The four who had gathered at the table probably already should have plunged into the discussion of the problem that had fallen to their lot. But instead they only continued to sit silently, periodically exchanging glances with each other.
The click of the flip-off lighter cap brought Mashu out of a strange trance, forcing her to turn to the source of the sound. It turned out to be Animusphere, smoking a cigarette.
"You smoke?" Mashu asked. However in spite of the question asked, there was no interest in either her tone or look.
"Hm?" Only having made a couple of puffs in silence, the Animusphere realized that she was asked a questio. She turned her gaze to Kyrielight, then shrugged. "Yes... I tried to stop... But it seems to have been in vain, huh..."
Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she was tormented by thirst. But other than that, Mashu did not see any other consequences from the resurrection used on the body of the Chief.
Resurrection, ha...
"So..." Da Vinci tried to start speaking again. But like several times before only beginning her narration with an introductory word, she stopped as if unable to determine the topic of conversation, after which she was silent.
Dr. Roman continued to look at the table thoughtfully, watching the ashtray slowly fill up with cigarette butts produced by the Animusphere. As Mashu noticed the cup was already half filled and yet she herself had not paid attention to this until the Animusphere, with the persistence of a smoking locomotive, continued to smoke one cigarette after another.
'I wonder, how long have we been sitting like this?' Noticing many cigarette butts lying in the cup, the girl thought.
"Resurrection means..." After several attempts to start a full-fledged dialogue, Da Vinci still managed to gather her strength and give out a new phrase "Hmm... Are you sure that Lev did not lie?"
"I don't know" Almost in melancholy taking another puff the Animusphere shrugged. "No idea. And all the same to me, to be honest."
Such a load of knowledge turned out to be excessive for a girl - even Mashu herself did not fully understand how she was still conscious. First, the explosion, then the death of her friends, colleagues and subordinates, the battles in Singularity and then the man who replaced her father tried to kill her - not just kill but to torture her with a fate worse than death - only to be killed by her subordinate and savior all at once, who turned out to be a powerful mage, if not a god, who ressurected her. Breaking all the known laws of magic and the universe after it turned out that she had already died long ago.
To be honest it was more surprising that the Animusphere could still react to the world around her and not that she continued to smoke cigarettes after another, drilling one point in space with a gaze.
"Hm, the resurrection..." Da Vinci repeated again. She looked like this all the time, which their newly assembled company of four sat together, planning to discuss the situation that had arisen with her senpai... With Momon... With Ainz Ooal Gown?...
"Technically if your body was destroyed but your soul fell into reyshift, then you did not actually die. It's just that your physical shell was destroyed." Da Vinci, thinking about something, tried to come to a logical explanation of what happened. "Recreating the body and bringing the soul back into it ... I think it is possible."
Mashu understood why the girl opposite her so desperately tried to rationalize what had happened.
Even gods and true magicians did not have the ability to resurrect the dead. Gods and magicians who stood above the Servants just as much as the Servants stood above ordinary magi. The very thought of a being whose abilities allowed him to wield a power superior to the power of the gods was unthinkable.
"So he was able to recreate the body and return your soul back to it." After coming to some inner decision, Da Vinci nodded to herself a couple of times. "Such abilities are worthy of admiration and envy, but they are possible according to what we know."
Mashu saw what Da Vinci was trying to do. She desperately clung to the immutable truths that she knew to keep her mind from falling into the pit of doubt and madness. However the demi-servant herself did not try to either support or refute Da Vinci's fabrications. She did not want to immerse the girl opposite her in despair, but she herself...
Memories of how senpai's body collapsed, letting bones tread out, arose in her mind. However, there was no blood and no pain, senpai hadn't even winced at it, as if his own crumbling body didn't bother him. Rather he watched it as an expected outcome and having come to a definite conclusion - stopped it. And then…
Instantly, the situation around Mashu has changed. It was as if all the light of this world had faded and the whole of life ceased to exist. The sky became black as an abyss and the earth cold and dead, like a grave. All sight and hearing from Mashu were gone, her feelings betrayed her and her legs could not hold her back. She fell to the ground and the last thing she managed to see was how the black abyss of despair and death woven into a figure that Mashu noticed before finally falling into oblivion. After that her mind could not stand such a shock and retreated, allowing her to fall into a dreamless sleep.
But even this state did not last long. After just a few minutes Da Vinci brought her to her senses, telling her that the terrible creature that seemed to be absorbing the light by its overwhelming presence was her senpai, Momon. And he, judging by the state of the Animusphere, possessed the power of resurrection. And if Da Vinci was ready to search for a rational explanation of this ability, then Mashu took it immediately. Unlike Da Vinci the Shielder saw the bare power of the creature that had become her Master.
'Master, hmm...' The girl turned to her inner feelings. Apparently Momon, or now Ainz, artificially limited the flow of mana into her body and since then has not increased the amount of energy sent to the girl. However the energy itself has changed. As if it had become darker and colder, as if the indifferent waters of the river, separating the world of the living and the world of the dead. The quality of mana itself has changed, although before that Momon's mana was of the highest level. Now to Mashu it seemed that a crystal clear power was flowing inside her, as if directly connecting her soul with the Root, penetrating her body completely, infusing strength into her muscles and her circuits. 'But he warned that a contract with him is a bad idea...'
Mashu thoughtfully leaned back in her chair.
"Hmm in this case his skill is at least equal to mine." Da Vinci concluded, and then she ran her hand through her hair, ruffling them more than smoothing. "And that amount of mana..."
After these words, all four of them sat at the table startled. Da Vinci and Romani felt the manifestation of Ainz in this world, but even the seemingly completely renounced from the external world Animusphere and Mashu twitched at the mention of Ainz's power, because they were there at that moment when he took his true appearance.
"May he be a god?" For the first time from the beginning of the meeting Romani gave his voice, causing an approving thought from Mashu. The pure volume of his power suggested that Ainz was something close to a divine, but his appearance and sensations created by his presence narrowed the possibility of the theory by a lot. "Perhaps Hades?"
Such a thought was not without logic. Hades was the god of the dead and remained one of the three supreme deities of Greek mythology, so his strength and presence should be akin to the sensations emanating from Ainz. "But why Ainz Ooal Gown?"
Neither the name nor the nickname 'Ainz Ooal Gown' were mentioned in any mythology or historical chronicle. So it was strange that God chose a similar nickname for itself consisting of random words.
Once again the lid of the Animusphere lighter clicked, setting a new cigarette on fire.
"What other options do we have?" Romani certainly didn't want to sound rude, but given the circumstances the tone of his voice was more strained than it probably should have been.
No one answered this question however of all those who were present here, only Da Vinci participated in this dialogue. Animusphere just continued to smoke a cigarette after a cigarette, while Mashu herself thoughtfully watched the conversation, thinking about how now her life had to change.
Should it have? Strictly speaking, no, there were no prerequisites for this, but one thing was to make a contract with one's senpai, and quite another with a divine spirit.
"What should we do, then?" Da Vinci's voice was strangely, but obviously interested. "If he really is Hades then this creates so many questions... Was he called as a Servant and if so who called him - and how did they call him? Why was he called and for what purpose did he go it into Chaldea? How could he become a Master and most importantly does he plan to help us with this problem?"
As it turned out on arrival, the moment when Mashu returned to reality humanity was already destroyed. Fiery hell reigned outside the Chaldeas' shields, there was not a single sign of intelligent life and any attempt to leave the building would be the last stupid act a person would have done in their life. As it turned out after a change in singularity in Fuyuki, new singularities began to emerge throughout human history, changing history again and again. Because of which the current position of humanity was altered in a current way.
"If he really is Hades, then he should help us..." Da Vinci sighed. Despite the habit of recent years to portray all those associated with the world of the dead as antagonists in the original ancient Greek myths Hades was possibly one of the most kind and understanding gods. However given the scale of Zeus' rampages, he was so even in spite of the fact that he kidnapped his wife and forced her to marry him by deception.
'Tricked into marriage...' Mashu looked at herself. But he tried his best to dissuade her though...
It only remained to determine how much about Hades was true, how much was fiction and how much was fiction that became true. If this of course really was Hades at all.
"What other choice do we have?" Romani looked at Da Vinci, as the only one that supported the dialogue. "Not that we had so many possible options..."
Mashu only looked at the two people leading the dialogue, then shook her head.
In fact if behind the barriers of the Chaldea were now raging a firestorm and the civilization of people showed no signs of life then they were already too late. And yet thanks to Chaldea perhaps they still had a chance of winning. However without senpai... Without Ainz, what could they do? Even taking into account Da Vinci's abilities and the abilities of Mashu herself they were only two Servants who were facing an impossible battle with an unknown enemy and in unknown conditions. Perhaps even the presence of a divine spirit such as Hades did not guarantee them victory in this battle. Howeverthe help of a God could at least prove useful to them, in the current situation they could only hope for any hand extended to them, especially from the god of the dead.
"We'll have to turn to him anyway." Da Vinci sighed then shook her hair and folded her arms in front of her face. "But what if he doesn't help us?.."
"Well then..." Despite his usual appearance, Romani looked irritated. "We will cope on our own, what other choice do we have?"
The room sank into silence for a few minutes, so everyone present tried to understand the situation in which they were all in before a dry cough interrupted the thoughts of the three who had paid attention to the Animusphere.
Grasping one hand on the head, and the other on the table, she coughed hysterically. An unkempt, half-baked cigarette fell to the floor, continuing to light the girl's legs with her smoldering coal.
"Severe nicotine poisoning." Da Vinci instantly recognized the illness and so she reached out to the boss. "Now you will feel better ..."
After Da Vinci's magic had taken effect the Animusphere almost immediately calmed down. Taking some breath as tests several times the girl than pushed the Servant's hand away from herself, then sighed slowly.
"So it means..." - Despite the fact that the Animusphere's voice was still hoarse and her tone was fraught with bravado Olga Marie was able to pull herself together and look around to everyone attentively. "I am still the director of Chaldea and therefore having listened your suggestions my solution is..."
Sighing a couple of times the Animusphere exhaled in such a way that it seemed to Mashu that she herself took a puff of cigarettes - the girl's breath in front of her was so saturated with nicotine.
"The Chaldea is not currently in a situation to refuse or neglect the help of anyone. Be it a divine spirit or a human being." The Animusphere paused for a moment closing her eyes then looked around at all of those present. "If he does not agree to help to us let it be so. But if he agrees he will become the main aid to us in the matter of saving humanity. No objection is accepted."
Although Olga Marie noted this separately, it did not look as if anyone planned to object to her.
"Excellent." Having noted this on her own the girl nodded to herself. "Regarding the personality of the forty-eighth master... We will not talk about it with him."
After that Mashu wondered why they would not do that but realized almost instantly. For whatever reason Ainz did not want to disclose his nature. The most important thing they could hope for was his favor and assistance in the event of a problem, so they should avoid any possible provocations of Ainz. If he did not want to tell them about his nature then their duty in this case was only to nod according to and not provoke him.
"However, regarding the rest of the people..." The Animusphere stopped at half the sentence.
The explosion organized by Lev buried many people, however, a small number of Chaldea's employees survived and at the moment ensured the functioning of the institute. They were few but that was all Chaldea had at the moment. Even if this 'all' meant only a small group of frightened to death people on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The emergence of a new, powerful, divine ally could well provide moral support in this case... However the emergence of an ally such as Momon... Ainz, especially if he does not act friendly, could be the nail in the coffin of any hope and the fragile chain of people who worked for the moment to maintain Chaldea's incessantly, it would simply have collapsed and any chance of preserving the working capacity of the institution, therefore the salvation of mankind would have been lost.
"We ... We will not interfere directly with his actions." The Animusphere having thought for a second nevertheless tried to express her opinion. "However our goal is not to allow Ainz's contact with the rest of the people except us... At least until we are convinced of his intentions."
This was the most logical course of action so there was no objection yet again.
"Fou." Four's quiet, snorting sound came to Mashu. The little creature looked slightly worried, a very rare sight for Masha. If she thought about it, she never saw Four concerned at all. And very rarely he saw how he appeared in public, especially when Mashu was not alone.
"Four!" Mashu stretched out her arms to the creature and raised it to her. He usually didn't like when Kyrielight allowed herself such actions, but this time he only meekly allowed her to twist him like a kitten in her hands, after which he settled more comfortably on her hands when she brought him closer to her body. Other participants of the communication noticed the appearance of the animal but at the moment they were too concentrated on their discussion to respond to it.
"Four, do not run away from me like this anymore," Mashu expressed herself to the pet. This morning when she met senpai, Four escaped from her immediately. As soon as he felt the presence of Momon... Although if you think that way, perhaps it was the right thing to do in these conditions.
"You after all felt something in senpai, yes, Four?" Mashu looked at the creature, the one, who was much smarter than anyone could have imagined but that did not answer her, continuing to remain silent.
However after a second the fluffy beast in the hands of the girl tensed at the same time as the three people sitting in front of her tensed as well. Masha herself also felt that her connection with the Master had increased. A sign that he had left the anomaly, which he had gone a couple of hours ago, after he had brought Masha and the Animusphere away.
Instantly, the Animusphere and Romani, who were simple people, breathed heavily from the appearance of a creature with such a volumes of power next to them - and Mashu herself felt how, as the Master traveled the distance, the pressure of the power emitted by an unknown source increased on her shoulders. Under these conditions, only Da Vinci could maintain her composure - although even in this case, Mashu saw a woman sigh a few times deeply, calming herself. Even Four in her hands tensed, anticipating the appearance of an unknown spirit next to them.
A moment later, a light knock on the door spread through the room, and then slowly the door of the room, which was temporarily assigned as a meeting room, opened.
Immediately Mashu was able to see him. Her Masters and senpai, Ainz Ooal Gown.
His figure was a skeleton - bare bones and a skull with two red lights flickering like a flame in his eye sockets - however, it was impossible to call him just a skeleton. Each dash of his figure exuded an unbearable burden of pure power and embodied the mighty figure of God — no, something more than just God.
His height exceeded two meters with a large margin - even with high ceilings and doors of Chaldea, he looked like a giant in the world of the Lilliputians - which, however, only added to his regality in his posture and movements.
His bare bones were dressed in a robe that opened on his chest, exposing the empty thorax and spine and converging at the level at which the average person had a mid-belly hiding his belt and legs. Even Mashu, who had never learned to recognize values or artifacts in her life, could say with absolute certainty that each line of embroidery on this robe was infused with more power than any magical catalyst in Chaldea and the cost of the creation itself was more than any country on the Earth could afford.
"Hmm," Appearing on the threshold Ainz sighed, after which, as if finding something with a glance — although it was impossible to determine exactly where he was looking because of the absence of both eyes and facial expressions — he stretched his bone arm forward. Instantly on one of his fingers a ring flashed. After which, as if nothing had happened before, the feeling of overwhelming superiority disappeared.
"This ring is intended to protect against espionage." The spirit that appeared stated in a deep, inspiring voice. "However as I see it, it can be used this way."
Mashu blinked several times and then slowly exhaled the air, which she kept in herself for all this time. After the action of Ainz, his presence ceased to suppress itself. In the room it became suddenly brighter and Mashu herself was able to take her eyes off the figure that no longer stood out in her sight. Of course Mashu could still at a glance identify both the incredible power hidden in the creature in front of her and the value of the robes worn, but his presence stopped blocking everything else that she could see or feel.
"May I have the pleasure to greet you in this world today?" Realizing that the meeting with the divine spirit had begun the one that was least exposed to the presence of an impressive figure, Da Vinci, took the dialogue into her hands. "Lord Ainz Ooal Gown..."
"Please," He interrupted her almost immediately. "Just call me just Ainz."
"Well, Ainz," Da Vinci nodded then looked at the man attentively. "In that case allow me to thank you for helping us solve the problem with the singularity."
"It was nothing, it was my personal decision." Contrary to the expected response from a creature with such power, Ainz was extremely restrained and modest in conversation. "Besides I was also involved in this situation. I just acted in my own interests."
"And nevertheless, I should thank you for your actions." For Da Vinci herself communicating in this style was also unusual, but she did everything possible to prevent the only possible chance of saving mankind to fail by avoiding causing offense.
"Okay," Having resigned himself to the girl's words, Ainz nodded. However, even in this movement, the dignity of the real king was visible. "However I suppose this is not all that you wanted to tell me."
"Yes, of course..." Gathering her thoughts as if preparing to jump into the water, Da Vinci exhaled. "To tell the truth, we all would like to know about your future plans..."
"My plans, hm?" Thoughtfully Ainz put his hand to his chin in a completely human gesture. "First I suppose it will be necessary to deal with the emerging singularities. However up to this point it most likely will be best to look at Chaldea. Yet taking into account your reaction to my body it may be worth putting the illusion for this..."
"So, you still going to help Chaldea?" Da Vinci looked seriously at the man, if you could call the skeleton a man.
"Yes, perhaps," Ains however just calmly nodded at that then looked at the girls in front of him. "But I suppose you want to ask me why."
Despite the fact that the goal of four people in front of him was to avoid any provocations on their part, after Ainz had guessed about the girl's thoughts, it was useless to argue about it so she nodded.
"Hmm, in that case..." Ains thought about it then turned his head slightly toward Dr. Roman who was silent up to this point. "I suppose Dr. Roman may know something about this."
"Eh, me?" Surprised the man pointed to himself and looked at Ainz. "But I didn't do anything..."
"You gave me advice." Although Ainz's expression was completely absent, Mashu could have sworn that he was smiling now. "Which led me to the current decision. In that case, I suppose we can say that all this is thanks to you."
Da Vinci and the girls who were silent before turned their eyes to the man, who was in thought after his advice was mentioned. But after a couple of seconds the face of a doctor cleared after which an understanding appeared on it.
"Then in the room!" The man slammed his fist into the palm of his hand, realizing what the skeleton meant, to which Ainz nodded favorably.
"Yes, that was what I meant by then." The burgundy lights in the sockets of the skull went out and Mashu was able to determine that such a gesture was equivalent to closing the eyes for a normal person. "So you can say that I help you because I am returning old debt. Of course it would not be right to say so completely. Perhaps it would be better to say that humankind has become or perhaps will become the source of the thing that I would like to preserve by all means."
"And," After this, Ainz turned his head slightly again, this time towards the Animusphere. "I promised this girl that I would help her in her difficult task of managing Chaldea and I'm not used to breaking my promises."
After that Mashu shifted her gaze to Olga Marie in order to see that she had begun to redden to the very tips of her ears and was desperately trying to hide her face in her palms. When did he promise her that?!
"In that case..." As if trying to walk on thin ice, Da Vinci tried to change her tone to a bit more relaxed. "Perhaps you should not use illusions? I think I can create something like a pseudo-body... Although it will take time for me to do something that does not collapse on the strength of such a level, so something that I can give you now... It cannot use magic that is higher than I suppose D rank?"
"D rank?" Ainz thought as if calculating something in his head. "Does this mean... Second rank?"
"This will be quite a bother, but I suppose, this is the best that I can count on in these conditions." As if weighing everything internally Ains sighed then bowed. And he really bowed, it was not a symbolic bow of the king who acknowledged the existence of a servant but a real, full-fledged bow out of respect. Of course even so he retained the dignity of a king, but it was unlikely that he did it on purpose. Rather this type of regal behavior was entangled in his very essence so much that he simply could not behave otherwise. "Thank you very much, Da Vinci."
"Of course, Ainz..." The girl said a little more relaxedly, slowly returning to her usual behavior. "Of course, whatever you just want at any time!"
"Then let's go!" Jumping up from her seat, the girl was next to the divine spirit of unknown origin. "Come, I will take you to my workshop!"
And yet even so Mashu could easily see how wary Da Vinci was trying to appear careless.
"Of course, let's go..." But not confirming her fears, Ainz behaved more than calmly. Taking the leadership of the girl he followed her without any objections or problems.
For several seconds there was just silence in the room before Mashu realized that the two most powerful magi she had ever seen left her company and only then did she realized that Four had disappeared from her hands. Looking back several times the girl also did not find him, after which in the absence of other options she decided that he ran away from Ainz after seeing him, again.
"By the way, Olga," Romani's voice distracted her from the search for the beast. "Regarding Ainz's support for you... What exactly did he promise to you and how?"
After these words the girl, who still had her red face, and Mashu, who did not fully understand the situation in which she found herself and how she should now react to senpai, felt that she would not like the consequences of the story...
Name: Mashu Kyrielight
Race: Heteromorphic
Title: Shield, that forgot it's name
Occupation: Servant of Ainz Ooal Gown
Residence: Chaldea, Mashu Kyrielight Room in Residential Wing
Karma: +200 (Good)
Racial level: Homunculus (1)
Demi-servant (2)
Class level: Shielder (15)
Lord of the Shield (5)
Warrior (10)
Scientist (2)
Others (5)
Total: 3 Racial levels + 42 Class levels = 45 General levels
HP: 80
MP: 60
Physical attack: 40
Physical defense: 0
Agility: 20
Magical attack: 0
Magical defense: 80
Resistance: 40
Special abilities: 0 (?)
Ability: Lord Chaldeas
Power Level: 20
A simple ability that creates a shield in front of the user. The shield has a strength in proportion to the characteristics of the one using it and is able to absorb a certain amount of both magical and physical damage. However it protects the user on one side only, therefore a player who has bypassed from the flank of the user can still attack the user without any problems. The shield itself also does not have any special strength or any additional effects so this ability has a rather limited range of use and due to the general weakness of the ability, it is used only in the early stages of the game.
Skill: Transient Wall of Snowflakes
Power Level: 40
A skill that can temporarily increase the physical and magic resistance of the user and his allies if the user uses only one large shield and does not use weapons. The ability can be quite effective, especially for the commander build with a focus on the tank. But the restriction on the lack of weapons greatly reduces the practicality of its use and requires high skills of the user. Bukubukuchagama has a similar ability.
Skill: Obscurant Wall of Chalk
Power Level: 40
A skill that can give invulnerability to a user's ally for a very short time. Unfortunately this ability with all its sufficient effectiveness can be applied only to one ally, cannot be applied to the user and also has a very long recharge due to which its efficiency is not very high.
Player Comments:
- Who ever thought of making a tank build without physical defence?!
- It looks more like a mob for pharming than a real build.
- The ability is quite useless, only if you urgently need something to block a blow, and all the normal skills in the cooldown.
- Someone wanted to make a biuld to troll mages, but because of the zero agility it can't even get them. Just garbage.
Pat reon \ rure
