[Chapter 2: Felines and Fiends]
Ainz ducked low, entering the apartment Aki had led him to. He looked around the space, while simultaneously trying not to accidentally knock anything over.
Compared to his old place back in the 22nd century, this was quite nice. Whilst sparsely decorated, it had multiple rooms, a nice tv, a kitchen. Frankly, for 1 person this was a completely luxurious set up!
But… the ceilings were a bit low. The Overlord was over two metres tall, and so he was forced to be hunched over in many of the corridors. He followed Aki to the kitchen, where he straightened to his full height.
"I mean no disrespect when I say this, but will this apartment not end up a bit cramped with both of us here? Instead, I believe we can procure a more spacious place." With one grand motion, Ainz opened his inventory over the table, causing precious gems and metals to spill on top of it.
Sapphires, rubies, diamonds, gold ingots, treasures that would have made the pharaohs blush appeared out of seemingly nowhere. The humble wooden desk was filled to its very edges with materials worth entire countries.
Aki looked at it all, his face serious and expressionless, "Where did you get all this from?" he deadpanned.
Ainz, slightly flustered by the unexpected reaction, looked at the man and said, "What do you mean? I simply have it from my past adventures."
Aki shook his head, picking up one of the gems, "Unless you're the devil of greed, wealth, or whatever else, then there is no reason for you to have all this. I mean, look at this diamond for instance."
He picked one out from the pile. It was as large as the devil hunter's hand, perfectly polished, with a flawless clarity, and being an excellent cut. "This alone is probably worth millions of yen, or more given its probable uniqueness."
"Isn't that… good?" asked Ainz, still confused by the situation. Wasn't more money a good thing?
Aki sighed, putting the diamond back into the pile of treasures, "If we were to sell that, people would ask questions. Where did that diamond come from? Well, we can't exactly say it came from a devil. And even if you manage to sell it, how will you launder the money? It's probably worth years of whatever salary Miss Makima is paying you."
'Oh. I did forget to ask about the whole salary thing, didn't I? Well… I'll find a way to sell at least some of the low tier gems eventually.' Ainz thought to himself, briskly making up an excuse to cover up his ignorance.
"Hmm, the mortal world has changed much since I last visited. What a shame. The king's of old would have gladly given me a castle for even a single petty gem like this." he said, reluctantly taking the items back into his inventory.
'Maybe I should give a few to Makima and have her broker a deal with someone? She seems pretty competent at that sort of thing.'
"Whatever…" mumbled Aki, reaching for what Ainz presumed to be the liquor cabinet, "Just don't make a mess, bother me, or be late for work. And if I see you try anything out of order…"
"You'll kill me, yes, yes. You've said this before. I would appreciate a bit more trust after I saved you." said Ainz, shaking his head as the devil hunter repeated himself.
"I was going to say that I am obliged to report you to Miss Makima, but that works just as well." said Aki, pouring himself a glass of wine.
"In that case, will you be obliged to report me if I create a room for myself?" asked Ainz, walking up to one of the blank, white walls.
"What do you mean 'create a room'? And just how many abilities do you have?" asked Aki, looking at the undead mage with both suspicion and curiosity.
"Perhaps it is just easier to show you." Ainz said, pointing at the wall in front of him, "[Alter Interior]." The spell worked as intended, and an ebony door now replaced the area the Overlord had pointed at.
In YGGDRASIL, this spell came packaged with the 10th Tier [Fortress] and allowed the caster to alter the interior freely. Thankfully, it no longer seemed bound to just the structure of [Fortress], being instead broadly applicable.
Ainz opened the door, revealing that behind it was a room clad in ebony and purple furniture, quite similar in design to his room back in Nazarick. There was a massive king-sized bed of sublime quality, several drawers made only by the greatest of craftsmen, and the whole area was somehow illuminated by a dim light, despite the lack of any lantern.
"It's a bit barebones for now, but it should suit me just fine." said Ainz, turning around only to see Aki's jaw be on the floor.
'It's just a room. What's the big deal?' Ainz asked himself as Aki struggled to return to his composed self.
"T-That's fine. Just be ready for work tomorrow. And I presume you can help me fly there as well?" asked the devil hunter.
"Fly? Why would we? I can teleport us to the office instead." said Ainz. It was a much more efficient mode of transport, though unless he would use [Gate], not a very impressive one either.
Aki briefly staggered back, eventually sighing and simply saying, "Sure, why not?" which was quickly followed by him downing the wine he had in hand.
'He must be pretty confident in his tolerance if he drinks during the week.' Ainz thought, looking on as the man poured himself another glass…
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Aki grabbed onto a nearby desk to stabilise himself. He shook his head and returned to his feet. 'Not as bad as I thought it'd be but still not great.' he thought, recovering from the teleportation. The momentary disorientation is what got to him, since the devil's power didn't seem to have any unwanted side effects besides that.
Ainz, who stood next to him, had his mask and gloves on. The devil waited patiently for the hunter to regain his balance, before beginning to walk towards Makima's office.
When the two arrived, neither seemingly bothered by the odd stares from some people in the building, Makima was already waiting for them. She sat at her desk, a few papers in front of her.
"Good morning." she said as the two arrived, "Aki, you can go on your usual patrol route. But you, Ainz, I have a special assignment for you. Given how much confidence Aki has in you, I will assign you a buddy I believe only you can handle."
Ainz tilted his head to the side, "I am not mistaken in saying this is only the second day, am I? I presume this comes with some sort of benefit to me."
She put on her most charming smile, "It'd be a huge help for me. See, the girl I'm assigning to you can be very troublesome."
The Overlord shook his head, "As much as I'd like to assist you, I am neither experienced enough to know the area, nor have I seen this person. At the very least, you'll owe me a favour, Makima." Ainz said, using no title as to remind her of his own, equal rank.
'I'm not surprised that they're short-staffed, but to assign a newbie to a devil? It'll be quite a favour she owes me.'
Makima sighed, "I understand, special agent. I accept your terms. But, I am obliged to tell you," the door was flung open as Makima said, and a girl entered, "the one assigned to you is a fiend."
The girl, who nearly knocked the door clean off its hinges, had long, strawberry-blonde hair. And yet, Ainz wasn't interested in that. Instead, the revelation that this girl was a fiend was what intrigued him. She had two red horns sticking out of the centre of her head, and her teeth appeared to be closer to fangs than whatever humans had.
"Grovel humans!" came the boisterous voice of the girl, "For I am Power, the mightiest fiend!"
Ainz and Aki first looked at her, and then at each other. The Overlord's masked skull was naturally emotionless, but the stair of disappointment and despair in Aki's eyes made him pity the man.
"Why are you still no-" began the fiend named Power, only to be swiftly cut off by a [Silence] spell from Ainz. He looked at Makima, who still had that same pleasant smile plastered on her face.
"Miss Makima?" he asked, glancing briefly at Aki.
"Yes?"
"Just to confirm. Given the special nature of your division, and how I work alongside Aki, is it safe for me to assume that if I do not take on her burden, my colleague will have to?"
"Yes." she simply answered.
"I see." The undead mage turned to the devil hunter and bowed slightly, "I apologise in advance for the headaches my companion will cause. I will try to keep her in check, but" he glanced at the girl, who appeared to be angrily ranting and stomping the wooden floorboards, "I doubt I'll be able to do so fully."
"I appreciate that you will at least try. If it were me, I'd quit and join the civilian division immediately." Aki said, staring at the angry fiend, "Good luck."
With those words, he headed for the door, deftly dodging a swipe from Power. But, before the monotone solace of his normal routine could arrive, Makima spoke up again, "Oh, and since you are already housing a devil, Power will be staying at your place."
The man froze. What sins had he committed, what horrid crimes did he revel in, to deserve such a fate? He looked at the devil who already nested in his apartment, the devil who at the very least kept up appearances and didn't bother him.
Ainz's flaming, crimson eyes met Aki's blue ones, and he nodded. The unspoken agreement was made, and Ainz silently hoped that he could create another room in the house.
Aki exited the room, and Ainz turned to Makima once more, "I suppose I should be on my way then. Do I have the same, isolated patrol route?" The red-headed woman nodded and went back to her paperwork, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.
The Overlord and the fiend disappeared, appearing on the roof of one of the buildings that was on his route. With a wave of his hand, he cancelled the [Silence] spell, immediately regretting it.
"What did you do, human?! Tell me, or I'll drink your blood!" threatened the fiend, walking up to Ainz and staring at his mask, "And what's with that get up?! Do you have a contract with the magic devil or something?
Ainz sighed, "No, I do not. And you'd find my blood rather lacking." He took off his mask, deciding that a fiend such as her wouldn't be shocked by his appearance.
And she indeed wasn't, instead her face quickly became tinged with disappointment, "You're a bone devil? Aaaaagh, your marrow probably tastes like shit as well." she said, looking at his skull.
The undead mage simply sighed, accepting his next devilish moniker, "Believe what you want, but for now you've got to listen to me. Our patrol route will go throu-"
"I don't care! Let's just go kill something! Or someone! I want blood!" the fiend protested, interrupting her senior.
'Devils drink blood, right? Still, her appetite seems a bit over the top. Is she the blood devil or something?'
"Listen to me. Makima assigned you to me, and you will listen to my guidance. This is your first day on the job, and if you don't want to be hunted by everyone in the division, you should cooperate." said Ainz, crossing his arms.
The girl hesitated slightly upon the mention of Makima, but her bravado prevailed, "I'm the strongest fiend there is! A devil like you shouldn't tell me what to do!"
She turned away from him, much like a child throwing a tantrum. Ainz, as impossible as it seemed with his current physiology, sighed, 'Yamaiko, please lend me some of your patience.' he thought to himself, remembering the grace with which his teacher dealt with unruly students.
'I don't have any human blood on me to give her as a treat… although in hindsight maybe that'd be a bit much. Hmm, what do I do? Oh, I think I got it.'
"You know, yesterday I found a very powerful devil on this route. I'm sure we can find something like that again, and then you can have its blood." Ainz said, trying to appeal to the battlemania that the fiend embodied.
Power turned around to face him, narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a bit. "Fine." she eventually said, "But their blood better be sweet!"
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Undead were immune to madness but certainly not irritation. His limiter had worked overtime to stop him from knocking the chattering fiend out cold. It was only "blood this!" and "murder that!"
It didn't help that their route so far wasn't very exciting. The area was quiet, with no devils in sight. Their travel along the rooftops provided a good vantage point, and Ainz was sure that this place was literally empty of activity.
He appreciated the silence. It let him orientate himself in this strange world he now found himself in. Sadly, the only time this quiet ever came was when Power had to take a breath.
Every single chance she got, she just had to rant about how there was nothing to kill, how she thirsted for blood, how great she was… A green light appeared around Ainz once more, and his irritation returned to minimal levels.
As he thanked his lucky stars that he was undead, Power suddenly stopped, turning to the West of the city. "I smell blood!" she yelled, dashing off in a seemingly random direction.
Ainz stood back, watching as his mentee ran away. He waited patiently until the girl tried to jump from the roof of their current building to the one next to it, only to intone a spell when she was mid-air, "[Hold Person]."
The fiend froze in mid-air, instantly losing all momentum and falling straight down. The Overlord walked to the edge of the building, looking down and seeing the girl crash into the pavement.
Even a fiend like her wouldn't leave a fall from several stories unscathed, and her knees went in directions knees were not supposed to go. Ainz gently floated down with the use of [Fly], landing in front of the paralysed girl.
He undid the spell and Power howled in pain, her legs snapped at several points. Bones jutted out of her flesh, and her blood pooled beneath her. "Fuck!" she yelled, only to repeat her cry when Ainz grabbed her by her hair and put her next to the wall.
He crouched down in order to look the immobilised fiend in the face, and a dark aura began to leak out of him. Power felt her blood run cold and a primal fear overtook her.
Ainz's [Aura of Despair I] struck fear into the girl, and his soft-spoken, eerily calm demeanour didn't help. "Listen to me, Power." he said, his voice low and levelled, "You are supposed to listen to me. That is how this job works. That means, no complaining about a lack of things to kill. No running off without my permission. And most certainly, no trying to kill things without my say-so. Got it?"
The girl shivered slightly, and Ainz's aura seemed to tighten its hold, making Power nod rapidly. "Good. I will now heal you. Do not run away, try to attack me, curse me, or anything like that."
She nodded once more, her eyes wide, like that of a frightened animal. Ainz let his aura recede and poured a potion on top of her, the healing taking place as if he had let her drink it.
Sinew mended and flesh regrew, Power finding herself without a scratch after only a few seconds. Luckily for her, her uniform wasn't stained by blood either, as if it went back inside her body.
She looked at the undead creature in front of her, but the lingering effect of his aura meant she still couldn't meet his crimson eyes. Power pulled her newly healed legs to herself, wrapping her hands around them and putting her face on them.
"I want Meowy." she mumbled as Ainz turned around to dust off his robes.
"Hmm? What did you say?" asked the undead mage, disbelieving his non-existent ears.
"Nothing!" she quickly answered.
"No, I'm sure you said something. What was it?"
Power gulped but repeated her statement after Ainz's flames burrowed their way into her soul, "I want Meowy back."
Ainz tilted his head to the side, still not comprehending what the fiend meant, "Meowy? As in, a cat? Is he lost or something?"
She shook her head, "No. The bat devil stole him. He… wants me to bring a human to him, or he'll eat Meowy! I can't let him eat Meowy!"
"A devil, you say?" Ainz asked, briefly looking up at the sky. If his estimate was on point, it was nearing his shift anyway, and so he decided on a plan of action. "[Create Middle Tier Undead: High Wraith]."
A see-through, humanoid figure, clad in white rags and bound with chains, appeared in front of him. "Kill any devils and fiends not associated with the Public Safety Department along my route."
That was all the instruction the creature needed, gleaning the rest from Ainz's mind during the summoning process. It floated away, eager to serve its master.
Ainz, meanwhile, turned to the sulking Power and said, "In that case, I believe we have a devil to kill."
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'If someone would have told me two days ago that I would be rescuing a cat from a devil, I would have called them mad.' Ainz thought to himself as he followed Power to an isolated shack in a field.
The fiend he was assigned to watch over was much like a child in hindsight. She was overconfident, loud, brash, and annoying. However, he hoped that she would calm down at least a little once he got her pet back. It was also a convenient way to further test some of his skills against a decently strong devil.
'Bats are pretty scary, right? But I doubt many people in Tokyo are scared of them… Then why did it appear here? And does its power come from all fear of bats or just in the region? I have so many questions.'
Devils were certainly not easy to understand, and Ainz was no theologian as to know of their origins, if any religion even described the circumstances of this world. The dog devil he dealt with was akin to a middle tier werewolf, only using melee, but who's to say that the bat devil wouldn't be able to use sonic attacks like those in the caves of Helheim?
He was basically gambling here, and unlike during most of his fights, the deck wasn't necessarily stacked in his favour. Where was the extensive ambush, the hours of detailed planning and spying?
In the past that was the very minimum required for a successful PK, nevermind a hostage rescue operation such as this one! But he knew there was no time for that. Not because of his adversary, but because of his ally.
He looked up ahead, seeing Power walking ahead of him. Unlike the careful Punitto Moe or the cunning Lucifer, she most certainly wouldn't wait for him to hatch an appropriate scheme. After their brief conversation following her little mishap with the fall, she practically dragged him here with all her might.
And, while her strength was impressive, it still wasn't enough to make the Overlord budge. However, for the sake of keeping her pacified, and because he thought cats were cute, he now found himself in front of the wooden building that supposedly housed the bat devil.
"Follow me, but don't attack." he said, opening the door and heading inside. The area was cramped, not because of the building being small, but because most of it was taken up by the massive bat-like humanoid inside!
It appeared to be missing an arm, and it let out a horrid groan as its head, which was akin to a grotesque parody of a bat, turned to the two intruders.
Ainz silently cast [Time Stop] and the world lost its colour. Thankfully, the bat devil froze alongside Power and the rest of the world. It would have been quite hard to rescue the fragile cat otherwise.
Not due to the fact that the devil would be a hard fight, given that it wasn't even able to regenerate its arm, but rather thanks to the fact that Meowy was locked in a bird cage around its neck.
If Ainz was to cast something like [Death], the poor kitty would be crushed alongside the cage by the head of the devil. Instead, he flew towards the cage while time was stopped and jammed the kitten through the bars.
The gap between them was barely enough to get the poor thing out, and the procedure appeared to be quite violent, as he tried to squeeze it through. Of course, the cat wasn't harmed, nothing could be if it was frozen in time.
Eventually he managed to get it out, and he flew back to his starting spot. Colour returned to the world as Ainz forced time to return, while simultaneously making sure his grip on Meowy wasn't too tight, as well as double checking that his [Negative Touch] passive was off.
The small creature with white fur appeared to be startled, jumping from Ainz's hands to those of the one person it recognised. "Meowy!" Power shouted, marvelling at the cat that leapt into her arms.
"What?! Who are you?! How did you steal my backup meal!?" came the gravelly voice of the devil. It jumped in front of Ainz, "What kind of ugly devil are you anyway!? And where is the human that you were supposed to bring me!?"
"Look who's talking…" Ainz mumbled, looking at the grotesque being. Its ears twitched and Ainz remembered, 'Ah yea, bats can hear really well, right? Shit.'
"You dare disrespect me?! I'll crush you!" it said, raising one of its clawed hands.
Power shifted her body in order to cover Meowy with her body, apparently not too keen on finding out if cats did indeed have 9 lives. The manoeuvre proved to be necessary, but not for the reason many would have expected, as Ainz spoke up before the attack could hit its target, "[Maximize Magic: Call Greater Thunder]."
Faster than the bat devil could ever hope to perceive, a bolt of lightning came down from the heavens. One would expect that somewhere on a distant mountain, a God's face became green with jealousy, Ainz's magic putting his stout storms to shame.
The pure yellow bolt came down with such force that the very barn around them was blown apart, the old wood unable to withstand the shockwave from the attack. Power was sent flying back, rolling across the ground while protecting the cat in her arms.
It took less than a fraction of a second for the magical attack to pass through the bat devil, stopping its heart and frying it. A loud thud echoed out as the devil fell onto the ground, slightly overcooked but very dead.
Ainz looked at the humanoid bat, with its eyes now liquified and smoke coming out of its orifices. "Disappointing." he said, but then again, what should he have expected of a bat devil? And all it took was a measly 9th Tier spell.
"On one hand, I hope it keeps being easy until I figure things out, and on the other hand my unlife may end with total boredom…" he mumbled. However, an exciting thought came to him. What if he were to raise the corpse of this devil?
It would be an undead devil, yes, but would it keep its abilities? Would it be more devil or more undead? It was a truly fascinating question! But creating undead devils would probably not go smoothly if Makima ever found out…
And yet this was the perfect opportunity! Aki wasn't here! Then again, Power was. For all her bravado, Ainz knew that she would crack against someone who actually knew how to use their authority, like Makima.
He looked behind him, finding power being extraordinarily busy snuggling and petting Meowy, which meant that his hypothesis of the cat being a sort of pacifier for her was correct. Maybe he could sneak in a quick [Raise Undead]? After all, the fiend was preoccupied.
Ainz decided to test his luck, crouching down and activating the skill. The corpse stirred, the red eyes of the creature flaring into unlife. The Overlord mentally commanded it to be quiet, given that Power was currently looking in the opposite direction where Meowy was wandering.
"Do you have any skills besides being able to use your physical power?" asked Ainz, hoping for an affirmative answer. Sadly, the undead devil answered in the negative, shaking its head.
"Useless." Ainz said, dismissing his magic and having the body of the bat devil drop dead once more.
'So making a devil undead doesn't make a zombie devil, but rather whatever undead the body would make… I wonder why? Where do devils even go after death? Back to hell I presume? And then back here? I wonder what that place looks like anyway. Must be all fire and brimstone.'
Alas, he could leave such thoughts for later. And yet he couldn't rest on his laurels, as another grotesque devil could be spotted on the horizon. It slithered towards him and Power at a snail's pace for Ainz.
Though it would have been much more apt to call it a leech's pace, for it looked like a leech that was dumped into a radioactive wasteland for millennia and evolved. It had four legs and two arms, all resembling tentacles in one way or another. It's head also appeared to resemble a fat leech, but with long, jetblack hair.
"Nope." Ainz said, followed up by a "[Vermillion Nova]." The horrid thing lit up in flames and was burnt to a crisp within seconds, unable to unleash even a shriek of pain. A giant bat? Fine, whatever. A giant leech? Never again. The ones in the swamp surrounding Nazarick were already a big enough pain in the ass, and he wasn't keen on reliving the experience.
Sure, the chances of it sharing any degree of strength or abilities with the leeches in YGGDRASIL were close to zero, but that didn't mean they were nonexistent, and so he was quite glad to see the creature vanish alongside the flame he had unleashed.
"Power!" he called out, causing the fiend to turn towards him, Meowy now confined in her arms rather than in a birdcage, "I think it's safe to say we're done here. Let's go home."
The fiend nodded absentmindedly, still too preoccupied with her cat…
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As Ainz was about to make the room for Power, he asked, "Actually, Power, where did you get Meowy from? With all due respect, you hardly seem like the type to get pets."
The fiend chuckled, "When I initially possessed this body, I found Meowy and decided to fatten him up! As the great Blood Fiend, everything in this world is mine to eat! But!" She shoved the fat cat in his skeletal face, "Look at how cute he is!"
Ainz simply nodded, turning to face the wall once more. 'Why am I not surprised? At least she seems to be a bit calmer with him around.'
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She was not in fact any calmer it turns out. This revelation was quite painfully brought onto Ainz and Aki. The latter slammed another glass of wine onto the counter, only to have it refilled by Ainz, since the overlord knew the poor devil hunter needed it.
The blood fiend being overly destructive wasn't even the problem. No, they would have preferred that in fact. Instead, Power rarely showered, cleaned up after herself in any capacity, or cared about hygiene at all. Each time she was reprimanded by Ainz, it seemed that the fear he had struck into her heart with [Aura of Despair] was not nearly enough to compel her to listen.
Everytime the Overlord told her "Eat your veggies!" or "Clean your room!" the way a mother might to an unruly teenager, Power instead answered with either curses or outright dismissal.
Aki had no luck in that department either, and Power having her own room made by Ainz only slightly helped with the issue. He considered himself a serious and at times intimidating man, but none of it worked here.
"What do we do, Ainz?" he asked the devil that sat across the counter from him, one who actually knew the word "decency."
"I could scare her for a while with my aura, but it wouldn't be a very pleasant affair. And besides, dealing with a child like that is counterproductive to their growth. I suppose the only way is to be patient." the undead mage said, sliding the filled glass over to Aki.
"Child… Yea, right. How old are you anyway?" asked Aki, already more than a bit tipsy. Typically he didn't drink much, certainly not when compared to some of his associates, but he almost certainly would have killed Power if not for the drinks Ainz was pouring.
"Me? 33." Ainz answered, knowing damn well that the devil hunter wouldn't believe him for a split second.
As expected, his answer was met with a chuckle, "You? 33? Good one. But I guess it makes sense for devils to not count their age… I'm sure you lived a long time, to get so bored as to hunt other devils for sport even when humans are around." Aki said, his tongue loosened by the alcohol.
"Believe what you wish." Ainz mumbled, before asking Aki a question of his own, "By the way, why did you become a devil hunter? It pays well, of that I'm sure, but it's quite the risk, is it not?"
Even drunk, the bitter memory was no less painful, and Aki's expression became even more stonecold than usual. "It's a short story." he said, "My family was killed by the gun devil. Now I will kill it. But I can't kill it alone, so I need the help of the Public Safety department."
"I see. I apologise for asking, it was quite rude of me." Ainz said, lightly bowing his head.
'A gun devil? I'm guessing it's pretty strong if even he admits he wouldn't beat it himself. I guess killing it may help me actually get some gratitude around these parts…'
"But I believe I can assist you in this endeavour, if you forgive my rudeness that is." Ainz said, watching as the man downed the glass in one go.
"You will help me kill the gun devil? Why?" Aki asked, clearly sceptical of Ainz's claim.
The Overlord shrugged, "Do my reasons for it really matter? The end goal is always the same. Whether I kill it out of boredom, pity for you, or out of kindness, doesn't matter. It'll end up dead either way. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not doing this purely for my own entertainment."
"Then care to tell me the actual reason?"
"Let's just say I'm repaying a debt owed to an old friend of mine. Even though he isn't here, I'm sure he'd scold me if I didn't help you. Frankly, I think you'd have gotten along with him." Ainz said, remembering the World Champion called Touch Me.
Sure, in game the police officer turned paladin could be a bit silly or cringe at times, but on duty he was apparently just as serious as Aki. And to not help a coworker get his revenge? Ainz could feel the disappointment radiating from his old friend even from another world at just the notion of such a thing.
'And maybe killing a devil like that will give me some clues as to how the hell I ended up here anyway.'
"Awfully confident, aren't you?"
"Of course. After all, Ainz Ooal Gown does not know defeat. However, this requires that I know my adversary. What can you tell me about this gun devil?"
Aki shrugged, leaning on the table as his head spun from the alcohol, "Not much. Everyone tried to make guns the main tools against devils, and then gun crime spiked. The media covered it all, in detail, and just like that the gun devil got its power. After a terrorist attack, it manifested and killed over a million people in five minutes."
"Over a million? That is quite something… And where is it now? Did it just disappear?" Ainz asked. It certainly sounded like a tough adversary, so it couldn't have just vanished! Someone had to deal with it, but who could've?
However, Aki countered his point, "It did. It burnt off pieces of itself, and now people and devils alike have them. If we collect enough, they'll try to move towards the main body. It should be weaker because of all the gun regulations put in, but it's still the gun devil."
"So we have flesh, but not something that belongs to it… I can't use any of my tracking spells on that then. I suppose the easiest ways would be to collect the pieces. Tell me if you need me for anything concerning that devil then."
"I will, and fill my glass again please."
Ainz sighed but did so anyway. To his knowledge, tomorrow was Aki's day off, so a little bit of drinking wouldn't hurt, right…?
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The undead mage gazed around the busy street. As it turns out, a hungover Aki was not a very patient man, and Ainz didn't want to get involved in the probably ongoing disciplining of Power. Instead, he was here to do something much more productive, to enjoy the life of the 20th century and to buy some things for Meowy.
During his stay at Aki's apartment, he managed to figure out the year, which was 1997. The technology of these days was old and unintuitive for Ainz, but he eventually got the hang of it all. And, after some light research, he was now ready to visit the best jeweller in Tokyo.
If anyone would appreciate the gems Ainz had, and have enough of a passion to keep quiet to get them, it would be Umemoto Bunko. He was said to be very eccentric, which was just what Ainz was looking for.
He decided to walk from the office to the jeweller, whose shop was only half an hour or so away. It still amazed him that things like trees simply existed alongside the urban area. Some imagery brought back some memories, primarily the advertisements, but that was to be expected.
How could people let such a society collapse to the degree that it did in his world? Maybe the devils played a part in it? Well, Ainz couldn't really find the answer to that. After all, he never was one for politics and the theories from before the third world war.
Many gazed at him with curiosity as he walked down the street, garbed in his magical robes. A few officers even tried to stop him, but he simply let them catch a glimpse of the badge Makima had given him, which was enough to get them off his back.
Eventually, he made it to the shop. It was in the central area of the city, elaborately decorated and reeking of prestige. He headed in, hearing a small bell ring as he went in.
A short man wearing jewelled glasses and an elaborate suit stood behind the counter. His eyes behind the lenses immediately lit up when Ainz entered, "Ah, sir! You appear to be a fine customer indeed! How can I help?"
Ainz walked up to the counter, towering over the man he presumed to be Umemoto Bunko, and said, "I believe I have a gem that may interest you, and I would like to sell it to you. Cash in hand, of course."
If there was one thing Ainz knew, it was that in cases like this, cash was king. Also, he had no bank account, and probably would never have one unless Aki or Makima would assist him in the endeavour. Illusion magic would only get him so far, and it's not like he had pleasant memories with digital assets anyway.
Bunko appeared to be sceptical, pushing his glasses up, but he motioned for Ainz to continue. In response, the Overlord took out the diamond Aki had previously handled, putting it on the table.
The man's jaw fell open and, after Ainz nodded, Bunko took the diamond to a variety of tools, his hands trembling. He scrutinised the diamond for several minutes, looking at it through magnifying glasses, measuring it, and simply glaring at it obsessively.
Eventually, he settled down, returning the diamond to the counter. "Sir, I will not ask where or how you got this gem, nor who you are, but to pay for this with cash is impossible. Do not get me wrong, this is perhaps the most expensive diamond in the world, but that's where the problem lies. I simply do not have the funds to purchase it."
Ainz looked at the man quizzically and tilted his head, "There's no need for you to pay the full value. What is the most you can offer me?"
"At the moment, I could get perhaps only several million yen in cash… But if you let me pay this off gradually, I could get you billions! I just need time to withdraw it all! Please! On my pride as a jeweller!" the man said, enthralled by the diamond.
The disguised Overlord nodded, accepting the cash Bunko had available, and leaving. 'Wow, that's a much better deal than I expected!' At the beginning of each month, he would collect whatever the man could scrounge up, all in exchange for one diamond!
At this point Makima wouldn't even need to pay him! After all, cash was untraceable, and it's not like Ainz was registered anywhere. He was, effectively, a ghost.
As he walked back out into the central plaza, now thoroughly satisfied and cash hidden away in his inventory, he heard a voice call out to him. "Hey! You're the new guy Aki's been working with, right?!" came a voice from the side.
He turned around to see a woman with short, black hair, dressed in a suit with a black tie, and wearing… an eyepatch? Odd as it was, Ainz presumed she was from the department.
She walked up to him, "Crazy to see you here! Aki told me all about you, and you don't seem like the shopping type. Oh, I'm Himeno by the way." To his surprise, the fact that she most likely knew he was a devil didn't discourage her from offering the Overlord a handshake.
"A pleasure to meet you, Himeno. I am Ainz Ooal Gown, please call me Ainz." the undead mage said, shaking the woman's hand.
"So what are you doing around here anyway? Shouldn't you be doing… I don't know, devil things? Can't say I've ever worked with one of your kind, though Aki seems to not mind you." she said, her voice lowered.
"Frankly, I'm surprised you aren't trying to kill me, given Aki's history with devils." Ainz answered, beginning to walk, with Himeno following him.
"He's a smart kid, and he seems to tolerate you. Oh, and thanks for saving his ass from that dog devil. Besides, from what he told me, I wouldn't have a particularly high chance of doing anything even if I tried. " answered Himeno, still jovial despite the topic.
A grim chuckle could be heard from behind Ainz's mask, "On that we agree. Though I can't help but notice that the aura of an undead devil radiates from you. If I'm not mistaken, it's a ghost type, is it not?" he asked, his passive giving him all the knowledge he needed.
Himeno's eye widened for a brief moment, "Not bad. Yea, I let the ghost devil lounge around in my right eye, and in exchange I can use a part of it. It's pretty useful, since it's intangible and all that."
Ainz shrugged, "I wouldn't be all too confident. I can think of a million and one things that can deal with ethereal things, and other devils must have something like that."
"Never met one like that, but I'll keep it in mind. Though you are the first one to bring it up, despite being the third devil in our division, not to mention the fiends." said Himeno, seemingly unperturbed by the beings she worked alongside with.
"There are others? Care to tell me who they are?" asked Ainz, the curiosity mentioned by his coworker catching his interest.
"Well, I suppose I should tell you, since it's easier to work together when we know each other's abilities." she said, her statement being one Ainz agreed with, "But only if you tell me what you can do. No lying."
Ainz sighed, expecting such an exchange, "I use magic."
"What? Like… Actual magic? Are you the magic devil?" Excitement appeared in her right eye, and Ainz had to ask himself if magic was really that impressive in a world where devils existed.
'You can make contracts with devils as well to get some of their abilities, right? Maybe I should try… What do devils like? Blood? Well, I can't exactly give that.' he thought to himself.
However, he quickly realised the silence between the two was getting awkward, and revitalised the conversation, "Yes to the first one, no to the latter."
'Why would a magic devil appear as a skeleton anyway? Wouldn't a magic devil have like a long, white beard, some old staff, and be like an old, grotesque man?' Ainz thought to himself. To be fair, he did fit the bill pretty well, except for the whole being undead part.
"So what can you actually do? Magic can do a lot of things." Himeno said, genuinely interested by the prospect of having such a versatile division member.
"When push comes to shove, I can do nearly anything." Ainz answered, deciding to be vague. With the items he had in his inventory, he could do nearly anything, the question of whether he would was a much different one.
"Can you… I don't know, resurrect the dead or something?" Himeno asked, reaching for the very peak of magical prowess.
"Maybe." Ainz said half truthfully.
"So you can't." she answered, technically being correct. Ainz couldn't resurrect people on his own, but he could use a wand to do so. All in all, neither of them were incorrect.
Ainz shrugged, "Believe what you will, but when you get back up on your feet after the fight with the gun devil, you'll have me to thank for it. Now tell me about those devils in the division."
"Fine, but you better show off on our next mission! The angel devil can syphon someone's lifespan and turn them into a weapon, and the spider devil is, well, like a human spider."
'An angel devil? Sounds a bit oxymoronic, but who am I to judge? After all, I'm an undead being. Then again, the Nephilim were a race in the game, so maybe it's something like that?'
"Still, they are pretty tame." she said, lighting a cigarette as the two walked. She caught Ainz glancing at it and said, "We devil hunters don't often live for long enough to worry about lung cancer. And you just said your magic can do anything, so I'm sure you'll do your senior a favour and heal me. Or you'll force me into a contract."
"As much as I dabbled in business in the past, I've no interest in going back." Ainz said, recalling how much he had to struggle to just pay the bills as a salaryman, "Besides, I'm sure many devils are powerful, and yet I'm also sure that many people can match them. Is the job really that bad?"
"Yep." she said before taking a long drag from her cigarette, "The only ones who make it have a few screws loose. As our division's leader sometimes says, the only thing that can kill a devil is someone crazier than it. That, or someone fearless."
"Hmm, I suppose I understand his point of view. Unconventional strategies tend to work best, but those take courage. Or madness." said Ainz, remembering both Takemikazuchi's boldness and Lucifer's borderline insanity, both of which led to Ainz Ooal Gown's victory more than they probably should have.
"Ain't that the truth."
The two walked in silence for a while, until Ainz spoke up once more, "If I may ask, Aki told me about the gun devil, so I was wondering if there are any plans to hunt it down."
"As if any of us could deal with the gun devil… But yeah, there are. The operation to hunt down the pieces is supposed to start in a few days, and I'm guessing the boss will call for you. I've heard about what you did to that dog devil." Her voice became quieter, and she mumbled, "To have a devil save a human… Ridiculous."
It still reached Ainz's ears, and he said, "Devils are evil creatures, but I still prefer them over angels." A lot of the spells of demons and devils in YGGDRASIL were based around fighting people with high karma, making them a cakewalk for Ainz. Angels on the other hand were a real pain.
"I actually always wanted to ask a devil about that. Do angels exist? You should both be two sides of the same coin or something, right?" asked Himeno, despite having little to no knowledge of theology.
Ainz shook his head, "That I don't know. Angels and I have a… complicated past, but I haven't seen any around here."
He still remembered Seraphim, the all angelic guild which could have been considered Ainz Ooal Gown's main rival. They were so pretentious and such assholes! The bastards were responsible for so many bullshit hunts against heteromorphs!
Thankfully, the anger drawn out by the memory was suppressed, and Ainz could return to the conversation, "Well, if the big guy up there is watching, I'd appreciate some support."
"Feel free to ask, but he doesn't seem to be the active type. Besides, I'd suggest you rather count on your comrades and me in battle." Ainz said, knowing that the thing you could put your faith in in battle was yourself, your weapon, and your allies.
"Comparing yourself to God? I guess that sounds like something a devil would do." said Himone, not very surprised by the hubris of the devil next to her. Frankly, the more surprising part was how sociable he was. Maybe that whole devils being charismatic thing wasn't entirely false?
"I've killed a few Gods, so comparing myself to them is useless. Besides, they weren't much better than the devils they fought." Ainz said, recalling the many Gods, Aspects, and divine beings he had killed in YGGDRASIL.
"As if I'm walking next to a God slayer. Listen, I'm too sober for this type of talk. You'll tell me over a beer sometime. Anyway, what's a devil like you doing around the shopping mall?" Himeno asked, her voice lowered once more.
"I'm on my way to buy cat toys for Power's cat, Meowy. If I'm not mistaken, Aki is disciplining her right now, and so I'm planning to focus on the less troublesome tenant."
"Ah, I heard about that fiend. How come you are so composed as to be able to shop and, besides the clothes, blend in, and she's out there not showering for weeks?" asked the devil hunter, internally pitying her former partner.
The Overlord shrugged, "I'm a bit different from other devils." he said.
'Although I'm not a devil at all… Then again, none of you will believe me! But she seems like a veteran, so maybe she has useful information?'
"By the way, Himeno, have you ever heard of people or devils appearing from another world?" he asked, deciding that asking a question like that in a world filled with devils would not be too outrageous.
"You mean like hell? All devils come from there, so technically that I guess. Though I'm sure you already know that." she answered, confused by the question.
The knowledge of hell and devils was relatively common, and was one of the main reasons the job of a devil hunter was so hopeless. What's the point of killing something that will return anyway? It's just delaying the inevitable.
"No, no. I don't mean simply from hell, but rather from a different reality entirely." Ainz elaborated, hoping to get even a crumb of knowledge from his colleague.
"Like an isekai light novel?"
"As much as I hate to use that term, yes."
Himeno put a finger to her chin for a minute, thinking deeply, and eventually saying, "Nope, I've never heard of anything like that."
"I see. Thank you for the confirmation." Ainz said, getting the answer he expected.
'I guess I'll have to read a lot of books to get any sort of info like that… Maybe Makima knows, or the database has something?'
Alas, thoughts of how he made it here had to be put aside for now, as a much more important development occurred; he finally arrived in the mall, Himeno beside him.
"We should probably get you some more normal clothes." said Himeno, being caught in the crossfire of the stares directed at Ainz.
"Unfortunately, I will have to refuse." Ainz said, unwilling to strip himself of his divine tier gear.
"Laaame." answered the devil hunter, "A skeleton in a suit could look great."
Ainz didn't respond, instead he thought to himself 'At this rate the entire Public Service will know my true appearance. Not like it matters, but I thought Aki wasn't the type to spread such information. I guess I misjudged him. To be fair though, he's a hard guy to read!'
Eventually he found the pet shop that he was looking for and, accompanied by a curious Himeno, he went in. With his newly acquired funds, he decided to be a bit generous and purchase a little extra.
All in all, he got some decorations, toys, food, and so on, buying out only a good third of the cat section. What could he say? Meowy, unlike his owner, was well-behaved and also very cute.
He had the workers, who looked at him as if he was a mad wizard supplying goods to his cursed cat companion which was technically correct, scan the goods on the spot, promptly paying for them and putting everything into his inventory.
After being pestered by Himeno for a while for some bonus spending money as a "gift to his senior on the job", he managed to actually leave the shop.
But just as he was leaving, he saw another familiar figure approach him. "Ainz? What are you doing here?" came the sonorous voice of Makima, who appeared as if out of nowhere, "Oh, and hello Himeno. I'm glad you two seem to be getting along."
"Hello, Miss Makima. I just saw our newest addition to the team wandering around and decided to say hello. Would you believe he was shopping for that fiend's cat?" said Himeno.
"Really? As it happens, I'm here to do some shopping for my dogs. Care to join me?" asked Makima.
Ainz shook his head, "Unfortunately, I have to make my way back home. The chances of Aki killing Power grow by the second, and I'd rather not have my mentor kill my buddy. So, if you'll forgive me, I'll be on my way."
Before either of the two could speak up, Ainz marched off into a dark alley, from where he teleported back home…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
The room before him was a battleground. Blood and wine stains coloured the walls, many of which were accompanied by holes and slashes. Overall, it was better than Ainz expected. A hungover Aki and the usual Power staying in one room could only end with something like this.
However, there was no dead body in the living room which was a good sign.
Out of the area where he had created Power's room was right next to his, and he decided to head there. On his way through the corridor, Meowy passed by him.
Ainz crouched down and petted the furry creature, saying "I've got some nice stuff for you, Meowy. But, before I do all that, where's Power?"
As if the cat actually understood him, it turned towards the area where Power's room was. Just as Ainz stood back up, a shout echoed out from there.
The Overlord sighed, walking forth once more. As expected, the damage only got more and more severe as he made his way towards his destination. He eventually got to the pinkish door that was the entrance to the fiend's room and opened it.
Inside was Aki, covered in both blood and wine, with his sword sheathed. Next to him lay Power, equally damaged and tired. The room appeared to be the site of a proper battle, however, Aki appeared to be the one who won.
The devil hunter stood up, lighting a cigarette as he did so, and said, "Ainz, I think she learned her place." Power opened her mouth, but quickly shut it when Aki gave her a quick glance.
Ainz looked at the man and said, "So… I'm guessing she took it a bit far?"
"Yes and no. Yes, she did wake me up at six in the morning, but she also said that with devils and fiends it's survival of the fittest."
"So you decided to show her who owns this place?"
"It isn't my go to, but she was the one who said she'd listen if I'd win. In hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best idea…"
"I'm inclined to agree. I don't think I'll pour you drinks next time. By the way, is Power alright?" In response to Ainz's question the bruised and battered girl raised her hand and gave the Overlord a thumbs up.
Seeing this, Ainz decided to do the girl a favour. He snapped his fingers and the room around them shifted to the pristine state it was in before.
"I'm glad you can do this. Power made quite a mess when we were fighting." Aki said.
Ainz then threw a potion to Power and handed one to Aki, both of them promptly drinking it. "This isn't blood." he heard Power mumble.
But even though Ainz could fix this magical room and help mend the bodies of his two flatmates, there was still a major problem left to be addressed.
"I wouldn't celebrate so quickly, Aki. I can fix this room because it is created by my magic. The outside… Well… I can summon undead to clean it, but there's not much else I can do."
Despair appeared on Aki's face, as if a wraith had possessed him and stolen the last shreds of joy that were left. "So… You can't fix it?"
Ainz shook his head, unwilling to divulge information about things like [Wish Upon A Star], and much less to use them to fix a flat like this.
Aki turned to Power, who just now was managing to get back on her feet, and an all too kind smile blossomed on his face, "Power, you will clean everything up. Right?"
With a not too subtle move, the devil hunter put a hand on his katana and a bead of sweat ran down Power's face. "Y-yes!" she said, quickly scampering away.
After the fiend ran off to save her life, Ainz slowly began unpacking the things he had bought for Meowy. Aki meanwhile followed Power, most likely to make sure she wouldn't slack off, leaving Ainz alone in the room.
'Well, at least I won't be bored while I figure out how the hell I got to this world…'
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Makima entered her house and was immediately swarmed by her dogs. However, today was a very rare day, one in which her multitude of huskies and malamutes was not able to elevate her mood. She just threw the things she bought on the floor and sat down on the couch. Sensing her mood, the dogs backed off.
Why was she out of everyone on Earth in such a poor mood? Well, it was very simple actually. That… thing managed to defy her once more. She was always supposed to be the one in control. That was the basis of her existence.
And yet, the one known as Ainz Ooal Gown stood beyond her reach. Her charms meant nothing, her authority withered away, and her very ego felt on the edge of crumbling when she was next to him. Her supernatural charisma seemed to pale in comparison to the divinity that radiated off of Ainz.
The same feeling she had once felt from the Chainsaw Devil as she fought with him in hell came off of Ainz, but his was perhaps even more potent. To have someone surpass the Hero of Hell, the Devil that Devils feared the most. It sounded foolish, absurd, ridiculous even.
Her war alongside the 3 other horsemen and the weapon devils against the Chainsaw Devil was something she still thought about, and yet the very thought of going against Ainz seemed ridiculous in comparison.
To attack the Chainsaw Devil was a notion few would even consider, but she did and almost succeeded in controlling him. However, one look at the towering figure of Ainz, seated on a mountain of corpses, made her mind fill with worry.
At least the Chainsaw Devil wasn't the most intelligent. He was unique, but the Conquest Devil still outmatched him there. Alas, even this advantage seemed to be made null and void when facing Ainz.
To not only learn of her fondness of dogs, but to use that very thing to send a message to her? It was subtle, it was frightening… It was so many alien things, things that Makima did not wish to know of.
Would someone as lofty as Ainz, apparently beyond devils, humans, and whatever else one could find in this world, do something as simple and meaningless as buy things for a cat?
No!
The mention of the cat was a threat, clear as day. But why was he doing this? Did he know about her goals? Did he despise her for what she did against the Chainsaw Devil?
A shroud of mystery surrounded Ainz, and it was so dense she couldn't grasp even a small fraction of the machinations that were there! She tried to run into him, to interact with him and learn what made him tick, but he simply delivered his threat and left!
It was driving her mad!
If she wanted to continue with her plans, she would need servants, powerful ones. A few potential ones came to mind…
However, none of them seemed to be enough. Even gathering them all like units in a game didn't seem to provide a satisfying amount of strength.
But what else could she do? For the first time in Makima's existence, she was at a loss. Perhaps an element of exhilaration existed somewhere within her. However, a new feeling dominated her mind.
Fear…
(AN from Edgy: Here is the highly anticipated (?) chapter of [Supreme Fear]. I have some heavy deviations from cannon planned, but for now enjoy Ainz's interactions with the main cast. Oh, and if you can actually guess what I have planned in the future I'll… be impressed I guess. As always, more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!)
(AN from Aterro: Greetings dear readers ! Due to popular demand, Edgy and I bring you the second chapter of [Supreme Fear], hope you like it. Check out our other works if you haven't and make sure to feed us more reviews !)
Pa tr e on DOT com / EdgyAndAterro