A typical human Ainz story! Because that's never been done before, right? This fic was inspired by In The Flesh, and will hopefully be an enjoyable read to some of you out there. Takes place just before season 2. Let me know what you think!

Update: right, so I've already made a small addition. To those who are concerned that Ainz will be weak, it's only temporary; don't worry. Remember that he's confused by everything at first, and will discover more later on. And yes, this is kind of a prologue. The other chapters will be longer and have more content, like NPC reactions.


An Overlord possessed very few emotions. They were still there – make no mistake – but they were muffled, as if constantly suppressed. If a particularly powerful emotion welled up inside the powerful Lich, it would then almost immediately be toned down until it was barely there. This was natural for an undead of this variant, and could be extremely useful when hurled into an unknown world, surrounded by NPCs that come to life and expect you to be an all powerful supreme being while you try to bullshit your way through a very stressful life.

Never let it be said that Ainz was content with his current predicament.

As an undead, he'd lost the ability to sleep and eat. This was quite unfortunate. He'd tried to eat something, but could hardly consume the food with his teeth alone; he required a few specific organs. Actually, he needed all of the necessary organs, but alas.

A small flicker of hope had existed within him. A foolish notion that maybe somehow, through magic or racial attributes unknown to him, he would somehow get to experience the food's taste. That hope had long since died out. Much like his wishes to enjoy a good night's rest.

"Uwaah… Being an Overlord is so tiresome." Ainz sighed as he fell face first on his large bed. Like usual, the covers smelled pleasantly; a hint of flowers and something else. The irony that he lacked a nose and yet somehow could smell was not lost on the ruler of Nazarick. "The whole debacle with Shalltear also drained me. I wish I could sleep, but even that is something I can't do anymore. Dammit."

Only a day ago he had fought his vampire subordinate, using every bit of game mechanic knowledge and PVP experience to defeat her, which had been equally exhausting for his mind. Ainz hated that he could feel mental exhaustion while physical exhaustion had become non-existent. It was either one or the other!

Well, at least everything was fine now. With Shalltear safe and sound, Nazarick was stronger than ever. And maybe this brought everyone a bit closer together, if the display in the throne room had been any indication. Ainz would smile if he still had any lips or a face for that matter.

While the people who'd brainwashed his floor guardian were still an unknown, and henceforth a danger to the entire tomb of Nazarick, he was satisfied with the results. Admittedly, a part of him was proud at what he had achieved during that battle. Being stuck with the role of guild master meant looking after the guild itself and its administration, which meant very little action for the Overlord. Was it bad to feel pride at finally proving his worth, even if it was at the expense of Shalltear?

Ainz chose to stay silent.

So tiresome. And the NPCs aren't making it any easier either. Honestly, what's up with all these crazy expectations?!

Their profound loyalty and admiration was more anxiety-inducing than it should be. Ainz understood their reasoning, as much as he wished he didn't, but the fact that they were his friends' creations and he was their leader did not mean he was some kind of god – on the contrary. He was just a salaryman! There was absolutely no knowledge about ruling in that skull of his!

As expected of Ainz-sama!

Truly, words befitting of the ruler of Nazarick.

What else to expect from the greatest of all supreme beings?

Ainz-sama, please give us your orders.

We swear our fealty to the supreme beings!

Please, don't put your faith in me like that. It makes me want to throw up, even if I lack the stomach for it. The powerful Overlord resisted the urge to smack his face repeatedly against the pillow. All the NPCs could speak of was their beloved Ainz-sama, putting him on a pedestal that he didn't deserve. He sighed. Ainz, huh? Used to be Momonga, and before that…

How long had it been since someone called him by his true name? Granted, he was used to being called Ainz by now, but the skeleton couldn't shake off this melancholy that he felt. Oh, wait, it was already being dimmed by his racial passive; just in time.

That was another thing he hated. His aura didn't really erase the whole emotion, but rather minimized it until he could function without, and still feel its presence within his non-existent heart.

His true name was Suzuki Satoru, or just Satoru to his friends. Not that he had ever had many though. At least he was no longer an overworked salaryman anymore, who just faded into the background and was hardly known by his colleagues. The only true friends he'd ever had – still has even if they weren't here – were his guildmates that belonged to their guild. Only a select few of them knew of his actual name, however, since the rest had called him by his in-game avatar name; Momonga.

The powerful mage rolled around in his lavish bed, wondering why he was suddenly bringing up his old life. Was it nostalgia? The reunion between Shalltear and the others from a few hours ago had reminded him of his guildmates, which inadvertently made him remember his previous life.

Ainz linked his skeletal hands together, feeling oddly at peace. "Despite all the hardships, my life wasn't too bad. At least I grew up with a decent upbringing, and received a basic education. My colleagues at work were amicable enough. Well, only a few actually put in the effort to socialize, but they were nice. And I got to make good friends! Peroroncino was like a brother to me, which means that Bukubukuchagama was like a sister too. Heh. She'd make fun of me if I ever told her that. And I can't forget about mom…"

Gods, how long had it been since he thought of his mother? Ainz was overwhelmed with shame as he realized it had been far too long. This time, not even his emotional suppressor could fully wash away that nasty feeling inside his hollow chest. In a depressing world as his, Suzuki Satoru had been blessed to have such a wonderful, dedicated mother that would stop at nothing to care for her son.

He could still remember her standing in the kitchen, preparing his favorite hamburger after a hard day of work. Young Satoru hadn't known that the meat for his number one dish was incredibly expensive, however. But now he knew; his mother had saved money, often forgetting herself in the process either by not taking proper care or working too hard, just to make her only family member grin in delight. And all of that with the most beautiful smile he had ever come to know in his life.

Ainz touched the edge of his eye socket, thinking he could feel a tear sliding down his cheek despite knowing it to be impossible. This accursed body couldn't show the proper emotion that the memory of his mother deserved! True enough, the bone of his skull was dry; there was nothing. For the umpteenth time he cursed his undead body.

"Dammit!"

He pounded a clenched fist on the soft mattress, hating himself for it. What kind of son couldn't cry for his deceased mother?! He couldn't eat, drink, sleep, rest – nothing!

Once more the green aura of the Overlord avatar enveloped him in its soothing embrace. Ainz felt his rage and sorrow shimmer until it was like a barely lit flame. Still, the pain refused to leave, throbbing like a wound that ached every second. It hurt.

His emotional suppressor couldn't keep up with the negative emotions that bubbled up within. The rational part of his mind – the one that was being overwritten – idly figured his Despair Aura could activate at any given moment now, given the overwhelming negativity. Hopefully the guardians wouldn't notice his inner despair. Ainz didn't want them to worry.

I wish things were different. It's been fun to see my friends' creations walk around like living beings. The guardians are special to me, just like any other NPC in Nazarick; the home we built together. The two burning lights in his eye sockets faded away. It was the equivalent to closing his eyes, seeing as he lacked the necessary equipment. I don't regret any second of spending time with them in this body. But…

He wanted to be alive again. To be able to properly grieve for his mother, as well as the guildmates he couldn't see anymore. To feel the joy of having his new family around. To eat again, experiencing the taste of food and drink, but at the same table as the guardians. Ainz– no, Satoru, missed the little things he'd taken for granted.

Being an all powerful Lich, who had no need for stuff like food and sleep, was not as great as people made it out to be. Actually, he was pretty sure no one thought that. Maybe he should have just picked another race to play as; preferably one with a stomach.

Yggdrasil had been an escape from the real world, so he could pretend to have a different life. But in reality, he'd exchanged it for an illusion, even if he got to meet the most wonderful friends ever. What he wouldn't give to be alive again.

Am I… feeling sleepy? The red orbs that were his eyes were still shrouded in the darkness of his skull, and despite mentioning earlier that physical exhaustion was a thing of the past, his limbs felt strangely numb. He must have been more exhausted than he initially realized. Maybe it's simply my mind playing tricks on me. Oh well, if my head wants to delude me into believing I can dream again, then who am I to protest?

Going to sleep was a concept from a long time ago, but Ainz welcomed it like an old friend. Slowly but steadily his consciousness went away. The numbness was stronger than ever, and his thought process slowed down to a snail's pace. Ainz's body felt as light as a feather.

He fell asleep within mere seconds.


The first thing that was brought to his attention upon awaking, was how soft he felt. Satoru hummed as he enjoyed the sensation of soft sheets. The experience was distinctly familiar, yet slightly different. As an Overlord whose sense of touch was muffled, similar to when you would wear gloves, the sensation of his bed was far more vivid than usual. How had he never noticed before?

I can't remember the last time I slept so well. Wait, how did I even sleep? Normally I'm unable to… Can't remember dreaming though, so at least that's how thing are supposed to be.

Satoru moaned softly, turning around so he was lying with his face up. Regardless, he was so damn refreshed! This had to be one of the only times he'd managed to actually relax since coming to the new world after Yggdrasil was shut down, and he became an undead. He'd even forgotten what sleep felt like. Now that he got the chance to experience it again, he was going to try to relive the sensation as soon as possible, no matter what it took.

The young man let out a relieved sigh. He smacked his lips, noticing how dry they felt. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he wanted to get up at all, and his eyelids remained firmly shut as the last remnants of sleep held him in their solid grip. Still, at one point he would have to move. And besides, his hair tickled his ear–

Hair? Lips? Eyelids?!

Satoru immediately bolted upright as realization settled in. His eyes widened, which was the first clue. Then his heart skipped a beat out of sheer shock, surprised by this sudden development. That was the second clue. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that he could see his own flesh as he stared at his hands.

The former salaryman jumped out of his bed, making his way towards the adjacent bathroom and took a good look in the mirror. A lean if not somewhat scrawny figure of just below average height stared back; hazel eyes wide open and brown hair sticking up at an odd angle on the right side. A figure who was extremely familiar to him – his human self!

"I'm… I'm human again?" Satoru whispered faintly, a shaky hand reaching out to his cheek.

When he touched the warm flesh, which was such a stark contrast to the hard and cold bone he'd gotten used to as Ainz, he almost broke down. Tears formed in his eyes; a mix of happiness and relief that threatened to spill. Satoru couldn't help himself and began to laugh out loud. Almost hysterically, mind you. But he couldn't care one damn bit.

All that the former Overlord could think of, was how much he'd missed being alive; to feel the cold tiles beneath his feet, to smell the scent of lavender and vanilla that hung in his luxurious bathroom, and so much more. At long last his senses were no longer dulled.

His emotions too. Satoru experienced so many feeling at once that he could barely keep up! The thundering noise of his heartbeat barraged his eardrums, and he welcomed it. Because it was proof; actual proof that he was alive. Joy was the most dominant emotion he felt right now, silencing the underlying fears that he'd forgotten what it was like to experience such physical happiness. Yes, he was happy that Nazarick and its inhabitants were real, but this was different.

It took a few more minutes of gazing at his reflection in awe before Satoru finally calmed down. His mind was catching up now, prompting him to dampen his excitement by himself – not some damn suppressor.

However, with it came his rational side, which brought an important matter to his attention.

"Wait. I'm no longer Ainz or Momonga. This is my human body, so that means the others won't recognize me!" Satoru panicked as he remembered his position. "Shit! Oh, fuck! No, no, no! What the hell am I supposed to do now?!"

In another sudden realization, he noticed that his robes were a tad too big for him now that he was no longer a giant skeleton. Satoru tried to focus on this particular problem first. A common tactic at the workplace was to deal with the smaller problems first. Not simply to solve them, but also calm himself down so he could think properly. Losing his mind was not going to help anyone.

Just breathe, Satoru. You're not Ainz anymore, and that means you need to control your emotions yourself. The human male walked over to his closet, happy to see that he could still access it. A large room was revealed, which should be physically impossible, were it not for the fact that this was magical. Satoru took deep breaths while browsing. First things first, I need to get used to my human body again. Relying on my avatar's racial traits won't work anymore. Secondly, see if anything else has happened. Are the guardians okay?

Yes, he had to check up on the NPCs. Last time a life-changing event took place, he got stuck in an Overlord's body and the creations of his friends came to life. There was no substantial proof that nothing had happened to them as well. Satoru's stomach twisted into several knots; a nervous reaction that was less missed than the other sensations he was experiencing again.

Come to think of it, could he still use magic?

"Create greater item." Nothing happened. Satoru was concerned by the lack of magical talent. If a seventh tier spell was already proving to be a problem, then how bad were things? "How about create lesser item. Shit, still nothing? Then magelight."

A small orb of light came out of his open palm, illuminating the spacious wardrobe. Satoru sighed dejectedly. Good to see that he could still use magic, but magelight was a second tier spell and nothing compared to his previous abilities.

Concern wormed its way into his heart as he figured the guardians could wipe the floor with him if they wished. After all, almost every denizen had a dislike if not outright hatred for humans, which was okay for the Overlord Ainz, but not for the human Suzuki Satoru. Oh hell, what was he going to do?

Satoru sighed once more, choosing a simple yet high quality tunic with golden accents, dark pants and a robe not unlike the one wore as Momonga/Ainz. Not that it made him look like a ruler, seeing as all it did was make him look a bit more presentable. The drawback of being Suzuki Satoru were the plain features, average bodyweight and height. Even Albedo was taller than him now.

"I wonder what her reaction will be to my new appearance…" Satoru hummed in apparent thought. Memories of the succubus' interactions with the villagers from Carne village resurfaced, prompting the former salaryman to flinch. "Yeah, not good. I'll need to break the news to her gently."

Dressed up in his garments, he began to pace slowly inside his chambers, trying to come up with a decent plan. He didn't even know how this had happened in the first place. Satoru remembered feeling extremely depressed by the lack of a living body, and afterwards falling into a deep slumber. But those were just facts – not answers.

He massaged his temples out of frustration. Barely fifteen minutes in his new – or rather old – body and he was already developing a headache. As if to mock him more, his stomach grumbled loudly.

Satoru blinked. "Ah, right. This body needs sustenance, unlike my other body."

Maybe food would help him think more clearly. He could hardly focus on anything anyway. With the lingering surprise and worries eating away at him, Satoru knew he wouldn't get anything done.

Besides, he'd been wondering how good Nazarick's food was ever since coming to the new world. His mouth watered at the thought of a warm hamburger, served with a large coke and fries; he'd seen Aura eat the delicious meal. Needless to say, he'd done so with a hefty amount of jealousy. Was it childish. Absolutely; but in his defense, the burger would have fallen through his ribs if he'd tried.

Satoru left his chambers silently. All he could think of was the imminent meal, and meeting up with the guardians was but a secondary objective. His neglected stomach demanded attention now that they were finally reunited!

Walking down the tomb's hallways as a human was… quite different. The lower elevation was a big difference, which put things in an another perspective; kinda funny how that worked. But not in a bad way. Satoru experienced more awe than usual as he looked at what his friends had created. Nazarick was beautiful, and he could finally be here as Suzuki Satoru instead of the character Ainz. He felt so small next to the lavish decorations, hinting at unmatched wealth and splendor, both in his former and new world.

They really did an amazing job designing everything. I mean, I already knew, but still! The tomb is much more colorful. Never noticed that being an undead made colors seem so dull.

Satoru strolled down the ninth floor at a relaxed pace. Somehow he was more at ease, as if a simple walk was just what he needed to calm down his frayed nerves. The young man took a deep breath, enjoying how his lungs inflated with air, before deflating again. Gods, he'd missed that! And this was just the beginning too. If there was a chance that he would revert back to his Overlord form, he would get the best out of his original body before that time came.

Say, walking over to the restaurant took longer than he thought. His gaze drifted over to the single remaining ring on his hand; the ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. Technically he could just teleport and be done with it, but that would cut his walk short.

Screw it. He'd just gotten his legs back.

Satoru turned around the corner, figuring it wasn't a long distance anymore. At least he still knew the layout of Nazarick like the back of his hand. He didn't have to be his character to know that much. The former Overlord smiled happily, already wondering what to pick once he got to the restaurant. He'd hardly visited, due to not needing food in the first place, so he wasn't sure what the menu looked like.

Would it consist out of exclusively monster-themed meals, or perhaps a mix instead? Probably the latter. Satoru was fairly certain the guild had programmed the chef that way. And if Aura could get her hands on a hamburger, then he surely could as well.

"Have you cleaned the guest chambers yet?"

"Yup! Too bad we never have actual guests though. I want to clean sheets that are used, instead of exchanging fresh sheets…"

"Cixous, it's not our place to complain. And our duty demands that we keep the tomb of Nazarick as proper as possible."

"I know that! Just saying, that's all."

Oh? Those voices sounded slightly familiar. Satoru noticed two homunculus maids walking down the corridor, right in his path. Both wore the same maid outfit, and had long blonde hair. Aside from facial features, he could keep them apart due to the tallest wearing glasses. He thought hard, digging deep into his memory as he tried to recall their names.

"Cixous. Lumière. Good day to you." Satoru greeted them with a friendly smile on his face.

If he expected them to exchange formalities, however, he was sorely mistaken. Instead, the two girls jumped back as their eyes narrowed in alarm and distrust. Their sudden reaction startled Satoru. Why were they acting up like this?

"Who are you? And how did you get past the defenses?!" Lumière took a step back, which was mimicked by her fellow maid. Their stances were hostile, yet defensive; neither possessed any fighting abilities.

"To think that a human would infiltrate Nazarick." Cixous muttered quietly.

Satoru's jaw dropped, confused by what was happening. None of the NPCs had ever shown him such hostility and–

Fuck! Of course they never acted this way, because back then I was Ainz! They don't know what I look like as a human.

He'd forgotten that the NPCs did not yet know of his transformation, and thus they would assume a human intruder had made his way into their home. To be fair, the chances of such a thing happening were slim to none, but stranger things had happened before. The return of his human body for starters.

"Wait! It's me, Ainz." He tried to make them listen. Surely this was just a misunderstanding they could clear up. "I don't know why or how, but I woke up like this about half an hour ago."

There. That should calm them down, right?

"How dare you try to impersonate lord Ainz with such ridiculous lies!"

"Truly, what a filthy and disgusting human. To think someone like him would desecrate a supreme being's name."

It didn't work at all!

Satoru's face turned pale, panic at an all-time high. This wasn't going well. But how could he convince them that it really was him? He no longer looked like his avatar, and neither did he possess a shred of his former powers, meaning he had little to go with.

"Please, calm down! I'm telling you the truth!" Even his speech pattern had reverted back to Suzuki Satoru's; it lacked the steady, commanding tone of the Overlord Ainz.

Lumière glared fiercely, her gaze piercing him through her glasses. "We should inform the floor guardians at once. Especially lady Albedo and lord Demiurge. No doubt they would like to interrogate him, or execute this intruder on the spot."

Please don't! I only just got this body back!

"Or maybe lady Shalltear will dispose of him. Then again, the torture chambers and Neuronist sound like a fate befitting of his sin."

Between her, Albedo and Demiurge, I can't even tell who would be worse! Please, don't do anything drastic!

"Ara, what do we have here? So noisy."

Satoru's heart almost stopped entirely in its tracks at the sound of that familiar voice. Shaking like a leaf, he turned around to come face to face with two members of the Pleiades. The sight of Yuri Alpha was comforting; out of all the battle maids, the vice-captain was the kindest and most levelheaded, which helped soothe his frayed nerves. However, the coldhearted glare of Narberal Gamma undid all of that, while cranking up his panic levels by more than a hundred percent!

Of all the denizens of Nazarick, why did it have to be her?! Why couldn't it be another maid?

Wait a second.

Lupusregina would most likely toy with him, exposing her sadistic nature as she wounded him to the point of near death, before healing his wounds; all so she could start over again.

CZ wouldn't even ask questions. A single gunshot to the head – if he was lucky enough.

Solution would eat him alive, and death through acidic digestion was not a good way to go.

Entoma would… yeah, that was a can of worms – literally in this case – he wasn't about to open up.

Shit! Why did we roleplay as an evil guild?! I blame you for this, Ulbert! You too, Peroroncino. Don't know why, but somehow you're involved in all of this!

"A human? This far into Nazarick?" Narberal's eyes narrowed dangerously. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as fear overwhelmed him. The one time he needed his emotional suppressor, and it wasn't there! "I don't know how you got here, but frankly I don't care. Worthless insects such as yourself should be exterminated on sight."

"Now hold on, just like I was trying to explain to the homunculus maids, this is a simple misunderstanding." Satoru once more attempted. A drop of sweat cascaded down his back, hidden by the robes he wore. "I am Ainz, but somehow I've been turned into a human. There is no need for any violence."

But the Pleiades member would not listen. "Silence! Any intruder who dares to step foot inside the supreme beings' home will perish!"

Electricity cackled and danced around Narberal's fingertips; the sign of a spell charging up. Satoru was now openly panicking. Judging by the buildup, she was going to hit him with dragon lightning! Without the defenses granted by his Overlord form, he wouldn't survive a direct hit!

"Those clothes…" Everyone looked at Yuri, whose eyes were locked onto his garments. He was confused by her sudden interest, as was Narberal, who powered down her spell. Satoru sighed in relief. "I've seen them before. But where?"

Cixous gasped. "These robes belong to Ainz-sama!"

Finally! Now all he had to do was explain why he was wearing these instead of his regular outfit. Satoru thanked the gods for their divine intervention, having seen his life flash before his eyes.

"You dare…" His hopes came crashing down as Narberal trembled violently, before unleashing a wave of killing intent that made him feel sick. Her eyes showed nothing but contempt. "You dare sully the finest clothes of our lord?! Die!"

Fueled by desperation and fear, he all but shouted his last words as she powered up her spell again. "When we first came to this world, you insisted on an armed escort when I wanted to go outside! You said you couldn't perish as my shield otherwise!"

A blast of blue lightning zapped through the corridor, blinding Satoru with its intensity.

And then he felt… nothing?

Satoru opened his eyes slowly, uncertain if he was still in danger or not. The scent of burnt material hung in the air. He glanced to the right and saw that the attack had struck the wall, burning the banner that hung there. Or rather, it had immediately disintegrated.

As for Narberal, she stood there with a perplexed expression plastered onto her face. Satoru put one and two together; he must have gotten through to her or otherwise he would have most certainly been hit by that spell. A powerful magic caster like the Narberal Gamma did not have faulty aim.

"Narberal? What's wrong?" Yuri asked, now assuming a combat stance; fists raised in front of her. However, she did not attack.

The homunculus maids were equally confused by Narberal's actions. Only Satoru understood, though he wasn't sure if she was fully convinced.

"Those words… No one was present at the time except–" The dark-haired maid immediately dropped down onto her knees, head held low. She was almost hugging the floor like that! "Forgive my insolence, Ainz-sama! This foolish servant did something unforgivable!"

The other maids followed suit after a moment of hesitation. Usually he would have told them not to be so submissive, but Satoru was too relieved to care. He almost fell on his behind as a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. That was too close.

"It's alright, Narberal. You were simply doing your job." Satoru attempted to placate the Pleiades member, placing a hand over his scared heart, though he didn't have much luck. In her mind, she was probably thinking that she'd committed a most heinous sin. "I'm just glad nothing bad happened."

"But Ainz-sama, I almost hurt you! Please, punish me as you see fit."

Punishment? Ugh, he really didn't want to do this right now. His mind was already worn out in such a short time. All he wanted was a good meal, dammit.

"Later then, Narberal. Now is not a good time." He responded.

Yuri raised her head tentatively. "Because of your sudden new appearance, Ainz-sama?"

"A-ah, of course! Indeed, Yuri. Certain events have been put into motion, and it's important to inform the rest of Nazarick."

"Understood. Shall I summon the guardians to the throne room then?"

No. He wanted to eat, have a nice nap afterwards and take a hot bath. Not another stressful meeting. But he didn't have much of a choice, did he?

"Mhm. I'm pleased with your initiative. Have them summoned immediately."

The Pleiades vice-captain bowed again. "Your praise humbled me, Ainz-sama. It shall be done. Is there anything else?"

Grmbl

His cheeks flushed as he felt four pairs of eyes land on his stomach.

"Something to eat would be nice, please."