Shirogane found herself in the living room of her old apartment. Rather than her current body, she touched her cheeks and realized it was her form back when she was human. She lived so long as a demon that her adult human form felt like she was reborn. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if everything that occured back then was the longest dream she had. The unnatural scent of the filtered air and how her rear sunk into the sofa were just two of the nostalgic aspects she missed.

"Did Yggdrasil shut down? Then was that whole New World thing...a depressed dream? What am I talking about anyway?" Shirogane shook her head

The dream felt too ominous. Her older human body felt fragile and made her let out a sigh of. Dismay. In that "dream", she had strength seen as God-like for the inhabitants of another world. She couldn't exactly remember the experience in the strangest dream she had, but an unexplained pain coiled around her chest like barbed wire. All she felt was sadness when she saw her life as an every day salary worker who can barely pay their expenses and feed themselves.

"Are you staying up late again, onee-chan?"

A girl with long dark hair the same shade as hers slowly approached her. She was at least twenty years old, but her gentle expression and cheerful nature made her appear younger. The girl wrapped around her left index finger on the cup's handle while her other hand pinned the saucer. What she placed in front of Shirogane was freshly brewed tea, but the scent and steam didn't even brought comfort. The leaves mixed in it were already powdered and artificial since nature which grew those leaves were long destroyed.

"Izumi? Yeah, I had to put in extra hours this week..." Shirogane faintly smiled

"You're always tired because you played Yggdrasil the moment you come home" Izumi pouted

"You played it too..."

"It looks fun and besides, I want to explore with my big sister"

"Good grief..."

Her bright azure eyes reflected her which was the obvious proof of their relation of sisters. The only difference was that Izumi had a brightened and gentle appearance compared to how Shirogane always appeared uninterested. It wasn't that it matched her mood as she was simply exhausted half of the time. Izumi understood this, so she would always be as cheerful as possible in front of her.

"Not only you spend your free time in that game, you spend your money gambling there too" Izumi angrily pointed

"I like that game and I have extra money, so it's not Shino like you're thinking" Shirogane stirred her served tea

"Eh, I think she just really like you. It's why he played that game in the first place"

"You're overthinking it. If he wants to say something, he would say it. That's what he's like ever since he was a kid" Shirogane scoffed at her younger sister

"Onee-chan, you're either dense or in complete denial. You're becoming like the manga you've been reading"

"Huh...?"

Shirogane couldn't take her first step after what her younger sister grew frustrated at her laid-back attitude.

"This is just like when you met that player called Touch Me. It's like those superhero manga you've been reading. I still remember how your eyes sparkled when you logged out" Izumi chuckled

"Come on now. I just saw an ideal hero in front of my eyes. When I was about to quit out of frustration, he appeared in the nick of time like any other hero. It was a bonus he was a paladin in pure white armor"

"Hahahaha. You're like a child who saw something amazing"

Izumi found it more ironic since she was eight years younger than her own sister. The exhausted and sunken eyes Shirogane had earlier were overshadowed by her amazement and emotionally filled her energy at the mere mention of that fateful encounter.

"By the way, Izumi. I heard your party's attempt on Eljudnir failed miserably. You were instantly killed by the Primordial Death"

"W-well it's not as bad as those players who challenged the Primordial Judgment. I heard the Valkyrie Queen slaughtered them without mercy" Izumi nervously changed the topic

"Izumi"

"W-we failed badly. There was at least a hundred of us...but only four of us were teleported to the throne room"

"Teleported?"

"Yeah. I was caught in the middle when I accidentally stepped on something..." Izumi averted her sister's gaze

"A shortcut, huh. Then what happened?"

"We faced this half beautiful lady, half undead creature. Long story short, we got knocked out because of how the entire castle buffs her so bad"

Izumi sat down beside Shirogane and the latter comforted her with a gentle pet on her head. When the two sat beside each other, their resemblance were much clearer and understandable. Shirogane had medium length haircut while Izumi had long glossy hair. The two had regular jobs of their own but Shirogane barely had time to style herself.

"Then next time, I'll join you. Your big sister is a skilled warrior after all"

"No, no, no. There's really no need for it!" Izumi frantically rejected her

"O-okay...?" Shirogane blinked in confusion

Rather than gently pass on her sister's help, Izumi panicked and nearly stumbled from the sofa. It was strange, but Shirogane immediately brushed it off as Izumi embarrassed by the mishap.

"Onee-chan, I wonder if there's really a world far better than this. Like how there is sunlight and green plants everywhere"

Izumi gently lowered her upper body and placed her head on Shirogane's lap. It was warm and soft which made the most comfortable pillow for her. The comfort was added when Shirogane stroke Izumi's hair to the back of her ear.

"If such world exists, I want to take you there. So long as you're with me, then I wouldn't mind going anywhere" Shirogane sincerely responded

"Then if it's indeed possible, I want to explore that world...with you" Izumi moved her head slightly

"Izumi, you're the only one I have left. Mom and dad had been dead for ten years and they left you in my care. As your big sister, I want you to grow happy and safe"

"You just sound like mom..." Izumi closed her eyes

"I suppose I'm trying to be like our mother since I have to be the responsible one"

"You're fine the way you are. I always love the big sister...even if you might stop being human"

"What?" Shirogane jolted

"Nothing! It's nothing!" Izumi immediately removed herself from Shirogane's lap

It was momentarily strange since Izumi's tone was completely serious only to anxiously realize she slipped. Of course, Shirogane doted and paid no heed to her words, so her response was to lock Izumi's head around her arm and aggressively pet her head. As a result, her combed hair was undone and a complete mess. Izumi was the dearest to Shirogane and the mere moment of the innocent girl's smile was engraved in her memory.

[I see. So everything finally came back to you, huh. I suppose death is where your life unravels right before your eyes...]

Hel remained in her throne but the appearance of the throne room was the original one she had. As usual, Hel was indifferent even when her eyes lazily glanced at her host quiet in one corner. Shirogane, still in her human appearance, embraced her legs while her back on the wall. Hel usually prefer silence and peace, but the sight of the devil's mood only irritated her.

"Izumi...is my sister...and she came along with me. She was killed...by Freyja" Shirogane gritted her teeth

"Shiro..."

"My sister meant everything to me...so I tried to protect her. Then I discovered...she was your first host...when she transformed like you..."

"Our meeting by chance and she was compatible me more than I am with you. Izumi's character was a vampire magic caster. Undead and magic fit my criteria of a compatible host after all" Hel rested her head on her right arm

"Hel, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Izumi wished to wipe her existence from your memory to spare you the pain of losing you. I was actually fond of that girl, so I granted her two wishes"

"Two?"

"The first was to wipe your and Isshiki's memory while the second...was to seal Gungnir since it's a World Item that ignores any form of defenses. It's what she used to kill Izumi..."

World Items were incredibly rare and one of a kind. Each one possessed an insane ability like how Longinus can annihilate the target out of existence along with the user. However, Shirogane's focus was towards her sister's killer who failed to do the same to her as well. Her eyes that once averted her surroundings even and paid no mind their affairs, it now dilated with sheer fury and bloodlust. Never once Shirogane bear deep grudge or the focused desire to slaughter others.

The blood loss was finally blocked before it became fatal and the blood on her white uniform had long dried in a dark brown color after an hour of exposure to air. Still, the arch-devil remained completely unconscious and motionless on the ground. Her limbs were completely limp and the temperature on her skin lost most of its warmth.

"What happened...?" Ainz softly asked

"Ainz-san..." Isshiki removed his helmet and revealed a human-like face

He had just arrived in a building's ruins far from Re-Estize Kingdom's capital and found Isshiki in a corner with a visibly wounded Shirogane. There wasn't a single human inhabitant in a kilometer radius, so the Flame Lord had to settle in the wilderness. The latter remained alive but her life force was faint and should have been extinguished from the fatal stab from behind.

"Freyja, the Queen of the Valkyries, was here as well. She stabbed Shirogane from the back and beat her up while she was already down. That wretched woman took the opportunity of Shirogane's devil race and the fact Hel is currently weaker" Isshiki smashed his fist on the ground

Unlike Shirogane, Isshiki had far greater physical damaged, but right now he restrained his strength. Shirogane remained unconscious just a few inches in front of him, so he couldn't afford to destroyed the already weathered concrete of the ruins. He merely held enough to crack the surface of the concrete ground even if his fist shook in complete fury.

"What...?" Ainz tightened the grip on his staff

"Hel is keeping her alive and I used Surtr's flames to stop the bleeding and close the wound"

"So she's going to be fine?" Ainz approached him

"Yes, but the divine spear will slow down her healing. I'm not completely fond of Hel, but Shirogane's regenerative abilities and immunities come from her. Freyja's spear is very troublesome...even for me"

Isshiki placed his hand just above Shirogane's healed skin and made sure to not physically touch her. The additional tears and lost fabric on the abdomen part suggested that not only she was stabbed in a simple manner, the weapon was twisted.

"Did you say...it was someone named Freyja?" Ainz grunted

"A God just like Hel, but she's someone more experienced in combat. Unlike Hel, Freyja completely dominated her host and has all of her powers"

"She was proud to stab Shirogane from the back and made sure death wasn't swift..."

Kindle shaped cracks on Isshiki's cheeks and his eyes blazed with reddish heat. It was natural for him to be upset with how Shirogane would have died if he wasn't present at the scene.

"I knew something was up when Hel said she felt a Valkyrie's presence in the capital. If I hadn't followed Shiro out of worry, Hel might have used drastic measures to keep her alive" Isshiki exhaled deeply and pulled his hand away

"I'm thankful you were there in time" Ainz sincerely replied

"Ainz-san, I want to kill Freyja more than ever. Shiro and I were childhood friends and even worked together...so there's no way I'll forgive anyone who hurts her"

"Calm down. If she was able to sneak up and land powerful blow on Players like us, then it's more reason for us to be cautious"

"Nngh...ugh..." Shirogane turned her head to the left

"Shiro, you awake now? Shiro! Hey, Shiro-"

When the excited Isshiki grabbed both of Shirogane's shoulders and vigorously shook her, the response given to him was a direct uppercut to his jaw. Shirogane curled up her right fist and landed a critical blow on his chin. The fire elemental was lifted from the ground by pure strength and flew at least four meters into the air before he landed not far from where he initially sat.

"Shut up...you're too noisy..." Shirogane struggled to open her eyes

Her external wounds have fully healed, but the pain of her damaged organs remained. What she felt like was a pins lodged inside her and barbed wires coiled around her organs. It took her at least a whole minute just to lift her back from the ground. The pain on her abdomen was unbearable only when she begun to lift her body which need to bend her back and affect her abdomen as a result.

"Don't push yourself too far. Isshiki said you're still too weak" Ainz stretched out his hands

"I...was fighting...the Valkyrie Queen only for the bitch to stab me in the back" Shirogane accepted his assistance

Her numb still felt somewhat numb and her limbs shivered from the recent recovery, but she gladly squeezed his boney fingers. Ainz slowly assisted her to stand on both feet with his other hand on her back in case she needed extra support. The pain was clear to him with how Shirogane pressed her abdomen still stained by her own blood.

"How were you taken by surprise? If I recall, you had detection skills since you tend to farm by yourself" Ainz wanted to learn more

"I was actually fighting her Einherjar which was a perfect replica of her minus the skills. That skill of hers had aggro and taunt which forced me to focus on it alone" Shirogane now stood up on her own

"Freyja obviously possessed Valkyrie skills but on a different level. It's how her holy magic penetrated Shirogane's defenses just like that"

Isshiki lifted both legs up in the air and gained enough force to push the rest of his body up the moment his feet swiftly connected to the ground. He immediately joined the three and even completely brushed off the weak punch from a weakened devil.

"Shirogane, your organs have yet to fully heal so you're still very weak" Isshiki immediately warned her

"Until we can analyze the enemy's numbers and their skills, we need to keep a low profile" Ainz also suggested

"I'm not planning on dying early, but it's best if you don't get involved with this, Ainz-san. I don't want to endanger Nazarick..."

"That woman is my enemy now since she attacked an ally of mine" Ainz's was serious with his grudge

If it was just a normal player, Shirogane wouldn't have been worried to fight Freyja again. She feared the involvement of others, specially after she lost a good portion of her strength. Right now, she only had enough strength to normally move her body but not enough how she constantly moved in battle. What she felt like is how her abdomen felt lighter and hotter from the recent holy damage.

"I should have known a Valkyrie was in the capital with how Hel had been uneasy lately..." Shirogane staggered back

"Careful" Isshiki rushed to put her left arm over his shoulder

Shirogane gently pressed her abdomen and she could barely act as if she wasn't in great pain. Her whole body still felt partially numb that even her vision swayed. The image two player in front of her doubled back and forth and she let out soft groans of frustration.

"Ainz-san, we're going back to Eljudnir first. The castle can recover a bit of her strength but it will take a day" Isshiki felt even more worried

"Yeah. Shiro is too weak to move much right now. We'll discuss what happened after she feels a bit better" Ainz agreed

"We'll see you soon, Ainz-san. I'll have to keep an eye on her for a while"

"I might not visit Nazarick for a while now that Freyja is here and wants me dead" Shirogane was dismayed

"It's fine. Just focus on regaining some of your strength" Ainz raised his hand

Since Shirogane can barely move on her own, Isshiki stretched out his hand and opened a nearly pitch black portal wide enough for two people to fit in. He carefully took one step and slowed down his pace so Shirogane wouldn't have to strain himself. The pair took their time to enter the Gate Spell and vanished completely through it.

"Freyja the Valkyrie Queen, huh. If she can pierce through the defense of a maxed player, then she might be the first real threat here..."

The appearance of the Valkyrie Queen alerted Ainz's cautious nature. He squeezed his staff, still visibly displeased even if the supposed fatal stab failed to instantly kill Shirogane. His undead body suppressed his humanity and emotions, but the reddish emotion of anger remained in his thoughts.

Two hours later

Shirogane rested in her personal room where she also stored some of her magic items and equipment. The area was spacious and her surroundings were quiet, not a peep from the outside, but she was still in discomfort. Her organs have mildly regenerated thanks to Hel's magic, but the power of a Vanir Goddess still physically scarred her.

[I should have known. If I acted sooner, Freyja wouldn't have taken us by surprise...] Hel felt responsible

"I should be saying the same thing. My time here made me forget about the fact other Gods might be here too. I've been focused on the mind controlling World Item"

Shirogane crawled out her bed and slid herself just by the side of the bed. She rested her barely recovered body at the side of the bed and stretched out her legs at the soft maroon carpet.

"When I nearly died, my life flashed before my eyes. I remembered Izumi...who is actually my younger sister. She was dragged here with me...but she died..." Shirogane swept her loosened hair

Without a ponytail, her pure white hair with slightly curly ends flowed down beyond her shoulder blades. She blew her a portion of her bangs that settled between her eyes, but the strands of hair simply returned.

"Why didn't you help the humans from wherever you came from? They were cursed and you can remove it, so why not help them?"

[It's their undoing. Those humans tried to use my magic and backfired horribly. They sought to conquer death and even sacrificed people for it...only for them to be in constant death. Freyja wanted to remove their pain, so she travelled to Helheim to ask for my help]

"So you refused...obviously"

[If they didn't try to sate their greed, I would have cured them. Since all those who enter Helheim cannot bury the truth, I chose to not side with anyone out of my personal judgment. The souls of those they stepped on and sacrificed were in pain when they came to my realm]

"Then as the Goddess of Death you can feel their pain?"

[Freyja is biased towards humans alone, so I refused her request. She would try to save even greedy kings and nobles since she saw it as a duty to protect humanity]

"They all died horribly just like their victims and she blamed you for it. No wonder she had so much grudge. How many enemies did you make?"

[They reaped what they sow. Their blindness for power backfired at them and I saw no reason to provide salvation. People like them...are unworthy of life]

I can't say I don't agree since I won't save people like that. My decision was to only save who fights to live...

Shirogane was barely surprised with Hel's reasons and even had a mildly indifferent tone. In a way, she understood a bit to why she refused to involve herself with most humans because Shirogane herself barely cared about the affair of humans. They may be physically incompatible, but both never immediately hate anyone at first sight. The devil bent her head and rest on the side of her bed. She was gathered air in her lungs and let it out in a deep exhale. Small patch of frost spread out on several areas of her room even if Shirogane was neither upset nor depressed.

"I still don't remember everything but at least I remember Izumi. Was that memory unsealed because I was so close to death?"

[Yeah. Just like you said, your life flashed before your eyes. In death, your life becomes unraveled and unearth even your darkest secrets. You're fortunate the Goddess of Death is fused with you]

"My little sister's death or Inveria. I don't know which one I should be focusing first..."

[Do what you have to do. I'm not the best when it comes to understanding emotions]

Hel couldn't directly say she wished to comfort but she lacked the empathy. All she could do was converse with her to remind that there was always someone with her. She knew Shirogane didn't blame her for memories sealed for centuries, but she chose to observe her. Right now, Shirogane stretched out her limbs while she rested on the side of her bed and blankly stared at the dim ceiling. Her thoughts drifted somewhere and she let out another emotionally exhausted sigh.

"Ugh...just when I thought I made peace with all the bullshit I went through centuries ago..."

Shirogane pulled her legs and wrapped her arms around it. She buried her face in her arms and let out muffled screams. Only in her own room she could speak out her frustrations and screamed at herself freely. As someone who had always been a subordinate, to be at the very top without notice and keep up a flawless image was initially a near impossible challenge for her.

Re-Estize Kingdom capital

Fortunately for Evileye, her arcane magic and the Demon Lord's whims gave her enough time to seal her wound and fully recover in the aftermath. However, their second encounter was much more one-sided than the first one. Shirogane didn't even unsheathe any of her swords and only used brute force to break her bones. The small and petite vampire brooded even while she was in Lakyus' home to relax along with her comrades.

"That demon. If I had known she was a warrior and magic caster at the same time"

Evileye nibbled on a large biscuit while she and the rest of her friends relaxed in the spacious garden. The afternoon weather was perfect and it became peaceful again once the kingdom started to rebuild the collateral damage from the surprise attack. Unfortunately, only Evileye wasn't in the mood to even inhale the scent of flowers in the air and sulked on her own.

"Stop moping, shorty. You faced against a Demon Lord class devil" Gagaran slapped her in the back

"I've seen her fight against Jaldabaoth. They were equal until Jaldabaoth fled the scene and fought Momon of Darkness" Lakyus crossed her arms

"Jaldabaoth is a complete monster from his presence alone, but the devil is suppressing her bloodlust and magic. With a just a touch, she instantly killed me and resurrected me at the same time. Not to mention, her physical strength contradicts her appearance"

Evileye eye shook her head when she recalled how the arch-devil beat her with few spells and little effort. The encounter ended with Evileye badly injured and the devil disappeared somewhere.

"A powerful death magic caster, huh. I'm sure we can take her if we're all together" Gagaran was confident

"She mentioned her home was somewhere in the Great forest of Tob, but I don't think it's smart to charge without a plan. For now, we can assume she's a strong as Jaldabaoth who was able to kill Gagaran and Tia in one spell..." Lakyus clenched her fists

There's a bigger monster than Jaldabaoth. That half undead woman felt like she held the concept of death in her hands...and her power was like a pitch black void...

Evileye restrained the fear she felt when Hel made her presence more obvious than Shirogane. The Goddess herself displayed her status without much restraint and that encounter was engraved in Evileye's memory. Who she feared now wasn't the devil, but the individual who lurked inside the devil.

"When I reported about that white devil, who despises Jaldabaoth, it seems the Head Warrior is curious about her. Devils are extremely sadistic and love to kill humans, but she didn't kill me and even spared Evileye. It was the first time I saw a devil with little bloodlust" Lakyus found it suspicious

"Devils are known to be arrogant too. She spared us thinking she could kill us whenever she felt like it"

"That's true, but it's dangerous to provoke a devil like that. When we first met her, she wasn't so different from a human. There's also a possibility she has an army like that Jaldabaoth. Demon Lords are the nobles of demons, so they both have the manpower and wealth" Gagaran slapped both of her own knees

"Is evil boss thinking of reasoning with a more evil demon?" Tia raised her hand

"Probably. That demon is nicer compared to Jaldabaoth" Tina added

"It just that she had the opportunity to kill us when we met her first and the attack on the capital, so why didn't she? There's no benefit in sparing us since she doesn't care about humans like other devils..."

That devil didn't kill me since she wanted to know about Inveria. Only that half undead knew my name and my past. Is she really the Goddess of Death?

When she thought about the indifferent gaze from Hel, dread and chill spread throughout her. An undead like her instinctively feared the one woman who ruled the afterlife of "unworthy death". Not only her height towered even a normal adult human, her elegant and regal appearance coiled a pressure not just on her limbs but on her chest as well. She couldn't fully admit that Goddess Hel was an incomprehensible being even for someone like her who lived for two hundred years and helped defeat the Evil Deities.

Gazef had minor sounds and bruises after he used up all his strength to defend the king and his men from Jaldabaoth's attack. He rested in his home, but he groaned even while he chugged a whole mug of beer while Brain completely relaxed himself and even took a piece of bread from the table. The slight dark mark under his eyes were a sign he either lacked sleep or didn't sleep at all. It was possible of him due to his diligence and fortitude as a warrior and protector.

"Why are you so down? You minimized casualties, right?" Brain wiped the side of his own mouth

"Other than the devil called Jaldabaoth, I saw a glimpse of another devil. I was certain of it because she was completely human-like and her only inhumane features were horns and slightly pointy ears" Gazef slammed his beer mug on top of the table

"She? Another devil?"

"..."

"Why are you so concerned about?"

"She was a bit far and only saw her from behind, but who crossed my mind was the young warrior I encountered in the Great forest of Tob"

"Are they the same person?" Brain leaned closer

"...I can't tell but I chose to believe they weren't the same person"

Even when Gazef denied it, the emotion in his eyes alone couldn't mask it. He was someone who always believed in the goodness of others that it would sometimes come out as ignorance. His pure heart was his weakness and that drew a concerned expression in Brain's face.

"If I was in your place, I would have believed they were the same person. She told you not to dive deeper in the forest, right?"

"...Yeah. This morning, Lakyus from Blue Roses informed me how this devil claimed to reside in that forest. The devil was described as a girl with pure white hair and sky blue eyes"

"Ha! I knew it!" Brain slapped his knee

"My plan is to investigate the forest per the king's permission. I want to confirm whether this devil is the same girl who saved those humans"

"You're still doubting just because she saved a few people? Demons are sneaky bastards, specially the smart ones" Brain refused to believe the slightest

Gazef recalled the memory of when he encountered the young warrior with a calm and gentle demeanor. When Shirogane even rescued two children and even acted like an older sister towards them, Gazef remained doubtful of what he saw. The smile Shirogane had that day wasn't the least forced but his vice captain did suspect something was amiss.

"Even if she was indeed a demon, I still hoped she won't threaten the kingdom. As much as possible, I don't want to fight a demon who could have human emotions" Gazef heavily sighed

"As much as I respect you, I don't think there will be a demon that could act like a human or even think like one" Brain still refused to believe

"Then I hope it's the type of demon who wouldn't attack unless disturbed. I owed her for saving those people and those two kids. She even destroyed the monster camp on her own"

"Devils are more vicious than vampires, you know..."

"Still..."

There was no more room for Gazef to continue because the possibility of the two being the same person weighed on him. The atmosphere around them grew heavy, specially with how Gazef vacantly stared at his arms on top of the table. Their mindset and morals were different, namely with how Gazef would even spare a criminal if they surrendered.

"H-how about some sparring session to take off your mind about this whole devil thing?" Brain cleared his throat

"I could use some warm up. As a warrior, I can't have my blade be rusty" Gazef wholeheartedly laughed

"Hey, we could invite Climb too. The kid could use more proper training from the nest warrior in the kingdom" Brain lifted his almost empty mug

"Hahaha. Climb can both learn from us. He's young, but he could be the next Head Warrior if he strives to be one" Gazef lifted his as well

They shared a toast together and Gazef's expression finally brightened and filled with hope. However, it didn't full remove the concern on the possibility of the devil and young warrior shared the same identity. His friend and also rival wanted him to forger his worries even for a day, and he couldn't bear anyone's worry for him.