Chapter 7
Interlude: Slain Theocracy
In E-Rantel the markets were packed, hordes of people ran through streets outlined with stores selling whatever anyone may want. Throughout the city, the river of people gathered and seperated, so it wouldn't be unusual for four cloaked figures to meet up in an alley, would it?
"What do you mean you've lost them?!"
"I mean I've lost sight of them. I can't make it any clearer than that!"
"You're supposed to be the most in depth with observation magic out of all the godkin in the Black Scripture. How could you lose sight of one person, let alone an entire party of adamantite warriors?"
"Can you please stop talking an let me think, I don't know how. All I know is that there's a powerful barrier keeping me from watching."
"And they call you the Thousand Leagues Astrologer."
"HEY!"
"Pipe down you two," hissed another cloaked figure, moving down the alley towards them. "There's no point in arguing. If Thousand Leagues can't find our target then we'll have to look for other means to get him. So let's sit tight and wait for the rest to regroup with us."
"I guess you're right," sighed Thousand Leagues, going back to chanting her observation spell.
People always got angry with her when she made a mistake, even if it wasn't her fault, and there wasn't always someone to defend her. Even before she joined the Black Scripture, people always talked down to her when she made mistakes. But back then she wasn't known as Thousand Leagues Astrologer, back then she was known as-.
"There here," said another cloaked figure by the alley entrance.
Four more hooded figures in cloaks appeared at the alley's entrance before moving in.
"Is this place secure?"
"Yes, don't worry. I've surveyed the area and set alarm spells to go off if anyone's listening in," assured Thousand Leagues.
"That's good to hear," she replied, pulling down her hood to reveal a women's face with chestnut hair tied in a ponytail hanging down one shoulder. Her face showed she was in her late 20's. "We've got orders from the cardinals. Your team is to still locate Garmadon, but you'll be doing whatever it takes to recruit or kill him. Our team is to inspect the Great Forest of Tob. Apparently the creatures are running rampid throughout it now that the Wise King of the forest has been taken out."
Thousand Leagues was speechless. "How can they expect the four of us to do this on our own? We don't even know how strong Garmadon is. We need to ask their holiness to spare more soldiers for this, wasn't the rest of the Black scripture sent here on another assignment recently?"
"They were, but they've been forced to retreat after an encounter with a vampire."
"What?!"
"Sssshhhh! Not so loud. Don't fear, they've immobilized the creature with the downfall of castle and country, so it should be safe. Anyway, the higher-ups can't send any more people into the kingdom with fear of stirring suspicion."
"What about Arnals team?"
"They're checking out the E-Rantel cemetery. There's a chance Clementime was involved with the zombie incident last night."
"That bitch," hissed Thousand Leagues, venom in her voice as she recalled the times Clementime mocked and bullied her when she was still with the Theocracy. In those days, Clementime picked on Thousand Leagues every time she was researching or practicing spells in the cathedral courtyard.
"Brilliant detonation!"
Kabooffffssss!
A spark flashed a brilliant crimson in front of Thousand Leagues before sizzling to nothing. "Again?" she sighed, slumping in defeat. "Aren't I doing it right? Raise your arm, chant the spell, focus mana into hand and watch it burn."
"Having trouble, Thousand Fails Neet?" cackled a voice.
Thousand Leagues cranked her head to the side in disgust to see the orange haired social-path of the Black Scripture coming towards her. "What do you want Clementime? I'm busy, and it's Thousand Leagues Astrologer. Crazy bitch." (That last part was said under her breath).
"Yeah, but that name doesn't suit you. I wonder if it's because you're a thousand leagues behind every magician or something, hmhmhm!"
"Can you please go. I've had it up to here with your taunting and I'd rather practice magic to help defend humanity, rather than boast about it."
"Hm. Maybe humanity isn't worth saving. I mean, most of them are sooo weak. Perhaps small fry don't deserve protection,"Clementime mused, placing an armoured finger under her chin as though in thought. "I hear there's a small family on the outskirts of the kingdom, that's quite close to any monster zones. I mean, if they're going to live so close to inhumans then chances are they're traitors-"
"YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Thousand Leagues screamed at the taunting cunt. "They live in constant fear monsters! It's up to us to defend people like them, not cast them aside like collateral."
"But they are collateral. It's not like they're you family."
"But they are my family."
An ear-to-ear smile appeared on Clementime's face as she starred at Thousand Leagues with malice in her eyes. It was the same look she would give killing a monster. "I know."
"Thousand Leagues Astrologer! Hey! Are you with us?"
"Huh," snapping out of her out of her flash back, Thousand Leagues stared blankly at the chestnut haired girl. "O-oh yeah, yeah I'm good, just having a flashback moment."
"Well alright then," she said with a hint of concern. "Anyway, bottom line is is that the Theocracy can't send more troops. You'll have to deal with this with what you have. We'll be heading out now, best of luck. And when I get back, you'll have to show me how you create clothes with those illusion spells of yours."
With a cheeky smirk on her face, the woman pulled up her hood. The two teams left the alley and went their separate ways.
Later in the forest.
"It's a mess here," Harold heaved.
The team of four stepped over torn bodies and ragged heaps, investigating the sight of the slaughter. Thousand Leagues team had managed to follow the Adamantite teams trail, and were prepared for a fight if the need arose. But they hadn't expected that same team to have kicked the bucket long before gotting there with Garmadon nowhere in sight. For fear and paranoia of the situation, Thousand Leagues was keeping her cloak illusion spell on, but everyone else decided to take their real ones off.
'Who, who would massacre innocent humans like this? I know they're from another country, but still..,' Thousand Leagues wondered, standing in front of a corpse tied to a tree with vines wrapped around him. A round hole the size of a coin leaked blood down his forehead. 'Garmadon wouldn't do this, would he?' she thought, turning to her other teammates who were inspecting the corpses.
"Looks like the environment went-up and turned on these guys. I mean, there's no way this vine would naturally go up this guy's ass and out his mouth. I'm guessing nature magic." Harold Kipfler, a Clearwater Scripture member. Skilled at dual weilding, he was top of his detective classes during training and takes in all variables of a situation. He may be respected in the theocracy, but when it comes to finding out who ate the rest of his chock-chip cookies last week, everyone's laughing on the inside.
"Ha, if Garmadon really is behind this massacre, then by orders we can crack his skull. I'm going to enjoy this." Halitosis Odor, a dark skinned muscular man of the Holocaust Scripture with a Mohawk. His primary weapon is an axe and knows a few more martial art skills than Harold and is almost equally as smart. But since he likes the heat of battle he not only loses sight of an objective from time to time, but people often think of him as a sane Clementime. That's also partially the reason why the cardinals allowed him to join Thousand Leagues team, as extra fighting power.
"Laurissa will you please stop feeling that corpse up and find out where we're supposed to go! It's weird," Thousand Leagues complained. Laurissa Eshavalia, a Clearwater scripture member with a quiet, and very independent, personality. A short, pink haired, girl with gold outlined sapphire armour and wielding an estoc (a giant needle sword), one would fear her as a silent killer on the battle field. Well, she would be if she wasn't, by nature, a huge pervert.
Turning back to the bodies, Thousand Leagues frowned in thought. 'I know this is odd, but it looks like we're missing a few corpses.'
"Thousand," Harold called, knocking her out of her train of thought. "Laurissa's, apparently, found a trail leading away from this sight."
Both turned to see the pink haired pervert squatting by a trampled path leading away from the blood bath. Laurissa turned to face them before standing up and heading down it.
"Oh, yes! We got a lead," laughed Halitosis, following Laurissa.
"Laurissa, Halitosis! Come on, don't go off like that! You know my surveillance magic won't work in this bounded field!" Thousand Leagues cried out, jogging after the pair with Harold close behind. "Jeez, it's like I'm looking after twelve year olds."
"Huh, well I'm sure the six gods put you in charge of this team because you can tolerate them," joked Harold as he kept pace.
"S-shut up, it may have been the will of the gods, but that doesn't mean I can tolerate them forever."
"Yeah. Hey, Thousand Leagues, I just want to say I'm sorry about yelling at you in the alley earlier. I understand that whoever killed those warriors is in league with someone powerful enough to block your observation magic," Harold confessed, looking back on the path they came.
Thousand leagues looked ahead with a spark of gratitude in her heart. "Thanks."
Eventually the two caught up to the rest of the team. The four of them kept moving through the forest until Thousand Leagues began to feel a sense of dread, almost as though she had eaten something and was getting indigestion because of it.
"Hold up, I'm sensing a powerful presence up-ahead," she worriedly called out.
The group slowed down before ducking low behind undergrowth. "Where's the threat?" asked Halitosis, hefting his axe off his back. Laurissa and Harold followed suite by preparing their own weapons.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Thousand Leagues Astrologer, what's the problem?" Harold asked.
A look of shock was cemented on her face as she turned to the side and pushed through the branches. In the middle of a field stood alone petit figure with silver hair tied in a ponytail surrounded by burnt grass and charred earth. She was in a plump violet dress outlined with frilly crimson. With a lance in one hand, her eyes and skin seemed dead as she stood still.
"Alright, I've had about enough of this. What has got you so worked up?" Harold argued, looking over the shrubbery. "Well that's weird. I never pegged you as someone who'd be scared of a little girl in the middle of a field."
"Get down you idiot!' hissed Thousand Leagues, jumping up and brining him down.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Harold complained, pushing her off.
"That 'little girl', is giving off the strong magical presence I'm sensing," she glared at the silver haired swordsman.
Harold's face distorted into one of surprise and confusion, starring back at the formally dressed loli. "This trail led us here. So do you think she's connected to Garmadon?"
"I'm not sure," Thousand Leagues murmured. 'What do we do?' She sat in thought, occasionally remerging through her side pouch. 'The best thing to do, would be just to leave, right?'
In her panicked state, something pocked her on the shoulder. The sudden surprise knocked her over, but fortunately she was able to keep herself from screaming.
Halitosis looked down at her with concern, a finger held to his lips. "We have a slight problem. I'm not sure what it is, but something black and demonic looking has shown up on the field."
"What?" Thousand Leagues pulled herself up, looking over the bush her eyes widened in astonishment and fear. "W-What the hell is that?"
Close to the outlining of the field, near the trees, a dark oval hovered in the air. Streaks of white streamed throughout the dark void. The team looked on in fear.
"Hey, Thousand Leagues, do you know what kind of tierd magic that is?" Harold asked.
"N-No, I don't - wait, there's something coming out of it," she stuttered.
Back on the field, a silver hand began stretching out of the oval, followed by a dark sleeve. Pretty soon the rest of the body pulled itself out of the void, and standing before it was a boy, a teenager. Dressed in a black coat and leather brown boots, his right hand seemed to be made of steel, gleaming in the sunlight while his left was made of flesh. His hair was a dirty blonde and slightly long while waving in the wind, but what really drew their attention was his right eye. It wasn't that of a human's. The oval then closed behind him.
"That's him," Laurissa said, in a surprisingly calm ton, breaking the silence and having everyone look at her. "That's Garmadon. He fits the description we got."
The party turned back to the boy with anticipation. Thousand Leagues face had concern etched into it as she tried formulating a strategy in her mind. "What now? We can't engage Garmadon without running the risk of fighting that unknown entity."
Interlude: Ainz Oal Gown
"Let us go then," Ainz announced, turning with an outstretched hand. "[Gate]," he chanted.
Before him appeared a black oval with a series of white lightning sparks passing through it. Stepping into it, Ainz's vision was consumed by the tear in space time-continuum.
'This is too much, even for me,' Ainz thought, coming out of the portal and setting foot in the middle of the 6th floor amphitheater, five individuals knelt before him. 'A plain of existence outside my own with people that decides not only the choices people make, but also the fate of everyone I know. And now one of its inhabitants is here! Chances are they're the reason why I'm here.'
"Demiurge, the potential player we spoke of is coming here. He is to be tested against Albedo in a mock battle," Ainz announced in a thunderous voice to the kneeling demon, dark shreds of energy radiating from the Supreme Being. Albedo came through the portal, bowed once and made her way to the end of the arena. "I want you, Cocytus and Mare to oversee the match in my stead as I head to the treasury. Yuri, Entoma, you're with me."
"Yes Lord."
"Lord if I may," Demiurge began raising his head. "During the match that is about to take place, what should happen if Albedo makes an attempt to kill him?"
"Leave things be," Ainz responded, the flames in his eyes blazing. "This battle will be pointless if it's not taken seriously."
"Understood, my Lord. We shall observe but not interfere in this fight."
"Very good. Yuri, Entoma, let's go."
Activating his ring of the guild, the scenery flashed blue before becoming one of brilliant gold. The trio found themselves at the foot of a mountain of gold coins in a vast room with multiple corridors dotting around the sides. The two maids looked on in wonder at the sight.
"Ah that's right, this is the first time you've been the treasury, isn't it?" Ainz asked the maids.
"Yes, it is," Yuri responded, now focusing on the ruby and gold ring strapped to her finger. "No one can enter the treasury without the ring of Ainz Oal Gown, it's the only key."
"Yes, well, it is a safety measure in case of infiltration," Ainz said, moving to stand before one of the numerous corridors blocked by darkness. "Glory to Ainz Oal Gown," calling out the words, writing of pure white pierced through the wall, spelling out a riddle in Latin. "Let's see," he mumbled, resting a bonny hand on his chin. "By this means; you will acquire the glory of the whole world, and so you will drive away all shadows and blindness. At least I believe that's correct."
The words disappeared before the black wall shrank to a circle, growing smaller and smaller till it disappeared. The corridor was left open and the trio made their way with Ainz ahead.
'This is too troublesome,' Ainz sighed, passing by relics of his guild. 'If I'm going to proceed with my plans and find other YGGDRASIL players, I need Garmadon out of the way. He didn't seem that strong in the two fights I've seen him in, so killing him should be easy. I don't have any use for him and I feel as though he's hiding something. This whole mock battle should make it seem like an accident to the higher dimension if Garmadon were to die. As I'm pressed for time, I'm gonna need to split tasks with the guardians for the accident, and me preparing for Shalltear.'
"My Lord, lady Mare says the match in the amphitheater has begun and Albedo has the upper hand," Entoma chimed, holding a sleeved arm to her ear.
"Very good. Be sure to have updates on the fight and inform me of any drastic occurrences," Ainz responded. Eventually they exited the long corridor and the trio entered a single squared room with three other passages on either side. It was bare of any furniture; say for a pair of grey sofas facing each other, on one of them sat an even greyer figure with a human-like body with an octopus for a head. Its eyes were a light blue with cloudy white pupils which starred at its visitors.
The two maids were both in shock while the look of utter confusion was painted on their faces. Well, one of them anyway, the other had the constant facial expression of happiness literally painted onto the mask she wore.
"L-Lord Tabula, is that you?" Yuri gasped.
The creature in question only tilted its head in confusion as Yuri still doubted her own eyes. Suddenly, an epiphany struck her in the moments of analyzing the situation. Straightening up her back like a board, clasping her hands in front and assuming a formal pose before the 16th Supreme Being with a deep bow.
"Lord Tabula, I am overjoyed to know of your return and that you're safe. Is there anything you need of me?" she added, eyes closed with Entoma assuming the same position
"…"
"…"
"…"
"My lord?"
Behind the two battle maids, Ainz, with all his supremacy observed the signs of respect displayed towards his fellow guild member. Unfortunately though he was filled with neither pride nor joy at this moment. 'Aaahh this is so awkward. If Yuri discovers what she has done she'll be mortified, so how can I brake this to her? Slowly?' Ainz panicked, using every ounce of dead emotion he had to remain calm. "Pandora's Actor, change your form!"
At that moment, two things happened simultaneously; the first was the confused look Yuri gave at Ainz's order. The second was by that same order; the supreme squid-head's skin went a dark orange before bubbling into a gallantness mass. In no time flat, the once Supreme Being was now a tall figure dawned in a German-style military uniform with his face hidden by the brim of a hat.
"Why it seems as though I have visitors," spoke a goofy voice, apparently, filled with pride. Walking out from the sofas, the individual clapped his feet together in a German aristocrat greeting with a respectful salute. "Greetings to my creator, Lord Momonga!"
"Urrgh, you look like you're doing well," stuttered Ainz, a little taken back by the greeting of his previous name.
"Yes, I couldn't be better my good sir; it certainly has been a while. To what do I owe this honor?" Pandora's Actor announced with a bow and a hand over his heart.
"I'm in need of some world items."
"Ah. WORLD ITEMS! CHANGING THE WORLD WITH IIIIIMMMMMENSE POWER, SHOWING THE GREATNESS OF THE MIGHTY SUPREME BEINGS!" Pandora's actor cheered, assuming several possess and revealing his face be that of an emotionless specter with three holes to show his eyes and mouth. He ended his overly dramatic performance with his back turned. "These sacred treasures have been asleep for ages beneath Nazarick, has the time finally come to wake them up?"
'This dude is so lame!' Ainz internally screamed.
That was the tipping point for Ainz's emotions as he entered a depressed state, a green light engulfed him for a moment before he returned to his dead-self. Yuri was now standing with her mouth agape and eyes fixated on the, literal, actor in front of her. The look on her face clearly yelled 'who the hell is this joker?'
"Lord….Momonga's…..creation," she slowly croaked in a voice that suggested she was more dead inside than Ainz was on the outside.
'This is so humiliating!' Ainz continued to panic, the green light from earlier going on and off as if he were blinking. 'Forget Shalltear being brainwashed, I now have to deal with an embarrassing creation gaining a will of his own and prancing about in front of people who consider me to be a god! I would literally give anything for this one moment to be over, or at least a change of topic!'
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several tremors were sent throughout the room, shaking it and its occupancies but they still held their footing. All four wildly glanced around the room before the maids dashed to their lord's side, prepared to defend him to the last breath.
"What was that? Entoma, ask the guardians if they know the reason of those tremors," Ainz ordered, thanking whatever deity's he could think of for the sudden interruption.
"Yes my Lord," the insect girl responded, bringing a sleeved arm to her head. "Master Demiurge, Lord Ainz wishes to know the current situation and possible causes of the the tremors." A few moments passed with a couple nods. "L-Lord Ainz. Demiurge has reported that the shaking we experienced was caused by the mock battle."
"Huh, did Albedo go over board and use all her power?" sighed Ainz, knowing how Garmadon had taunted the guardian overseer and was liable to do it again. But something was off, true the magnitude of the tremors was something Albedo could cause, but the times it occurred were far too suspicious.
"N-No, my lord. Demiurge says that it was caused by Garmadon, and the 6th floor amphitheater has been decimated. There're currently a number of holes leading up to the surface."
"…What?!"