"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" "OOOOOO!" "EEEEEEE!"
Momonga continued inspecting himself in the small mirror he pulled out of his inventory, opening and closing his mouth while twisting his head in every direction, two dots of crimson in an ocean of blackness looming over every detail of his face. This went on for a while until his own voice began annoying him.
'No good, I can't tell how my voice is coming out of my mouth.' From what he could tell, he no longer had any vocal cords, or even a tongue for that matter, yet he could speak as clearly as ever. There was no longer any subconscious process he had to go through, as soon as he thought it the words would come out, pouring out of him without him even needing to open his mouth.
Still massaging his bony jaw, he let the mirror vanish with a sigh. It wasn't the changes to his body he was necessarily worried about; it was how natural they felt to him. The sight of his own skeletal arms didn't startle him at all, nor did the way the robe he was wearing felt when it was rubbing against his skinless body or how the air passed through his ribcage, rustling inside of him. Everything he touched, heard, and saw, he could tell it wasn't how he used to perceive it, but he could barely recall how it was different from before. Overall, he wasn't particularly distressed about becoming a monster, and perhaps that had been the biggest sign of his fading humanity. How much of him had changed, how much remained of the person he had been before? Would his friends even be able to recognize him anymore?
The thought of his companions made his gaze wander toward the staff beside him. No longer in his hand, it was slowly levitating just over the ground to his right. The silver serpents shined as brightly as ever, but the golden cup had lost most of its luster, the dull yellow being all that remained of its former brilliance. As impossible as it seemed, it looked like the item had somehow managed to transport Nazarick to another world. It had managed to save the NPCs'.
His body could no longer smile, yet Momonga felt the corners of his mouth rising. His friends' dear creations, whom he had so fervently wished to protect, now stood by his side in this New World, more alive than ever. Sure, they might act strange, and he still wasn't 100% sure they would not turn on him, but they were here. The glory of the guild hadn't faded yet, and he would never allow it to crumble again. He will raise the guild to new heights, he will make sure the name Ainz Ooal Gown will resound across every corner of the world. He will build something he would be able to proudly show off to his companions if any of them had followed him to this strange place. After all, if the whole Tomb of Nazarick was here, who's to say that any other members weren't also transported, just maybe to another part of the world? It was a foolish thought, he knew that, but he chose to cling to that belief, nonetheless. No matter how slim the chance, he will never abandon anybody who had chosen to rally under the banner behind him.
Eyes full of determination, he started to raise from his chair, only to immediately fall back again when the sound of the large doors opening once more reached his ears. With a heavy heart, he quickly vanished the pillows he had been standing on until now. They were comfortable, but hardly fitting the image of an imposing overlord. That didn't stop his jaw from clenching when he made contact with the hard stone of the throne.
Sitting on a large, masterfully crafted throne, casually resting his head on his hand, the very image of death loomed over the three people kneeling in front of him.
"Rise!" he commanded, his voice neutral, yet still reverberating with power.
His eyes glazed over the two women present, before fixating on the man in the middle, who replied with a cordial smile, a smile one couldn't help but be reminded of a fox.
He seemed to be in his late fifties, perhaps even older, yet every movement of his was full of youthful energy. With his elegant, Victorian-styled attire, his carefully trimmed mustache, and the expensive-looking cane casually resting in his right hand, the man would fit perfectly as a member of high society, if not for his cape. Matching the vibrant blue of his eyes, it rolled way past the ground in intricate designs of a butterfly's wings, giving off the illusion of feathers peeking out of the end and around his neck.
"Moriarty, I had been expecting you." the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown greeted him.
James Moriarty, ex-Guardian of the 7th Floor of Nazarick, now the Overseer and right-hand man of the last of the Supreme Ones. His promotions from the Blazing Temple had come about through the proposal by his creator, Ulbert Alain Odle when he felt that the NPC modeled after one of the greatest masterminds in all of the fiction was more suited to the role. His proposition was backed by several members, especially Momonga due to his feelings for Kiara back then. The only two that outright opposed the idea were Tabula, Kiara's "parent", and Touch Me, who was unsure about the idea of having a villain as the frontman of the guild, but they both relented when they found themselves outvoted.
The man in question gracefully bowed before Momonga, using the opportunity to stealthily arrange a loose strand of gray hair.
"Master, what a wonderful opportunity has been presented to us! An unknown world lies just before our very eyes; it makes this old man jump with excitement. Just imagine what sort of unbridled destruction we could bring! Just say the world, and I shall make sure your glorious evil shall run amok!"
The skeleton raised his head in a weird motion, if the ones present didn't know any better, they would think it was a twitch.
"Ahem…I see! Your excitement towards Ainz Ooal Gown is greatly appreciated, however at the moment our top priority has to be securing our position and protecting Nazarick."
"But of course!" his azure eyes shined with mischief, an uncountable number of calculations hidden before his pleasant expression, "One must identify all the pieces before taking control of the board. That's why I took the liberty of summoning these two along with myself, as no doubt you would have after the meeting".
Momonga once again stole a glance at the other two, who seemed utterly unaffected by Moriarty's energy.
"I would've?... I mean, as expected of you, Moriarty! Your insight is more than worthy of your position."
The old man chuckled.
"For this bag of old bones to be praised as such, especially by one's whose wisdom more than rivals my one, I couldn't be more pleased. I assure you, Master, as long as I am by your side, we shall be unstoppable! Not even that troublesome detective would be able to...*Ahem!*" he coughed in his fist, trying to regather his composure. "Anyways, shall we proceed with the report for the time being?" Seeing his Master nod, he turned his attention to the woman on his left, whose features were clouded by the purple cloak she wore over her head. "Our dear Caster, if you would?"
"Certainly!" she replied, her voice carrying a hint of sharpness at his fellow servant, before stepping forward and addressing the Supreme One in a much sweeter voice:
"It appears as if your assumption were correct, Master. The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been transported into a foreign world, moreover, one that appears to be in a transient state between the Age of Gods and that of Men, or maybe in a wholly different one unfamiliar to me. I'm sure Your Majesty also felt the peculiar scent of mana in the air" -Momonga agreed, definitely understanding everything she was saying with no questions whatsoever. - "but I can't tell anything more until I have run a couple of experiments, which I currently have no time for."
"This phenomenon interests me as well." Her master said. "As soon as Nazarick's position is secured, I shall make sure you have all the proper tools you might need."
"I thank you for your generosity!" She replied, bowing her head slightly. If Moriarty's bearing has been that of a pristine, albeit older, gentleman, then she was that of a high lady of noble birth. Every move was done with an unconscious sense of grace and dignity, every word carried with the polite, yet scheming, tone of a member of a king's court.
"That obstinate swordsman at the entrance notified me of a spying attempt, so there is no doubt that our arrival has not passed unnoticed by the powers at play in this land. Since then, I have already set up more protective charms and Bounded Fields that should prevent any further attempts against us, but there is a limit to what I can do without employing my Territory Creation."
"I grant you permission to claim the entire Tomb as your 'Temple'. If we have already been discovered then there is all the more reason for us to act carefully. As we don't know the enemy's level, our best option is to conceal ourselves and build our forces." With an almost casual wave of the hand, an elder lich materializes in front of him, kneeling. "Take this one as your assistant, for now, I will summon more of them as soon as the cooldown resets. "
"To create such a powerful creature so easily, I must say, Master, you do know how to make a woman feel inadequate" Although it was hard to tell from beyond the hood, it seemed the corners of her lips briefly raised. "It shall be promptly done!" she declared simply.
"Excellent, now what we need to do is also scout our surroundings and look for any human establishments."
"My other selves have already been dispatched towards that goal, Master!" the other woman suddenly spoke, making Momonga suddenly turn to look at her She had been standing beside her companions the whole time, but her presence was so faint she had almost been forgotten. It was as if shadow gathered to cloud her body, to the point of being hard to notice her even when she was right in front of you. She seemed slander, with long purple hair and dressed in skimpy attire, but it was incredibly difficult to pinpoint any of her characteristics, safe for the white skull mask that covered her face.
"Of course! That was the reason Moriarty..., and myself, contacted you!" his voice might have carried surprise if he had been human, but that was the case not the case here. "What have you discovered?"
"A village has been spotted not far away from here. There seem to be knights stationed there for the moment, but we haven't ascertained their purpose yet. From what conversations we have overheard the name of the kingdom this 'Carne' is apparently Re-Estize. A few Hassans are already searching to infiltrate the capital, while others have discovered species of monsters native to this world. They have been dealt with without any issues." Her report was curt, to the point, her voice never once slowing down or displaying any sort of emotion.
"Very good!" Momonga responded. "I want 20 Assassins stationed in Nazarick of all times, the rest shall continue their task at their discretion. They are to simply observe and gather information, they shall not engage without my explicit permission."
"So that is your plan, Master! Quite ingenious, if I do say so myself." Moriarty observed, an all-knowing smile plastered along his face.
"Indeed." Their master answered cryptically, before quickly changing the subject.
"Concerning the matter of the monsters, I wish to acquire some of the corpses. They might end up being valuable resources. As we are no longer in YGGDRASIL, Nazarick might need to become self-sufficient in the future. Moriarty, have Atalanta hunt for as many as she can find, she should be the most suited for the job."
The witch visibly stiffened at the mention of that name, but her expression was still firmly hidden away from any prying eyes. Moriarty, however, brought his free hand to the back of his hand and laughed awkwardly.
"I'm afraid the Chaste Huntress is not quite…available at the moment." Faced with the overlord's questioning gaze, he carried on. "You see Master when Nazarick was transported, she quickly rushed to the Sixth Floor to make sure the children are alright. Quite an upstanding act, however as soon as she arrived, a certain 'situation' developed, and… you might want to go there yourself to understand" he added, sheepishly.
At the same time, at that specified location, a horrible sound reverberated through the floor, a shriek so vile and ear-piercing it could not belong to a living creature.
Looking at the aftermath of the battle, Gazef Stronoff's eyebrows were scrunched so tightly they threatened to leave his face. He had come to the outskirts of the Kingdom after being ordered by the King to deal with the Empire's soldiers that were terrorizing local villages. With each ransacked village they passed, Gazeff's fist tightened more around his horse's leash, urging it to go faster despite his vice-captain's warnings. He was aware of the possibility of a trap, but he couldn't just sit around while innocent people were killed and tortured. So when he finally caught up with the invaders, he launched at them with unbridled fury, cutting through their ranks like a whirlwind of steel. He had been declared the Kingdom's strongest warrior, a title he reluctantly accepted, so no common soldier could pose a threat to him. The battle was over as soon as it started, with only minimal losses on his part, but he couldn't declare it a victory. Not when, once again, he had arrived too late.
The stench of death permeated the air; corpses lying around wherever your eyes could wander: on the dirt-paved street, in the entrance of the small houses, on top of the shoddy wooden fences... But for every 3 of the Empire's soldiers' corpses that littered the ground, there was one that belonged to one of the villagers. Some of their faces were frozen in surprise or terror; others still hung on to the random sickle or hammer they picked up in a desperate attempt to protect themselves. These were people that he could have saved, people that would still be alive had he arrived only 10 minutes earlier. As he walked among the bodies, he stopped abruptly stopped in front of one of them. The child could not have been older than 10, a deep long wound flashing across his torso. He still wore the ghost of a smile; he probably didn't realize what happened, not even when it was too late. Gazeff forced his expression to harden, this wasn't by far the first casualty he had witnessed, and it will surely not be the last. With a heavy heart, he took off the cloak from his back and pulled it over the child, before standing up and returning to his troops.
Most of the soldiers were busy tending to the still-terrified villagers: treating any wounds, helping with the repairs, and with burying the bodies. From the corners of his eyes, he saw his vice-captain hurryingly making his way over to him.
"Lord Stronoff, these invaders, I don't think they are..."
"Yes, I realized as well." Gazeff cut him off. The disguises had been effective, but upon closer inspection, there was no doubt about it. He had fought the Empire's troops for years now, there was no way he would be fooled by these fakes.
"Someone trying to instigate conflict between the nations?" his aid inquired.
"If that was their goal they could have just waited for the Empire's yearly invasion," he replied, turning to face him. "Order the man to search every single body, we might get a clue towards the perpetrator's real identity."
"Yes sir" he saluted before running towards the other knights, spouting orders.
"PLEASE, YOU GOT TO GO AFTER HER!" a young girl's cries pierced the air, cutting through the quiet, somber atmosphere that had befallen the village.
"I am sure she is alright, we are doing everything in our power right now-" a clearly overwhelmed knight tried to calm her down, only to be met with more wailing.
"What seems to be the problem here?" Gazeff walked toward the two of them, before kneeling in front of the little girl and using a handkerchief to clean the tears from her face.
"It's- *hic* -It's my sister!" she tried to mutter out, still shaking. "When the bad people came she-*hic*-she tried to distract one who was coming for -*hic* -me. Please, mister knight, you have to find her!"
Gazeff slowly patted her on the head. "Everything is going to be alright, little one. Tell me, do you remember where she ran off to?"
The girl pointed a timid finger towards the forest, to which he responded by lifting her up and gently dropping her in the knight's arms.
"I will be right back, you have to make sure all the villagers are safe," he ordered.
"But sir-!" The knight's protests were all but in vain as Gazeff darted off towards the woods, his horse forgotten. Not that it mattered, on short distances he was faster on foot anyway.
It didn't take long before he found the girl's tracks, paired with another's who he assumed was the pursuer's. His mind briefly recalled all the hunting expeditions Rampossa had forced him into coming, for the king's 'protection'. He would be lying if he said he didn't come to enjoy their outings though, plus the skills you need to hunt animals aren't that different from the ones you need to find a human, so he got something out of them. His thoughts however came to a halt when a piercing scream echoed throughout the forest. The woods became blurry visions as he sped up further, his footprints on the fresh grass almost leaving behind smoke in his wake. But when he arrived at the source of the scream, he wasn't prepared for what awaited him.
He almost didn't even notice the soldier's body, ripped apart from the torso down, lying in a corner of his vision. All that filled his sight were the monsters. Disgusting masses of swirling flesh and tentacles rummaged around aimlessly, every move a grotesque contortion of their body. They didn't feel alive, they felt as if they sucked life all around them like parasites, the lump of deformity that passed for their heads revealing an endless abyss where their mouths should have been. They were unnatural, they were WRONG, they were...
Gazeff looked down, only now realizing his body has frozen into place. It was just then that he finally noticed the young village girl sprawling on the ground, her face frozen in fear as the creatures loomed closer and closer to her. His eyes met the pleading ones of the girl and, before he knew it, his sword was already unsheathed, his face a mask of resolve. With a mighty cry, the Kingdom's greatest warrior launched into the monster.
Author's note:
My car got hit by a truck while I was driving home this week. I'm totally fine though, it takes more than that to isekai me.