"...And Mari?"
"The blood-brain barrier was breached on multiple locations. She's alive but brain-dead."
"...I see. Keep her on life support for now. She can still be valuable- Have her prepared to be moved to Siberia, I may have to use her as a bargaining chip." Gendo finished the call to Tokyo-3 and put the receiver of the phone back against the wall of the aircraft he was in, as the commander of NERV, Misato and a group of security guards were aboard a huge transport-VTOL-aircraft that was descending into the huge sinkhole that had been left behind by the fish-like Angel deep in Siberia.
The EVA's had been dragged out of the hole using the umbilical cables after the situation had calmed down both on the battlefield and in the diplomatic sphere, although Gendo had to make some compromises regarding early warnings and such to get the Chinese government off NERV's back for flying two convoys of EVA's and weapons over the Chinese airspace without warning.
The trio of pilots that had been deployed to the sinkhole had been physically alright after the mission, although the EVA's would need some maintenance and Unit-02 would need a new face-plate.
Asuka had gained a nervous tick of covering her eye whenever something buzzed nearby, and the trio of pilots had been sent to the temporary barracks that had been air-dropped to the edge of the huge sinkhole in order to eat, have a shower, and more importantly to stay in semi-readiness so that if something happened in the sinkhole then NERV could drop the trio of EVA's back to the sinkhole at moment's notice.
The precautions were made because a trio of maids and some sort of huge insect had appeared to the edge of the sinkhole through a portal that Second had been observed to be using, and had invited Gendo and his lieutenants into the sinkhole on behalf of Second- Although oddly enough the group referred to the creature as 'Supreme Being' for some reason.
The group of oddities had departed soon afterwards through entering a similar portal that Second had conjured which had sprang out seemingly out of nowhere, again, making it clear that Second was present somewhere inside the sinkhole or was observing from afar.
"Mari… Oh. Right. Haa… I hoped she'd have recovered from whatever happened to her inside Unit-01." Misato sighed quite hard while adjusting her winter coat inside the VTOL, as the craft was halfway in its descent and air was slowly getting warmer and was clearly making the woman regret having so many layers of clothing. "I'll have to resume the program for preparing the Fourth Child. Unit-03 is apparently getting to it's last stages of readiness testing so we'll need a new pilot soon and from what I've gathered the pilot candidate isn't doing so good- The intel report states that Toji-kun is currently a paranoid, nervous wreck after his best friend disappeared from school for some reason, and NERV's agents have hard time even establishing contact with him. As for the disappeared friend, I've not heard of anything and the records show that he apparently transferred schools to China and the track stops there."
"Cease your investigation. I'll have some of our persuasive experts see into Toji's case. Use Asuka as test-pilot in the meanwhile. The Dummy Plug program is progressing slowly, as expected, but it's coming close to completion and Unit-02 should be relatively compatible with the German series of Dummy Plugs once they arrive." Gendo waved his hand dismissively while neither his expression nor the ominous red visor betrayed any emotions from the man. "Regardless, only Shinji should try to pilot Unit-01 for now, at least until we get a dummy plug for Unit-01. I suspect there is more than meets the eye to Mari's state, and I suspect it has something to do with Shinji's sudden capability when it comes to piloting Unit-01."
"Like what? Are you saying Shinji has something to do with Mari's state?" Misato asked but received no reply, as usual. "Haa, I assume that Ritsuko is investigating what happened to Mari?"
"That is no concern of yours, Major."
"Major?" Misato blinked. "What?"
"Hm, it seems that Fuytsuki didn't mention it to you… You've been promoted to the rank of Major after leading an expeditionary victory against Angels. This rank also means you'll be able to command NERV's expeditionary forces branch as part of this mission." Gendo spoke with a neutral matter-of-fact tone. "Fuytsuki should have briefed you on this, but I suspect he was busy with other affairs. Regardless, NERV will form a base on or near this sinkhole, and you'll be placed in charge of it and its contents."
"W- But I- w-what about-" Misato stammered. 'Me? Leading this expedition-base-thing? In other words, I'll be stuck in this frozen hellhole in the middle of nowhere?! What about me being the Chief of Operations-?!'
"Fuytsuki will be taking over the role of Chief of Operations in the meanwhile. I trust you won't disappoint NERV in your task, Major Katsuragi." Gendo finished before Misato could get a proper sentence out of her mouth as it was clear that Gendo was following Misato's train of thoughts as if they were on rails. "I won't hear any complaints regarding this decision."
"Y- I- w- Grrh…" Misato's temple pulsed with veins for a brief moment until she got herself under control and reassured herself that even though shouting a bunch of stuff at Gendo would make her feel better, she'd also torpedo her chances of getting deployed back to Japan if she did so. "Alright… How long is this deployment, then?"
"That depends on Second, and what he's doing here." Gendo noted. "Speaking of whom, you'll remain as NERV's link between him and us, so I suggest that you control your temper better in his presence than in mine."
'Figures.' Misato sighed internally while saluting the commander externally.
There was a small thud as the VTOL aircraft touched down on water… And Misato looked at the empty, tranquil and eerily still lake on which the aircraft was floating. "So… What now?"
The water churned as if in response to Misato's words and a whirlpool formed under the aircraft, causing the pilot to almost jump out of his skin as the aircraft's engines roared back to life from idling, and lifted the craft off the now-tumultuous surface.
A nerve-racking moment passed, or at least it was nerve-wracking for Misato while Gendo was perfectly calm, and the lake parted to show a gate of strange design that was roughly at the center of the lake, in the submerged city that was now visible as the water had withdrawn from around the gate.
The gate opened as if inviting the aircraft's passengers in, and a group of strange gold-armored undead-looking creatures marched out of the gate as if forming a honor guard.
The skeletons were armed with pikes carrying banners that had been emblazoned with a strange symbol, yet Misato was not at all reassured over the symbolic and archaic weaponry the creatures wielded as she had gotten reports from JSDF regarding the combat prowess of Second's apparitions and she had a feeling that the gold-armored undead-looking creatures were likely of same sort or possibly even more potent, if the decorated armor and conventional logic was anything to go by.
"It seems that we are expected." Gendo didn't hesitate to step out of the aircraft once it came to a somewhat uncertain landing on the town square-like clearing that had been revealed when the water had parted as if by god in bible.
"Great, wait a second- haa~ It feels great to be somewhere warm… Or I suppose not-bone-chilling-cold is as good as I can get around here…" Misato waved her hand a bit while taking her stuffed winter jacket off and tossing it to the aircraft's passenger space, since while the air was damp and chill, it wasn't freezing cold.
The trio of squads of NERV soldiers who had been chosen to accompany the two officers didn't share Gendo's confidence nor Misato's apparent cheer, even though she made a show of adjusting her cap and uniform before walking after Gendo, staying slightly behind the commander and to his side.
And then the small convoy began to march after the undead creatures that seemed to go first to show the way, while the rest of the undead filed in behind the group in a way that was more than a bit worrying.
'Let's hope that Second is in a good mood… Sending Shinji and co to wreck the place probably won't be as successful the second time…' Misato bit her lip nervously and double-checked her pistol-holster as she walked, as useless as the small-caliber firearm would be.
Gendo looked as uncaring as ever, even when the double-doors leading back to the aircraft closed behind them.
.
.
Momonga was feeling conflicted.
It was difficult for him to look at Shalltear. 'I… What was I doing… What was I thinking…'
'Peroroncino, I'm so, so sorry…' Momonga offered a silent apology to his old guildmate for making a plan that would have involved sacrificing Shalltear to save his own credibility, even if it hadn't come to pass and the plan had not been necessary.
The situation had gotten out of Momonga's control, and he did not like it.
Inviting Gendo to the mix was not optimal, but Momonga knew that he couldn't just give NERV the cold shoulder after their aid in battle against the Angel, or after they had seemingly set a base on top of Nazarick.
The thought of NERV prancing about on top of Nazarick infuriated Momonga, not to mention the fact that the first three Floors had been penetrated quite thoroughly and was making him feel incredible sense of loss, but [Emotion Suppression] quickly took care of any excess wrath and resentment so that he could think straight- While it felt as if his friend's legacy was being tarnished by NERV building their stuff on top of the sinkhole that remained of the first three Floors, Momonga also knew that he was not exactly in the position to be making ultimatums or throwing temper tantrums. 'Nuclear weapons and heavy artillery do not favor the static defender… I survived the volley of nukes Gendo likely sent at me when I arrived here, but that was more of a fluke than something I can count on, since Gendo would have analyzed the combat data by now and come to a conclusion that he should stagger the explosions so that [Body of Effulgent Ruby] can't just negate all of the damage at once…'
'That being thought, the fact NERV are setting up a base also tells me that they're not keen on just blowing me up outright, although they might consider excavating Nazarick… That won't end well for them, if they try.' Momonga was considering his options while sitting on a throne-mockup that he had ordered to be built inside the Fifth Floor of Nazarick, feeling as [Emotion Suppression] worked overtime to keep him rational from the feelings of rage that threatened to overtake his thoughts.
Cocytus had gone to the surface alongside three of the Pleiades with orders to deliver a invitation for Gendo to visit Nazarick, as Momonga believed that such an action would be appropriate considering the circumstances- While it'd have been easier for Momonga to hop over using teleportation or [Gate] and talk with Gendo like he had done before, he felt that it wouldn't do much for his negotiation position to deny hospitality after Gendo had rode to his aid… Or at least that was what Momong was willing to conclude, with a notebook's worth of additional caveats, among which was a suspicion that Gendo had deliberately herded the Angel to Nazarick in order to test its defenses and to use the EVA's to force Momonga into the uncomfortable position of owing a favor to Gendo, even if such favor was given more in spirit more than necessity.
Not to mention that inviting Gendo into Nazarick put the commander of NERV into a position where he was forced to choose between refusing and appearing discourteous, which Momonga could use then as a excuse to deny the man the favor over the grounds that he had tried but Gendo had pulled out of the deal, or if Gendo accepted the invitation, put the commander to a dangerous position where Momonga figured that he could probably take him as a prisoner if the negotiations broke down, and Momonga hoped that the pressure of the possibility would help him negotiate some sort of deal that was beneficial to Nazarick at least in short term.
That being thought, Momonga wasn't willing to invite Gendo deeper to Nazarick than to Fifth Floor, and if the first three floors were intact he would have probably elected to hold the meeting at the Third Floor, at Shalltear's place. And if his position wasn't as precarious as it was, Momonga would have not let Gendo to Nazarick in the first place. 'Haa... Nuclear and orbital weapons tilt the playing field. I've already seen first-hand the power of N2 weapons and their effectiveness on static targets, and from Neo-Japan already know what happens to infrastructure in the long run if Gendo decides to use conventional dirty nukes to salt Nazarick... I won't have it, even if I have to endure riddicule and cut a inoptimal deal with NERV.'
However, with the three floors bulldozed and waiting repairs and Fourth Floor inimical to normal human life without respirators and underwater equipment, Momonga had chosen to hold the meeting at Fifth Floor, even if he was not happy about it.
…Not to mention that considering the freezing weather outside, the weather inside Fifth Floor wouldn't come off as too out of place, since Momonga was not willing to show his full hand of cards at once, but he was willing to pretend to slip and let Gendo have a peek at cards that would have NERV's commander miscalculate.
'...Shalltear seems to be alright, at least externally. I checked the interface of Throne of Kings before leaving and it didn't look like she had external effects or serious injuries, and the same applies to Aura and Mare. Gargantua is not in a good shape, but I'll have to experiment a bit before I restore him…' Momonga waited while sitting on the throne made of black stone that mimicked the look of Throne of Kings without being the World-class Item itself.
Demiurge had produced a throne made out of what looked like human bones almost instantly upon Momonga mentioning needing a temporary throne, and Momonga had promptly but politely shot the suggestion down as he was quite aware of what kind of effect that sort of display would have, and what sort of message it would signal to the group of humans that'd come to meet Momonga.
It looked as if Momonga's vague suggestion of a more neutral-looking chair had caused an effect on the demon, though, as the red-clad Guardian of Seventh Floor had gained a sly, slightly ashamed expression upon Momonga denying the initial offered chair, and Momonga had caught a faint glimpse of a worried frown on Demiurge's face as soon as the demon had turned around and returned to the Seventh Floor to have a throne made out of magma-rock.
Momonga had considered having one of the NPC's sit on the throne and project the appearance of a ruler while Momonga would pretend to be a underling, confusing NERV, but he realized that if he gave too much power to the NPC's even if in pretend, he would open himself for a coup if the pretend-ruler got too comfortable being a ruler and decided to overthrow Momonga for real.
'...Demiurge is dangerous. While he seems to approve of everything I do for now, I should not forget that while he is a creation of my friends, he has devious intellect and chances are that he'll see right through me, assuming he hasn't done so already. And it won't take a genius to guess at how it'll end, if he realizes that I'm just a human underneath my game-avatar…' Momonga sweated internally. 'Albedo seems to follow her programming and stays loyal, or at least she has stayed loyal for now, however I can't rely on that completely. It might be a trick, or a moment of infatuation that lasts until she shakes off my changes in her background… Demiurge and Albedo had a suite of abilities to resist mind-controlling effects, so it might be possible for Albedo to un-alter her backstory and return herself to how she was- If my tampering of Tabula's words counts as mental manipulation. There's too much I don't know, I need to experiment and figure out just how exactly the NPC's act and think…'
Momonga had experimented plenty with his undead and summoned creatures, but while he had absolute control over the creations at short range and good grasp of their doings at longer ranges, no such control was available to him for the NPC's of Nazarick- Only the knowledge that they had seemingly gained sentience, and some had gained worrying amounts of intelligence when compared to Momonga's undead creatures and even Momonga himself.
'...That being thought, they are still the children of my friends, and seem to view me highly. That is a good thing… I just need to figure out just how real that feeling is.' Momonga calmed himself down with not-quite-visible effort and used a change in his pose to mask whatever uncertainties might show up in his body language, as vague as it may have been since he was in his undead avatar and had his class-gear equipped.
Momonga glanced around the frozen plains which only had slight snowfall and relatively warm weather, that being only slightly freezing as opposed to Fifth Floor's normal state of bone-chilling freeze that was nearly instantly lethal to unprotected organisms.
Cocytus was letting out calm breaths that caused air to steam around his mandibles and was standing at calm ease, but had all four of his high-level weapons at their scabbards at his waist- A stance that Momonga had seen Warrior Takemikazuchi use when the player had his weapons equipped but not drawn. The insect-like warrior was giving the entrance to the Fifth Floor a calm, level stare, and Momonga felt as if the Guardian was preparing to cut down whoever came through the door or die trying.
The reminiscence of Momonga's old friends threatened to draw his attention from the present and Momonga wrangled his mind back to the present by glancing around.
Cocytus was flanked by Demiurge on Momonga's one side, and Shalltear was standing beside Aura and Mare on Momonga's other side.
Victim was present as well, and was being hugged by Sebas in order to let the fetus-like Guardian rest instead of exerting itself by flapping on the spot. The rest of the Pleiades were present and were standing some distance away, with exception of Aureole who remained in the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, and Sebas who was standing in front of the rest of the Pleiades in perfect calm despite the cold wind occasionally blowing through the butler's white hair.
Demiurge was in his normal form, as Momonga felt that having the demon in his human shape would help him fly under the radar as opposed to him using his non-human frog-like appearance. Momonga would need Demiurge's help in figuring Gendo's intentions after the meeting, and Momonga would then use the follow-up meeting with Demiurge as a chance to try to subtly decipher the demon's intentions towards Momonga.
The arch-devil realized that Momonga had glanced at him and gave Momonga a deep, reverent bow. "All is as you have instructed, my master. Please be assured that we shall triumph."
Momonga was worried about the way Demiurge phrased the situation, but didn't want to betray his own ignorance by questioning further. 'I'll have to arrange someone to follow Demiurge around and report back what he's doing so he doesn't do something unnecessary… Although Demiurge would likely find out instantly that he was being followed and that might turn him against me.'
Momonga was conflicted over the problem of controlling the NPC's that were vastly more intelligent than him, and thus he merely nodded back at Demiurge and turned his attention elsewhere so that he wouldn't betray his nervousness to the dangerously intelligent NPC. "Ah… Solution-san, are you alright? Entoma-san?"
The Pleiades were present, more as distractions than as something Momonga expected to count upon should combat occur, and were standing some distance away from Momonga and the rest of the Guardians who were present.
Most of the maids seemed to handle the cold well, except for Entoma who was beginning to vibrate slightly while rime grew all over her chitin, and Solution who had become utterly unmoving.
Entoma chittered something and Momonga realized that the maid must have felt incredibly cold… And Momonga promptly realized that with Entoma being an Insectoid race without any cold-related classes she didn't have any cold resistance, and with Solution being a slime she'd be vulnerable to being frozen.
Momonga got up from the throne instantly and sent a [Message] to Albedo, who was in the Ninth Floor, monitoring the situation from the Throne of Kings. "Albedo, what's the status of our guests?"
"The group of inse- ahem, guests are approaching the entrance to the Fourth Floor, followed by a honor guard of Undead Royal Guard, and shadowed by a reinforced group of Eight-Edge Assassins who are staying hidden. By my estimates they will enter Fifth Floor in five minutes or so. Shall I have the… guests… halted, killed or turned back?" Albedo answered instantly, and Momonga nodded internally.
"No, let them proceed. Thank you for letting me know. Monitor the situation as I've described." Momonga informed Albedo before cutting the [Message] off. '...I asked Albedo to monitor the happenings of Nazarick, and also try to see if she can generate additional POP-monsters, and if she can do that while we have 'intruders' or rather guests from NERV at Fifth Floor, since in YGGDRASIL you couldn't have NPC's resummoned or respawn POP monsters when the Floors were invaded by enemy or had been cleared by the enemies.'
Momonga glanced at the [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] that was floating lazily beside him. 'I checked the Master Source interface through Throne of Kings just before I left the Throne Room… There were a number of POP-monsters who died in the battle, mostly by being crushed or eaten by the Angel when it was burrowing through the Floors, most notably killing all of the Vampire Brides that were in Shalltear's raid arena. In YGGDRASIL the POP monsters respawned automatically, but that may not work the same way here- After all, in YGGDRASIL if I summoned a duplicate of an undead that I already summoned, the first one would just disintegrate. Here, however, the summon persists for a long time or doesn't crumble at all if a dead body is used during the summoning.'
'It might be possible to store bodies of dead POP-monsters and wait for new ones to be respawned, and then revive the dead bodies to have double the amount of POP monsters… Or something else might happen. There's so much to experiment with, so little time…' Momonga thought back on the experiment he had ordered Albedo to perform, as he had some faith on Albedo staying loyal to him and could trust her to try to use the Throne of Kings without instantly stabbing him in the back. After all, she had her chances to do so but had not, meaning that Momonga could at least trust her a little. '...But if Albedo can use the Throne of Kings to access Nazarick's Master Source, and enter the revival command for POP monsters, and if such a option even comes up, it opens up a huge range of possibilities for strengthening Nazarick's defenses against sustained assault and gives us option for expeditionary use of POP monsters without simultaneously leaving a hole in Nazarick's defenses'
'Moreover, whether or not Albedo can access Master Source at all is a huge development either way since if she can access it, it would imply that not only a Guild Master can access it, but that it can be accessed by a NPC by using Throne of Kings… I'm curious if someone not from Nazarick could use Master Source as well if the NPC's can, but that experiment is too dangerous so I'll just have to pass on that- Wait, the Pleiades!' Momonga realized he had almost lost himself to theorycrafting, one of his favorite past-times in YGGDRASIL, and had nearly forgot what he was doing thanks to getting sidetracked.
"Solution-san, Entoma-san. Please wear these." Momonga reached for his Inventory and brought out a pair of [Rings of Resist Frost], and gave one to Solution and Entoma. Or rather, gave Entoma the ring and then motioned to give the ring to Solution, who didn't move at all.
Momonga was worried for a split second before he realized that the reason Solution was so perfectly still was because she had frozen solid since her body was that of a shapeshifted slime mimicking human appearance.
'...Pathetic… What sort of a guild master am I when I can't even see that the NPC's are suffering right next to me…' Momonga felt as intense shame mixed into his paranoia over the potential of the NPC's turning on him, and he grabbed Solution's hand to pry her fingers open with some effort, and then slid the ring into her finger.
Solution thawed almost instantly… and then froze solid again, although this time it was more akin to if she had been paralyzed rather than frozen.
Entoma, meanwhile, let out a strange chattering noise while covering her mask with her cockroach-like arms and was moving the chitinous appendages wildly as if embarrassed, with one of the arms now bearing the size-adjusted ring that was like a bracelet around her single 'finger-claw'.
Momonga looked into Solution's eyes to wonder why exactly she was paralyzed… And then realized that the eyes were just empty lure, and promptly looked down a bit as he recalled that a Shoggoth-type Slime's 'core' was supposed to float somewhere around the middle-top of its body. After a brief moment of observation it looked as if Solution was alright since Momonga saw that there were faint vibrations running along her flesh-like surface. 'Ah, she must be feeling embarrassed for getting frozen. Or something like that? I hope? Maybe?'
'In any case, that should at least make the NPC's think that I care about them, and I do, but chances are that they don't know that I do… Good, good…' Momonga retreated back to the faux throne and sat on it with some pomp and pretend nobility, something that he had practiced in Tokyo-3 for when he needed to pretend that he was smarter than he actually was in front of Gendo.
Doing so, Momonga missed the way Solution blushed utterly red, lifted her ring-bearing hand up to her view and grasped its wrist with her other hand to keep it from shaking, and the battle-maid shook on the spot like if she wasn't believing what had just happened while her expression wavered like pudding- All the while the rest of the Pleiades were quietly clapping at Entoma and Solution, and Sebas turned around to bow slightly to the pair.
However by the time Momonga glanced around again the Pleiades were the perfect image of calm and collected maids and Sebas had returned to his earlier pose.
Momonga felt somewhat worried over the fact Shalltear had gained an odd expression and was grinding and biting the hem of her dress with her teeth like a rabid animal while staring at the Pleiades.
"Shalltear? Is your Frenzy still affecting you?" Momonga gave the gothic lolita-themed vampire a worried glance and got a cutesy curtsy in response.
"No, Momonga-sama. I am perfectly in control over my body. If my lord wishes to check this in a hands-on manner, I am more than willing to comply-" Shalltear began but a whack to the back of her head quieted her down and caused her to let out a whine while covering her head.
"Figures that Shalltear-neechan would be lewd in front of Momonga-sama even after she had to be bailed out…" Aura grumbled to the side in a bit pissed-off way while adjusting her glove as it had slid off a bit while whacking Shalltear. The tomboyish girl then realized what she was saying and struck a victorious expression while giving a 'V' sign to Momonga with youthful cheer. "Ahem, that is, we'll keep Shalltear under control and ensure that she's safe both to herself and to others! Momonga-sama, please do not worry. Er- and, um… And that whack, er…"
"It's alright. I'm sure Shalltear forgives you." Momonga waved the concern aside to appear ruler-like, even if it felt good to see that the creations of his friends were lively. Moreover Shalltear nodded slightly to Aura as a response to Momonga's words. '...Haa, Peroroncino's NPC seems close to Bukubukuchagama's NPC's… It's actually heart-warming to see that they're getting along, well, getting along in a similar way Peroroncino got along with his sister…'
"Momonga-sama, the guests are entering the Fifth Floor." A [Message] came through from Albedo and Momonga nodded internally while striking a somewhat regal pose on the throne, causing the present Guardians and Pleiades to assume more serious stances.
The double-doors to the Fourth Floor opened in the distance, and a group of Undead Royal Guard came out first as a vanguard, followed by Gendo and Misato, followed by what looked like soldiers carrying a variety of weapons arranged to three files and, from what Momonga could squint, ten ranks.
'So roughly thirty soldiers, in what looks like full body armor, gear, assault rifles and anti-tank missiles? Hm, that is not enough to be a threat, but I suppose Gendo thought that such a number would ensure that he can withdraw if this comes to blows. However, I can tell Albedo to re-submerge the exit side of Fourth Floor, which should cut their escape off… hm?' Momonga squinted his eyes at Gendo who seemed to notice him.
The man was some three hundred feet away, on a path made of gray and frozen slabs of stone that were always visible even though the Fifth Floor constantly swirled with snow, and with the end of the path blocked by Momonga's temporary throne while the other end of the path started at the entrance doors. The throne was elevated by few icy crystals that Cocytus had hastily prepared with the aid of Frost Virgins, and gave the Guardians a good view of the area while forcing anyone who approached to look up and allowed Momonga to look down, projecting subtle power.
Gendo stopped some two hundred feet away from the throne as he seemed to take in the situation and the people present, with the commander's red visor glinting in a way that did not reassure Momonga in the slightest.
The commander lifted his arm… and made a motion without turning his visor from Momonga.
The rank-and-file soldiers seemed to catch the movement and turned around instantly to return the way they came, still in the neat formation but with swift, relieved footsteps synchronized to a well-practiced half-march.
Momonga instantly sent a message to Albedo, instructing her to ensure that the soldiers were let go without an incident, as the Undead Royal Guard had become clearly confused and it looked like the gold-armored undead creatures that had escorted the guests had started to lower their pikes in a threatening manner.
The Guardians tensed as well in response to the sudden movement, and Demiurge adjusting his glasses while giving a fatal-looking smirk towards Gendo.
'...Guh, not good.' Momonga realized a few scenarios Gendo had tried to accomplish just now- The first of which was probably Gendo trying to get his soldiers killed with an innocent-looking order to stand back, which if successful would have severely harmed Momonga's position in the negotiation.
The second being Momonga's realization that Gendo had undoubtedly seen through his plans of taking Gendo as captive despite the sizable escort, and by sending them away it signaled that Gendo didn't care that he was taken captive- Or had something that ensured that Momonga couldn't take him as captive. Both scenarios worried Momonga quite a bit.
The third scenario, and the one that Momonga suspected to be both most likely and most worrying, was that Gendo had brought the soldiers precisely so that he can have them break the expected norm by turning around and gauging the reaction of Momonga's 'allies' in order to figure out what the pecking order was. 'Dammit, I got played… S-shees, figures…'
Gendo glanced at Demiurge, or at least turned his visor, towards the demon, and adjusted his visor just slightly with his forefinger before continuing to walk with now incredibly creeped-out looking Misato right behind him.
It looked like Misato was on the verge of pulling out her service pistol and starting to blast everything as she seemed to be gripping something under her service uniform, and it looked like she regretted something severely as she was clad in a somewhat thin-looking dress uniform.
"Second." Gendo came to stop some twenty feet away from Momonga after walking towards the group of Guardians in leisurely, uncaring pace that seemed to infuriate the Guardians immensely- Something that Momonga could tell from the slight shifting-around that Cocytus did, or the unhappy frown on Shalltear's and the dark elf duo's faces, and the constantly widening smirk on Demiurge's face.
The nonchalant way of addressing Momonga with his NERV-given title seemed to be the end of Demiurge's patience as he took a calm, easy step forwards from the line of Guardians.
"It is highly unsightly for visitors, guest they may be, to approach the Supreme Being so boldly in His domain- [Command Mantra: Kneel]-" Demiurge activated his ability before Momonga could motion the demon to stop.
Misato opened her mouth, but was instantly forced to a kneeling pose on the gray slab-path.
Gendo remained standing.
"It is highly unsightly for demons to make such demands of their saviors." Gendo spoke to Momonga while having his hands behind his back in a relaxed pose, as if he was not standing in front of a throne but rather instructing his underlings in an office somewhere. "Now, if you don't mind, Second, please tell your underling to allow Major Katsuragi to communicate."
'Rrrgh! I figured that this would go south faster than I expected!' Momonga waved Demiurge off, causing the demon to bow in a relaxed manner while releasing the mind control. The demon didn't allow his calm stance to change, but Momonga guessed that the Guardians were somewhat shocked as they had stopped shifting around and were paying keen attention to Gendo. 'It seems that they are considering Gendo dangerous… That's better, I guess, but that was seriously bad… 'Supreme Being'?! What was that about?! Moreover, 'his domain'? That's already too much info to give to someone like Gendo! Not to mention, that mind control attempt- I already owed Gendo a favor for the 'rescue', that's just adding oil to fire! Haa… Fine. I can work with this.'
"K-khah, w-what was that?" Misato got up while looking more than a bit suspiciously and hostilely at Demiurge.
"Please accept my apologies for my subordinate's actions. He is quite strict about etiquette." Momonga made a motion of opening his hand towards Misato as if in apology, and then rested the arm on the arm-rest of the throne while changing subjects in hopes that the apology would not be contested. "Regardless, I believe that congratulations are in order for your promotion, Major."
The Guardians seemed to pick up the clue and clapped once, with various degrees of enthusiasm.
"Yeah, sure. Fine." Misato dusted snow off her knees and stood upright while putting her hands on her hips. "I got the news just earlier. So… Is this your home?"
"Indeed." Momonga nodded, feeling as if it was useless to try to pretend otherwise- And 'home' was a distraction in itself as opposed to using 'home realm' or 'birthplace', or other more descriptive terms. "But I suspect that NERV is here for other reasons than to give me a surprise visit? Speaking of which, I appreciate your help with the Angel, even if it was unneeded and unrequested."
"Yet well received either way, if what I heard from the after-action report was correct. Moreover I heard something about a state of uncontrolled aggression that we were expressly requested to aid with?" Gendo spoke with a calm, controlled tone. "Since I believe that we are in the business of trading favors, I believe that it is my turn to own one."
"...Hm…" 'Haa… No squirming out of that one, not unless I'm willing to throw Aura under the proverbial bus. Straight to the throat, and thanks to Demiurge's interruption I have mine wide open unless I want to open hostilities to NERV… In which case they have three EVA's squatting just outside Nazarick, and possibly an array of nukes as well. I doubt Gendo would be as arrogant elsewise- And while I could deal with EVA's fairly easily, the nukes are a different matter, not to mention collateral damage to Nazarick. Mutual destruction served me more than Gendo in the past so I had the edge there, but with Nazarick in the picture the ball has shifted to my court.' Momonga made a gesture of opening his fist and lifting it up, as if there was something tangible in it. "I suspect NERV has something to request of me… Or maybe it is you who'd wish something from me, Gendo?"
Momonga tried to go for a bribe, as he had a feeling NERV's request might be quite unreasonable in scope, and even after negotiating it down it'd be painful to complete. However, Gendo's request might be somewhat easier to accomplish. Or so Momonga hoped.
"Indeed. If you asked me that question a month ago I would have had an answer ready instantly." Gendo agreed without a shift in his body language. "However, now I shall wait with this boon in my pocket."
'Well, that was a no-go.' Momonga sighed internally. "I suppose that we'll return to it when it's time, then. We'll speak of business now."
"Indeed. And speaking of which, you are in breach of our contract." Gendo changed subjects fluently, making Momonga wonder what the man was speaking of… Before Momonga remembered his deal with NERV.
'Right, I was supposed to stay in NERV-monitored areas in exchange for a spot in school and supplies… And by just going off somewhere I had broken the terms of that deal.' Momonga remembered the deal, and sighed internally for essentially allowing Gendo two one-ups over him in short succession, even if bringing up breaking of the almost entirely one-sided deal was almost quaint. 'I messaged Gendo that I'd be going away for a while, but in retrospect that wouldn't absolve me of that deal. After all, I didn't specify that I'd leave NERV-controlled areas... Haa, dammit, I should have been more specific.'
"Hm, indeed, we had a deal." Momonga made a dismissive motion, causing the Guardians to level a hostile glare at Gendo. "I believed that it no longer served me, so I chose to sever it. I take it that you are interested in offering me a new deal?"
"No. However I suspect that you are interested in me offering you one." Gendo reached to adjust his visor in a way that made it glint a red glare. "I can walk away. You may attempt to stop me. But either way, SEELE will win, and it has already claimed one of yours, even if you have seemingly recreated the one you lost. But SEELE will not stop there, nor will the Angels- And the next time around the cavalry riding to aid may not come to aid you. You have already seen the damage a single Angel can cause, as have I, even if you claim otherwise. You may dispute this but in the end, it matters little whether you acknowledge it or not. NERV will complete its mission regardless of whether or not you survive the coming storm or not."
'Hm…' Momogna made a miniscule motion of lifting his finger on the hand that was resting on the arm-chair, holding the Guardians back with the motion as the group were practically blasting killing intent and Misato looked like she was an inch away from keeling over dead from the killing intent alone while Gendo looked utterly unaffected by it. However Momonga knew that reckless aggression would not serve him nor Nazarick. 'Seele… The boogeymen that Kaji mentioned, and who Gendo told had killed Entoma… Not to mention, the Angels are growing stronger- The first and second Angels were almost pitifully easy to deal with, but the crystal-like illusion-Angel was a real threat, and while that fish-angel would have probably been easy to deal with on open terrain or sea, it managed to cut through three Floors before the Guardians had time to react… The fourth Angel, and however many there are after that, will be troublesome. Gendo is right… As much as I'd like to refute him.'
'As to Seele… There is a chance that Seele are either a fake entity, and Kaji actually knew I was listening in but chose to pretend not to know about it while feeding me false info, or Seele might really exist and we're in real danger from a shadowy organization in addition to NERV, the latter depending on how this conversation goes… Either way Gendo is clearly and intently jeopardizing my position specifically by questioning my authority in front of my subordinates when I don't have a sensible way of punishing Gendo for the disrespect. It's clear from the stories I've heard so far that the NPC's aren't fully aware of the dangers of this new world, and probably don't understand just how dangerous this situation actually is…' Momonga thought while leaning to the side, propping his elbow against the arm-rest in calm ease, and covering his chin with his hand as if he was in deep thought.
It was clear to Momonga that there were three or four factions in the mix- Nazarick, NERV, SEELE and Angels. '...And if I snub NERV I might put Nazarick into one-versus-two battle, and if I snub NERV too much I may very well turn that to a three-versus-one, or rather two-versus-one with NERV swooping in the finish off what remains… In other words I have little options by to try to ally with NERV, while seeing if I can send some expendable scouts to talk to SEELE… They may have slain Entoma, or they might have not. I have only Gendo's word as a proof, since that mind-reading didn't work. I need more diplomatic channels, clearer look on things… I've allowed NERV to hold dominance on my venues of communication too long.'
'That being thought, if I play my cards badly or let NERV take the dominant role in our possible cooperation I'll be overthrown by NPC's who likely think of me as weak or faker, since Ainz Ooal Gown's rough theme was 'evil heteromorphs', and seeing me 'submit' to humans won't go well…' Momonga finished his contemplations and waved his hand dismissively. "You're making many assumptions, Gendo. I'll make some of my own. I'll assume that if I were to make a new deal it'd involve us continuing assisting NERV in dealing with the Angels… And not destroy neither that base you've began building above us, or wipe out Tokyo-3. And the other cities."
Momonga leaned forward while Gendo was unmoving and Misato paled to the complexity of paper. "You seem to be under the assumption that I am only reactive, and that because I allowed you to visit me, I am chained here. Perhaps you assume that I cannot move this whole place like I move myself, and perhaps you assume that I have no plans of my own. Perhaps you assume that NERV can stake its claim on us like humans do on unconquered land- Allow me to assure you that such a way of thinking is a mistake."
"Indeed. I both assume and know of such things. I know that if you were capable of moving this… place… like you claimed, you would not have allowed the Angel to trash around as it pleased, nor would you have required our help in placating your… subordinate." Gendo countered with practiced ease. "It is true that you have the ability to wipe out Tokyo-3 and other human settlements. That is alright. Humanity has learned to adapt, overcome, and sustain- You learned as much, I take it, when you studied the First and Second Impact? What makes you think losing a few hundred thousand, a few million, a few billion lives will change how humanity operates? But I digress- you are escalating out of powerlessness and not from a place of power. We shall move past that, and shall speak of things that we'll actually do."
Momonga resisted the urge to sigh of relief and instead waved his hand as if to dismiss Gendo's words while Misato looked like she was about to be ill. 'Threat to counter threat, that makes us even, and the fact Gendo uses 'we' instead of 'I' and 'you' means that he's squeezing me for a preferable deal, and is seeking to ally Nazarick and NERV… In other words, Gendo sees us more as useful tools than as threats. However, was that slip deliberate or not?'
"Very well. Let us speak frankly. NERV will withdraw to a distance from us. I find it distasteful that your base is built on top of our humble abode, and I will not have us moved like common beggars from land we've claimed." Momonga caught himself at last second and realized that he had almost admitted that he couldn't just teleport Nazarick around willy-nilly, and instead referred to pride.
"Very well- In that case I'll do you a favor and buy this plot of land from the Chinese who currently hold stake here, and have the deed transferred to you through NERV. But since you and yours pose a considerable threat to humanity, as you have pointed out, NERV will, as part of its mission, take steps necessary to protect Humanity. Therefore, NERV will establish NERV Siberia base, and its main base will be moved some distance away. However, Major Katsuragi will be assigned as our contact to you and will reside in your… home.. to keep an eye on the situation. She will report to me and keep an eye out whether or not you plan to destroy mankind, as per your threats. She will also serve as our diplomatic contact regarding future Angel attacks, wherever they may land." Gendo countered swiftly. "This is not negotiable, as you know NERV's mission. It matters little to us whether we're killing Angels or you and yours, if both of you share the same goals."
"I'll not take that favor, and instead buy that deed from you for a reasonable price… Hm." Momonga denied Gendo's attempt to swindle another favor from him, but hesitated for a moment and pretended to think while resisting the urge to look behind him to gauge the Guardian's reactions to Gendo's demand. 'Misato's a human, but it is possible that Gendo does to her what he has done to himself to make him hard to mind-control… I might have to confine her to some floor and just forget her there- Except that Gendo implied that Misato will occasionally send reports back, and I'll assume that he'll include measures to ensure that Misato's reports are genuine…'
"I'll consider allowing Misato to lodge here. For now I'll create a temporary abode for her above the ground." Momonga returned the favor.
"In that case we'll come to a conclusion that Major Katsuragi does not need to enter your abode, but the base will be constructed around this place so that she has a human living place." Gendo countered with practiced ease, making Momonga sigh internally as he had run around in circles and indirectly admitted that allowing Misato to enter Nazarick at will bothered him more than the proximity of NERV's base.
"Very well. However, your troops will not attempt to hinder me or mine from moving or leaving, or I'll take appropriate action to remove such hindrances." Momonga countered, knowing that he had lost the first conflicts but hoped to still take some of the enemy with him.
"In such a case NERV may be compelled to retaliate, so do not push your liberties." Gendo countered with a warning, which indirectly translated as concession. Momonga knew that it was just Gendo offering Momonga a minor victory out of mockery, and didn't take it as a real one- Specifically as it included a undermining of Momonga's authority in the eyes of the NPC's, which was starting to seriously worry Momonga.
'It was a big mistake to hold the meeting here… I should have gone to corner Gendo when we were alone and no-one else but the two of us spoke… This won't be good, if I keep making concessions I'll get overthrown by Demiurge!' Momonga sweated internally while felt as if the throne was starting to burn under him, in a metaphorical sense rather than real one.
"Hmh. Regardless, you have those three EVA's to fight your wars against the Angels. However, judging from the strength of the latest Angel, I suspect you'll need my help fighting the next ones as well- I may be interested in assisting you, but in turn I expect a tribute." Momonga moved to the next issue, namely ensuring Nazarick's monthly upkeep without needing to use the treasures from the Treasury. 'Right. I should see if I can disable the EVA's as soon as I can, that should put NERV into a less favorable negotiating position… Nazarick can fight EVA's in a somewhat even position, some of us more so than others, and I can just [Grasp Heart] them if need be… But orbital strikes and nuclear bombardment are not so easy to counter. Although if I disable the EVA's too permanently I just remove a potential ally from play, in case I need NERV to come assist me fighting Angels- The latest Angel beelined straight to Nazarick so they may have realigned their target priorities to take me out first and only then go after NERV, which isn't good since it puts me to weaker negotiating position…'
"I will consider this." Gendo adjusted his visor. "Specify what you wish for tribute. I can offer a few hundred million yen in a month, for instance."
"I have no interest in such baubles." Momonga handwaved, even though the part of him that was Suzuki Satoru was quite interested for entirely greed-related reasons, and Misato looked, once again, quite green. However Momonga knew that he couldn't go for a cheap price when it came to tribute as he was well aware that he had an image to hold in front of the Guardians, and Momonga was quite certain that their view of Momonga as 'the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown' had taken more than a few hits already. Not to mention that if he 'sold out' he'd definitely get killed. "I'll specify the articles I want later. After all, the Angels vary in strength, so will our contribution… And your tribute. Likewise I'll consider calling you for your aid if we so desire, and if we need you- I'll give you your favor for now, but do not expect one if you show up to 'assist us' when we need no such thing."
"...Hm." Gendo seemed to ponder for a while, which Misato used to gather her courage.
Momonga sent a glance at her as Misato seemed to hesitate speaking, but she chose against it and merely acted the part of an aide. '...I'm guessing that Gendo is deliberately getting rid of Misato since we're interacted a bunch. I'm guessing that Gendo is cleaning the house as well, so Shinji and the other pilots might be replaced soon as well… Gendo must have realized that I've gotten closer to the pilots on purpose, and a machine is just a hunk of steel without a pilot to steer it…'
Gendo nodded after a while. "I find these terms agreeable. In that case I'll expect you and Major Katsuragi to set up some manner of instant communication so that we may communicate without a delay. The situation may, after all, change rapidly."
"Agreed." Momonga resisted the urge to stand up and bow, as would have been proper for a businessman after a deal, and instead waved his hand dismissively. "You may leave. Neither the aircraft nor the soldiers have been harmed. Major Katsuragi, I'll contact you later and we'll establish a line of communications."
Gendo stared at Momonga for a brief moment before turning and walking off.
"Brr… Sure… In that case I'll set up shop outside." Misato shivered and nodded towards Momonga. "J-just let me know beforehand when you drop by, like, tell someone at the base. Alright? Suzuki-kun?"
Momonga nodded, even though he felt metaphorical sweat drip down the back of his neck as Misato mentioned his cover-up name which was in fact his real name. 'I wonder… Do the NPC's know about that? If the fact I'm just a human under this avatar gets out I'm in deep trouble…'
"Oh, and I'll go and thank the pilots for coming even if their aid was strictly speaking not needed." Momonga added as Misato nodded back to Momonga and then hurried afer Gendo.
Momonga 'asked' the 'question' mostly as an afterthought, but directed the words to Gendo while using certainties. It was a risky tactic to try to salvage some of his legitimacy in the eyes of the NPC's by stating certainties as Gendo could harm his image by refusing, although in such a case Momonga would just go visit the Pilots nonetheless- And Momonga half counted on Gendo denying the visit so that he could do precisely that to salvage more of his reputation by showing that he didn't dance to NERV's tune. '...I delayed that 'request' until the last moment so that I might catch Gendo unaware… However if he agrees then that makes it certain that NERV is planning on replacing the pilots. That should help me when it comes to swapping their loyalties- Shinji's specifically.'
Gendo paused for a moment, shrugged his shoulders minutely without turning around, and then continued to walk, cementing Momonga's theory.
'It's going to be a touch-and-go… I only get one shot to recruit them and their EVA's before Gendo hauls them away.'
Momonga stood from the throne as Gendo, Misato and the platoon of soldiers disappeared through the double-doors leading back to Fourth Floor.
'The moment of truth…' Momonga felt incredibly worried as he turned around, worried that the NPC's would turn on him and shred him, perhaps call him illegitimate, a faker, or perhaps they'd renounce Momonga as a leader for failing to show absolute authority.
Instead…
"...This is most worrying." Demiurge adjusted his glasses while looking serious, but instead of giving the look to Momonga the demon was staring at the now-closed doors in the distance. Which was good for Momonga, as he felt that he would have likely died on the spot from terror if Demiurge sent him such a stare.
"...It. seems. that. we. were. arrogant. and. counted. too. highly. on. our. strength. alone." Cocytus commented while clouds of steam formed in front of him from his breath. "It. seems. that. there. is. more. to. this. world. than. what. I. understand."
"...I don't like that beard-visor-guy. He needs to die." Aura commented while giving the doorway a harsh glare, and for a change Mare was having a similar expression.
"How dare he… How dare he disrespect Momonga-samaaa!" Shalltear gave a quiet murmur while it looked like she was on the verge of shooting off in hot pursuit. "Gruu… I'll not drink his blood, but rather have it fed to pigs, as is appropriate for filth… gr… arisu…"
Victim merely closed his eyes, as if the fetus-like Guardian was somehow relieved.
The Pleiades looked neutral, and Sebas looked calm even if his eyes had a steel-hard glint to them and he was staring at the double-doors.
Entoma, meanwhile, had tilted her head as if she was confused.
"It's alright. The balance of power is somewhat uncertain right now- But it'll soon change to our definite advantage." Momonga tried to reassure the NPC's, hoping that the group had grown to hate Gendo more than they lost respect towards Momonga. "Umu, however… I believe that the situation ended to our advantage, all things considered."
"Of course, Momonga-sama!" A chorus rang from the Guardians and the Pleiades curtsied, making Momonga worried that the NPC's were mocking him and the other shoe was about to drop.
"U-umu, Demiurge…" Momonga turned towards the dangerously intelligent demon.
"I see it now. Indeed, I had thought that we were dealing with a human, but it seems that I've made a grave error. After all, Victim, you felt it too?" Demiurge adjusted his glasses while glancing at the fetus-like Guardian who was slouched on Sebas's hold. "I realized it when I tried to use [Command Mantra]."
'...Realized what?' Momonga sweated internally while motioning the demon to go on, on one hand worried that Demiurge would figure out something that would enable the demon to dethrone Momonga, and on the other hand curious if Demiurge had figured out something useful that Momonga hadn't realized.
"deednI... I tlef ti oot. (Indeed, I felt it too…)" Victim looked spent.
"It seems that there is still some confusion among your fellow Guardians, so please explain what you found out, Demiurge-san." Momonga asked, using the 'explain to others' to mask his own ignorance. 'Does it have something to do with the vision I got when I tried to read Gendo's memory?'
"Indeed… I believe that the situation is as dire as it is, because we are dealing with a mythical, dangerous creature that I've heard of only in myths. A creature that has destroyed Supreme Beings with the ease that we'd have when it comes to butchering regular humans." Demiurge adjusted his glasses again. "It seems that this pretend-human, or Gendo as I believe he was called… Is a Gee-Em."
'A- eh?' Momonga stared at Demiurge for a while and opened his mouth for a rebuttal… Before he realized that while he was quite certain that Demiurge was wrong, it also gave Momonga a convenient 'way out' of allowing himself to be disrespected in front of the NPC's. '...A GM? I didn't think Gendo would appear like that? The vision was kind of funky, but I don't think it was something like that. However… While it pains me to lie to them, it's better I do that than have them turn on me because I allowed a human to just smack-talk me…'
"Something like that, yes." Momonga nodded. "Well, you see now why I was being careful. Regardless, Gendo commands NERV, who I mentioned before. And right now we should consider ourselves tenuous allies with NERV, so while you are free to take care of those that stand in your way, try to limit the damage and try to avoid conflict if reasonably possible. Meanwhile prepare yourselves for more Angels- That one was enough to wreck three Floors before being finally stopped, and each new Angel tends to be far stronger than the one before, so depending where the next Angel shows up we may have to take drastic action."
"Yes, Momonga-sama!" The chorus repeated, identical to the one before, and Momonga felt worried that the NPC's were, in fact, mocking him despite appearing courteous and even impressed, if Demiurge's body language was believed.
"Well then, see if you can reinforce the Floors for now, and I'll see if I can have the three Floors restored." Momonga excused himself. "After that I'll go out to speak with Misa- ahem, Major Katsuragi, and the EVA Pilots- Those would be the trio that helped in the battle and who helped contain Shalltear for the duration of the Frenzy."
"Momonga-sama! Can I come too? I'd like to thank the big blue fella for listening and helping Shalltear!" Aura lifted her hand up instantly. "Mare would like to come and thank them as well!"
"-! Momonga-sama, I would like to accompany you to the surface as well-arisu! After all, it'd be unsightly of me to not thank the creatures that assisted me!" Shalltear instantly stepped forth as well, although Momonga didn't exactly trust her spoken motivations as she had a strangely hungry look in her eyes as she looked at Momonga and had one of her vampiric fangs out in a cutesy way.
"Shalltear just wants to hang around Momonga-sama…" Aura looked a bit fatalistic while whispering to the side, causing Shalltear to twitch a bit and start to shake slightly while continuing to look hopeful.
"I. suggest. that. a. warrior. accompanies. Momonga-sama. since. there. are. strong. enemies. and. entities. in. order. to. ensure. Momonga-sama's. safety." Cocytus spoke. "I. voluenteer. myself."
"Wouldn't Albedo work best for that purpose, as her classes allow her to specialize in protecting allies?" Demiurge huffed out in a good-natured way, causing Cocytus to freeze still. "Momonga-sama, please rest assured that I shall take care of things in Nazarick in your absence. I have learned from my past mistakes."
'N-not good! If I leave Demiurge in charge-!' Momonga felt a surge of paranoia and waved his hand to dismiss the concerns. "It's alright. I leave the task of leading Nazarick to Albedo while I'm gone…" 'She won't try to coup me, I hope…' "...And take Shalltear, Aura and Mare with me topside. I believe that three Guardians should be enough for now, since I'll just be outside the tomb and I can call more reinforcements if I need."
"Of course, Momonga-sama." Demiurge bowed deep to Momonga.
'R-right… Anyway, I should check on Albedo first and see what the results of the tests were…' Momonga made a regal motion of turning around, equipping [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown], and teleporting to the Tenth Floor.
.
.
"Momonga-sama… As expected of the Supreme Being." Demiurge shook from head to toe as soon as the Supreme Being had exited with the grace befitting of the Ruler of Nazarick and Lord of Ainz Ooal Gown. "To be able to go toe-to-toe against a terrifying entity like that, and not only survive but also draw it to a stalemate before finally triumphing… His intellect truly surpasses mine."
"Was. that. visored. man. truly. so. dangerous?" Cocytus asked. "He. did. not. seem. dangerous. to. me. however. I. can. only. judge. him. as. a. warrior. However. I. got. a. uneasy. feeling. from. him. As. if. my. senses. were. telling. me. to. not. draw. my. blade."
"I suspect he was far more dangerous than that. However, my knowledge of the 'Gee-Em's is limited, and there were only a scant few mentions of those creatures in the books of Ashurbanipal- I read through the whole library, or as much as I could, in my search for clues to Lord Momonga's whereabouts and I am glad that I did so." Demiurge smirked while speaking and lifted his finger victoriously. "After all, it's clear that Lord Momonga expected me to read the books, as he clearly expected that I'd know about 'Gee-Em's by asking me to explain the situation to the rest of us. In fact, it's possible that if Lord Momonga had explained the Gee-Em's, we wouldn't have understood him as his knowledge and wisdom transcends ours so much that if he tried to explain things to us we might as well be hearing unknown language- Much like how the Supreme Beings spoke to one another."
"Ooh?" A collected sound of amazement came from the present Guardians.
"However. how. do. we. fight. these. Gee-em's?" Cocytus asked, and Shalltear nodded rapidly while Aura and Mare brought out notepads.
"I'm afraid only the Supreme Beings truly know of such things. Moreover I suspect that Gee-Em's are a level of creature that surpass our very knowledge to the point that I doubt we'll even be able to do much with our meager strength- Indeed, it's likely that only Lord Momonga knows how to oppose this power." Demiurge adjusted his glasses, however this time he wasn't smiling. "So I suggest that we remain vigilant, and obey Momonga-sama's orders to the letter. The Supreme Being, after all, knows the best and we can only ever dare to hang to the coat-tails of his greatness."
"Of. course."
"Naturally-arisu."
"Yeah!"
"S-sure…"
"Victim-san, you felt it too- am I correct in suspecting that this 'Gendo' was, in fact, looking at you the whole duration of the meeting?" Demiurge turned to look at the fetus who looked quite tired and had closed his eyes.
"Sey... Ti saw gniyfirret. Ti saw ekil taht eno emit. (Yes... It was terrifying. It was like that one time.)" Victim nodded sleepily.
"Indeed… Such knowledge was one of the only mentions of the Gee-Em's: After the Fourty-One Supreme Beings repelled the siege of the thousand and five-hundred hostile Supreme Beings, a Gee-Em visited Nazarick and examined Victim." Demiurge explained to the rest of the Guardians. "Not many records exist other than that, however it was clear that the Gee-Em bypassed all of Nazarick's defenses without the rest of us even realizing something had happened, reached to view the very existence of Victim, before finally 'speaking' to Lord Momonga and gifting a personalized World-Class Item to Lord Momonga as tribute for the successful defense against all odds- So was written in the sacred memoirs of Touch-Me."
Sebas drew a surprised breath between his teeth, but the butler got his nerves under control almost instantly. "Demiurge-sama. I would like to read this memoir, if I am given this honor."
"I have no right to give this honor, Sebas-san, as I took the initiative when Albedo and myself had assumed temporary control of Nazarick- Control that is now and forevermore relinquished to Momonga-sama. However, I'll ask Momonga-sama to grant you this boon, if you wish." Demiurge turned to give Sebas an apologizing bow.
"Thank you, Demiurge-sama." Sebas bowed slightly in turn. Only slightly, however, in order to not inconvenience Victim who he was carrying.
"However, all we can do now is to devote our labor to the Last Supreme Being!"
The sentiment was shared by everyone present, and even the Pleiades, who had been quiet until now, nodded in enthusiasm.
.
.
"Uuuugh… That was terrifying… I'm glad I only had uncooked porridge and a cup of tea for breakfast, or I'd have made a scene…" Misato grumbled under her breath while she was splayed all over her seat in the VTOL-aircraft that was slowly lifting up from the sink-hole, and the major looked like a puppet with it's strings cut. "I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes, like, eight times… What the heck were those guys?! Were they all Demons?"
"That is likely. Alongside their familiars that appear like Second's Clones. Moreover the First Demon has been revived, and the Third Demon was not present, so it is likely that she is somewhere else. However, we won't be able to restrain nor track any of them due to Second's ability to teleport himself and others without a warning." Gendo instructed while the man was sitting in a perfectly still, straight-back pose on his seat. "Moreover it's possible that he spoke truthfully in that he can also move this place. However if he does so then he will likely move the base which we'll build on top of it."
"Great, I'll look forward to freezing my ass off if Second just teleports just the buildings away and leaves us, you know, the people who'll be living in there just hanging about in the ice and snow?" Misato waved her hand vaguely and then struck a mock-salute. "Sir yes sir, oorah. Fuck me in the ass, this sucks..."
"Take this seriously, major. Or should I seek your replacement already?" Gendo turned his head just slightly, causing Misato to slowly gather her wits and slouch back to a somewhat presentable pose on the seat.
"Right, gotcha. I mean, yes sir." Misato shook her head and straightened her back. "Alright. I'm just going to have nightmares for the rest of my life about the fact that I'll literally have literal monsters under my bed, and they might just crawl out of there willy-nilly."
"I'm certain NERV's psychiatrist teams are capable of rooting that fear out once the situation changes. That being said, prepare yourself and the base's personnel to move out with a short warning." Gendo told Misato, causing Misato's expression to brighten… Before it fell.
"There's a gotcha, right?"
"The Angels are certain to attack this position soon, and will likely attack this position exclusively." Gendo confirmed.
"...Yep, there's the gotcha…"
Gendo's visor pointed past Misato while the woman was clearly having a mental crisis of some sort.
There was something that had distracted Gendo for nearly the whole duration of the meeting with Second.
A subtle reminder, and a direct warning.
'...Adam has grown so large in such a short time? What is Second planning on doing with it? Moreover, it was looking at me, looking into me… Is it sentient already? Lilith is chained down at the bowels of Terminal Dogma… But is Second planning on resurrecting Adam on earth? What is he planning?'
Gendo appeared externally calm, but was internally in a state of extreme worry. Even though he had cast aside the limits of a human by using Nebuchadnezzar's Key on himself, the infinite knowledge had a gap- That of the nature of Demons.
After all, the Devil's greatest trick was to convince everything, including knowledge itself, that it didn't exist.
'What is Second's plan?'
And, for one that knew all, the presence of an unknown was terrifying.