AN; So now that there are enough of you reviewing to where I can't count you all on one hand, I'll be posting replies here at the top. At the end of the chapter, I'll have author notes about this long, dozy of a chapter.
Guests: I'm happy you found this to be a good alternative to yellowness. I will be continuing to post, as I foresee a lot of work ahead of me.
Zennishi: SHhh, keep your voice down. Citrinitas doesn't need to know what happens in the happy farm.
TheGirlWithARainbowHat & Guest & Xx-noobslayer69-xX & CritKhagan: I am so happy you all like my tale. I will continue to post. Sadly, as to avoid sporadic content releases, I shall post only on Fridays!
Squid: Great name. I love the Nazarick family, and I am glad you see her as a welcome fit.
Nai3Ry: Yeah, the harem sucking in Citrinitas did feel forced. I strive to improve, but there's little you can do to save the cringe that is the waifu wars. Dialogue is not my strong suit, it shows here. Maybe in a later chapter I'll have them all arguing again, with some better dialogue and some fresh jokes. However, I do feel that it was natural she got sucked in, as she is the only other full grown female guardian.
As always, I plan on posting on Fridays, I'm always seeking to improve, and I love your reviews.
On with the show!
Lord Momonga set his mental list in favor of productivity. The sun would be rising soon and it would be best to check in on Aura's progress. He rose from his chair, straightened his back, and put on his kingly face before teleporting to the surface, just outside the tomb entrance.
The whitish blue shine of the teleport left his eyes and for the first time in his life, he was outside. Real, clean air, slightly chilled by the ocean nearby, swept through his bones. The rising sun wasn't blurred out by smog but shone a beautiful hue of gold that chased away the dark. Something soft pressed along his boots, which he lifted to reveal real, non-virtual, grass straightening back to their full height.
"Lord Momonga, why are you out without your guards?!"
He turned around to look at the devil."I'm sorry Demiurge, I had gotten ahead of myself." This was his first time being outside in the new world, and it was his first time breathing in clean air. Turning his gaze back on the open sky, he appeared somewhat in awe.
"It would be my honor, my lord." He bowed with a hand across his chest, as large wings ripped out from his back. His face distorted into a beastly form resembling that of a demonic gecko.
The two of them took off into the sky, above the clouds, dwarfing the ground below. It took Momonga's breath away. The fields of green, between the soft green of the grass broken up by tan cliff sides around Nazarick, to the deeper green of the forests. Above the disk of green stood mountains, tall, proud, and shining with their stoney faces and snow covered caps. The rising sun created a belt of shadows that stretched out, ready for a day of hiding from its gaze.
"It's beautiful. One could spend lifetimes trying to capture this sight, whether in words, paint, or otherwise, and they would always come up short." Momonga meant it. That feeling, oddly warm but not strong enough to proc the inhibitor, emitted up from somewhere within his long lost soul. There were sim games that had tried to replicate this back home, but seeing it in person, they never came close.
"It's in our belief that we should capture this for you, my Lord." The world belonged to his Lord, he was the only one worthy to own it all, Demiurge was sure of it. Only a being as wise as Lord Momonga could ever rule over a treasure like this.
"The world isn't for me. It should be for all of us, for all of Nazarick." He wasn't a selfish person. Even if he controlled all that he could see, there would always be room for his friends.
The world before him grew tainted and sick with his memories. Forests were leveled, skies were choked, and land was deemed infurtile. A world of concrete and glass spires dominated the skylines, while a maze of buildings lived in their shadows. Far from the gaze of the towers were scrap material towns, desperately trying to hold on, both to their existence and their freedom from the mega-corporations which saw them as mere resources.
'I'm the only one who sees it. I grew up in those mazes, I lived under those shadows, some of my friends lived in those slums. If there was anyone in this world who knows the depths of cruelty progress without wisdom can bring, it's me.' He gazed down at his hands, curling and uncurling the cold, white bones. 'I'll live forever… This burden, this world, is mine to carry.'
"Demiurge… I've made up my mind." He turned to face the demon once more. "We'll conquer this world. It's the best thing we can do for it."
"Then it shall be done. We'll bring you everything." Demiurge bowed, demons don't normally feel happy but seeing Lord Momonga with more conviction than ever before. It was good.
The Lord turned his gaze downward, looking for the closest thing to a daughter he had. She was currently standing on a cliffside, surrounded by birds. He teleported down to her, with Demiurge scrambling to teleport after him.
Aura was having fun. Was being the choice word. The land animals were fine and easy to tame, bending to her will with a wave of her hand. Birds however, were a different matter entirely. They didn't really care too much, as they were more interested in food and the spectacle of watching the dark elf get angry at them.
"Won't you all just. Shut Up And Listen!" She screamed out, only to be met by squawking and stares. Drooping into a pout, she folded her arms and sat down.
A large form sat down beside her, enveloping her in its shadow. "Are you having trouble?"
"L-Lord Momonga!" She nearly fell over by the sudden arrival of her supreme ruler. "Not at all." Momonga stared at her in silence, waiting for her to break. She sighed, hanging her head "Yes Lord Momonga."
"Tell me about what troubles you." 'This is what good parenting looks like, right? Being attentive and moving at their pace?'
"It's these stupid birds." Aura said, waving her hand at the flock of white feathers and yellow beaks surrounding them. "They won't pledge loyalty. They want nothing of it, even among their own!"
"Have you tried cutting a deal with them?"
"I mean, yeah. Loyalty for food and care, it works with most creatures, but loyalty means nothing to them." She looked defeated. Here she was, struggling to do her job in front of Lord Momonga himself! Shalltear was going to have a picnic if she heard about this.
"Well if they know not what loyalty is, then have you tried bargaining?"
"Wouldn't that just be loyalty?"
"Not necessarily. It's like a more mutual, free loyalty. Spontaneous, and flexible."
Her features tightened as she mulled over this lesson. For him, it was a normal part of business, for the guardians, anything shy of loyalty was an alien concept. With the shake of her head, she stood up, cupped her hands and shouted to the flock.
"Anyone who tells me of travelers will be well fed! Food for information!" The flock stirred to life, flapping and scrambling, leaving the two of them on the cliff in silence.
"Did it work?" Lord Momonga asked as he arose from the ground. Aura spun around to him, face full of joy. "I'll take that as a yes."
Demiurge, at the request of Lord Momonga, remained just out of the way. His Lord had wanted to help Aura himself. He watched them, and he knew his faith was well placed. 'Lord Momonga has to be the greatest of the supreme beings. He cares about us, and shows us his wisdom.' His tail began to gently wag, as he walked up the hill to them.
Momonga's hand delved into shadow, and emerged with a red ring. "Aura, this is for you. A gift to help you along in your job."
She clutched the guild ring close to her chest. "I can't accept this! These belong to the supreme beings!" Her cheeks shone bright red, the same as the ring.
"Nonsense. It's not like anyone else is wearing them. Who better to wear their rings than their guardians?" He reassured her, his voice as calm and collected as always.
With quivering hands, she slipped the band over her glove as a thousand thoughts ran through her head. 'He gave me a ring. He gave me a ring. He gave me a ring…' The jewel caught the sun, shining a proud crimson in the morning light.
"Demiurge, I'll be returning to Nazarick now so there is no reason to worry." He said before teleporting away. He had to deal with Sebas and the finicky mirror. The bits of ruins that dotted the land around Nazarick, tucked into the cliffsides, struggling not to slip beneath the erosion of time, suggested the existence of other sentient life in this world. The architecture was different from that of Nazarick, which had a classical theme to it, the ruins suggested otherwise. They weren't certain yet, as there wasn't enough to piece together their designs, but it certainly wasn't their own.
3 hours. It took 3 hours of struggling with the mirror in his sanctum to find life. Sebas gave his master a soft clap once he figured out how to navigate the controls. This did not help Momonga's mood.
The scene before them was bloody. The mirror depicted a town under raid by men in armor. Peasants were dragged out of their homes to be slaughtered in the streets. Parents cried trying to protect their children as blood ran through the streets. All the while, Lord Momonga felt taken aback by how little he reacted to watching innocent people get torn to pieces.
'In my old life, I would have been appalled by the sight of blood and gore. Now however, it doesn't really mean anything to me.'
"Should we help them, my Lord?"
'I fail to see what we would gain out of helping a small village.' He met Sebas's piercing blue gaze, and felt something he hadn't felt in over a year. A slightly guilty feeling that only Touch-Me could give him. They both knew helping this town would be the right choice, they had the resources, and it shouldn't be all that hard, they were just dudes with swords.
"Get Albedo geared up. I've decided this town is worth saving. Besides, it would be best for me to test my strength in this world."
Enri held her sister close to her chest. The soldiers had chased her into the woods, and they dead set on terrorizing the people. Blood ran down her back from a slash wound, she debated whether she was lucky to be alive. She pressed her sister's face close, she didn't want her to see this. The sounds of rushing boots came to a stop behind her. Enri held on to hope, hope for a hero, hope that the soldiers would go away, hope for anything. A dominating shadow fell over the two, and a voice of authority called out.
"[Grasp Heart]" And the sounds of pain and terror rang out behind her. Looking up at her savoir, she saw death. His powerful presence was nearly overwhelming. Red pinpricks, like candles in the dark, scanned the area around him, barely registering her existence. Stepping out of the dark rift behind death came a figure clad in heavy black metal. They were built like a wall, with their metal armor taking up a massive metal frame.
The men screamed as they ran for their life, but the black knight dashed. Like a clap of lightning, she vanished and reappeared past them, her massive axe held in the after swing. Blood seeped between the newfound gashes, as the soldiers fell in half. One of them, still alive by force of will alone, legs severed clean off, tried to crawl away. The man sobbed as the black knight's shadow loomed over him. It's axe was swift, precise, and powerful beyond comparison.
Death looked down at her at last. Enri could feel the blood leave her face. In Death's hands were a vial of shining red blood, and a small horn. "Drink this." The being commanded, and she obeyed. Who was she to defy the will of a god. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, blow the horn. Goblins, loyal to you, will come to your aid."
He looked down at the man he had snatched the life away from. With the wave of his hand, he cast "[Raise Undead; Death Knight]," Darkness came forth over the body, twisting, turning, and reshaping it into a lumbering monster. "Attack anyone wearing this armor."
The monster roared at the command and ran off into town, eager to fulfill its purpose.
Lord Ainz thought to himself 'What's the point of a defensive monster if it's going to run away! Fine.'
Two soldiers kicked down a door, as screams came from within. The armored men entered the tiny house, the first rushing forth to pin the woman to the table while the other began ransacking the domical, taking anything of value. His hands clasped around her neck as she kicked at him, but her position wasn't strong enough to overcome his grip.
The ransacking ended with a thud. He turned to face his partner, and before he could get a word out, he was face to face with a horrifying monster that towered over him. Before he could get the chance to scream, it cleaved his head from its shoulders.
The woman, now drenched in blood, shoved the corpse off of her as she tried to get away from the beast. She cowered, expecting death, but it never came. The beast stomped out of her house, chasing down its next target.
All across town, straggling troops were liberated from their mortal coils by the monster in black armor. It's roars drowned out the screams of its victims, and the screams of those it saved. Troops nearly tripped over each other trying to escape through the alleyway, but no amount of effort would save them from its pursuit.
A group of soldiers ran out into the open, desperately trying to get to the safety of their comrades, and as far away from the beast as they could. The sounds of its heavy boots fell silent. One of the men turned to see what had happened. The beast had leaped at him, driving its boot into the man's chest, driving him to the floor!
"Please, I'll give you anything!" The man begged, but the monster cared not. It raised its foot, before driving it into the chestplate. Metal warped and bones shattered. The whole man's body shook with each stomp.
"ARGHH" He coughed as his insides were getting smashed. "I have money! I can pay more than your master! I promise!" A shadow loomed over his face, as the beast drove its boot through his skull. The monster cared not about the plees of fleas. Broken shards of skull, viscera, and metal painted a grotesque display.
"RALLY MEN!" The monster looked up from the pitiful mess, finding one man brave enough to make himself a target. Armor was different, with a small blue shoulder cape decorated with an insignia. His helm had flat wings along his temples. "Do not falter against this unholy abomination!"
The monster roared, charging the captain. The beast's lumbering gate and terrifying approach was met by a steadfast warrior. With the strength to cleave a man in half, the beast raised it's sword and the captain raised his shield.
"Immovable Fortress!" He shouted before the sword hit the man's shield. His body glowed red, his boots slid back, a grunt escaped him, but he stood standing. The beast found itself surrounded by targets, everywhere it looked there were troops ready for the picking.
It swung wildly, roaring all the while. Those who did not dodge were killed, those who blocked were sent flying with the force of the beast. Swords stabbed into the beast's side. Everywhere it turned, swords pierced its side. Chop! Slash! It even began swinging it's shield, trying to make space. It wasn't terribly effective. The troops stood stalwart, fighting on.
The beast tried to make space, squatting down for a jump. The captain wrapped his arms around the beast's waist from behind, his body shining a brave red. "Immovable Fortress!" Neither of them left the ground. The beast struggled to escape the captain's grasp as his men fell upon it. It swung its weapons wildly, killing or wounding anyone in its reach, but they never let up.
The monster collapsed, broken, beaten, and dead. If it had a mind, it would have wondered if it made it's master proud. The captain placed his boot on the death knight's back, yelling a battlecry for all to hear. The men rejoiced, just before their world shattered.
"[Create Undead; Horde]" Death himself had come for them, wearing a mask of green and red. A warrior in armor as black as night stood by his side. Every dead soldier the knight killed, they all clambered to their feet. Their eyes glowed with the negative energy that animated their bodies. If they were severed, they pulled themselves back together, if they were broken, they cracked back into place. The man with the stomped head, the pieces, pulled by darkness and blood, reassembled themselves in a grotesque mockery of a face. Shards of bone and twisted metal were held together by animate gore, the mask formed a large, jagged hole where it's mouth should be. A dent was carved out where the left eye should have been while the right held itself in its socket, purple light shining from both.
The captain and his men found themselves surrounded. The undead had them encircled. In the following chaos, it was hard to tell friend from foe. As the soldiers held their ground, the field grew messier. Troops, both alive and undead, were coated in viscera. They found themselves buried beneath the tide of the undead, limbs being ripped from sockets, exposed flesh being bitten into and torn off.
Lord Ainz looked on at the mosh pit of violence he had created. He felt nothing but curiosity at how they managed to defeat his knight. 'Judging by their gear, they should be low leveled. How did they manage to do enough damage to kill it? This world is full of surprises.'
The violence died down, and with a snap of his fingers, he dismissed his horde. The undead dropped lifeless into the pile of bodies. One man stood standing among the carnage, the captain. He threw off his helmet, gasping for breath. His shoulders sagged, his outfit bloodied, his sword broken and his shield warped beyond recognition.
Albedo dashed over to him, cleaving him in two with her giant axe. "Filthy humans." She muttered under her breath.
For the following few hours, Lord Momonga dealt with the villagers. The people were afraid of him. After he explained to them that he wasn't Death itself, but a humble caster, the people didn't loosen up. They had all seen the monsters he summoned. Albedo made them bow before him, until Momonga yelled at her about how he was trying to save the town, not dominate it.
He did learn several important things that day. First, Yggdrasil money held no value beyond its material components. Second, people who could achieve feats like he did (even if all they saw was a sliver of what he could do) were rare but not unheard of. Third, war was common in the world. Nations rose and fell like the seasons, technology, science, magic, it was learnt and lost. There were a wide variety of species in this world as well. Fourth, this world made no sense. Judging by the legends, both new and old, added with his knowledge, this world had more than Yggdrasil feeding into it.
The peace, or the horrified silence, ticked on into the afternoon. As on the horizon, troops in red rode into town. The village chief stood alongside Lord Momonga and Lady Albedo. At the lead of the cavalry was a very large, buff man with deep tanned skin. Along his back was a sword fitting someone akin to Cloud Strife from FF XXXIII. The man seemed unflinching when he saw the devastation, the pile of dead soldiers were being carted off. He had seen a lot of war in his lifetime; Momonga was certain of it.
The man rode up to the caster, and with a voice, strong and proud, said "I am the Chief Royal Warrior from the Re-Estize kingdom. Gazef Stronoff. I have orders from the king to hunt down a rogue band of enemy knights that have terrorizing the local villages. However, it appears you've beat us to it."
"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, General. I had merely been passing by when I saw this town under attack. Saving it seemed like the right thing to do. My name is." Lord Momonga paused, 'Do I really want to go by Momonga? My name will certainly be spread by my actions here today. If my friends are somewhere in this world, my name would reach them first, but if rivals are here, my name would tell of my weaknesses. Ainz Ooal Gown has no notable weakness. The safe bet would be to hide behind that name.' His pause was only a breath long. "Ainz Ooal Gown. I'm a magic user."
Gazef got off his horse to better speak with Ainz. "These people would have been lost without you. Thanks to you, they get to live." Stronoff dipped in a military bow. "I am thankful for your heroism. Both of you."
"General!" One of the men rode up from the crowd. "Our scouts have spotted a large army of unknown origin. They're approaching as we speak. Judging by their outfits, we assume them to be magic casters. They outnumber us."
Worry painted the Chief Warriors face. His eyes panned across the town. 'They already took heavy losses. Our numbers are slim as it is. I refuse to back down! I failed to save them once today, I'll save them this time.'
"Lieutenant Joseph. I want you to take the supply carts. Evacuate the village to E-Rantel. Then come back for us."
"But sir, what about you? What of the men?"
"When we win, we will have the town's supplies as well as theirs. We'll be able to survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive." Words went unspoken, they both knew it. Gazef didn't expect to win, but to hold the casters at bay for the villagers to escape to safety. The reinforcements wouldn't be coming for him, they would be coming to mop up the remains.
The Lieutenant nodded. Lord Ainz could tell he was afraid, but he carried out his orders with haste. 'Is that the strength of humanity in this world? Fear, bravery, sacrifice? I have so much to learn.'
Albedo disliked every second she spent surrounded by these filthy animals. They stinked of lives without purpose, lost without meaning. Lord Ainz had given her purpose, the only reason she could bear to be around these creatures was because she was by his side. One day, she knew she would be by his side in marriage and in bed.
"Sir Gown." The broad human addressed her master. "Would you be willing to save these people one more time?" The human dared to request anything of her beloved! Yes, he had loyalty, a positive check in any guardian's book, but to ask something of Lord Ainz!
"I will consider it once I see them."
"I doubt I could conscript you. Haha." The human let out a weak laugh.
Time passed, the troops loaded every cart they could muster. With their efforts, they could just barely fit all the villagers. The townspeople looked weak, beaten down. They hadn't had the chance to mourn those they've lost, and had to leave their home behind. Enri held her little sister close in the back of a cart, whispering stories to her, trying to be the brave one between them both. In the evening light, she watched her quiet little town drift out of sight. That quiet once used to be quaint and peaceful, now it was tainted by suffering, by war, by forces outside their control that saw them only as resources. She vowed to herself, clutching the horn tightly to her sister's back, 'I will never let this happen again.'
The Re-Estize soldiers fortified the town to the best of their abilities. They boarded up windows for arrow slits. Barricades were set up sparsely, to funnel the enemy down the main road, which would be wide enough for a cavalry charge. Trenches were dug deep within the town. They set traps seemingly at random, but there was a method to their madness.
Lord Ainz watched them go about their work as he stood at the barns entrance, a makeshift war room. He was thoroughly impressed. 'The moment he heard that he was up against a casting army that outnumbered him, he immediately set plans into motion. He didn't just evacuate the villagers for their safety, he wanted the cover of their town! Cutting off sightlines of casters was PVP 101, the majority of his troops would excel in melee or close range combat, but to fight them in the open would be a death sentence.'
"[Floating Eye], [Invisibility]" If PVP had taught him anything, it was that information was king. Know who you're fighting, where, and with what. He summoned forth an arcane floating eye, it's fiery slit saw all, and he could see through it at will. However, it's bright orange appearance gave it away, especially as it can be mistaken as a fireball spell. Invisibility remedied that drawback at the miniscule cost of a few seconds and some mana.
"Lord Ainz, if you don't mind me asking," Albedo spoke softly to him. She was scared of the ground she tread on and was careful not to offend her love, but she was too curious. His behavior confused her, and she had to know. "What do you see in humans?"
Silence ticked forth. 'What do I see in humans? I knew I was one, but after how I've felt lately, I don't think I am one anymore. I still feel human emotions, but they feel… off. Watching the innocent die meant nothing to me, but after everything humanity has put me through, I can't bring myself to hate them.'
"What do you see in them?" 'Might as well read the room first.'
"They are weak, pitiful lower lifeforms. I'd kill them without batting an eye. They are bugs beneath our feet." She spoke with malice. Her opinions were clear and honest, and Ainz couldn't bring himself to disagree.
"While I see them as lowly creatures, I do not see them in a bad light. You could say I have a soft spot for them."
"Of course our Supreme One would show his eternal kindness. You truly are the kindest of the Supreme Beings."
Lord Ainz didn't know how to respond to that. He knew that, as of now, he was the only member of the guild still present. He knew the loss, that feeling of abandonment. Abandonment had introduced itself when his father left, abandonment without hatred. Always looking to the door, hoping one day, something would change and they would walk back in. Loss had made itself painfully known when his mother passed. It wrenched out a piece of you, it wasn't called loss because someone was gone, but because they took a piece of you with them. He could only imagine what the guardians felt when they thought of the players, never knowing why they left, just that they went away and the guardians could not go with them.
'He's gone quiet again. He's thinking about the supreme beings again, isn't he. If only they could see the pain he's in at their hands, I would make them feel it a thousand fold! And that would just be for my own satisfaction before I handed them off to the next guardian in line.' Her hand clenched around her metal sleeve, a shiver racked her body as the hatred in her grew like hot embers.
Even though Ainz's eyes were in the sky, he could hear the little clink of metal as her fingers clenched. Having spent so much time around full armored people, you could pick up on the little audio cues. 'She's upset. The heartache must be tough. Tabula didn't mean to leave them, he had to go, he was sick. They all had their reasons to go, real life has its pulls, and sometimes they are inescapable. I'll make sure to pick up the slack in their place. The guardians need me.'
The eye flew out, into the sky in search of the enemy. The town seemed small, and in the twilight it was easy to spot the white hats of the approaching army. The scouts from earlier were right, the casters did outnumber them. If Ainz was right, then this would be a fight between positioning. The casters marched through the open valley towards the town, and the soldiers were hunkered down tight. Gazef wanted the casters to come in, and they wanted him to come out. However, Gazef wasn't planning on winning. This was a war of attrition.
Lord Ainz had his head tilted, as if he was dozing off, leaning on the bar doorway. In truth he was excited, he was watching from the best seat in the house.
The casters arranged themselves in neat rows, like a firing line. Bubbles expanded outwards from the middle and sides as each section raised wards to block incoming projectiles. The wards were large shimmering bubbles, with waves rippling across their surfaces like the light lines at the bottom of pools. With 3 large wards overlapping per section, they morphed together, much like soap bubbles, minimizing how much effort each abjurer had to put into their ward by minimizing wasted space.
The last of the soldiers took cover. Many ran into buildings or hid in alleyways, a few bands of archers were perched on rooftops, the slant acting as cover from the casters. They always stuck in teams, it wasn't chaotic but well ordered. Compared to the casters, they seemed scattered but in truth they were rooted in. The cavalry hid on the other side of town, in the forest. The head warrior hung back in town, waiting for his opportunity.
Lights began to shimmer along the casters, as a barrage of red streaked through the sky. A wave of fireballs came raining down on the town, each orb exploding into a wave of red hot fire. They held no concussive force, but the dominos had begun to fall for Gazef. Fire began spreading, each team of soldiers had 1 caster who were frantically vancumming up the flames with their staffs while juggling keeping their teams alive.
Once the archers put themselves out, they peaked out of cover to fire volleys of arrows. Any that would have hit their mark bounced weakly off the barriers. As the archers peaked, casters along the front began fire bolts of ice. The first casualties were had as spears of ice ran through the heads and chests of any who were unlucky.
Fire spread and danced, the wooden houses were the dancefloor. Smoke rose and the troops hunkered in buildings came out coughing, their casters couldn't keep up with the fires. They dashed for the cover of the trenches, sliding down as bolts of ice rained from the sky.
The entrenched soldiers held up well, as the long ranged artillery never could be effective. Some were wounded, an unfortunate few were killed, but they held strong against the elemental rain.
Gazef climbed to the top of the highest building he could find, the belltower, sword drawn and ready. He began shouting at the top of his lungs "Come here and face me! You've come all this way, NOW FIGHT ME!"
Volleys began targeting him, bolts of ice, balls of fire, purple specks of light could be seen charging. The rain came towards the warrior and he did not budge. He readied his sword like a baseball bat.
"Six Fold; Wind Sweep!" With unnatural speed, his sword made slashes through the air on the broadside. Wedges of wind shot forth, snuffing out the fire and diverting the ice. The purple specks shot forth their charged lightning with deafening applause. Gazef lept from the building before the bolts could strike, they tore the tower to shreds, the bell screaming as it fell among the rubble. He disappeared among the alleys of burning buildings.
Their song and dance continued until night fell. The barrages failed to kill Gazef, and with him diverting so much of their effort, the artillery rain failed to snuff out the entrenched troops. Gazef had won in his objective, as the villagers were long gone, but retreating wasn't an option.
Even if every man had a horse, the only way out was either through the woods, or through open space. The open space would result in a hurricane of caster fire, and the woods weren't a good option, between the fire behind them and the monsters ahead. The wise king of the forest owned that land, it was better left undisturbed.
Golden light shined out from the casters, as angels sprung into being. Their armor shined white even in the dark, their wings shed a heavenly glow of gold. Each carried a long spear, tipped with swords that shined gold. The flock of angels took off from the casters and dashed towards the town. Lord Ainz could hardly believe his eyes.
"Albedo!" He called out to her. "The enemy has just summoned angels from Yggdrasil. We've just been invited to the fight." He called forth his staff, which lazily hovered towards him. Albedo spun her axe into a ready position as she followed her master out into the battle.
Angels tore into the trenches, the men exhausted, both physically and mentally, from the bombardments. They struggled to hurt the divine beings, as they held the flight advantage. Casters tried to dispel the angels, whether through banishment or violence. It worked, killing few of the angels, but once they saw the casters, there was little to be done. The few casters that the Re-Estize had were butchered in the trenches, unable to escape the holy attacks.
Gazef leapt into action, a blur of red and steel gray. Everywhere the blur went, streaks of red shined in the air. Angles burst into light as he dashed by, slicing and swinging. One tried to pierce his chest, but Gazef grabbed the blade and launched himself into the angel, cleaving it in three. As the fight went on though, he was only human. Exhaustion began to set in, and he began to take chip damage. Where he was once untouchable, he began to get scratched and cut, where he was once unable to be tracked by normal eyes, he became a blur that moved in sudden bursts.
Stronoff grew weak and bloody, and alone. His troops were butchered like animals. Even though his men outnumbered the beings, they were no match. The few stragglers that were holding on were desperate. The cavalry had tried to dash in, but they fared little better than the ground troops. Their mobility was impressive, but the angels had them beat in both range and maneuverability.
He propped himself up on a wall, desperate to catch a third wind. A metal hand clasped his shoulder. "We'll take it from here, rest up." And in a flash of bluish light, he found himself in the barn, far from the fight, far from his men. He hobbled towards the door, and collapsed, his outstretched hand barely making it across the threshold. Exhaustion took him.
Lord Ainz floated above the burning ruins of the village. All eyes were on him. The angels, done with trying to hunt down stragglers, surrounded him. Underneath him, Albedo stood guard. The master raised his hands out.
"[Maximize magic; Negative Energy Burst]" A wave of deep purple and black ruptured out around him in a ring. The angels were caught in its blast, black cracks coated their armor and their wings lost their luster. They crumbled away into light.
The casters were at a loss for words. Their angels disintegrated in a single attack! Who was this man? No, who was this monster.
"[Maximize magic; Create Undead; Horde]" With the wave of his hands, the dead troops rose again. Soldiers in blue or red, villagers, undeath did not discriminate. Moans could be heard echoing through the night, as the undead crawled out of their trenches and picked themselves up from the rubble of the burning town. They had been charred, burnt, cutdown, torn apart, stabbed, it didn't matter to them. They walked to the edge of town, lining up in a horrible display of their numbers. Between the villagers, the Re-Estize troops, and the rogue Knights, the casters were outnumbered. The little purple lights of their eyes dotting the red and black townside, slowly shifting as they struggled to hold balance, not a breath was shared among their rank.
Lord Ainz hovered to the front of the horde, and Lady Albedo leapt to his side. He removed his mask, and revealed his face. Pale and hideous in the moonlight, his red eyes shined forth from his skeletal face. "I shall ask you this once. Where did you learn how to summon those angels?"
One of the casters stepped forth, his outfit portraying a higher rank. "What would a monster know of the home of angels? By chance, were you cast out." The commander spat out.
"Those are 4th tier angels. To be able to summon them, let alone command them, would require extensive knowledge about such beings. I would be safe in assuming that you were taught by someone, so I'll ask again. Where did you learn how to summon those angels?"
The commander wasn't willing to parley, he was here on a mission and this undead had gotten in his way. "I'll ask you this once. Roll over and die, I may make it quick."
Albedo had been through with the humans at this point. She came forth and began screaming, "YOU FILTHY HUMANS!"
"Al-albedo, please" Ainz squeaked out, raising a hand to stop her before retracting it as she blew up.
"YOU SHOULD BE GROVELING AT HIS FEET! HE IS A GOD, AND YOU SHOULD SHOW THE LOVE OF MY LIFE THE RESPECT HE DESERVES! YOU ARE MEANT TO BE RULED, IF NOT KEPT LIKE CATTLE!"
"Albedo, calm down!" He shouted. "I mean to learn from them. If they have summons from Yggdrasil, they may have other people like us on their side. I've yet to see them cast any Yggdrasil spells until they summoned angels."
She panted as she tried to recontain her fury. "You are right, my love. I'm sorry. I'll follow your lead."
"Thank you." He said calmly. Under all her armor, she began to blush.
The commander shouted back at them. "We have no room to negotiate with monsters, let alone self proclaimed gods!" He pulled a massive crystal out of his bag. It shined a blinding white, and measured the size of his head. "Behold! THE RIGHTEOUS HAND OF JUDGMENT! [HOLY CHARIOT]! SHOW US YOUR POWER!" The crystal shined even brighter, as it released its angel.
A ball of light sprung into the air between the opposing sides. It grew, and it grew, and it grew. It split and stretched as it took form. The white light popped to reveal the divine beings true form. Night became day, at the core of the creature was a miniature burning sun. Long shadows split the night, cast by the 3 orbiting rings, each one was made from gold and was decorated with countless eyes of every kind. The rings clipped through each other, the eyes moving like they were on a fluid surface to slip through. Flying around it were blades of glass in the design of wings, 3 sets spun around freely in the air, just outside the rings.
Ainz was at a loss for words. They had summoned a raid boss, from a consumable item! He began to think quickly. "Albedo, handle the Chariot. I'm going forth to fight the casters to draw fire away from the horde's advance."
With the nod of her head, she leapt into the air. The Chariot saw this, as it sees all things, it rotated one of its wings to cut her before she could land. The blades clashed against her axe handle, as she tried to block the train of glass. All the force of the wings carried Albedo, even in her extremely heavy armor. Chariot had slapped Albedo out of the gravity well, sending her sprawling to the ground, but she was undeterred, her love was counting on her! She jumped back from the ground for another attack, a shadow of a ring passed over her, and a barrage of blue bolts pelted her approach. Each eye firing blasts of holy magic, dealing good chip damage as this armor set was made for physical combat. The moment her feet touched down on the ring, she dashed along it, cleaving every eye she could find. The eye's shattered like porcelain when they were hit. In self defense, the Chariot began pulling the eyes to retreat. They slid away from her, a flow of eyes reorientated and shifted across the rings, trying to stay away from the axe wielding maniac.
With a single order, Ainz had teleported away, and the horde charged. They sprinted across the open plains as fast as their legs could carry them. The casters began bombarding the charging horde, but were ineffective thanks to Ainz's efforts. When the shadow of the Chariot's rings passed over the undead, a barrage of holy bolts pelted the horde, dropping any it hit. The losses were staggering, but the horde didn't blink an eye as the undead hurdled the fallen. Closing in, the casters began trying to set them on fire, to freeze them in place, to repel them, they tried anything they could to stop the horde, but the undead were upon them. Screams were met by the roars of the dead, as chaos broke out.
Ainz had teleported into the middle of the caster army, the blue flash announcing his presence. Everyone near him turned to open fire. Weak spells crashed against his armor, absorbed in an instant. He immediately began putting his own spells into action before the beefier spells could be brought out.
"[Wall of force], [Mage Armor], [Negative Energy Burst], [Summon Undead; Jack The Ripper, Corpse Collector, Headless Horseman], Argh, [Maximize Magic; Magic Missile]." Ainz began throwing out spells at a breakneck pace. First he opened by summoning a wall of force, its shimmering form blocking out half the enemy from being able to hit him. Then he activated mage armor to block out the rest of the spam. Before he could summon his minions, with a wave of his hand, a wave of purple and black disintegrated everyone around him. His minions came forth from the summoning light. Jack The Ripper, the gothic clown in a straight jacket with needles and knives on his fingers, pierced the flesh of anyone he got close to, ripping them apart in moments. He dodged and weaved through the spam, ripping and tearing as he went. The Corpse Collector, a hulking surgeon with bulging muscles, grabbed and tore apart anything he could get his hands on. Everytime Jack was in trouble, CC would take the hit for him, shouldering the burden. The Headless Horseman, dressed in cavalier clothes from the American civil war, his hat floating above a missing head (in truth he wasn't supposed to be headless, but the in-game texture was missing. Instead of fixing it, the devs changed the name.). He rode on a horse as dark as the unlit sky and carried a cutlass double the normal size. The rider charged forth, clearing a path for the fellow minions, making space wherever he could.
Ainz grunted as he was slammed with heavy hitting spells, such as a ray of orange, yellow light that burned wherever it hit, or a streak of purple lightning that had a mind of its own. Quickly prioritizing shutting down the long incantation spells, he maximized his magic missiles, increasing their count, before sending them off. Each one flew through the hearts of the casters, instantly killing them.
'How are they dealing so much damage?' He thought to himself as he continued to fight alongside his horde. 'These spells aren't from Yggdrasil… which means they aren't tiered and thus my tier based defenses mean nothing. New plan, suppress and control, minimize incoming damage.'
Before the army could put a plan together, Lord Ainz began a spell rotation, a spam of his own. He constantly changed up his choices, going around the rotation flowchart to prevent them from reorienting themselves. Necromantic spells and Evocations slaughtered the casters by the dozen. [Circle of Death], [Black Hole], [Fireball], each spell left a swath of destruction in its path. Direct hit spells, [Magic Missile], [Gravity Maelstrom], and [Grasp Heart], were reserved for casters brave enough to start up a longer incantation. Between his armor and [Mage Armor], only their heaviest hitting spells could scratch him. He never gave them the chance.
"[Shark Cyclone]!" Ainz yelled as he threw his hands into the air. The wind began to pick up, rain began to drizzle, and a cyclone began to twist its way down to earth. Barely believing their eyes, the casters tried to run away, but the wind was too strong as everyone nearby was tossed about. The twister roared in hunger as it tore a path along the ground in search of food, silhouettes of sharks ebbing in and out of view through the rain and dirt. Men were violently ripped apart by the cyclone, whether by the wind or by the sharks within was up to chance. Like a blender, blood red began to taint the white water. Stumbling along, the twister mindlessly searched in need of more.
A mirror broke in the sky, drawing the commander's attention. His country was watching him, and he was failing them. Lord Ainz's armor was built to fight casters, and this included applying pressure to divination spells. The mirror of remote viewing had shattered as Lord Ainz approached the commander. Everywhere he went, spells flew and men died in droves. Ainz paid the commander no mind as he tossed more spells his way, downing him as he had so many others.
The Chariot tried to buck Albedo off by spinning its wheels out from under her. With a jerk, they slid out, but she was too fast. She grabbed on to the edge and held on tight. Another ring came barreling in, attempting to crush her between them. With a crash, it slammed into her open hand. The metal of her armor strained as she held the rings apart. She flung herself out from between them, and as they began passing through each other, she brought down her axe. The Chariot screamed in an echoing voice as one of it's rings had finally taken enough damage to shatter. It had lost many of its eyes by this point, and it's rings were worse for wear. The once glorious wings were cracked, several blades already missing. Albedo wasn't much better off, her breath became labored, her armor was dented and cracked. The axe was missing half of its handle, having been broken by a wing. Both had been wounded, and neither were going without a fight.
Like any raid boss, it turned up the heat in round 2, having lost one of its rings. Bursts of fire shot from its core, singing Albedo's back, even through her armor. The holy flames burned at her flesh and cared little for her protection. She screamed in fury and pain, hacking away at the next ring, sparks flying as her axe slashed along its golden surface leaving long gashes in the metal. Her attacks came at a blinding pace, going even faster as she abandoned much of her self defense. Rather than playing it safe, she gambled on being able to squeeze as many attacks as possible before the next wing came sweeping in.
It paid off the first time, as she was barely able to sidestep the speeding row of glass, her reflection standing right next to her. She grew furious as she saw the state she was in. Her strikes became slower, each one more brutal. The axe left long, wide gashes in the metal. Her aggression was punished the second time though, as the next row of wings slammed along her back, taking her for a ride. Burst of flame gushed forth while the wing's edge carried Albedo through. The Chariot had also ditched a lot of self defense, willing to damage itself to have a chance at killing the armored bitch.
With a scream of fury, she kicked off the wing and swung her axe upwards through a ring. It split and began to shatter, the chunks of gold melting as they fell into the core. The Chariot wailed in pain, and turned up the heat again, it's core went from a heavenly yellow glow, to red hot as it condensed down. Albedo's armor had become red hot, but she didn't dare slow down her assault. The holy bolts had all but stopped, as what little eyes remained focused on firing at the horde, which was busy tearing apart casters below.
Tearing off her helmet, she began her assault again, bashing the last ring, her attention now 100% devoted to this one target rather than three wildly spinning targets. She ran along the rim of the ring, burning on her left side. A wing came for her again, it was cracked and weak and she knew that. Rather than dodge or block it, she swung her axe down as it came for her torso. Shards of glass splintered and flew as the wing collapsed on itself under the weight of her weapon. The Chariot whimpered as it fired off what few flame strikes it could at her already scorched body.
The last ring shattered. What few wings remained went crashing to the ground. Chariot whimpered as it pulled in its last breath, the core shrinking down before expanding out with a fury. The holy nova nearly did Albedo in, as it sent her flying.
Ainz looked up at the nova and watched in horror as Albedo was sent shooting across the sky. Her red hot armor gave her the appearance of an evil comet.
"[Greater Teleportation]! [Fly]!" Ainz cast, blinking into the air. He caught Albedo, he didn't care about the heat of her armor. He grimaced as he spun around, taking the rest of the nova's blast in her place. His [Mage Armor] shattered, and it burned like heaven itself. The robe he wore was singed and battered from the fighting.
He cast his gaze down at the battlefield. He knew that they had to be dealt with, and it was only a matter of mopping up the stragglers. The Overlord raised a pair of fingers to his ear.
"[Message; Demiurge]."
"Yes, my Lord." Lord Momonga had called him! What could he be planning?
"Demiurge." The Lord pushed his guilt aside as his inhibitor demanded. For once he thanked it, as it allowed him to focus clearly. "I need you to deal with some humans at my location. There is one of them, a strong man named Gazef Stronoff, I want him and his men left alive. The ones in blue are yours. Bring whatever forces you can gather and handle this swiftly."
"Right away my Lord." Ainz hung up the call, looking down at Albedo's wounded form. She looked weak, burnt, her skin was flush. The breaths she took were shallow and forced. He was proud of her, but now he needed to save her.
"[Gate], [Gate], [Gate]..." He cast it over and over. If anyone was watching them, he needed to make sure that no one would follow his retreat. He zig zagged across the countryside, everywhere he had seen when he was struggling with the mirror. He Teleported to the mountain tops, deep into the forests, into the cover of canyons, again and again he dived into the purple disk.
His last destination, the first place that came to mind when he thought about healing, was Citrintas's workshop.
He teleported into the workshop, his cloak singed and he smelt of carnage. In his arms was Albedo, her heavy armor still smoking and glowing red. Her face was pale and burnt.
"Citrintas, help her."
AN; Wow, that was a long chapter. Thank any of you who read through the whole thing. I know that Ainz Ooal Gown needed to get the ball rolling for the plot to hit hard going forth. This fic was also not supposed to be Ainz focused, so I focused this chapter heavily on him so I can put everything else into motion. This results in an uncannily long chapter, I am sorry. Next week, we'll be back to the guardians.
There were a few slight balance changes. Namely, Albedo's armor got split into two sets. Her Manga version specializes in physical defense (which is why she was able to survive getting hit by the wing blades repeatedly, but struggled against the holy attacks.) while her anime version specializes in magic defense. The Overlord staple of "your best spells are 3rd tier, well you can only begin to damage me at 7th tier." has been sidestepped (we'll explore this later.). This world hits harder, and I promise it's for good reasons.
Citrinitas, as the strongest backline support Nazarick has, is about to have a lot on her plate.
