I was feeling a strong withdrawal of Overlord content and was casually listening to a classical playlist when a song by Joe Hisaishi, "Merry-Go-Round" came on. You might be wondering where any of this is going. I literally wrote a fanfiction just to depict a ballroom dance to go with the song. It is a blatant self-insert of my own feelings while listening to the song. If you were to get anything out of this terrible writing, I hope it would be that it's a truly wonderful song.

Oh, I'd think something more akin to "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter would suit everything prior to the dance.

Prologue: Conclusion of an Age

"Hey, man. You haven't been on the guild's VR environment in months. Recently, we've been discussing what to play after YGGDRISIL servers shut down. Everyone really wants you to be there. Jessicool says she misses your hugs and Ven desperately needs someone else to listen to him talk about those make-believe dice games he likes so much. We all miss you…"

A sigh escaped his friend. His guildmates understood that the absence of a response did not equate to an absence of caring, but it still hurt.

"Well, we'll be here when you're ready to come back. You'll always be Seraphis, guild master of the Seraphim, to us."

His angelic guildmate waited a moment in silence before displaying a smiley emoticon and logging out. At first, many of his guildmates had come to say similar things. Those numbers slowly dwindled as his promises to join them repeatedly went unfulfilled. Every time he decided to accompany them, he would get one icon away, before feeling uneasy and promptly closing the menu. The longer this went on, the harder it became to even get that far. Before long, the very thought of joining his friends lost all luster.

His guildmates assumed that something must have happened IRL. They were aware of his work in the medical field and felt a terrible incident must have made him this way. Of course, he let them believe such was the case, as the reality was much worse. Nothing. Nothing at all had gone wrong. He was extremely well off with his work. He lived in his own home within a luxurious biodome that mimicked Earth's environment prior to its polluting. If his guildmates knew he had his own orchard and garden being maintained by his employers, they'd have questioned why he played YGGDRISIL at all. The truth was that he felt helpless.

He treated the elite at their leisure. His value was enough in their minds that he was forbidden from leaving the biodome for fear of his coming to harm. He was nothing more than a skilled indentured servant as far as they were concerned. There was no tragic beginning or appalling end. Just a monotonous existence. One lacking love, kindness, and most of all, freedom.

That all changed when a friend from his childhood discovered news of a new DMMORPG being launched in Japan. A game based on the very concept of freewill. Nine worlds with hundreds of classes and countless races. A universe where he may be free, if only for a while. Like any new distraction, he immediately purchased the required equipment and had a fellow practitioner install the required cerebral socket. He dove into YGGDRISIL without any prior knowledge, helping everyone he could, all while trying to make the perfect build for that purpose. His IRL job slowly felt less shameful now that he could put his excess wages towards helping others, even if it was only in a mutual escape from reality. It took only a week for him to begin spending more time inside YGGDRISIL than IRL. Word spread across YGGDRISIL of the strange angelic heteromorph that insisted on helping beginner players no matter how many times he was PKed for it. His endless supply of cash items made some players begin to think he was secretly a developer messing around. Those that joined his side formed the beginning of what would later become Seraphim, his precious guild. Those will always be his most cherished memories. Of that, he is sure.

Shit. He allowed himself to become lost in thought again.

Seraphis uncrossed his legs and set down his copy of an early 22nd century light novel. This would be a normal sight if not for his avatar. He was the first to achieve the rare race of Seraph due to his unique build as a being of compassion and healing. In YGGDRISIL, angel races were modeled after their Christianity origins, down to the three pairs of fire-wreathed wings. In his case, there is his world item, a burning halo of sun, as well. Seraphis stood up and felt his body press against his wings as they curled around his limbs. The soft brushing of the feathers never ceased to make him relax.

If only there was more time to enjoy the little things. I would have liked to have visited the rest of the Halls of Valhalla, but I'll settle for initiating the banquet AI protocol. One last dance to celebrate the end.

The effects of the protocol were immediately observed as he teleported into the throne room. The NPCs of his and his friend's design were standing at tables filled with every delicacy of the nine realms. The musicians played a calming tune until Seraphis commanded them to switch to a more appropriately somber song. He had spent a truly wasteful amount of money on expanding the data capacity of the guild to an obsessive level. It only went towards pointless things, such as visuals, sound, and AI programming capabilities, all in an effort to create the perfect world for those who needed it the most. Visiting players were always amazed by the detail in every inch of the design. Truly a paradise amidst chaos.

Seraphis gently flew over to the center of the hall before turning to face the head table. It originally sat his closest guildmates. In their absence, he programmed the eleven strongest NPCs, the first creations of the original members of Seraphim, to take their place.

"Ahem. I thank all of you for gathering here today. All the other guild members have left to assist mortal realms and it would seem my time has come as well. I am not accustomed to making elegant speeches, so I will simply speak from the heart. I treasure each and every one of you as much as my guildmates. You began as simple creations, but I have come to love all of you as family in their absence. I have full confidence that you will perform admirably in our absence, and I look forward to the day we might meet again, in this life or the next. Before I am summoned away, I hope that all of you will join me for one last dance."

His lant sentence triggered his most grand program to date. The NPCs moved to the center of the hall. Ten of the top NPCs paired off. The original members each created their NPCs as the perfect partners, in both design and personality. Unforeseeably, the ten members ended up pairing off together in game and IRL, instead. Finding the result terribly sad, his friends decided to pair off their creations in turn. This left Seraphis with his creation standing alone before him.

Lariel. His archangel of vengeance and tranquility. She was designed to be his sword and shield, his divine protector. His build allows him to give buffs in the form of blessings to those who declare their faith in him, and her build took full advantage of this ability. As one of the eleven heralds, she took pride in her responsibility of protecting and praising her creators. Though, tonight that has taken a different form.

A deep blue ball gown contrasted perfectly against her alabaster skin. Her white wings fluttered gently as he took her right hand and placed his on her back. His glowing eyes were reflected in her deep purple irises as they peered up at him. If his avatar could display emotions, it would be displaying a tranquil smile in that moment. Only two minutes remained before the servers shut down. On his signal, the orchestra changed to the song of the night.

Seraphis danced to the melody as easily as he breathed. Their forms blended as one and they smoothly traveled amid the perfectly dispersed pairs. Lariel's shoulder length blonde hair captivated Seraphis as it danced with each spin. His own white, grey hair swayed gently in its downward ponytail, with it flowing between his wings as they began to beat. The song seized his heart as he gently ascended into the air, the sound of their wings tenderly flapping in synchronization.

If only this moment could last forever. Soon, all this will be nothing more than a fleeting memory. Alas, life must go on… NO. It can't end like this. He needed more time. He has experienced ups and downs his entire life, but he only ever felt truly alive in this virtual world, amongst all those he met over the years.

Tears started to fill his eyes as the song approached its climax. Unable to maintain his composure, he pulled Lariel into an embrace, each of their wings curling around them. A wave of momentary peace washed over him before her warmth and scent brought forth a fresh wave of tears down his face.

"I…I don't want to go. I…I can't…I love all of you so much. I don't know what I would do if you were gone."

Seraphis squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he braced himself for the forced disconnect that was sure to follow at any moment. A hand gently cupping his cheek caused him to suddenly open his eyes in shock. Lariel gazed up at him, tears filling her own eyes.

"I am your sword and protector. I will be by your side for all of eternity, my lord. I love you more than all of creation, and I hope you love me most of all as well."

A slight grin alighted her face as she teased her creator. Before he was able to process her words, she leaned in for a kiss. The soft press of her lips caused an explosion of heat within his chest. He knew in that moment that everything was going to be okay.

Afterword

I'm still not sure why I spent my evening writing this. I hope you at least took mild enjoyment from this if you made it this far. On my way out, I'll recommend "Temple White" by Ludovico Einaudi as an accompaniment to the ending scene.