And so, let's all welcome this small little crazy story from its long-hiatus!
For anyone who was only following this and not my other SAO works, know that Lusus Naturae has officially finished, and so this one is being retaken from now on, taking the former's spot on my update-rotation: 'SAO:The Eroge', 'OverGamer', 'OPG:CoF', and start again.
Now then, let us once again resume this beautiful story about evil finding a way…and what better way to start it off than with an Over-dramatic flashback!
Now, without more delay, enjoy this chapter!
Also, all help filling this story's TvTropes' page is greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer: Neither SAO nor Overlord belong to me. I'm just mixing the characters and plots for fun because I'm weird like that.
Chapter 5: Evil Minions (Who aren't actually Minions)
The young man ran as fast as his legs could carry him, the grip on his katana so tight it was hurting his hands.
All across the battlefield, samurai and other soldiers fought, killed and died. Minions of all colors, though mostly Browns, faced against the humans, some even herding bigger, clearly different, monster to fight for them or as mounts, and both sides fiercely did their best to destroy the other.
However, it was quite obvious the dumb but malicious creatures had the upper hand. Seemingly never tiring, stronger than the average man despite their size, amazing teamwork despite their pointed stupidity, and completely unable to grasp the concept of self-preservation.
These creatures lived to die. These creatures killed for amusement…and for their only true purpose.
"For the Overlord!"
"Die, humie!"
"Kill all the enemies of the mast…AGH!"
With a shout, the black-haired man beheaded the Brown that had been screaming that, the highly armored and wolf-riding creature too busy screaming to notice. Immediately, though, his clearly revenge-thirsty mount lunged over him, claws scrapping over his armor and throwing the young samurai down, jaws snapping to tear off his throat…
"Hya!" with just one slice, the wolf's body was all but bisected, falling off the now blood-spattered man as a much older one with graying dark hair (And an ethereal glow coming off his armor) quickly pulled him to his feet. "Don't fall down now, Kirigaya! This battle is far from over!"
"Captain…I-I don't think we're going to win this." grunted the younger samurai while standing up, holding his katana with a clearly shaky grip. "These abominations are too much and too many. I fe-fear even those blessed by the Gods like you may not be enough…"
"If you have time to be scared, you have time to fight to protect our land, young Saito!" replied the man as both turned around, the older one cutting a barrage of fireballs as if his katana had an invisible extra-edge. "The Gods have not abandoned us yet!"
As if to prove his point, the earth exploded upwards before them just at that moment, rising a meter-tall barricade for almost a kilometer in length, breaking the Minions' advance and letting archers and polearm-users to situate themselves in a much more better position.
Looking back, Kirigaya Saito saw many squads of well-guarded men wearing white robes and surrounded by shining paper talismans, the clear origin of the phenomenon.
"The Onmyoji have arrived…Amaterasu-sama be blessed!" cried the young man while he and his captain took cover. "W-we can do this, Miroku-taicho!"
"Stop crying and get ready, Kirigaya-san!" grinned Miroku as they saw a new wave of Minions charging over the hills. "This Evil bastard isn't gonna stop you from going back to your wife, right?!"
Giving a sharp nod, the black-haired samurai acknowledged his superior's words.
Nadeshiko was waiting for him, after all, and their child would be born soon. He couldn't afford to die here…he had to make sure she and their descendants had a land where they could live in peace!
"Hai, my captain! I'm ready to fight until the end to protect this land and the Emperor!"
For answer, the older samurai just barked out a deep laugh.
"Hah! Don't get all melodramatic just yet, youngling! My Spirit is telling me that the Gods have prepared us yet another surprise…and here it comes."
The earth trembled. Stunned, the soldiers of the Land of the Rising Sun turned around, even as the Minion army stopped entirely to stare towards the heavens.
Breaking seemingly through space itself, a massive fox with golden fur crashed down before the creatures of Evil, its nine tails flaring with otherworldly power as it ROARED in defiance. Stunned at the appearance of a being the size of a small mountain, the Minions didn't quite react in time before its tails swept forward, unleashing devastating power that exploded, incinerated or simply crushed hundreds of them in an instant.
"…the Gods have blessed us!"
"For Japan!"
"Amaterasu-sama watches over us!"
"A…a Kyuubi." whispered an awed Saito as he saw the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox obliterating the army of Minions as if they were nothing, hope blossoming in his head at the sight of the millenary creature. "This…yes! Our land won't be vanquished!"
"Heh, you got that right, youngling! As long as the honor of the Sun, the Moon and the Storm burns bright within us, nothing will…!" suddenly, Miroku fell silent, his joyous face turning into a confused frown as he looked to the side. "What? What is it, Sanrei? Why are you freaking out? Wha…? A massive force of darkness like you have never felt befo…?"
Kirigaya Saito watched it before anyone else. Perhaps it was Fate…or just a very silly coincidence that would go down in forgotten history, most likely.
Because nobody present would forget he was the first one to shout and point upwards.
"Wha-what is that?!"
Darkness itself seemed to manifest on the heavens…no. It was flowing.
Flowing from the wings of a dragon, blacker than the night, wearing obsidian armor that gleamed against the sunlight, turning the day darker with its mere presence.
Except that it wasn't that of the imposing beast with blood-red eyes that did so, no. It was that of its rider.
Standing tall, the young samurai somehow saw him perfectly despite the distance between them. He could see the sharp edges of his unholy armor, blackened steel that glowed with forbidden power. He could see the runes engraved on it, all of them demonic in nature, overflowing with raw Evil.
But nothing was more terrible than the glowing voids of dark golden that were his eyes beyond the demon skull-shaped helmet he wore. Eyes filled with nothing but a Darkness and Evil that nothing alive upon the face of Earth could oppose.
Without seemingly any care for his forces being slaughtered down below, HE stood atop his dragon, reaching into Nowhere and pulling out a burning halberd, red and black and burning with the fires of Hell's deepest pits, before lazily spinning it on his grip.
And then, in less than an instant, he was falling down, nothing but malice oozing from him as he turned into a meteor of darkness and crashed atop the Kyuubi's head.
For a second, everyone waited to just see the mystical power of the Nine-Tailed Fox repel him, to turn into ash, to throw him away, to show why no mortal could compare to such a powerful Yokai.
What happened instead was that the massive beast FOLDED forward, its head crashing down and its skull all but exploding, blood-filled with power and wisdom of almost a thousand years spilling on all directions like a small river.
All tails went limp, followed by the body twisting on its side.
A terrible silence hung on the battlefield as, slowly, he stood up, giving the shocked humans opposing him a bored look.
Then, he raised his halberd and slammed it down, the earth itself burning and exploding upwards as Minions emerged, hundreds of them, and those closest to him bulged up, turning into mutant monstrosities, even as the sky darkened as an army of flying beasts ridden by more and stronger members of his army neared the battlefield.
Without anything resembling mercy in his voice…The Overlord pointed his weapon forward, giving a single, amused command.
"Kill every last one of them."
Roaring in answer to the order given by the Evil One, the armies of corruption rushed forward, screams for a retreat being given while more walls of earth rose to cover them, but Saito's gaze never left that of the Overlord, feeling the endless evil flowing from him as a Minion the size of a bear slammed through the wall, heading right towards him…!
"Kyaaaaa!"
…and with that scream, Kirigaya Suguha woke up in her bed, sweating profusely and her eyes wide open.
Heaving for breath, the young kendoka was barely aware of how her so-called 'partner' materialized as a glowing sphere just at her side.
"So…not the most pleasant dream, I take?"
"Wha-what the hell was that?!" shouted the black-haired girl as she looked at Sanrei with a clearly disturbed look. "I-it all felt so real! I…I really thought I was there, fighting those things, talking with that man…except that I was…the one called Saito…"
"Yeah, seems like your fight with the Overlord the other day affected us a bit harder than I thought." explained the sun spirit while doing the mental equivalent to a shrug. "Whatever you did to unlock more of my sealed power and create those wings also has let you relive the memories of your ancestor, the Kirigaya that fought alongside me against the forces of the previous Overlord!"
"…are you telling me that, on top of everything else, I'm going to start having cliché flashbacks from the distant past to explain more about my current battle against the Forces of Evil?" growled Suguha with a twitching eyebrow.
"Yep, seems like it!" cheerfully confirmed Sanrei as if it was no big deal, even as the young kendoka let her head slam back on her pillow with a long-suffering groan. "Ah, man, talk about the good times…it's been an eternity since I thought about old man Miroku or Saito-chan. That youngling certainly was hopeless back then…it's a miracle he survived, even more that he ended up my partner in the end, honestly."
"…something tells me I will just regret asking how that happened, so I'm not gonna". moaned the black-haired girl even as her eyes set on the moonlight filtering through her window. "Still…THAT was the previous Overlord, huh?"
"…indeed. Do you see now, why such an Evil must never be allowed to rise again, Suguha-chan?"
Grimacing, Suguha gave a slow but serious nod.
After all, she had thought she had seen the true terror of the Overlord's power when she faced him the other day…but the vision just now had proved her woefully mistaken.
Barely suppressing a shiver at the visage of the being whose mere presence corrupted the world around him with Raw Evil, the memory of him casually one-shooting one of Japan's most legendary and powerful beasts, the young kendoka knew that she could never afford to let her current enemy reach the true apex of his predecessor's powers.
Otherwise, not just her, but the entire world would be doomed.
"I won't let that happen. Not…not without having found Onii-chan first, at least…"
With that last whisper, the girl tuned out Sanrei's ramblings about the good old times and let herself fall asleep once more, dreaming of finding her lost adopted brother…and trying not to think about how many Death Flags her ancestor was able to raise in less than a minute.
September 2nd, 2023. Japan, a small countryside town. 10:30…
There was nothing interesting or remarkable about the small town. Just one of many you could find in the countryside, away from the bustling cities in one of the world's most technologically advanced countries.
Likewise, one of the small warehouses near its edge had nothing important or special at all. In fact, if it wasn't for the graffiti someone had made of a weird goblin-like creature on its side (With terrible art style, it must be said); it wouldn't stand out at all.
And it was at that warehouse at what a bespectacled young girl had been staring for almost 40 minutes now, walking up and down the street before it and examining it as best as she could without actually walking closer to it.
Biting her lips for what must have been the thousandth time that morning, the indecisive female took a step forward… then turned around, as if to walk away…
"Hey there! You also here to join the Overlord's forces?"
"Kyaa!"
Squeaking in shock, the bespectacled girl spun around, hands raised in a vaguely defensive gesture as she stared up at the scruffy-looking man with a bandana standing before her, who quickly took a step back in surprise.
"Wo-woah, calm down! I didn't mean to startle you!" replied the man in his twenties while backing away. "Na-name is Tsuboi Ryoutarou and I also saw the announcement online!"
"…did you seriously just ask me if I want to join the forces of a supposed mystical terrorist?" questioned the girl with evident disbelief.
"I mean…you have been staring there for a while now, it even gave me time to go and get some bagels." commented Ryoutarou while pointing at the small bag he was carrying. "I figured I would wait around while chatting with my friends on the phone to see if anyone else showed up, and you kinda stood out a bit with your continuous walking back and forth."
"…dammit." growled the bespectacled teenager while cursing her stupidity, before adjusting her glasses as she glared up at the man. "Asada Shino…and let's say I AM here for that. What about it?"
"Eh, nothing really, I mean…I also came here for that, you know? Gotta say, it was a bit creepy to suddenly see a message on my mailbox telling me this address and to come if I wanted to 'Join the glorious forces of Evil', but…curiosity got the better of me." shrugging as if was no big deal, the man then leaned against a nearby lamppost. "I was actually just going to hang around a bit to check if it was a prank or not, but if the exact same thing happened to someone else…well, it makes you wonder, right?"
"…are you going to go check it out?" questioned Shino while looking away.
"Are you?" retorted Ryoutarou with a raised eyebrow, earning a scoff in return as he bit on his small bagel and looked thoughtfully to the warehouse. "Wanna check it together? I can protect you if anything bad happens!"
"…fine. But if you try anything weird, I will scream." warned the bespectacled girl while walking past him and starting to cross the street.
"Wha…?! I would never! I will have you know, young lady, that I'm the perfect gentleman! In fact, you could call me a modern samurai at heart!" ranted the bandana-wearing man as they stopped near the warehouse's side.
"…then why are you even considering joining the forces of an Evil Overlord?" deadpanned Shino with a raised eyebrow.
"Ehm…I…I'm kinda bored out of my mind." confessed Ryoutarou while looking away in shame. "Ever since my friends and I spent a lot of money to get some of the first copies of Sword Art Online and the fiasco that followed, life has felt extremely dull and hard to look as positively as before…"
"Oh." blinking in surprise at how the seemingly cheerful man had suddenly turned all gloomy, the socially awkward girl didn't know exactly how to react. "Uhm, well, that's…."
The closest door to them, which clearly looked to be as locked as one would expect of such place, suddenly slid open. Towards the inside. Slowly and creepily.
Frozen in shock for a moment, the strange duo exchanged a worried glance before, as cautiously as he could, Ryoutarou walked forward first, his gaze fixed into the darkness within the eerily silent warehouse.
"You know, maybe we shouldn't…"
And that was as far as the man went before being dragged into the darkness with a very unmanly squeal. Startled, Shino rushed forward, trying and failing to grab his arm…and cursing herself for not running into the other direction when she was manhandled herself by several small hands a moment later.
Screaming as she tried her best to kick and punch at her 'attackers', the bespectacled girl squealed in fright as she was thrown forward to slam painfully…on a futon?
"Well…at least you didn't miss with her." sighed a tired voice, prompting Shino to look to the side and notice how a groaning Ryoutarou planted face-first on the dusty ground of the empty not-so-empty building. "…Gods, how old are you? Why would a kid even think this is a good idea?"
"I'm 14, I will have you know…and I can do whatever I want!" retorted the bespectacled girl as she stood up, glaring defiantly at the robbed man half-hiding in the shadows. She wasn't scared of him.
The dozen or so gremlin-like monsters surrounding her and the slowly standing bandana-wearing man, however, were a bit more intimidating. Honestly, the realization that this whole thing had, indeed, been real and not a prank was almost as intimidating, but seeing the so-called 'Minions' in the flesh was certainly scary…though their stupid faces and the fact most of them were armed with sticks or, in one case, a rubber chicken, of all things, helped minimize the fear.
She had come there for the power to overcome her True Fears, after all. So she couldn't allow herself to be terrified right now.
"Holy cows…this is actually real!" shouted Ryoutarou while pointing at the Browns surrounding the pair, who cheered at his stating of the obvious, for some reason. "A-are you the Overlord?"
"Hmm? Oh, no, I'm not, Tsuboi Ryoutarou-kun. Just a loyal servant of the great master." casually commented the hooded man, making the younger one tense at the blatant knowledge of his name. "Don't look so surprised, young man. Our master has far more power than you can imagine, and knowledge is power. We knew everything about and Asada Shino-kun there before you even accepted the invitation to come here."
"…are you going to kill us, then?" asked the bespectacled girl while sweating coldly.
"You should be smart enough to know that we wouldn't bother with all this trouble if that was our plan, young girl…but I'm getting ahead of myself." suddenly looking at a very specific point at one of the warehouse's windows, one that allowed one to see a rooftop at the other side of the street, the hooded man's eyes glinted in the darkness. "First, I would like our last 'candidate' to actually come down here and join us, instead of just standing there watching all menacingly."
Surprise overcame the two so-called candidates as they also stared in that direction, not seeing anything at all. However, almost an entire minute later, the door of the warehouse opened again, showing an amused and clearly foreign man carrying a pair of professional-looking binoculars walking inside, followed by a rancid smell that revealed itself as two Green Minions with rusty-looking daggers in their hands standing just behind him.
"Gotta say, I'm impressed." chuckled the man of ample black wavy hair as he gave everyone inside an amused look. "To think you would have these things hide in the trash to mask their smell…such a simple but effective method to ambush me. By the time I realized the smell had gotten stronger they were already on my back."
"…yes, that's totally what they were doing." 'confirmed' the man, while not thinking about the two idiots just hunting for a snack in the trash. "You shouldn't underestimate the abilities of my master just because of your unusual background, Vassago Casals-san."
"Hoh? And who am I talking with that can make such bold claims?" smoothly replied the now identified Vassago without missing a beat.
"You may call me Heathcliff. I'm the Overlord's main advisor." shot back Kayaba without missing a beat, amused at thinking how this was, in a twisted way, vaguely similar to what he had once planned to use that name for. "And right now, all 3 of you are being given a rather generous offer from my master."
"Re-really?" gulped Ryoutarou while looking at the Minions with even more nervousness than before.
"Indeed: Now that you know this is, indeed, an actual offer, you can choose to come with me. Be warned, however, that once you do, there will be no going back…you will be saying goodbye to your previous lives and indirectly swearing fealty to the Overlord's cause, in exchange for power beyond your wildest dreams." calmly explained 'Heathcliff' as if he was just talking about the weather. "…or you can just leave."
"…yeah, and be murdered in our sleep, right?" snorted Shino while crossing her arms, earning a dry laugh from Vassago and startled look from the bandana-wearing man.
"Believe it or not, Shino-kun, my master has much more important things in which to spend resources than getting rid of such mundane people like you three…yes, even you, Vassago-san." answered the hooded man without missing a beat, silencing whatever the now frowning foreigner had been about to say. "If you DO choose to leave, you will be left alone and you won't be directly approached by our forces ever again. However…"
"However?" questioned Ryoutarou with a sharp tone.
"Well…without trying to sound too much like the Devil offering Deal, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, lady and gentlemen." casually opening his arms, as if in a gesture to embrace the very air, 'Heathcliff' suddenly seemed larger than life, the shadows within the warehouse coming alive even as the ground exploded and a Netherworld Gate emerged within the building, startling all three of the 'candidates' as the sinister and very cliché-looking 'evil portal' presented itself. "Can you truly live with having turned it down?"
For a moment, nobody said anything at all.
Then, with a resolute look despite how much she was internally screaming she would regret this, Asada Shino walked forward, past the Minions and even Kayaba, and the impressed/shocked stares of her two fellow 'normal humans', entering the swirling energy of the portal.
Once the weird sensation of being both falling endlessly and being dragged forward ended, the bespectacled girl gasped as she fell to her knees against an oddly-decorated black stone floor.
Slowly, her gaze rose, eyes widening to the extreme at what she could now see.
It wasn't because of the impressive-looking Throne Room, with sinister and expensive-looking decorations.
It wasn't because of the sight of what she could swear were lava waterfalls somewhere in the distance, despite the obvious lack of extreme heat.
It wasn't even because of the countless Minions standing in formation across the room, most of their little eyes fixed on her.
No, all of it came from the sheer presence rolling off in waves from the figure sitting at the imposing dark throne, partially hidden in the shadows as eyes that seemed to gleam with golden power loomed over her.
It didn't matter that he wasn't wearing the armor he was so famous for, using regal black and silver robes instead, or that he looked surprisingly young. Shino had no doubts upon staring at him.
This was the Overlord in the flesh.
"Hmm, interesting. This one looks quite weak, but I feel some darkness with a lot of potential inside her." Forcing herself to tear her eyes away from the silent form of the Master of Evil, Shino finally noticed the smaller of the figures standing beside his throne, Gnarl walking forward and looking at her fallen form up and down. "Guess beggars can't be choosers when it comes to humans…"
"Indeed, Gnarl-sensei." chuckled the young teenager in the beautiful red dress (Younger than her, the bespectacled girl realized, even if she looked quite tall and…were the tips of her twin-tails moving?) as she leaned against the Overlord's throne. "But she's also cute-looking. I'm sure Kirito-sama will appreciate that."
Also, for some reason, the smiling young girl had a…cat (?) the size of a big dog sitting beside her, purring in an eerie way, and with patches of its fur being almost blue in color.
"…holy shit!" screamed Ryoutarou as he walked into the sinister room, his wide eyes shooting everywhere even as an impressed Vassago followed suit, the rest of the Minions and 'Heathcliff' closing the march as the portal behind them vanished. "This place is…man!"
"Quite the eloquent way to put it." snorted the foreigner before walking past where Shino was still trying to stand, ignoring everything else in the room and staring solely at the young figure sitting in the Black Throne. "So you're the great Overlord…you're a lot less intimidating without the armor."
"…I don't need to hide behind armor from 3 humans, on the Heart of my fortress. Especially not when they willingly came to me." finally spoke 'Kirito' as he leaned forward, his face peeking out of the darkness and making Shino shake at noticing his eyes now seemed a normal black instead of the golden jewels she had seen before. "So forgive me if your poor attempts at baiting me are wasted, Vassago-san."
"…oh yeah? Well…how about this, for a lowly human?"
Then, without hesitation, the man's hand shot to the inside of his jacket, pulling out a black gun and shooting the closest minion in the same motion, without a shred of hesitation.
Asada Shino's entire world froze, bile rising within her throat even as she felt about to start convulsing in horror. Almost as in slow motion, she saw the Minions start to react, she saw Ryoutarou start screaming and 'Heathcliff' flinching back in shock.
However, all of them may as well have been snails compared to how fast Vassago Casals moved, like living black lighting or some speed demon from hell, darting forward, kicking a Minion aside with enough strength to make it fold in half and finally reaching the edge of the Throne, his weapon raised as a manic grin shone on his face as he came almost face to face with the Overlord.
Surprisingly, though, something caught the bespectacled girl's attention in the middle of that chaos and her own panic attack.
Neither the creature called Gnarl nor the twin-tailed girl in the blood-red dress had reacted at all. Not even when their so-called master now had a gun aimed straight to his face.
And through it all, the Overlord himself barely seemed to express any surprise, simply a raised eyebrow being his apparent reaction as he contemplated the man threatening his life as if it was the most common thing in the world.
"Wha-what the hell, man?!"
"Fuck! Kaz…Overlord, move!"
"…what? No reaction? No begging? No threats about what you will do to me for trying to pull this off?" questioned Vassago with an undecipherable tone in his voice, ignoring the cries that just came from Ryoutarou and Kayaba even as the Minions in the room froze, staring from him to their master with something akin to anticipation.
"There is no need for any of that. After all, I know there is a pretty big bounty on my head amongst the most unsavory and illegal members of the country's underworld…but I also know that you're smart enough to know it would be suicidal to try and pull that off." Casually replied the Overlord as he closed his eyes. "No, Vassago Casals, you're no ordinary man. That's why I know that you came here to kill me out of your own free will, not for any money at all. It's because you want to prove something to yourself. But let me just tell you one thing…"
As he said those words…all light in the room suddenly seemed to dim unnaturally. Paralyzed, Shino felt her breath coming out from her lungs as a frozen mist, even as the boy's…no, the Evil One's eyes opened once again. Two endless wells of molten gold within nothing but the deepest darkness burned.
"…if you pull that trigger right now, with the intent to kill me…Death will be the least of your concerns."
If the man with the gun heard him, nobody knew for sure.
After all, in that very moment, Vassago Casals could do nothing but STARE into the endless abyss that was the Overlord's gaze, feeling as if some depthless force was trying to draw him in, to devour everything that made him…himself.
At that moment, the dark man found himself not only staring at the boy with suddenly gleaming golden eyes before him. He was also staring at several dark figures, clad in armors of shadows and dark twisted metal, standing behind him as if their forms were superposing each other, all of them uncanny different yet undeniably similar, each one seemingly bigger than the last, making him feel truly insignificant.
For a long time now, Vassago had been someone that thought that the concepts of 'good' and 'evil' were nothing more than preconceived notions fools and those chained by the rules of society invented. Fancy words to try and reject that which they didn't like while only accepting that which benefited them.
He had been wrong, though. Because there, deep within the eyes of the Overlord, the mercenary finally saw it…
That was True Evil, without any doubt.
And in the face of such a thing…the man fell to his knees and let go of his weapon, staring up at the figure before which throne was now practically kneeling.
Kazuto stared, seemingly unperturbed, even as Vassago lowered his head and spoke with an almost reverent tone.
"Forgive my foolishness…Overlord. I will follow your word as if they were God's commands."
Ryoutarou gaped at the spectacle, his brain barely catching up with what had just happened in just a few seconds, unaware of how the hooded Kayaba near him had a near-identical look on his hidden face.
From where she hadn't yet fully rose, Shino stared with utter awe, even as the Overlord casually raised his hand and let the gun fly to it, before crushing it with a burst of dark energy as if it was nothing more than a pitiful toy.
"…that is acceptable." simply declared the boy while his eyes returned to normal, letting his gaze fall over the other two normal humans in the room. "And what about you?"
"S-so strong…" mentally mumbled the bespectacled girl, the sight of him crushing that gun making her body tingle, the horror she had been feeling replaced by a certain realization, as if confirming the very reason she had come there in the first place. "Yes…he can give me…the power to overcome my fears…"
Outwardly, though, all that she did was nod as she stood up, almost shyly refusing to meet his gaze.
"…eh, what the hell? I came here because I was bored with my job and the same luckless shit every day of my life! It's time to try out something new!" declared the man of the bandana while doing a 'badass' pose that, honestly, looked ridiculous for anyone but the Minions, who clapped in awe. "My friends call me Klein the Samurai, Overlord! Consider my blade yours now…or I would say that if I actually had one!"
Plus, there was the small fact that Ryoutarou didn't want to die, and he was pretty sure this guy could kill him with his eyes alone. He was obviously even more super-powerful and evil than Internet led him to believe!
And while all those thoughts coursed through the newcomers' minds, within Kazuto's head things were…slightly different.
"Holy fucking shit, I really thought that guy was going to blow my head up! And why did that girl go from looking as if she was gonna have a heart attack to suddenly being super shy and relaxed?! Also, this guy! Why the hell are you calling yourself a samurai all proudly while pledging yourself to the forces of Evil?! Can anyone be THAT bored?! Does life as a salaryman in Japan actually sucks that much?!"
Such were the thoughts running through the young Overlord's head, until the 'cold' façade he was maintaining with surprising effectiveness. Seriously, he had been a step from just screaming and blasting Vassago into smithereens the moment he made the first shot, but he had been distracted by seeing Shino suddenly enter what looked like a severe PTSD-episode. The only reason he wasn't calling for any Blues right now to tend to her was that she looked well enough that keeping his image of the 'Dark and Cold Overlord' was more important.
Also, why were Keiko and Gnarl so calm?! That guy had almost killed him right n…!
"Amazing…truly spectacular, my lord!" cheered the Minion Master as if nothing had happened, cackling evilly as he did so. "I never doubted you could subjugate these humans with only a fraction of your power!"
"I was scared for an instant, but then I realized my foolishness…Kirito-sama is truly invincible!" agreed the twin-tailed girl while clapping her hands together. "Minions, prepare a banquet to celebrate the joining of our new servants!"
"Food!"
"Let's celebrate!"
"Going to steal snacks from the surface!"
"Cookies!"
"…oh, yeah. These two just buy everything I spout nowadays, no matter how nonsensical." mentally lamented Kazuto while ignoring how the three new members of their 'evil group' looked at his Minions in confusion/curiosity as they rushed around to bring things and prepare the 'banquet'.
So, now he had a traumatized teenager, a man going through a mid-life crisis at his 20s, and a psychopath mercenary as his new servants in his quest to 'take over the world'. Joy.
He really hoped the Minions forgot his orders and stole some wine from the surface. He may not like the stuff, but he really wanted anything to forget the mess that was his life at that moment and fuck Kayaba if he tried to bring up him being underage. He was the goddamn Overlord for something.
His only comfort was knowing that, after watching her looking happy and thriving on TV recently, Suguha was happy and safe, living a normal life unlike him…
September 3rd, 2023. Mie Prefecture, Japan. City of Ise, 12:30…
"…I can't believe I'm really doing this."
"Oh, quit whining partner; we need to do this in order to save the world!"
"Yeah, sure, because that's TOTALLY going to roll over well with everyone when I go and steal one of the country's most sacred relics!"
Taking a deep breath after her shout, the fully transformed 'Leafa' stared down at the impressive group of constructions she had never really considered going to visit in person in her life.
Ise Grand Shrine, one of Japan's most famous 'sacred' places. Where it was said that the Goddess Amaterasu dwelled, in ancient legends.
Of course, Suguha now knew that this was just an empty belief…not because the Goddess hadn't existed, but because she was dead. Ironically, though, she also knew now that the Imperial Regalia of Japan, the 3 Sacred Treasures whose existence was shrouded in myth and mystery, were actually the real deal.
And, if Sanrei's words were to be believed, this place truly housed the legendary Yata no Kagami. The Sacred Mirror of Yata, one of the relics used to lure Amaterasu out of the cave where she had hidden herself and taken the light of day away with her.
Also, apparently where most of the Goddess' power had gone upon her death. And now, her only hope of beating the Overlord was to retrieve it and the other two Regalia, absorb the powers of the deceased Shinto Gods within her own 'Hero' powers and vanquish all evils with them.
Never mind how Sanrei conveniently kept dodging the subject of what would happen to her by putting the energies of three major deities within her squishy (Hero-upgrades be damned) human body. Usually, she wouldn't even have considered this whole madness at all.
However, after her fight with the Lord of Evil and barely saving Yuuki Asuna from his evil clutches, after her dream the other day showing the true heights of his power…the young kendoka knew she had no other choice.
If she wanted to survive…no, to even have a chance at this, she needed the Divine Powers conveniently placed within legendary objects she had to retrieve to get a power-up. Because Gods in Heavens forbid if the destiny of the world stopped hanging on what seemed like the plot of a cheap fantasy manga.
Forcing herself to not sigh and concentrate on the task at hand, the 'Heroine Leafa' descended from the sky, her ethereal wings of light shimmering slightly as she did so.
There had been a thousand ways she had thought to do this in her mind, but…in the end, there was only one realistic way to do it.
After all, she couldn't simply 'sneak' into the temple in her human form, not with how heavy the security was. And there was sadly no convenient invisibility spell or similar among her arsenal because 'Why would a true Hero need to sneak around like some lowly assassin?!', in Sanrei's words.
Which was why everyone around the immediate area of the Kōtai Jingū, the main shrine, was greeted by the sudden sight of raw sunlight shining in a divine-looking way above them, guards freezing, tourists gasping while priests and priestesses could only stare in shock, quite a few even starting to mutter prayer as the fully armored and light-clad form of the Heroine gently floated down.
"Please, could you call the Supreme Priestess? I have come to retrieve the Mirror, according to Amaterasu-sama's Will." declared the blonde girl while radiating as much of her 'heroic aura' as she could, dearly hoping that would craziness would work.
Despite all of that, when she found herself 10 minutes later on the innermost part of the shrine, a place she was sure nobody who wasn't part of the Imperial Family or the temple's highest caretakers had ever seen, she still couldn't believe it had.
And she had never been more grateful for the mask hiding her face when an old woman with a tired smile and wonder in her eyes stepped into the room, followed by several armed guards giving her nervous looks.
Kuroda Sayako may not have been someone many people outside Japan knew, or even most of the younger generation who had no interest in such things, but Suguha knew perfectly well who the younger sister of the current Emperor of her country was. Even in the modern age where democracy and technology ruled most of the civilized world, it was still humbling for a teenager like her to meet someone that could be called 'royalty'.
She wasn't a bumbling teenager right at that moment, though. She was supposed to be a Heroine following the Will of the Gods…and while it technically was true, she sure as hell didn't feel like it.
"C'mon Suguha, have confidence!"
"Shut up, Sanrei!" mentally shouted the young kendoka before walking forward and folding her wings out of existence, doing her best not to react at the guards reaching for their weapons in surprise as she did so. "Sayako-dono, daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko. Younger sister of Emperor Naruhito…and guardian of the Mirror. I'm called Leafa, the Last True Hero. In these times were Darkness and Evil threaten the world again…I have come to ask you for the power of Amaterasu's relic."
"…my goodness. I have lived over half a century, yet I can't believe I'm seeing someone so young speak in such a way." answered the woman with an almost grandmotherly tone, the Supreme Priestess (A title that in the modern-day would sound silly for most people, yet it was still highly revered in the country) stopping before the Heroine with tired eyes. "There is no hesitation in your words, there is an unwavering determination in your soul…how is such a young girl carrying such a heavy burden?"
"I…do it because it's my duty, Sayako-dono." replied Suguha while doing her best to not bit her lips, knowing that trying to explain a stupid spirit had forced her current role on her because of being the last descendant of someone who fought the Overlord wouldn't help at all. "I clashed with the Overlord not long ago…I managed to repel him and save the one he meant to take, but it almost cost me my life. My powers aren't enough to best him and, unlike mine, his own grow by the day in a way we cannot fathom."
"…I saw the news, heard the people…even my brother was in quite the uproar after your 'reveal' the other day, and the apparent confirmation we have an honest-to-Gods 'Master of Evil' with an army of monsters in our country…" whispering, Sayako turned around, walking towards the later that depicted Amaterasu on the wall, feeling everyone's gaze on her. "…people outside my family don't even know for sure if the Regalia actually exist. A lot of skeptical actually think they're just myths that never existed, especially the more modern and technological the world gets…so how do you…?"
"Like I said, I'm fulfilling the Will of the Gods. Amaterasu-sama couldn't stop the Overlord from coming back…so I need to beat him now in her name." cursing how convincing everything she said was sounding even to HERSELF, the Heroine watched for a moment how the woman seemed to hesitate. "Please, my lady…I wouldn't ask for this if I had any other choice. For the sake of Japan, for the sake of the world…I need the power hidden within the Yata-no-Kagami."
For a moment, a soft silence filled the room, only interrupted by the guards' nervous whispers and the priests mumbling prayers.
Then, without warning, the Supreme Priestess reached into the wall, her hand moving over it in a very specific pattern that seemed to make something 'click' deep within it.
Suddenly, the floor between her and 'Leafa' split open, what sounded like ancient but well-maintained gears moving upwards and to the side to reveal an imposing-looking container of metal and wood.
The center made of reinforced steel and with a digital lock was something that had probably been added more recently, though, and Suguha would have been a bit more put-off by it if it wasn't for the sudden pulsating light that suddenly seemed to pierce from within the completely-sealed container, making many gasp in shock, more than one priest and priestess falling to their knees in prayer.
Mystified, Sayako looked from the phenomenon to the Heroine, before walking forward and inputting a code that was so long and complicated the young kendoka couldn't believe anyone could memorize, much less someone of her advanced age.
Even more light poured forth as the box fully opened, and the younger sister of Emperor Naruhito could only whisper a prayer as she retrieved the cloth-covered article within, turning to offer its open form to the awed girl.
It looked more like a fossilized circle than anything else, something that once may have been made of glass and metal but now looked like little more than a forgotten ruin. Several pieces broken at the edges seemed to suggest it once had some sort of outer ring forming a specific shape too, but now little more than fragments of it remained.
And yet, everyone couldn't help but be humbled and awed at the impossible light that was suddenly oozing from within the relic, the almost golden glow looking as if something ancient was awakening from its slumber.
"…reach out to it."
Even without Sanrei's words, Suguha realized she was already doing so, her hands moving as if someone else was guiding them as she touched the Divine Relic.
Immediately, the mirror exploded upwards, the eyes of every normal human staring in awe as the exterior seemed to burn with raw sunlight.
The center was the first thing that changed, blackened and cracked material becoming impossibly pristine, a surface that for a moment rippled like water suddenly reflecting everything within the World. Metal that had long since turned into ruin ignited with gold and silver color, beautiful designs and carvings suddenly putting themselves together once more. The outer 'ring' formed itself once again, even as some red jewels seemingly blossomed from the top and the bottom, until now 8 'tips' were clearly defined around the otherworldly mirror.
And then, as if everything already wasn't proof enough, an aura shaped like the outer ring emerged from the mirror in a majestic semicircle as it spun in place, looking remarkably similar to the Heroine's own wings.
Even the guards had fallen to their knees in prayer now, all of them staring with wonder as the Divine Relic floated down, until it was slowly spinning just above Sayako's open palms.
"Yata-no-Kagami…" whispered the Supreme Priestess as tears ran down her eyes, looking into the seemingly infinite reflection within the mirror and seeing things she had thought long-forgotten, a smile blossoming in her face. "To think that I would live to see it restored to its original form…I'm almost afraid I will wake up and this will be nothing more than a dream…"
"Oh, if only that could be so, Sayako-dono…but I assure you that this is very real." solemnly declared 'Leafa' as she reached out, almost hesitantly for a moment, before Sayako simply let go of the mirror, causing it to float gently towards the Heroine's hand. "But I promise you…this won't be wasted."
As she said those words, her hand finally made contact with the divine relic, and she was barely able to contain a gasp as blinding sunlight exploded into her.
Suddenly, Kirigaya Suguha felt her insides twist as she became something…more. There was no other way for her to describe it, except maybe that something that she knew humans should never wield was suddenly embedded into her very soul.
For everyone else, though, nothing but the view of 'Leafa' rising into the air was visible, the mirror spinning around her at impossible speeds as the glow from her armor intensified, before resting over her back facing outwards.
The Heroine's wings blossomed again, looking mightier than before, outlining the aura coming from Yata-no-Kagami as if the relic was specifically empowering them.
"…yes. This is…what remains of Amaterasu-sama's power. With this, we're a step closer…"
"Sa-Sanrei…? You sound different…" mentally mumbled the young kendoka as she slowly adapted to the new power coursing through her.
"…just having been able to witness this makes me know nothing was wasted, young…no, Leafa-dono." mumbled the old woman with a gentle look, almost looking younger under the shining divine light.
"…thanks, Sayako-dono…and worry not. Once…" 'IF' was left within her mind. "…I have defeated the Overlord, I will return this treasure. You have my word."
"I would say I would pray for your victory, Hero, but you clearly already have the Gods' favors…" suddenly looking lost in thought for an instant, the Supreme Priestess suddenly looked extremely serious. "…are you going to gather the other two Regalia too?"
"…yes, I most likely will. But not today…I must mater the power of the Yata first." confirmed Suguha before putting a hand over her heart, trying her best to look as 'dignified' as she felt. "Until we meet again, Sayako-dono."
Then, without more words, the beautiful form of 'Leafa' seemed to melt into light, beams of the divine energy vanishing through the roof faster than anyone could blink.
Even as the guards and priestesses either fell into deeper prayers or ran out shouting to tell others the news, Kuroda Sayako arrived at a simple conclusion.
She needed to call her brother immediately.
Meanwhile, high above Ise's skies, a certain heroine blinked in shock, looking at her hands as if unable to believe what had just happened.
"Hmm? Something wrong, partner?"
"Sanrei…did we just become pure light?"
"Ehm, yeah, I think so? Why?"
A grin suddenly split the girl's face as she looked towards the heavens.
"…do you even know how fast light is?"
Little more than an instant later, a silent Suguha was staring in utter awe at the form of the setting sun…on the distance, over the Earth's curvature.
Floating straight at the edge of the atmosphere, unless an endless void of black filled with stars.
"…woah, that's one pretty sight."
"…I should be dead. I shouldn't…how am I even breathing? Why aren't my eyes melting from staring at the sun?" whispered the stunned heroine, though there was no removing the sheer awe and wonder in her voice.
"Please; you have a fragment of the Sun Goddess' power in you now, Suguha! Silly things like physics can't stand in our way now!"
"This is…beyond amazing." still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she could now move at light speed, the silly smile on the masked face suddenly turned into a confused form. "How…how the hell could the Gods die against the Overlord if they were this powerful?!"
As if in answer to her question…Yata-no-Kagami suddenly seemed to come alive, floating away from her back and in front of her, its water-like surface rippling and showing the shocked girl an unfamiliar scene…
0000000000
The Light was beautiful. The Light was bright. It was unmatched, it was eternal, it was the Blessing of the Sun itself…
But, somehow, the Light was clearly tired. Spent. Moving as fast as it could, lashing out in ways that nothing on the planet should be able to counter, dodge or defend against…
And yet, the Darkness was always there. Stronger, faster, and much more vicious, Darkness met Light at every turn, meeting the elegant attacks with violent jaws, repelling every mighty charge with brutal slashes, crushing the majestic feints with deadly bursts.
Until, finally, the Light crashed down, taking the form of a tired but beautiful woman, her long hair the color of midnight, her eyes reflecting the stars of the universe as she coughed up golden blood. What once would have been an inhumanly beautiful kimono, sewn by pieces of the heavens themselves, was now a cut-up ruin, exposing her beautiful and shining skin, which was now marred by terrible wounds.
Looking up, Amaterasu-ōmikami glared with hate as the darkness solidified, showing the terrible form of Evil Itself, clad in armor that was now mostly broken and missing an entire arm, yet even the blood falling from said wound seemed meaningless as he stared down at her with blood-red eyes, a terrible cursed power surrounding the axe gripped in his remaining hand.
"Today your land falls, little Goddess." spoke the Overlord with clear amusement. "And the Age of Evil begins."
"…you will never take this world for yourself, vile monster." spat the Goddess of the Sun with clear conviction, despite her ruinous state. "The Land of Izanagi will never fall to you!"
With that fierce declaration, Amaterasu lashed out once more, raw light hitting the Overlord's head even as it moved at impossible speeds.
A fraction of its helmet all but melted, the stench of charred flesh reaching her nostrils…and yet, the black eyes still glared back at her, a red glow suddenly illuminating them even as the edge of a cruel smile was visible under the darkness within the half-destroyed headgear.
"…heh, don't you know, pitiful deity? Evil Always Finds a Way."
And the next thing she knew, the head of the Sun Goddess was flying away, separated from her body by an axe-strike faster than even Light, powered by Evil itself.
Her body burst into black flames.
"AMATERASU!"
"ONEE-SAMA!"
With an amused laugh, the Overlord gave his back to the falling head of the oldest Goddess, facing the roaring Storm and anguished Moonlight lashing out against him together with the two previous screams.
"One down, two to go…"
And the heavens cried as Amaterasu's head hit the ground, shattering into sunlight…
000000000000
"…holy shit! Woah! I did NOT need to see that!" screamed Sanrei with utter horror once the mirror's vision vanished and they were once again left floating over Earth. "Dammit, Amaterasu-sama…so those were her last moments…But worry not, we will avenge you and save the world! Isn't that right, partne…?! Huh? Suguha? You okay?"
For her part, Kirigaya Suguha was still shaking in place, looking pale and thanking whatever power prevented cold sweat from covering her body, her reeling human mind still trying and failing to understand the level of the fragment of a fight she had just witnessed.
THAT was the Overlord's true power?! What the fuck?! She could never defeat that! She wouldn't come close even if her power tripled the amount it was now!
Was Sanrei insane?! Was he really expecting her to fight against something of that magnitude?!
…no…that's right. Unlike his predecessor, the current Overlord wasn't in his prime yet. Immature, still learning…just like her.
He was insanely strong, she had experienced that firsthand, but…she was the better fighter. If she could cross the power gap before he reached that level, even for an instant…
Besides…could she really allow herself to fail? If it meant letting the world fall in the hands of something like that monster she had seen through the mirror?
Once again, the innocently smiling form of her missing 'big brother' appeared in her mind. His worried shouts as he dragged her out of the pond where she almost drowned, as he nursed her back to health after she came back from the hospital…
That's right…she couldn't let Kazuto alone in a world where the Overlord reigned supreme. For his sake…for everyone's…she would win.
"…Sanrei…I'm going to intensify my training as of right now. Forget what I told you before of taking months, we're going to master this Mirror in weeks. And then…"
"And then…?"
"…I'm going to need a better sword."
In the distance, clouds seemed to gather at the edge of her vision, over Japan's seas, as if a premonition of what was to come…
Kayaba Akihiko knew that he wasn't exactly the most well-liked person within the Netherworld Tower. Or, at least, amongst the few inhabitants of it that could actually think.
Sure, Kazuto tolerated him well enough and acknowledged the usefulness of his advice for, well, everything since he 'joined' his efforts to 'conquer the world', but he wouldn't exactly say they were friends. And both Gnarl and Keiko didn't really like him much…never mind Yui, one of his own creations.
As such, he was still with his full 'hooded' getup and maintaining the 'Heathcliff' identity around the newcomers, as he was pretty sure 2 of them at least wouldn't be really positive to discovering his true identity and he wanted to…tall with someone unbiased, about everything going in there.
Yes, it was ironic that he, of all people, wanted to do such things, but after dealing for months with the overpowered teenage heir of All Evil, the pre-teen that clearly was no longer pretending to be really into her 'role' as his mistress (Even if he didn't seem to realize it yet), and the old and grumpy Hellspawn ever-full of snarky remarks, he was a bit desperate and in need of some intelligent conversation.
Sadly, currently he had been left alone with only Tsuboi Ryoutarou, who did nothing but continue gawking around during their 'tour' of the tower and ask questions about everything they saw that was starting to really annoy him.
Asada Shino had been taken away by Gnarl after she asked for 'power to overcome her fears', while Vassago Casals had vanished at some point when they were going through the armory. He would honestly have been more worried about the latter if he didn't know Cardinal monitored essentially every inch of the bizarre underground evil fortress.
Also, the Minion Master had reminded him they were still missing a blacksmith, and that they really needed one to repair Kazuto's armor and forge him a new suitable weapon. As if he was somehow supposed to fix that problem.
Then again, with how bizarre things had been going so far, he wouldn't be surprised if some evil descendant of the legendary Muramasa suddenly showed up at their doorsteps or something like that…
"…iff? Heathcliff-san! Are you with me, pal?!"
"…sigh, yes, Ryoutarou-kun, I am." grumbled the failed creator of SAO while giving the man of the bandana a tired look. "What is it?"
"I was just asking what this place is." commented Ryoutarou while pointing out beyond the stone arc leading into a massive and sinister-looking 'lab', filled with jars containing dark liquid in which countless parts of strange and deadly-looking creatures floated, eldritch and diabolical symbols covering the walls and workbenches/tables. "It looks abandoned, but amazingly cool…"
"That…is the Alchemy Lab, if I remember it right." commented Kayaba after a moment of hesitation, wondering how the hell he had gotten so absorbed in his thoughts that they ended so deep in the tower. "It's abandoned because apparently the previous Alchemist was killed during the time of the previous Overlord and there is nobody insane enough to try and take the job again, apparently…"
"Eh? Why? Alchemy sounds cool as fuck! Equivalent Exchange, the Door of Truth, and all that jazz!"
"It's not as simple as manga portrays it, Ryoutarou-kun…" muttered the hooded man while resisting the urge to slam his head on the wall. "The Overlord's Alchemist's main job was, apparently, to create powerful and terrible monsters to aid his evil troops to conquer the world, through some unholy means to twist life."
"…wait…could I be the new alchemist?" asked the man of the bandana with a sudden gleam in his eyes, making Kayaba's gaze snap towards him. "I mean, creating terribly evil pets and familiars to do all the work for me sounds exactly like what a badass bad guy would do! Plus…"
"…plus?"
"Maybe I can even create my own Harem of cute Monster Girls!" proclaimed Ryoutarou with all the fervor and passion that could humanly be put into such a stupid declaration.
Staring silently at him for several seconds…Kayaba Akihiko committed his second greatest crime against mankind.
Even if he didn't know it yet.
"…sure, Ryoutarou-kun, you totally can. Go and master Alchemy, create an army of deadly monsters for our great Overlord and then he will reward you by letting you make all the monster girls you want."
Either ignoring, or totally missing, the deadpanning tone in which the words had been delivered, the man of the bandana cheered and rushed into the room, reaching for the closest book in the forbidden art while 'Heathcliff' sighed, took off his hood and headed to his room. He needed some rest.
Meanwhile, in another part of the sinister tower…a nervous-looking Asada Shino was sitting on the ground of a round chamber, her arms chained onto it and wearing nothing but a white robe as she looked doubtfully at the massive and ancient-looking magic circle on the ground around her.
"…are you sure this will give me the power to overcome my fears?" doubtfully asked the bespectacled girl while looking at where Gnarl was directing several Blues and Reds to stand at specific points of the circle.
"Yes and no, young Shino. You see, after deeply analyzing the root of your traumatic fear towards firearms, human doctors would probably recommend you intensive treatment and years-long therapy that, for some reason, you never received beyond the most basic stages. Meanwhile, human media would suggest facing your fears, determination and something stupid like the power of friendship would fix the issue." droned the Hellspawn as he finally stood before one of the glowing crystals that allowed direct connection with Cardinal. "Luckily for you, our Evil Magic and the Overlord's power allow for a much direct and effective method!"
"And that is…?" asked the bespectacled girl with something akin to hope in her voice.
"We're going to reach into your soul, forcefully rip out your fear, invert it and then slam it back inside together with some raw Evil! Therefore both solving your problem and turning you into a much more effective servant of our lord at the same time!" proudly declared the Minion Master even as Shino gaped at him in disbelief. "There is just a very small chance of this killing you, given you're not a Minion (Who would die 100% of the time if we tried this), which is a plus!"
"Wa-wait, what?!"
"Now, stay very still, dear! This will only hurt horribly for a few seconds."
The girl couldn't even open her mouth again before the crystal shined, the Minions screamed as their souls were absorbed within the ritual and the magic circle ignited to life.
Then, she was the one who was screaming.
Watching the process with interest, Gnarl wondered if maybe he should have informed his master that he was trying this…before dismissing the thought entirely. He was way too busy right now.
At that moment, Kazuto was, effectively busy…sneezing for a moment before continuing to stare in disbelief at the big screen in his throne room, Yui's holographic form floating at his side while his worried-looking young mistress sat on his lap now that there was nobody else around.
On it, the view of Leafa the Heroine floating before the Kōtai Jingū in Ise Grand Shrine, along with an article explaining that she had demanded to see the Supreme Priestess to 'retrieve the mirror' and later been seen exiting the building as a beam of light, could be seen.
"…where the hell did this come from again, Yui?"
"From 'The Mighty Heroine Blog', created by Yuuki Asuna. Apparently, she has started a fandom entirely based around your new foe, Overlord-sama." monotonously explained the AI while showing several images of said blog, one of Leafa herself descending with Asuna in arms onto the Yuuki's household being the one at the top. "Still, this is troubling…"
"Yeah, I had already deduced that, but just to be clear…what did Cardinal make of this?" questioned the black-haired boy with a worried look, even as Keiko leaned closer onto him.
For all answer, the former psychologist program brought up countless images, some from fiction and others from history books and museums' paintings. All of them depicting 3 very specific items of legend, one of which was famously rumored to rest in Ise's shrine.
The young Overlord didn't know why, but he was sure this was going to mean even more headaches for him…
Author's Notes: Poor Kirito doesn't even know half of it.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, everyone. As always, madness abounds, but we also got more details on things for both sides! Which reminds me: Sayako Kuroda is, indeed, a real person, the younger sister of Japan's current emperor and, unless something tragic happens to her in the following 4 years, should still be Ise Grand Shrine's Supreme Priestess during this story's timeline. I did a lot of random research to try and use my 'original take' on this story's side about the legacy of the previous Overlord's enemies to be accurate XP
Speaking of the previous Overlord, was he overpowered from what we saw? Maybe just a bit, but not as much as some may think: In the games, the Third Overlord alone was able to defeat the Forgotten God, in his very own realm of the dead. And while weakened from his prime, he was still the one who had been the opposite-equal to the Mother Goddess, who was basically the creator of everything in that world.
So yes, the Overlord IS broken in a way the gameplay doesn't really show up, as you escalate from burning small critters to beating a high-tier God at his home with nothing but armor, weapons, spells and a bunch of brainless Minions. Kind of like how Bloodborne starts with you killing random beasts on the streets and by the end of it you're massacring Eldritch Abominations from beyond the stars that, lore-wise, should be stronger than even several high-tier Shonen MCs. Talk about unexpected escalation.
Also, Kazuto got new Minions! Yup, totally sure that Sinon, Klein, and PoH will fit right in here without anything going wrong. Plus, look, everyone's favorite samurai-wannabe has found his true calling!
But yes, next time, the crazy race for the Sword of the Storm begins! Good and Evil will clash again soon in…hilariously unexpected ways. Also, a certain guy in Japan isn't happy some Hero thinks she can protect them…they can do it themselves? Yeah.
Before that, though, next time is back to One Punch-Gamer, so seeya all there.
Until then, this is Saint, signing off!