"Look everybody! We have a new Roomie!"
Five heads either turned or used their eyes to look in the direction of the voice they all knew well. At the doorway that led to their quarters, one of the Pleiades Six Stars - Lupusregina Beta, had just burst through. That was an action that specifically irked the Vice Captain of the group. Before anyone else could speak up, they got their first look at the "Courier Six" they had been extensively informed of.
He stood around 175 Centimeters in height, carrying an indifferent yet casual aura around himself. His entire frame lay concealed thanks to the armor they had not gotten the chance to see in person. Underneath the washed green duster protected by both reinforced shoulder and forearm plates and equally as strong knee guards integrated into the boots, hung tightly bound belts, buckles and pouches carrying varying types and amounts of ammo. The weapons themselves weren't far from the ingredients they needed to work as intended. However, in their minds, comparisons to the second youngest sibling's weapons were already being made.
Even though it wasn't his intent, the helmet he wore would certainly help if he tried to intimidate someone. His headgear fully covered his head and a little bit of his neck. But even that section it missed stayed covered thanks to the neck guard with the number "100" painted on it. Green tubes matching the outfit came out from the right side near the chin and into where the mouth would be. It was the same story for the opposite side, save for the antenna and flashlight connected on the right near his ear. The last piece of protection guarded an obviously important part. His chest. Unlike the rest of the outfit, the chest plate wasn't as washed out and shows signs of marks and scratches on it. It had obviously done its job right.
"Hey. Nice to meet you all."
His baritone voice came through the filter, making it sound as if he spoke through a radio in his built-in gas mask. Though they couldn't see it, he glanced at all of them sitting around a large round table underneath the red optics of his helm.
"Ah, you must be Wesson Hall-sama,"
Six suppressed an annoyed sigh as he turned to face the feminine voice. A woman who wore interestingly designed gauntlets was the first to speak up. Her hair stayed styled into a bun, her serious but calm gaze reaching through her clear rectangular glasses. Something else that Six made a note of was the blue-collar around her neck. Just like the other maid's here, her uniform had its own personal style. Of course, it too was armored.
"I am Yuri Alpha, Vice Captain of the Pleiades."
She clapped twice and turned to face the rest of the group.
"Introductions are in order."
It was an order delivered in the strict manner the Pleiades were all used to.
"Lupusregina Beta!"
The redhead near Six suddenly exclaimed, almost causing him to whip his head in her direction.
I already know you…
"Narberal Gamma."
The third to speak was a concerningly pale beauty just like every other female he'd seen so far. She wore what some would call a "resting bitch face". He would never say that out loud of course but if asked his honest opinion in private… anyway, currently atop her head lay a white bonnet, which complimented the mostly black and white maid armor/uniform decorated with gold. She fixed an icy glare on Six. Whether it was on purpose or accident he didn't know. Her black hair teetering on a shade of purple only added further to her cold look due to it covering her brows.
"Solution Epsilon."
The spiral-haired blonde before him was certainly the most scantily clad out of all of them. Like the Wolf Queen next to him, the sides of her (very short) skirt were slit which exposed even more of her legs. Speaking of which, she wore leggings he had never seen before. And he wasn't talking about the lingerie underneath whatever you called that kind of armor piece. Starting from her feet and stopping just above her kneecaps, was a set metal plated high-heeled leggings. He honestly had no idea what their purpose served. He wondered if she fought primarily with those limbs and as such needed them for such a fighting style. As for he face, she seemed polite. But just like Lupusregina, he wasn't getting the whole picture.
"CZ… Delta…"
A noticeably short girl with long, straight, and peach-colored hair, spoke in a flat tone. On her left eye, an eyepatch had made its home there. She wore the traditional maid uniforms he had seen on the "normal" maids except that she wore an unidentified piece of armor on her right shoulder and her skirt seemed more to be made entirely out of metal; It wasn't reinforced on top of it. What really caught his attention was the firearm within three sturdy strings of a material he couldn't identify. Her rifle itself had something he had yet to see. Instead of a single magazine behind the trigger, it held two small boxes instead. He noticed her eyeing his own weapons as well.
"Entoma Vasilissa Zeta~"
The strangest out of the bunch spoke last. Her attire was still that of a maid, however, it seemed to differ culturally from the others. The skirt was slanted at the bottom and primarily brown in color. The long droopy sleeves concealed her arms. Her darkly colored leggings and neck concealed her skin as well. If that wasn't enough to convince him that she was clearly something else, then the mask, weirdly stiff hair, and the antennae made sure he was correct. This little girl was some form of bug, insect, or whatever else but definitely not an animal like the redhead. She seemed polite at least.
Six nodded after they had all introduced themselves. He was about to speak up until…
\Annoyed low beeps/
He turned his head and looked at a peeved ED-E who was currently "asking" for its partner to move.
"My bad, bud."
With a sarcastic apology, he stepped aside and let the eyebot into the room where it decided to float next to the armored man.
\Introductory cheery boops and beeps/
"He says that his name's ED-E and he is very happy to meet you all."
After translating his friend's speech, he focused his attention to Lupusregina and shifted in place.
"Anyway, Is that the spare room you were talking about?"
She nodded with the neverending vigor she always had about her.
"Yep! But It's pretty empty to be honest. Last I checked… it has a bed and a cabinet and…"
She stood there for a few seconds her brows furrowed and her lip curled downwards in a cutesy and thoughtful manner before saying:
"And that's it."
"More than enough."
Six barely nodded as he said this and walked past Yuri and towards the far end of the area where he would take residency in the spare room.
"By the way…"
He stopped by the door and continued speaking without facing the Pleiades.
"I don't like the honorifics. A simple 'Six' or 'Courier' is what I prefer."
He opened the door and stepped through and turned around to face ED-E who had been following him.
"Thanks in advance and sorry for bothering you all."
He closed the door and disappeared from their line of sight.
A momentary silence reigned upon them all before someone broke it.
"...ED-E is cute."
It had been CZ or as her sisters called her "Shizu".
"Oh? You took a liking to it?"
Solution was the one who spoke up next, to which CZ nodded in confirmation.
"I don't see why Momonga-sama is letting a human live in Nazarick. Even if he is a PLAYER."
Narberal voiced her discontent as she sat back down and took a sip of her beverage within a teacup.
"The Supreme One's intelligence is beyond our comprehension. If this human is here for the benefit of Nazarick, then I see nothing wrong."
"He looks very tasty~"
The bug girl had suddenly spoken at the being she viewed as food.
"Entoma…"
Yuri let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Do I have to tell you not to eat him?"
"Don't worry. I won't."
"Good. Well, you're all aware of Momonga-sama's orders. Any information gathered about Six is of the utmost importance. However, he informed us that Six is very much aware of his intentions. He may try to deceive us so be very sure of the info garnered."
Five serious nods came from the Pleiades. They were all ready to serve the Supreme one within the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Six's blackened world had shifted into one of a slightly tinted red. He felt his body and mind start to wind up as they realized that he was (he you you're) finally awake. He sat up on his bed and found a certain tension on his back he didn't realize he had been holding this whole time suddenly gone. It had been replaced with relief.
Everything about Nazarick is great.
He removed himself from his bed and stood up, his armor still fully covering him. As soon as his body had hit the soft white mattress, with an unbelievably silky sheet and delicate pillow, he had quickly dozed off without it being his intention.
"ED-E…"
\Slow waking boops/
"Yup. Just woke up too. I didn't realize how tired I was."
\Concerned beeping/
"Don't worry, I've gone way longer without sleep. It's only after three days that I feel like I need to rest."
Questioning rapid beeps and boops
"I don't really know to be honest. They all seem to be friendly. At least, as friendly as they can be. Don't let them fool you though. They're definitely not humans."
\More beeps of query/
"Oh, her. Yeah, I thought so too. She definitely gave off that vibe. But for all we know, she could be a cyborg and not full on robotic."
Six did his quick and basic stretches involving his arms and legs before making sure he had everything on his person. For some reason, the room he was in was soundproof, yet the doors had no locks on them. He didn't know if this only applied to his room, but he doubted it wasn't implemented in the rest of them. He wasn't worried about them coming in to snoop in on him or his belongings. He had ED-E as a watchdog.
Six slipped on his backpack and approached the door.
"Come on ED-E."
He turned the knob and opened the door leading to the rest of the Pleiades.
Like he had expected, he found the six maids sitting around the same table as before. Except this time, there was a whole assortment of varying foods taking up nearly the entirety of the table with enough room for six people and one more. In between Yuri and Solution stood a recently added seat no doubt intended for him. All six sets of eyes landed on him as soon as he emerged from the doorway.
The Courier tried his hardest to not let the stares affect him. He made sure his walking pattern wasn't quick and pretended to not notice them all sitting at the dining table. Feeling all eyes on him, he made it past the table before a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Six, why not join us? There's room for one more."
It was Yuri. He nearly slumped his shoulders in defeat but managed to eliminate the urge. He wasn't trying to avoid them, he just wanted to make it outside and head to the showers on the Ninth Floor. He wasn't feeling so clean. He had hoped none of them would pay attention to him and just let him leave their headquarters. It was not meant to be.
"Alright, if you don't mind..."
The simple response came out from him.
Please, somebody mind.
None of the other Pleiades voiced any objections as he approached them. He dragged the chair between the blonde and the black-haired maids and then slipped off his backpack onto it's wooden spine. He promptly sat down and pretended that their stares didn't bother him in the slightest.
"Truth be told…"
He started and glanced at all of the tasty looking food in front of him.
"I'm not very hungry. A snack is all I'm going for."
"You want a snack?"
A childlike voice came from across him. He focused his attention to the not-so-human antennaed girl.
"Yeah. Something small."
"Here~"
Entoma reached within her drooping sleeves and produced a brown wriggling insect. More specifically, a cockroach.
"Entoma, I don't think he…"
Yuri was about to interject but stopped herself as she watched the armored man next to her unhesitantly reach for the vermin still making attempts to free itself from the girl's wrath. Six slightly rose from his chair and leaned forward to meet Entoma. He plucked the insect from her "hands" and sat back down.
They all watched in silence as Six undid the latch underneath his helmet and raise it just above the mouth. He opened his mouth and flicked the cockroach into it before slamming his teeth down together. A nearly inaudible and satisfied "Mm." came from him as he consumed the roach.
"That's good. Got any more?"
"Yep! But the rest are for me."
"Okay. But if you got spares you don't need you let me know."
He received a nod from the young lady.
"Ew! Six, you're so gross!"
Lupusregina, who sat next to Solution, laughed as she said so.
A "Huh?" Was all he could respond with after he readjusted his helmet and concealed his entire head once again.
"I… certainly wasn't expecting to do such a thing."
Yuri spoke next. She expected the Courier to turn down her offer.
"Why do you say that?"
"Humans - those in Nazarick as well, see such things as repulsive."
Solution spoke up and explained to Six.
"What? Well, that's not true where I'm from. Radroaches are commonly used as food. More so than anything else. That's thanks to their overabundance."
"Radroaches? What are those?"
It was Narberal who had asked him that question.
"Mutated cockroaches. They're essentially the same as normal ones but bigger. They're about four times the size of my foot. Of course, it wouldn't be a Wild Wasteland if that was it. There's even bigger versions or the irradiated ones."
Six didn't fail to notice the drool leaking underneath Entoma's mask.
\Beeps and boops of recollection/
"...That was one time. I haven't done it since. Because of me, we now truly now that eating overly irradiated food is bad for you."
\Beeps of more memories/
"Well that's different. Some are just born with that mutation. If radiation heals you, then go hang around green radiated pools."
\Insulting boop/
"I'll throw you in there too."
The Pleiades looked at one another as Six and ED-E continued conversing with one another about matters they knew nothing about.
"...How did you…"
Six and ED-E ceased their conversation and looked at the flat-toned girl who had decided to finally speak up.
"and ED-E meet?"
Six leaned back in his chair and placed a hand on the floating eyebot.
"Is it okay if I tell them?"
\Beeps of consent/
"Alright, then. The short version is that his creator - a guy named Whitley, abandoned him."
The mood at the dining table had suddenly shifted into something more dreary, which had almost caused Six to stop his story and ask what was wrong. He decided against that and continued.
"But before he did that, he sent ED-E on one final mission. To deliver sensitive information. Unfortunately, some raiders had noticed him traveling and took it upon themselves to gun him down."
He shifted in his chair and continued once more.
"I found him in an area called 'Primm'. He was beaten and dead. But with a little of my know-how and a bit of elbow grease, I repaired and brought him back to the world of the living. I helped him deliver his data and that was that. Ever since then, he's always been at my side."
Six finished the story and glanced at each of the Pleiades, trying to gauge their reactions. When the silence continued for longer than five seconds, Six's heart rate began to speed up. He felt like a guy who had just spilled his spaghetti and embarrassed himself in front of a group of women.
"ED-E is very lucky to have someone as compassionate as yourself."
Yuri's voice banished the quiet and Six's hidden anxiousness.
"Nah. Anyone else would of done it. It's no big deal."
He dismissed such a notion with a downward motion of his hand.
"You are very humble it seems."
Six said nothing. He instead stared down at his plate in silence, as if confirming her statement.
"Six…"
CZ's voice broke through the Courier and forced him to pay attention to her.
"Yeah?"
"Can I see… your weapons?"
I wondered when this was going to happen.
"Sure. Let's start with this one."
Six reached for the Ranger Sequoia and took hold of it's grip. He slowly but surely removed it from it's holster until it was in full view and in front of him. He activated the cylinder release and let the cylinder completely expose itself on the side. In one motion he moved the weapon and allowed the five bullets within to fall out of it before he masterfully caught them all in one swipe. He stuffed the rounds into the designated pouch and sealed it closed afterwards. He flipped the weapon and took hold of the barrel and let the grip face the only long-haired girl within the Pleiades.
CZ looked at the weapon for a second before she leaned forward and grabbed it. She raised it and brought it up to her face and began to scrutinize the object in front of her. Her emerald iris and target-mark pupil scanned the anatomy of the 4 pound revolver. Her eyes quickly passed through all of the parts which included: the hammer, front and rear sight, trigger, cylinder, guard, barrel, frame, muzzle, chambers, and grip. After looking at all of this over she came to one conclusion.
"This is very well maintained."
"Of course. Having my gun jam in the middle of a fight isn't an ideal situation."
"Why is it engraved?"
"Oh that. It gives me a tactical advantage."
The Courier's joke only landed with CZ. The rest of the maid's had taken what he said at face value. The short girl's neutral face marginally shifted, her lip curling upwards by just the smallest amount. She also let loose a quiet noise resembling that of amusement.
"Honestly, I don't really know. I didn't make it. If you look at the bottom, it says '20 years' on it. It's supposed to be given to veterans after twenty years of service. It's supposed to make whoever receives it special."
"For Honorable Service…"
She read aloud and reviewed the revolver once more before she flipped the weapon in the same way Six had done. She leaned forward and he retrieved it from her. He let one of his strongest weapons rest back into its snuggly home.
"How about this one?"
Six reached for his Anti-Material and undid the strap holding it in place.
"Hold on, I have to stand up for this."
He got up from his chair and slid it smoothly against the pristine floors before taking two steps back and refocusing on his sniper. The Courier pressed the magazine eject button and let the rectangular box full of seven hand loaded .50 caliber rounds fall into his hands. He placed it on the table before focusing on the bolt. He pushed it forward and exposed the yet to be fired bullet laying innocently within. He retrieved it and placed it next to the magazine atop of the table. He then rested the sniper horizontally on both his hands. His left grabbed underneath the carbon fiber parts and his right on the barrel. He presented it this way to CZ something akin to that of an honored knight claiming his newfound weapon.
She accepted the modded weapon and began the same inspection she had done with the Ranger Sequoia. The stock, grip, butt along with its plate, custom bolt handle, forestock, 3x scope, barrel, suppressor and the open chamber. She let out an "Hm" as she finished inspecting. She suddenly shifted her arms and pressed the stock against her right shoulder near her axilla and took aim to her empty left as if she had suddenly acquired a target. She stayed in that position for a few seconds before holding it vertically by the forestock. She handed it back to Six and gave her thoughts.
"I... like it."
Despite wearing a helmet, the battle maids could all feel Six's gleeful smile underneath it.
"Glad to hear it."
He inserted the magazine back into the rifle and chambered the first round. He slung it over himself and strapped it back on.
"I'd love to show you the rest, but I was planning on hitting the showers earlier. So you'll have to…"
Six stood up and began equipping his backpack before stopping and trailing off.
"Actually, I'll just leave this here. Feel free to look at the rest."
He reached for and drew every weapon within his duster and lay them down on the table for all to see.
"Just be careful, yeah? I'll be back in… um... at some point. Until then, have fun."
He removed the Medicine Stick from its strap and lay the final weapon on his person on the table. He slipped his backpack on and turned on one heel as he left the area and opened the door that led to the rest of the Tenth Floor. He went through it with ED-E right behind him and closed the door.
Not a moment later, CZ immediately set about to thoroughly going through the rest of the human's weapons. She set her sights on the strange pistol with tubes sticking out of it.
The Courier slowly walked up a large flight of stairs that led to the Ninth Floor. He was currently listening to Take Five by Dave Brubeck. He subconsciously walked in tempo to the beat, his head slightly bobbing as the crisp, clear sound reached his ears. He was about three feet from the gate before it slowly began to open. However, it wasn't in response to him. Instead, a familiar person stood there in place as they patiently waited for it to open.
The deathly-pale woman in the red night gown appeared before him. They stared at one another for a second before Six broke the tension.
"Er, Shalltear Bloodfallen, right?"
The woman somewhat narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, that's right."
"Just making sure. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot. So… what are you doing? Looking for your necks victim?"
A small frown appeared on her face when she realized he had just made a pun.
"Very funny. If you really must know, I'm seeking an audience with Momonga-sama."
Six leaned his head back for a moment in silent understanding.
"Hey, There's something I want to ask. Are the First, Second, and Third floors noisy?"
Shalltear's face now formed a mix of confusion and curiousity. She didn't know why he would ever want to know about that. Her mind immediately began thinking that he was looking to extract info from her. So what should she do? Lie to him? Or tell him the truth?
"Not usually." She decided to go somewhere in the middle. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I just heard there's a lot of coffin…"
Shalltear's face resumed the frown.
"Really? Another 'joke'?"
"Sorry sorry… I know I'm a pain in the neck."
Her frown turned into a scowl.
"Alright alright! No need to be so batty…"
Low growling came from her but a small smile crept up on his face.
"You have a really bat temper."
She began to grind her teeth in frustration which earned a short burst of laughter from the Courier. She was about to make him feel sorry for being a nuisance before he cut himself off and suddenly exuded a pensive attitude.
"In all seriousness, I wanted to thank you."
Shalltear's open hostility dimmed somewhat.
"What for?"
"For finding and saving ED-E. I know that he could've quite possibly perished in Nazarick if it wasn't for you. So…"
He bowed gratefully and held it.
"If you ever need anything. I'll do it without question. It doesn't matter what it is. I owe you. A lot."
Shalltear wasn't expecting him to suddenly offer his services for whatever she needed. Had any other human uttered a similar sentence, she would have scoffed. But Courier Six is a player. A being on the same level as the Supreme One. His words actually meant something.
After holding his bow for a few more seconds, he stood up straight and faced her. It seemed she no longer wanted to murder him.
"I shall take it into consideration. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
The True Vampire walked past him and continued up the stairs. Six resumed what he was doing as well and stepped through the gate. He looked around himself and confirmed that he was now in the Royal Suite. Everytime he passed between floors, he felt this weird sensation shooting through his body for a split second before it instantly passed. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but it didn't seem to bring any negative side effects. Yet. Anyway, it was time to cleanse himself from the filth and sweat clinging underneath his body. Now, if he remembered correctly…
Six walked throughout the Ninth Floor and encountered only the Homunculus maids going about their day and performing whatever duties set to them. He passed by them and gave off a friendly wave of the hand. Some responded to his action while others seemed more interested in the floating robot floating next to him.
\Introductory boops/
"...He says his name is ED-E."
\Flirtatious beeps/
"..."
Six didn't bother translating what he had just heard his companion say and remained quiet. He didn't know when it happened, but some time after the fight at Hoover Dam, ED-E had somehow gained an attraction to females. At first, Six found it to be amusing and sometimes hilarious. However, sometimes ED-E was just too straightforward and spoke words sure to make anyone blush in embarrassment or in anger. It depended on who he asked of course.
"What did it say?"
A maid with long blond hair perked up, her hands politely and elegantly cupped near her hip. She wore pink half-frame eyeglasses, her magenta eyes now focused on him instead of ED-E.
"He said you all look very beautiful."
It wasn't a lie. He had just heavily paraphrased what the bot intended for them to hear. There was no way in hell he was going to tell them the real line.
"Oh my! Thank you."
They all bowed in unison the compliment as she said this.
\Excited beeping/
ED-E swayed left and right. He lowered himself to the ground and back up over and over as he made those noises. He then approached the group of three women and slowly snuggled in between them all, a display of wanting affection ensued.
"He's so cute!"
Another blonde maid, slightly shorter, with golden eyes exclaimed as she hugged the eyebot who buried himself into her bosom. He let off a few more beeps of joy as they all circled and caressed him in their own ways. Headpats, rubs, and hugs is what their actions consisted of.
Aren't you a player…
\Steadfast boops/
"Got it. You already know where I'm going."
"Can he stay here?"
The golden-eyed woman asked Six.
"ED-E is his own man. He does what he wants."
And with that said, he faced away from the trio of women and walked away from the scene. However, he was still within earshot so as a goodbye he said:
"Don't get into trouble."
ED-E let off a confirmatory beep and once more basked in the love he was receiving.
"Damn…"
Six slumped further into the steaming water and let himself succumb to the jets of bubbling water gently hitting his entire body. His nose usually stayed just above the clear liquid but on occasion he would completely submerge himself for a few seconds before coming back up. On the Jacuzzi's frame, his Pip-Boy, worn shampoo, and a used bar of soap lay atop of it. This was a hell of a lot better than simply dumping a bucket of water on your head. To him, this bath was something only found in fairytales. Such things didn't exist back on the wasteland. If it did, people would literally kill each other over it. He was going to enjoy sitting there until he became too waterlogged.
An hour of pure delight passed throughout the silent spa, save for the noise coming from the Jacuzzi. He dipped into the hot pool one final time for six seconds before coming back up. He quickly wiped away the water near his eyes and opened the lids. He looked around himself, out of instinct before climbing out of the area entirely nude. He grabbed the neatly folded and ragged white towel next to the shampoo and began drying himself. He had never felt this clean in his entire life.
Is this what it felt like to live in the Old World before the bombs fell? If that was the case, how could they let such a great way of life become squandered? How could anyone in the world let such a disastrous - no - apocalyptic event occur. Where were the heroes? Where were the selfless who were supposed to protect the world?
They weren't there because they never existed.
His thoughts then naturally wandered to the Mojave.
After he had told and fought Caesar's Legion - an autocratic, traditionalist, imperialistic slaver society and totalitarian dictatorship - and the New California Republic - the "republic" that values democracy, personal liberty, and the rule of law - to back the fuck off of New Vegas, he had left most of the work to Yes Man. He only actually acted as a final say when it came to the plans of the city since he had resided within the Big MT.
He wondered if anyone had realized that he was missing, not that he would blame them for that. Disappearing and randomly emerging days later was something he did frequently. It didn't sit right with him to spend all of his time at Big Mountain. Hopefully his sycophant was handling everything in New Vegas as best as he could. It's a good thing he gave himself that 'assertive' update. If he hadn't…
Someone would've surely been messing with Vegas.
After musing around in his technologically advanced brain, he finished drying himself off. Balling up the now wet towel and slinging it over his left shoulder, he took a knee and opened his backpack. He fished within his bag for a moment before drawing out his a pair of boxer briefs and a plain white tank top. He had five exact sets of these clothes. It was the only thing he always wore underneath his armor. He put both of them on himself and then sealed the shampoo with the cap. The white bar soon found itself inside a clear plastic container and inside the bag along with the other object. Six slipped the rucksack's shoulder straps on himself and began to make his way towards the changing room where he had left his armor.
On his way back, he made a mental note of which bath he wanted to try next. There's the carbonated, yuzu, roman, jungle, electric, bedrock, cold, cherenkov, and the cold baths. He decided that the electric one would be next. It sounded interesting. He only knew of the types because of the sign near the entrance to the spa. Once he had arrived into the changing room, he found the locker he had stashed his armor in and opened it.
There lay all of the pieces. The boots, chestplate, gloves, helmet, duster, pants, belts, the whole shabang. He placed everything on himself in no particular order. After looking himself over and checking off a mental list. He closed the locker and made his way to the exit.
"Oh, is that Six-sama's pet?"
One of many homunculus maids asked as a group of over ten of them crowded around the only two of weaponized Eyebots. ED-E bobbed left and right in pure joy at the attention.
"Yep~ this is his little buddy!"
A maid with greenish-blonde hair answered the other maid's question.
"Foire!"
The golden-eyed woman gave her an unappreciative glance.
"Six told us and I quote:"
She took in more air and manipulated her voice to sound comically deep. It was at Six's expense of course.
"ED-E is his own man. He can make his own decisions." She assumed her normal tone. "Something like that."
"Oh! I see."
ED-E moved around the dining area and floated near some other maids consuming large amounts of food. He earned giggles, laughs, head rubs, and pats. He was definitely making a very good first impression. He did a few flips in the air and spun around more of the maids happy to have a form of entertainment as they ate. The cuteness was a plus. Whilst he did all of this, he played energetic propaganda music placed in him by the Enclave.
"CZ!"
A random maid shouted amongst all of the clamoring. Silence reigned for a second as everyone turned to look at the newcomer. Seconds later, waving hands went up and all of the maids began beckoning for their idol to sit down. Their attention seeking didn't seem to register nowhere as the battle maid scanned the cafeteria before landing her eyes on the floating bot.
\Salutary beeps/
"...Hello, ED-E."
"Hey, aren't those Six-sama's weapons?"
A different brown-haired maid spoke up as she noticed the items poking out from a black duffle bag.
"...Yes."
\Questioning beeps/
"...You know where he is?"
ED-E nodded and gave his equivalent of a nod in response.
\Informatory boops/
"...Okay."
The automaton turned around and began to leave the area. The non-battle maids around her shared puzzled looks. They had no idea what conversation had just taken place. They also didn't know the CZ could somehow understand the eyebot. Was it because they're both robotic in nature?
"Hold on, what are you talking about?"
A random maid asked.
The short girl didn't stop her walk, but she did respond after hearing her
"...I'm looking for Six. ED-E said he is at the Spa. I'm going to return his weapons."
She continued forward and left the cafeteria. It hadn't even been a minute after she exited but the all of the maids on their lunch break already felt invigorated by CZ's mere presence. To be able to speak with their favorite battle maid made them very happy. Like a fan who had just received a hug from their favorite celebrity.
Maybe I should clean my armor too…
Despite wearing boots, Six's footsteps were totally silent as he walked down the carpeted red halls of the Ninth Floor.
Wasn't there a clothing store around here too? Maybe I should… nah.
He didn't realize just how much better he felt after scrubbing himself clean in the bath. He wasn't sure if it was a sort of placebo thing, but his general mood overall had significantly improved. If he was being honest, he didn't remember the last time he showered. But that was normal in the apocalypse when clean water was almost as rare as a unicorn. Unless you were okay showering or bathing in irradiated water - which he wasn't - then you would be fine. If growing an extra limb or looking closer to something resembling a centaur was fine with you.
Nobody was around and the halls were quiet to the point where he could hear his ears began to ring as they desperately tried to fill the void lacking noise. Now was probably a good time to reflect on the events that had transpired and the people he had met thus far.
Demiurge: No doubt very intelligent. Just simply looking at him could tell you that. Constantly wears a smile, but it doesn't seem to be a mask. For some reason he always seems content. Though, he could tell that guy means business. He had this evil aura around him. Six couldn't imagine him wearing anything else but a suit. A vision of that devil wearing cargo shorts and a white tank top nearly made him laugh.
Albedo: That smile on her face is definitely a veil. Underneath it was a cruel and intelligent woman. At least, that's what he assumed. She is the Overseer of all the Guardians. She didn't seem to particularly like Six, probably hates him to be frank. He guessed it was because of the way he so casually and "disrespectfully" talked to Momonga. Surprisingly though, he couldn't find it in himself to return those negative feelings. He just didn't care.
Shalltear Bloodfallen: She's the only other Floor Guardian he has directly spoken with. Six hadn't mistaken her for a child at all. Just a simple shorty. A shorty who wore pads on her breasts. He couldn't figure out why she would do that. She's already drop dead (heh) gorgeous. Was she really that self-conscious about her petite figure? Anyway, that last interaction seemed to have left them on good terms which is all he could've really asked for.
Cocytus: The giant insect who rivaled a normal Deathclaw in size. Four arms meant four weapons which meant four more ways he could kill someone during a battle. He didn't know anything about the guy. Except that he Talked. Like. This. For. Some. Reason. He guessed that his abilities had something to do with ice.
Aura and Mare: Kids. Kids in suits. They're twins for sure. Crossdressing ones at that. He had a momentary thought of Saint James and his preferences towards children. Fucked up individual that guy, but that's off-topic. Those elves seemed innocent enough. But they are Floor Guardians which meant they were designed to kill. He definitely wouldn't underestimate them. He didn't know much about them.
About the battle maids…
Yuri Alpha: She is the kindest out of all of them with CZ coming in second. Despite this, she also seems to be the most strict out of all them and can come off as a sort of a hardass. He was glad that she had went out of her way to supervise her sisters when he interacted with them. He had a funny feeling his introduction to them all would have gone differently if not for her. He appreciated that. Also, her appearance reminded him of a teacher, though not the kind actually found in classrooms. More of the ones found in… films.
Great… I just associated her with porn. Good job, idiot.
"Shizu Delta" A.K.A. CZ2I28 Delta: He couldn't see her as anything more as a little sister - with a gun - he had to protect. He didn't know why she was so unexpressive. He could defintely sense her emotions but barely see them. He wondered if it had something to do with her race or if that was just the way she was. He had a feeling they could be very good friends if their last conversation meant anything. Speaking of which, he wondered what she had done with his weapons…
Hopefully ED-E isn't causing trouble somewhere with the maids…
Lupusregina Beta: The first battle maid he had talked to. Her upbeat attitude and generally jovial nature she assumes would have fooled anyone who didn't bear a keen eye or had experience with her type. He honestly didn't know what to make of her. She hadn't shown her true side to him. So could he form an honest opinion? He guessed he was on good terms with her.
Narberal Gamma and Solution Epsilon: Same problem with the Wolf Queen. He had no basis. An opinion could not be formed. Both of them didn't seem to harbor any ill-will towards him. But there was a possibility Momonga or Yuri had ordered them to be polite. He didn't truly know. Only time would tell.
Entoma Vasilissa Zeta: The little girl with the unmoving literal mask. She definitely acted like a kid, but he was in Nazarick where nothing should be taken at face value. Despite her thinking that he looked very tasty, Six didn't have a problem with her. They had talked but it wasn't much. All he did was accept that surprisingly tasty roach. There was a decent chance they could be friends. Just like CZ, he saw her as a youngin.
And now for Momonga… there was that whole "conversation" we had…
Six sat down opposite of Momonga, the tense air from before had faded away and had been replaced with… something else he couldn't place his finger on. Six leaned back and raised his left leg and let his foot rest on his knee. He allowed his arm to rest on the frame of a white elegant couch and let it hang there. An action that seemed to displease the black-winged woman next to Momonga.
"You are the strangest Player I have ever met."
That's a way to start.
"Everything about you is an enigma."
Six stayed silent and allowed him to continue, his left foot slightly twitching in anticipation.
"I casted {Discern Enemy} the moment you and I first saw one another. What I saw… deeply intrigues me."
The Courier remained quiet, but his arm gently swung back and forth behind the couch.
"I saw your level - 50 - and nearly dismissed you as nothing important. However, there was more to it than that…"
Six brought his arm back to himself but crossed both and set his left leg down next to his right and spread his legs a little more.
"Your level of 50 was only for your race - human. Nothing else. I don't know how you did, but you reached this with no job levels. Instead, you seem to possess something called Skills. Barter, Energy Weapons, Explosive, Guns, Lockpick, Medicine, Melee Weapons, Repair, Science, Sneak, Speech, Survival, and Unarmed were what I saw - all of it at max."
"What interested me - no - what made me wary of you soon emerged…"
"I had used {Life Essence} to gauge your HP."
Momonga appeared to be taking a breath. As if steeling himself for what he was about to say next. Six didn't know why this was all a big deal. In his opinion, he wasn't anything special. Just another guy trying to survive the wasteland.
"...545 Hit Points…"
Albedo's face had entirely shattered as soon as these words had left Momonga's mouth. Her mouth opened but no words came out, she stood there as if still trying to process what had just been claimed.
...What? Hit Points? What's he on about?
"T-that's simply inconceivable! Impossible! It must be a lie! How could…"
Her expression eased somewhat as the only possible answer popped into her head.
"He must be using False Data to deceive us."
Momonga simply shook his head at this.
"I have already ruled out that possibility. False Data of any form cannot last for more than two minutes - which has already passed. As far as I'm aware, there is no superior spell of its kind."
"I used {Mana Essence} afterwards and found him completely lacking in Magic Points. It's impossible for him to use such things in the first place."
"..."
The angelic and usually elegant woman seemed to be at a loss for words. It seemed his analytical conclusion had made sense to her as much she seemed to despite it. Or was it himself that she didn't like? Six wouldn't ever know.
I have no idea what the fuck is going on.
And that was the simple truth. Levels? Skills? Hit Points? Mana Points? False Data? Not a single clue was within his possession. But he wasn't an idiot either. The consequences of him suddenly blurting out that he was utterly ignorant meant that he could be taken as a sucker they could easily fool no matter how intelligent he might be. For now, it was best to keep his mouth shut and accept whatever they said. He knew that doing so would be a huge gamble that even his luck might not save him from but he would take it regardless. He needed to garner as much as he could from these guys.
"Six…"
The voice of the Overlord forced him out of his thoughts. He was glad they couldn't see his poker face because of all the cracks of emotion leaking through.
"Yeah?"
His reply and tone of voice, however, stayed unwavering.
"Are you aware of how you ended up this way?"
All Momonga received was a simple shake of the head.
"I had assumed as much…"
Momonga interlocked his fleshless bony fingers wrapped in rings and seemed to contemplate something for a second.
"While this is a baseless theory, I believe your strange Data and memory loss stems from the usage of a World Class item. However, it was one that most likely came with down sides. A World Item that heavily detracts from your overall Experience wouldn't be out of place, which would explain why your level is half of 100."
Momonga straightened up slightly in his seat.
"Of course, this is all merely speculation. There isn't any hard evidence for this. Regardless, I believe we could both benefit from a partnership."
Six leaned forward at this sentence. He wasn't just going to enter a partnership all willy nilly.
"What are your terms?"
"It's simple. You pledge all of your loyalty to me. You follow the orders I either directly give you or relay through someone else. I expect total cooperation. Of course, you are free to inquire as much as you like so that you may increase the chances of success. I don't expect you to blindly follow orders. Otherwise, you may do as you wish as long as it benefits Nazarick."
The Supreme Being, the one who had stayed behind with the denizens of The Great Tomb of Nazarick, leaned forward and was about to extend his arm but was stopped by Six's "Stop" gesture.
A gesture that deeply angered Albedo.
"You dare show such disrespect after those extremely generous conditions?!"
"No disrespect is ever intended. I want to make sure of something."
Six tossed away his slouching and straightened up.
"Will I receive basic necessities like Food, Water, Sleep and other such things?"
"Yes."
"What about ED-E? Will you help me find him?"
"Yes."
"...Am I allowed to leave Nazarick whenever I want?"
"Absolutely not."
"...Am I allowed to freely roam between all floors?"
"No. Unless I say otherwise, you will only reside within the Ninth and Tenth Floors."
"...Alright," Six inched closer to Momonga with his extended arm and open palm. "That sounds like a good deal."
The Supreme Being who stood above all others leaned forward and performed the same action. Bony hands met gloved ones and both shook firmly. They both now had an oath to keep.
That was yesterday… Maybe I should've tried to barter… no that would be risky. I have yet to see this guy actually upset.
Despite what others may have thought, Six actually had an overwhelming amount of respect for Momonga. Who wouldn't? He commands incredibly dangerous individuals who seem absolutely loyal to a fault. He basically runs the entire show in Nazarick. Anyone who makes an enemy out of him is guaranteed death. Or worse.
"...Six."
The Courier, who had been looking down at the ground in thought, had now just realized that he had come across the rifle-wielding girl.
"Oh sorry, CZ. I was thinking just now."
"...About what?"
"Nazarick and how… different it is - in a good way. I'm just so unaccustomed to it is all."
"...Are you scared?"
That was a question he hadn't expected to be asked. Was she genuinely concerned or simply curious? Either way, he needed to answer.
"Nah. Although, if it wasn't for a certain guy I met, maybe I would be."
Silence took over for a moment before Six noticed the black duffle bag in her hand. A certain lever-action weapon poked out through the top.
"You done with those? What do you think?"
"They are… very cool."
She swung the bag to hang in front of her and pulled out the Medicine Stick. It's appearance resembles every other Lever-action rifle. The only difference was the unusual cleanliness of it, the unique stock and the medicine wheel on it. Actually, now that he looked at it. It was a lot cleaner than normal…
Six pulled out the weapon and strapped it onto his back before reaching inside and pulling out Lucky. The smoothed out black barrel, frame and cylinder is what made it stand out from other revolvers. That and the white grip with the black clubs symbol. It too was unusually clean…
Six swiftly moved it into its appropriate holster and began thoroughly looking at the rest of the weapons, placing them all back into their respective straps and holsters.
"CZ…"
He inspected his Ranger Sequoia in front of her and looked down the barrel.
"Did you, uh, did you clean all of my weapons?"
She stood there for a moment before answering with a nod. Six, however, didn't respond to her answer and just kept looking at his weapon.
"...You don't like it."
It was a statement. Not a question.
W-what? Is she…?
"Don't like it?! Don't - I love it!"
He somehow beamed at her through his helmet.
"This is spectacularly clean! I noticed you greased them up a bit too. I could not have done it better myself. Seriously!"
He gently smacked her left shoulder with his right hand in thanks as he continued to hold his revolver. An almost unnoticeable smile appeared on her face after he had done so.
"To show my thanks, how about we go and shoot these somewhere? Y'know, a little test run."
Her smile increased ever so slightly at his suggestion.
"I would like that."
"Momonga-sama. CZ and Courier Six request an audience."
The overseer of all floor guardians - Albedo - watched the man she so deeply loved turn his head towards her and looked into his bright red eyes. They fired up for a moment before it settled down to its normal strength.
"...Let them through."
The gate-like door slowly opened as two maids pulled at it. From it emerged the two beings he had just been informed about. The armored human and the automaton girl.
Six was nearly taken aback by the amount of Homunculus maids in the large office. The amount was nearly equal to those he would find in the mess hall. He wondered how the supreme being was able to work so diligently underneath all of those eyes fixated on him. On the outside, Momonga appeared calm and collected as he coolly and fully turned to face the two who had just entered.
CZ and Six both stopped about seven feet from the wooden, large table full to the brim of books, documents, and papers. However, the girl was the only one who took a knee and allowed her right arm to rest on her right leg. Six simply stood there and let off a simple wave and said:
"What's up, Momonga."
These words were enough to earn him stink eyes from the maids. Surprisingly, the succubus on his left next to the skeleton had not done so.
"Greetings, Six."
The maids soon expressed clear shock and confusion. They had expected Momonga to react negatively to the clear sign of document Momonga held in his left hand soon found itself placed in the empty spot in front of him.
"I know you're busy, so I'll make it quick. CZ and I wanna go and find a spot to shoot my guns. You said I could only move between the Ninth and Tenth Floors, but I was hoping you could let us into the Sixth Floor with someone watching over us."
"I see. CZ…"
"Yes, Momonga-sama?"
"Ah, my apologies, you may rise."
The girl did as she was told.
"Is what he says true? Do you truly wish to spend time testing his firearms?"
"...Yes."
"I see. Sebas…"
Six slightly turned his head to the right and looked at Nazarick's butler who he had yet to interact with or see in person. Somehow, their paths had not yet crossed.
He was the only person (so far) to appear elderly yet… not. It was strange. The wrinkles on his forehead, eyes, and nose clearly displayed his age. His perfect unyielding posture combined with his sharper-than-knives eyes and sturdy frame showed he wasn't the kind of guy you wanted to mess with. Six assumed him to be a butler because of the black uniform. He wore white gloves, black dress shoes, a white tie around his black-collared shirt.
"Yes, Momonga-sama."
"Escort CZ and Six to the Sixth Floor to the Amphitheater."
"It will be done."
The Overlord nodded his head in reply and turned back to look at the two in front of him.
"Thanks a lot, man."
The Courier, with his usual laid-back attitude, gave him a thumbs up.
Sebas walked away from his master and towards Six and CZ.
"Now then, if you'll both follow me."
He walked past them both and headed to the door that served as the exit and entrance. The Courier was the first to begin following with Delta right behind him. The three of them left the area with everyone else watching as they went.
"Momonga-sama, may I give my opinion?"
"Of course, I encourage it."
"I believe that you perhaps place too much faith in Courier Six. How do we know that he harbors no ulterior motive. His nature, as a human, is irrational. Nothing so far in Nazarick has so much as shocked him, even if he is a Player."
"...Your assessment on his behavior is correct. His indifference towards it all is concerning. He believes himself to be in no immediate danger which means he thinks himself capable against us."
"So then why-"
"Because of his love."
Albedo's shift in expression implied she didn't get it.
"...I'm afraid I don't understand. Please explain it to someone as ignorant as me."
"I'm referring to his companion - ED-E. I didn't fail to notice just how much affection he gives the machine... I would compare it to the amount you have for me."
Which is a deep regret of mine. Of course, he didn't say that.
"S-Six is in love with ED-E?"
Where did she…?
"Not in the romantic sense. It's more akin to…"
That was when Momonga drew from his feelings.
"One would have for their own children."
Albedo seemed to understand and nodded.
"Ah, I see! If he dares to oppose Nazarick then the consequences of his actions would put ED-E in danger."
"That is correct. With ED-E here, I can guarantee him to be no threat."
But that might change… even if it doesn't, precautions must be taken.
Despite there being three people walking down the hallway, only two sets of footsteps could be heard. Despite the armor he wore, Six casually walked in dead silence. No amount of good hearing would have picked up the sound of heavy boots that should have been there. This was something Sebas had picked up on.
"Hey, Sebas - that's your name, right?"
The old man's piercing gaze fell on the Courier.
"Indeed it is. What do you need?"
"I was wondering… how long have you served Nazarick?"
"The very moment when I was created."
"...So as soon as you were born then?"
"I'm afraid you misunderstand. All of us in the Great Tomb did not come from a womb, egg or other such methods."
"Oh… so the Supreme beings quite literally created you out of thin air…"
"Were you not aware?"
"I just thought… eh, whatever."
"...Have you ever done so?"
"Create people?"
Sebas nodded in response. Six's mood soured for a moment as he said:
"Not directly."
He didn't elaborate further on what he meant. The butler knew better than to try and pry.
"Oh, so this is where you're actually supposed to enter from…"
The wastelander emerged from the purplish/blue stone brick hallway that led outside of the Amphitheater. He had come back to the same area where he had first encountered the guardians. The black star lit sky had disappeared - for now. Instead, a baby blue atmosphere filled with just the right amount of clouds along with a powerful orange sun filled him with energy.
"No pollution…" He mumbled to himself.
"You've been outside of Nazarick, right?"
His question was directed towards Sebas.
"Yes, I have."
"Is it as beautiful as this?"
Six spread his arms and gestured towards the wild blue yonder.
"Unquestionably so."
Six's expression went unseen, but it could be felt by those around him. Had anyone else been around, they would have agreed that the booming grin full of joy underneath the helmet was infectious. He walked merrily out of the hallway and set foot onto the center of the colosseum. He stood there for a moment as he realized that the three of them weren't the only ones there. Underneath what he had been told to be the V.I.P Lounge, stood the child that had previously introduced herself as Aura Bella Fiore. Her heterochromatic blue and red eyes quickly landed on the newcomers.
Behind her were three flat, rectangular and erected wooden boards the size of what Six believed to be the average human. Just like the last time he had seen her, she had a whip and longbow on her back.
"Welcome Courier Six-sama-"
"Just Six or Courier, please. I hate all of that respect talk."
"If that is what you wish."
Six had nearly huffed in annoyance. He slouched slightly more and relaxed his whole body.
"C'mon, I'm serious. Please just speak to me casually."
For some strange reason, Aura had a hard time believing him.
"...Okay, I got it."
"Thanks. Anyway, you put these here?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry, it's the best could do on such short notice. Momonga-sama's message-"
"Nah nah, it's all good. Perfect in all honesty. There's no need to be elaborate on dummy's…"
Six let his backpack slide off his back. He used the momentum to let it swing into his left before he took a knee and set it down on the ground.
"It's somewhere here…"
The sound of objects bumping into one another lasted for a few seconds before-
"There you are."
He swiftly drew his arm and In his right hand he presented a weathered black marker.
"You mind if I draw an outline on them?"
"Not at all."
Six nodded and pulled off the marker's black cap from the white body, exposing the black angled tip. He approached the board on the left and expertly crafted an outline resembling a humanoid shape. He did this for the others as well, finishing up underneath fifteen seconds.
"It'll do."
He said to himself and clicked the cap back on to the object. He walked back to his bag and tossed it inside without regard.
"So what do you want to try first?"
He asked the short girl next to Sebas. She stared at the Courier for about three seconds before replying with:
"That one." Her finger indicated towards the Ranger Sequoia.
"Alright," He pulled the weapon out of its holster. "Catch." He used the underhand method to throw the weapon at her. She caught it by the grip without so much as glancing at it. She glanced at the weapon for a second before deciding to wield it with one hand. She slowly moved it towards the dummy on the left. She placed her finger on the trigger and-
"That gun has serious kick."
CZ turned her head to look at Six. He didn't think it was possible, but she wore an offended look, a small frown on her face.
"...I know… how guns work."
An amused burst of air from Six's nose escaped him.
"If you say so."
CZ's barely existent frown diminished as she focused her attention back to the weapon. She placed her finger on the trigger and looked down the iron sights. The trigger moved as she applied pressure and fired the weapon.
Everyone but Six had suddenly jumped at the sound. Actually, the word sound would be a total understatement. It was louder than an explosion. Louder than a rock concert where everyone was going absolutely balls to the wall, the volume cranked at full blast. The revolver was somewhere beyond 160 Decibels.
"Ah! What the heck!? Why is that so loud?!"
The elf girl slammed her hands against her ears as she said this.
Six cocked his head at her reaction. All of their reactions, actually. Sebas seemed slightly shaken after the noise, but seemed to calm down afterwards. Six thought he had gone into combat mode for a second. To CZ's credit, the weapon was still in her hand but her face finally displayed a real reaction. One of intrigues. They truly didn't expect the weapon to produce such a noise.
Six cocked his head at all of them.
"What do you mean? It's a GUN. Of course it's loud."
"Well I've never seen one before! CZ, is yours that loud as well?"
The peach-haired girl shook her head.
"...My weapon… is far away from that."
"I've never seen nor used such a device as well. For a moment, I thought Nazarick was under attack."
"...Huh…"
That was all Six could reply back with. His mind began swirling in thought as to what this implied. The one-eyed girl's rifle didn't have a suppressor at the end of it. He reasoned that it must be integral.
"So - CZ - your weapon is inherently suppressed then?"
She nodded in response.
"Ah, no wonder. The only weapon I got like that is the Anti-Material rifle. That and…"
He drew the laser weapon with practically infinite ammo.
"The MF Hyperbreeder Alpha."
He turned his head to look at the wary dark elf eyeing the weapon.
"I promise it's not loud. Look."
He pressed and held the trigger. With one trembling hand, he absolutely demolished the same wooden board CZ had fired upon. The dummy had turned into literal ashes after the fifth laser had struck it. Most of his shots were right in the center. It looked like his aim was still there. That was good to know.
"Pew pew pew…" Six imitated the weapon's sound. "It'll always be cool."
"...Can I try it?"
CZ question was answered with another underhanded toss of the weapon.
"Watch out with the horizontal recoil."
She nodded and looked down the sights of the weapon with her good green eye. She stood there for a moment before holding the trigger and blasting away at the second dummy. Just like the first, it turned into complete ash, however, unlike with Six it had taken more than twenty shots to do so.
"Damn… your aim is a hell of a lot better than mine…"
Six hadn't failed to notice just how perfect all of that had landed on the dummy. He didn't need to see marks on something to know that every shot had landed in place. But if he imagined it, he could see one single black mark on the dummy where all the shots had landed.
"...Yes, it is."
She isn't humble in the slightest.
"...Where does the ammo go?"
"It doesn't have a magazine, it uses something called a microfusion breeder. If you were to take it apart, you would find something resembling a battery, only much larger and yellow in color. This is a highly advanced version of its sibling - the recharger rifle. It has a capacity of 1840.5 VDC which essentially means 10 shots. However, due to it being specialized, it can actually fire around 20 because of its constant production of cells. It also…"
Six stopped himself and awkwardly scratched his head.
"Sorry about that, got a little carried away."
"...You really know your weapons…"
"Yep, I can take them apart and put them back together blind."
That was something I learned out of sheer boredom.
"Are all these arnaments your creations?"
It was Sebas who had asked this.
"Nope. Almost all of them I either purchased, found, or looted off of places, people, and monsters."
"And those that you did?"
Six looked at Sebas for a moment before reaching into his large backpack and shuffling through it. About five seconds later, he pulled out pieces that belonged to a puzzle. That puzzle being the Fist of Rawr. He pulled out five long nails, five monstrous fingers and a bracer bolted to dark green flesh.
"Woah, is that from something you killed?"
Aura seemed intrigued by this weapon.
"Yeah. It came from the biggest Deathclaw I'd ever seen…"
Six mused to himself for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
"He was just as big as Cocytus. Although, it's hands were definitely larger than his."
"What does a Deathclaw look like?"
Six began piecing together his weapon.
"Heavily mutated chameleons who were also genetically engineered with DNA from other species of animal. Ironically, the mutations no longer allow them to blend in to their environment. You probably already figured it out by the name, but they have pretty damn sharp nails. As in, they shred through all metals like butter. They're all insanely aggressive, territorial, and carnivores. They tend to live in packs ranging from eight to twenty members which is led by the Alpha,"
Six continued, halfway through the process.
"Most of them are hunchbacked, reptilian and humanoid-like creatures. They boast incredible strength, speed, and agility in close quarters combat. You don't want to let any of them near you. They have terrible eyesight, but a really good sense of smell and hearing."
He finished assembling his weapon and showed it off.
"I customised this to fit my hand specifically. Let's me swing easier that way. Also, their hands don't resemble human ones. This is just the way I made it using Rawr's two hands."
"...And Rawr would be?"
Sebas inquired.
"The largest Deathclaw I mentioned earlier."
"Where can you find them?"
It was Aura who had asked.
"Usually somewhere either dark and/or sheltered. They gotta lay eggs somewhere."
Aura nodded thoughtfully, a small smile on her face.
"Please excuse me for interrupting."
Everyone's head and body turned to face the newcomer.
The suit-wearing devil known as Demiurge stood before them all, his hands placed behind his back. He wore the usual smile he displayed
"Heya, Demiurge."
"Hello, Six-sama."
"I don't-"
"I am well aware that you have an aversion towards respect, especially when it is directed towards you."
Then why the hell-
"Momonga-sama requests your presence back at the Throne Room."
"Alright then." Six turned to look at CZ. "Sorry I couldn't show you the rest of them."
"...Some other time."
The Courier nodded in agreement and looked expectantly at his escorts.
"We moving or what?"
I should probably get used to this.
Six soon found himself standing in front of Momonga who sat regaly in the Throne of Kings. Flanking his left and right were Demiurge, Sebas, and CZ. Next to the Overlord stood the woman always giving the skeleton googly eyes. Just like before, everyone but Six kneeled before the Supreme One in complete loyalty and respect. Something they wished the ill-mannered human would exhibit. They would force him to do so should their master wish it to be so. But he had not. At least, not yet.
"You wanted me for something, vertebro?"
Momonga leaned somewhat back at Six's starting sentence.
"Hmph. It seems Shalltear wasn't lying. Your puns are terrible."
Despite the negative critique, the undead seemed slightly amused.
"I don't know… I think my stuff is pretty humerus."
Momonga shook his head.
"You know, I was honestly thinking of getting a sort of church vibe into my room… ah, wait, but you don't have organs do you?"
As miniscule as it was, laughter came from Momonga, however, that soon came to an end as a green, strange and translucent effect washed over him in a moment. Whatever positive emotions he had felt, they were quickly stolen from him.
"That's enough of that."
Momonga leaned forward, his red orbs of light easily outshining the dull lenses on Six's helmet.
"Do you know why I summoned you?"
"Ah, crap, what did ED-E do?"
"Your friend has done nothing unruly. You're here now because I have a task for you"
Six had an idea of what he was about to be asked for. He was made fully aware of Nazarick's situation when he and Momonga had spoken. But as it currently was, he was on a need-to-know basis right now. There wasn't a full amount of trust by anyone in him right now.
"Is it information gathering?"
"That is correct. You are the perfect candidate for such a mission."
"Because I'm human."
"Precisely so. Ignorance in any form is dangerous. To be left in the dark is something I wish to do away with."
"Alright, when do I start?"
"Tomorrow you will set off. Today, we'll begin preparations immediately. I hope you're aware of the great risk and danger this might put you in. You will be utterly blind."
Six smiled underneath his helmet.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Enthusiasm. That's good."
Momonga slammed down the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
"I want every detail of what you discover out there. Even notes most would deem insignificant. Success is considered when common knowledge from the outside is garnered."
Six shifted in place in excitement. It seemed to everyone present that he would gain gratification out of this assignment. Momonga leaned back on the throne and let the staff float next to him.
"Let us begin."
Author's Note: I forgot to mention in the first chapter that Six has all of his S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes at max by default. Which means he has implants and other boots atop of all that. I did this so that he can truly be considered a god. I've also applied some logic from New Vegas such as the hit points and applied it to Overlord. So yeah, he has a crazy amount of health. Next chapter I'll have him explore the New World with someone from Nazarick.