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200 Years Later…
The burning of wood cackled from behind her like a wicked laugh, mocking her miserable state. The sounds of metal colliding burst her ears open, each resonance represented another of her peer's death.
People she grew up with- childhood friends that played together, aunts and uncles who ate with her family- were clinging to their last breaths of life as she fled with her eyes shut.
Despite her tear-stained face, she kept on running.
Only the blood blended between smoke and stone permeated the air, polluting the ripe fields that were being tilled this morning with the stench of death.
She clamped her eyelids shut, hoping everything would return to normal when they loosened, wishing it was only a dream.
Yet nothing changed.
-This was reality.
Why did she have to run away from home? Why couldn't her parents come with her? Why did they have to arrive and ruin everything?
Her life was perfect- as perfect as it could be for a simple villager.
She would get up with the sun, set out to fetch water for her family, and enjoy the company of her loved ones.
Still, those demons had to show up.
She didn't do anything wrong- nobody did.
So why was this happening? Was this divine punishment from the gods?
Mountains of questions piled in her mind that remained unanswered. Yet her feet kept pulling her forward.
When she focused on the peripheral of her eyes, the blurry image of her sister motivated her to continue moving. If anything, even if she dies, she will keep her sister alive.
This was the promise she made to herself; a promise she had to keep if she ever wanted to face her parents again.
There's no going back, there's no home to have, and the only family was within her trembling hands.
Where do I go…
Her desperate thoughts wandered the horizon as she searched for a lifeline to jump at, but her vision was full of endless fields.
When her head turned to the side, she thought of all the horror stories her mother spoke of. About the forest standing beside their village, full of monsters lurking in the dark, and searching for the naughty children to devour.
No, not that place!
She was caught between a rock and a hard place, where both sides were equivalent to death. If she stayed or tried to flee, her legs would give out, and then their horses would catch up.
However, if she hid beneath the groves, there may be a sliver of hope.
That is, if monsters don't get to her first.
She bit her lip as if to draw blood, solidifying her resolve, and she sped up.
Though her sister was gasping beside her, struggling to keep up, she still ran- no, she pulled her forward.
When they reached the forest edge, she didn't hesitate nor did she look back. She shuttled between the dark spaces and only knew to drive further.
She didn't know for how far she fled, but shortly after, she tripped over herself and landed with an Oof!
"Onee-chan… Ha… Haaa… my legs hurt."
"It's okay, we can rest now that-"
Her face twisted and her heart froze the instant she noticed a growing shadow from behind.
"...n-no way…"
"Hehehe… You sure know how to run…"
Behind her, a knight clad in shining armor brandished his sword, shedding the fresh blood that laced its blade.
He could have passed off as a hero, but the reality was contrary.
-He was a Demon.
The girl shot up and placed her sister at her back. She tried to block his path and buy time for her to flee.
"Run! Get out of- Arrgh!"
The Knight's blade lashed her frontside, and she fell back without the strength to brace herself. Blood rolled out of her chest, staining her clothes as it dyed red.
"Onee-chan…"
Her sister quickly brought her closer, trying to cover what blood she could from the giant slash mark.
Her world began to blur but not from the moistness of her tears, rather it was from her fleeting life.
She gazed at the girl above her, burning the sweet, innocent face of her sister into memory.
It should've been the other way around…
If she was stronger, she could have fought back. She could have held off- if only for a couple more seconds- for her sister to flee. She could have done anything other than die before the one she should have protected.
Her only regret was that her parents' sacrifices were for naught.
"...I...I'm s-sorry…" she whispered lifelessly. She resigned herself to fate and closed her eyes, ready to accept death.
Though she couldn't see him, she could hear the footsteps approaching. Each step was a heartbeat that pounded in her soul.
She could envision the knight as he raised his blade once more, preparing to force it down into her body. She heard her sister weeping beside her.
At this moment, all she cared enough to listen to was the heartbeat of the body close to her. It was the last embrace she could hope for from her sister.
And then- it fell.
The sword cut through the air, reaping their lives away.
I'm sorry.
The sound of metal reached her, and she died.
She wasn't afraid of death. It was something that everyone experienced in their lives; the only difference was at what point would it occur. She had hoped to live for a couple of decades, marry a man she fell in love with, birth a child or ten, and then die in peace as her grandchildren gathered around her.
Though this life was impossible now, she didn't regret that she fell short.
Her only regret was that her sister had to follow the same steps of fate.
However- she still heard sobbing.
The loud sobs that she focused on were still ringing in her ears, and the liquid droplets along her skin were still dancing.
She was still breathing, and her sister was still crying-
Then what did the sword hit?
She was certain she heard an impact. Yet their lives were still intact.
She pushed her remaining energy into prying her eyes open and tilting her head to fall sideways.
The first thing she saw was metallic grieves. The knight's feet were still planted into the ground, but when her eyes drifted to the side, that was when she saw it-
His sword.
Laying on the ground, motionlessly, was his blade; the very weapon that was to take their lives moments prior.
As she pondered how it ended up there, a new sound echoed into her ears.
Dripping.
The familiar sound of a water leak, causing it to slowly spill.
It was because her eyes remained on the sword that she saw it.
Red droplets, like the tears of her sister, dripped onto the sharp edge. Following the traces, she focused elsewhere and her eyes widened with shock when it reached the hilt.
To be precise, it was the fingers still clenching to it.
Huh?
She would've let out a weird noise if she had the energy to do so, but why was his arm there? It was gripping his weapon as it was before, but the only difference was that his arm was on the ground- while his body was still standing.
H-how?
Still, the sound of liquid droplets landing reached her again.
-Blood.
The droplets of red blood continued to land on the sword's blade, and the rate between each impact shortened. The once sparse droplets began to leak faster. One drop became two, and two became four; until a stream spewed.
By the time her eyes focused on the knight above, she saw the place his arm was torn off. But before her eyes could round, she saw something behind him.
Claws?
The tiny fingers of a child gripped behind the knight's neck, holding him in a position between life and death. The once-proud knight, a merciless killer, had been reduced to a prey unable to beg for his life.
His face had passed the point of paleness. It was aghast and devoid of life. And the only hints he was still alive were the wrinkles of fear wreathing around him.
She stared and watched the knight feel the same pain she felt, and a swirl of peace engulfed her. At least justice had been granted to her.
The more she watched his silent display, the more she felt something amiss.
Who was this mysterious person that saved us... Would this person continue to help us... And why is his face turning so white...
All the color of blood was draining from his complexion at a visible rate.
By the time his skin resembled wax, the hand gripping his neck loosened and he fell limp.
That was when she saw it-
A true monster.
Two crimson eyes curiously stared back at her. They belonged to a girl not much older than her own sister, but the pair of fangs was evident she wasn't human.
A Vampire.
She had only heard of them in myths and fairytales from when she was younger. How would she know that there was a vampire in this haunted place?
She racked her brain to figure out any way to avoid this, yet she knew it was futile. Vampires were creatures who thirst for the blood of their prey, feening for each victim. But-
Why does this one look so… friendly?
Before she could beg for mercy, the loss of blood caught up to her and her vision turned black.
Keno Fasris Invern- one of the founding members of Eternal Paradise, a nation that expanded across the vast mountain ranges to the north, and the forests and territory that surrounded it.
Although it wasn't recognized by the nearby countries, it was a place where monsters and heteromorphs could live in peace without the oppression that humanity enforced. Although there were many humanoids and demihumans within their rule, it was a place where everyone was equal underneath the government.
That is-
The New Ainz Ooal Gown.
Originally the second seat of this organization, she faithfully followed her friend around the continent and explored many phenomenons. Along their journey, more heteromorphs and monsters joined their ranks and they would venture across the continent for dozens of decades.
Their leader existed for many centuries before meeting her and had found many natural oddities within his time alive. She heard of many tales of this world- and another- from him that intrigued her. However, she still couldn't fathom the depth of her friend.
There were only a handful of times when she saw him truly exert his power, but even then it was only a fraction of it. The raw gap between them was so great that witnessing it hastened the heartbeat that she believed would remain frozen forever.
But their days of adventuring would come to an end when they reached the Northwest territory of the continent.
When their leader found a relic of the past, as he put it, he hung his banner and secluded himself in his home. As fellows who followed him through life and death, the remaining members of New Ainz Ooal Gown settled in this part of the world too.
Their power was easily recognized by their fellow inhabitants of the area, and many would flock towards them for protection as the nearby countries would crusade against them.
Thus Eternal Paradise formed.
Essentially, they were a den of monsters and would remain to themselves. They kept to their own and let the world turn by itself. However, every now and then there would be a group that gets exiled and banished from their territory.
Although they didn't care what happened afterward, they always had to remain vigilant.
If the demihumans and monsters vie for revenge, or the humans attempted to invade, the security measures would instantly go off- alarming the Council of exposure.
As such, when the spell activated and she was informed, Keno had left to investigate what caused it.
That was when she saw the two girls. Though she was centuries older than them, she still pitied the young girl who was around her age when her life changed.
She too had watched those she loved fall victim to a fate worse than death.
Perhaps it was something akin to seeing a reflection of herself, but she felt compelled to act.
As the armored knight was prepared to strike a fatal blow, her hand lightly seared into his skin upon instinct, and she held him still. Like a hot knife cutting through butter, her other set of claws severed his arm.
When the sword crashed into the ground and the clanging reached her ears, she was pulled back to reality and understood what she had just done.
We're not supposed to interfere with human affairs… I acted too hastily!
Though she wanted to berate herself, the two childish eyes- bewildered at the scene- stared back at her and forbade her from feeling any remorse. Though she could kill them both- as they both had trespassed into foreign territory, doing so was contrary to her previous actions of saving the sisters.
If she let them return alive, the countries involved with this conflict would certainly begin a campaign to root out a vampire spotted nearby, and would band together with more countries when they learn the existence of Eternal Paradise and the many dangers lurking in the woods.
She could use her [Mystic Eyes] to suppress their memory, but that didn't mean their home would be safe now.
After all, there are two sides to a conflict, and a Knight willing to chase them into unknown territory wouldn't act alone. His peers would certainly suppress those who couldn't flee.
Then what should she do with them?
"-Arrgh! Why's it so complicated!?"
Keno tightly hugged her head and mulled over her predicament.
Centuries of fighting experience posed no aid, and it wouldn't be wrong to say her mental capacity was as it appeared- that of a child. How is a child supposed to handle foreign political affairs?
She turned her head when a dull thump retrieved her roaming thoughts, only to see that the older sister had passed out at some point in time. The blood staining her peach blouse was evident, and the amount of blood loss would have killed her if not for the adrenaline she felt.
I should heal her first.
Behind the pitch-black cloak garnering her petite body, a small cloth pouch was tied to her back. She was about to reach for a potion vial to give the younger sister, but then she remembered her potions were filled with negative energy.
Her mouth scrunched and she pouted. In over the two centuries since being born, she had never expected to be in this predicament.
"Haahhh… I guess there's no choice then."
Her only option was to bring them back with her so the girl could be treated, and the complacent look on her face betrayed the notion of her words.
"Don't resist."
Though her voice was as calming as she could muster it to be, the smaller girl began to shiver in fear.
Her heartbeat hastened and her breathing weighed. Every sound was captured by Keno's vampiric senses.
"D-don't hurt her! T-take me instead!" The auburn girl declared, choosing to act boldly for the first time.
"I'll bring you both back with-"
"-No!"
She stood in front of her sister and stretched out her arms as if she was an unbreakable wall. Her sister had become severely injured while trying to protect her, and now it was her turn to shield her sister.
Seeing this scene, Keno flatly smiled at the irony.
Against a Knight in shining armor who wanted to kill them, the young girl could only hide behind in fear. But against the Vampire who saved them, she was putting on a brave face.
The irony left a bitter taste on her tongue.
"If you don't come with me, your sister will really die."
Those words were enough to create a subtle hesitation that Keno took advantage of. Though her words were true, she didn't have all the time to spend explaining things.
As soon as the little girl's arms dropped to her side, Keno flashed past her and arrived beside her sister.
Her claws had already receded back into two soft hands, gently placing them outwards: one on the unconscious girl's head and the other on the little girl's back.
And then she began casting magic. She first cast [Silent Magic - Sleep] and the small girl fell limp, leaning over the blood spurting out of her sister.
Now that things were calm again, Keno could safely take them back to her home- to Eternal Paradise.
As all three of their bodies were in contact, she didn't waste a second of time since the young girl fell asleep, and had already begun activating her next spell.
Magic surrounded her body and extended out, enveloping all three of the girls.
"[Teleportation]"
When her words fell and silence descended the forest glades once more, only the corpse of a knight in armor remained- and a red river of blood beneath, where the altercation occurred minutes ago.
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AN:
I don't usually write Author Notes in my stories, but I felt like I had to do one for this story.
I wanted to thank everyone for all the support and positive feedback on the story so far. This was an idea I had for a really long time (Before I began posting fanfictions) but I felt I wasn't in a position to write this as an Author nor fan of Overlord due to how confusing it might be to convey. The context of this story is very complicated as it has a bunch of prestory and events that don't occur in canon, or differ; and to be exact, it's literally taking the characters and history of the New World, and juggling it around. Most fanfictions usually differ from the Canon due to one or two slight changes to the prestory. For example, Momonga arrives at the New World without Nazarick, Momonga arrives 10 years prior, Momonga is no longer an Undead, and many more- but the fact is that most stories usually take only one or two of these and show how the timeline and plot would occur with a different exposition.
However, Overlord: Origins takes dozens of these little pivots to the prestory and will be about a completely new Overlord story. Most people have pm'ed me asking if this is a continuation of the Vampire Princess side story... and the answer is that it isn't, yet it does have key points that do align with the Bonus Novel. In this story, Suzuki is the first player to arrive so he doesn't come across Keno in the same way he does in the Bonus Novel. Since he arrives first(700 years ago or so) he would have five centuries' worth of adventuring and learning the new world principles before he comes across her thus the Suzuki who befriends Keno isn't the Suzuki potrayed in the Bonus Novel. And there are many more examples of these changes that occur, as I plan to have Suzuki encounter many groups that he didn't/hasn't/ or won't in the New World. For example, the Dragon Emperor, the Six Great Gods, the Eight Greed Kings, the Elf King, and even the new arrival of players of this era. Even some characters that he had met in the Canon will differ (Ex: Enri and Nemu) As such, the way things turn out when everything reaches the canon present time will be different, and even the present timeline will differ.
Overlord: Origins is a story that I feel could be amazing as long as it's written correctly because it's more about slowly uncovering all these little changes in the past by moving forward. However, that's exactly why it's hard. Even now, I still feel that I'm not that great of a writer, but I still wanted to write this and share it for all of you to enjoy.
One of the biggest inspirations for this story and how I wanted to do it was Black Haze. Its a manga that slowly unveils the past and each layer uncovered added more detail and depths to the characters.
Anyways, thank you for all the support from the first chapter. I will do my best to write Overlord: Origins in a way that doesn't screw up too badly. Also, for an update schedule, my goal was to release one chapter a week but I tried that with my other fanfictions before and it put a lot of pressure on me as I write that it either a) made my writing quality drop, or b) fluctuate my drive to write. Therefore, I want to try to publish one chapter a month so I can write without pressure and make the quality of my content better. However, if I write more chapters then I might post it depending on how I feel about its quality and tempo. As of right now, I have the first six chapters written already but still need to revise and edit them before posting.
Once again, thank you for your support. This was a story I had wanted to do for a long time so I greatly appreciate it when you take the time to read it.
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