to the Undead. For someone with both Priest and High Priest as well as Master of Life, I’m quite capable of dealing with you, Shalltear.” Momonga revealed that against the best one-on-one NPC that Nazarick had to offer, his character build was a bad matchup for Shalltear’s, who was focused on damage and being effective even against other Undead.

Shalltear seethed as the Healing Spell faded from her body, only to nearly hit her knees as Momonga’s Deity Aura increased her debuff. The Racial Skill could have it’s range and effect increased by adding MP, and Momonga had purposefully saved enough for the end of this fight to do just that.

“RAAHHH!!!” Shalltear shot forward, her lance thrusting straight at Momonga’s chest. Unfortunately, the debuff made her slow enough that Momonga had no issue dodging her attacks.

“Have another.” Momonga touched Shalltear’s outstretched arm. “[Maximize Magic: High Heal]!” The powerful Healing spell suffused Shalltear in an aura of light green once more.

“GAAAUUUHHH!!!” Shalltear wailed and spat blood from her mouth as her body collapsed to the ground and smoke poured off her form. She was bleeding from her eyes, nose, mouth, and even her ears as the spell wreaked havoc throughout her Undead form. “Hyah!” She swung her lance at Momonga, but his wings gave him great mobility as he backed away to dodge. “Hah…hah…hah…” Shalltear was breathing heavily as her natural True Vampire regeneration began to counter the damage she’d taken, even if it was incredibly slow. “RAAAH!!!” She rushed at Momonga, thrust after thrust aimed at him but Shalltear never let up on her barrage of attacks.

-Nazarick ~ Momonga’s Office-

“Lord Momonga is victorious.” Cocytus said with complete surety.

Demiurge looked over at Cocytus curiously. “Excuse me? How can you know that? The way I see it this battle still isn’t over.”

Fssshhh

A cloud of frost briefly filled the air in front of Cocytus. “Shalltear has given up on defense and put everything into offense. It’s a desperate tactic. I would make the same choice if I were in her position.”

“Lord Momonga has removed her ability to attack at range. She has no more uses for her special Skills. The debuff of Lord Momonga’s Deity Aura slows her down and weakens her attacks. And getting close puts her in range of powerful Healing Spells which are painful and destructive to the Undead.” Albedo saw the whole setup now that it was before her eyes. “Shalltear can only dodge and attack in hopes of surviving. Lord Momonga has her cornered.”

“Thank you. Now I understand the situation.” Demiurge now fully understood why this battle was being called in Momonga’s favor before Shalltear had been eliminated. “Now that Lord Momonga controls all ranges of attack, Shalltear has no means of defense. Pure offense is her only recourse left.”

Cocytus nodded to his fellow Floor Guardian. “Everything in this battle has gone exactly as Lord Momonga planned. His strategy is nothing less than the work of pure genius.”

-Momonga vs Shalltear-

“Hah!” Shalltear landed a blow with her Pipette Lance and smiled as she felt her HP increase as her weapon healed her. “What’s the matter, Lord Ainz?! If this keeps up, your HP will run out before mine!”

“Do you really think so?” Momonga raised an eyebrow at her, his ever-shifting eyes looking at her curiously.

Beep-beep

Beep-beep

“Hey, Onii-chan~ The timer you set is up!”

“That’s Lady Bukubukuchagama…” Shalltear blinked at hearing the voice of another Supreme Being.

“I’m curious, what do you think the timer was for?” Momonga asked Shalltear, but only got a confused look in return. “If everything up to now has gone according to my design, then the timer running out can only mean one thing for us. We’ve reached the end of our fight. I’ve won.”

“Is that so?” Shalltear readied her lance. “My HP begs to differ!” She was still standing and could still fight, she just had to land a few more hits with her weapon and her HP would exceed Momonga’s!

Momonga stared Shalltear down without fear. “A Super Tier Magic attack won’t be able to finish you when your HP is full. Which means that all I had to do was lower your HP enough that it could. And I have.”

Shalltear’s eyes widened in shocked realization that Momonga was right. She let out a short gasp as she thought back to all the spells that she’d been hit with over and over again. Fire and Holy spells to take advantage of her natural weakness. Spells that increased their damage based on how low the target’s Karma Rating was. Momonga had been stacking bonus damage upon bonus damage the entire fight! “GRRAAAAHHH!!!” Shalltear roared as she rushed to attack, she thrust her lance forward, only for it to hit a magical barrier that only became visible upon impact.

“I may be weak in direct physical combat, but my magic defense more than makes up for it!” Momonga declared as he the area around both him and Shalltear glowed brightly and filled with blue-white Magic Circles. “[SUPER TIER MAGIC:…]”

“Are you kidding me?!” Shalltear looked at the Magic Circles surrounding them. “I could refill my HP a dozen times over before you finish casting this spell!” Something in Momonga’s hand caught her eye and she went still. What the Primordial Deity held was a simple hourglass, though the glass was molded to look like two diamonds fused together as the top and bottom vessels. “Is that…a Cash Shop item?!”

“You should’ve paid more attention, Shalltear.” Momonga crushed the hourglass just as Shalltear lunged for him with her lance. The Magic Circles shifted and grew large and the array got taller, the Cash Shop item eliminating both the cooldown and the charge time for the Super Tier Magic. “[FALLEN DOWN]!!!”

BOOOOOOMMMM

With a roar, the towering pillar of blue-white light crashed down upon Shalltear and Momonga. The spell did not harm its caster, but Shalltear’s body began to breakdown and disintegrate. Momonga looked at Shalltear softly, no regret in his eyes, only sadness that he’d had to do this.

“Hail Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, my Master.” Shalltear smiled at Momonga even as she was dying. “Truly the Supreme One is the strongest in all of Nazarick. Goodbye, my beloved.” She closed her eyes and let the light take her. Her last whispered words were barely heard. “Goodbye, Aura.” The next instant and she was gone entirely.

-Aura and Mare’s Location-

“Hah…” Aura let out a long sigh. “So stupid… What kind of vampire let’s herself get mind controlled?” She watched the towering spell that rose high above the trees and created powerful gales that shook the entire forest.

“Did you say something, Sis?” Mare looked at his sister.

“It’s nothing.” Aura stood up and turned away from the slowing fading beam of blue-white light.

Mare raised his hand that was currently covered by Greed. “What about the fight?”

Aura looked back at her brother with an annoyed expression. “It’s obvious that Lord Ainz won.” She started walking away from where they’d watched the fight. “Come on, we’re heading back.”

“Oh, okay…” Mare followed after his sister, able to tell that she wasn’t in a good mood.

-Nazarick ~ Throne Room ~ Early Evening-

All of the Floor Guardians were gathered together. The Throne Room had multiple large mounds of YGGDRASIL gold coin piled up in it and Pandora’s Actor (who’d brought the required amount from the Treasury) stood at attention while awaiting further orders from his creator. The Pleiades were stationed off to the sides of the vast mounds of gold coins. Should something go wrong, they were to act as shields for Momonga.

“All that’s left is to begin Shalltear’s resurrection.” Momonga spoke clearly and with authority. “Albedo, I need you to watch her name while I preform the ritual.” He looked ta the Guardian Overseer with a gentle smile. “If she is still under mind control after being revived… I may have to do the unspeakable.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Demiurge requested of Momonga. “If that does come to pass, we will be the ones to take care of her.” All of the other Floor Guardians nodded in agreement.

“Demiurge…” Momonga wanted to deny the Arch Devil, not having the heart to watch his friend’s creations kill each other.

“Please, Lord. It was hard enough to watch our Supreme Ruler face such danger without his Guardians there to support him. I could not bear to see you do it a second time.” Demiurge said with a tone close to pleading.

Momonga looked down slightly. “I hear you, but…”

Albedo spoke up from beside Momonga. “If Shalltear continues to revolt against Nazarick, then the Guardians of Nazarick should deal with her. Please step down, my Lord.” Her voice was soft as she made her request.

Momonga let out a heavy sigh. “I understand. He looked at the Floor Guardians directly. “Then, if that happens, I will let you deal with it, my Guardians.”

All of the Floor Guardians nodded in acceptance of the potential task.

“We won’t fail you.” Albedo promised with a soft smile. “All we ask is that you stay by our side. If you leave us, who will we pledged our fidelity to? Without a Supreme Being to serve, the Guardians would lose their purpose.” She closed her eyes and bowed her head. “Sorry, we know our creators didn’t reject us. Still, it is far too lonely when no one is here.”

“You’re right.” Momonga agreed with a soft tone and a wistful look on his face. “It is lonely, when everyone else is gone.” Momonga raised the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown into the air. “Continue to protect me, my Guardians! Now let us begin!”

“Lord!” The Guardians accepted enthusiastically.

‘It will cost 500,000,000 Gold to revive her.’ Momonga knew the exact costs to revive an NPC through Nazarick’s functions. “Shalltear! Resurrect!” A pulse of magic left the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and the instant it touched the mounds of gold, they began to liquify and flow towards the center of the room.

A long moment of the liquid gold condensing into the single spot and a golden version of Shalltear’s body formed. A second later and the body lost the golden hue, returning to Shalltear’s natural pale skin tone.

All of the Floor Guardians were prepared to attack if one looked closely. Cocytus’s hand was gripping his halberd firmly. Demiurge already had his left hand turned into deadly, razor sharp claws. Aura’s hand was on the handle of her whip. Mare clutched his wooden staff tightly, the head aimed at the unmoving body.

“Albedo?” Momonga looked at the Succubus with hopeful eyes.

Albedo looked down at the Nazarick interface screen and saw Shalltear’s name reappear, this time, in the normal white letters, instead of the red color that signified mind control making her a hostile enemy. “Be at ease, my Lord. It would seem that she is free of the mind control.”

Momonga’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “Wonderful.” He walked over to the unconscious Shalltear, already having noticed that her clothing didn’t return with her. Even though he tried not to, his eyes did briefly run over her naked body. Peroroncino had made Shalltear gorgeous and Momonga was once more reminded of just how much time his old friend had spent on Shalltear’s creation. Momonga pulled a black blanket out of his inventory and quickly covered Shalltear with it as he kneeled down beside her. “Shalltear?”

Shalltear eyes slowly opened. The blood red eyes slowly looked around, taking in the area. When her eyes landed on Momonga, she spoke. “Is that you, Lord?”

Momonga didn’t care about appearances or anything else right now. He let the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown float in the air next to him as he carefully pulled Shalltear into his arms, his wings softly encircling them as if to protect her from any further harm that could hope to befall her. 

“I thought I’d lost you. Thank goodness, Shalltear.”

“Ah…ah…” Shalltear’s cheeks quickly turned pink as her heart fluttered with joy.

“I’m sorry, Shalltear. This was all because of my mistake.” Momonga apologized as he gently held her close.

“No, please, Lord. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but…” Shalltear wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her body against Momonga’s. “Being here in your arms could never be a mistake.” She giggled softly, loving being so close to her beloved and safely shrouded within his wings, the darkness not a problem for either of their eyes. “So this is where my first time will be~” Shalltear cooed as she enjoyed the warmth of Momonga’s embrace.

Albedo’s voice (clearly annoyed) broke through the little world that was all Shalltear cared about at the moment. “Please excuse her, Lord. I believe Shalltear is still out of it.”

“Huh?” Shalltear poked her head over Momonga’s shoulder to glare at the Succubus.

“You must be tired.” Momonga gently hugged Shalltear again, making the vampire coo happily. He stood up and made sure that the black blanket kept Shalltear’s modesty. “I hate to ask, but what do you remember, Shalltear?”

Shalltear thought about that for a moment before answering. “I recall that I gave you my regards before departing with Sebas and Solution. We rode a carriage into a large town. Then I was hunting humans in the forest.” She looked around again. “But how did I get back to Nazarick? And why is everyone acting strangely? I hope that I didn’t cause any trouble for you or Nazarick, Lord Momonga.”

‘So, she doesn’t remember who put her under mind control? I’ll have to look into that myself.’ Momonga already had an idea of someone to ask too. “Do you feel strange in anyway?”

Shalltear gently patted her shoulders, her arms, and even ran her hand over her cheek. “I feel like I usually do.”

“I see.” Momonga was glad to hear that.

“AHHH!!! Oh no!” Shalltear cried out suddenly, making everyone in the Throne Room take a step closer to her in hopes of helping her. “It’s gone! My chest is a washboard!”

All of the Floor Guardians reacted to that ridiculous exclamation in their own ways. Demiurge had a vein become visible on his forehead as he glared at Shalltear. Cocytus slapped one of his hands over his face with a heavy sigh. Aura sighed and ran her right hand through her blonde hair. Mare just closed his eyes and chuckled a bit.

“Stupid lamprey!” Albedo snapped at Shalltear. “Do you have any idea how much suffering you put the rest of us through?”

“So, you’ve conveniently forgotten?” Demiurge stepped forward while pushing his glasses up. “But your peers still remember your blunder!” He nearly snarled at the vampire.

“What?!” Shalltear looked up at Demiurge in confusion.

Momonga watched on as the other Floor Guardians began to chastise Shalltear.

“What an idiot!” Aura had her hands on her hips as she looked down at the kneeling Shalltear. “You did something unforgivable to Lord Momonga! Aren’t you ashamed of it?!”

“Huh?” Shalltear was not liking what she was hearing at all.

Demiurge put his hands behind his back. “I’m beginning to question whether you understand the meaning of your existence as a Guardian.”

“Lord Momonga’s heart went through such unbearable pain.” Cocytus declared.

“Y-Yeah, I’m angry with you too.” Mare agreed with a frown, though it looked more cute on the boy’s face than angry.

“You always drown in your own desires without thinking of the consequences!” Albedo admonished Shalltear with a grimace.

For a moment, Momonga saw the images of his friends overlapping their creations as they chastised Shalltear for what had happened. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he watched on, the scene rather familiar with Peroroncino having done something that had annoyed or troubled other members of Ainz Ooal Gown.

Albedo looked over at him and smiled. She took a few steps towards her Master and held out her hand for him to take. “We await your orders.”

“Albedo…” Momonga gently took her hand and looked into her eyes. “I’ll do better, be better, for all of you.” He promised.

Albedo’s beautiful smile nearly lit up the room. “As leader of the Guardians, I recommend scolding her mercilessly!” She shot a glance at Shalltear.

“I second that! Don’t go easy on this bonehead, Lord Momonga!” Aura smiled at Momonga.

Cocytus nodded as chilled air escaped his mandibles. “Agreed. Harsh words are the least she deserves at this point.”

“Shalltear, accept your punishment with humility and grace, okay?” Demiurge’s tone was just short of mocking. His devilish personality showing through his well put together appearance.

“Uh, well, you don’t have to be too hard on her, Lord…if you don’t mind.” Mare, ever the kind one, spoke up with a modicum of defense for Shalltear.

“Hahahahaha…” Momonga couldn’t help but laugh, his heart warmed by the familiarity of the scene before him. “I deserve the scolding. Despite all of the information we’ve gained, I still didn’t think something like this could happen. The mistake was mine and mine alone. Understand?” Momonga turned to look at Shalltear directly. “Shalltear, you are not guilty of anything, I want you to remember that. Always.”

Shalltear smiled up at Momonga from where she was still kneeling on the floor and wrapped in the black blanket. “Thank you very much, Lord Momonga.”

“Demiurge, you will explain everything that occurred to Shalltear after she’s had time to properly rest.” Momonga ordered.

“Yes, Lord.” Demiurge agreed without question. “By the way, Sebas failed to return to Nazarick as ordered.”

“He is bait.” Momonga revealed that Sebas and Solution hadn’t returned because he’d ordered them not to. “We don’t know who targeted Shalltear with the World Item, or why. But since Sebas was with her, there’s a strong possibility that he’ll be next.” He looked at Albedo. “Gather a team trained in stealth and have them scout the area around Sebas. He may be bait but I have no intention of letting our enemy bite. If they make even the slightest move on Sebas, we will end them.”

“We don’t have any leads at all?” Aura asked Momonga curiously.

Momonga patted her head softly, making the Dark Elf smile brightly. “I have an idea of who to ask first, but whether I get the answer or not remains to be seen.”

-Clementine’s Cell-

Clementine looked towards the door to her cell as she heard footsteps that clearly weren’t Pestonya’s. There hadn’t been any tests today either for some reason. She got out of her bed and stood before the door respectfully.

“Clementine.” Momonga greeted the woman. “I’m glad to see you still well.”

“Well enough, Lord Ainz.” Clementine bowed at the waist. Inwardly she was a little thrilled to see him again after so many days. “What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Momonga looked at Clementine, seeing how polite she was being was a far cry from how she was when they met. Apparently this punishment had changed her, at least a little. “I have a question for you. Depending on your answer, and taking into account your cooperation with the tests of Martial Arts, you may be freed from this cell and receive a reward.”

“I’ll answer to the best of my abilities, Lord Ainz.” Clementine replied promptly. Inside her heart soared at finally being done with all of these horrid tests. No more pain, agony, terror, and suffering would be like escaping hell.

“Do you know the term World Item?” Momonga asked the former Black Scripture member.

“I think one or two of the Sacred Treasures of the Slane Theocracy have been called that before, but not by anyone that uses them.” Clementine answered, having only overhead the term maybe two or three times in the entire time she was with the Black Scripture.

Momonga’s myriad-colored eyes shifted to almost entirely black. “Does one of these Sacred Treasures of the Theocracy allow the user to mind control even beings and creatures that are normally immune to such things?”

Clementine’s eyes widened at the incredibly specific, and accurate, description of one of the Scared Treasures. “Did you have a fight against the Black Scripture? What you just described sounds like Downfall of Castle and Country…that old bitch Karie wears it.”

Momonga’s eyes were now a storm of colors. “Downfall of Castle and Country… I see.” That certainly sounded like a World Item. Though he wasn’t sure if he’d heard of it back in YGGDRASIL or not. World Items were coveted and protected at all costs. Most Players or Guilds that found one never revealed it if they could help it. Those that did, usually had the strength to protect it and used it when and how they saw fit. “I’ll have a reward prepared for you soon enough, Clementine. Once lodgings have been worked out for you, you’ll be moved from this cell. There will be no further tests for you. You’ve given us a great deal of information on the Martial Arts.”

“Th-Thank you very much, Lord Ainz!” Clementine bowed at the waist as relief and joy filled her heart.

“I will see you soon enough, Clementine.” Momonga gave the woman a small smile and a nod before vanishing in a flash of teleportation.

Clementine took a few steps backwards and fell back onto her bed. A long sigh escaped her, filled with weariness and relief. Clementine blinked when she felt tears sting her eyes, she wiped them away and looked at her hand, realizing that for the first that she could remember, she was crying from happiness. The blonde woman rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, her body trembling with emotion and the realization that her suffering was finally over.

-Momonga’s Office-

“The Black Scripture.” Momonga’s aura was nearly writhing around him. “It seems that I will have to follow through on my promise to those soldiers from the Sunlight Scripture and bring DEATH to your country.” The Primordial Deity glowered at the map that showed the three nearby nations, his stormy eyes glaring at the Slane Theocracy specifically.

It was only when his eyes rolled over to the Fox Lord’s Territory (as it was labeled on the map) that he thought of something besides revenge.

“I should contact Seimei and let him know that his hunch was correct. The Theocracy does have a World Item, and maybe more than one.” Momonga quickly pulled over some parchment and a pen to write a letter to his friend from YGGDRASIL. He could’ve tried the [Message] spell, but that could come off as rude, and there was no guarantee that the barrier around ‘Kyoto’ wouldn’t block the spell anyway.

A chance encounter or a direct plot, Momonga didn’t much care. The Black Scripture, and by association the Slane Theocracy, had attacked Nazarick. They would come to know the error they had made soon enough, Momonga would make sure of it!

-End Chapter-

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Shalltear vs Momonga was a bit of a different clash than Canon!

One, Momonga used his normal Divine Class items! Two, his different build makes him able to counter Shalltear fairly well. Three, his playstyle isn’t anything Shalltear has experience against! When the Floor Guardians can’t just overwhelm an opponent, only a few of them think to strategize, plan, and not fight directly.

They simply lack experience.

But that can be fixed over time!

Shalltear is resurrected and gets hugs and some short snuggles from Momonga, much to her joy.

Clementine still being alive let’s Momonga quickly identify the culprits of Shalltear’s brainwashing!

The ripples continue to make more changes!

Momonga has promised her a reward and a place within Nazarick, no more torturous test and suffering! Clementine happy cries for the first time in her life!

Makes you wonder just how shit her life was growing up, huh?

Momonga writes a letter to Seimei about his hunch being correct!

What will two YGGDRASIL Players do when they know for a fact that World Items are out there?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!