Chapter 4

Part 1

Demiurge sat in a chair, sorting through the day's stack of reports. The office he was in, if it could be called that, was a single room within the Blazing Shrine on the 7th floor he was tasked with overseeing.

Perhaps it was too plain for somebody of his status, but he insisted that it was unnecessary for beings created only to serve the Almighty Supreme Beings to have desires of their own. As this office was only needed to fulfill the job bestowed upon him, it had no use for decorations.

Each time he picked up a report, he would glance at it for a moment before placing it neatly onto a different stack of paper. This was by no means a sign of laziness, but simply all the time he needed to comprehend the contents of the report and classify its importance.

The largest pile by far was for reports which he only had to remember existed and file away. Next, another stack about a quarter the size of the first was for any information which should be passed to Albedo for further examination, whether because it was related to one of her projects or needed to be passed to another of the Guardians. Last, there was a stack with only a few pieces of paper, consisting of reports which required Ainz's direct attention.

At one point, Ainz had personally received every single report provided by Nazarick's subordinates. If left to their own devices, some of the more human-hating among them might wipe out a city without caring, so he had made sure they would report to him before doing so. The volume of reports proved too large for him to effectively pay attention to though, so he decided to trust Demiurge and Albedo to process those reports in his stead.

These reports were collected from around the world, delivered either in person by subordinates or received through the use of [Message] and transcribed by his lesser subordinates.

Weekly report on the output of his stockyards, up 4% from last week. File away.

Daily report from the Hanzos monitoring the Slane Theocracy: Stalemate against elven No military movements. File away.

Spread of the Sorcerer King's worshipers in the Holy Kingdom: Up 8,200 over the last week. Growth continues as projected. File away.

Request by dwarf smiths in E-Rantel for additional supply of orichalcum. Forward to Albedo to organize delivery.

Training reports from Cocytus: 13 Lizardmen were able to learn martial arts, bringing the total to 127. File away.

The Re-Estize Kingdom has requested to become a protectorate of the Sorcerous Kingdom. Requesting authority to accept on behalf of Ainz-sama.

Demiurge's gaze stopped. For the first time that day, he re-read the report to confirm that he had not misunderstood its contents. Confirming that there was indeed no mistake, he scattered the remaining documents across his desk, picking out the other documents on the same topic. Upon comparing their contents, he stood up and teleported to the 9th floor using the power of the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown.

As he had hoped, Albedo was already waiting in the throne room, though Ainz himself was elsewhere. Noticing Demiurge's appearance, she greeted him with a smile and a light nod.

"Albedo. These is a matter with our conquest of the Re-Estize Kingdom I wish to consult with you about. Do you have time?" (Demiurge)

"Of course, Demiurge. Has something gone wrong? I do not recall anything of note having been scheduled around this time." (Albedo)

"No, nothing is wrong, however… it appears the Kingdom is already prepared to surrender." (Demiurge)

"Hm? Isn't that far too early? Her estimates suggested two years, yet it hasn't been nine months since the agreement. Is there no mistake?" (Albedo)

"I considered the possibility as well, however the report confirms the details. Check it yourself, if you wish." (Demiurge)

As the only surviving member of the royal family, Princess Renner ascended to the throne unopposed. Using Jaldabaoth's summoning by a conspiring faction of nobles as a pretext, nearly all nobility in the country have been imprisoned or executed, with the exception of her immediate supporters. All of this was publicly performed by Raeven, now a Duke and her second-in-command as Prime Minster. He was the diligent workhorse, while she was the beloved leader of the people.

Since it was publicly announced that those nobles were responsible for the disaster which threatened to destroy the capital, all the citizen's ire turned to the nobility, so even such drastic measures would not be seen as tyrannic. The few who could have refuted it were quickly made to disappear, leaving only allies and neutrals who were smart enough to not notice what was happening.

In a single week, she had wiped out all the nobles who had gathered at the castle, then had the remainders declared to be traitors and arrested, all while maintaining an astounding level of public support. The purge meant that the internal functions of the kingdom would grind to a halt, but her task would be accomplished by the time that became known to the public, at which point she could turn it into a national dependence on the Sorcerous Kingdom.

In the capital, Tanya had become a hero whose name was no less famous than Momon's. His magnificent victory against Jaldabaoth was well-known, but it was an abstract thing, seen only by a select few adventurers. Meanwhile, her struggle had played out in front of every single man, woman, and child living in the capital. Rather than a heroic tale spoken of in bars, every single one of the capital's citizens had personally witnessed her fight to the death against a superior foe to save them and their city.

Faced with Jaldabaoth's invasion, the Holy Kingdom despaired. As the one who saved them from certain death, they came to believe that their savior, Ainz Ooal Gown, must be a god.

The capital had spent the better part of a week celebrating Jaldabaoth's death. As if to mock them, the Demon Emperor appeared in their sky, promising them destruction. She was their only recourse, and so they prayed to her, with no regard for the fact that she was a demon sent by their enemy.

In a single night, Ainz Ooal Gown became their source of hope, while the nobility became the ones at fault for the tragic war. Ignoring the warnings of the late Warrior Captain for their own greed, they were the ones at fault for antagonizing Ainz Ooal Gown, who now ruled E-Rantel in peace.

At the peak of her support, she announced her intention to reopen the eastern border, to resume trade with E-Rantel, and to make the Re-Estize Kingdom a protectorate of the Sorcerous Kingdom.

The proposal was shocking, of course, but they had just been shown just how powerless they really were. Nobody could deny that they needed protection against the truly powerful, and that protection could only be offered by the Sorcerer King.

She promised them safety from invasion, freedom from conscription, and peace for generations to come. Only a year ago this would have been seen as idealistic nonsense, but the demon who stood behind her made it possible. They only had to give the Sorcerer King a chance.

There would be opposition from those in the surrounding cities who had never seen Jaldabaoth's power, but merchants and well-off citizens who came to visit the capital would soon return to spread the story.

Outside the cities, it was unlikely to make much of a difference whether or not they heard the story. For a village of farmers, the year's harvest was a much more pressing concern than the appearance of their ruler. On top of that, they would no longer have to worry about their fathers and brothers being called away for military service in the middle of the harvest. There was little for them to lose by accepting it, and nothing to gain by opposing it.

After that, they would never be able to go back. They would grow reliant on trade with their suzerain in E-Rantel and fellow subject in the Empire. Their military would be mostly disbanded, after which raising it again would be next to impossible. In return for prosperity, the Re-Estize Kingdom would forever tie their fate to that of the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Renner had been told to prepare the Kingdom for their invasion, yet even that was no longer necessary. Such petty details did not matter when the result was more beneficial to Nazarick. Without a doubt, she had not only finished far ahead of schedule, but exceeded all expectations.

"Although it is ahead of schedule, we are already prepared for the next steps. This is unexpected, but what is the issue?" (Albedo)

"Take a look at the reports from the Hanzos in the capital." (Demiurge)

"This is… I see. Ainz-sama has requested to be left alone in his office except in case of an emergency but… Yes, this is certainly something which must be brought to Ainz-sama's immediate attention. Let us go." (Albedo)

Ainz slowly read through the series of reports which Demiurge had presented to him. Neither he nor Albedo spoke while Ainz slowly flipped through the pages, the flames in his eyes occasionally flaring up as if widening his fleshless eyes.

If the two of them had gone so far as to interrupt him after he had been asked to be left alone, this must be of grave urgency, he reasoned. He did not rush his reading, but scrutinized the contents with great care. For five minutes, the room was silent except for the occasionally shuffling of pages. Finished, Ainz set down the documents and looked up to meet Demiurge's gaze.

"She used Super-tier magic to defeat the Evil Lord you had sent through the gate? That should not be possible." (Ainz)

"This is what I believed as well, but two independent groups of Hanzos in the area gave nearly identical reports. A single attack of a scale which transcended any 10th tier magic, which could only be compared to the likes of [Fallen Down]. The Evil Lord which received it escaped using [Time Stop] after only being grazed by its effects, yet was nearly destroyed before it was able to teleport away." (Demiurge)

"Hoh?" (Ainz)

Ainz brought his bony fingers to his mandible, as stroking his skinless chin. Sinking deep into thought, he tried to think of any explanation.

"We know level 70 to be an absolute minimum for anybody to learn Super-tier magic. Though we cannot measure her level perfectly, a miscalculation that large is improbable. So, we must conclude that she cannot use Super-tier magic as YGGDRASIL would define it. Despite that, she undeniably used magic above the 10th tier. I believe the most likely conclusion is that this was not the activation of a discreet Super-tier spell, but an extension of ordinary magic to a similar scale." (Demiurge)

"To resolve the contradiction… Yes, I expect your theory is correct. However, why is it that you consider this to be so urgent?" (Ainz)

"Ainz-sama, despite possessing attack power of this level, she not only neglected to include it in her report, but previously hid the ability during the demonstration match against the Pleiades. We believe there is a possibility that she did so intending to betray Nazarick in the future." (Albedo)

"Hm… Is this not the same as Solution's suspicion of Sebas, or Lupusregina failing to report information she thought inconsequential?" (Ainz)

"Ideally, that would indeed be the case. However, we cannot yet be certain whether she truly possesses absolute loyalty towards yourself. Would you permit us to recall her for the purpose of verifying her reason for omitting this information?" (Demiurge)

"… Very well, I will allow it. I will open a portal to her current location. Albedo, go deliver my summons to her." (Ainz)

"As you wish, Ainz-sama." (Albedo)

"Have you already confirmed her current position?" (Ainz)

"Of course. After the royal castle was destroyed, Renner had the top floor of the largest inn in the city reserved for her at no expense. It is the same inn which Momon had used during his last mission in the capital, and she is currently alone in her room." (Demiurge)

"Then, there is no reason to delay. [Gate]." (Ainz)

With a wave of his arm, Ainz opened a gate to the capital. Albedo bowed to him, then disappeared into the portal. Less than a minute later, she passed back through, followed by Tanya, who kneeled upon entering. Ainz allowed the gate to close behind them before beginning to speak.

"Tanya. First, allow me to congratulate you on accomplishing your task. Though this plan was primarily the work of Renner, your contributions were irreplaceable. Demiurge and I both expect great things from you in the future." (Ainz)

"Thank you very much, Ainz-sama." (Tanya)

"However, there is something I wish to hear from you. Explain to us the details of your battle against the Evil Lord who was representing Jaldabaoth." (Ainz)

Tanya's expression shifted slightly at the question. She did not understand the reason for asking about something which had already been resolved. After a brief pause, she began to explain.

"The Evil Lord began by destroying the castle and killing all its occupants. Renner herself was withdrawn beforehand, and at her request, I protected Raeven from its attack as well. Afterwards, we began a prolonged battle in the sky above the capital, with an emphasis on how it would appear from the ground. In order to end the fight before it could run out of mana, I requested that it attack the city, then destroyed the meteor it called with a mana explosion, again selecting a formula based on appearance. Finally, we slowly finished on the ground to draw in more witnesses, to make sure Jaldabaoth's death could not be doubted… Is there anything else you wish to know?" (Tanya)

Thinking he simply wanted to know the details of the fight he had not seen for reference, she gave a brief summary of the fight and her planning, though she was uncertain as to whether this was what he was asking for.

"Is that so? Do you have anything else you wish to report?" (Ainz)

"… I apologize, but I am uncertain of what you are asking for." (Tanya)

"The magic spell you used against the Evil Lord, described by witnesses as a second sun in the night sky… Why did you omit this ability from your description? Were you attempting to hide this ability?" (Ainz)

Tanya continued to look up at him with a confused look.

"Yes, I used a formula like that, but I still do not understand what relevance this has to the report I gave." (Tanya)

"You are asking the relevance of reporting your ability to use magic equivalent to Super-tier spells?" (Ainz)

"Huh? Can't everybody here do that?" (Tanya)

"Huh?" (Ainz)

"…" (Tanya)

"…" (Ainz)

"Ah, so that's how it was." (Demiurge)

"Demiurge-sama?" (Tanya)

"Tanya, aside from teleportation, the only magic you have seen any of us use was Ainz-sama's Super-tier magic, [Change The World], back in the school. Is this not correct?" (Demiurge)

"Could it be that you did not report it because you believed magic of that level to be the standard for everybody within Nazarick?" (Albedo)

"Is it not, though? The spell used to destroy the Re-Estize Kingdom's army was similar as well." (Tanya)

"Indeed, that was the Super-tier spell, [Ia Shub-Niggurath]. However, the only individuals within Nazarick capable of using attack magic of that scale are myself and Mare." (Ainz)

"Ah… I see… My lack of information led me to submit an incomplete report. Please forgive my mistake." (Tanya)

"No, in this case the fault is mine. I should have made the distinction clear, especially given the difference of standards between worlds." (Demiurge)

Having found the root cause of the misunderstanding, both of them bowed to Ainz in apology.

"Enough. Your petty mistakes are forgiven. Let us move on to the matter of the Kingdom. Demiurge, I assume you and Albedo have already drafted new plans given the change in the situation?" (Ainz)

"I do not see any issue with continuing to have Tanya act as our representative within the Kingdom. Her reputation will translate into support for Ainz-sama, and as we have no immediate need for their resources, gradually integrating them would be best. Furthermore, we could have the Kingdom encourage merchants to resume trade with E-Rantel, spreading news about Jaldabaoth's defeat to speed up E-Rantel's pacification. We should accept their vassalization immediately, while they are still grateful to us for saving them." (Demiurge)

"I will continue to leave this matter to you, Demiurge. Then, you are all dismissed… no, wait, there is still something else. I held off on informing you through [Message] to avoid the information being leaked, but the matter you warned about appears to have begun." (Ainz)

"Was there such a matter? I was not informed of any such warning." (Albedo)

"I'm sorry for the deception, Albedo, but this was kept between the two of us until I could confirm its accuracy. Immediately after this, gather all the Floor Guardians so I can explain it to them as well.

Over the past several weeks, we have been using various divination-type magic to check for anybody attempting to watch Tanya, and [Detect Locate] confirmed that there were observers from outside Nazarick.

Despite this, [Clairvoyance], [Remove Viewing], and several other attempts all failed to record the observer. None of the spells were countered, yet neither the observer themselves nor their location could be determined. Do you understand the meaning of this?" (Ainz)

"I am afraid my knowledge does not extend to divination. Would you please enlighten us, Ainz-sama?" (Albedo)

"Do not worry about it. Counter-detection magic, as the name suggests, can be used to stop location magic from activating, or to gain information about the opponent. In this case, I was using the latter. The enemy was able to gain information, while my magic was unable to provide any. At very least, this suggests that the enemy is either more skilled in divination magic than I am. The Slane Theocracy's famed 'Thousand Mile Astrologer' cannot begin to compare.

The greatest clue we have to work with is that my spells activated, no counter-detection magic was used against them, but they were still unable to provide information. This enemy is either careless or supremely confident in their ability, or perhaps both. Had they stopped my counter-detection, I would have had to give up.

Using [Perfect Unknowable] can hide almost all traces of one's appearance, but in this case even their location was undetectable. In other words, they were not within range of my magic – they were watching from outside this world." (Ainz)

Ainz's declaration shocked both Demiurge and Albedo, but to both Ainz and Tanya, this only confirmed their original expectations.

"It seems he's a very persistent stalker, that self-proclaimed god of yours." (Ainz)

The next day at noon, the Re-Estize Kingdom's surrender became official. With no king on the throne, the 'kingdom' was also officially dropped from its name to become just Re-Estize, though it would be a while still before the change came into popular use.

Instead of being surrounded by nobles in the throne room of the royal palace where such an event would normally take place, Renner held it in the middle of the town square. Appearing in front of the citizens with just Duke Raeven and Climb by her side, she knelt and presented the treasure sword Razor Edge to Tanya, acting as the Sorcerer King's representative.

To be awarded a sword by the king was normally an honor reserved for knights or nobles of the kingdom, as it carried the meaning of a gift meant to protect the country one belonged to. When the monarch was the one kneeling while presenting their weapon, it would instead signify surrender. By presenting the treasure sword wielded by generations of the Kingdom's warriors, she declared the end of Re-Estize's independence.

The announcement would go out to surrounding countries, but the people watching wouldn't see much of a difference for a while. There would be some uncertainty about whether the Sorcerer King could be trusted to keep his promises, but it wasn't any worse than worrying about another war against the Empire. Their lives would continue as before, so for the time being, they could only wait.

Without a declaration of war, with no grand second invasion, witnessed only by a few hundred assorted citizens of the capital, the Re-Estize Kingdom ceased to exist as an independent kingdom.

"Princess Renner, is this really acceptable?" (Raeven)

"It can't be helped, though. We both saw what Jaldabaoth could do, nothing we have could ever stand against it, not without them here to save us. Even before that, you personally saw Ainz Ooal Gown-sama's power. Isn't this the best way for Re-Estize to survive? If it came down to it, you would have even accepted enslavement. Compared to that we've come out on top." (Renner)

The two architects behind Re-Estize, Raeven and Renner were calmly drinking tea together. Though he was swamped in work, Raeven was still waiting for his assistants to reach the capital from his territory before he could start working in earnest. Renner had suggested for them to take this kind of break while they still could.

"… It's hard to argue against that. When I was being chased by those black monsters summoned by the Sorcerer King, I stopped worrying about anything else. If I could just escape somewhere with my son and wife, I wouldn't have minded the kingdom being destroyed in the process. This outcome is still better than anything we could have hoped for." (Raeven)

Raeven took a sip from his cup to suppress the inadvertent shudder from remembering that day.

"This capital was only saved because of Tanya-sama and Keeno-san. If Ainz Ooal Gown-sama hadn't sent her here, there wouldn't have been anybody who could match Jaldabaoth even in his injured state. If Keeno-san escaped for her own safety or held back to protect her secret, the entire capital might have been overrun regardless of what happened to Jaldabaoth himself.

It's because the people know this that they're willing to accept a demon and vampire being here. Without that, there would have been little choice but for the kingdom to be invaded and suppressed by force. With just the city of E-Rantel, Momon-sama could keep them from revolting, but such a thing would be impossible with the whole kingdom. People would revolt, and they would be crushed. Surrendering with only a few hundred deaths in the capital is an excellent outcome." (Renner)

Renner maintained a neutral smile despite the grim topic of her commentary. Since Raeven already knew of her real nature, there was no reason for her to keep up the act. Not even Climb was present with them.

"You say that even when your brother, father, and sister were among the casualties… But it's true that we might be able to keep the peace if it's just us. It's not even something we can thank the gods for, this tragedy shouldn't have happened to begin with. How did Marquis Bowlrob's son even get ahold of that demon's artifact? It was supposed to be sealed deep in the royal family's vault, the weakened Eight Fingers shouldn't have any way to touch it… without support from…" (Raeven)

Raeven froze, realizing the meaning behind the words he had just leaked. Looking at Renner, he saw that her expression had not shifted in the slightest since the beginning. Reluctantly, he asked the question which came to mind.

"… Princess Renner, how is it that Marquis Bowlrob's son learned about that artifact? It was supposed to be a secret known only to Momon-dono and the royal family, was it not?" (Raeven)

"Did you know? The late Marquis Bowlrob's third daughter worked as one of the maids in this castle. One of my personal maids, every Tuesday. She said some really rude things about my Climb, you know. It's a shame she burned up with the rest of them, I would have liked to spend some time alone with her." (Renner)

For the first time, her smile turned into a genuine one, cruel and vicious. They sat in silence for some time after that. The door to the room opened without warning. Without missing a beat, Renner stood up and bowed in the direction of the open door.

"You are right on time as always, Tanya-sama, welcome. Ah, by the way, it seems that Duke Raeven finally figured out what is going on, so should we drop this pretense and move on to planning the future of this country?" (Renner)

Not having expected Raeven to be there, Tanya gave him an annoyed glance while sitting down, then picked up the cup already set out and took a sip.

"As long as the results are the same, it's not my concern who you choose to collaborate with. I will have to report this, though I expect my superiors already accounted for it." (Tanya)

Raeven's presence was brushed away with a light comment.

"Do you intend to follow the same model for introducing undead and nonhuman races as with E-Rantel?" (Tanya)

"The circumstances are slightly different, but fundamentally it won't be too different. Since we had you and Keeno stay in the capital for a while, we can expect people to be more open to the change here, so we can use them to replace the civil servants who died in Jaldabaoth's attack. Using them for something more visible would also help, perhaps for reconstructing the castle itself. Outside the capital though, it may take quite a while longer, since my authority isn't unlimited." (Renner)

"We're in no hurry. Stabilizing the country and getting rid of any resistance is a priority. Should we have you visit E-Rantel and bring back some of our supporters? Hearing from somebody already under Ainz-sama's rule might go a long way towards reassuring them." (Tanya)

"Yes, I had been planning on that as well. Going there personally would be an effective first step towards getting trade started again. Letting the economy grow from here on would help build people's trust in us, and we could attribute the success to the Sorcerous Kingdom's help." (Renner)

"Would the city be fine without you for those weeks, though? It seems to me that people trust you, not your government. Won't there be some groups who jump at the chance to take back control?" (Tanya)

"We can use that to flush them out, while we're at it. If it's who I expect to be behind it, he will be thinking that Duke Raeven is the one behind it, not me. Officially, he's the one who gained the most from this, while I am struggling through losing my family. Once we are apart, they might approach us individually, or perhaps try to assassinate us. It'd be perfect evidence to crush them and set an example." (Renner)

"Should I ask for a Shadow Demon for him as well, then? He seems capable enough, and you went so far as to ask for him to be saved, it'd be a waste to let him get killed now." (Tanya)

"Could I ask you for that, then? There's nothing to gain by letting him die, but he's already lost too many of his guards. Everybody from Blue Rose will probably insist on coming with me as well, so he would be left alone. I still need some time to spread rumors, so how does two months from now sound?" (Renner)

"I will relay that date to Albedo-sama, but I believe it should be acceptable." (Tanya)

The discussion concluded without any input from Raeven. Though the topic drifted into issues directly related to his survival, there was nothing he could say. He had long since lost the chance to escape, from here on he could only trust that Renner knew what she was doing, and to preserve his value in her eyes, so he wouldn't end up like her brother.

"Is there anything else you require, Tanya-sama?" (Renner)

"There was one other thing. Albedo-sama wanted me to ask what you thought about the contents of the box." (Tanya)

"Ah, it was wonderful. Just as I had hoped, it really does make a perfect collar for my Climb. Would you please send my thanks to Albedo-sama, Demiurge-sama, and Ainz Ooal Gown-sama for the gift?" (Renner)

Renner's expression was enough to make even a demon flinch.

"… I will do so. For the time being, I will be returning to E-Rantel. Take care of yourself, Renner." (Tanya)

"Thank you very much, Tanya-sama." (Renner)

With those words, Tanya left the room. Her role was only to relay orders, not to govern. That should be left to those with experience and talent in the field.

"… Princess Renner, will future generations know our names as the greatest traitors in the history of humanity?" (Raeven)

"Perhaps. Does such a thing matter to us, though?" (Renner)

"I don't think I could bear it, if my son were to look at me and say such a thing." (Raeven)

"Then you only have to create a future where this was the correct choice. Let him see what kind of prosperity Ainz Ooal Gown-sama's leadership can bring this country." (Renner)


Part 2

Tanya quietly returned to E-Rantel, then to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Though it was undeniably far more more impressive than her room in E-Rantel, it was not without its inconveniences, requiring anybody passing through to go through a maze. Without the ability to teleport to her destination, even flying through at top speed would cost no less than fifteen minutes, requiring her to fly carefully through all sorts of dangerous environments.

If it were only to take time off, she would have just stayed in E-Rantel, but there was nowhere in this entire world with stronger countermeasures against espionage than within Nazarick. As secrecy was of the utmost import in their current plan, there was no choice but to go.

Though their opponent's observation ability was exceptional, even he did not appear to be capable of breaking through Nazarick's barriers. This did however mean that he was likely to make a move the next time she went outside after a long time inside, or so Demiurge had theorized from her explanation of her past experience. In other words, all their preparations had to be completed before then.

Upon her return, she gave Razor Edge over to Ainz, who had expressed interest in it, but he had her hold on to it. According to Albedo, although everything in the world already belonged to Ainz-sama, there were still some ingrates in Re-Estize who would complain about it being handed over to another so easily.

Razor Edge was certainly an impressive item which could even surpass the lower-tier equipment in Nazarick's treasury, but according to Ainz, it was a self-contradictory weapon. Despite being usable only by warrior classes, its true power could only be brought out by a magic caster, as it could consume MP to strengthen itself. Somebody like Touch Me might be able to put it to good use, but warriors with high enough magic stats to use it would no doubt have a better weapon of their own.

Using [Perfect Warrior] would let Ainz use warrior equipment restriction, but it would simultaneously replace all his spellcaster classes and set his MP to 0, thereby defeating the point. Either way, it would be far too unnatural for the weapon given to the Sorcerous Kingdom to find its way into Momon's hands, and if he were to use the spell in a serious fight, borrowing a weapon from the rest of the 41 would be a far more practical choice.

Though Ainz had been interested in Razor Edge as a collector's item, in the end it would just wind up rusting in Nazarick's treasure with everything else, so he just let her hold on to it.

Like most magic weapons, it had shrunk to a more appropriate size once she had tried equipping it, but even then it was a greatsword taller than her. Without appropriate training, seriously trying to fight with it wouldn't be realistic, but she had far better uses for her time than trying to learn martial arts. Thus, the heirloom of the Re-Estize Kingdom found its way into Tanya's Magic Bag, where it would rest for the foreseeable future.

She had already been given several other items to fill out the rest of her equipment. None of them were exceptionally powerful artifacts, but they were still all at least legacy-class. Hardly valuable enough to have a dedicated spot within Nazarick's armory, but nonetheless past the peak of what might be seen in the surface world.

After that, the combat equipment she had brought from her own world had been replaced. They had been enchanted as a temporary measure, but it was inevitable that they would lack far behind the rest of the equipment Ainz could provide. Getting caught in the Evil Lord's attack just once had left it in need of field repairs, so it made more sense to reconstruct them into something more usable now lest they malfunction during at an inconvenient time during a battle.

It took them a few days, but between Ainz's item-creation magic, the head blacksmith created by Nazarick's crafting specialist, Amanomahitotsu, and technical aid from CZ Delta – whose background settings gave her knowledge even about something as specialized as this – they were able to produce a functional product.

It was difficult to compare the result to anything made by Amanomahitotsu himself, but the it was still worthy of being called relic-class. Considering the quantity of unimaginably expensive materials from YGGDRASIL which went into its production, it was an imperfect result. Still, though the head blacksmith bowed down and cried in apology for his incompetence, Tanya was full satisfied with the result. Upon being praised by Ainz, he burst into tears, as one might have expected from Nazarick's eccentric NPCs.

Thankfully, there was no need to replace the Type-95, the most complex piece of her equipment. The refined magic crystals could be switched out for high-quality data crystals from YGGDRASIL with a little modification, greatly reducing the volume required. Finally, the metal segments and fabric had been swapped out for leftover emerald dragon scales and tanned dragon skin, spares from when the three Dragonscale armor pieces had been made.

The finished item had been named "Verdant Dominion" by its creator, the head blacksmith. This alone he refused to budge on, declaring that once a name came to him during smithing, nothing short of Amanomahitotsu-sama's direct order could change his mind. While it was too grandiose a name for her liking, complaining about such a trivial aspect of the gift would be silly.

Aside from her equipment, Ainz had noted that her 'level' appeared to have increased since it was last checked. Those sorts of games were not something she was familiar with, having not touched them in decades, but the basic concept was simple enough to explain.

The process of fighting against and defeating high-level opponents would lead to a corresponding increase in her abilities. Even though all of her fights up until now had been against entities which could be recognized as allies, she had gained some experience and a measurable increase in her mana. The change was minor, but proved that it was still possible to grow from leveling in this world, though Ainz and the Guardians were evidently limited by the level cap.

Further experimentation was necessary to say for certain, but it appeared that not only was friendly fire enabled in this world, it was possible to train from fights against summons. Perhaps those very concepts were no longer relevant, or maybe it meant that the fighting itself was important, rather than killing the opponent. The finer details eluded her, but they were not of immediate importance.

Having finished her preparations and confirmed with Ainz that the Guardians had been recalled to Nazarick and were ready to act, she set out once again for E-Rantel.

The world stopped.

Just like each time before, it had now happened enough times for Tanya to no longer be surprised when it happened, but that did not make it any less uncomfortable. The strange separation from reality, the feeling of being held in an area under that being's control. There was no physical harm done, but the revolting feeling of divinity was only more nauseating now that she had the body of a demon.

"I am amazed. To think that even you would fall to such a level."

"Damn. I hoped it wouldn't be the case, but you really did follow me all the way to this world, Being X. You complain about being overworked yet you take the time to chase after me like this, truly the sign of terrible mismanagement. I feel bad for anybody who has to suffer through being your subordinate" (Tanya)

"… You have grown even more audacious than last we spoke. I gave you another chance to live, yet you corrupt your body. The blessing I bestowed, you reject and distort. What meaning is there to your actions?" (X)

"Are you so much of a fool that you can't understand how labor markets work? There was an open position for a devil, offering better benefits and a safer work environment. Do you not comprehend even that much?" (Tanya)

"You would give up the humanity you retained for that fragment of power, and for what?" (X)

The answer came in the form of a magic bullet. The voice she spoke to came from all around, with no visible source, yet she unhesitatingly shot at a specific spot in the air. An explosion shook the still world.

"… You would dare? After everything I have done to get you to repent, you would attack me, a God?" (X)

"Do you even need to ask? How many years have I been waiting for a chance to do that? To a fraud like you who calls himself a god yet fails to comprehend the most basic aspects of human behavior." (Tanya)

"Unbelievable. Everything, for that? Was it worth it, giving me this scratch? Enough. Enough of this. If you are so determined to spread your heresy even to other worlds, then I too will give up on saving you. If you are no longer human, then there is no longer anything to stop me from killing you myself." (X)

The formless mass which she had shot at began to rapidly grow in density. Though it did not take a solid shape, the pressure it was giving off rose exponentially. For the first time in millennia, the divine being manifested himself into a physical form.

"Thank you. Because of you, I was able to meet a real Supreme Being, one worthy of being called a god." (Tanya)

"I have run out of patience for your antics. Even if you beg now, I have no more mercy for you." (X)

Tanya smiled. It was a pure, wicked smile.

"Thank you, for being so wonderfully predictable." (Tanya)

"[Triplet Maximize Magic: Reality Slash]!"


Part 3

The third figure appeared in the quiet world created for only two. No, more accurate, Ainz had been present since the beginning, following behind using [Perfect Unknowable]. Compared to the danger of teleporting directly into an unknown situation, it was far safer to approach like this, even alone.

"Impossible… How did you trespass into this world?" (X)

"When it comes to PVP combat against a high-level magic caster, time-stop countermeasures are an important fundamental. Of course we would have prepared for this much." (Ainz)

"Stay out of this, undead. This concerns only myself and that thing." (X)

"No, no. I'm afraid I cannot agree to that. You see, one of my subordinates told me about how she had been harassed by a certain self-proclaimed god. You cannot expect that I would simply allow that to happen to someone under my protection, do you?" (Ainz)

Against the threat, Ainz's reaction was jokingly light. Even he was not immune to the pressure given off by a physically manifest god, but his body would stil suppress the fear he might otherwise have felt.

"So you too are a fool? Do you not even understand who you are standing before?" (X)

"But of course. Isn't it obvious then, that in such a case, we would have no choice but to mobilize against this threat? [Gate]!" (Ainz)

Raising his skeletal arms dramatically, he opened the gate behind himself. That was all the signal they needed.

Behind him, each of the Floor Guardians followed in sequence, fully armed and armored for combat. Against any mortal threat to Nazarick, this much would blatantly be overkill, but even still their enemy did nothing but watch.

"We can't have you escaping after we went so far as to arrange this welcome. [Dimensional Lock]." (Demiurge)

Demiurge was the first to act. Rather than opening with an attack, they first had to seal the possibility of their enemy escaping. The extent of his abilities were unknown, but blocking teleportation was an obvious first step.

"I am a God. Do you truly believe that I would need to escape from you?" (X)

"We shall see soon enough. Guardians, attack." (Ainz)

To the Floor Guardians of Nazarick, there was only one being worthy of a god, and his orders were absolute. The battle commenced.

Shalltear was the first to dive forward, alongside the pure-white clone created with her special skill, [Einherjar]. In perfect sync, the two raised their lances and charged towards the god at Ainz's order.

She was the strongest of the Guardians in single combat, losing out to Cocytus in maximum HP and damage, but far more balanced overall. Her skills and equipment had been selected for the purpose of maximizing her utility in combat. Strong, durable, versatile, she was an excellent choice as the first to engage against a completely unknown opponent.

In YGGDRASIL, there were no restrictions on what spells one could use while under the effects of [Time Stop], aside from the inability to directly attack anybody outside it. Normally, the user would cast buffs or summoning spells while isolated from the outside world, but as Ainz had discovered during his experimentation, this was no longer the case.

Most summoning skills and spells could no longer be used while time was stopped. However, some skills such as undead creation were an exception, but only when there was a body to animate for a permanent summon. The deciding factor for whether a skill or spell could be used was whether it was self-contained, or required interacting with the outside world.

For example, according to the game's lore, Demiurge's Evil Lord Summons would call forth a demon from the world of Muspelheim, the land of fire. Since the effects of stopping time would only reach the caster's immediate area, another world was naturally not included, so the skill would fail. On the other hand, Shalltear's [Einherjar] would create a copy from her own body, so it could be activated even in this situation.

Einherjar could not copy her magic or skills, but both stats and abilities were duplicated from the original. Normally, it would be used to pressure an already exhausted opponent by calling in a full-health level 100 character into the fight, but its current use was the exact opposite.

Since they had no information about the enemy's combat ability, Shalltear called out Einherjar immediately before the start of the battle for use as a sacrificial pawn. Aside from having to wait 100 hours before it could be used it again, there was no cost to Nazarick even if it was destroyed. Seeing how the god would fight once before engaging him themselves would go a long way to avoid any of the actual Guardians getting killed due to a lack of information.

In response to the flying charge, Being X formed a massive two-handed sword using the mass of its body, swinging it in a wide arc towards the two. Shalltear flew up to easily evade the telegraphed attack, while Einherjar raised its white lance to receive the blow, getting blown back by an explosion of force.

Though Einherjar had clearly lost the exchange, everybody watching internally breathed a sign of relief. Their opponent may be powerful enough to overpower a level 100 entity, but it could not kill it in a single attack. With that in mind, they would have to fight cautiously, but there was no need to fear instant death from a single misstep.

Their exchange continued for several more rounds while the other melee fighters took position to surround their lone opponent. Einherjar would immediately fly back in upon taking a hit to draw its focus, whereas Shalltear herself prioritized evasion whenever attacked, occasionally getting a hit in, though getting close enough to do so also meant a narrow window to withdraw without damage.

On the seventh hit, Einherjar's form dissolved into white light and vanished. Without a doubt, this was an impressive show of force. Tearing through an optimized level 100 NPC's defenses and exhausting its HP in only seven attacks was impossible even for Touch Me or Warrior Takemikazuchi. However, this much was well within expectations, even better than their worst estimate, in which a single attack would destroy it.

Having Einherjar take attacks without dodging was a bit of a waste compared to letting it draw out the fight, but the information it provided by dying was more important. Nearly every attack which came her way had been easily evaded, except for the one occasion when he suddenly turned away from the approaching Einherjar, receiving its lance in exchange for a surprise attack against Shalltear, which she was barely able to deflect using her [Impure Shockwave Shield], blowing herself away with the impact to avoid the sword.

Less than thirty seconds had passed since the start of the battle. In terms of the damage each side had taken, they had come out behind, but the vital stage for information gathering was complete. With the most dangerous phase complete, Shalltear drew back to finish the four-way encirclement.

To the left, Cocytus held several large weapons between his four hands. To the right, Pandora's Actor had taken on the appearance of Touch Me, donning the world champion-exclusive armor. From behind, Sebas stood ready to block any possibility of escape. Finally, Shalltear took Albedo's spot in the ring, leaving her to focus on the defense of those behind her.

Cocytus originally possessed twenty-one weapons, each with their own advantages. Of course, he could only select a limited number at a time: Two hands held his primary weapon, the divine-class halberd; Another held the sharpest sword in his arsenal, the Royal Blade God Slayer. The fourth hand did not hold his own weapon, but one lent to him by Ainz: Takemikazuchi Hachishiki, the favorite weapon of Cocytus's creator, Warrior Takemikazuchi.

Against an enemy who was certainly stronger than them, pulling out the unused equipment from the rest of the 41 was an obvious choice. Still, the suggestion had to come from Ainz himself, as the Guardians would never consider requesting the equipment of the Supreme Beings for their own use. Getting Cocytus to accept Takemikazuchi Hachishiki had required a great deal of effort, having to phrase it as loaning the weapon, though Ainz had every intention of letting Cocytus keep it afterwards.

Similarly, Pandora's Actor had been equipped with the full set of Touch Me's equipment, including the world champion armor which transcended ordinary divine-class items. Even if he could only copy 80% of their abilities, that placed was 80% of the base stats of Touch Me, one of the strongest characters in all of YGGDRASIL, plus the full power of his divine-class equipment.

In terms of stats, he was stronger than anybody else present, Ainz and Shalltear included. Unfortunately, this did not allow him to copy Touch Me's incredible skill as a player, so Pandora's Actor would still pale in comparison to the original. Nonetheless, he was an incredible asset in battle.

Cocytus and Pandora's Actor stood opposite each other, with Being X between them. Both were equipped to deal damage, forcing their enemy to expose his back to one of them whenever he blocked attacks from the other. To either side, Sebas and Shalltear stood ready to fight, but neither carried equipment aside from their normal set.

For Sebas, there were no suitable pieces of equipment for an unarmed, unarmored monk. There were members who would fight with their fists, but this did not mean their weapons would be compatible with Sebas. For example, Yamaiko's gauntlets – the Iron Fist of the Schoolmarm – were massive striking striking weapons. Like the rest of her heavy armor, they would hardly be an effective match for Sebas's agility-based monk build.

Shalltear retained her own equipment for the opposite reason. Peroroncino had optimized her equipment as much as he could without exhausting Nazarick's entire treasury. Though the Spuit Lance was her only divine-class item, every other piece was legendary-class, carefully picked out to maximize her potency in combat.

There were other pieces among the equipment left behind by Ainz's companions which she was capable of using, but none which would give enough of a benefit to justify switching away from what she was used to. YGGDRASIL would allow players to switch out NPC equipment as often as they liked without penalty, but the Shalltear fighting now was not just a collection of data, but a proper person.

Fighting in new equipment would take time to get used to, and it would take a considerably long time before she was comfortable enough with it to use it in a serious life-or-death battle. Cocytus was proficient in the use of nearly any melee weapon, so using Takemikazuchi Hachishiki was only a minor change, but Shalltear switching to a new set of armor would definitely get in the way of her mobility.

The two of them were there to support Cocytus and Pandora's Actor, forcing their opponent to split his attention. Any one of the four could do a substantial amount of damage if ignored, so he would have to remain on guard for all of them, thereby weakening his defense against attacks from any one direction.

Trusting that his allies would do their part in aiding him, Cocytus began his attack. Three weapons swung out, two clashed against the god's greatsword, while the third cleaved into his form. The blow would be enough to instantly kill anybody weaker than the Pleiades, but the god shrugged it off as if it were natural. Knocking back the Cocytus's swords with brute strength, he swung the blade around his head and back down towards Cocytus.

Unlike Einherjar, a nearly mindless golem-like construct which could only block attacks head-on, Cocytus responded instantly and with perfect form, parrying the incoming sword while lightly stepping out of the way. With precise footwork unimaginable from his massive form, he avoided the incoming weapon with the absolute minimum movement. Simultaneously, he shifted his tail to maintain his balance while once again striking the god's side with his halberd.

The overwhelming difference between their skill immediately became apparent. Cocytus's attacks might as well have been scratches to a god, whereas his exoskeletal armor would do little to protect him if he were to directly receive even a single attack. Even just parrying attacks took all his strength, while his own attacks could be lightly swept aside.

Despite this disadvantage, not a single attack could reach Cocytus's body. Each time it was only by a hair's breadth, but he continued to step just out of reach of the incoming attacks. Meanwhile, not only would Cocytus counterattack, but each time the god occupied himself with an attack, he would receive one or more attacks from behind, occasionally enough to stagger him slightly.

While the four engaging Being X in melee combat, the rest of the Guardians were not idle, and were providing their own support from behind. Any more than that would start to get into each other's way, but with sufficient skill it was possible to add ranged attackers to this count.

Aura was the prime example. Though her primary weapon was a whip, her skill with a longbow was no less exceptional. Befitting her Sniper class, she could get arrows through the small gaps left by the melee attackers, piercing her target with every shot.

Using a normal bow carried the added advantage of not affecting the Guardians even if she were to miss, as their equipment would negate all physical projectiles. Out of concern that their opponent might possess a similar immunity, she had also practiced with Peroroncino's Hou Yi's Bow, which had been stored in a wooden stick now in her vest.

Its magic projectiles would do elemental damage and could not be defended against by physical means alone, but they were also slow and large. No matter how much skill and practice Aura possessed, not hitting the Guardians between herself and her target would be a difficult task. Furthermore, her stats were poorly suited for magic attacks, so despite being a stronger weapon, Hou Yi's Bow was her backup. Since physical arrows appeared to be effective, she kept it stored away and continued to use her own longbow.

A similar role had been assigned to Tanya, who was circling the sky around the battlefield to repeatedly strike from behind. Using a larger formula would definitely cause collateral damage, so her shots were hardly significant, but getting shot in the back of the head with at an unpredictable rate was enough to serve as a distraction, even if the damage caused was trivial.

Originally, Demiurge had suggested that she retreat once her role as bait was finished, but she had insisted on staying around to keep shooting her enemy. It was a far more dangerous position, but after so many years of his harassment, she didn't want to miss her chance at some petty revenge.

She knew that it wasn't the most logical choice. Given how frail she was compared to any of the level 100 Guardians, she would be killed with a single attack, without a doubt. Despite this, knowing that death wasn't final anymore was enough assurance of her safety, as she could just be resurrected.

Tanya herself couldn't be sure whether this detachment from life was an effect from no longer being human, but she had increasingly come to view death as just a temporary setback, the realization making her feel discomfort and relief in equal parts.

She was used to this separation between body and mind to some degree. Ever since she had become Tanya, there were often times when she felt like the girl's body didn't fit with what he believed himself to be, but this resistance had grown less common over the years, settling into a reluctant acceptance. The detachment she now felt was of a different nature, marking the shift to prioritizing her continued existence rather than her life.

Realizing that her mindset was being influenced was concerning, but she couldn't just dismiss the new view as entirely irrational. With resurrection available at a minor cost, her very life, formerly irreplaceable, was now just another resource available to her. She was far more willing to risk losing it once if it meant personally seeing her ancient enemy die.

Four were engaged in melee combat. Two more assisted from a distance. Finally, Ainz and three others watched from a distance.

Albedo stood at the front with her black kite shield and bardiche ready. As the strongest defender in Nazarick, her task was to protect Ainz and the other three behind her. Though she was strong enough to hold her own as one of the attackers, the Guardians had unanimously insisted that she be allowed to take this role instead.

Naturally, the next two by Ainz's side were the remaining humanoid Floor Guardians, Mare and Demiurge. Neither was well-suited to a fight like this, but they were still level 100 NPCs capable of providing support to the others.

If Aura was a tamer who would form a party with her monsters to hunt an individual enemy, then Mare was a one-man-army who could stand alone against any number of opponents. Behind his gentle demeanor, he was a walking catastrophe whose expertise in attack magic was second only to Ainz. If ordered to do so, he could casually annihilate a small kingdom overnight.

As most of his attacks were area-of-effect spells, he was not well suited to fighting against a single strong opponent. He was here to provide support with enhancement magic and healing, which could be described as his secondary specialization.

Demiurge was likewise not suited for direct combat, as most of his combat skills would either summon allied demons or inflict debuffs on opponents. He lacked much in the way of support magic, and his direct magic attack power was closer to Narberal than to Mare.

With his demon summoning ineffective while time was stopped, the plan was for him to use [Dimensional Lock] and similar skills, those which affected everybody in an area regardless of level or resistances. Their own teleportation would be sealed as well, but the fact that Demiurge could disable it at will should they need to retreat meant it was still to their advantage.

Aside from those skills, he had gone into the fight fully expecting his other skills to be effortlessly resisted. Upon actually trying one, he was shocked to see it actually take effect, if only for a moment.

"The debuff skill activated? He doesn't have resistance against negative energy?" (Demiurge)

He inadvertently leaked his surprise, which spread to the nearby Ainz.

"A weakness of his? If that's the case, we should inform Shalltear and the others…" (Ainz)

"No, I don't believe so. To be more precise, not one of the debuff skills I activated were resisted. They were cancelled almost immediately afterwards due to the level difference… It is hard to believe, but he does not appear to possess any status resistances at all." (Demiurge)

"That's ridiculous. Who would go into a fight of this level without at least a basic set of immunities? Could he really have gone into this fight without any sort of preparation? No, has he never fought strong opponents at all?" (Ainz)

"That may be the case. I cannot imagine any other reason why somebody capable of changing their form would use a humanoid form to fight against so many opponents. My knowledge of swordplay is limited, yet even I see the difference in skill between him and Cocytus." (Demiurge)

"Indeed, compared to Cocytus's skillful fighting, he might as well be a toddler with a club. Is that how my first fight as Momon appeared to outsiders as well?" (Ainz)

"Certainly not, Ainz-sama. While your martial skill was limited, your other battle experience compensated for it to some degree." (Demiurge)

"Well, that's reassuring…" (Ainz)

The two continued to calmly watch the fight while providing some minimal support. From appearances alone, the fight looked to be to Cocytus's advantage, but it was hard to believe that would last. Maintaining this balance required Cocytus's full attention, while Being X only had to keep flailing around. In such a situation, Cocytus would definitely be the first to get exhausted and make a mistake.

"Even though he's been taking our attacks for several minutes now, it's all scratches to him. I've been recording his HP with [Life Essence] this whole time, and he only just passed below 99.9% of his maximum HP. His health is bottomless." (Ainz)

"Is it possible that is false data?" (Demiurge)

"While I can't rule it out entirely, I honestly doubt he would do that without preparing even basic resistances. That much HP may just be standard for a god." (Ainz)

"I cannot imagine even Cocytus could continue to exhibit that level of skill for a full week of fighting without pause. We would need to rotate out fighters and rest, but our enemy is not likely to be so polite as to let us." (Demiurge)

"… We're getting nowhere at this rate. We need some way to break through this situation… No, if he truly has no resistances, then maybe… Defeating the level gap would be difficult, but if I applied all my buffs…" (Ainz)

Ainz began to mutter to himself, thinking of a solution. Displaying his absolute trust in their master, Demiurge simply smiled and waited for Ainz's orders.

"It's close, but I think it'll work. Demiurge, inform Albedo that I will be advancing in exactly three minutes. She is to protect me at any cost. Mare, apply every luck and magic boosting buff you have to me as well." (Ainz)

"U-understood!" (Mare)

"Ainz-sama. Please leave your safety to us as you execute the fool who dares to call himself a god in your presence!" (Demiurge)

"Umu. I am counting on you. [Perfect Unknowable]." (Ainz)

In front of the bowing Demiurge, Ainz's form vanished into the air.

He doesn't appear to have noticed my disappearance. Now then, I have four minutes to act, the full duration of [Perfect Unknowable]. As long as I don't actually attack, I can buff myself without breaking the spell. This is not a conventional fight, so I need a very irregular set of buffs. I want every single spell with that effect, no matter how low-level it may be…

I'm glad I spent all that time memorizing YGGDRASIL's spell list… It dug into my sleep time, but now it's more than paying for itself. Out of my 718 spells… 45 apply, plus 22 skills? Starting from magic-boosting buffs, then to effect-specific ones, lastly skills…

Ainz nodded to himself, satisfied by his memory, then began chanting.

"- [Bless of Magic Caster], [Greater Full Potential], [Full Potential], [Magic Boost], [Lesser Magic Boost], [Mantle of Chaos], [Draconic Power], [Penetrate Up], [Greater Luck], [Luck], [Chance's Blessing], [Origin of Despair], [Curse Mastery], [Lich Flame], [Undead Flame], [Greater Counter Resistance], [Counter Resistance]…" (Ainz)

Ainz carefully thought through every single buff spell he knew of, picking out those with the effects he wanted and casting that subset of spells. Mare would add some more to the list, which may have some overlap due to his invisibility, but Ainz had to eliminate any chance of his intentions being revealed before his final spell activated.

He was gambling on his opponent's pride preventing him from escaping the range of the spell, as well as his lack of knowledge on how to resist its effects. It would be a stretch in any normal PVP against level 100 players, but his observation of Being X up until now implied that it might yet work.

"Skill: [The Goal Of All Life Is Death]!" (Ainz)

Beginning his march forward, Ainz activated his final skill, the lynchpin at the core of his plan.

"Now then, we shall test my calculations… The ability to kill even that which does not live, will it be enough to kill a god?" (Ainz)

He spoke to nobody in particular, not that there was nobody who could hear him while [Perfect Unknowable] had not yet expired.

Exactly on time, Albedo jumped forward from behind, readying her bardiche a short distance in front of him. Though she could not see his position, her guess as to where he would stop was nearly perfect. Inwardly smiling, he took out a crystal hourglass and raised his hands.

The dome of magic circles spread around him, and simultaneously he felt [Perfect Unknowable] fade away. Ainz felt the full pressure of the god's strength wash over him, with just a tinge of fear mixed in, but he ignored it and shattered the hourglass in his hand.

"Super-tier magic, [Death's Gift]!" (Ainz)

The golden clock at Ainz's back rang once, acknowledging the trigger. The sole hand on the clock's face advanced with a tick.

Tick, 1.

Releasing a shockwave of magic with a swing of his sword, the god lunged in the direction of Ainz.

Tick, 2.

Ignoring Shalltear's attack which cleanly ran through his body, he dove past her.

Tick, 3.

Albedo drove the hilt of her massive bardiche into the ground. The final skill of her Blackguard job, which could draw all attacks towards herself and triple her defense against them for the next twenty seconds.

Tick, 4.

Realizing he could not ignore her, Being X shifted his charge towards Albedo, raising his greatsword overhead.

Tick, 5.

The greatsword struck Albedo's kite shield, sending out a shockwave of force all around.

Tick, 6.

Another strike came in from the side, faster than ever before. Albedo received it with her shield again. Damaging anything outside from inside a stopped world should not be possible, but the shockwave of magic ignored this law and crushed the ground behind her.

Tick, 7.

A third attack crashed into Albedo's shield, cracking it in half and cleanly severing the arm beneath. She slid aside to avoid a fatal wound.

Tick, 8.

Albedo ignored the injury, swinging the bardiche around to parry the next attack. The two weapons met with a ring of metal.

Tick, 9.

The incoming attacks reflected the god's desperation. Several hundred times more magic went into the weapon to increase its speed and strength by a few more percent.

Tick, 10.

Albedo activated another skill to negate a single incoming attack. Her bardiche met the greatsword with a bright flash.

Tick, 11.

The overwhelming power behind the greatsword broke the head of Albedo's divine-class bardiche in half. The green glow on the weapon faded. The god swung again to finish off the defenseless Albedo.

12.

The clock struck 12.

The sword approaching Albedo's head, the hand holding it, the body behind it, the radiating waves of magic, the pressure immersing them, the motionless world which surrounded them-

-vanished without a trace.

One second passed, two, three. Everybody stood in the empty grasslands, watching the wind gently shake the trees in the distance.

Ainz activated [Enemy Scan], which returned no results.

Albedo pulled out another weapon, preparing for a followup ambush.

Aura heightened her senses to watch for any movement within two kilometers, finding no movement except fleeing animals.

Tanya scanned for any distortions to indicate teleportation in or out of the area, but found nothing.

"You really are an amusing one, aren't you?"

Before she noticed, Tanya was holding a smartphone to her ear.


Part 4

A beautiful woman's voice rang out from the phone. Tanya could hear it with an unnatural clarity, as if the speaker was right next to her ear, with no phone between them. Cold and emotionless, the voice was flat to an inhuman degree.

Tanya's movement stopped when the smartphone appeared, though the sensation was completely unlike before. She had been hovering in midair only a moment before, but the same instant she became aware that the phone was in her hand, she was frozen in place.

Ainz and his Guardians were still freely moving around, healing Albedo's injuries. They took no note of her, neither of her irregular actions nor her absence, continuing as if they had forgotten her very existence.

"Do not worry, they will not hear you even if you speak now."

She was left with only the bare minimum freedom of motion to listen and speak, but even that was physically demanding.

"Who… is this?" (Tanya)

"I am D. It's fine if you just know that I'm an evil god." (D)

A single conversation over the phone was enough to give weight to her words. Even indirectly, listening to D speak made her feel like she was slowly being dragged into an abyss.

"It's good that you understand." (D)

Had her mind been read, or was she being watched? It could be either, it could be both.

"That was really quite something to watch. I think this might be the first time I have seen one of my subordinate gods get killed by a group of mortals." (D)

"Being X was your subordinate? Was he acting on your orders since the beginning?" (Tanya)

"No, I can't really be bothered to check in on what all of them are doing, the only ones I watch are the interesting ones. The first time I interfered with him was sending all of you to the school." (D)

"At least you're honest about being an evil god, unlike him." (Tanya)

"That is an accurate word to describe us, isn't it? Ah, but don't misunderstand, I'm not here to get revenge for him or anything like that. Rather, I'm here to reward you for struggling so desperately. I threw that school together thinking those worlds were getting too dull, but even I hadn't expected you to take advantage of it and get him killed. Congratulations. You were originally just one of many side projects, but with this, you're definitely worth spectating." (D)

She couldn't respond.

"Now then, what should I do about your gift? Each new encounter has seen your computation orb improved, but if I just did that, you wouldn't survive the result… That one got returned to me after she became a god, but it should be a good fit for you… It'll have to be adjusted to work outside that system… completed." (D)

The emotionless words with carefully-timed pauses mixed in made the entire speech sound like a preplanned act rather than something made up on the spot. There were too many expressions she was unfamiliar with to truly understand what was being talked about, but her memory of the last time a self-proclaimed god had modified her computation orb was still fresh enough.

"No, wait-" (Tanya)

"Then, do try to survive for my entertainment, second generation [Ruler of Wisdom]." (D)

The Type-95 she had been wearing disappeared, and in its place a flood of information. Fragments of memories, taboo secrets about the nature of the world, magic of all sorts.

At the same time, her vision was augmented with a torrential stream of data, containing every imaginable detail about the world for dozens of kilometers. Not just the number of blades of grass in view and the number of leaves on each tree, but their material composition, the flow of heat and magic in the atmosphere, the exact position and statistics about every entity within range.

Of course, this flow was accompanied by a piercing headache. No, it was not something so mild, given that she felt like her brain would be crushed by the volume of information being continuously driven into it. Still, she was paralyzed, no longer allowed to even scream in pain.

"I'm sure you'll find the answer soon enough. I have to get back to work now, so I'll leave you alone for a while. Until next time." (D)

The smartphone in her hand disappeared, and she fell towards the ground, very much unconscious.

It wasn't until a week later that Tanya woke up again.

She found herself in a bed in a plain room, from the ambient temperature almost certainly somewhere in the 7th floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. There was far less to observe in a single closed room than in an open field, so the pain was slightly more bearable. Still too much for her to stand up, but she could at least shift around in the bed and look around, though doing so brought on a new headache.

The pain was not bad enough to render her unconscious immediately after waking up, but it was simultaneously harsh enough to prevent her from sleeping. The only action left to her was to stare ahead at the room in front of her, slowly trying to get used to reading through the full volume of information. Even closing her eyes did little to help, as her entire body had effectively been transformed into a magical sensory organ.

She continued to wait in such a half-conscious state, occasionally losing consciousness and waking after indeterminate periods of time. Demons would check in on her condition, but aside from that she was just left alone. They had already long since tried various tiers of healing magic, regeneration, and status effect removal. As they could find nothing wrong with her, they did not know what to cure. These were not entirely meaningless, but they provided only momentary relief.

There were still a few options which remained untested: the super-tier magic, [Wish Upon a Star]; World-Class items; death and resurrection. Perhaps one of these would have an effect, but each would come at a cost. Since she seemed to be slowly recovering anyway, waiting would be the cheaper course of action.

Another week passed. Tanya spent several days trying to recreate a pain-numbing formula. Though the Type-95 appeared to have disappeared, it was more accurate to describe it as having been integrated into her. The same processes for activating magic which she was used to continued to work exactly how she expected it to, if not even more smoothly than before.

If not for the pain itself, she could have negated it immediately, but every attempt she made now was either interrupted midway through or misfired, sometimes causing her even more harm and cause her to pass out. It took nearly a hundred attempts before she was able to activate one successfully, which she used to help herself activate a better one to last a longer time.

This was still not enough for her to walk around, but she could at least sit up and talk now. She could look around, analyzing the contents of the room, trying to adapt to the flow of data. Unfortunately for her, simply negating pain did nothing to help process the absurd volume of data, so she went back down not long after her first success.

Still, Tanya continued to persevere. Her ability to use magic through pain increased gradually, slowly but steadily lowering the number of tries it took for her first pain-numbing formula to activate after waking up. Each time she read through the contents of the room, the time she could stay conscious grew by a few moments each time.

She was looking for something very specific. Without the constant throbbing pain to interrupt her thought, she had gone through D's words, of which one phrase particularly stuck out. "You'll find the answer," she had said. Not just 'an' answer, but 'the' answer, as if one had been left on purpose.

It may have just been a trick, but she didn't think the self-proclaimed evil god looking for entertainment would be satisfied with just watching her lay in bed for months. Trusting in that hunch, she continued to get up, determined to find the solution.

The third week came to an end before she finally caught on. What she found was not something present, but something absent from the room.

Nonstop practice had gotten her to the point of at being able to hold on to her consciousness even while scanning the room in full detail. Certainly, a bit of data missing from the incoming wave would be impossible to notice, even if it made no effort to hide, particularly when the wave would blow away her consciousness each time.

Looking carefully enough to notice actually made her laugh at how simple it was. She could read the details of everything in the room around her. Physical objects, atmospheric effects, magic, none were exempt from her scans.

Nothing, except for a small white spider sitting in a corner, watching over her from the corner like a living security camera. That alone drew her attention, and brought to the front of her mind one of the memory fragments which D had passed on to her.

She laughed and sat back, matching the spider's gaze with a smile.

"It's you, isn't it? You've been watching from the beginning, right? First Generation?" (Tanya)

Tanya waited, watching the room. There was no distortion as with every other instance of teleportation-type magic she had seen, but a negative space which she could not recognize appeared instantaneously in front of her.

"You actually came." (Tanya)

Recognizing it had been noticed, the negative space grew visible.

A pure-white girl, looking at Tanya through closed eyes. She looked to be in her late teenage years, though it was impossible to truly tell, since she may have frozen her appearance at that age. Her just becoming a demon had been enough to do that, so she had no doubt that an ancient god would be able to do the same if she wanted to.

At the moment the figure became visible, Tanya drew in her breath, then slowly let it back out. There was no question that the white girl was exceptionally beautiful, by any world's standards. With perfectly shaped Eastern features and a pristine, otherworldly look born from the complete lack of shading, her appearance would draw the attention of every single person she were to walk by, regardless of gender. In a very literal sense, it was a body hand-crafted by a god.

Seeing her, Tanya suppressed a shudder. Her appearance was striking, but not particularly surprising. More importantly, her attention was drawn to the girl's mana waves, or to be precise, the complete lack thereof.

Every single person had a distinct mana wave pattern, an identifier no less unique than a fingerprint. If the person in question was a completely ordinary, non-magical human, they would be weak enough to be unreadable without specialized equipment, while a mage could be identified from hundreds of meters away.

It was a simple task for her to locate Ainz or Demiurge if they were standing in a field several kilometers away. Being X could be spotted as long as he was in the same hemisphere as her, and D's presence was impossible to miss despite not even being in the same dimension. Yet, the white girl was a void, making a conscious effort to conceal her magic.

Certainly, any mage would be able to conceal their magic. Broadcasting a beacon for hostile artillery at your own position was suicide, so suppressing it was part of basic training. Such complete concealment was impressive, but not unexpected for somebody with centuries of experience.

What terrified her was the prospect that the girl was going through the effort of doing so to begin with. If she was being seen as a potential enemy by the girl, then even D's bottomless abyss of power was less of a threat – at least D would never take her seriously as an enemy.

Large countries could march into the jungles and deserts of small countries, only to be ambushed by the guerillas they considered insignificant. A powerful but arrogant opponent could be dragged down to the ground and killed by the ants it mocked, as Being X had so kindly demonstrated. However, things could be as terrifying as knowing that one such giant was giving you its undivided attention.

The girl did not speak, she just continued to silently stare at her. Time passed as neither said anything, until the girl lightly frowned.

Tanya had been waiting for the girl to speak, hoping to gain some room for negotiation by learning what she wanted first, but exhausting her patience now would be her loss. The girl was probably the only one capable of helping her, and she was probably well aware of Tanya's desperation. If she were to get upset and leave, there would be nothing else she could do. The initiative was entirely in her opponent's hands, and both of them knew it.

"You're the first generation owner of this… gift, right? Can I take that to mean that you know how to deal with the drawbacks?" (Tanya)

After a brief pause, the girl gave a similarly brief response.

"[Parallel Minds], [Thought Acceleration], [High-Speed Processing], [Heresy Nullification]."

That's it? Was that supposed to be the the method? If the problem comes from a load of data impossible to process even with the aid of the Type-95, it gets solved by speeding up that processing? That much I can agree with, but is that supposed to be separated and run multiple times in parallel as well? It was unstable enough in a computation orb, but now she's telling me to do the same thing to my brain? There are entire fields of psychology explaining exactly why that's a bad idea!

I would consider refusing, but I'm still stuck between inevitably going insane due to this or potentially going insane due to that addition, it's probably still worth the risk. Then, the only thing to ask about is the outlier, the part that doesn't make sense.

"Heresy Nullification?" (Tanya)

"… Mental attack nullification."

That answered some questions, while also asking new ones.

Why was an ability given (forced) onto her classified as a mental attack against herself?

How could that so-called attack be nullified without removing the ability at the root? Would doing so interfere with the flow of data?

To begin with, just what was a mental attack? The concept made sense when looking just examining the words, but it was too unlike any magic she was familiar with to really understand. Could magic even be made precise enough to interfere not just with an opponent's perception, but their brain itself? Such absurd magic could be used for an effect as simple as sensory overload?

She began to ask a followup question, but the girl's annoyed look made her swallow her words. Rather than continuing to waste time, she skipped straight to the important part, the actual negotiation.

"What do you want in exchange?" (Tanya)

"… Distract D. Be entertaining."

Tanya was getting frustrated by the girl's riddles, but did her best to not let it show. It sounded like an incredibly simple demand. No, in truth it was a simple demand, likely one which wouldn't even require her to go out of her way to do anything, but getting involved with high-ranked gods was never a good idea.

Every time she interacted with these so-called gods, she had gotten cursed, or thrown around increasingly unscientific and illogical worlds. Faith-obsessed egomaniacs like Being X might well be the standard for them, so what would she have to do? The first time D gave any recognition to her was when she got involved with killing off Being X, would fulfilling her end of the contract require her to hunt down more self-proclaimed gods named after letters?

Few things were more expensive than something which is offered for free, but a price this ambiguous might just count. Unfortunately, she had learned about the 'mental attack' effect which she neither knew how to counteract nor had the ability to figure out while under its effects. She no longer had any choice but to accept, no matter what kind of poison the cure may involve.

"If it's just that, I'll accept. Sounds like that self-proclaimed evil god has been playing around with you for a while now…" (Tanya)

With a small nod and brief hint of a smile, the girl lightly flicked her hand, cutting off Tanya's consciousness before starting her work.