She and I didn't waste any time. Blasting towards each other in matching shockwaves of speed and smashing into each other. I can't speak for myself, but running into her was like ramming a steaming freight train. Just a mountain of pressure and strength that without my armor, I'm certain would've flattened me like a pancake. I leaned into my shield and gave a push to try and force her back and give me some breathing room. Sensing this, she pulled back. Causing me to fall forward and lose balance. She twisted her body around and swung her axe at my back. With a grace I didn't know I had, I stopped myself from falling and turned just in time to block the attack. Her axe slammed into my shield, rattling my arm and body as I came to terms with just how strong this woman was.

"Damn Al." I grunted with a smile. "You're a bit strong aren't ya?"

"More so then you could ever hope to be." Albedo growled increasing pressure on my shield. "All you are human, is a curiosity to Lord Ainz. Nothing more than that."

"Curiosity hmmm?" I chuckled. "And what am I to you?" I asked.

"A bug to be squashed." She replied. She pulled back her axe and gave a few more swings my way. Each time hitting my shield with a staggering amount of force that by the fifth strike I was forced to a knee. I rolled out of the way just in time for a particular swing aimed for my head. And heaved myself back to my feet. I decided to go on the offensive.

I can't tell you how good it felt to fight at full strength. Sure, I didn't have my signature cloak or any of my supplies so I wasn't exactly in it for the long haul. But even if I couldn't put up a prolonged front, I could make do with the time I had, and fight with everything I had. I made a stab for her breastplate before she twisted out of the way, I lunged towards her a few more times each time thinking I was getting just a bit closer to landing a strike before another swing from her axe halted my progress. Blasting the blade from my hands and away from my grasp crashing into the dirt some feet away.

Not having time to admire her move, I narrowly ducked under another swipe aimed at my neck and decided to test my luck with at physical combat. I threw my elbow under her arms and hit right under the helm of her mask. I smiled, thinking I had taken her by surprise, before I realized she hadn't stumbled back or even let on that she had been hit. She gave another swing with her axe, this time flying right by my shield and hitting me square in my chest. Smashing into my armor and sending the air squirming off my lungs. Then in an extremely cruel act of karma, threw her own elbow right under my chin sending my helm flying off and me careening into the air before crashing back into the dirt.

There was no mocking laugh like with Shalltear. That might've been the most unnerving thing about her. I had a hunch she was enjoying this yet she made gave no sign of such thinking. No, she was all business at least in appearance. Mind you, I didn't exactly have a lot of time to compare the two as I pulled myself back up my feet. "Ok, good hit Al."

"That was little more than a tickle." She stated, walking over to me with a machine like focus. "We've not yet begun the fight, human."

I could picture a sadistic grin under her helm as she said this and the image ignited my temper yet again. "Let me ask you something. Do you legitimately enjoy being a cunt or is it just impress 'Bone-daddy' up there?"

That got the job done in the way I had hoped. I could envision a vein bursting on her head as she let our an unnatural yell. "You dare to insult Lord Ainz?!"

"Of course not honey." I smiled as she her charge drew her dangerously close. "...just you." The armor I wore exploded in sea of emerald fire that swept over her. I thought I heard mild grunts of pain as I put some distance between me and her. Once further away, jade shot back to my hand just in time as I saw the blaze swept away from Albedo swipe of her hand.

The fire didn't do any obvious damage much to my disillusionment, but she did pull off her helmet and toss it away. Vanishing before it hit the ground. Her face was one of concentration but it looked strained. As if she was trying to hold her rage back.

"What's wrong Al?" I asked, using the most condescending voice I was capable of doing. "You need a break already?"

She took a deep breath. "Your insulting remarks will do you no good here, human."

I could hear the plan in my mind shatter like glass. My best chance was to put her off her edge. Make her fight me as blind as possible. But if she actually kept a lid on her emotions, name-calling wasn't gonna work. I needed some more time to think.

The embers she blasted away returned to me shifting from a heavy armor to a more lightweight material similar to leather. Jade began to change as well, morphing and elongating into a shining halberd. I decided to keep my mouth shut for once and charge back at her. Moving at speeds much faster than before and hopefully outclassing her as long as she kept on that armor.

"A shape-shifting blade and armor set?" Aura asked seemingly surprised at the revelation. "Wow, I can't say I've seen that before."

"It does more than simply change shape." Ainz spoke, pulling up the stats that Demiurge read aloud to the Guardians that sat around him. "Jade is a special weapon. It focuses one's combat abilities to specialize in whatever style of combat the user prepares. And increases his overall skill for as long it is held active. He now stands at a light level 96."

"A weapon that increases the overall skill of the warrior that uses it?" Cocytus shifted his gaze from his lord back to the fight. "Such a weapon would be welcomed in our halls."

Demiurge nodded in agreement. "The weapon would be welcomed. but I'm still not certain as to its wielder."

Ainz tilted his skull at the demon. "His strength has left you unconvinced Demiurge?"

"I have no doubt he is strong, lord." Demiurge conceded, clasping his hands together in a sign of forethought. "Not many others could last this long against Albedo. Nor do I imagine you would have let him into Nazarick if he didn't have some measure of your interest. But he is still a human. And humans, especially strong ones, are something I have little personal experience with. Nor do any of us." He kept his gaze on the battle as I tried desperately to land a hit on Albedo with a barrage of stabs. " Even if he is from YGGDRASIL, I see little reason to trust him with duties to Nazarick." Ainz took his words in stride before nodding. "But as always, my thoughts pale in comparison to yours." Demiurge gave a slight bow of the head. "If you see some use for him, I will defer to your judgement.

Ainz nodded againand looked to his insectoid guardian. "Cocytus, where does he stand to you?"

Cocytus scanned the battle yet again, checking my form, speed, precision, and comparing it to those who also served Nazarick as well as the Supreme Ones. He looked back to his lord and sighed. "With some work, I believe he can be a useful warrior in our cause."

Ainz accepted his guardian's opinion. "And the fact that he is human?" He asked.

Cocytus gave what looked to be a shrug. "Even humans are capable of honor. And honor is what I would look for in soldiers." He bowed his head as well. "But as Demiurge stated, your judgement is the only one that matters."

He then asked the dark elf twins. "Aura, Mare?"

"I like him." Aura exclaimed. "He doesn't feel like a stick in the mud and he likes a good laugh."

"I'm not s-sure." Mare admitted, looking down at his gloved hand where a ring rested. "But he returned my ring when he didn't have to. M-Maybe he's nice."

Ains looked over to Shalltear, still flanked by the Brides and glaring down towards the man who now found himself at Albedo's mercy. "Shalltear?"

Shalltear looked away from the battle and gave the slightest of smiles. "He does have a knack for annoying Albedo. That alone is worth keeping him around. If nothing else, than as a pet for my amusement."

Demiurge adjusted his glasses. "And his comments about you being "thrice the woman" than Albedo have nothing to do with your decision?" He asked with a knowing grin.

She gave a huff and crossed her arms. "He at least knows quality when he sees it." Ains gave a light chuckle before looking at the Brides.

Finally, Ainz turned to Naberal who till that point had been fully consumed in the battle below. "What do you think Naberal? Does he hold himself adequately?"

She peeled her eyes away from the fight and gave a scowl. " I believe he is adequate my lord. If lady Albedo doesn't kill him, he may be of some use to us."

Ainz gave a brief nod. Accepting the opinions of his subordinates before focusing once again on the battle. Curious as to how I might pull myself out of the situation I found myself in.

The match should've ended the match by now. They all probably made their decisions about where I stand if they hadn't already. There was little point to continue this fight unless it was just to punish me or maybe she had been instructed to kill me. Judging by the concentration in Albedo's face as her axe once again slammed into my halberd, I could guess that's exactly what it was. I let my mouth put me in yet another bad situation and I was gonna pay for it. Fine, but I wasn't gonna apologize without a fight.

I spun my halberd around just as another swipe of her axe came at me. This time, with nothing to hit, it smashed into the ground and stuck. With all the force I had, I sent the curved blade straight for her neck as her eyes widened at the speed of my attack. Where there should've been impact of flesh, I heard metal. I looked to see she had abandoned her weapon all together and caught my spear with gauntlets in a awesome showing of speed and precision. Of course, I had little time admire said skill before she threw a punch at my face. I barely tilted my head in time and was useless to stop the follow up armored kick. Her foot plowed into my cheek as the taste of blood filled my mouth. As I clutched my face in panic, she kept up her assault. Hammering with uncommonly strong lefts and rights. I tried to mount what might've been called a defense but you woudn't have been able to tell by looking. I had speed sure, but it was worthless against Albedo's raw strength and I think she knew it because now she started to get that sort of shit-eating grin people have when they can just wail on someone without hope of a reprisal. With one last powerful curled up fist, she sent me tumbling away from her in a spectacular showing of blood.

I really have to thank my adrenaline for blocking out the pain. I didn't need a mirror to tell I was in bad shape. My cheeks were swollen, I couldn't see out of one eye, and I was fairly certain she may have even punched an ear off, though I'm not sure how. I tried to pull myself back up but the closest I could come to was one knee. As my strength began to fade, Jade's power did as well. What little armor I had vanished in a green light and I was once again in my casual wear from earlier.

"Looks like that's your limit, human." She chuckled sadistically. "And I must say, you look a lot better now."

"Haha..." I wheezed out in mock laughter. "Bet Ainz would say the same about you..."

Her fingers wrapped around my neck like snakes and she lifted me of the ground. "That mouth of yours gets you into trouble, human." She growled out. A sick gleam filled her eye as a thought struck her. "How about I get rid of it? Replace it with one more accomidating."

Now I was fucked. Either I do nothing and let her rip my tongue out or I try to fight out and more than likely get killed. Neither option was preferable but I'd rather die than never talk again so I decided I'd get one last attack in after my last sentence.

"Sorry to ruin your Frankenstein Monster fetish Al, but you'll have to kill me. " I said, summoning what remained of my strength and throwing both my feet strainght into her breastplate. The action did enough to save me from from her grasp but with my strength gone, I could do little other than smash back onto the ground. I waited for the inevitable wail of rage that was gonna follow along with whatever final strike was gonna do me in. But it never came. Instead I saw her walk back towards me, the sadism and rage in her face gone. "What did you just say?" She asked with starteled eyes as if someone had just woken her up from a daze.

Confused, I simply repeated my sentence. "Sorry to ruin your Frankenstein fetish..."

"What do you know of Frankenstein's Monster?" She interrupted.

Now that was a complicated question. She can't have known about the one back in the real world could she? "That he is a mons...being whom was built from the parts of dead bodies and brought to life by a mad scientist named Frankenstein?" I said, trying to keep it as vague as possible but also try to hopefully match what she thought was Frankenstein.

The answer looked like it was good enough, because for whatever reason almost all her hostility vanished. "How do you know that story?"

I'd have been happy to answer but that's when my adrenaline finally ran out. I went smiled as fell into unconsciousness or death. It was hard to tell which it was but either way, I was thankful for the rest it brought with it.

Ainz had been somewhat surprised when Albedo ceased her onslaught. Either I was weaker than he remembered or... He chuckled as he realized I must've said something that startled her. "Looks like the fight is over." Ainz' sighed. "Let's go make sure, he hasn't left us." He as well as the other onlookers leapt from the stands down to the field below. As Ainz walked over, he noticed Albedo looked almost frozen. "Albedo?" He asked, growing more concerned the longer he looked at her.

As if snapping out of a trance, she realized he was addressing her and knelt. "Lord, a thousand apologies. "

"It's fine Albedo." Ainz said, waving it off. "Just wanted to make sure you were ok. You looked surprised."

"The human...He knows about Frankenstein."

Demiurge raised an eyebrow as Ainz went silent. "Frankenstein? Just what is that?"

"It was one of Lord Tabula's favorite stories." She admitted, shocking everyone there and looking to Ainz for answers. "How would he know about that, lord?"

I often wonder what went through Ainz's mind when Albedo asked that. Did he think about telling truth right then and there? Did it even cross his mind? All I can say is what he responded with. "He must've talked with him, at one point." Ainz's hand extended to my prone body and a healing spell worked its way through my system. "In any case, I think he's proved himself. If he can get you to hesitate Albedo."

Shalltear's chuckle was the first I heard as I awoke. Where I expected pain, I felt relief and even mild comfort as my body glowed slightly from Ain's spell. After adjusting my eyes, I stood back up looking to Ains who now stood a few feet away, accompanied by his guardians who each looked at me with a different expression than when we first met. None of them friendly, but at least no longer out right hostile. I smiled and for the first time, I felt my lost teeth from my fight with Shalltear in the forest back in my mouth. As if they had never left at all. "Haon." Ainz's voice bellowed like a fog horn. I did the smart thing and fell back to one knee. "What do you have to say of your performance?" He asked. I opened my mouth to give another smart ass reply but decided that in this instance, I should put a little thought into my reply.

"I fought Albedo with the strength I had. Maybe I could've done better, maybe not. Either way, I tried my best." I frowned at how weak that must've sounded to the cold guardians. "...But it wasn't enough." I then thought about restarting my relationship with the same succubus who had just beaten me. "Albedo." I raised my head to her still armored form. "To no one's surprise, You're the better fighter. And I'd like to offer my apologies to you and Ainz if my words offended you."

A silence swept over the arena and I did my best to allow it continue despite my hatred for awkward silences. Then, a single clap rang out and Ains let out a light laugh. "Very good." A wave of power started to emit from him as he continued. "Haon, before you lies an opportunity never before bestowed to a human. As a result of showing and honesty, I offer you a place in Nazarick."

My smile grew as for the first time since I entered the tomb I didn't feel anxious about someone killing me. "But before you accept..." He continued. "You must understand that life will not be easy. Whether you are from YGGDRASIL or not, you are a human. And as such, you will have much to prove to the other denizens. Some of which stand before you." He gestured to those who stood beside him. "And their approval will determine whether your life here will be one of misery or something better.

I glanced to Demiurge, Aura, Mare, Albedo, Cocytus, and Narberal and nodded my head. "I look forward to proving myself."

"Excellent. Now for one last question..." Ainz pointed to me. "Whom do you serve, Haon?"

A shiver went down my spine and I took a deep breath before replying. "I serve the Tomb of Nazarick, I serve Ainz Ooal Gown."

Ainz then beckoned me to stand. "Then rise, Haon of Nazarick."

I returned to my feet with the energy of a new man. Confidant and proud and shook his outstretched hand. "What would you have me do?"

"We will return to the throne room for further discussion." Ainz stated with a glance to Albedo. "Narberal will continue to guard you until I say otherwise, but you are now free to roam the Tomb as you wish. I will call upon you when I have need."

"As you wish." I said slightly bowing my head. Ainz accepted this gesture and he and Albedo vanished from view in a bright shimmer of light. With them gone, I let out the biggest sigh in my entire life. It actually worked. I now had somewhat of a home in the Tomb of Nazarick. The safest place in this new world.

Seeing my relief brought a slight chuckle out of Demiurge who looked at me with calculating gaze as he adjusted his glasses. "I will congratulate you, human. You have impressed lord Ains, a feat that few have accomplished."

"It's not gonna go to my head, if that's what you're worried about." I said, keeping my smile. "I know how lucky I am."

"It's gonna be cool having a human around." Aura said bounding over to me. "Usually we end up killing any who get close to Nazarick."

My smile dimmed somewhat at her words. "Well I'll try not to give you guys a reason to kill me." I looked to Shalltear next who's smile didn't seem quite as evil as before. "You're welcome, by the way."

"I'm sorry?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"For going after Al for you." I said with a laugh. "Between you and me, she really needs to up her insults. If the word bug is the best she's got, she needs more help than I thought. Ain't that right Narberal?" I asked over to the maid. "Want to practice your speech in front of an audience?"

She shook her head a bit too quickly, no doubt still embarrassed about being caught by Ainz earlier. "Ah well. It's harder in front of audience anyway. Why do you think Ainz and Al left?"

"What are you implying?" Shalltear suddenly asked with a slight panic in her eyes.

"What do you think I'm implying?" I asked back, thinking it was obvious . "Those two are probably going at it in the throne room right now. Though I'm not quite sure how..."

Shalltear let out a panicked scream and immediately vanished. "So she likes Ainz too huh?" I asked aloud. Cocytus was the first to reply.

"Like is a pretty weak word." He explained. "It's closer to infatuation for those two."

I understood immediately but I was still a bit confused. "Ok, but how's that work exactly?"

I heard a slight giggling from Aura who looked at me with raised eyebrows. "You don't know how sex works?"

"Trust me kid, I know how sex works." I replied, sounding oddly defensive. "But he's a skeleton."

Cocytus looked at me, confused. "What does that have to do with it?"

"If he has no organs to speak of, how exactly can it work?" I asked back. "I mean just because it's called a boner..."

"I think I'm gonna take my leave." Demiurge replied, eager to leave before going down this particular conversational rabbit hole. With him gone, Cocytus soon followed, saying he'd have to prepare for a mission given to him by Ainz. The twins disappeared next taking about how they each had stuff to work on and how'd they see me later. Soon it was just me and Narberal.

"I'm eager to get on with my duties. "she suddenly said. "I'll be going as well."

"Wait, How am I supposed to get back?" I asked.

She gave me annoyed glance before pointing to my feet. "Walking. It's an incredibly modern invention. Use it."

Why that sarcastic bitch. I opened my mouth yell that out at her but she was gone in a flash too. With her gone, I let out a sigh. "Great, now what am I supposed to do?" I asked aloud. " Masturbate?"

"Are you referring to us?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of the voice. I looked over and much to my surprise Reina and Remna still stood exactly where Shalltear had been as still as white clothed statues. "Hey, what are you two still doing here?"

"Lady Shalltear had no need for us so we did not follow." Reina replied with an uncomfortable gaze. "I fear she still looks down on us after our failure in the forest."

Remna's saddened gaze matched her opposites's and I somehow felt a wave of pity for the two blood sucking vampires. "Well I told you, when she calls on you two next time. Take some charge." I said, trying my best to pump them up. "I have a good feeling that she'll enjoy it."

"But...how does one do...that?" Remna asked.

My mind went blank. This was about to go down a weird road and I wasn't sure that continuing this conversation was a good idea. "I uh...On second thought, I'm just gonna go to my room."

"We will accompany you." Reina replied, following me along with Remna. "There we will continue our discussion."

I sighed and turned back around. "Uh, I'm not sure that's a..." My mind once again went blank as I accidentally took notice of the clothes they were still wearing. Specifically how very 'concubine' they were. Couple that with the fact that they were both rather beautiful ladies, and soon enough my gaze lingered. Once I got my energy back I immediately peeled my eyes away. No, this was a terrible idea. I shouldn't even be considering it. They're vampire for god's sake. I'm not that desperate...

"Okay. " I said with a shrug of my shoulders. "I'm not gonna stop you."

A/N: Tada. I think I'll call it a chapter there. Sorry it took so long. Had to rewatch season 2 of Overlord to prepare. ANyway, hope you guys enjoy and I'll see you later. Take care out there.