The soldiers turned their heads, the movement slow, as if they were underwater. A strange squid-like creature was running towards them. The moment their hand grasped the handle of the sword, it had already gone past them. The soldiers looked at each other, wondering if they were seeing things.
Deimos was under the effect of his stance, that gave him a boost to his reaction speed, and a spell that allowed him faster movement speed. They went along like peanut butter and jelly.
The Mystic ignored the various villagers looking at him with wide-opened eyes and soon saw the backs of the soldiers following Nemu and the young woman. His feet hit the ground harder. He was slowly catching up.
Before entering the forest, Nemu tripped, the nearest soldier slashed with his longsword. The young woman immediately put her body in between them, using it as a shield. She had her eyes closed, waiting for the pain to come. It never did.
She opened her eyes. The sword was mere centimeters away from her chest. The soldier's face was all red, his jaw clenched.
"What a shameful display." growled the Brain Eater.
The soldiers looked around trying to pinpoint where that voice came from. They noticed behind them this strange humanoid looking squid. Its skin colour was black, its eyes glowing and its left hand pointing toward the soldier's sword.
Deimos used this distraction to pull the sword out of the soldier's hands. It slipped away effortlessly from his grasp and flew towards him. He caught it with his outstretched hand. His skin color changed to a dark violet and its eyes stopped beaming.
"That was taxing."
He played with the sword in his hands, surprised at the weight of a bona-fide sword. After doing some slashes and a lunge, he turned his attention to the soldiers. Their eyes and mouths wide open.
Deimos opened his mouth but the appearance of a [Gate] stopped him. From it he saw an emerging face. A skull to be more exact. Its pointy bony chin let Deimos know that it was a Lich of some kind. The robes seemed to be a high-tier item. Most eye-catching of them all was this strange de-faux caduceus staff. Its golden shine was only outclassed by the seven gems inside the serpents mouth at the top of it.
Maybe it was because he seemed like an high-level undead, or maybe it was its imposing physique, but Deimos tentacles were squirming violently. This thing was trouble.
The Lich stretched his right hand and said two words:
[Grasp Heart]
The unarmed soldier grasped at his chestplate and fell on his knees. The other one looked at his companion. "Y-you monster!" he shouted and pointed his sword at the undead mage. His sword-arm and knees were shivering. Deimos didn't need the feedback from his strange new appendages to know that this guy was terrified.
The Lich looked at his blood-dripping hand, seeming pensive. Then turned to look at the other guard and walked toward him.
"You can go chase women and children, but you can't go against someone different than you?" the undead provoked.
"I went through the trouble of coming here. I'll have you assist on my test. [Dragon Lighting]" it said.
Lighting started to coalesce on his index finger. The soldier threw away his sword and shield and started fleeing for his life. Unfortunately his escape met Deimos kick which flung him to the spell. After a scream of pain/terror the body hit the ground, discharging the electricity it held.
The Mystic looked at the bodies and felt sick. At least that is what he would have expected. Instead of the revolting feeling when seeing a corpse, his mind seemed more kin to make him hungry. He noticed that he was staring intensely at their heads. He shook his head. Now was not the time to muse such things.
The skeleton mage stood there. At his right, Neru and the young woman frowning while looking at us both. Deimos had the sensation that this one was a Player, it made no sense if he wasn't, so he decided to ask a question that only a Player would know the answer.
"In what year did the Arcology War happen?"
The skeleton mage stood silent, though Deimos saw the red light in his eyes (eye light?) lessen.
"So it is an N-"
"2111,"- he answered, his step closer to the Brain Eater -"I did not expect to meet another Player here."
"Neither did I, but I welcome it. Especially a fellow Heteromorphic Being." confessed the Mystic.
Another Gate opened.A sturdy three-part suit of pitch-black armor resembling that of a devil emerged . A pair of horns sprouted across both sides of the helm while the exterior surface of the suit was covered with spikes. Aside from the thinly carved slit that serves as a visor, the armor did not reveal even the tiniest exposure of flesh.
"The preparations took some time. I apologize" her armour muffled the voice, though Deimos thought that it was female.
"No. Your timing is perfect, Albedo."
"Thank you very muc-"
Immediately Deimos tentacles started squirming, almost wanting to escape from his face. The halabard-welding arrival was directing his killing intet at him. He felt his mind heavy, similar to what he does with his telekinesis. Just 100 times worse. He fell on one knee, resisting the gag that was threatening him.
"Albedo."
One word from the Lich was enough to stop her. Deimos started greedily breathing for air. His skin was glistening more than usual.
"I am sorry Supreme One." she bawled.
"I am sorry for her behaviour. She thought you were something else."
"I pity the Brain Eater that made her that angry."
"Do not worry,"- assured the Mystic on wobbly legs -"no damage done."
The girls stared at the strange event happening before them. The young woman thought of grabbing her sister and tried to run away, but after the undead's show of power, her hopes were dashed.
"You are not going to kill them I presume?" asked the squid-man.
The girls hugged each other with greater strength.
"What else should be done with such lower life forms if not that?" retorted the armoured woman.
The Lich looked at the Deimos and then glanced at the girls.
"For now, the ones wearing armor are our enemies," he announced.
The Brain Eater and the Humans let go of their bated breaths.
The halberd-wielding woman nodded. Deimos cautiously got closer to them, under her watchful eye. He glanced at the young man holding her sister closer. The sight made him feel admiration towards the young Human.
"It takes heart to do what you did," he said approvingly.
She did not answer, though now he could feel less fear from her. He turned towards the undead and presented himself.
"I am Deimos." he stretched his left hand forward.
The mortally-challenged mage stared at his hand. While he could not read an undead body language, his tentacles seemed to tell him that he was surprised. He was unsure why, but then he immediately changed hands.
"Sorry about that, old habits die hard."
Now the undead stretched his hand. He noticed that every finger had a ring. A must for every high-level player.
"You may call me Ainz."
After their handshake he turned to the armored lady, which just stared daggers at him. He shrugged and then kneeled towards the Humans.
"Your name young lady?"
"E-Enri Emmot."
"A pleasure to meet you." The Brain Eater resisted the urge to smile.
He got up and looked up to the Undead. He was curious if the guy/girl playing the Avatar was this tall in reality. It was imposing to say the very least. Deimos bowed.
"I thank you for the help sir Ainz."
"T-There is no need for such formality Deimos-san." he said as he grabbed the Mystic shoulders and pulled him up.
"San? Is he from Japan?" wondered Deimos.
Then a flash of realization. This Ainz reminded him of someone he has previously met. The more he looked at him, the more he was sure. That red orb floating ominously on his chest cavity, his high-tier items and (possibly level), from Japan. It was worth a shot.
"Could you be Momonga?" he guessed.
The Lord of Death stared at him with his inexpressive visage. Surprise was easily detected by his tentacles.
"Yes, I am Momonga,"- he confessed -"and you are…?"
"I do not fault you for not recognizing me, I was playing a Human Avatar then."
"Ah yes, now I remember!"- the Overlord clasped his hands -"you were a member from that failed expedition."
"Indeed, it seems that yet again I relied on you Momonga."
Ainz gestured for him to stop.
"There is no need, you proved yourself worthy of help."
Deimos did a quick bow again, much to Ainz's chagrin.
He glanced at the girls. Their eyes looking at the two "monsters" before them, this time without fear.
"Ainz, do you have some spells for protection?"
He was of two minds on letting them run deeper in the forest, but that goblin could have been part of a tribe. It would put them in more danger. Leaving them here momentary, with some protective spells, would be the best.
"I do,"- he walked beside Deimos -"[Anti-Life Cocoon], [Wall of Protection from Arrows]."
The Brain-Eater saw a leaf touch the greenish barrier and turn to dust just after the contact.
"This should keep you safe." informed the Mystic.
He saw two blowing horns fly through the shield and fall in front of the girls.
"In case enemies come here, blow the horns and a goblin army shall appear. Use it to protect yourselves." the undead advised.
He turned his back at them and glanced at the warrior Albedo. It seems that her animosity had lessened though he was sure that it was just temporary.
"What do you do now Ainz?" asked the Brain Eater.
"I come here to experiment my spells." he answered while walking near a corpse.
Deimos nodded. He had the same the night before, but there were some spells that needed an enemy to try upon. They were standing each at one side of the body. That gnawing feeling of hunger came back, though he easily controlled it.
"Don't you feel sick while looking at them?" The Brain Eater asked, pointing at the bodies.
"Strangely enough no."
"So I am not the only one…" Deimos thought.
"YGGDRASYL looked realistic enough but this is another level."
"You think that this is a game?"
"What else would it be?"
"I think...there is more to it."
"Like our Avatar with our minds in them got transport here? In a real fantasy world?"
As he was saying that, the image of Nes begging him to hold Graeae before the end of the server shutdown remerged.
"She knew this would have happened! But how?"
While the Brain Eater was lost in his own thoughts he felt a cold touch pulling him backwards. He looked up and saw the pointy end of Ainz's chin right on top of his head. The sight frightened him.
Then he heard a sloshing sound in front of him. He turned his attention to it and saw a mass of back goo growing ever bigger. From it a Death Knight emerged. It stared at Ainz/Deimos and then, with a powerful roar, charged at the village.
"..."
"..."
"Is that supposed to be normal?"
Ainz released Deimos from his grasp.
"No,"- he hesitated for a second -"it is not."