I have been working on this story for a while. For context this takes place slightly during the events of volume 4 of overlord (Season 2) and precedes the events of Doom 2016. I hope you enjoy Dude! And feel free to let me know what you think!

There was a slight cloud of dust being kicked up by the horses as the group of ten made their way along the road. It was a humid day, common during this time of year when rain made its way down the western mountain ranges. Though key for agriculture in the area, it made for muggy days like this one.

Despite the heat almost everyone in the group was wearing a cloak with the hood up. This was to prevent attacks from demi-humans who might be in the area. The soldiers escorting everyone believed hiding their faces would make savage demi-humans believe there were no women in this group, making less of an incentive to ambush them.

If an ambush were to happen there was little anyone there could do. While the guards were trained members of the Slane Theocracy's army, they were not full knights and did not possess much attack strength. This lack in protection was from the war with the elves to the south, most knights were sent there leaving few for mundane tasks like escorting this group of scribes and scholars.

The scholars and scribes in question were being sent to the mountains on the western border of the Theocracy to investigate a newly found ruin inside a cave. While the scribes were respectable in their practice, the were not essential to the overall government. So if the group ended up dead for whatever reason, no harm would be done in the eyes of the cardinals. One scribe knew this well and went as far as to write it in her journal, an act that was seen as heresy by her mother.

The scribe was young for her position within the scribes of the Theocracy, this was mainly due to her family's position within the church. She was not considered very important to her family however. She had great potential in her mother's eyes but lost her respect when she chose to pursue being a scribe.

The group rounded the edge of the valley into the wooded area at the base of the mountain and began their ascent up the road towards the reported location of the find. The guards were now scanning the trees, most likely looking for an elven ambush. Though their efforts were more out of habit then need, they were far from the war and no elves had ever been reported attacking people in this area. The woman put her journal away as they reached the more dangerous part of the climb with a sheer drop on the right side. The road began to get more and more narrow until they reached a small area where the road opened into an area uncovered by trees.

One of the head scribes spoke up, "This is where we branch off of the road, the cave should be east of here"

The guards nodded and lead the group in a close line through the trees.

"You best stay close Nelia, no telling what might be out here." One of the male scribes spoke to the woman as he moved to ride behind her horse.

The man, Urick, had no doubt said this so he could move behind her and get a better look at her figure. Though much of his view was blocked by her cloak.

Nelia, relived she was saved from some oogleing, still felt unsettled by his eyes on her back.

Situations like this were annoyingly common for her, she possessed many of the favored traits viewed as attractive in the Theocracy. Her hair was jet black and long enough to reach her waist, so she kept it tied in a pony tail, even then it was still long enough to reach past midway down her back. She had emerald green eyes that complimented what most called, "a well put together face."

But the asset the man behind her was most likely interested in was her figure. She was slender with a rather well put together body. She had overheard Urick described her as, "A girl with a great ass and tits that would fill my hands nicely." Nelia scowled at the thought.

The group was now reaching their destination, a small opening in the side of the cliff face. Easily missed if it wasn't for the two guards standing outside it.

Everyone dismounted and the guards began to gather some of the supplies they brought with them. The scribes and scholars went into the cave with the two guards who were already there.

"It is a winding path, but it's not far." One of the guards held up a torch and lead the group through a narrow passage in the cave.

They eventually reached a narrow spot and past it was a rather large cavern, all including Nelia were in awe at what they saw.

The cave would be pitch black if it wasn't for the lanterns and torches brought by the guards previously. Though the side of the cave they had entered was normal, about halfway into the cavern mortared bricks and carved stone was present on all sides. It looked as if the whole thing had been carved halfway done. Markings and symbols were on all sides. Nelia ran her hands across some of the stone on the wall.

"So this is why we are here." The senior scribe held up a magic lantern to a large stone door carved with three humanoid skills and a horned skull, all surrounding a strange rune. "Nelia! Get to work translating these glyphs on these walls, they might say something about this door and how it works."

Nelia took her cloak hood off, letting her long hair roll down her back. She took out a journal, different then the personal one she wrote in earlier. She walked up to what looked like the first carved passage on the wall and held her hand up to it. Her hand gave off a glow as she cast a translation spell on herself, a few seconds passed, and her eyes glowed a pale green and she could loosely understand the glyphs she was looking at. She concentrated and began writing what she saw… In the first age, in the first battle, when the shadows first lengthened, one stood…

…

The research team had been at this cave for a few days now. Nelia sat next to the large door studying it in detail. She looked at the strange symbol on the door and then pulled out her journal and flipped through it. Each page was filled with the various symbols and writings that were written on the walls and next to them were accurate translations of the writings.

She flipped to a specific page in her book, "Come on Nelia, you can figure this out."

She read over the last passage of writing she had translated.

The demon priests of the Blood Temples laid a trap to capture this scourge of Hell. Insatiable, even by the vanquishing of the Great One, the Hell Walker sought prey in the tombs of the Blood Keep. And blinded by his fervor, the lure drew him in. The priests brought down the temple upon the Doom Slayer, and in his defeat entombed him in the cursed sarcophagus. The mark of the Doom Slayer was burned upon his crypt, a warning to all of Hell that the terror within must never be freed. There he lies still, and ever more, in silent suffering.

They had translated all of the writings they found on the walls of the cave, they told a story. All of the passages read in this way. Nelia herself was convinced that what lie in this tomb was a warrior, powerful enough to terrify demons in their own world, named the Doom Slayer.

The Priests in charge of the excavation were skeptical at first believing they should not open the temple but instead find a way to destroy it. But they changed their tune after they sent Nelia's theory to the Cardinals of the Theocracy. The Cardinals sent more funding and personnel, they believe whatever lies inside is a boon left by the great gods themselves or even a holy warrior lost to them in a conquest against demons.

Nelia brushed her hair back behind her head. The passages they translated told nothing of how the door operated, it was possible it was never meant to be opened. She ran her hand across the oddly shaped rune carved into the stone door. None of the scholars had seen such a symbol before but it was carved all over the cave they were in, the symbol resembled a T with a misshapen V at the bottom

The study of the door's mechanisms was slow as the Priests forbade anyone to try any magical spells to open it. They were worried that the demons who locked it would have surely trapped it in some way.

Nelia looked back at the other scribes and priests, none were looking at her, they were all lost in their own journals of notes trying to find a hidden answer in the writings or even their own holy texts.

She pressed her hand onto the symbol and tried to channel some amount of magic energy into the door. While she is rather adept at translation magic, that was simple magic compared to combat or material altering spells. She did not expect anything to happen, this was merely a test to rule out a magical barrier. Though as she concentrated, she felt her hand tingle as the rune began to glow a deep red. Nelia quickly pulled her hand away from the wall as red energy arced to her fingers. The cave shook lightly as the ancient stone door slowly opened.

"What did you do?!" The lead priest yelled as he ducked under a nearby table

"I-I don't know, it just opened!"

Nelia fell onto her back as she tripped over herself in her confused and frightened state. The air in the room rushed into the now opened tomb. Within groups of candles lit themselves, lighting the interior in a red glow.

Peering through the opening Nelia saw a circular room marked with a large pentagram on the floor, sitting in the middle was a stone table marked with the same symbol as on the door.

The shaking did not continue long, as the door came to a halt Nelia got back onto her feet. She peered further into the new room before slowly walking into it. Behind the stone table on the far wall was an alcove of carved stone, and within the carved stone was a large set of green armor. She had never seen armor like this before, it was not the same cumbersome design most full plate armor sets had. It was smooth, almost form fitting with armor plates placed about it. The Hemet was the most unique part of it, it looked to cover the full head but had a transparent glass front. Glass to think of placing a fragile material such as glass in front to the most vital part of a person… though Nelia was no soldier, she only knew the basics from the mercenaries and soldiers that accompanied the scholars on dangerous studies.

The other members of the team entered the new chamber inspecting things as Nelia did. The lead priests went straight to the armor to inspect it, surely believing it to be some magical artifact worth a great amount to the Theocracy.

Nelia ignored them and ran her hand across the stone table eyeing the large glowing T symbol carved into the top of it. She knew then, this was not a carved table but a sealed sarcophagus and she was certain of who lie within.

…

Nelia was surprised at the freedom she was now given. Three days had passed since she opened the tomb. A personal envoy of the Cardinals came to hear the Priests' reports as well as hers. Upon hearing her findings, they decided to make her the lead of the site. This no doubt upset many of the scholars and the priests. She was far younger than most of them and to them she had simply gotten lucky.

Many people had tried to remove the armor to take back to the capital but were unable to even touch it as some form of magic protection spell would zap all who came in contact with it with red lightning.

On top of making Nelia the leader of the site the cardinals also sent many armed guards as well as a member of the black scripture to oversee and protect the tomb, the 6th seat from the rumors she heard. Nelia was smart enough to know the other reason the member was there, to keep this information secret and punish those who failed to do so. She knew she would have to open the sarcophagus, or she would be killed to keep the tomb a secret from others.

It was late at night and all were asleep save for the guards outside. Nelia was the only one awake as she sat in the tomb reading over her notes. She knew there was something she was missing but couldn't figure it out. At this point she had read over the Slayer's Testament over and over, the depictions about this Hell, what seemed to be the true name of the Demon World, was nothing like the holy teachings she was taught by the church. Though she told no one, she was beginning to have doubts about the strength of the six great gods. This Slayer seemed much stronger and she felt the power lying within the coffin whenever she was near it.

She continued to rack her brain on what could be keeping the coffin sealed. She rested her head on the cold stone of the sarcophagus and closed her eyes. None of the magically adept mages and priests were able to open the seal. There was something she was missing.

While she was resting her eyes and thought over the problem at hand, she felt a slight sensation of falling.

She quickly opened her eyes to find herself in the same tomb but much more lit up.

"They are rage…" Nelia jumped up and looked at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. She saw on the other side of the sarcophagus a hooded figure, dressed in a tattered blood red cloak. She could not see the man's face but his voice boomed in her mind as he spoke.

"-?" Nelia tried to speak but could not utter any sound as if something was holding her voice back.

The hooded figure laid a hand on the sarcophagus. His hand was pure white in color but with marks of black soot on it, his finger tips were pointed as if they were claws and his knuckles were segmented. Nelia bleived his skin to be covered in an exoskeleton much like an insectoid or perhaps he had some very form fitting armor.

"Brutal… without mercy… but you… you will be worse" Red lightning began to arc around the figure's hand as he pressed it into the coffin causing all of the carved symbols to glow a blood red.

"Rip and tear… until it is done!" The hooded figure removed his hand from the stone and all of the symbols dimed back to normal. He then moved over to Nelia looking at her through the pitch black shadows within his hood.

Nelia looked to his feet and saw nothing, he floated slightly off the ground as red tentacles wiggled back and forth beneath the long cloak he wore. She attempted to take a step back but found it impossible to move, her heart began to race from the feeling of claustrophobia.

"The rest is up to you… you will guide him." The figure held his hand out for Nelia's chest. Red and yellow lighting shot out and shocked through her whole body. She grit her teeth as pain emanated from her fingertips to her heart.

"Lady Dersahi! Wake up!" Nelia opened her eyes to see one of the guards shaking her awake.

"You fell asleep here in the tomb and began screaming in your sleep." The guard helped her to her feet. She was caked in sweat and she could still feel the pain shooting through her.

Thoughts raced through her mind as she recalled the dream. Was it really a dream? It felt so vivid and real. She figured telling the guard would lead to further distrust and support from the priests already looking to have her sent off the site.

"A bad dream, thank you." Nelia found her own footing and waved for the guard to stop helping her. The guard kept an eye on her as she took light steps under her own strength.

Nelia opened her notes journal and began writing down her recollection of the dream. "The rest is up to you?" She muttered the words the hooded man spoke to her. "You will guide him?"

After thinking for a bit, she looked back to where the hooded figure stood over the sarcophagus. She looked at her hands and racked her brain again. Was it a dream? Or a message? Nelia walked over to the sarcophagus and placed her hand on it.

"It can't be that simple, can it?" She pressed her hand firmly on it, "They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done." She recited the words she heard in her vision.

She stood there for a second then looked around the room. Nothing had changed or happened.

"What did you say miss?" The guard gave a puzzling look to her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Damn" Nelia muttered under her breath. Maybe she had just gone crazy after all of this time. She closed her eyes and thought hard to get her mind back in order.

"What?!" The guard let out an alerted yell.

Nelia opened her eyes and saw the symbols around the room begin to glow the bright blood red color they had in her vision. She looked to her hand and saw the familiar red lighting arcing out from it. A searing pain began to emanate from her palm, she tried to pull her hand away but was unable to pry it from the surface of the stone. She planted her other hand on it to get some leverage but then was unable to move it as well, the same pain emanating from both palms now. She grit her teeth but found it impossible not to scream.

Red lighting began to arc to the floor around the room. More guards, the priests and the black scripture member entered the room to see what was happening. One of the priests jumped out of the way just in time as the lightning missed them sending red sparks across the floor where it struck.

Nelia felt more heat rising from her hands as more lightning arced about the room. Finally the red energy lashed out and pushed everyone around minus Nelia to the floor. There was no sound in the room now. The only thing that could be heard were the guards grunting as they picked themselves off the floor.

Nelia was now able to remove her hands from the stone. She looked at them and saw smoking red burns on them where her skin had melted.

"What did you do!?" One of the priests yelled as he got up off the floor.

"I don't know" She grit her teeth as she looked up to the coffin.

She ignored her new injuries and placed her hands on the stone slab and pushed. The slab moved slightly as she pushed the heavy stone off with all of her might. The slab made a loud thud as it slid off the coffin and onto the floor, the sound it made reverberated through the room.

Nelia panted as she tried to find the strength to stand placing her hands for aid without realizing it. She felt a warm tough and malleable surface under her burnt hands. She opened her eyes and realized what she was pushing herself up on.

Inside the sarcophagus she saw what looked to be a human man, her hands were planted on his chest. She jumped back removing her hands. She looked over the man in his coffin, his face was broad with a squared jaw and had short dark brown hair on his head. His nude body was toned and muscular with scars all across it, runes lined parts of his chest and around his heart.

"The Slayer" Nelia studied his face as all others present in the room crowded over his body. The Slayer's eyes were not open though his chest rose slowly with each breath he took. Nelia noticed the heavy looking chains and cuffs that held his wrists.

"He is the holy weapon of the Great Gods!" one priest waved his hands over the Slayer without touching him. "Back away all of you! This is work for us now."

The priests shooed the onlookers from his body, one gave an extra hard push to Nelia who stumbled back slightly.

"He could be a disciple of the gods themselves!" a priest placed his hands together and prayed.

"He will be a guardian to the Theocracy" another priest placed his hand carefully on the shoulder of the Slayer.

The Slayer's arm shot up breaking the chain cuff around his wrist and grabbed the priest by the neck. The Slayers eyes opened to reveal a glowing amber color to them. The whole room could feel the aura emanating from him. It felt 10 degrees hotter and fear filled the hearts of all present. The Slayer looked into the eyes of the choking priest, who pathetically grabbed at the Slayer's hand to no avail. The Slayer let out a breath and threw the suffocating priest away, the toss sent him halfway to the wall before hitting the ground coughing and gasping on his new air.

The black scripture member made his move, quickly bringing his lance like sword to the neck of the Slayer in what seemed like an instant. Only in the same instant the Slayer broke his other hand free and grabbed the approaching weapon stopping him dead. The member gave a look of surprised dread as the Slayer flung both him and is weapon to the opposite wall.

A loud thud of his fancy armor hitting the wall resonated throughout the room.

Now standing on top of where he was just lying the Slayer took in his surroundings. Several people were looking at him, terrified. People, humans from what he could tell. He wasn't in Hell, or at least not any part he knew.

"He is a demon!" The Scripture member got back on his feet and lunged at him for a killing blow, only the Slayer grabbed his weapon again and ripped it out of his grasp and threw it into a nearby wall. In the same instant he delivered a powerful punch to the member's gut. The man vomited blood as he was sent into the ceiling before he fell back down onto the floor.

All present in the room new fled out of the cave, the strongest person there was defeated in no time at all. All fled save for Nelia who looked up at the Slayer in awe as he jumped down from the stone coffin.

He looked around the room he was in, ignoring the unconscious man on the floor. Familiar demonic symbols lined the walls, but it was not a temple or tomb he knew or else he would have destroyed it already. He then spotted the first familiar sight. Within an alcove of the circular room was his armor, his Praetor suit. Without hesitation he walked over to it.

The Slayer it looked over. It had not changed, in fact he had not as well. He looked at his arms and legs, and his other parts. He had not changed aside from some new scars, probably from the temple dropped on his head or demons as they tried to kill him in his "Sleep." How long was he encased in that tomb?

He grabbed the chest plate of the armor and was bombarded with a mental attack of demonic images. Yet the Slayer was unfazed and continued to don his armor. Before he put on his helmet, he ran his finger over the mark of the Night Sentinels. As he put it on the suit's system ran its diagnostic in ancient Maykr language before syncing with the Slayer himself.

He looked back to the girl on the ground before he turned to exit the cave.

…

The Slayer walked outside into the morning sun. the first thing he noticed was the sky. Unbroken and not spitting fire. He looked about and saw trees and grass as well. There was no invasion yet, but it was only a matter of time. If there were any demons here, they must be few in number.

There was no sign of the people who just fled and fresh hoof prints were in the ground, no doubt leading toward the road.

The Slayer followed the tracks and eventually came to the road. There the tracks lead off to the east. If he were to follow them he would probably face the people who now viewed him as dangerous. He then looked down the clear side of the road, leading west.

Before he took a step he heard someone running behind him. He turned to see the same girl panting, she was now wearing a cloak and carried a bag on her back.

"L-Let me guide you!" Nelia yelled out, with a slight hesitation of fear.

The Slayer tilted his head.

"I'm the one who translated everything in there. I even opened your coffin. This might be crazy but some hooded being told me I would guide you in a dream."

The Slayer narrowed his eyes under his visor.

"There's a good chance those priests you scared off will claim you're a demon or evil being. They'll hunt you!"

The Slayer looked down the path leading to the east.

Nelia wasn't sure if she was making any progress with him, she thought hard about what she could do to help him.

"Y-you hunt demons, right!?"

The Slayer tuned his head towards the girl.

"I know of someone who once fought the evil deities years ago! She fought with the Thirteen Heroes against the Demon God! She could point you in the right direction!"

The Slayer stared the girl down before marching up to her, causing her to slightly cower in fear. He then stood over her and pointed towards the east path and then to the west path.

Nelia looked at him with a fearful confused look, can he not speak?

"She fights with the adventurer group, the Blue Roses, in the capital city of the Re-Estize Kingdom. To the north west."

The Slayer then turned and briskly walked towards the west path.

Nelia stood still, paralyzed.

As he reached the path, the Slayer stopped and turned towards the girl and looked at her for a time. She stared back, not sure what to do.

The Slayer then looked down in a pondering fashion. They both stood still for what felt like a long while. He then looked at the girl and motioned with his arm to follow before walking briskly down the trail.

Nelia stood still for a second before jogging behind the man to catch up with him.