Author's Note: Welcome back to Vulpine Overlord! Hope y'all are having a good one and that you're enjoying the fanfic.
That said, I got some odd complaints about the fight between Naruto and Fumiko taking place over multiple chapters for some reason. O_o
I mean, Fumiko was debuffed to the point where she was nearly toppled over, she was below 50% HP, her Demonic Frenzy had just run out, and Naruto was fully restored and presumably buffed by Tayuya's entrance. Guess I was just a little too subtle. XD
That aside, special thanks once more to Dunestyler for his translations. :)
On with the fic!
Chapter Nine: Trinkets, Presents, and World Domination!
A somber Naruto could be found carrying his unmoving baby girl in his arms, deep within a massive, sealed off location wherein Ainz Ooal Gown kept all of their loot. The only point of access was through a teleportation circle in a hidden chamber of the throne room and the only opening was through a long hallway lined with 40 golden statues.
Thanks to some restoration magic on Tayuya's part, the fallen pinkette was no longer grafted to the insides of her armor, but it was in definite need of repair. But, that was just another reason why they were here; Pandora's Actor, the last NPC created by Ainz Ooal Gown, would undoubtedly be more than happy to repair Embrace of Lilitu for them, but that would come later.
"Can't help but wonder if there are any other rooms I don't know about," Tayuya muttered, looking to be in deep thought while eyeing the new ring on her hand.
Of course, she was by his side, having refused to stay behind.
As much as they bickered and fought, Fumiko was her sister. Her obstinate, prideful, haughty, overconfident big sister.
"There's one or two you might not want to know about," Naruto told her, a halfhearted, but much needed chuckle leaving his lips. His lips quirked upwards in a facsimile of a smile at the thought. ''Ainz Ooal Gown was made up of a bunch of oddballs, you know."
"I suppose," Tayuya murmured before looking up and eyeballing the statues. She noted that above each one was a symbol found on the flags she saw on their way here. "So, these are the other Supreme Ones, I take it?"
"Yup."
Indeed they were; each and every one of those statues were all high-tier golems, modeled after the other 40 members of Ainz Ooal Gown, and sporting the best gear of said members.
"I'll tell you more about them later," Naruto added. "You and Fumiko-chan."
When they entered the Treasury, Tayuya had to consciously keep her mouth closed for fear of gaping like a fool. The space, for there was no way she could call this place a room, was practically an entire floor on its own.
And it was filled to the brim with glittering, well-polished gold.
"Welcome to the Treasury, Tayuya-chan." Naruto smirked, nodding at the heaping mountains of coins, valuables and gems piled ridiculously high.
It was the financial culmination of all the hard work Naruto and his guildmates had put into this place, and it showed. The place was so vast it couldn't even fit beneath the Tomb of Nazarick, but existed in a separate location accessible only from the Throne Room. Even what they could see was really just a tiny fraction of the actual sum of the treasury.
"Holy shit."
"Fun fact: I could take a handful of this place, melt it down into clumps and collapse the economy of the whole known world. Gold is gold; not many people care where it comes from. Shovel too much of it in, however, and it will start to lose its value."
Holding Fumiko closer to his chest, the youko glanced back at his other daughter.
"Honey, you're gaping."
Tayuya closed her mouth with a click.
With another much-needed chuckle, he turned his attention to the pile of gold. "Alright," he thought aloud, "if I remember right, 1,000 per level up to fifty, double for every level beyond that… times two, because I'm not a divine caster…" After considering a few more factors and ignoring others that didn't apply, Naruto nodded. That pile of gold in front of them looked like it'd be more than enough.
Placing Fumiko down on the ground before him, he reached into his inventory and pulled out the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
Before he could start, though, Naruto saw some movement out the corner of his eye, but payed it no mind. He knew exactly who it was, having seen her following them for some time, now.
Tayuya immediately pulled out her flute and took on a defensive stance, having not expected anyone to be here. "Whoever's there, come out!" Her words had quite the bite to them as they echoed throughout the chamber.
Humbly, Shalltear stepped out from behind a stone pillar.
Tayuya relaxed, but her voice lost nary a drop of its venom. "Oh, it's just you." She raised her chin and put her hands on her hips. "The fuck do ya think you're doin' here?" Her opinion of the little vampire in question wasn't really… favorable, at the moment.
"Now, now," Naruto said, placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "She feels guilty enough."
Tayuya huffed but got the hint.
Satisfied that Tayuya would keep her tongue in check… for now, Naruto turned to regard Shalltear with a curious look.
"Tayuya's question, rudely worded as it might've been, is a good one... So, what does bring you here, Shalltear?"
"I… wanted to make sure she'd be okay," the vampire muttered, averting her gaze. "As you said, I feel incredibly guilty for being so careless… If I was just a little quicker she wouldn't have…"
"Now, now," he said, giving her a smile. "That's enough, you… I said it wasn't your fault and I still stand by that."
Shalltear shuffled her feet, dipping her gaze away from that smile. She didn't feel right about seeing that smile directed at her. She didn't deserve it...
Naruto sighed, hoping she'd get out of that soon. If nothing else, though, having Fumiko back would definitely lift everyone's mood. "Right," he chirped. "Time to get my baby back."
The vulpine demon then raised his staff to the nearest mountain of gold and gave his command.
"Fumiko, revive!"
And when he did, the coins seemingly melted, before everyone's eyes, flowing towards the prone pinkette like a river and encompassing her. It all then started to vanish, seeping into her skin. It wasn't so much of a spell as it was an admin command, made possible by the Staff, but it certainly worked like one… save for the lack of an MP cost.
Also, because Fumiko was an NPC, she wouldn't receive the five-level penalty, unlike a player.
Once it was done, though, and all of the gold had been consumed, nothing seemed like it changed. Fumiko was still lying, lifeless, on the ground.
"What happened?!" Tayuya demanded, running up to Naruto. She simply couldn't hold it in anymore upon seeing the resurrection seemingly fail. "Why isn't she movin'? Dad! Why isn't she movin'?!" Tears started prickling at the corners of her eyes.
Naruto smiled and patted her head, feeling his heart clench in happiness.
Fumiko and Tayuya were his creations. He'd made them, he had nurtured their backgrounds and mannerism, he'd seen them evolve through the years they existed. Hanging around the two NPCs, even if they were just a collection of integers and strings, had always been a guilty pleasure of his during the glory days of Ainz Ooal Gown.
For the redhead to actually call him "Dad", even when she was programmed to call him "Boss"... well, Naruto had always wanted to have a family. An actual, real life, family.
"There, there," he whispered "It's all right. There, look." he pointed at Fumiko's chest―which was slowly, shallowly, rising up and down. "She's alive. There's nothing to worry about." He circled his arms around her and brought her head down to his chest.
"S-So. She's fine…'' Tayuya hiccuped into his torso, staining his clothes with her tears. "She'll be fine, right?"
"Yes, she'll be fine. She just needs some rest. My… build… was never meant to rez others; I can do it despite that, but I'm still not very good at it. That said, she'll take a bit longer to fully recover as a penalty. Give her a couple hours and I'm sure she's going to be bouncing around again in no time." (1)
"She better," Tayuya sniffled, before drawing back and punching him.
"You saw nothin'. You heard nothin'!" She glared at him, crossing her arms to appear menacing… all it did, however, was make her look incredibly cute, with her round, rosy cheeks―modeled after his mother, from the sole picture of her he'd found―and haughty facial lines; in fact, she looked like a tantrum-throwing little princess.
Naruto threw his head back and laughed his heart out.
He loved his new family.
Tayuya stomped her feet.
"BOSS! I mean it!"
"Alright, alright." Naruto chuckled, "Your secret's safe with me, honey."
"It better be!" Tayuya huffed.
''...And Shalltear," he added with a crooked grin.
"Wha―?!"
Tayuya whirled around to level a glare on the chibi-vampire, having forgotten that she was still here. Shalltear offered her a hollow smile and nodded her head.
"Since we got that outta the way, though," Naruto said. "I'm gonna need to get her outta that armor so Pandora's Actor can repair it."
"Oh, so he does exist," Shalltear commented, perking up.
"Of course he does," Naruto said, gesturing to the spoils with his guild's staff. "Somebody needs to keep track of all this loot."
"But what's the point of hoardin' it all?" Tayuya asked, leaning her head to the side in the same manner as her father and sister, "I mean, if it's just sittin' there…"
"As you just saw," Naruto told her, "it takes gold to rez one of you… a lot of it. Also, a lotta Nazarick's defenses have an upkeep cost, so we farmed a shit ton of it for good measure… especially after that 1,400-strong invasion you helped stop."
"As expected of the Supreme Ones," Shalltear said with a happy sigh. "Always prepared for anything..."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm actually kinda shit at planning ahead," he admitted. "We all have our weaknesses, but I do my best."
In fact, the only reason he was able to do as well as he had in the fight with Fumiko was because of how much experience he had in PvP and his intimate familiarity with her build.
As Shalltear processed that information, Naruto put the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown back into his inventory and knelt down beside his sleeping baby girl.
"Now… would you two mind giving me a hand with this?" Naruto asked, feeling a bit weird as his hands hovered over a sleeping Fumiko. "We need to get the armor off of her,"
He took a moment to find the latches and, as his luck would have it, the damn things were slightly melted, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue...
"Ah! There it is!" Naruto exclaimed, managing to get one to pop open. The rest followed suit, some more easily than others and with a grunt, the youko managed to force the breastplate open… only to realize that whatever Fumiko had been wearing underneath has been reduced to ash, save for the jewelry. Her armor had taken the brunt of the damage, which made sense, though he couldn't help but wonder if rings and amulets were indestructible like they were ingame. (2)
"I... didn't think that through," he muttered, quickly averting his gaze with a heavy blush.
Nor did he remember giving her such a nice rack...
Clearing his throat, Naruto looked away.
"Well… she is dressed…''
The outfit in question that now covered Fumiko was one of the ...risque dresses Shalltear's vampire brides wore. It was the only thing anyone of them had on hand, since all of "Kushina's'' clothing was back in his room.
That, and it never occurred to them to just grab one of the robes in the nearby shelves, on account of everyone being so damn... distracted.
Tayuya averted her gaze. The nosebleed that threatened to come forth upon seeing Fumiko so scantily-clad burst through the instant she saw that… tent.
''...yeah…''
Scratching his chin, Naruto―with a large, mental heave of effort―managed to avoid staring.
Did oni even care about blood relations in that context…?
"Their reservations are on par with those of a succubus…"
Those words, spoken in his mind in the voice of Peronroncino, didn't help. Shaking his head to banish those bad thoughts, he turned to regard a flustered vampire.
"Shalltear," he said.
The girl in question flinched, averting her gaze. "I wasn't staring, M'lord! I promise!"
"Bullshit," Tayuya grunted.
She totally was… specifically at his crotch.
"I wasn't!" Shalltear hissed. "You were staring!"
Tayuya sputtered, her cheeks lighting up.
"W-Wha? No I wasn't!"
"Were too!"
"H-he's my fuckin' father, you pervert!" Not that she cared of course, but she didn't want him to know that... unless she knew he didn't mind.
"That's rich coming from someone checking out said father," Shalltear huffed. "A god is above such trivial things, anyway!"
Tayuya's ears burned. "Y-you hussy!"
Meanwhile…
'...It's not you I'm worried about, Shalltear...' Naruto thought ruefully, their verbal spar going right over his head as the youko's lower one clouded his senses. In the future, a part of him would lament his chance to nip a certain redhead's Oedipus complex in the bud having been lost.
"Shalltear," he called out again, breaking them apart, "I have a task for you."
The vampire stopped dead in her tracks, stood straighter, and gave him her undivided attention. She would never fail him again! Never!
"I'm yours to command, Lord Kurama," she answered eagerly.
Naruto nodded. He already knew that by now; all the NPCs would listen to him without a question, but being nice about it wouldn't hurt anyone. He didn't want this absolute power over them getting to his head, after all.
"Fumiko should wake up in about two or three hours. Bring her to my quarters and keep an eye on her until I get back."
"Understood. M'lord. It shall be done."
Tayuya raised an eyebrow at Naruto, and crossed her arms. She didn't appreciate being separated from her sister so soon.
"And what will we be doing in the meantime?"
"Making sure this never happens again," he told her cryptically.
"The fuck does that mean?!"
Once the father-daughter duo made it past the gas chambers, spike pits, poison dart traps and the like, they stood before a password locked gate. This led to the Mausoleum located inside the heart of the Treasury of Nazarick; containing all of the rarest, most powerful and most dangerous items the guild had collected over the course of their existence… save for the gear that Naruto, those golems, and about a dozen NPCs had been decked out with.
Turning around, Naruto leveled a cautious look at his daughter. "Before we enter, Tayuya, you should know, the guardian of this place is… probably a bit eccentric."
Tayuya looked at her father blithely.
"Well that's definitely outta the norm, Boss," she said, sarcasm dripping from each syllable. "We're totally not a band o' weirdos."
Naruto chuckled. It was good to see some of her spunk returning after seeing her so sad. The amusement was good for his soul.
But Naruto quickly sobered up, and looked at Tayuya sternly.
"I mean it, darling. The Area Guardian of the Treasury is on par with Demiurge and Albedo."
"So, another freak?"
"Now, now. Don't go around calling your comrades names. Especially your... cousin. It's not nice." It felt weird calling him that, but Naruto did aid in the NPC's creation... and calling him her brother felt weirder, precisely because Momonga-senpai was the other party involved in that.
Of course, the lich in question did most of the work, but Naruto was more than happy to help in creating the living tribute to the family they once shared.
Tayuya huffed.
"Does it matter if it's true?" It was a rhetorical question.
Naruto sighed, exasperated. For whatever reason, his little ones didn't get along with Albedo at all, which was precisely why he was worried about how she'd react to Pandora's Actor.
"Look… just don't react too strongly towards him; he has some wicked defense mechanisms that might activate if you do."
Taking his warning at face value, Tayuya nodded reluctantly.
Making their way through the passage, Naruto and Tayuya heard a flamboyant, male voice calling out to them.
"Thank you for coming all this way," he said, before a man in a red and yellow uniform modeled after that of a WWII German military officer… and seemingly made by a drunken tailor. He had porcelain white skin three fingers and a thumb on either hand, and no face; three holes where it should be, resembling those of a bowling ball, served as the mockery of one. The being goose stepped into their line of sight, turning to face them and stood at attention with the dramatic click of his heels. "How can I, Pandora's Actor, be of service to you, mein Führer?" (3)
"What the fuck is that?" Tayuya asked, pointing a finger at the aforementioned 'that'.
As if Tayuya's words were a trigger, the entity rose up, chuckling darkly. He prepared to give a grand performance, no doubt. Being one of his creators, Naruto knew he was a prankster at heart.
But, right now, he wasn't feeling up to this being's brand of comedy.
"Pandora's Actor!" Naruto barked, putting as much of a commanding weight to his voice as he could, "I'm not in the mood for your jokes at the moment."
Drawing back in surprise, it didn't take long for Pandora's Actor to click his heels together in a mockery of Prussian traditions and raise his hand up to his hat in an overacted salute.
"Wie ihr Wünscht, mein Führer! I apologize, I was simply bursting with energy!" He bowed like a theatrical performer, before standing up and taking a more uniformed pose. "I reiterate, then, what can I, Pandora's Actor, do for you today, Lord Kurama? What is the purpose of thy visit? And who is this fair maiden you bring along?"
"Fair maiden?!" Tayuya exclaimed, face distorted in a grimace, before fetching her flute and smiling darkly, "I'll show you a fai―ow!" The pinkette yelped when Naruto swatted her ass with one of his tails.
"Boooss!" She whined indignantly, giving him a childish pout. Naruto glanced at her with narrowed eyes.
"Behave, you."
Tayuya grumbled under her breath, rubbing her ass-cheek with a blush.
''...fine.''
Naruto shook his head. The two really were sisters in every way possible. Thankfully they weren't twins, though; that would've doomed them all. Pushing those thoughts aside, Naruto readdressed Pandora's actor. "She's one of my daughters," he said. "That aside, what can you tell me about that World Item I brought here earlier?"
"Oh that wonderful dress," Pandora's Actor declared. "Downfall of Castle and Country! It is an amazing item indeed; absolutely wunderbar! To think that such a rare gem could be found within this new world!" (4)
Naruto sighed, holding the bridge of his nose and nursing back a headache. He was certain Momonga was laughing at him, somehow.
"Just… can you tone that stuff down, right now…? My head is killing me."
"Oh! My apologies, Lord Kurama!" The doppelganger bowed respectfully. "As I was saying, it is indeed a World-Class Item, comparable to all of the others."
"Really now…?" Naruto perked up at that. "Are you familiar with the ones we don't have?"
"M-my apologies, mein Führer," Pandora's Actor lamented, giving an apologetic bow. "I only know of the twelve we currently possess."
"It's fine," the youko chuckled. "Just curious is all. Speaking of, I'd like you to fetch Downfall of Castle and Country for me, as well as the Eight Shaku Curved Jewel Necklace, Depiction of Nature and Society, Avarice and Generosity, and the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch." (5)
"L-Lord Kurama! These are all items of immense power," the oddity exclaimed. "Has the time come to unleash it upon the world?"
"In a manner of speaking," Naruto said evasively. "Just fetch me the hand grenade and Downfall for now and have the rest of them prepared in an hour or so. Oh, one more thing…" He reached into his inventory and extracted the damaged gear of his still-sleeping daughter. "I'd like you to repair this for me in the meantime."
Pandora's Actor saluted overdramatically.
"Wie ihr Wünscht, mein Führer! I shall have these legendary treasures, so mighty and potent even Supreme Beings such as yourself deigned to lock them away, which make the impossible possible, that can change the face of the very world. And Embrace of Lilitu will be restored as long as it's within my power!"
''—Pandora's Actor…'' Naruto sighed, "Please, use your inside voice."
"Apologies, Lord Kurama!"
"Now, please bring me the items I requested."
"Of course, mein Führer!"
Not even five minutes later, Tayuya was staring oddly at an article of clothing Naruto was holding out towards her, now spotless and on a hanger.
"It's a dress," she said, flatly.
"Yes, it's a dress," Naruto confirmed, smiling.
Tayuya crossed her arms.
"What part o' that badass name could reflect on a dress?"
"It's a badass dress," Naruto chuckled. "And the Dress of Mind-Fuckery belongs in the hands of a mind-fucker."
''...I wanna punch you." Tayuya grunted, looking more closely at said dress and imagining all the wonderful things she could do with said item… particularly involving those who dared to use it on her sister. Then, she smiled darkly. "But, you're not wrong..."
"Atta girl," Naruto said, handing it over to her. "I suppose we should get you back to your room and..."
The youko flinched and sputtered when he saw Tayuya starting to undress, nary a single fuck to give. Before he could even manage a single word, the girl was left in nothing but her boots and underwear... and she didn't wear a bra.
She then snatched up the dress and put it on without a second thought.
Naruto only continued to stare.
As Tayuya checked herself out, looking down at her body, twisting and turning around, her motions and poses highlighting all of her taught curves, Naruto kept on staring.
The redhead then turned around to face him and noticed his dazed look.
"What?" Tayuya asked, "Does it fit? I think it's a bit... snug." She trailed off, lowering her gaze to look at the dress, only to notice that the… tent had returned.
There was a long, awkward silence shared between the kijo and her vulpine father… and then Naruto cleared his throat.
"Um… I think it looks wonderful on you, honey."
"Uh… right… Thanks...''
Truth be told, she was legitimately flattered… but equally embarrassed. It certainly stroked her ego to know she―despite being relatively… unremarkable in comparison to the others―could affect what was, for all intents and purposes, a god in such a way.
And her father was everything she thought a girl might want… powerful, kind… very attractive… great with kids, as she and her sister could attest… her ears and cheeks burned with the heat of the sun as her mind dove straight into the gutter.
It took every ounce of self-control she had to dislodge the lewd thoughts that followed. Now as not the time for that!
...Later was fine, of course, but not now!
Tayuya cleared her throat, addressing her creator. "S-so… you said something about the throne room?"
"R-right!" Naruto took a deep, calming breath and gave his daughter a nod. "Thanks for reminding me. We should check on Fumiko-chan before I head there, though."
And so, he did… Unfortunately, she was still in that dress… and Shalltear had apparently interpreted his orders as "bring her to my bed"... which didn't help in the fucking slightest! But, he was able to contain himself… for now.
"She looks so peaceful." Tayuya commented idly. "She ain't like that at all when awake."
"That fight took a lot outta the both of us," Naruto told her. "Your support magic was probably the only reason I didn't collapse when it was finally over."
Technically, that wasn't entirely accurate; he still did collapse, but not out of exhaustion.
Tayuya frowned in concern. "Fair enough…"
Of course, Shalltear was still present, now garbed in her full battle gear with no less than twenty of her vampire brides keeping watch throughout the suite.
Naruto turned to look at the vampiric loli with an odd expression.
"Y'know… when I told you to keep an eye on her… I didn't mean you needed to gear up and prepare for a siege."
Shalltear blushed at that, averting her gaze sheepishly. "I… may have been a little over-enthusiastic," she admitted.
Naruto sighed. "Shalltear, how many times do I need to say this? It wasn't your fault."
Shalltear's gaze turned solemn. "It feels like it was… She was my responsibility."
Naruto sighed and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "And what if Fumiko wasn't there? Would you have wanted to fight me to the death in her place?"
"...Truth be told," she said, after a moment of weighted silence, turning back to look at him with a saddened gaze, "I… I probably would have preferred it if I was the one who was mind controlled." Her gaze once again dipped down, to stare at her feet as she spoke softly, ''...You were in so much pain when you were forced to fight her…"
Naruto shook his head. "Silly girl… and do you think fighting you would've been any easier for me?"
Shalltear flinched, her cheeks turning bright pink in a sharp contrast to her otherwise deathly appearance.
"Y-you mean that, Lord Kurama?!"
Naruto nodded, completely missing what she meant. "I do," he said, completely ignorant of how she was interpreting his words.
"Th-thank you," Shalltear muttered, thoroughly taken aback. She still felt like shit, though; knowing that the Supreme One liked her having ironically made it worse…
She couldn't possibly be worthy of him...
But then, her train of thought came to a merciful halt as Fumiko began to stir.
The pinkette's expression turned sour as she groaned, pushing herself up. She felt she'd been chewed up and spat out by a dragon, before getting trampled.
"Fumiko-chan!" Tayuya shouted, rushing over to her and grabbing her big sister by her arms. "Fumiko, how do you feel?"
"Uwaaa~!" Fumiko yelped, still in a daze, "Tayuya, is that you?"
Tayuya released a sigh ― she felt like a boulder had dropped from her shoulders.
"You're alright…'' she muttered, before her eyes turned vicious.
Suddenly, she was shaking the pinkette with enough force to rock the bed they were on.
"YOU STUPID, IRRESPONSIBLE, OVERCONFIDENT BRAT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE?!"
"Ta―''
Shake.
"Yuuu―''
Shake, shake, shake.
"Yaaa..." The redhead's shaking eased up a bit. "Please stop… You're making me dizzy!"
"Oh, I'll make you dizzy alright!" Tayuya muttered to herself darkly before shuddering. With a cry, she crashed into Fumiko, hugging the life out of her… or trying. Thankfully, Tayuya's strength was practically nonexistent—especially in comparison to Fumiko's. "Don't ever worry me so much again, you fuckin' idiot…"
Fumiko grinned, raising her arms and hugging her baby sister in return.
"No promises." For that remark, she received a smack over the head. "OW!"
"Now, now," Naruto joked, "I only have so much gold… I'd appreciate if you didn't kill your sister, Tayuya-chan."
"Shut up," Tayuya muttered, holding back a sniffle, burying her face in her big sister's stomach.
Naruto only chuckled at that, sitting on the bed and ruffling the redhead's hair. Then, he turned to address his other daughter. "Fumiko-chan," he said. "Can you tell me how much you remember?"
The pinkette tilted her head, bringing her hand up and running it through her baby sister's hair. "I… not really," she admitted with a shrug, "It's all very fuzzy. I know there was some nasty spell headed for Shalltear, and that I punted her out of the way. The rest is like a dream, you know? I remember playing with you for a bit…''
'...Playing?' Naruto mentally repeated to himself, blanching at what that might imply. It took everything he had and more to simply stay alive!
''...and then it all just kinda went dark."
"I see…'' After a moment, Naruto took a deep breath. "That dress Tayuya-chan's wearing," he explained, "is a World-Class item. It has the ability to take control of someone, but Shalltear apparently killed its user before it could take full effect. And… well, I couldn't snap you out of it."
"I… I see," Fumiko muttered. The tone her papa used was so sad… "I… I'm sorry for being so reckless…"
"It's fine," he sighed. "Like I already told Shalltear numerous times," he stressed, throwing a glance at said vampire, "there wasn't anything you could've done. But, now that we have an idea of what's out there, I'm taking measures to ensure that doesn't happen again."
A few days later, while Cardinal Raymond contemplated the information they presented to him, Captain Zulphas Azrael was making a beeline for his quarters and hiding a limp.
He was tired.
He was beaten.
His Scripture was now six seats smaller.
Though the lot of them usually did solo work anyway, the Black Scripture still worked together quite well when they were sent out on joint missions. But for all twelve of them to have been so handily beaten by those two… despite having 1,000 men and Lady Kaire on their side as well…
And, just to add insult to injury, they'd lost countless sacred treasures of the Six Great Gods in the process, including the legendary Downfall of Castle and Country! It was Inconceivable! It was unforgivable! It was... humbling...
It made him realize that there truly is always a bigger fish... And at this point, all he wanted now was to close his eyes and take a long rest. (6)
Unfortunately, though, that would have to wait.
Zulphas frowned as he saw a girl in a beige sweater playing with a 600-year-old relic of those same gods.
The girl in question looked incredibly young, possibly in her early teens; but in truth, she was older than Lady Kaire―a boon of her… questionable lineage. She sported mismatched eyes, one black and one white, Her hair sported the same two colors and her attire matched the theme as well.
Donning black leggings, mismatched boots, and a pleated skirt to go with that sweater, the girl leaned against the wall behind her with nary a care in the world. A massive war scythe was propped up right next to her as she fiddled with the relic―a Rubik's Cube, if memory served.
The girl was Zesshi Zetsumei, the most powerful being currently alive within the Slane Theocracy.
''I hadn't expected you back so soon," she commented nonchalantly. "I take it your mission was a failure?"
Zulphas sighed and plastered on a smile to humor her. "Yes. Yes it was. A sound one, at that."
The girl perked up at that. "I see… that's a first." She returned her attention to the Rubik's Cube. She would get three sides this time, damn it! She was bound and determined! "Would your opponent happen to have been a male, by chance? This Ainz Ooal Gown character, perhaps?"
"It wasn't," he told her. "The ones we were sent to take on were some kind of demon and a vampire, both female."
"Oh… that's a pity." Zesshi sighed. "Between me and them, who would you sat is stronger?
"I… can't say I'm able to make that comparison," he answered, truthfully. "You never fought me with the intent to kill."
"You sure of that?" A smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she leered at him.
He sighed.
"Zesshi, don't play these games with me. Please? Not now..."
The girl pouted. "Spoilsport..." she muttered with a sigh. "Well, if nothing else, I can look forward to seeing if they are strong for myself if they prove to be too much of an issue."
The man's shoulders sagged.
"That's great… Hope you have fun," he grouched out. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a bed in my quarters that I have an overdue appointment with. By your leave." he bowed and turned to leave.
"Oh, one more thing," Zesshi chirped. "Have you heard any news of this Ainz character?"
"I haven't."
"Such a pity…"
With that out of the way and not another word shared between them Zulphas was on his merry way to bed.
'I wonder…' Zesshi thought, grinning maniacally as she placed a hand upon her empty womb. 'Will you be the one…?'
The Swords of Darkness were walking down a familiar road, the next day, their spirits high after having finished another quest.
"That was surprisingly easy, all things considered," Ninya commented. "Didn't expect there to be so many of them though."
"Such is life in our line of work," Peter chuckled.
It was a pretty standard monster hunt, the team having been sent to take out a nest of feral gryphons.
There were about seven of the little fuckers, thankfully very young—only a few weeks old. Mama, however, was the hard part as one would assume. They had to lure her out and surprise her. After dealing enough damage, and shooting her in the wings, all they needed to do was keep kiting her around, repeatedly pissing her off, until the beast tired out… and when she did, they dogpiled her. Dyne of course cast Earth Bind on her while Ninya and Lukrut peppered her from the sides and Peter attacked her head on with the druid's support.
"Carne Village isn't too far from here…" Dyne commented, seeing a nearby fork in the road. ''...Should we go check on little Kushina and Regina?"
Peter rubbed his chin. "…It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Ninya smiled, looking up at the clouds. "Yeah, it has."
Peter nodded. "Yeah, we probably should go check on them... It already feels like they are a part of the team to be honest."
"To be separated from her for so long…'' Lukrut moped. The ranger leaving his party both amused and exasperated.
Dyne patted him on his back. "We'll see her again soon," he assured.
Lukrut nodded solemnly. "You're the only one who understands me, aren't you, Dyne?"
The druid in question had to force himself to keep a straight face; it was so hard not to laugh. "Indeed."
"So then..." Peter turned around, looking at his teammates as they all stopped at the road fork. "You guys up for that?"
"I'd like to." Ninya admitted. She liked the company, and missed the cheerful additions.
Peter nodded, turning his gaze to Dyne. "How bout you, big guy?"
"I'm fine with either." he replied, before rubbing his chin. "Checking on them wouldn't hurt, though."
"So, it's unanimous, then," Peter said, not even bothering to ask the ranger. He knew Lukrut was sincere, if a bit overdramatic.
Some time later, Naruto sat upon the Throne of Kings for the first time in what felt like ages.
Albedo stood beside him as usual, ever at the ready to do his bidding with a smile on her face.
Soon enough, the Floor Guardians entered the throne room one by one; his daughters also joined them. They had one extra being in attendance, however, gaining quite a few odd looks as he goose stepped on in, before standing at attention.
Of course, Fumiko was still in that thrice-damned dress, as her armor would take some time to repair. The beaded necklace she now donned caused many present to perk up as she passed by, but no one commented.
The little trinket sported eight red, fang-shaped beads with many a black pearl in between. It was deceptively simplistic in its design, but all present knew the instant they saw it that this thing was powerful.
She wasn't the only one with something new on her person. Everyone of course noticed Tayuya's new dress, but that wasn't the extent of it either.
To be specific, Aura now donned a large scroll, hanging from her waist while Mare sported a pair of mismatched gauntlets. One was black, the other white, and they both sported an impressive, intricate design.
All three items sported an aura just as terrifying as that of the necklace, every last one of them as powerful as Albedo's scepter...
Once Fumiko and Tayuya took their positions at either side of the throne and the guardians kneeled before the Supreme One, Naruto got the ball rolling.
"Now, I'm sure rumors of what happened have spread," he started, grinning a little when he saw some of the guardians trying to appear innocent. "That being said, I'm pleased to inform you that Fumiko is back to normal… though her gear is still being repaired, last I heard."
"Embrace of Lilitu has nearly been restored, mein Führer," Pandora's actor declared flamboyantly, taking that as his cue to report the situation. "Princess Fumiko's rings and amulet have been cleaned up as well. Thunderclap of the Demon King, meanwhile, only needed minor repairs and is ready to be wielded once more in your glorious name!"
Beside Naruto, Fumiko excitedly pumped her fist. "Sweet!"
Everyone else, meanwhile, just stared at the doppelganger oddly, but again, they said nothing.
"...Duly noted," Naruto chirped, taking in their confused expressions. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Pandora's Actor, Area Guardian of the Treasury and the sole creation of Momonga-senpai."
The being in question stood up and bowed dramatically to the others, before taking a knee once more.
With that out of the way, the youko continued where he left off. "Now, then, as I'm sure you'd all assume, I am not about to let this slide." His tone suddenly grew far more menacing as he continued. "This Slane Theocracy has picked a fight with the wrong fucker and I fully intend to make them suffer for it."
Albedo perked up at that.
"So, does that mean we'll be expediting your master plan?"
Naruto blinked.
"Master plan?"
The succubus nodded eagerly. "The one you mentioned that one time."
'Huh…?'
Naruto cleared his throat. Not wanting to sound like an idiot, he gestured for her to continue. "Right… to make sure everyone's on the same page, please, do explain what you mean to the others."
Fumiko and Tayuya, meanwhile, immediately noticed something off about that response, though it was hard to tell what.
"As you wish my lord," Albedo said, before stepping forth to address the other guardians. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, Lord Kurama has been establishing relationships with a nearby village. He has also taken to infiltrating the humans' Adventurer's Guild to gather information on who in this world might pose a threat to Nazarick. And he's begun to influence a number of their champions―these adventurers, if I'm not mistaken."
"Oh, yes," Naruto said with a nod.
Albedo nodded back and readdressed the others. "He has also put a rather high-ranking member of the kingdom's military in his debt and I can only assume that he intends to insert this Enri Emmot, a girl from Carne Village who has shown feelings for him, into a position of power."
'Wait, what…?'
"Furthermore, he went out of his way to save this fortress city of E-Rantel, putting them in the debt of his alter ego, Kushina Uzumaki. One can only assume that he intends to use this leverage to bring them into our fold as well to secure our western borders in preparation for his master plan: the complete and utter domination of this new world!"
'WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK?!' Naruto cleared his throat and composed himself when she was finished. Unfortunately, a lot of people there seemed very interested in that idea. (7)
"Very good, Albedo," he finally said, averting his gaze. "You remembered."
"How could I forget, my love~?"
"From that one time…"
"Yes, M'lord," she replied with a bow.
Naruto pursed his lips and tried again. "That... one time…"
"That very one~!"
'WHAT TIME ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!' Naruto cleared his throat again. "...I commend you for it." He could work with this. In fact, it might be a good thing…? If nothing else, it'd give his more sinister guardians something to do that didn't involve raiding nearby villages for playthings―Carne Village especially.
It could also make it easier to locate any players out there if they existed…
"I can't think of anything you missed, either," he added, plastering on a smile and ignoring his inner, darker self laughing his ass off. "Good job, Albedo."
The succubus beamed at his praise.
Fumiko and Tayuya, meanwhile, frowned in confusion. Once again, they noticed something amiss, but neither of them commented on it.
"That being said, I'd like to explain the finer details of that plan so we don't have any misunderstandings," he began. "It was the Slane Theocracy who fucked with me―with us―first! They're the ones who made me hurt my daughter." Naruto's tone turned immensely dark. "I want them gone." He took a deep, calming breath and continued. "But, if you don't watch your ass while invading another country, some cheeky, little shit will try and stick his dick in it… and I don't swing that way. That said, making sure the Kingdom and the Empire don't attack us will be our first order of business." he grumbled.
Truly, Naruto didn't wish to bother himself with the other nations; not anymore. What he did want, was to march down to the Theocracy and reenact Genghis―fucking―Khan.
"My lord. If I may." Demiurge said, stepping forth.
Glancing at the demon, Naruto gestured for him to continue.
"I assume that we are to try subjugating the undead of the Katze Plain?"
"I… yes, actually," Naruto nodded. That was a wonderful idea, now that he mentioned it. "I've heard a few things about them. The Katze Plain is known for the self-replenishing undead in its ruins. I'm pretty sure the overlords of Ashurbanipal would be pretty useful in that task, which would secure our eastern border and give us more expendables." He then hummed thoughtfully. "But, we also have to deal with the Great Forest, now that I think about it."
"I assume you mean the Lizardmen Tribes to the north?" Aura asked. "Mare and I had just found them before we were called back, but they seem to be on-par with the humans of this world."
"That sounds promising…" Naruto replied thoughtfully. "I was just about to ask if you found any settlements in there, actually. We need to make sure they don't try anything… I'm thinking that should be our first priority if they're closer. Once we're done with that, we'll move on with my plans for Carne Village and E-Rantel; as Albedo pointed out, they are my first attempts at a peaceful takeover."
"Peaceful takeover, Milord?" Demiurge asked, looking confused. The concept was quite foreign to him, so he needed more information if he was going to be of proper use.
Naruto tapped his chin as he thought long and hard about his response. "No empire lasts long when it relies on fear alone," he said. "This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I was born a human, so I know how dangerous they can be from experience… especially in large groups."
To say that they were surprised would have been a gross understatement. Literally no one present was expecting that revelation; even his daughters could've sworn he was born a kitsune!
"I'm also intimately familiar with how they function," he added. "That said, it's much easier to rule them through the... carrot and the stick, I think it's called—punishing unwanted behavior while rewarding them for doing what you want them to, basically."
"My lord, your wisdom truly is beyond us," Demiurge said earnestly, bowing to Naruto.
"You're giving me too much credit," the youko said with a sheepish chuckle. "I have my strengths and weaknesses like everyone else."
"You're far too modest, my lord," Demiurge claimed, pushing his glasses up his nose with a smirk.
"Maybe I am," Naruto chuckled again, now feeling a bit sheepish. "But, I know my limits. One of the things I'm actually really bad at is planning ahead. More of a think-on-my-feet kinda guy." Taking a deep breath he then addressed Demiurge directly. "That being said, I'm in need of a military strategist. After that fiasco with the Theocracy, I'm gonna be revising my plans and I want you to help me with that."
"I'm flattered, my lord. I can only endeavor to serve you to the full extent of my capabilities."
The youko's smile widened at that and then he turned to address Albedo. "I'm also not as good as you are at being an administrator," Naruto said. "I may have been the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown at one point, but what I'm planning to do is on a completely different scale. I'm going to need your help in earnest."
The succubus blushed heavily at that. "A-as you wish, my love; I will do my absolute best to live up to your expectations."
Naruto smiled again and nodded, before addressing the elven twins. "Aura, Mare, you are to keep gathering information on those tribes. Those items will make sure that another... incident like Fumiko's won't happen, so you've got nothing to worry about so long as you keep them equipped."
"Of course, Milord," Aura replied with a bow of her head.
"I-I'll do my best, L-Lord Kurama," Mare chimed in.
Naruto smiled again and turned to Tayuya. "You're going back to Carne Village to keep an eye on them," he said. "Enri and Nemu especially. Those two have kinda grown on me, as I'm sure you noticed, and the blonde has potential."
Of course, his darker side couldn't help but chime in at that. "I still think the little one would make for a cute pet."
'Quiet, you!'
The red-haired kijo nodded, unaware of his brief inner squabble. "Got it, Boss."
Taking a deep breath, the youko addressed everyone else. "That will be all for now," he said. "Fumiko, you wait in my quarters until I get back, you still need to rest. Demiurge, I want you to stay. We will discuss my plans further and you'll help me refine them. Everyone else, back to your stations." (8)
"Do you understand your task better now?"
"I do, and I live to serve you, My Lord," Demiurge answered, bowing to his lord. "Will that be all?"
Naruto thought it over before nodding… then, once he realized the still-bowing demon couldn't see his head movement, replied with a cough to hide his embarrassment. "Yes, Demiurge. You're dismissed."
"By your leave."
Naruto watched him go, wondering if he should add something. Demiurge was smart; hell he was probably among the most intelligent people in all of Nazarick, right on up there with Albedo, Tayuya, and Pandora's Actor... but his imagination obviously ran as wildly as that of a certain succubus.
...And he'd already been blindsided by her assumptions, today. He didn't need this man adding fuel to that fire.
''...Demiurge," he called out, his decision made.
The literally-devilish man stopped in his tracks, turning on a dime when addressed. He raised an eyebrow. "M'lord?"
Naruto leaned forward on the throne, lacing his fingers under his chin as he stared at Ulbert's creation.
''...Try to avoid jumping to conclusions."
Demiurge was… taken back by his master's words.
The two inhuman beings locked gazes, Naruto staring at the formerly-artificial being sharply.
The message was clear; not another word needed to be said.
With a smile, the demon bowed again, holding his hands to the side like a theatrical performer.
"Your wish is my command." (9)
DMS Notes and Trivia:
1: I feel like a cleric or paladin doing this would get certain bonuses and discounts, like requiring less gold and the recovery taking less time. That said, Naruto, as a mage/rogue hybrid with a completely different field of expertise and Momonga being a dedicated necromancer would result in the latter being more cost-effective.
Basically different classes having an easier time performing certain tasks for the guild would encourage class diversity and experimentation. This would have the side effect of making cookie cutter builds slightly less of a thing, though they undoubtedly would still be a thing to one extent or another, depending on various other aspects of the game.
2: Not sure if this is the case for most MMOs, but I distinctly remember amulets, capes, rings and trinkets lacking durability in WoW, thus making them effectively indestructible. That said, this would be a good question if that was the case for Yggdrasil.
3: According to Dunestyler, who is far more well versed in German history than I am (AdV: Comes with being a German), the Führer was a one-time rank in Germany. He was basically the president and chancellor, all in one; a god-like dictator with unquestionable authority. Seems like something Pandora's Actor would call Naruto in my opinion.
4: "Wie ihr Wünscht" is German for "by your command" and "wunderbar" is the German word for wonderful. Again, special thanks to Dunestyler as his help is what allowed me to depict Pandora's Actor as accurately as possible.
I'm half-German with a mother who is fluent in the language and my grandmother speaks it as her native tongue, so I do know some words and phrases, but my knowledge is far more limited than I would prefer. And most of what I do know is words and phrases that I've never actually seen in text, so I can't spell them for shit. XD
AdV: I should point out; You mean you have part-German ancestry. Different from how Americans perceive it, being 'a German, an Italian, a Brit' and so on, has little to do with your ancestry.
DMS: Indeed; it's far more of a cultural thing.
5: A bit of a creative liberty, but in light of a few of Ainz Ooal Gown's World Items being left unnamed, including the two single-use ones, I have decided that the Magatama (one of the three Japanese Regalia; AdV: Yup, I went there.) and the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch (from Monty Python) will be two of those unnamed items.
Eight Shaku Curved Jewel is apparently the English word for Magatama. Of course, this is according to Wikipedia, so take that with a grain of salt.
6: While editing this, I was randomly reminded of Darths and Droids, a Star Wars D&D parody comic.
"I cast Summon Bigger Fish."
/proceeds to crush Queen Amidala underneath a giant tuna
Funny shit, lol. Definitely check it out if you're into that kinda thing.
7: The John Tron meme was an inspiration for this scene, needless to say, lol. I couldn't help myself. XD
8: This scene was quite a treat to write. As I'm sure some Overlord fans will have noticed, this was kicked off by Albedo instead of Demiurge and that it happened sooner than in canon, but it just felt... right to me.
It also set Naruto up to establish that he's not quite as godly as they seem to think he is, that he has his limits and such, even if they still seem to think otherwise. Unlike Momonga, Naruto doesn't fear what might happen if they get the impression that he's not this perfect, godly being. He's just not fond of looking like an idiot.
He did lose his shit when Kakashi called him a dunce in canon, after all, so that trait makes sense to me. Seems like a logical conclusion to make about his character.
AdV: I mean, he's not 12 so… some maturity does him good.
9: AdV was rather annoyed by Demiurge's assumptions when he watched the anime, lol. Personally, I don't mind them... Hell, I found them rather amusing, myself! XD But this seems like something Naruto would do in his situation regardless.
AdV: Damn right I was. I get it, comic relief, but after the first few times it became tedious and annoying. Don't beat a dead horse.
Parting Note: And that's another chapter done!
The next updates to Vulpine Overlord and The Mirran are scheduled to take place on the 5th and 19th of next month.
Hope y'all enjoyed and I'll see ya then! :)