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The Greater Apotheosis of Ainz Ooal Gown
Book : Realmfall
Chapter 4: The World Born Dead
Beta:
It had a whole week since Momonga had retreated into the depths of Ashurbanipal alongside his loyal creation Pandora's Actor and he had finally gathered all the information he needed.
At least I hope so. The lore on this world is vast and it is almost certain that I missed something.
"Do not fret mein Vater," The Doppelgänger dressed in a yellow Neo-Nazi-esque uniform with a egg shaped head that lacked distinct facial features except the three holes that represented his mouth and eyes that was his creation said. "While there is much more to research, we have gathered all we can on the threat we currently face."
"Yes, we have." Momonga nodded as they walked towards the entrance of the Grand Library. "However, as you say Pandora's Actor, there is much left to learn. As such, while I go rally our forces to deal with Atropus, I want you to stay here and continue the research into this Realm in which we now apparently find ourselves."
"Wie Sie befohlen haben, mein Vater!" The excitable Doppelgänger said with an elaborate salute.
Momonga just palmed his face in dismay.
Why did I ever think this was cool?
"What did I say about speaking German and the exaggerated gestures and body language?"
"Urk! Apologies, mein Vater, I will do my best to restrain myself."
"Do so," Momonga told him seriously. "And carry out your task with full fervor. The sooner we understand the intricacies of this world the better."
"I shall get it done, mein Vater." His 'son' assured him in a more subdued but still highly enthusiastic tone.
Nodding at him in satisfaction, Momonga teleported to Nazarick's Throne Room. There he found it empty save for Albedo who stood to the right of the Throne of Kings and typed away at a series of holographic screens, compiling the reports of the various Guardians' observations.
She seems to believe that I sent them out to report back. Not entirely correct since I already know everything there is to know about Felmid. Though I suppose reading that report will tell me how much the Guardians have managed to learn of my 'children' so far.
He had barely finished the thought and was mid motion in seating himself on his Throne when the succubus finally detected his presence and spun around to face him.
"Lord Momonga," Albedo said with a happy smile as she fell to one knee before him. "You have returned."
"I have." Momonga replied with a sagely nod, one of a number of gestures he'd at Pandora's Actor's urging practiced to help him continue to act the part he'd taken up as the ideal Undead Godking. "Rise and summon the Floor Guardians, except Gargantua and Victim, as well as the Lords of Felmid. I have finished my research and have things to announce."
"At once my lord." Abledo said as she stood.
Obeying his command like the able subordinate she'd been created to be, she began rapidly using the Message spell to summon the various leaders of his forces to the Throne Room. They in turn heeded his command with all haste and within ten minutes they were all kneeling before him, including Enri Emmott and Sebas Tian.
Both of whom I didn't specifically call for but which can be inferred from my command. Very good. So it seems that like Pandora's Actor the parts in Albedo's biodata about her unmatched intelligence has been made real along with everything else. Then again this is only one data point and a weak one at that, but a more detailed analysis of this can wait.
"Guardians of Nazarick, Lords of Felmid, Sebas Tian, Enri Emmott," Momonga addressed them after receiving their obeisance in the form of them kneeling before him and declaring his greatness.
His specifically addressing Sebas and the Emmott girl had them all looking at him with glittering eyes. He couldn't interpret what all of the Guardians felt - he simply had not spent enough time with them since they'd developed emotions and the ability to express them to read their facial cues correctly - but from the Lords of Felmid he sensed a great blossoming of love and respect for his choice to not exclude the two even in such a small way as a blanket address.
So easily satisfied. Momonga thought to himself with a mental chuckle even as he continued speaking.
"There are two orders of business for which I have summoned you. First, and the more easily accomplished of the two, is to inform you that I have decided to take on a new name. From henceforth, the name of Momonga shall become my personal name and be held sacred. It is not to be spoken to outsiders."
"Is that understood?"
There was a chorus of affirmatives and Momonga waited for the last to finish before he continued.
"As for the name you shall use to address me to outsiders, I have chosen Ainz Ooal Gown. Guardians of Nazarick do you have any objections to this choice of me usurping the Guild name for my own?"
"We all now know the name of the Lord." Albedo said, speaking on behalf of the Guardians. "Hail Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! Supreme Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown, all members of the Great Tomb of Nazarick swears undying fealty to you."
Without hesitation, the other Guardians and Sebas repeated her declaration.
"Hail Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! Supreme Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown who leads us! We will dedicate our all to you and swear undying fealty to you!"
Followed shortly thereafter by the gathered leaders of Felmid.
"Hail Ainz Ooal Gown-sama! Eternal loyalty to the Bone Father!"
The newly renamed Ainz nodded in satisfaction and let his eyes wander up to the many flags of his guildmates for a moment.
This way I can honor the name my friends and I created whilst not disappointing my children who devote themselves to my name. Ainz thought as he recalled the back and forth he'd had with Pandora's Actor over this matter when he'd raised the idea of taking on a new name a couple days ago. The Doppelgänger had been opposed to the idea at first, not wanting his creator to give up his name. In response to this sentiment and with his creation's help, Ainz had refined the idea into what it was now. Plus, using this name….
He knew it was unlikely that his friends had been transported to this world too. If Nameless had done so, considering all the advantages the ROB had given him he would have dropped his comrades here on Felmid already. That said, there was a chance so…
Using our name will draw them to me as soon as they hear it and are able.
It was a slim hope but it was one that Ainz would hold onto for as long as possible.
Pulling back his wandering thoughts to the present, Ainz returned his gaze to his waiting subordinates.
"Now, unto the second order of business." Ainz said with a powerful anxiety that would have likely debilitated him if not for his emotional suppressor, such was the terror he felt at having to face what was coming. "We need to prepare for an invasion."
"An invasion, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown?" Albedo said, blinking in confusion.
"Just Lord Ainz will do," Ainz said absently. "And yes, an invasion. Through my divination I have discerned that a moon sized undead entity, known to this world as the primordial Atropus is en route to destroy us."
This was met by shocked muttering from his subjects, but a swift glare from Albedo silenced them and bowing her head, she addressed him.
"Apologies, Lord Ainz, we have embarrassed ourselves before you."
"No apologies are necessary. My pronouncement was a shocking one, some surprise is to be expected."
"My Lord, you are too generous. We should not have behaved such in your pre-"
"Albedo, enough!" Ainz said cutting the succubus off. "I am not offended. Move on."
The Guardian Overseer ducked her head in apology at being chastised but quickly rallied.
"What should we do to prepare for this invasion, my lord?"
"Prepare every ship that we can salvage from the ruins capable of spaceflight." Ainz declared, his eyes burning with determination he did not fully feel but projected nonetheless.
Fake it till you make it. The quiet voice of Suzuki Satoru reminded him.
"I do not care if it is nothing more than a tugboat or if it's a battleship. We will need all of them."
"Pardon me for asking, my Lord, but what do you intend to use them for?" Demiurge asked, bowing low. "Depending on the task you have in mind, different preparations will need to be made."
Did he just preempt an oversight I was about to make? Ainz thought with a pleased smile, or what passed for it on the featureless skull of a face that he possessed.
"Good question, Demiurge." Ainz said, radiating pleasure at the Devil's initiative. "And the answer is simple. I intend to take the fight to the enemy."
Atropus drifted through the vacuum with purpose towards Felmid which had appeared in the large gulf of space that existed between the worlds of Chandos and Glyth from its place as one of the latter's moons, from whence it had laid waste to the formerly Illithid dominated world, leaving it dead and devastated. The primordial moved slowly through the void though, as befit an undead with all the time in the world.
Looking out upon his moon sized enemy as his fleet closed, despite undead himself Ainz could not help but find it disgusting.
Atropus was nothing but a decaying, disembodied head the size of a small moon, apparently made of black stone, heavily cratered, and covered in oceans of foul amniotic fluid. It was barren and rocky, roughly spherical and with mountainous ridges, deep trenches, and sharp spikes upthrusting from the ground. Glossy black stones, each 40 miles in diameter if his ships' sensors were correct, formed its eyes and a massive chasm into the depths of its mass hundreds of miles long served as its mouth.
It utterly dwarfed the small ramshackle looking fleet Ainz was flying towards it. His fleet, of roughly two hundred ships outwardly looked like twisted wrecks that shouldn't be capable of flight much less battle. However, Ainz's blessing made them far more than they seemed. Despite their appearance, every ship was spaceworthy and equipped with every available weapon that his subjects could bolt on.
"Lord Ainz," Deathwing, the commander of his fleet, called out to him as he turned away from one of his subordinates. "We are detecting magical readings forming some distance ahead."
"Atropus is conjuring a fleet to intercept us," Ainz declared. "Prepare for battle."
The Dragon in humanoid form gave a salute and turned to bark orders at his crew of Goblins and Dragonkin.
Satisfied that his subordinate had things under control, Ainz returned his attention to the view outside the window that dominated the bridge of his flagship, the Bone Father, and watched with narrowed eyes as large magic circles began appearing ahead of his fleet from which surged from a host of battered looking sailing ships of various designs.
Ghost ships? I suppose that is an appropriate counter to my own fleet. Ainz thought. Though I was unaware such things as ghost spelljammers existed.
Floating in the void in the center of the loose, barely organized packs of the enemy ships floated comparatively tiny objects that only Ainz's exceptional vision allowed him to see were actually ghoulish fetus shaped undead abominations with pale red skin, rotten flesh, skin-covered empty eye sockets, swollen joints, exposed bones and jaws which hung open to reveal long tongues and razor-sharp teeth.
Atropals as commanders huh? I suppose that makes sense.
The magic circles spun for a good minute or two, conjuring hundreds of ghost spelljammers and dozens of atropals before fading from view.
Done are we, Atropus? Then it is my turn.
Raising the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and focusing his power through it, causing himself to be covered in a dark aura that let loose the occasional screaming tormented soul, Ainz cast his opening move.
"Triplet, Widen, Maximize Magic: Fallen Down!"
Back in YGGDRASIL Fallen Down was a Super Tier spell that called down a huge pillar of blue light from the sky that would burn so bright and hot that it would appear like the whole world has turned white. When this light faded a few seconds later, it would leave behind an area burned to a cinder and devoid of life. This spell also had the holy attribute, allowing it to deal even more damage to undead-type enemies. It was thus the perfect spell to use here against Atropus' forces.
But for all that, if the spell was only capable of just that in this new world, Ainz would not have used it. Super Tier spells back in the game had long activation times and could not be affected by metamagic. This meant that while powerful it could at best target a handful of targets and its casting could easily be interrupted. While the latter was not an issue as Ainz was in the heart of his fleet, the former was problematic indeed. However, thankfully the mechanics of his magic had changed in this world. Through experimentation with Pandora's Actor during breaks while they researched, Ainz had learned that in this new world, he could apply metamagic to his Super Tier spells. Similarly, his ability to add metamagic effects also seemed to have no upper limit, unlike the limit of two effects that existed in YGGDRASIL. This ability was unique to him as well as despite their best efforts, Pandora's Actor had not been able to duplicate either feat. This had puzzled them, but right now he was glad for the odd quirk.
It was after all what allowed three massive beams of brilliant white light to shoot down from above directly into the heart of the formations of the enemy fleet and reduce a good third of them to ash.
Your move, Atropus.
He'd barely finished the thought when the massive primordial's mouth opened and spat forth a massive beam of raw destructive power at Ainz's fleet.
"Widen, Maximize Magic: Mirror Alice!"
The spell Mirror Alice in YGGDRASIL had been a low tier gimmick spell derived from some old anime that created a mirror that had the ability to deflect attacks back onto the attacker or other targets with double the damage. However, the damage it could absorb was low and if the damage it attempted to absorb was above that limit it would shatter, dealing double the damage against the caster instead. This drawback meant it was only ever effective against the weakest of opponents. However, that was in the game.
Here in this new world, empowered by the full might of Ainz Ooal Gown the spell summoned a massive pane of glass directly in the path of Atropus' beam and deflected it into the ranks of the undead primordial's fleet destroying a good chunk of them.
"Lord Ainz, the enemy are about to close into engagement range of our ships' weapons."
"Very good, Deathwing." Ainz said with a nod, wary of Atropus' response. "Fire at will. And keep a tight protective formation over our secret weapons. How long till they are within range?"
"Affirmative." The Dragon replied dutifully. "As for the secret weapons, they'll need at least five minutes."
Ainz nodded even as he conjured in his mind a mental countdown timer, causing one to appear in his vision in the location of his own clock for his now lost YGGDRASIL UI.
How convenient. Ainz noted with a grin even as he saw Atropus make its next move.
Apparently realizing that shooting a single massive beam was counterproductive, his primordial opponent had switched gears and snapping his mouth shut had instead taken to breathing out a stream of narrow less powerful beams of power instead. Watching them curve through the void towards his fleet, the Overlord grunted in grudging admiration of his enemy's move.
So you realize I can at best duplicate my spells three times? Well, unfortunately I can just cast more than one spell then!
"Triplet, Maximize Magic: Mirror Alice! Triplet, Maximize Magic: Dark Aegis. Triple-"
Casting spell after defensive spell from his repertoire of 718 different spells, Ainz protected his fleet as best as he was able from not only Atropus' destructive beams but the attacks of his atropals and ghost ships. Attacks were redirected by Mirror Alice onto the enemy, others were absorbed by magical barriers of various colors, others still simply swerved away from their targets seconds before impact. These and all manner of protective effects shielded Ainz's fleet from the enemy.
Despite this, the enemy was relentless. Outnumbering Ainz's forces by a large margin and with the relentlessness that characterized the undead, the thralls of Atropus pressed on and through sheer numbers began scoring hits. For while Ainz's protective magics were mighty, he could not shield all his ships at once. Thus armor buckled and hulls ruptured from ballistae bolts, projectiles from catapults, cannon balls and dark spells as the atropals and the ghost spelljammers destroyed scores of Felmid ships.
Still they fought on.
"-Magic: Fallen Down! Triplet, Maximize Magic: Cloak of Unholy Protection!"
Their god fought on and so the servants of Ainz Ooal Gown did the same.
"My Lord!" Deathwing said, as the Bone Father was rocked by a hit. "We are within the range of the secret weapons."
Finally. Ainz thought as he stopped his casting. While he felt no appreciable decrease in his mana despite his use of so many overpowered spells, the mental strain of casting so quickly and such a large variety of spells was giving him a headache.
"Fire them at once." Ainz ordered. "I will screen the attack."
"At once, my Lord!"
Ignoring his subordinate's reply, Ainz mentally selected the spells he needed. As he did, his beleaguered fleet now lacking his protection began taking grievous losses but nevertheless loyally obeyed their orders and opened up the front of their formation to allow the firing of their secret weapons.
Said secret weapons were a pair of large barrel shaped ships. On Ainz's Earth their equivalents were prototype asteroid mining ships designed to fire a hybrid of kinetic kill vehicles and nuclear weapons to break up target asteroids to allow for easier resource extraction. Now these repurposed, Felmid versions of those vessels fired their payloads at a significant fraction of light speed courtesy of their powerful railguns and sent them hurtling right at Atropus' eyes.
Fast as the shots were, Atropus was a primordial. A divine entity. It was thus fully able to react in time and threw up a barrier of sickly purple energy to protect itself.
Ainz however was having none of that.
"Maximize Magic: Sword of Damocles!"
At his invocation, a single massive glowing sword manifested directly over Atropus' barrier and slammed into it. In YGGDRASIL, the Super Tier spell Sword of Damocles was a bunker buster spell with attributes that allowed it to pierce the most potent of defenses. Carried over to this new world and enhanced by the power of Ainz Ooal Gown, the glowing sword effortless shattered Atropus' barrier and proceeded to stab itself deep into the primordial's crust roughly where its nose should have been before detonating. As if pre planned, this was complemented by the shots from the asteroid miners striking Atropus' eyes. Thus in three cataclysmic explosions, the entire upper portion of the undead promordial's face completely ceased to exist.
It naturally howled in agony.
"Fire the second salvo." Ainz ordered at the sight.
Again the process repeated itself as two more shots of the asteroid miners and another Sword of Damocles slammed into the reeling Atropus. This time though, they went straight down its open mouth. Again massive explosions ripped the primordial's body apart, this time they severed a whole chunk of its lower jaw which drifted away from its main mass.
Even without a mouth and in the void, Ainz could hear Atropus' cry of pain. The force of it carrying across the nothingness in a wordless psychic howl. It sounded pitiful if he was honest with himself, but he pushed whatever pity he felt aside and proceeded to finish this.
"The Goal of All Life is Death!"
This was no spell but rather a special skill Ainz had gained from reaching the maximum level in his Eclipse job class. The Eclipse class let the user become a true lord of death, a life-consuming Eclipse, thus its ultimate skill fit this theme by strengthening the instant death effect of magic and skills to the point of bypassing any immunity or resistance and killing their targets after a certain amount of time had passed. In this new world however, like with his spells, Ainz could change the specifics of his skills as well. Thus foregoing the need for time to pass, the Overlord willed the skill to take hold and enhance him.
The instant he felt the skill take hold, Ainz cast his spell.
"True Death!"
In too much pain to react, Atropus did nothing as the spell was cast upon it.
That would be the last mistake it ever made.
The effect of his spell was instantaneous. One moment the wounded Atropus was howling in pain, the next its psychic cries ceased and its body stilled. Slowly but surely, the moon sized mass began to break apart. First in small chunks but at ever growing speed the disintegration accelerated, until within moments nothing was left by a cloud of boulder sized debris.
Even as Ainz watched this with satisfaction, he could feel something shift in the universe and within himself. Unseen by his cheering subjects or the now frozen, disintegrating remains of Atropus' forces, the Primordial of Undeath's essence flowed into Ainz Ooal Gown who as his killer assumed his mantle. None of them but Ainz could know that even as the Atropus broke into pieces, Felmid changed as imitating the form it had previously taken the new power the world's master had gained flowed into it and transformed it into a part of himself.
So now not only its inhabitants are part of me, but the planet itself? Fascinating.
Shaking off his musings, Ainz turned to Deathwing.
"Regroup the fleet and turn us around, Deathwing. Let us return to Felmid and celebrate our victory."
"As you command, my Lord."
Done!
Hope you guys liked it.
As some might have noticed with Atropus and the abilities he demonstrated, I'm going to play fast and loose with what is attributed to the characters in canon D&D. One thing I never particularly liked about the setting is how mechanical everything is at times. I understand this is wholly to make things understandable and it's up to DMs and Players to translate it into a more 'realistic' setting. That said, I still find the mechanics limiting. Hence, I will not rely overly much on canon stat blocks beyond them giving me a guide of what characters or creatures can do. For example, if a being is a primordial or god then they should be able to do almost anything and is only limited to preferences/advantages/disadvantages imposed by their portfolios and domains. Similarly, if a creature logically should have an ability based on its anatomy or description/backstory but lacks it in the game for whatever reason I'll add it in.
As for the battle itself, the focus isn't really on the fleet action even though it played a key part in Ainz's plan. Instead, as should be fitting when two divine entities fight the battle was more of a duel between Atropus and Ainz than anything else.
Well that's it from me this chapter. Till next time, kìyevame!
