A lot of this chapter is going to be from the perspective of Momonga and the Foresight team, since it's mostly going to be the same as Overlord canon. For the record, this is also why I had Entoma send off her Lip Bug during the confrontation at Re-Estize, since it gave me a reason to spare Arche (in canon, Arche's vocal chords were used in a new Lip Bug after her death). Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, or Overlord.

Spirit Tracks Chapter 28: Invited and Intruders

Albedo noticed Foresight through the viewing mirror, Hekkeran flashing their invite. "Lord Momonga, your honored guests have arrived. As have several unwanted intruders." Momonga phased into the tomb through its portal network. "Make sure Hekkeran and his friends are treated well. They are allies of George Joestar III after all. As for our other guests..." He smirked. "Extend them every courtesy." Albedo smiled. "As you wish. We'll be sure to give them a warm Nazarick welcome." Momonga returned through the portal to make sure no one realized he could come and go at will. He had a little leeway due to the tents set up at the camp site, but he couldn't disappear forever.

Foresight went back to one of the smaller mausoleums. Each of the four teams was to check one out before meeting up in the center. However, Hekkeran, Imina, Roberdyck, and Arche were just mulling about in their own sector. There was no need to check the room out, since they had been given a good idea of what was in there. Tabula had showed them earlier and offered them the whole room's contents as compensation for their role in this scheme. "Given the tapestry made of precious metals," Roberdyck noted, "And the sarcophagus full of gold and gems, I'd say we're talking millions of coin."

"Enough to draw the other teams further into danger," Imina noted, "Like honey dripping from a spider's web." "Speaking of which," Hekkeran said, "By now the others will be finishing their search. Let's head for the tomb's entrance." They soon learned the others hadn't yet arrived, but Gringham soon showed up. "Ah, you're late," Hekkeran noted. "Sorry for the wait," Gringham replied, "But the riches we found thus far were rather awe-inspiring." Hekkeran fought back a chuckle. Gringham didn't know it, but most workers knew his prose way of speaking was a fake. It worked for fooling potential employers, though.

One by one the other teams arrived, each telling of the rich bounty inside the mausoleums alone. Soon enough they made to enter, though Green Leaf chose to remain outside and search for secret entrances. Heavy Masher and Tenmu entered with Foresight, but soon look track of the quartet. "What in blazes?," Gringham asked, surprised, "Where did they go?" "An early-warning trap?," Erya asked, "Why didn't it trigger for the rest of us?" "Perhaps Foresight was just unlucky," Gringham asked, "Though I hope they still live. Splitting a treasure in four is easier than doing so in three." Erya nodded.

In truth, Foresight had been teleported to the tomb's living chambers thanks to the invite presented to them, taking them far away from the dangers of Nazarick. Momonga soon joined them. "It's been some time," he said. "Will you be alright if someone checks the tent you warped in from?," Hekkeran asked. Momonga nodded. "It's no trouble. The inner vault is guarded by a doppelganger named Pandora's Actor. I've sent him to mimic me in case anyone checks in. He possesses mind reading abilities that allow him to act as people expect the one he is mimicking to act, so no one will be able to tell the difference."

He had a few viewing mirrors set up. "The cover story for your survival is that your history garnered enough sympathy from the masters of the tomb that they showed mercy and allowed you to escape to tell the tale of the others that were lost. Since no one outside the tomb knows of what goes on within it, detailed knowledge of what happened will likely not be questioned. Though I should warn you... It will get quite grisly." "By the way," Hekkeran said as he and Momonga sat down, "I suspect Count Femel, the one who hired us, is a member of the faction both our teams are opposing. And I think the emperor suspects him as well."

"Indeed," Momonga noted, "Emperor Jircniv is attentive to those around him. He recognizes the rats scurrying around. Ah, that reminds me. Hamsuke has been successfully learning martial arts as of late. I wanted to test his skills using one of the other worker teams, and I already know which one." Foresight looked at each other and chuckled. "So who's the poor shmuck that gets beaten up by a giant hamster?," Roberdyck asked. "Only the worst of the lot," Momonga said cryptically, "But I think you'll enjoy it when it happens. It's likely to be the only amusing punishment. Well, from an outside perspective at least."

The viewing mirror then showed Green Leaf being confronted by the tomb's combat maids. "Hey, I think that's the hive queen George mentioned," Roberdyck said when he spotted Entoma. "The other girls have way too much unnatural beauty to be human," Hekkeran noted. "That's because they aren't," Momonga clarified, "They are the Pleiades, combat soldiers in the guise of maids. The one in the center is Yuri, a dullahan. To her left just next to Entoma is Lupisregina, a werewolf. To Yuri's right is Solution, a shoggoth. And next to her is Shizu, an automaton."

"Solution looks like the wife of that merchant that's been making waves in Re-Estize," Arche noted. "They are one and the same," Momonga replied, "The merchant you speak of is really Herohero. Solution is rather enamored with him, and thanks to his Stand safe copulation is possible. She practically fainted with joy at the idea of playing the role of his wife." He looked at the image. "The Pleiades alone would be enough to deal with Green Leaf, even without Narberal with them. But I have another project that needs testing, so these poor fools will be the guinea pigs."

The group watched as armored skeletons arose from the ground behind Green Leaf. "Undead soldiers," Roberdyck realized. "They serve the master of the tomb, no matter what species," Momonga noted, "They are the old guard. Equipped with heavy armor and magic weapons. Parpatra and his team are Mythril class, so if my calculations are correct they should prove a good gauge of the old guards' skills." However, he soon became embarrassed at how easily his old guard was decimating Green Leaf. "I... Think they're overmatched," Hekkeran pointed out. Momonga sighed. "Yes... Perhaps I overestimated Parpatra's team, and underestimated how much his age has caught up with him."

He switched the view. "Let's see how the others are doing." Heavy Masher was running from a group of elder liches, before finally running into a small room. "And the trap turns from a spider's web to an antlion's pit," he noted darkly. Sure enough, just as the team thought they were safe, a portal in the room activated. "Where'd they go?," Arche asked. "Nowhere safe," Momonga replied, "One moment and I'll see if I can't find their locations." He cycled through the viewing feed. "Well, Gringham himself and one of his teammates wound up in Kyouhukou's room."

"Who's that?," Imina asked. "A sentient roach king," Momonga said, "His family is hundreds of thousands large. They will most certainly strip the poor sods clean, having grown weary of cannibalism to sustain themselves. One of the others wound up in the no-so tender loving care of Neuronist Painkill, a chthonic who acts as interrogator for the tomb. Her methods of torture..." He shuddered. "Well, let's just say you're better off not seeing it." "What about the fourth member?," Roberdyck asked, almost dreading the answer.

"He got lucky," Momonga assured him, "A quick, painless death upon falling into one of the tomb's death traps." He shifted the view again. "Ah, now this should prove interesting. Erya is approaching Hamsuke's training hall. She's been practicing combat for some time now under the care of some of the lizardmen. I tried having a Death Knight train alongside her to see if it could gain any new skills, but no such luck. Hamsuke is more than capable of learning martial arts, but the Death Knight could only improve its physical attributes."

In spite of his boasts of being greater than Gazef, Erya proved no match against Hamsuke's superior speed and strength, the steel-like quality of her fur, and the power and versatility of Tiger by the Tail. She quickly eliminated the bigot when she unleashed her new martial art, Slashing Strike, finishing the so-called Heavenly Warrior by crushing his head with her Stand. The slave elves were offered a new place to stay within Nazarick, taking care of Aura and Mare and teaching the culture of elves in the alter verse, a role they eagerly accepted.

With that, Foresight was the only worker team to escape the massacre. As promised, they were given the contents of the mausoleum they searched, which was transported in secret to Re-Estize using Ticket to Ride. Upon returning to Baharuth, Arche secretly picked up her sisters so they could be taken away to live in E-Rantel, while the other members told of what happened in the tomb. Naturally, Femel was shocked at what happened. 'Now what...? Without that wealth I can't protect myself... I used up all I had to hire those workers, the adventurers, and the sleipnir.'

At that moment, guards burst into the room and surprised him. "Well, well, Femel," came Jircniv's voice as he entered, "Seems you've wound up kicking a hornet's nest." "Whatever do you mean?," Femel asked innocently. Jircniv sighed. "It seems the guardians of the tomb were not happy about the intrusion into their home. Two of them, a pair of dark elf siblings, arrived in the city square astride a wyvern. In an instant they made their intentions known by breaking up the earth beneath the square causing it to swallow up the soldiers surrounding them." He smirked as Femel looked frightened. "But we've come to some arrangements in negotiating a truce, and among them... Is the head of the one who hired the workers."

Momonga's plans are just beginning. You'll notice a lot of this part is revolving around him. Don't worry, we'll be getting back to George and the Joestar team before long. Read and review.