Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord just like it
It took me awhile to write this chapter and it had to be edited by talented writer BardTheChronicler. I originally wanted it to be longer but after making a fanfiction with only three chapters I think everyone could use more chapters to prepare for all the talking the characters do.
I_I_I_I
It was early in the morning when Dack relayed to Shinareal a command handed down by the ever strident and terrifying Ainz Ooal Gown. The order was a long overdue assignment with adventurers under the façade that he was actually a member of their team. Maybe one of these days someone could actually see through his ruse, like the famous Blue Rose adventurer Evileye.
Presently, he was sitting at a table in a restaurant that was designated as the meeting spot for the adventurer team he had infiltrated. However, his teammates were nowhere to be found.
"Shin!" exclaimed a voice.
The voice belonged to one of Shinirael's party members, Allom. Beige hair and grey eyes he was donned by grey armor on his upper body while his lower legs wore britches fiery red. Behind him was a bow and arrow while knives, magical items, and his serrated blade were kept in his britches. Allom held Shin in high regard after seeing him easily bring down an ogre with magic.
"My friend!" greeted Shin in return, although deep down he wasn't actually that thrilled to see him. Interacting with Allom wasn't exactly high on his list of things he wanted to do, but Allom was already sitting, ordering a drink, and yammering his mouth off.
"I haven't seen you for weeks! You haven't been sneaking out to finish more missions without your best buddies, have you?"
Shinirael shook his head. Adventuring was such a pain for him because he was constantly worrying about his teammates.
Speaking of teammates, the other three members of their party arrived at the same time shortly after. The female mage Sanna was an alluring woman, short in stature compared to all but one boy in the group. She wore violet robes and walked in boots. Around her back was a tiara embedded with an amethyst. The youngest was Rui the small fry with amber eyes, freckles on his pale skin, red dirt covered hair hidden under his large hat, and he wore a blue poncho with wavy lines on the bottom and brown trousers. The final member and leader of the team was Īaragon; blue hair with bulging muscles, skin darker and more glossy than Gazef Stronoff's, Mythril armor from the gorget to the sabaton. A goatee on his face he hasn't shaved since he was half the age he is now, and green eyes.
"Shin!" All three of the new arrivals exclaimed in unison.
They enthusiastically joined the table he and Allom were already at. The small fry of the group, Rui, quickly gave Shin, affectionally called "big brother", a hug.
Sanna let out her familiar throaty laugh. As usual, her tight bod was the main reason many people glanced their way.
"That's enough of the happy reunion. Shin needs to hear about the mission we agreed to," she said to grab everyone's attention. Though the honor of explaining the plan went to their wolfish-looking leader, Īaragon.
"Momon's adventurer partner and Adamantite class magic caster, Nabe, has requested our team to accompany her on a mission to the tundra of feather-white snow near Dragon Tainted Valley. Once there, we will journey through the valley itself, where the strident wings reside. Then finally, we will enter the lair of a being almost as powerful as Ainz Ooal Gown himself - the lair of a demon lord."
There was a collective gasp as everyone's eyes widened in shock at the earth-shattering explanation.
"You're making this all up, right?" Sanna asked him nervously.
"Not at all. I know it's a lot to ask to bring you four along—"
"The self-effacing truth." Allom jested.
"— But… Darkness is a renowned and powerful team. Helping them will build up our own team's reputation, and soon enough our Commenvalent will become as legendary as Darkness and Blue Rose."
"I hope this job come with amenities," Rui said. "We're not ready for all that hard traveling."
Allom slouched over his drink when it arrived while the others ate their meals. With everyone's eyes occupied by the rigid wolfman, Shinirael stood up, murmured to be excused, and walked briskly out the front door.
Once outside, Shinirael did two things: first, he created a clone of himself to stand by outside – he didn't need Pandora's Actor to make a copy – and then his real self went off to call Azulea.
"Hello," she answered, a little rasp but he was okay with that.
"It's me. How are things in E-Rantel?"
"Splendid. Dumb hero still believes the amulet I hand-fed him will help overcome Ainz's 'tyranny'; his dumb whore friend is learning how to wield a sword, and in unrelated news...Dack is hoping I come home soon."
Shinirael started to feel his heart pumping. His eyes flicked back to the clone looking through the window. It turned [to him] and shook its head.
"You're still going to be there a while. Maybe you should invite Lord Dack over."
"I can't. He is on a mission. And I need to be sure these humans finally go to Momon for help while you and Narberal Gamma need to find out why you both dream of a winding violet-splattered corridor with some ancient head on a pike. I need to go. Let's talk tomorrow... bye."
Shinirael's call disconnected. He returned to the front of the restaurant and called back his shadow clone.
A familiar voice spoke in his head, surprising him. "You're here... now meet me on the roof."
Shinirael leaped from the deserted and poignant restaurant entrance to an open space would-be trap area if Narberal wasn't working with him. She was wearing her maid uniform and stood on the roof with a scroll in her hands. Shinirael wasn't eager to take it, and besides, he had questions.
"Were you happy this morning hearing about the mission-our first mission together?"
"I wasn't," Nabe said flatly. "Nor was I intent on learning anything about the humans I am forced to spend two months with." Her face twisted in disgust at the thought.
"Well... I'm not human... you can learn a little bit about me. My name is Shinirael."
She was silent, her face expressionless, as the fallen angel approached to take the scroll from her.
"Although I don't really care about any of those adventurers down there... hurt any of them..."
A fireball flew right into Shinirael, but he reacted quickly and dissipated the flaming ball with a thrust of his sword's shirasaya. His jab was precise without him even looking at it.
"... I will hurt you. Thank you, Silverbane."
Silverbane finished so he used a gate to teleport back to Nazarick. Narberal Gamma changed into the clothes of Nabe in a flash. She and Shinirael walked back to the entrance of the restaurant where they found the four humans waiting for them.
"There you are, Shin! We were wondering where you went," said Sanna, then she peered at Nabe who was at his side. "Is this...?"
"Nabe! How nice to finally be acquainted with you." Īaragon greeted. Nabe noticed how heavy his swagger was. In no time at all, not even waiting for her to shake his hand, he grabbed her hand on his own and was shaking it. "We loved how you and Momon fought Jaldabaoth and his minions. Some say you even fought better than Evileye against greater enemies."
That wasn't true and nothing in Nabe made her say it was. She never mentioned anything to anyone about what happened. In the moment she repeated what Ainz told her to say.
"I'm grateful you could help me. I will ride in front with your frowsy friend. If you have any issues along the way..." she detested what she said next. "Feel free to voice them to me." She put on a fake smile that made her feel sick. That last line was aggravating much like her association with worms.
Shinirael shared her miserable shame at their situation.
"Got it!" replied Īaragon. "We'll try not to be a distraction... at least not in early mornings and shadowy nights. Let us move on."
I_I_I_I
Everyone rode black horses-Shinirael and Nabe-and brown or white with brown speckles except for the colt with the black fur and white nose, Rui. The doppelganger and fallen angel hadn't spoken a word to each other while the four in the back laughed about preening, the inability to learn thief skills, honey-colored hair, and the friend Rui summons with his magic.
"If they were guarding me I'd be a sitting duck," Nabe said, unimpressed.
"A harmless inoffensive jest. What you don't know is they need to be guarded... from you."
Behind Nabe was the singing voice of the fool Allom.
"They say there is no one like Nabe of Darkness
She is an enchantress no man can resist
Someday she will get older but her beauty will not fade
How I'd like to be the one to grow old with me...
Maybe even just change clothes with her"
Nabe murmured to Shinirael but not before letting Allom get a good look at her scowling face.
"He's lucky to have a friend like you."
Their uneventful ride through the countryside changed in an instant. Bandits blocked their path, wielding swords and clubs.
Nabe narrowed her eyes. "What an eyesore."
"Agreed," said Shin, and they shared a brief look of mutual understanding.
"You can give us your gold or your ladies." One of the bandits in the front barked. Apparently he was their leader.
"We refuse," growled Shin, drawing his sword. "Prepare to die."
Shinirael dismounted his horse with practiced ease, landing solidly on his feet with his back facing the bandits. He smiled at his comrades and gave them a wink, receiving amused smiles from them in return as he continued to show only his back to the enemy.
"Saying your goodbyes are you?" One of the bandits said mockingly.
"Hardly," replied Shinirael in a bored voice. "I just find it meaningless to engage you with attention you don't deserve. No matter what strategy you try... you won't get a glimpse from me."
Some of the bandits laughed, thinking him to be foolish, while others were enraged at how he was belittling them.
"I'll cleave your foot off and shove it down your throat!" roared one of the bandits.
The blowhorn rushed forward and then leaped in the air, attempting to cleave Shinirael's head from his shoulders. Suddenly, Shinirael crouched low, one hand grasping the hilt of his blade behind him, and in one swift motion he unsheathed it and held it out to where the bandit's weapon was incoming. Their blades collided with a loud clang, but the fallen angel was unmoved.
Īaragon smiled broadly as he witnessed Shinirael pock the bandit in the torso with his elbow. After a loud "Oomph!" the bandit backed away with a hand holding his stomach and his face twisted into a mixture of pain and anger.
"You were too reckless!" Another bandit chastised as he stepped forward to join the fight. "It's all in the swing. Watch and learn."
This new foe was in no rush to kill Shinirael, walking with his axe resting behind his nape and smiling with smug confidence. When he was close enough, he swung his axe around with great strength similar to Gazef Stronoff, but his attack simply passed through the air over Shinirael's hair.
The fallen angel had crouched again a few milliseconds before the swinging axe could connect. The big bandit recovered quickly from his shock at having missed and stood upright for his next attack. He raised the axe over his head with both hands and roared, putting every ounce of his strength into the blow, but his axe failed to connect and only ended up in the ground in an explosion of grass and dirt. Shinirael finished him with a lightning fast jab from his other sword, still sheathed, right into the man's nasal cavity, which erupted with backed up mucus, hairs, and wetting his nose ridge with blood.
With his allies watching, Shinirael heard Rui cheering for him. "Ya, you show 'em Shin!"
The bandit with the axe was dazed and in pain. He immediately retreated, making embarrassed whimpering sounds as he returned to the others.
"One isn't enough!" a female bandit yelled. "We have to strike at him together!"
Every bandit was eager enough to face him despite the fallen angel showing his skills - clearly their brawn outweighed their brains. Another bandit, a man with tufts of dark hair peeking out from beneath a red bandana, joined the female who had started yelling. He wore a cotton sleeveless shirt underneath his armor, and a red frilly handkerchief tied securely around his left arm. They nodded to each other. The female charged on the left side while the male charged on the right, the female swinging her sword and the male brandishing his lance.
Their movements were swift and their steps surprisingly quiet, but Shinirael parried their attacks easily enough despite continuing to look in the opposite direction. Their movements were erratic and bizarre, trying to catch him off-guard, but they could not break through his defense. Eventually, he countered and brought them down with just one hit each. Too easy.
No sooner did those two go down than the remaining bandits charged at Shinirael in desperation. They intended to overwhelm him from all sides as they charged side-by-side with fury in their voices, weapons held high.
The first one to strike used a thin sword with no cross-guard or easily-distinguishable handle. In fact, the weapon looked more like a spear. That bandit was knocked down before he could even strike. Another bandit rushed around to Shinirael's front in an effort to get the fallen angel to just glimpse him. Unfortunately for that guy, Shin had predicted this and raised his head so high his chin reached the bandit's eyes and the fallen angel was looking up into the sky. They all swung their weapons at him, but in a blur of motion, Shinirael blocked all their attacks and knocked them out without so much as sparing them a glance, just like he promised.
In a matter of seconds, the small army of bandits became nothing but lumps of flesh to be dragged off the road and dumped carelessly into the woods.