A New World

by Forgotten Song Bird

Loneliness was not a thing that anyone was fond of. What if Momonga wasn't alone when the old game ended and the new life began? What if some of his friends had logged on and stayed until the end? This is the journey of not only one player, but of Ainz Ooal Gown and its loyal members. How will the course of history change? Find out as we see Momonga and his friends in action.

6. Chapter 5 - Questions and Answers!

A/N:

The poll is just for fun, but I'd like to see you guys' opinion about it!

So far, the main squad and Takemikazuchi is taking the lead with 5 votes each and 4 for Take! Yosha!

I am indecisive between switching Touch Me out for Yamaiko or Punitto Moe... help? For now, I'm substituting our Yamaiko in Touch Me's place! I figured it would be more balanced to the team if we have a healer on our hands.

Also, did you guys heard about the upcoming dub?! It's... a mess for me lmao. I'm looking forward to seeing it though. Same as the movie! We're definitely getting season two, you guys. And my god, Yamaiko and Ulbert's official concept came out! HE'S HOT LMAO. In all seriousness, his design is awesome! Same goes for our healer!

Disclaimer disclaimer. Some text were extracted from the book. Changes were made to previous chapters!

I WILL NO LONGER ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SHIPPING STUFF OR THE SLASH, IT HAS ALREADY BEEN SPOKEN OF IN MY OTHER AUTHOR'S NOTE

---

Chapter 5: Questions and Answers! Clarity and Confusion!

---

"To me, Demons of the Legemeton!"

The golems made of rare metals heeded Momonga's command and moved before him with an agility that belied their heavy bodies, then took the ready stance they had assumed earlier.

Now that Momonga had decided to go with his theory that virtual reality had become reality, his first concern was to guarantee his own safety along with his friends'. Although the NPCs he had met so far had readily obeyed him and the others that were with him, there was no guarantee that the others he met would react in the same way. Also, even if they were all friendly, he did not know when danger would next appear.

Momonga's life and death hinged on whether or not he could use such things as Nazarick's facilities, the golems, his items, his magic and so on. The same applies to the three that are currently in his company and are inspecting the array of golems.

"Well, that's one problem solved," Momonga muttered to himself in relief as he looked at the golems. He then ordered them only to listen to him and the guild members of Ainz Ooal Gown. That way, even in the worst-case scenario—if one or more NPCs revolted—they all would have an ace in the hole.

"Mmmm. These guys would definitely come in handy." Ulbert mused, feeling pleased as he stroke his beard.

"Wow, scaryyy... I kinda forgot how big these guys actually were." Peroroncino said with awe and slight wariness at how intimidating the golems were. The person that have made these really went all out with the designs that served a purpose: To intimidate.

"Ah, right. We didn't get to stop to look at them on the way." The alchemist said, marveling at the size and details of these sentinels. Their creators did have a knack for details. The look matches the power. "They are quite beautifully made."

"All right guys. Let's go to the amphitheater. Pero, your ring functioned normally, right?"

"Well, yeah. But that was before all of..." The archer waved his arms around in a circular motion. "...this."

"Good point. Let's see if they work now." Tabula nodded at the avian's words.

Each of the guild's member was still equipped with the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. No matter what happens, they must always have it on their body. It was a symbol of their creation, their own unique token that signifies the bond of comrades, old and new.

Also, the power of the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown was unlimited teleportation between named rooms of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, and it would even allow one to teleport into the Tomb from the outside. Since Nazarick was warded to block teleportation into or within itself (except for a few specific areas), this ring was very handy.

The only places where this ring could not teleport its wearer was to the Throne Room and the various guild members' personal rooms. This ring was also required to enter the Treasury, which was why they could not do without it.

"Alright. See you guys there." Momonga said. Taking a deep breath, he activates the ring's power with his destination in mind. And instantly, the world before him turned into black.

Right after that, the scenery in front of him changed, and his surroundings were now a dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, he could see what looked like a giant lowered portcullis. Within the tunnel were artificial lights.

"—Ho boy. That is one unpleasant feeling." A voice that belonged to Peroroncino said with a shaky breath.

"So... this is how it felt like to teleport places?" The demon mused as he shivers a little.

"...I think it might take us some time to get used to that." The brain eater agreed as he pulls his black cloak closer to his body.

The skeleton looked at his teammates with curiosity. Momonga then looks at his fingers as he clenched and unclenched them, blinking twice. "Huh... I didn't really feel that weird..."

"Huh? Really?" Peroroncino asked, looking at the skeleton curiously.

"Yeah. There was a tingling sensation, but then it quickly faded. Perhaps it's because I'm a skeleton. I don't really have skin... so I guess that it doesn't affect me that much." The overlord shrugged.

"...Hmmm. Interesting... If you would allow me, I would like to study your race's characteristics some other time, Momonga." Tabula said, his voice suggested that he was smiling as he speaks.

That question sparked up a different variety of opinions and feelings among the group of four. But Momonga, on the other hand, didn't feel weird about that. He actually thinks that it was a good idea. In their current situation, the functionalities and how things operate must have differed greatly. Tabula was smart and observant. And Momonga wants to learn about the limitations of his physiques. If anyone could figure it out, it would be the alchemist.

"Sure, no problem. But one thing at a time first, yes?"

There was no other reply to that statement except for the ones of the individual who have asked said question to the statement. "Of course. Thank you, guild leader."

The four pla—no, the four people began walking down the wide and high passage, toward the portcullis ahead of them. The stone floor amplified the sound of Momonga and his comrades' footsteps, and at times he could hear echoes down the sizable path. The torches that lined the tunnel flickered constantly, and as a result, the shadows they made seemed to dance. Bathed in the light of several torches, they cast several shadows at once, and it seemed as though there were multiple copies of each one of them.

What passed for Momonga's nose should have been little more than an empty hole in his skull, but yet he smelled something as he drew near the portcullis. Momonga stopped and took a deep breath. It was a strong scent of earth and grass—the smell of the jungle.

Much like his encounter with Albedo and Peroroncino just now, the intensely realistic scent, in a world that should not have possessed such things, only convinced Momonga of the reality of the world he was in. But how did his body breathe, without lungs or a windpipe? Momonga felt that thinking too much about such things was foolish, and put it aside.

As though it sensed Momonga and the few presence behind him approaching, the portcullis swiftly raised itself into the ceiling at just the right moment to let the group through. Past the barrier, what Momonga saw was a circular arena, surrounded on all sides by many tiers of audience seats.

"Waaa~! This place is huge!" Peroroncino gawks with awe and excitement. He knew that this place hasn't changed. But it has been a while since he last stepped foot in here. So it was understandable that he reacted the way he did.

That's right. This was a Colosseum, one hundred eighty meters on its long axis and one hundred fifty meters on the short axis. It was forty meters tall and modeled after the arenas of the Roman Empire. Its sight would entice and provoke most people with a sense of challenge and restless battle spirit.

[ Continual Light ] spells were cast everywhere, illuminating the grounds in white illuminations, so one could observe the entire Colosseum like it was in the middle of the day. The audience was composed of many clay dolls—golems, in other words—, which showed no sign of activity.

Ulbert chuckled as he moved his eyes around, sights fixating on the immobilize golems. "What I wouldn't give to see someone stupid enough to come here by themselves to do their 'reconnaissance' for their team once again." Said the demon with an evil grin that showed his sharp teeth. Momonga snorted at that as the other two laughed in agreement.

In this Colosseum, the intruders would be the stars of the show, while the ones watching from the VIP box would be members of Ainz Ooal Gown. The main event, of course, would be a brutal melee. Apart from the one thousand five hundred-man invasions, every single outsider had met their end here.

"Yeah. What a live show that would be, huh?" The archer snickers, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Of course. This place, after all. Was designed for a massacre. Not as amusing as watching gladiators battling each other to the death, but it's still amusing to watch, nonetheless."

"Gladiators...? As in those ancient Greece or Roman guys, right?" Momonga asked as he stroked his chin in thought. Tabula used to tell him something about how successful gladiators could become major stars of the Roman world, and those who were slaves could sometimes be freed after winning a certain number of matches. The Colosseum would be the place where either fame or freedom would be sought, or where men would be lead to complete a suicide mission. People back then really do have a sick sense of entertainment.

"Correct! So you do remember what I said. My heart soars with joy, dear Momonga!" The alchemist said gleefully.

"Well, you did constantly feed him those useless trivia, you know. Some sticks and some don't." Ulbert snorted and rolled his eyes at the overjoyed brain eater, inciting the overlord to gave out a small giggle.

"It is not 'useless', for your information. Those are priceless history that are thousands of years old. Only a true individual of intelligence would have known of these 'useless trivia'." Tabula crossed his arms and spoke sarcastically, his eyes narrowed dangerously at Ulbert. "Obviously, you're not one that fits into such category." Tabula chuckled as he shrugged with his arms wide open and his eyes closed, his tone spoken provocatively.

"Ohoho? Am I not? Pero! Tell me. Who would win between Tabula and I?" The demon laughed, feeling amused as his eyes glinted with mischievousness in his golden slitted orbs.

"Uhhh..." The avian hummed as he placed his hand underneath his beak, contemplating on how he should answer the particular query. After a few moments of indecision, he snickers and shrugged his shoulders. "You know that no one can beat you in terms of firepower, 'Berto—."

The demon brought his face up, smirking with pride as the alchemist looked away in slight indignant. But Peroroncino wasn't finished. "—But. I think that Tabula is smarter in term of wits. No offense." Peroroncino raised his hands up defensively.

"Whaaaat!? Come on now, Peroroncino!" Ulbert said in disbelief. "Traitorrrr!" The goat then turned to the snickering skeleton with a pleading look. "Momonga!?"

"Sorry, dear Ulbert. I can't help you there. It's true." The skeleton chuckled teasingly at his friend. Ulbert dropped down to the floor in despair as a purple cloud of gloom was visible over his slumped form.

"Truer words were never spoken, Pero. Wise choice, eagle one." Tabula said, feeling pleased with how this conversation has turned out.

"Does that make Momo-chan eagle two?"

"What—?" The alchemist begin with confusion, but was cut off by Ulbert, whom was no longer on the ground.

"No, he's eagle one because he's our leader, idiot. I'm eagle two." The demon interjected as he stood up.

"Trueee... Wait. No! I'm eagle two because I'm... an eagle!"

"—Are you guys seriously referring to the twenty-one century's 'eagle one 'meme''?!" Tabula exclaimed with irritation, smacking his hand against his face exasperatedly. "Oh, my god...! How did I not realize it sooner... I didn't refer it to that, you numbnuts!"

"Oh!" The avian and the demon exclaimed.

Tabula would definitely be 'Been there, Done That', though. The overlord chuckled at his teammates' antics and shook his head. Even in these times, their habits would never change. And that was a comforting thought to have in this reality, to know that at least some things stay the same. Quietly, Momonga walked into the center of the arena and looked into the vast space above him. What he saw was a black expanse of night sky. Perhaps he might have been able to see the stars if there were no light around him.

However, this place was the 6th floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, so the sky there was merely a virtual imitation. Even that imitation required a massive amount of data, but as a result, the sky here could change with the time of day, even showing an actual sun with appropriate daylight effects. Momonga could relax in this virtual landscape because his heart remained that of a human, as opposed to his skeletal appearance. It was also because he felt a sense of appreciation for his comrades' hard work in building this place.

Part of him wanted to just wait and space out here, but the present situation denied him that luxury.

His teammates took notice of his silence as they stopped chattering among themselves and make their way to stand next to him, bringing their eyes up to the black sky above, where he was also looking as well.

"Ah... Blue Planet made the sky here, didn't he?" The avian asked with a slight tilt of his head

"Yeah... shame we can't see it right now, with all these active lights from the spells." Momonga sighed wistfully, wishing that he could see the beauty and splendor of his friend's hard work and dedication.

"Why not deactivate it? Just for a moment?" Tabula suggested with a slight tilt of his head. Momonga sighed and considered it for a moment. But then he shook his head.

"...Hah... As much as I would have liked to see it, we didn't come here for sightseeing. Plus, we can return anytime. This is our home, after all. Heh." Home... huh? What a strange way to phrase it. But in a way, it was true. Even in real life, Momonga wouldn't really care much for the place where his human body dwell in. This was where he have made many friends and memory, and this was also the place where those memories were kept. This was closer to home than anything else. So yes. Home would be the word to describe the Tomb of Nazarick.

Peroroncino giggled at Momonga's sentimentality. "You're such a softie, Momo-chan."

Momonga chuckled softly. "Perhaps I am."

"WUOOOO!?" Exclaimed a childish, squeaky voice from afar. After the shout, a figure leaped from the VIP box.

The figure jumped down from a height of about six stories, somersaulted in mid-air, and landed as though it were a butterfly descending on a flower. There was no magic involved, only pure physical prowess. It negated the force of the impact with a simple flexing of the knees, and it smiled broadly.

"V!" It made a V-sign of victory.

A child of about 11 had descended from above. Her face bore a smile that was as bright as the sun. She was adorable, with the androgynous appeal of both a boy and a girl. Aura was the name of said child. She was a Dark Elf, a species related to Forest Elves; a humanoid.

"Meh... It's Aura." Peroroncino rolled his eyes and crossed his arms when he saw the blurry of red and white coming towards them. She was the embodiment of things that he disliked. Bossy attitude, tom-boy, a total dictator to her own brother. And furthermore, she was created to resemble over fifty percent of his own sister. The only thing that he finds appealing about this NPC was the fact that she was... partly loli. He guessed.

He was addressing the Guardian of the 6th Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Aura Bella Fiora. She was a skirmisher who was also able to summon and tame beasts.

"Bukubukuchagama's creation, eh?" Ulbert smirked at the avian's pouting face. The archer was complaining on the outside, but Ulbert can tell that he missed his sister, too. Despite their constant bickering with each other.

Aura jogged over to Momonga. Well, to her, it was a jogging pace, but she was traveling as fast as one of her beasts at full speed, rapidly closing the distance between them. Aura screeched to a halt. Her running shoes had hihiirokane metal plates on the soles, and they threw up clouds of dust as they ground against the floor of the arena. The clouds did not touch Momonga's body nor his teammates; if she had planned that, then her skills must have been impressive indeed.

"Huu~" Aura was not sweating, but yet she wiped her forehead theatrically. Then, with a puppy-like smile, she greeted Momonga and his comrades. "Hello, Lord Momonga, Lord Peroroncino, Lord Tabula Smaragdina, Lord Ulbert Alain Odle. Welcome to the level which I guard!" The elf said with obvious enthusiasm and joy. "It's an honor to have so many Supreme Beings presented at one time to a small servant of yours!"

Momonga smiled a hidden smile. The greeting was filled with the same respect that Albedo, Sebas, and the maids had for him, but for some reason, it felt more intimate. To Momonga, this intimacy allowed him to loosen up. Being too uptight and scary was quite troublesome for Momonga, who was not experienced with this sort of thing.

"Mmm. We'll be intruding for a while, Aura." The overlord said.

"What're you saying, You are the master of Nazarick, the Supreme Overlord, right, Lord Momonga?"

"So that is how it is." Whispered Tabula to the three of them. So the guild title still applies, and it held obvious authority and power to all of these NPCs.

"Yeah, so it seems." Momonga whispered back.

"Aura. Where's your brother?" Asked Peroroncino with a slight frown. Upon hearing the archer's question, Aura blinked in surprise, as though she had realized some great truth and turned around, shouting loudly upward.

"Lord Momonga and the Supreme Ones has graced us with their presence! How rude are you going to be by not showing your face to him?!"

There was movement in the shadows of the VIP seats.

"Mare? Was that him? Why hasn't he come down yet?" Peroroncino raised an eyebrow as his eyes caught the slight movement in the rows of chairs. If Aura's personality was really like that of his sister's, then he could have guessed why the kid didn't show himself just yet.

"Yes, that's right, my Lord! He's really timid… Oi, jump down here now!"

An almost inaudible reply came from the VIP box. Judging by the distance between there and here, it was a miracle the other party could even hear Aura. However, that miracle was the result of the magic on Aura's necklace.

"I-I can't, sister..."

Aura took a deep breath and grabbed her head.

"He… he… Lord Momonga, my Lords, he's just scared, he's definitely not trying to insult you."

As a member of society, one had to know when to speak one's heart and when to say things that were appropriate for the occasion. Momonga nodded and answered in a gentle way to put Aura at ease.

"Of course, Aura. I have never doubted your loyalty."

Peroroncino shrugged as he let out a small breath. "The kid's timid. I understand. No biggie." What was left unsaid were among the line of 'He's probably that way because you're such a pushover.'. The archer knew that he could have said that without any sort of protest or backlash from the elf after. But something has kept him from speaking what was on his mind.

"I do want to take a quick look at him, though. Aura, get Mare down. He doesn't have to be so shy." Ulbert said with a small waving down motion of his hand. The blonde haired child nodded vigorously as her face contorts in a frown.

"The Supreme Beings has come to visit us, but you as a Floor Guardian aren't even here to meet them! You should know how disrespectful that is! If you're too scared to jump down, maybe a quick kick will substitute for courage!" She yelled, arms flailing wildly.

"A-ahh… I'll take the stairs down…"

"How long do you want our Lords to wait?! Get over here, now!"

"I-I got it… e-eiii!" Mare had gathered up his courage, but his voice still seemed unsteady. After that, a figure jumped out of the VIP box. Mare immediately began running over as quickly as he could. However, his top speed was still much slower than Aura. She must have thought so too, because she frowned and shouted:

"Hurry up, slowpoke!"

"A-alright already... Coming!"

He looked nervous, as though he was afraid of being scolded. Momonga was surprised by the stark difference between the two. However, from what Momonga knew, Mare should not have been like this. Even if one wrote a long character description for their NPCs, it would not be reflected in their personalities. Yet, these two Dark Elf children were displaying animated emotions in front of Momonga.

"—They must be the Aura and Mare that Bukubukuchagama wanted to see." Momonga said in a hushed whisper. If only she could have been here for this...

"Yeah. That's her creations alright. It's just like her to do this." Peroroncino said with a sigh and slight nostalgia. He wonders where she is right now, how she's doing... Did she come online too? He wouldn't know. He was too busy getting himself to Nazarick to check on the one and a half second popup notifications nor the friend list.

"I-I'm sorry I kept you waiting, my Lords…"

This was Mare Bello Fiore. Like Aura, he was a Guardian of the Sixth Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

Momonga squinted—though his eyes were merely empty sockets—and looked at them. Aura thrust her chest forward proudly, while Mare simply cowered under Momonga's gaze. He nodded several times, thinking that the two of them were indeed the incarnation of his comrade's hard work.

"I'm glad to see that the two of you are in good spirits."

"I'm positively overflowing with energy! Although, it's been a bit boring recently. It would be nice if we had an intruder or two."

"I-I would rather not have to meet intruders… they, they're scary…" Mare squeaked, clutching his staff to his chest timidly.

"...Haa. My Lords, please excuse me for a while. Mare, come with me."

After hearing Mare's words, Aura's expression changed as she then pinched his ears, dragging him over to a small distance.

"O-oww… sis, that hurts…"

'...Intruders, huh. Well, much like Mare, I don't want to meet them either. At least, I'd rather meet them after having the chance to make all the preparations that we need.' Momonga thought as he watched the twin Guardians from afar. After he snapped back to reality, Momonga realized that Mare was on his knees in front of Aura, who was hurling a torrent of abuse at him. Momonga smiled at the sight as it reminded him of two particular individuals that behaved exactly like this. Momonga's socket-less eyes trailed over to Peroroncino.

'Little brothers should listen to their big sisters' was Bukubukuchagama's opinion. And that statement was reflected in these two's personalities.

Tabula cocked his head to the side slightly as he let out a chuckle of amusement. "Hah. Your sister used to be like this with you all the time, didn't she?"

"Yeah... Brrr. I still have shivers thinking about the things that she has done to me." The archer shudders at the old resurfacing memories.

"To be fair, you did deserve most of it." Ulbert said with a nonchalant smirk, shrugging his cloaked shoulders.

"Heyheyhey. I didn't deserve that thing that happened that time with Linnie, though. It was an accident!" Peroroncino said defensively, pointing a talon tipped claw at the demon as Ulbert snickers.

"Oooh, yeah. It was. That... that must have hurt." Momonga winced as he remembers the particular event from long ago. Long story short: Accidental 'body contact', bickering happened, fighting ensued, and some certain body parts were definitely injured during the process.

"Awww, man... Why do I have to remind myself about that? Now it hurts just thinking about... brrr." The avian's body trembled as his wings wrapped itself around his feathered body, his hands moved to protect where his crotch was located at.

The more he observed the two elves, though, the more questions were forming in the skeleton's head. Questions that he have never bothered of thinking about before. "Hey, come to think of it, Aura and Mare should have died once... How should we address that?" Momonga said quietly to his three friends as they all observed the exchange between Aura and Mare. "The invasion of the one thousand five hundred people had made it down all the way to the 8th floor. Which was to say, Aura and Mare should have died then. Did they remember anything about it?"

"I guess that we never have to think about that stuff before because they were NPCs..." Peroroncino mused as he looks up in thought.

"Perhaps. With the little interaction and information that we have, though, we can't be really sure about it." Tabula Smaragdina shrugged.

"Well, in case that they don't remember, let's not remind them about it. People's feelings can change quickly after they have known too much." Ulbert said with a grim voice.

"Always the pessimist, eh? 'Berto?" Tabula chuckled at the goat's musings.

"Gotta keep it real, Tabby." The demon chuckled. "Although, there is something else that I am thinking about..."

Momonga hummed as he loses himself in his train of thoughts.

What meaning did the concept of "death" have in this reality, anyway?

According to Yggdrasil's rules, death would cost a character five levels and force him to drop one of his equipped items. In other words, characters below level five would immediately disappear. Players, though, were specially exempt from this and would not vanish, but they would be reduced to the minimum of level one. Therefore, it must be an issue with the game rules. Shitty devs...

Using spells like [ Resurrection ] or [ Raise Dead ] would mitigate this level loss. In addition, with the use of cash items, one would only lose a bit of experience.

It was simpler for NPCs. As long as the guild paid the requisite fees to resurrect them, they would be recalled to life without any ill effects.

While the loss of even a single level was a harsh punishment in a game where each level required a lot of experience points, losing levels was not such a frightening prospect in Yggdrasil. This was because the game company wanted its players to explore previously undiscovered regions and find new things, instead of hunkering down in familiar territory because they were afraid of losing levels.

With all this in mind, were the two people who perished in the wake of the one thousand five hundred-man invasion the same after their resurrection?

Momonga wanted to verify this, but at the same time, he did not want to disturb them unduly. For all he knew, that large invasion might have been a traumatic experience for Aura. Momonga felt it would be unwise to question her in that manner when she had shown no overt signs of hostility. The important thing was that they were lovingly crafted NPCs of his friends in Ainz Ooal Gown.

In addition, the concept of death in-game might be different from outside it. Of course, if one died in reality, that was the end of everything, However, that might not be the case right now. He wanted to perform experiments on this, but first, he needed to collect information and establish his priorities. Thus, putting this matter aside would be a wise decision.

After all, Momonga still had many doubts about how the Yggdrasil he knew had changed.

"—What do you mean? Do you actually want to try that out?" The archer said with a hint of worry.

"Eventually, someone will fall and be the first sacrifice, sooner or later. Why not sooner? They're like us, living beings now. If they can die like normal living creatures, we need to know so that we can prevent our own demise. And the rest of them as well." Ulbert said with a small smirk, his eyes glints with mischievousness and evil.

"You intend to see their deaths to satisfy your curiosity and theory...? That's quite sinister, Ulbert." Tabula Smaragdina chuckled darkly at the demon's toothy grin. "It is a logically good idea..." Tabula mused for a moment before his avian comrade interjected.

"No! I won't allow it! They're my sister's creations!" Peroroncino said defensively, but he didn't spoke with anger nor disdain. Just agitation and hesitation. "I don't object to the idea... I think... But if anyone has a say in deciding their fate, it's her. Not me or you, Ulbert."

"Hmmm. She's not here... but you have a good point. I wouldn't want to incite Bukubukuchagama's wrath..." The demon sighed in resignation as he shrugged.

"..." Momonga has listened in at the last bit of the conversation. Despite not knowing what the former part was about, he has a pretty good guess what they are discussing. And the skeleton overlord is having conflicting feelings about the different methods and opinion of his teammates.

On one hand, he agreed with Ulbert that they should test out their theories at some point. Killing random monsters wouldn't be as effective. The same one would spawn somewhere one way or another, and naturally: monsters dies no matter of what cause. Then, on the other hand, he also understands Peroroncino's hesitation. If they respawn like in the game after a specified amount of time, then there would be nothing to worry about. However, what if they die and disappears indefinitely? Each of them was the result of his guildmates' hard work and efforts, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing the embodiment of that dedication be harmed or something akin to that.

"Yeah... Let's put that thought aside for now, alright? We're here for something else, after all. When this is over, we can come to my chamber to discuss this."

"Yes, guild leader." His teammates replied in unison, sounded all too enthusiastic at the suggestion for some reason. But he also put that at the back of his mind, ignoring the weird suspicion that he have.

Meanwhile, Aura was still scolding Mare as Momonga stood in contemplation. Momonga pitied Mare a little. After all, he had not said anything that warranted such wrathful castigation. In the past, when brother and sister argued, all Momonga could do was watch. But now, things were different. However, before he could intervene, Peroroncino have already gone a step ahead of him.

"Aura, that's enough for now. Leave him be." The archer said with haste and a roll of his eyes. Peroroncino himself reaAAAAAly wants to get this over with so that they can get to that... other business that Momonga was talking about! Plus, Mare looks so pitiful, he actually felt a little bit bad for the poor kid.

"B-but my Lord! As a guardian, we should—"

"It's fine. Aura, I understand how you feel. It is only natural that you would feel unhappy if Mare, as a Floor Guardian, said such a cowardly thing, especially if it were in my presence. However, I believe that if anyone invaded the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, you and Mare would fearlessly step forward to engage them. There is no need for scoldings as long as one does what is required of them when the time comes." Momonga quickly added, then he went over to the young boy's side to help him up. "And Mare, you should be grateful to your kind sister. Even if I were angry, I could not remain so after seeing how your sister scolded you."

"Eh? No, no, it's not like that. I wasn't scolding him to show off in front of Lord Momonga."

"Aura, it's fine. It doesn't matter what you had in mind. I understand your kind intentions. However, I must tell you that I am not dissatisfied with Mare's performance as a Guardian."

"Um, ah, yes, yes! Thank you, Lord Momonga!" Aura said cheerfully.

"Th-thank you very much…" Mare replied shyly, his cheeks tinted with a hue of red.

"Also, we are here for other business, Aura. We are not here to witness you disciplining your brother. Do not waste our time scolding him when he did nothing wrong." Ulbert grinned wickedly at the pair of dark elves, making them fidget nervously under the scrutiny of the demon.

"We're sorry, Lord Ulbert, my Lords!" The two of them quickly said as they then bowed their heads to them.

Momonga felt uncomfortable as he watched the two of them bow. He felt particularly ill at ease as he saw them look at him with their shining eyes. In order to camouflage the embarrassment he felt at being looked at that way, Momonga coughed.

"Hm, that's right. Aura, I think you said something about being bored because there were no intruders?"

"—Ah, no, that, about that…"

After seeing Aura's fearful reaction, Momonga felt bad about asking his question.

"I do not intend to reproach you for your answer, so feel free to speak your mind."

"...Yes, a little. There's nobody around here who can spar with me for more than five minutes."

"Would you spar with me then, little one?" Asked Ulbert with a sinister smile as his beau casts a small shadow on the demon's face. Aura looked positively frightened at that as she shook her head vigorously, and Momonga sighed internally. Ulbert... must you always approach people with that smile of yours?

"N-No, my Lord! I didn't mean it that way. I'm sure you would massacre me within minutes, Lord Ulbert!"

"At ease, Aura. The guy's just teasing you." Peroroncino chuckled with crossed arms. Well, Aura might be irritating at most times. But when she was acting timid, she happens to be actually quite cute. But of course, if he says that out loud if his sister was here, she would probably kick him to death. Though, the avian can't help but frowns slightly at Ulbert's words. He was completely serious when he was suggesting that idea... wasn't he...

"Oh! Haha! I see! Still, I will never turn a hand on you, my Lords! Not even if I was placed in a life and death situation!" Aura said with absolute resolution, her face grinning widely.

"Good girl." Tabula said with a small smile. "You too, Mare."

The pair of dark elf grinned widely at the brain eater's praise. Aura puffed her chest out with pride as Mare fidgeted with his staff, cheeks blushing profusely at the compliment.

"Ehehe~!"

"T-thank you, my Lord..."

"Why don't you spar with your brother, then? He should be a worthy enough rival." Tabula suggested with a slight raise of his eyebrows. But then when the group turned their gaze to Mare, the boy cowered and trembled at the idea and at the many eyes on him. The alchemist sweat dropped and shook his head. "Nevermind."

Mare's body trembled as he shrank away. He shook his head with moist eyes, and he looked very afraid. Aura sighed as she saw the way he looked.

As the older one of the siblings sighed, a sweet scent filled the surrounding air.

Unlike the fragrance Albedo radiated, this scent seemed somewhat persistent. As he remembered Aura's ability, Momonga took a step away from the scent. His teammates took a moment to notice it, but then they, too, reacted in their own ways. Ulbert covered up his snout with his cape as Peroroncino covered his beak with his wings.

The alchemist... shrugged, simply choosing to stop breathing. He could hold his breath for a long time, since his classes did involve in creating many dangerous and mysterious concoctions that might be fatal to inhale—the brain eater knew that Yggdrasil doesn't have a function that let you smell things, but hey, Tabula was Tabula. Absurd things from the past could make sense or prove useful in the future.

Aura was confused for a moment when the Supreme Ones withdrew themselves from her presence. But the something clicks as a light bulb went up inside her head. How could she be so careless?

"Ah—! I'm sorry, my Lords!" Aura quickly dispersed the scent with a wave of her hands. Among Aura's skills as a Beast Tamer, there were certain passive skills that had buffing and debuffing effects. These abilities acted through her breath and had a radius of several meters, some even up to ten meters. With the effect of certain skills, that radius could be enlarged to unbelievable proportions. In Yggdrasil, icons representing buffs and debuffs appeared in one's field of vision, so one could see if they were under the effect of an ability. However, no indication of these changes appeared to him, which made things quite troublesome.

"Ah, it should be fine now, I canceled it!"

"Is that so…"

"...However, you're undead, so mind-affecting effects shouldn't work on you, right, Lord Momonga?"

That was true in Yggdrasil. The undead was immune to mind-affecting effects, whether positive or negative. "...Were we within the effective radius?" Aura lowered her head in fear, and so did Mare beside her. Momonga blinked. What...? He then quickly added a few more things before he would have to see their eyes faces filled with fright.

"...I"m not angry, Aura," Momonga said in as gentle a voice as he could manage. "Aura… You don't have to be so afraid. Do you think such a simple skill would inconvenience me? I was simply asking if I and my comrades were within the effective range of your skill."

"Yes! Just now, you and the other Supreme Beings were within range of my skill."

"What was the effect supposed to be? I shielded myself from it, but I don't think that I feel any change..." Peroroncino said with curiosity, hands moving up and down his feathered chest in a form of inspection.

"I'd recognize that aura anywhere, no matter how insignificant." Ulbert snorted with crossed arms. "It's 'Aura of Fear'. My encounter with countless humanoids and non-humanoid tamers taught me a thing or two."

They know that friendly fire was in effect, so there was no need to test it out. Peroroncino had suffered from Momonga's negative touch, and that was enough of an indication for them. Apparently, it didn't matter if they belonged to the same guild or whether if they were allies, negative debuffs, passive skill, or active skills that were supposed to cause some kind of negative effect will affect just about anyone.

The demon tilts his head with interest and curiosity, looking directly at the female dark elf. "Effective for beasts. Perhaps you wished to tame us living beings? How brave." Ulbert cooed, his eyes playful and his grin toothy.

"A-ah, no, my Lord—." At Aura's quick apology, Ulbert shook his head and patted the girl on her hair.

"Like that deviant said. I was merely teasing. At ease, child of the woods." When the goat demon did so, everyone had a small smile on their faces when the girl closes her eyes in bliss, like how a puppy would lean into its owner's touch.

Ok, I still don't like Aura. But that's just so cute! The archer thought. And for once, his way of thinking was completely innocent. She reminds him too much of his sister... Playful, dangerous at times, and adorable in others. Ah... I miss you, sister...

"Ma-may I b-be petted a-as well?" Mare tentatively asked with a meek voice, as if he was afraid that he will stumble into a hole filled with acid. Momonga chuckled at the small elf's shyness. He then beckoned the dark elf to his side as he then ruffles the boy's golden hair with his bony hand.

"Here, Mare." Said elf closed his eyes in appreciation at the overlord's touches. They really are like small animals. So cute! His internal human voice thought. After an appropriate amount of time, the demon and the skeleton hesitantly stopped petting the two golden-haired elves. Now that touching sensation was incorporated into this reality, they can't help but revel in how soft the two's hair texture was.

"Alright then. Let's get back to the point. We would like to do a little bit of training here." Said the skeleton with a small clear of his throat.

"Training?! You and the Supreme Ones?"

"Indeed." Momonga said, clicking his staff to the ground once.

After seeing Momonga's swift reply and hearing the light impact of his staff on the ground, realization dawned on Aura's face. Momonga was quite pleased with himself, as this reaction had fallen within his scope of prediction.

"Is, is that the legendary weapon of the highest order which only you may wield, Lord Momonga?"

Legendary weapon? What did he mean by that? Momonga had his doubts, but after seeing Mare's shining eyes, he knew the question was not asked with ill intent. "Indeed, this is the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, which we have created together." Momonga started with a proud voice.

Momonga raised the Staff, and it immediately radiated a beautiful glow which lit up its surroundings. The glow was as blinding as the Staff itself. However, the surroundings were filled with inauspicious, flickering shadows, which emitted an aura of menace.

"The seven gems in the Staff's snake mouths are all divine-class artifacts. Since they all belong to a set, having them together unlocks even greater power beyond their base abilities. Gathering them all required an incalculable amount of time and effort, and many of our members stated they wanted to quit during the process. I can't remember how many monsters we farmed for their drops… Anyway, in addition, the Staff's power is beyond that of a divine class item. In fact, it almost approaches that of a World-Class Item. Its most potent feature is its automatic engagement system… Ahem, or... something like that."

...It would seem he had gotten carried away. Momonga blushed a nonexistent blush as he held back his excitement. Ho, boy... I got way too excited there.

Momonga's teammates stared at him with fondness in their eyes and slight amusement.

Peroroncino had paused for a moment when the elf said 'only Momonga can wield', but then he realized that he didn't have any problem with that. Because it's true, plus, who was more worthy to wield it but his friend? After the skeleton's rambling, all he could think of was the fact that Momonga remembered so much, even the smaller details. Awww, Momo-chan~! You still remember all of that? Thought the archer as his wings flapped twice in adoration. To Peroroncino, power was to be sought at any cost. So he didn't mind wasting his time, effort, and money, in order to help his friends create this relic of unity and friendship. And for Momonga to remember so much of the process brought a sense of pride and validation to the avian.

The demon have a small smile on his face as he watched his friend rambled on about the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. That's right. That was the combined effort of all forty-one of them. He sighed nostalgically. That takes him back a little bit. Everyone has busted their ass over getting the resources. And the hardcore people like him, Peroroncino, and Momonga, even stayed up really late to collect more materials. Ah... The good old days. I wish we can turn back time...

Momonga... You must be really, really lonely and sad all those years, weren't you. I'm so sorry, my dear friend... Thought the alchemist with a deep frown. Tabula couldn't help but feel a sense of bitterness and sadness crawling upon his frame. Momonga probably didn't intend his words to have any effect on others, but it was how it is to him. The guild weapon was never wielded before, however, it was their symbol of union. And its body was a container of Ainz Ooal Gown's member's memories, joy, pain, sweat, blood, and hard work.

The overlord has spoken with such pride, fondness, and adoration when he was entailing the difficult processes of creating the weapon. And that adoration and how highly he have thought of that made Tabula feel extremely guilty. Though his feelings were troubled, Tabula did not show it on his features as he then went back to his nonchalant self with a mental shake of his head. There will be time for this later. Right now, what I can do is helping Momonga figuring the mechanics of this reality out. This, is the priority. Focus yourself, Tabula Smaragdina.

"Tha-that's amazing…" Mare said breathlessly.

"That's totally awesome, Lord Momonga!"

"Heh. You bet!" The archer said with the enthusiasm that matched with the twin's own excitement. His eyes seem to glitter along with Mare and Aura, and the scene almost looked like one of those moments where 'anime' characters would say 'SUGOI' and an instant glitter effect would follow.

Momonga almost laughed as he saw their eyes. He tried his best to suppress the delighted expression on his face—although skeletons had no expressions—and continued with his statements.

"Which was why I wanted to run some experiments with this Staff. I hope that you can help us."

"Yes! Understood! We'll go prepare right away! Then… could we see the power of the Staff as you wield it?"

"Mm, that's fine. Then, I shall show you a fraction of the power of this mighty weapon that is the effort of me and my teammates combined."

"Ooh. This will be one heck of a display, I can assure you that." Ulbert chuckled as he winked playfully at the pair of elves.

"Awesome~!" Aura exclaimed as she jumped up and down adorably. Mare was hard-pressed to hide his delight, as could be seen from the twitching tips of his ears.

Ah, this is bad, I can't let my stern facade slip because of this. Momonga tried to regain his dignity as he reminded himself thusly. "...And there is one more thing, Aura. I have already ordered the other Guardians here. They will arrive within the hour."

"Eh? Then, then we need to get ready for—"

"No, there is no need. All you need to do is stay here and wait for them."

"Is that so? Hm… all the Guardians—that means Shalltear's coming too?" Aura said with a slight pout.

"All the Guardians."

"...Haa." Aura's long ears suddenly drooped tiredly. However, Mare's reaction was not as exaggerated as Aura's. According to her backstory, Aura was designed to have a poor relationship with Shalltear, but that was probably not the case for Mare.

Peroroncino frowned at the elf's attitude towards his creation. Sister... you really went all out with their personalities, huh? But then another thought replaced his disappointment with excitement. He suddenly remembered that Shalltear is coming, here, to meet him. He can't contain himself at the thought of seeing his product of fantasy and perversion being at his complete whim and mercy. If her personality really was like how he programmed it to be... Oh my god, this is even better than having an H-game.

Momonga sweatdropped when he see his friend's frame trembling with excitement. The skeleton knew exactly what he was thinking about, too. And sighed out exasperatedly. Oh, Pero...

---

"Preparations are complete! We're gonna go off to the side now, my Lords!" Aura said with a grin as she quickly stepped out of the way with Mare in two to give Momonga and his teammates' space.

The skeleton nodded in confirmation and appreciation as he then fixed his sights on the straw figures a few meters in front of him.

"Alright, guys. Here comes the moment of truth. Let's do this. After me, you all go ahead and try out your own abilities, alright?"

"Roger!" Replied the three voices of his friends.

Raising a bony finger towards the direction of the straw figure, Momonga prepares himself to unleash a combat spell.

Momonga did not know many pure damage spells. Instead, he focused on instant-death spells with additional effects. As a result, he was less effective against non-living entities. He should have selected a simple damaging spell against a target like the one before him, but Momonga's levels were largely in necromancy-type classes, which strengthened his necromancy spells. However, the effectiveness of these spells was several notches below a character whose class levels enhanced combat spells.

He glanced curiously at the children to the side, whose eyes were glittering in anticipation. He felt uneasy as he wondered whether he could live up to their expectations. But he shook the thought out of his mind. His objective, this time, was to verify that he could use magic, anyway. Even if he didn't impress them, his teammates surely will. They, after all, are all individuals that focused on combat power, whether magic or physical. Their spells, when unleashed, was both aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and with the power to match their unleashed form.

The reason for allowing Aura and Mare to witness this experiment was to impress his and his—unawared—friends' power upon them before the other Guardians arrived. In this way, they would learn that opposing the members of Ainz Ooal Gown was a foolish course of action. The two children did not seem like they would betray him, nor did he feel that they would. However, if he lost the ability to use his magic, Momonga was not confident that they would stay loyal to him. If they don't, that... would be a problem, yes. But what he was more concerned about are whether or not they would be loyal to his comrades as well, if they, too, have lost their abilities to use their powers.

Aura treated Momonga like an old friend, but to Momonga, it was the first time they had met. He could tell that the twins were the lovingly crafted embodiment of his guild members' hard work. However, there was no guarantee that their design and programming was perfect. In the face of countless situations and stimuli, a gap or weakness might appear somewhere.

They were intelligent beings who could think on their own, so flaws in their reasoning must exist somewhere. If they were not programmed to be loyal to weaklings, what would that mean for him? In all likelihood, they were not written to be slavishly loyal. That would mean that whether or not they obeyed the order would depend on who the giver was. And it would be bad enough if they did not listen to him, but what if they betrayed their guild leader after finding out that he was powerless...? His teammates will undoubtedly resolve the situation on his behalf, however, there are a few NPCs that are very powerful in the Tomb of Nazarick. And if they too revolted... Momonga feared for his friends' welfare. He dragged them into this mess, and if anything happens to them...

It was not good to have too many doubts, but blind trust was not a wise move either. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. Momonga turned his mind to the present. Another reason for coming here was that if he found that he could not use magic, he could discuss the situation with Aura and Mare. The twins thought he had come to test the power of the Staff, so now that its power had been proven, he could cover up any ineffectiveness of his own magic.

He cast aside the doubts in his mind and focused on using the magic that the world of Yggdrasil has granted to him. Let's not get off task. He reminded himself.

Since the restriction on friendly fire had been lifted, he needed to know how the effective radius of a spell would show itself. Therefore, he decided against a single-target spell, instead, he picked an area of effect spell. Next, considering his target was a strawman, he should—.

In Yggdrasil, he could cast a spell by tapping its respective icon. However, there were no icons for him to touch. Therefore, there had to be some other way. He was not sure, but he had a faint idea of how to use his magic. It was a power hidden within him. Just like how he had deactivated his negative touch, Momonga focused within himself. An icon appeared, as though floating in mid-air—.

Bingo.

He was fully aware of information like the spell's effective radius, its recast delay, and so on. Knowing this information, being sure of his power filled him with a surging excitement and warm satisfaction. Unlike in Yggdrasil, he felt that the magic was part of him.

Momonga channeled the jubilation in his heart—although his mood calmed quickly, he could still feel joy and excitement—into his fingertip and exclaimed out the spell that he desired to use.

" [ Fireball ] ."

An expanding globe of flame shot out from the finger pointing at the strawman. Momonga smiled with satisfaction and glee. It worked marvelously. The strawman has gone up in a blaze as it disintegrated down to nothing but a pile of ashes. [ Fireball ] has worked! All this happened in an instant. Then, besides the blackened strawman, there was nothing left.

Momonga turned to the other strawmen, before casting a spell on it:

" [ Napalm ] ."

A column of flame appeared beside the strawman, engulfing it in fire. Momonga paused a beat, then cast another spell on the remnants of the strawman:

" [ Fireball ] ."

The fireball struck the remains of the strawman, scattering its ashes in a puff of smoke.

The recast time between spells was the same as in Yggdrasil. The actual process of casting was faster than in Yggdrasil. Previously, in order to cast an area-effect spell, he would need to choose the spell, then move the area-effect cursor over the desired area. The process now was quicker than that.

"Huehuehue…"

Aura and Mare watched Momonga snicker, clueless as to what was going on. Aura still did not understand. She was already aware that Momonga was a mighty magic caster, so she did not feel the show before her was anything special.

However, that was the impression Momonga wanted to give them, and from the look on the twins' faces, it would seem he had succeeded.

Perhaps his teammates have figured out how to do so as well, because the moment that the straw figure in front of him turned into a gray ash pile, they lined themselves up beside him as if this was one of those police's practice shooting range.

Peroroncino took out Houyi's Bow as he then drew back the bowstring. This was completely different than how it was in Yggdrasil! Back then, all he has to do was stood back in a distance and click on one of his targets in order for the auto attacks to kick in. Now, he have to feel every single factor in motion. Like his strength, the depth perception, the distance of the target, etc,. Still, this was wickedly cool in his opinion. Peroroncino liked H-games, sure. But that's not all that he know. He also knew about and adored the legendary rogue figures like Robin Hood and Legolas. After all, a bow is not an easy weapon to handle. It takes real skill to be able to put an arrow in between someone's eyes, and courage, too.

Momonga's distance was just right for Peroroncino to do an experimental test of his favorite weapon. And as he stood by his friend, with his bow raised, he lined up his vision to solely focus on the straw figure. For some reason, he could see really well, despite standing so far away. Perhaps it is because of his species' characteristic; after all, he is an eagle, so 'Bird of Prey's Eyesight' must have been in effect.

He had both of his eyes opened—because he knew that the one eye closed thing was just a myth unless you have an eye dominance issue—and his claw tipped fingers squeezed themselves around the string. At the instance that he have gripped the string, a circular wave of raging hot fire appeared at the arrow rest instead of where a regular bolt of arrow was supposed to be, and this felt so natural that the archer didn't even have any question as to why it reacted the way it did. All he was focusing on now is to see the standing figure of straw crumbling down into nothingness.

" [ Sunbreaker ] ." Upon his words, a glowing hot orb of orange and red appeared right behind the straw figure, inside it appeared a figure of a phoenix. A solid looking stream of fire appeared where his arrow was supposed to be located at, and it connected with the small circulating wave of flames, making it look like a fiery bolt of arrow. With a frightening accuracy and force of release, the bolt of fire whizzed past the field in a raging hot chase as it pierced straight through the strawman and pinned itself at the flaming sun behind it, thus, breaking it into a million tiny pieces as it dissolved into a hot wave of dust and heat.

Supposedly, everything in the sun's two-meter radius should have been obliterated due to how violently it exploded and due to the temperature, but since the straw figures were sets up slightly far apart from each other, the effect didn't have the chance to be triggered. He silently applauds the blonde elf for her careful arrangement. The strawman was thoroughly destroyed the moment that the arrow went past it, and there was nothing left behind at all, except for the wooden pole that supported it. But half of that, too, has gone up in a blaze, breaking off piece by piece as well.

"Holy shit." He whispered breathlessly. "That, was, awesome!"

"It was actually quite... beautiful to behold." Momonga chuckled appreciatively at how extravagant the skill has looked.

"Th-thank you! It's my favorite skill, and using it here was just... right, you know? The feel of it was completely different from Yggdrasil! It has more thrill to it!" Peroroncino said with excitement and fluster at the skeleton's compliment.

"Show off." Chuckled the demon as he stepped up to stand right next to the archer. Ulbert, too, has no idea how magic works in this world. But now that his friends were able to use their own abilities, the demon should have no trouble doing the same.

"Pfft. If it's awesome, it's awesome. Come on, 'Berto. I know you think so too!" The archer laughed happily as he lowered his bow, placing a hand on his hip in a sassy way as he smirked.

The demon shrugged and raised his hands up defensively. "Sure, sure. Now, be quiet and step aside, you wee, little bird. Watch how a real professional works."

The brain eater scoffed teasingly at that statement. "Do more and talk less, Ulbert. After you. Oh, professional magic caster one." Tabula's facial structure didn't allow others to see whether if he was smiling or not. But everyone can tell that the alchemist is grinning provocatively at the demon by the sound of his voice and the challenging glint in his eyes.

"Hah. Watch me, you oversized squid." Ulbert laughed heartily as he then prepared to pull out his trademark cane-staff that are the image of who Ulbert Alain Odle was. His staff should be in his inventory somewhere. But... how can he access his inventory if he doesn't know where it is or how to get to it? Ulbert sighed a little. It might sound difficult, but he has a hunch that if he just thinks really hard about what he have and focuses on getting it... From a void in space, the world disaster magic caster reached his hand inside of the pocket dimension as he then thought about the different items that he has. Then, his mind was set on the image of his weapon. And, just like he thought, it was not at all difficult to find what he was looking for.

With his clawed gauntlet, Ulbert took a hold of the cane and slowly pulled it out for a dramatic effect. Momonga was watching him, no doubt. Ulbert was aware that his friend knew what his power was and have seen most of them in play. However, it still didn't stop him from wanting to impress the skeleton. He rarely has the chance or the need to show off, but for some reason, Ulbert insists himself on applying dramatic effects to everything that he is doing. When half of the staff was drawn out, he then quickly pulls it out completely as the sheen, black color of the cane glistens slightly under the artificial lights of the colosseum.

His staff was made out of the bark of a Yew tree, its core was imbued with a Dragon Heartstring—which was extremely difficult to get, since it involves killing a dragon—, its coat was a simply onyx black, and the top of his cane was adorned with nothing more than a crimson orb and silver placeholder locating at the beginning of the sceptre. It was over three and a half feet long. And despite it looking very light and compact, it actually has a pretty considerable weight that sits just perfectly in his palms. Naturally, like Momonga, Ulbert could cast his spells just fine without the need of a magical weapon. However, he felt that this was the appropriate occasion for it. So out it goes. It makes him stronger. Plus, it fits his overall appearance and his incredibly high standard of acceptable fashion. How quaint!

"Now who's a showoff." Momonga laughed gently at the sheepishly grinning demon.

Ulbert closed his eyes, his grin widens as he turns his face to the skeleton. "I can't help it. You know me."

"Yeah, we know you alright... mobile goat cheese." Peroroncino scoffed and crossed his arms with amusement and slight jealousy. Ulbert's staff was very simple, that's true. But when it was in the hand of the demon, it made him looked astonishingly powerful and dashing. Even Peroroncino have to admit that fact.

"You're just jealous of my handsomeness, hen." Ulbert teased, snickering at the pouting avian.

"Am not!" Peroroncino exclaimed with denial, making Momonga roll his eyes at their antics. "J-just get on with it, you big pile of fluff and fur."

Aura and Mare watched intently with curiosity and amazement. This is what the Supreme Beings was like when they weren't behaving like leaders? It was very warm and heartfelt to watch the scene unfold. Not many will be gifted to see their rulers like this. Aura giggled at her Lords' teasing of each other and began to whisper to Mare.

"Psst. I bet everyone will be so jealous when they found out that we get to witness this."

"Y-yeah. We're really l-lucky, huh? I just hope that Shalltear and Albedo won't overreact..."

"Hmph. Knowing Shalltear, she might." Aura said with a slight pout. That girl has always been trouble and unpredictableness. Who knows, maybe she would act reasonable for once when facing so many of the Supreme Ones at the same time. A noise then drew her thoughts away as she brought her attention back onto Lord Ulbert. "Huh? Anyway! Shh. He's starting!"

"Scream, tormented souls of Gehenna! Cry, Banshees of the Styx River! Lend me your hatred and anger! Let those who opposes me suffer! Darkness shall embrace as ye's soul burn and wither! Come forth, [ Hellfire ] !" Ulbert exclaimed his—unnecessary and unneeded?—incantation as he points his staff towards the straw figures' direction. The staff vibrated as he spoke his incantations, and upon the moment that his chant has finished, the staff emanated out an eery black aura as he channels his power through its nimble form.

A tiny flame that looked like it was about to be blown off by the wind any moment now flickered out from his staff, it slowly—and comically—made its way towards to its target. One would have laughed at how absurd it has looked, floating like a small butterfly in mid-air. However, it was no laughable feat. Once the fire had made contact with its victim, it expanded and engulfed its target with a hellish black flame, spiraling out like a big death blossom of infernal heat. The radius of the spell was wide, though, it was supposedly a single-target spell. In Yggdrasil, single target spells will only damage its targets, no matter what the particle or animation effects looked like. However, in this colosseum, the raging hot fire was so violent that it destroyed everything near it, spreading out onto the other remaining strawman, incinerating them to dust and ashes.

"Amazing...!" Momonga said breathlessly as the burst of black fire subsided, leaving the field slight charred and the strawmen to disappear from existence. He can do the same, but when Ulbert used it, the flame looked more powerful and vicious. The demon, with a twirl of his staff, clicks it on the ground as he then took his hat off and bowed exaggeratedly to the skeleton.

"Thank you, my dear! I know it is a common spell, but I do find the occasion appropriate to use it!" Ulbert chuckled with delight.

"You simpleton." Tabula sighed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, shaking his head a few times at the demon. "Peroroncino was right. You flashy creature. Look at what you have done. My straw figure is gone now, you fool."

"It's called 'fun', dear Tabby. You should try it sometimes." Ulbert chuckled, placing his hat back on his head, hand holding his staff like a walking cane.

"My Lords! If I may?" Aura spoke up hesitantly with a small voice. At the nod off the four, she smiled and continued. "If you would like, I'll just get more strawmen ready for you!"

Tabula was about to agree to the offer, however, Ulbert interjected before he had a chance to say something. It irked him a little bit, however, upon hearing the suggestion of the demon, that thought quickly subsided.

"No no. It's alright. I have a better idea." Ulbert started, holding a hand up to indicate for Aura to pause her speech.

"As you wish! Please, if you need anything, just say the word and we'll get it done in a jiffy!" Aura smiled, bobbing her head up and down as she nods. Ulbert then continued with his suggestion.

"I will summon my lesser creatures. They are more efficient as a test subject. In addition to that, they are simple minded beings that are alive. Experimenting on them would yield better data and results."

"Why, for the first time, something you said sounds sensible!" Tabula laughed heartily as he began to focus on channeling his power, like what he have done earlier to communicate with Momonga via the 'Message' skill. "Place them where my straw figure was located at earlier." The alchemist instructed. Ulbert grinned and nodded as he raised his staff up once again to summon his creatures.

" [ Summon: Lesser Demons ] !"

Upon his words, a mass of goopy, dark, looking substance appeared in the middle of the field. And as it clears out, it revealed the forms of twelve feeble looking creatures, looking towards the gentleman demon as they wait for orders from their master.

"Stand by. Do not move at any cost, do you all understand?" Ulbert said with a cold voice and a sinister gleam in his eyes that sends a chill to Aura and Mare's spine. The group of small creatures nodded as they held their positions. "No matter what happens, Wiedersetzt meinem Befehl nicht. Is that clear?"

"Understood, master!"

Lesser demons were creatures that can be summoned when one reaches level forty. A group of about twelve would be summoned upon activation of the skill. However, they were only at the level of twenty and are relatively weak. If there was a word to describe them, it would be canon fodder. Since their level was so low, they can be summoned up to eighteen times a day. In this circumstances, they were the perfect test subjects for what they were planning to do. It doesn't cost him any mana, and he cooldown rate are only three minutes, anyway.

"Take it away, Tabula."

"Please don't do flashy stuff like this bum over here. Just do you, Tabba-san!" Peroroncino giggled, putting his bow aside and crossing his arms together. Momonga chuckled and nodded in response to the archer's encouragement.

"Then allow me." The brain eater nodded affirmatively.

As an alchemist, Tabula's special combat characteristic was to deal DPS with lingering effects like poison, radiation, burn, toxic, shock, etc, His skill sets and equipment was especially geared up to perform area of effect damages as well. And in this situation, with a large crowd of enemies, that will definitely come in handy. If he manipulate the battlefield well, and if his mana supply is still ample, he could unleash his own super tier spell, [ Atomic Annihilation - V ] , or, double AV in his own terms and words. The V signifies the level of that spell, with V being the max rank, it was capable of destroying everything in its path up to twenty miles and leave behind a nasty radiation that will persist until a certain amount of time. There was no need for that right now, though. So he will have to do with some other minor form of DPS. Plus, since each of them can purposely and accidentally harm each other, he doesn't want to risk seeing his comrades injured in any way.

Raising his nimble index finger towards his targets, Tabula focused himself on drawing out his power. " [ Acid Splash ] ." The alchemist spoke with a quiet and cool voice. Upon his words, an eerily green stream of liquid spurts out from his fingertips as it splashed in a circular zone on the twelve demons standing by. Supposedly, they were to immediately attack Tabula since he has inflicted damage upon them. However, Ulbert ordered them to stand down and stand still. So the only thing that was occurring are the screams of pain from the group of lesser demon flailing around, and the sizzling sound of their skins melting away.

"Creatures of flesh are vulnerable to toxins. That's a confirmed fact." The alchemist mumbled to himself as he watches each demon dropped dead, one by one. Unlike the game, when the demons died, they didn't evaporate nor disappear immediately. Their corpses were left behind in a gory, deformed mess so distastefully. Ulbert was starting to take notice of the smell, so, with a wave of his hands, the pile of corpses dissipated and dispersed in an ominous green light—the color of Tabula's acid.

In regular days, he knew that he would vomit upon seeing this sight—Tabula was used to seeing gore, mind you, but not like this. However, he didn't feel anything when he witnesses the creatures died in such a sinister way. Tabula didn't question it, though. He knew that everything will change from this point on out. So it was useless to keep asking questions when he could use his time to do something else more productive. There will be time for Q and A later, when he can be alone or with his comrades.

"That wasn't a lethal dose, however. Perhaps that spell was too much for them to handle?" The brain eater asked himself rhetorically. Acid Splash was a sixth tier spell. In Yggdrasil, creatures under level forty could not handle such spells. He thought that since this reality was now a real world, the monsters will have some sort of natural defense mechanism to shield themselves with, or at least have some means of resistance to protect themselves. Maybe it is because the monsters were too weak, or his spells were too strong. He wonders if the same would happen to a creature with a higher level. Nevertheless, it appears that the level mechanic still applies here, in this reality.

"Geez. They don't disappear right after... That means you gotta clean them up yourselves if you don't want to experience the immediate aftermath, huh? That's so inconvenient." Peroroncino said with disgust and irritation. Now that smelling was a function, the archer could tell one of the reasons why the alchemist class wasn't very popular among the humanoids and demihumans. The smell of melted flesh, blood, and toxins were strong. And it overwhelmed his nose as he flapped his wings in an attempt to steer the smell in a different direction.

That, however, went straight to where Ulbert stood. The demon made a face as he gritted his teeth. "Right." Ulbert said, pinching his nose together as he waved his hands in front of his face. Being part animal himself, his sense of smell was heightened and intensified. So he has to get rid of the stench quickly before he disgraces himself by sneezing. "That was... unpleasant. Ha. Don't just randomly pass gas around, Tabula. It's very impolite." The goat demon added, snickering at Momonga and Peroroncino snorting as Tabula smacking his hand against his forehead at the joke.

"Be—Ugh. Be quiet, you imbecile." The alchemist sighed as he shook his head. "...Thank you for letting me use your minions as a test subject, though. This was a very productive experiment. [ Purify Poison ] ." Tabula said. With a swipe of his hand, the air was clear of the unpleasant stench and the cloud of green vapors.

"Entschuldige! I am offended!" Ulbert gasped. Then, with a toothy grin, he waved his hand in front of his face and shook his head. "Don't thank me. We are friends, after all. It is natural that we help each other out. Thank you for the clearance. My nose cannot handle the intensity of that stench."

"Yeah, thank you! I guess that it's because we're animals, so our senses are waaaay sharper than they're used to be, you know? Plus, we're still kinda new to this stuff!" The avian said gratefully.

"Obviously, I have immunity to poison and have no need for breathing." Momonga laughed at his friend's various expressions and sigh of relief as the air cleared up.

"Yes, I did not forget. However, our... fragile teammates cannot handle the after effects of my abilities. I must help them out." The alchemist said with sarcasm and snark. "Perhaps you should be by my side more often, Momonga. We are, after all, compatible." Tabula chuckled, sneakily sliding himself over to stand at Momonga's right side.

"Perhaps I should. We have been partners for many moons before." Momonga chuckled. Well, many of Yggdrasil's moon anyway.

"I thought I was your partner." Ulbert whined with a fake, sad voice. "We are compatible, are we not?"

The archer snorted at the demon's fake sadness. "Naw. Your boom boom hell fire shit is fatal to him, you idiot. I agree. Tabula is a better match up for Momo-chan." Peroroncino giggled as he then glomps Momonga's left side, wings flapping wildly behind his back. "However, I'm the perfect partner!" If he has a tail, it would definitely be wagging.

"Ich bin anderer Ansicht!" Ulbert gasped dramatically. "You all are evil. Leaving me out of everything. My dear Momonga and friends, how can you be so cruel?" The goat sighed with exaggerated sadness, his frame slumped gloomily.

"Ha. Evil. Me? That's a first. I guess I'm reaaaaaally villainous then if you yourself are calling me that." Peroroncino scoffed, sticking his tongue out at the gentleman devil.

"You know, your affinity is aligned with the fire element too, right? Pero?" The overlord laughed softly at his friends' antics.

"That's right. It's hands off for you as well, my friend." Tabula chuckled, directing his smirk at the baffled avian.

Ulbert smirked and narrowed his eyes right back at the archer, showing his sharp fangs as he smirked. "Get off. Vogel."

"Shut up, goat." Peroroncino replied, refusing to be swayed by the demon as he clung even tighter onto Momonga's frame.

"Make me, Hähnchen."

"Baldy."

"Abweichend."

"Fromage de chèvre."

"Stop calling me that!"

Momonga sighed at the barrage of name callings back and forth. "I'm tired,Tabbu..."

"Just roll with it. I'll fashion up a drink for you later, my dear skele...to...o...n..." The alchemist realized what he had just said, and his words slowly trailed to a stop. The other two's bickering has also ceased, and there were a few moments of awkwardness in the air.

"..."

A brief silence stretched across the vicinity.

"What the shit are we doing?" Ulbert asked, feeling silly at their own actions and words.

"I do not know. You tell me." Tabula said, his voice hinted that he was trying to contain his laughter so that his facade wouldn't be broken. "I can't believe I was dragged into this by you two. You are contagious, in a bad way... Haaah..."

"You guys are weird..." Momonga sighed, but his face has an unseen smile on it.

"Well, you love us anyway, right?" Peroroncino asked, eyes gleaming with hope and expectancy as his wings animatedly flapped behind him. He looked like a dog that is waiting for his owner to pet and say 'Good boy' to him.

"Riiight..."

"Woo!" The three cheered.

The skeleton sighed out fondly and rubbed a skeletal hand to his skull's forehead. What a lively bunch. Too lively for his own current taste, anyway. It's not necessarily a bad thing, though. It was very endearing and comforting, actually, to have their presence here with him. They made him feel more grounded to reality. If it wasn't for them, Momonga feels that his mentality might crumble anytime soon. Even though he knows that something else will forcefully calm him down, their presence strengthened his resolve and give him a sense of security that he know that he will lack if he has to went through all of this alone.

For those minutes of their 'experiments', Momonga had almost completely forgot that there were two smaller, more excitable, and cheerful presence that are among them. And Momonga paused as he brought his eyes back to gaze at them. He worries that they will judge him if his serious demeanor was broken. How careless of me... However, what he sees in their eyes are adoration, love, and utmost loyalty. Momonga almost took a step back, as he was completely caught off guard by the sincerity of the looks on the two elves' face. What was going on in their mind? Must each and every one of his teammates designed every single one of their creations with some sort of 'surprise' factor lies within their personalities?

The reality, though, was simpler than what the skeleton's skeptical mind was conjuring up.

Aura and Mare appreciate this softer side of their rulers greatly.

The female elf finds all the Supreme Ones very intimidating. Although, she tries her best to keep her nervousness at bay so that she can get the job done. When her Lords have begun to act more casually and carefree with the two of them, Aura felt a weight lifted from her chest. She was still young, after all. Coming across people with real authority was overwhelming. However, it was not the case at all today, they were very kind and nice to her and her brother! That was much better than the seriousness and grim that she was expecting when she met them for the first time. Although... Lord Ulbert still scares me a little. Aura thought.

Mare now looked upon the Supreme Ones with a completely new view. The vibe and atmosphere that his rulers brought with them were very pleasant and comfortable! He knew that he was by far much too inferior to be within the presence of so many of them at the same time! However, they didn't treat him the way that he has expected for them to do. Instead, they were fun, kind, and gentle with him and his sister both. Mare blushes at the closeness of the Supreme Beings to each other. It was very unexpected and oddly nice to see them interacting so casually. At those moments, they wasn't the all high and mighty people like his fanatical mind were set to believe. They were just people, and have feelings, too, like Mare and Aura!

Momonga did not felt uncomfortable anymore when their gazes of adoration were being placed upon him. He has realized that these two are sincere in their actions. They held no ill intent, and it appears that it will remain that way. The two of them caught him staring at them, they then sheepishly scratched their heads shyly, as if they were children being caught dead stealing cookies at midnight by their parents.

"Aura, Mare. My apologies if we bore you. But it was necessary to do."

"Nonono! Not at all! It is an honor to witness the Supreme Beings' small fraction of power! I enjoyed watching, really!"

"I-I enjoyed watching my Lords, p-please don't apologize..."

"Perhaps I sounded like I was jesting earlier, or something like that, and that was right. However, the offer still stands. To spar, or not to spar? What do you two think?" The demon suggested with a genuine tone of voice, tilting his head slightly to the right.

"Oh. Thank you, Lord Ulbert! But still. It would be immensely disrespectful! Right now, you're our guests! We can't just spar with you. Plus, we wouldn't be much of a fight for all of your greatness, anyway!"

"Perhaps I can come up with something for you two to do." Momonga hummed, fingers unconsciously gripping his staff tighter. Then, realization struck him. He didn't use the staff at all. Sure, it was out, he was holding it. But, he didn't even manipulate the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown's power one bit. That was partly why he was here, was it not?

Let's see if our greatest pride and treasure functions properly.

" [ Summon Primal Fire Elemental ] ."

In accordance with Momonga's will, the Orb of Fire grasped within one of the Staff's snake mouths pulsed with puissance. Momonga could feel the movement of a mighty, invisible power and thrust the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown forth. A vast ball of light bloomed from the tip of the Staff, and a vortex of roaring flame spilled forth from that globe of radiance.

The fires spun faster and faster until the tornado of flame reached a width of four meters and a height of six meters. The crimson inferno threw off gusts of scorching air in all directions. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Dragonkin protecting Aura and Mare with their vast bodies. The searing winds made his cape flap violently. So intense was the heat that it would not have been unusual for a normal person to be burned by them, but Momonga had acquired a complete immunity to fire damage in order to negate one of the weaknesses of the undead, so it had no effect on him at all.

His teammates stood their ground as the wave of heat brushed harshly against their clothes and armors. And, like Momonga, each of them has a special trait of their own that either negated the damage output that would have been done to them or completely blocks it because they have items or passives that gave them immunity to fire damage. Ulbert and Peroroncino's affinity naturally aligned themselves with the fire element; with the demon having so many fire-based spells, and the archer's compatibility with fire damage weapon plus his class skills.

Tabula's species and race should have been vulnerable to the heat, with him having little hair, fur, or feathers to protect his body. His skin was exposed to all the elements of nature. However, the cape that he was wearing, a divine equipment, negated fire, ice, electric, toxic, radiation, and other DPS types of incoming damage coming from weaker monsters. As for players, it would negate incoming status effects for a straight five minutes before he would be vulnerable once more to his weaknesses; the refresh rate of that passive was thirty minutes, how outrageous.

Soon, the vast cyclone of fire, swallowing the surrounding air as it burned hot enough to melt metal, began to flicker and shudder as it took a bestial form. Primal Fire Elementals could be said to be among the highest-ranking among all elemental monsters. They were over level eighty-five. Momonga felt a mysterious connection to the Primal Fire Elemental, signifying that he was 'bonded' with his summons.

"Uwah..." Aura was watching it intently as she made noises of surprise. As she looked upon the top-tier elemental, something that even her summoning powers would not be able to bring forth, Aura's face bore a look of excited admiration, like a child who had just received a dearly beloved present.

"Go ahead. Fight it."

"Can we!?" Aura exclaimed gleefully. If she wasn't already so hyped up, Momonga would have thought that the little girl would explode at any given moment now.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine even if you defeat it."

Momonga shrugged to indicate that it was alright. The Staff could summon one Primal Fire Elemental a day. In other words, the Staff could summon another such being after one day had passed. As such, defeating it would not be a great loss.

"Eh? A-Ah, I suddenly remembered that I had something urgent to do…"

A hand reached out and firmly grasped Mare's arm, not allowing him to escape. His sister had no intention of fleeing. Aura's smile stopped Mare in his tracks. Perhaps to Momonga, it might have been a cute girl's smile, but to the other person present, who looked almost the same as Aura, it was anything but cute, and Mare's face froze solid as he looked on it.

"Mare! Come on, let's have some fun! This is our only chance!"

"Be careful. Do your best." Momonga said nonchalantly.

Aura responded energetically, in contrast with Mare's nearly inaudible and despondent reply. Momonga felt that as long as Mare was around, neither of them would get hurt. Thus, by the power of the connection between himself and his summoned creature, he ordered the Primal Fire Elemental to attack the twins. As the conflagration that was the Primal Fire Elemental approached them, the twins met its attack with Aura as the front-liner while Mare was the rear guard. Aura slashed at the Primal Fire Elemental, holding her whip in both her hands, while Mare used magic to deal damage.

"Well, it seems it'll be an easy fight."

"Of course. Though, if we were fighting it, it would probably be gone by now." Ulbert chuckled with amusement.

"Duh. Though, without my sis, it might take a bit longer..." Peroroncino said with a small nonchalant sigh.

"Yes. A tank like her would definitely allow us powerhouses to unleash our greatest potential." Tabula nodded, agreeing with the archer's sentiment.

"I think if Fang was here, he'd definitely join in with those two by now." The goat demon chuckled, the image of his furry comrade and his grinning face began to appear in his mind.

"Fuwa! I missed seeing him! And that sexy ass of his too, if you know what I mean." Peroroncino said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at his teammates.

Tabula sighed, but he had a small unseen smirk on his face. "Yeah, we know exactly what you mean. No need to elaborate."

"Why must you make everything sound sexual?" Ulbert snickers. Despite it being inappropriate and immature, the demon had to admit that the inappropriateness was always funny.

Momonga smiled at his friends' chatter. But then his eyes left the one-sided battle which was taking place and began to ponder the other things he needed to investigate. They can hang out and relax a little. He'll take care of this. They shouldn't have to do it. After all, it was his fault that they were stuck here like this, after all. Well, mostly the shitty dev's fault, but that doesn't excuse him out of the involvement.

He had already finished verifying that he could use and activate his spells and equipped magic items. Thus, the next things he had to check on were his other items. Scrolls, wands, and rods were particularly important. All of them were magic items that could produce a spell-like effect. Scrolls were one-use expendables, while rods and wands had charges, which they consumed to produce Their effects.

Momonga possessed many magic items. He was a hoarder by nature and did not like using expendable items because he felt it was a waste, to the point where he did not even feel like using high-end recovery items when he encountered a boss. This went beyond mere prudence to miserliness, which was why his stock of items was so great. In Yggdrasil, all of these were stored in his personal inventory. Then, in this world, where had his inventory and all its contents gone?

Momonga recalled how he had opened his inventory in the past and reached his hand into the air as though searching for something. It felt as though he was reaching his hand past the surface of a lake, and an observer would think that Momonga's hand and part of his arm had vanished into nothingness. Then, like he was opening a window, Momonga swept his hand to one side. A hole appeared out of nowhere, and within it were many beautifully-crafted magic staves. It was exactly like the inventory in Yggdrasil.

He moved his hand in a scrolling motion. In the space revealed, one could see all manner of scrolls, wands, weapons, armor, cosmetic items, gems, potions, other consumables… the sheer number of magic items in there was awe-inspiring. The relieved Momonga could not help but laugh.

If this were the case, Momonga felt that he could guarantee his own safety even if everyone in the Tomb set themselves against him. As he absently watched Aura and Mare's intense battle, Momonga considered the things he had learned so far.

Were the NPCs he met programs?

No, their sapience was such that they were indistinguishable from human beings. Programs could not show such complex emotions. He could assume that for some mysterious reason, they had ended up like human beings.

And what was this world?

He had no idea. Since he could use Yggdrasil's magic here, it made sense to think of this place as being in Yggdrasil, but after observing various discrepancies, it did not seem like he was in a game. Was he in a game or a new world? The answer was probably one of those.

How should I deal with future events?

Momonga had already verified that he could use his abilities from Yggdrasil. That being the case, if the data for the monsters and NPCs of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick had carried over as well, he could be reasonably sure that they were not his enemies. The thing was, if they were not data programs, but some other kind of being, then he would have to treat them differently. For the time being, it would be best to display the attitude of a superior being and put on an act of stern majesty—provided he could pull it off. His teammates' presence was a major lift to his morale, and he thinks that perhaps, it will not be so hard.

In what direction should I proceed in the future?

He should search hard for clues. Although he was not sure what was going on with this world, for the time being, Momonga was simply a clueless wayfarer; the same could definitely be said for his friends. He had to take small steps and carefully gather information. Ignorance could end up hurting both him and them. He will not make that mistake.

If this is another world, should I try to return to the real world?

There were doubts in his heart. If he had friends in the real world, then he should go back to it. If his parents were still alive, he would desperately find a way back to them. If he had family members to care for, or a girlfriend...

But he did not have anyone like that.

His life was an endless cycle of going to the office to work and returning home to log onto Yggdrasil, where he would prepare for his comrades to come back. But now, none of that waited for him. Then, was there any point at all in going back?

After all, he wasn't alone. His real friends are with him now. If one asked him, the current situation was more appealing than anything else on the outside world. The thought might seem selfish and obsessive, but it is what it is. Momonga can be very self-indulgent. Though, he knew that his friends will have opinions differ from him regarding their current circumstances. They might have things left behind in real life.

Like Peroroncino, he has his sister that will worry for him if she did not hear from him in a long time. What about Tabula and his work? Will he find this situation bizarre and annoying? Would he want to leave so that he can get back to his career? The only one that Momonga could think of that might not want to leave was Ulbert. The demon, like him, has no family left. Ulbert was a lonely person. He told Momonga that himself. Perhaps he would not want to leave this world, since he hated reality and how twisted today's society have become.

Still, it was mere speculation. Momonga was not a mind reader nor have any abilities to do so. He cannot allow his selfish thoughts to assume that everyone would be fine being stuck with this reality. If not for himself, he has to at least find a way for his friends. There must be a way to leave. If he could go back, then he should think of a method to get back. It was better to have more options because the world outside might be a hellish one. It might seem fine now, but Momonga doesn't know how long that particular thought of his will last.

Beep Beep.

Huh? A sudden sound interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Yes?" Unconsciously, Momonga replied automatically to the incoming message from whoever it is. As he turned away, his movements caught the attention of his teammates as they watched him with curiosity.

"My Lord Momonga." It's Sebas. Ah. He must have reports for me.

"I hope everything has went peacefully?" Momonga said out loud. With Aura and Mare distracted, and with only his friends around, he could trust that whatever information he conveyed and received will not be used against him and his comrades.

"Yes, my Lord. I have peacefully and quietly surveyed the area."

"How are the surroundings like?"

"My Lord. It... appears that we have a small problem..."

Momonga paused, body tensing visibly. "What is it?" He asked anxiously.

Uh oh. The archer thought, crossing his arms in front of his chest nervously. He was about to say something to his other teammates, however, that would probably distract or interrupt Momonga's important conversation. The others didn't say anything, but they, too, watched and listens with undivided attention.

"We are surrounded by plains, with no intelligent creatures in sight."

"A plain… not a swamp?" The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick should have been bordered by a swamp that was inhabited by frog-like demihumans called Tuvegs. The swamp was shrouded in mist, and it was poisonous.

"What...?" Ulbert breathed out with shock. How? Why? What... But before his mind could set into full anxiety and confused mode, Momonga's continuation of his conversation drew back Ulbert's attention as the demon stole a worried glance at his two other teammates. They, too, were also very tensed up with their body visibly becoming stiff.

"Yes. There are only the sights of plains encompassing us."

Momonga could not help but smile humorlessly. All of this was too much... "In other words, the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been wholly transported to a different place? …Sebas, is there anything floating in the sky, or did anything like a message appear?"

"No, there is nothing like that. The heavens are as boundless as the sixth floor's night sky."

"What! Did you say night sky?...Is there anything suspicious around you?"

"No… I have not seen anything unusual. Besides the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, there are no other man-made structures in sight."

"Is that so… is that so…" What should he say? All Momonga could do was grab his head and try to think. But in his heart, he knew that this was most likely the case. Sebas' silence was a subtle hint that he was awaiting orders. Momonga glanced at the strap on his left wrist. In another twenty minutes, the other Guardians would arrive. If that was the case, there was only one order he could give.

"Return in twenty minutes. When you come back to Nazarick, head to the Colosseum. All the Guardians will be coming, so when you arrive, I hope you will tell them about what you saw.

"Understood."

"Then, gather as much information as you can before you return." After hearing Sebas' acknowledgment, Momonga terminated the 'Message' spell.

"What... the fuck."

---

A/N: Since Ulbert is a stronger magic caster, I figured his spells would have a more exaggerated effect than the norm! He's such a dork, lmao. Always doing dramatic things :U Pero is a sweetheart, huhu~ A perv, yes... but a sweetheart, nonetheless :3 Tabula is still being... Tabula.

And someone has suggested to me that I should do a character sheet thing for the team? Any thoughts about that? If I do that then how should it go?

Please leave a review if you enjoyed this! Thank you for the support and the views!

( I'm sorry to those who understood the languages that I have inputted in and my inputs are not correct! I AM SORRY, BUT I NEED THEM TO SERVE MEEEEE )

Translation:

Wiedersetzt meinem Befehl nicht - Do not disobey me

Entschuldige - Excuseeeeeeeeee me!

Ich bin anderer Ansicht! - I beg to differ!

Vogel - Bird

Hähnchen - Chicken

Abweichend - Deviant

Fromage de chèvre - Goat cheese

WAIT, WUTTTT ? ? ? ? Peroroncino can speak Francais?!
Yeah. I don't know why, the thought of each of the guild member being able to speak a different language because of their avatar's traits amused me greatly.

Hey, what do you guys think? What language would Tabula speak? Russian? Latin? Romanian? :y What country would mostly be associated with alchemy and science? Hmmm... He did, after all, created that password hint in the Latin language, did he not? Perhaps Latin or Romanian? Or even both? He knows everything lmao I have no doubts that he even knows Enochian

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a comment if you do. Sorry for the delay!