[Chapter 2: A Writhing Mystery]
"Bahahaha!"
A laughter full of confidence, of amusement, and perhaps with a hint of disbelief, filled the area.
"Now that's how an entrance should look! Almost as good as mine if I'm to be honest!" Iskandar said before turning to his master, "D'you see that kid? You should learn from him."
"Caster… I knew you'd come." Saber said, "And I suppose there's no way for us to part peacefully tonight."
The Overlord sighed, "Come now, Saber, you can call me by my real name."
"That being?" Lancer asked.
"Ainz Ooal Gown. The Overlord of the Great Tomb of Nazarick." the undead mage answered, "Please, call me Ainz."
"I'd introduce myself in turn, but I don't think my master would appreciate that." Lancer answered, glancing behind him.
Ainz scoured the scenery behind the servant, piercing the night to find a blonde man overlooking the battlefield. Having seemingly met his gaze, it prompted the mage to speak, "Enough toying around, Lancer! Deal with Saber!"
'What is he thinking?! He's only slightly hidden! I could easily snipe him from here with a spell! But I guess that'd cause Lancer to attack me, and a dishonourable like that would cause Saber to become entirely hostile as well…'
"Well, seems like we've got to stop chatting." Lancer said, pointing the longer spear in his right hand at Saber, "Indulge me, will you? And I trust you two won't intervene?"
Rider laughed, "I'm always ready to watch a duel between two warriors! Reminds me of my old campaign days, when on ones without battle I'd watch some of my own duel each other! Ah, it almost makes me nostalgic."
"I came here to battle, but I see no point in intervening with you two. I bid you goodnight." Ainz meanwhile said, turning away from the trio and walking behind a shipping container, where he disappeared.
In truth, Ainz couldn't be happier with the situation. Having silently cast [Fly] and [Perfect Unknowable], he now floated above the servants, eager for them to reveal their capabilities in this foolish display of honour. Even someone activating his anti-scrying [Explosion] couldn't ruin his mood.
'I really will never get these types… What's the point in doing a public duel like this? You're just revealing your capabilities to the enemy! Even if they don't use their trump cards, this is still utterly foolish!' Ainz complained to no one in particular.
At the very least, these types of people, just like the honourable players of YGGDRASIL, were very vulnerable to underhanded strategies.
'Now, I suppose it's time to see what King Arthur can do.'
Lancer was the first to strike, attempting to stab at Saber's vitals with his longer spear. The very air seemed to scream as it was torn apart by the spear, only for the weapon to come to a screeching halt upon meeting Arthuria's blade.
'I wonder why both of his weapons are covered in cloth. Most likely to protect his identity and thereby Noble Phantasm, though I doubt his name would help me much. Still, if he hides them both, are they both his Noble Phantasm, or is it a trick?' Ainz asked himself, 'One thing's for sure, he's fast.'
As Arthuria deflected the initial strike, she moved in closer, only for Lancer to try to sweep her legs with his shorter spear. She masterfully jumped above the strike, raising her blade overhead and bringing it down upon her adversary.
The ground beneath Lancer cracked as he brought both spears to block the blow.
Repelling Arthuria's attack and forcing her back, the King of Knights was offered no time to breath, being forced to narrowly dodge sweeps from both spears simultaneously, a few of her blonde hairs being trimmed as she ducked beneath blows.
'They are quite evenly matched, but neither is going all out. Both are fast combatants, but that's all I'm seeing so far…'
Saber's invisible blade slid across Lancer's red spear as she pushed forward, forcing the spear away at the last moment and slashing at her opponent.
'First blood.' Ainz commented as the two servants jumped back and stared at each other for a moment, Lancer wiping away the blood from the shallow cut on his cheek, 'I suppose it's difficult for him to fight without knowing the length of her blade. Makes his combat prowess all the more impressive. Still, I hope these two get serious soon, or I'm wasting my time here.'
"You're quite the swordswoman, Saber. I think it's about time I show you the proper respect." Lancer said, uncovering the entirety of his spear.
It was entirely red, with runic carvings decorating it throughout.
'Hmm, can't say I recognise it. Cú Chulainn had a similar spear in YGGDRASIL, but he used just one.'
Arthuria smiled, "Your skill with the spear is likewise admirable. Sadly, I shall end this before you see my blade."
Lancer simply smirked, unleashing another assault, one that was easily blocked by Saber. However, beneath the shockwaves created by the battle, Ainz could see that it wasn't Saber that was blocking the strikes, rather it was Lancer aiming at the sword itself.
'So he's trying to estimate the length that way? Was there anything stopping him from doing that earlier?'
So far, the two servants had not demonstrated anything particularly interesting. In fact, Ainz was almost disappointed. While their raw combat prowess eclipsed anything he had seen in his life, almost if they were masterful dancers, their power… It certainly didn't put any exciting fights on his horizon.
Or so he thought at least until the flames that acted as his eyes nearly filled his skull, seeing Lancer's spear pass through Saber's armour, damaging only the servant.
Saber forced Lancer away with a kick, a green light courtesy of Irisviel enveloping her wound moments later.
"So that spear, it can cancel mana, can it not?"
Lancer simply smirked as Ainz yelled "It can what?!"
Thankfully, [Perfect Unknowable] cancelled the noise.
'Can it just dispel? Will it ignore my buffs? Will something like [Body of Effulgent Beryl] be ignored? Will the spear actually deal damage to me despite my racial resistance to it?'
For the first time since coming to this world, Ainz was genuinely worried.
'It shouldn't overcome my resistances, but what if it does? He's fast, but he seems to lack ranged attacks. Can he fly? Probably not. If his spears don't return to him after being thrown then I can simply fly above him and cast spells indefinitely, unless he has a proper ranged attack… He doesn't seem to, but the possibility is always there.'
He took a deep breath.
'I should keep watching. Maybe I'll get some actual answers.'
Briefly glancing at Rider, who seemed ecstatic watching the duel, his eyes swiftly returned to Saber, now having foregone her armour in favour of greater agility, seeing as how it would do little against Lancer's spear either way.
A golden glow emanated from her blade as she charged her adversary, the bricks that had made up the dock now nothing more than dust as she crushed them beneath her feet.
'Wait… Where's Lancer's other spear?' Ainz asked himself, noticing that he couldn't spy it on the ground.
To his, and Arthuria's, surprise, Lancer knocked his golden spear out of the dust and into the air, catching it just in time to put it in front of Saber's neck.
The King of Knights twisted her body to avoid a lethal blow, just managing to squeeze past and suffer a wound on her left hand instead, dealing a similar blow to Lancer.
'Now what ridiculous power does this one have?'
"You certainly don't give up easily." Lancer commented, "I appreciate your tenacity." His wound closed up; Ainz guessed that the healing was courtesy of the servant's master, standing right in view of Ainz.
Suddenly, a devious idea appeared in the Overlord's mind.
As he slowly flew towards Lancer's master, Saber turned to Irisviel, "Heal me as well, Irisviel."
"Y-You should've been healed by now, Saber! It should've worked!" the homunculus answered, prompting Rider to snap his gigantic fingers.
"Tch! A cursed spear? I only know of one Lancer with such a weapon, and a red spear to match."
"Ah, it seems I've exposed my identity."
"You have, Diarmuid, first of the knights of Fianna."
'Never heard of him.' Ainz admitted as he landed next to Lancer's master, an unremarkable blonde man who the Overlord wasn't particularly fond of at a glance, 'And while a cursed spear is less problematic, I'm not planning on taking any chances.'
He briefly broke the illusion spell, quietly uttering one word while pointing at Kayneth, "[Dominate]."
The mage's posture didn't change, but Ainz could feel that his spell had taken hold of his mind.
"Now then, it's time to put those command seals to good use."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"Shall we continue our dance, Saber?" Lancer asked, once more getting into a fighting stance, both spears pointing at Saber.
Arthuria responded in kind, her blade at the ready.
However, it seemed that a certain mage had other plans.
"Lancer! For your failure to kill Saber and for bringing dishonour to me, I command you to pierce your own heart with your spears!"
"""What!?"""
Everyone, including Lancer himself, called out in shock, but it was too late.
The magic of the command seals overpowered Diarmuid's will, forcing him to drive both his spears directly through his heart.
He let go of his weapons, falling to the ground as blood pooled from his mouth.
"Lancer!" Arthuria called out, running up to him before looking in the direction of Diarmuid's master, "You lowly scum!"
"How dare you interrupt a duel between two warriors?!" Iskandar roared, "You are not worthy of being called a master, not even a mage!"
Kayneth took a step forward, out of the shadows and into the moonlight, saying, "And who ar-"
A single gunshot pierced the night and Kayneth fell forward, his body falling off the building and flat onto the ground. His face was flattened and bits of his skull could be seen poking through his flesh.
"Like servant, like master." Lancer quipped, trying his best to put on a charming smile as the lower half of his body turned into mana, "Saber, I have one last request, as a warrior."
"I'm listening." Saber said, kneeling next to him.
"Find the one who did this." he said, "Restore my honour."
Arhturia stood up, "I will. I promise that on my honour as your adversary and as a knight."
Hearing this answer, Lancer died.
Waver hopped out of Rider's chariot, walking up to Kayneth's body and waving away the mana particles that had been Diarmuid.
"This doesn't make any sense…" he muttered.
"Of course it makes no sense! Who would want to interrupt such a wonderful duel!?" yelled Rider, his brow knit and the grip on his reins tight.
"Not that. I mean Kayneth. He wouldn't have done this, especially not to die right after." Waver elaborated, "There's no way he would've exited the war like this without being coerced."
"Coerced? With magic?" Saber asked, walking up as Irisviel healed her injury, now free from the curse of Diarmuid's spear.
Waver shook his head, "No, I don't think he was controlled. You'd have to put a ridiculous amount of effort to do that to him. I hated him, but he was still a powerful mage… It's more likely someone dear to him was kidnapped. The gunshot also points to one suspect."
He jumped back into Rider's chariot and hid himself from view, "The Mage Killer."
"Who is this guy, boy? Can't say I've heard of him back in the day."
"He's an assassin, not a mage. Everyone's heard of him by now. He uses any means to achieve his goals. Kidnapping someone dear to Kayneth and forcing him to do this would be his thing." Waver explained, not daring to poke his head out into the open again.
"Isn't it more likely that one of the other servants is behind this?" Saber asked.
"Servants don't use guns." Waver countered.
"Couldn't have the suicide of Lancer been done by one party and the killing of this mage by another?"
"What servant would have done it then? Assassin is gone, and Caster left. Archer is unlikely to be able to control someone."
"Caster warned me about a servant being forced to commit suicide." Saber said, causing Waver to poke his head out from within the safety of the chariot with a glimmer in his eye.
"He did?"
"Yes. He also claims to not have a master of his own."
"What are you trying to say? That Caster killed his own master and this was his doing? No servant can sustain themselves indefinitely without a master, and this still doesn't prove he did this. It just proves he knew it could happen."
"Either way, he shouldn't be disregarded as a suspect."
"I suppose I agree." Waver said, going back to hiding within the chariot, "Either way, there's nothing left for us here. Let's go, Rider."
The servant, uncharacteristically, obeyed, beginning to turn the chariot around and away from where the body of the mage lay.
"What a shame to lose such a talented warrior in such an underhanded way… I shall find the one who did it and best them myself!" Iskander exclaimed.
With a flick of his hand, he prompted the divine bulls to pull his chariot far away from this awful place.
"Let's also go, Irisviel. This place is dangerous." Saber said, turning towards her companion.
"Do you think it was Caster?"
Arthuria didn't answer. After all, her master had already displayed his willingness to use firearms.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
'At least somebody has a little common sense. Even if servants can't be harmed with guns, or normal ones I guess, mages are still human.' Ainz said, floating above the dispersing servants, just now noticing the man in the black suit who was quietly disassembling his rifle.
It was only a boon for Ainz, something to muddy the waters of who was behind Lancer's tragic suicide, and so the Overlord decided that when the time to kill him would come, he'd make it quick.
'I'm surprised he was here at all; he must have quite a vast network to get intel and act on it that quickly. I wonder, is he the boss of some organisation, or is it just favours and connections?'
Either way, Ainz sincerely doubted the man would find a way to mitigate his mind control, no matter how many favours he cashed in.
'Killing him now… isn't a great idea. He's the prime suspect alongside me due to that gunshot. Best to keep him alive for now.' the Overlord thought to himself, casting one last gaze at those below him. 'And now I suppose I should make myself scarce as well.'
Just as quickly as his gaze moved away from the dock, he turned back to analyse just who the hell decided to make so much noise right after the climax.
'Who is this? And why are they so late? Did they bide their time until either Lancer or Saber died in that duel, or maybe until Rider and I left?'
A chilling roar filled the air as a figure clad in black, smoking armour smashed through the containers and turned to Saber.
Neither offering a word of greeting nor a polite bow, the black knight grabbed at a nearby streetlight, tearing it from the ground with one swift motion. As if infecting the object, the streetlight became a void-like black, with red veins spreading throughout it.
'Oh? Does he assimilate it?' Ainz wondered, 'A curious ability for what I'm guessing is Berserker… I would've expected a big sword or something for a knight like that.'
Arthuria pushed Irisviel away before quickly drawing her sword just in time to block the overhead blow from Berserker.
To Ainz's surprise, the streetlight managed to withstand meeting Excalibur head on, with Berserker pressing forward and forcing the already mutilated concrete beneath Saber's feet to suffer further injury.
'Hm, I suppose that ability strengthens the object he is carrying, though how far does it go? Could he disarm Saber and take over Excalibur?'
Ainz made a quick mental note to not wield his staff in front of Berserker, just in case his theory turned out to be true.
'Now, let's see if he too can overpower Saber.' Ainz said, 'Though if he is as mad as his class name would indicate, she shouldn't have too much trouble putting down a feral animal.'
Arthuria managed to force Berserker's weapon away for a moment, giving her a chance to slip away while the force that the black knight had used forced him to slam his weapon into the ground.
However, she barely managed to catch her breath as Berserker lunged at her again, with speed that matched Lancer and ferocity that put the son of Ireland to shame.
The knight's posture was low as he pounced at Arthuria, abandoning his weapon and throwing his hands out to rip and tear at his adversary.
'Or perhaps not. A lack of strategy I suppose means less in melee combat than it does at range. He's strong, definitely. I wonder where his master is…'
If Ainz's hypothesis was correct and the servant could also take control of actual weapons, he'd prefer to avoid confronting him directly. Guile and subterfuge were a more elegant way of putting down such a beast.
'I suppose Rider will be the only one I truly face at the end of the day. Killing a child is… a little far.' Ainz thought as he cast [Lifesense] and scanned the area.
While a single figure did appear to be slumped over on a lower level of the dock, Ainz elected to ignore them. A skilled master using Berserker could be dangerous, but the distraction Berserker themselves could provide may very well be vital.
'They don't seem to be moving… Hmm, does Berserker consume such a significant amount of mana, or are they merely a weakling?'
Whichever one it was, it ultimately didn't matter. The duel between Saber and Berserker seemed to be at a stalemate, with Saber being slightly favoured as kicked Berserker in the knee, throwing them off-balance and delivering the pommel of Excalibur to their jaw.
Metal struck concrete as more dust was kicked up, obscuring Ainz's direct view, yet the roar from within the cloud told him that the blow likely only served to anger Berserker.
Seeing the black-armoured knight dash at his adversary, radiating nothing but murderous intent while also wielding only a brick caused Ainz to chuckle.
'What a curious specimen of a berserker. That ability to adapt is brilliant, but when used by someone mad, it's almost funny.' Ainz commented as the brick broke apart during its second clash against Excalibur.
As the Overlord flew lower to better observe the movements of the knight, he realised that the servant still was a master of their craft. There was technique there, but it was done by instinct rather than with intent.
'A shadow of a knight, quite literally. I'd feel bad if it didn't make my job easier.'
Ainz leisurely floated in the air, only to swiftly lean back as something gold flew right in front of his face, hitting the ground with devastating force, though missing Berserker.
"Having trouble with a mad dog? I expected better of you, Saber!" a voice called out.
Floating in the air was a servant clad in gold, with blonde hair and red eyes that looked upon the other two with a mixture of contempt and greed.
Several portals appeared above the servant, sending forth more golden projectiles at Berserker.
'An… archer?' Ainz wondered as he floated up higher and out of the line of fire, 'Quite a loose definition then, since last time I checked a halberd shot from a portal was a little different from a bow and arrow.'
To Ainz's astonishment, despite the onslaught of weapons, Berserker managed to deftly weave between them, grabbing a spear in midair and returning it to sender with twice the original force.
Sadly, the spear simply disappeared before reaching Archer, who continued his onslaught unabated, only saying, "Don't you dare lay a hand on my treasures, mongrel!"
'Treasures? Is he basically using an inventory to fire those weapons? Hm, I wonder if I can do the same thing.' Ainz thought for a moment before vigorously shaking his head, 'God, what am I thinking? That's like the most wasteful attack ever, since I'd have to collect them manually for the most part.'
With no sign of the onslaught stopping, Berserker was forced to move back and away from Saber, managing to send her one last hateful glare before fully deciding to retreat and disappearing from sight.
Archer looked down at Saber, "Not going to thank me for saving you?"
"I did not need saving, Archer. In fact, I am quite done with anybody interfering." she said, readying her blade against the third servant this night.
"Be serious." the young man said, "Even were you not exhausted, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. In your current state, what is there stopping me from just taking you as my prize for venturing out tonight?"
'Ah, he's one of those types.' Ainz quipped as he watched the interaction, 'He does seem to be the strongest by far though.'
While Archer could send an infinite amount of spears directly at Ainz's head and not leave a scratch, should that treasury of his happen to have a few powerful hammers, Ainz would not be allowed much room for mistakes.
'If there's no end to that inventory of his, slinging spells at him will be a pain in the ass. If I can't find his master, I'll simply immobilise him and kill him, presuming he'll survive that long with his heart crushed.'
As Ainz prepared various strategies against the servant he recognised as the primary threat, Archer grimaced.
"I suppose there is one thing stopping me." the servant muttered before spitting on the ground and just barely missing Arthuria, "I'll be back for you, Saber."
With that, Archer disappeared, and so did Ainz's interest in the area.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"King of Heroes, I dare not question your wisdom, but I beg of you to explain the actions of your magnanimous self to your lowly servant." Tokiomi said the second Gilgamesh appeared before him.
The servant sighed heavily, "What kind of fool would require an explanation of my actions? I was there in search of entertainment, and to protect my property."
"Property, my king? Who would dare take from you, and what would they take?"
Gilgamesh grabbed a golden goblet filled to the brim with wine from his 'inventory' before saying, "I have not yet collected this treasure, but as a treasure, it naturally belongs to me. That servant, Saber, when she pointed her little knock-off stick at me… Yes, she is the one I will take as my wife. I can simply tell."
"I-I see, your majesty." Tokiomi managed to say as his eyes widened.
'Why must my servant's power come with an equal amount of obscene desires?' the mage wondered, silently praying that Gilgamesh's new fixation wouldn't be his downfall.
"Had you not called me back, I would've at least had a chance to get to know my bride better. I'm sure she is fascinating. Her eyes, after all, burn with odd ambition."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"Phew, what a pain." Ainz said as he stretched his back and raised his arms to the sky, nearly losing his balance and risking a fall down forty stories.
So far, Ainz only knew the identity of Arthuria and Rider's masters, and that was hardly enough. There remained four others he needed to find and catch off-guard. Finding Archer's master was, naturally, paramount, but Ainz guessed that a confrontation with the servant would have to occur anyway.
"If he could appear without his master that night, he probably doesn't need to be anywhere nearby…"
An Overlord specialised in necromancy didn't particularly make the best tracker, nor was Ainz a trained hitman with a variety of ways of finding people. He did, however, know someone who fit the latter niche.
"Like hell that guy will negotiate with me though…" Ainz muttered as he recalled Saber's master. Even if he did, he would probably drive a hard bargain.
Beginning to pace around, the Overlord put his hands behind his back and looked up at the clear sky.
"If I do catch him off-guard somehow, like I could've last night, then I suppose I can force him to kill Saber with the command seals, and then maintain the spell until he hunts down Archer's master… But that means I have to find an elusive hitman now! God, how troublesome."
As he kept walking from one edge of the roof to the other, he suddenly found that he felt nothing beneath his feet, managing to cast [Fly] just in time to not have his fall accelerate beyond repair.
"So… What now?" he asked himself as he floated in midair
Caster was nowhere to be found, the other servants didn't seem to be particularly eager to fight in the middle of the day in a crowded plaza, and Ainz certainly didn't have any plans made to kill time of all things.
"Might as well explore." the Overlord figured, letting himself fall to the ground as he applied various illusions to his skeletal form.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"I didn't know you could drive a motorcycle, Saber!" Irisviel yelled as she held on for dear life.
"Neither did I! It simply came to me naturally!" Arthuria answered, weaving between cars with skill surpassing even the best thrill-seeker.
Thankfully for the two, none of the cars belonged to officers of the law, as they were very quickly getting into what many would call the middle of nowhere, to an abandoned location designated by Kiritsugu via a text message.
It was a decent distance away from the city, but nothing that couldn't be managed by a little bit of speeding.
When they arrived, having driven through dilapidated paths and needing to jump over several fallen trees barring the way, they were met with an old cottage.
The wood that once was a sign of a mighty shelter was now rotten, home to bugs and whatever other critters fancied it.
Upon entering, they noticed Kiritsugu and his partner in crime, Maiya, both smoking in the dark.
Immediately, Saber stepped forward and asked, "Was it you who forced Lancer's master to give that command?"
Kiritsugu calmly exhaled, took another puff, and exhaled once more before saying, "No. That must have been Caster, or another mage. The master of Berserker or Archer possibly."
"Is it really possible for there to be a mage in the tournament that could do that to Lancer's master? Wasn't he a prominent mage?" Irisviel asked.
"He was. I was planning to use a similar strategy as a contingency. Whoever did it simply did it first." the Mage Killer admitted.
"You would dare use such a dishonourable tactic… master?" Saber asked, her distaste obvious to everyone in the room.
"This is a war. I will do anything to win." he said, "Now, more importantly, our next move. We need to hunt down Caster's master, alongside those of Berserker and Archer."
"What if whoever forced Lancer's master to do that catches you?" Irisviel asked, walking up to Kiritsugu and grabbing his hand.
"I won't get caught." he simply said.
"What if Ainz Ooal Gown wasn't lying?" Saber interjected, causing all heads in the room to turn to her as she elaborated, "What if he really is an anomaly with no master, and not a Caster-class servant either?"
"That's impossible." Kiritsugu immediately said.
"Master, wouldn't an additional servant explain this? If there was a different, actual Caster, couldn't he be responsible for Lancer's suicide?"
"There is no other Caster. Ainz Ooal Gown simply lied. There are 5 servants left in this Grail War. No more, no less. Caster's master is simply hiding well. Maiya and I will hunt down the other masters. You two survive and distract the servants if the opportunity arises."
With that, Kiritsugu moved to exit the cabin, stopping only for a moment as Irisviel embraced his arm.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
As Ainz walked through the streets of the city, glancing from shop to shop, his eyes wandered over a man who rivalled his non-illusionary height, and with a tan that stood out in the crowd. His frighteningly red hair was also a give away.
The Overlord navigated through the crowd with finesse afforded only to servants, ending up next to Rider.
"I didn't expect to see King Iskandar out on the town like this." he commented.
Rider turned to him with surprise that quickly turned to delight, "At last somebody recognises me! None of the books I've skimmed have done my looks justice, right?"
"I wouldn't know, seeing as how we already met and it's hard not to recognise you in this crowd."
"Oho? I take it then that this is a different form of yours, Ainz?" Rider asked, catching on immediately.
"A man with my dashing looks must know how to conceal them at times." the Overlord answered, prompting a chuckle from the King of Conquerors.
"Heh, I get it. Say, you wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm guessing you're not here to fight, and I'd like to discuss something with you."
Ainz looked up, finding that the sun was barely below its half-point, "I'm not in the habit of drinking right past noon… but I'm also not in the habit of drinking or eating at all. Nevertheless, I accept."
Iskandar put his hand on the Overlord's shoulder, nearly shattering the illusion, "Splendid! I know just the place."
Following the servant, Ainz found himself in a small sushi restaurant in a shady alley, one which almost reeked of the yakuza if he were to be asked.
"These kinds of places are always the best, trust me." Rider said as the two sat down.
The second a waiter arrived, Iskandar began ordering as if there was a whole army with them, while Ainz only asked for a glass of water.
"I presume you have a way to pay for this?" he asked, only for Iskandar's eyes to widen and grin to blossom on his face.
Sighing, the Overlord forced time to grind to a halt, went outside, picked a few pockets, and returned.
"This one's on me." he said, showing the spoils to Rider.
"I appreciate it, Ainz."
Soon enough the two were swarmed by various types of sushi, with Iskandar inhaling them all. To Ainz's surprise, his use of chopsticks was quite on-point.
"You said you wanted to talk about something?" Ainz eventually said.
"Ah, yes. Tell me, have you heard about what happened at the dock last night?"
"I presume Saber and Lancer duelled. While I do enjoy a good duel, I wished more urgently to explore the nightlife, so as you know I am unaware of the outcome." Ainz said.
Iskandar shook his head, "It was a splendid duel, really."
"Who won?"
"Saber, but only because – and you're not going to believe this – Lancer was forced to kill himself by that shitty master of his."
Ainz widened his eyes as much as the illusion spell allowed him to and put a hand to his jaw as if to prevent it from falling.
Iskandar drank all the sake he had on hand, signalling the waiter to bring a whole barrel.
After allowing a moment of silence to pass, Ainz said, "But… why?"
"I have no idea why!" Iskandar exclaimed, the shoddy walls of the restaurant practically shaking, "Why would someone want to interrupt such a beautiful fight!? But they did! The bastard!"
"What happened afterwards?" Ainz asked, trying his hardest to sound surprised.
"Lancer's master got shot right after! I swear! It was ridiculous." Iskandar said before kneeling and switching to a whisper, "See, my master, the young lad, has a theory."
"Oh?"
"He's saying that it was probably Saber's master, that Mage Killer guy. First he blackmails Lancer's master to force the poor sod to kill himself, and then he shoots the master, or has someone else do it. Underhanded scum…"
Ainz attempted to spit to the side to show his disdain, but no illusionary spit exited his mouth. "That's terrible." he said, "Sadly, it's also plausible. I doubt an assassin like him would value honour very highly."
"Yea… Say, wouldn't you be able to do something as a Caster? A little magical investigation."
The Overlord shook his head, "Too much time has likely passed. Not much I can do if they covered their tracks to any degree." he bluffed.
"What a shame." Iskandar complained, leaning back.
"Indeed."
"See, the worst part is, now my master is also scared out of his wits. The boy won't even let me leave the house."
"In that case, how are you here?"
"He's passed out from exhaustion, so I've a little time for a getaway, though I can't go far."
"I see… Hmm, this truly is a perplexing case."
"You're also worrying for your master?"
"I've no master. I can simply sustain myself."
Iskandar whistled in approval, "Must be exhausting then."
"Not in particular. Though were I to be summoned without a master and as a class such as Saber, I believe it would be."
"Summoned without a master… I dunno how that works, but all that freedom, eh? Must be weird, since you're not the type to hunt servants down it seems."
"It is both liberating and frustrating." Ainz sincerely admitted, "There is so much to experience, and yet it will inevitably end. Though I simply must find some time to visit the arcades around here."
"As do I!" Iskandar exclaimed, "I heard of some 'fighting games' that I must conquer! We should go together sometime before our grand battle. What do you say, eh?"
Ainz smiled, "I accept your challenge at a game of your choosing, Iskandar."
The two shook on it, a great battle now on the horizon.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Kariya slumped against the streetlight, his gaze firmly fixated on the Matou family house across the street, the place where Sakura was held and, like him now, tortured.
He could feel the crest worms eat through his flesh, his complexion and hair now significantly paler after Berserker's outburst against Saber.
Still, he had to persevere, for Sakura… and Aoi.
Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps reached his ears, and the man who had taken pity on him last night met his gaze once more.
"Mister Kariya! What a coincidence." Satoru exclaimed before adding "Judging by your complexion, you could use another bowl of my famed stew."
The young man let out a grim chuckle, "I look like shit, don't I?"
"Pale like death itself." Satoru admitted, "Do you mind if I sit with you for a moment?"
"Yea, sure…"
The man, once more clad in formal attire, sat on the dirty ground with no regard for his suit.
"So, what brings you here, Satoru?" Kariya asked after a moment of silence.
"You see that house over there? Just across from us?"
Kariya nodded, "Mhm, what about it?"
"I don't know… It just gives me a bad feeling, you know?" Satoru said, turning to Kariya, who promptly put a hand to his cheek to stop the crest worm from visibly wriggling.
"Oh yea, same, quite honestly." he said to distract the man, though something told him his attempt was unsuccessful, forcing him to doubledown, "You know, my niece actually lives there."
Satoru raised an eyebrow, turning back to the house and saying, "Oh? Does she?"
"Yea, with her adopted family. Normally I'd go visit, but…"
"You don't want her to see you like this?"
Kariya remained silent for a moment.
Seeing this, Satoru reached into one of his pockets, taking out a small, ornate bottle of red liquid.
"Drink this." he said, "Old family recipe. Should help you for a while."
Before Kariya could thank him, the man stood up and turned the corner.
Having no reason to distrust the man, Kariya drank the content of the bottle, feeling his strength returning immediately, and as his thoughts became clearer, he realised something.
'Is Satoru another master?'
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Ainz watched under the guise of [Perfect Unknowable] as Kariya's strength returned.
'So those things wriggling under his skin are probably the worms I saw… Hm, he's in this for personal reasons, jealousy over that girl or whatever, so I doubt he will refuse an offer that meets his goals and does me a small favour.'
Given his physical weakness, Ainz guessed the slumped-over figure he had seen in the lower levels of the docks when Berserker appeared was Kariya.
'Having Berserker fight for me, and subsequently kill himself, does sound like quite a steal. I presume rescuing his cousin from that pit of worms will suffice as an exchange, and in case it doesn't, holding her hostage is also always an option.'
The Overlord turned to look at the house once more, now quite sure that the pillar of mana surrounding it was a courtesy of the mass of worms.
'That old guy gave me the creeps, and if he's his niece's adopted dad… God, could someone really be that cruel?' Ainz asked himself before quickly that yes, indeed such cruelty could exist. In fact, he realised that cruelty to concentrate in this town,
Aside from the spectacle that was the Grail War itself, he recalled the brutal killings of families that seemed to be on-going.
'Was this place founded on a burial site or something?' Ainz asked himself, walking up closer to the house.
He felt himself go cleanly through the barrier that surrounded the house, deciding that it was time to rid this city of at least one infestation.
Teleporting into the mansion via an open window, Ainz sat down in the living room, dispelled his illusion, and readied himself for a proper, villainous confrontation.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Zouken Matou, the ancient patriarch of the Matou family, slowly made his way down his family's halls. His appearance was almost of a corpse, old and decrepit, the use of a cane clearly justified as he trudged through the mansion.
Having met the likes of DaVinci and Paracelsus during his life, the current Grail War only was interesting in the first part of its name. The Grail, and more importantly what it could lead to, was the goal. The current age, even with the Tohsaka or Einzbern families, did not produce mages that could match those of his time, much less so the ancient times where magic flourished.
Besides, this war was only a means to an end. The fifth Grail War, once his brilliant plan was fully in motion, that would be the end.
But, as he stepped into the living room where the secret entrance to his wormpit lay, he felt something he had almost forgotten.
Fear.
This was not a rational fear, one born from analysis. No, this was his entire body becoming stiff, his instincts telling him that movement could alert a predator and cause it to pounce.
"Head of the Matou family, I presume? Or are you a retiree caught in the crossfire?" came a deep voice from within the room.
Forcing his body via sheer willpower to turn and face the intruder, he was met face to face with Death, or so it at least felt like.
"You are the one responsible for invading my home before I take it?" he immediately realised.
A dark wave seemed to emanate from the figure and Zouken nearly gave into his body's primordial instinct to run.
"Who I am is irrelevant. You are here to answer my questions, and die should you answer in a way that displeases me." the servant – though Zouken, having been partially responsible for the summoning of servants, wasn't even sure if this thing could be called as such – said.
The old mage remained silent, seemingly standing at attention while a secondary plan of his was put into motion.
"So, answer me, are you the current head of the Matou family? Should you lie, your life is forfeit, and I assure you I'll know." the vile thing said, apparently unaware of the crest worm that was slowly inching towards the back of its skull, ready to puppet it and add another weapon to Zouken's arsenal.
"I am." Zouken unashamedly answered.
"Good. Now, I'd like to know the whereabouts of a child who I am led to believe you have been experimenting on? Using those pathetic familiars of yours I mean."
"Pathetic?" the mage said, "We'll see how pathetic they are when they puppet you!"
A crest worm launched itself from the back of the servant's chair, ready to drill into its skull.
'Ah, it is good to see that servants remain servants and nothing more.'
Yet, right as the worm was going to impact bone and drill through it, it bounced right off, as if it met an impenetrable barrier.
"How utterly futile." the servant said, shaking his skull as the worm repeatedly ran into the same barrier, its disgusting, drill-like head becoming more disfigured each time.
Before Zouken could act further, fear paralysed him once more, and this time it remained, his body stuck in place as the servant spoke.
"I see the virtue of using a mass of such familiars in this world, truly I do." Death said, "But you see, where I come from, there is such a thing as true power. The difference between me and these worms, and me and you, is such that neither can even scratch me. I hold true power, and you truly are nothing but a worm."
The servant snapped its fingers, the disfigured worm bursting into black flame and turning into ash.
"Now you have two options before you. Tell me where the girl is and I will make this swift, or you can have a taste of hell before you go down there."
"Tch, don't underestimate, servant!" Zouken yelled, finally breaking past the aura of the being and turning his body into a mass of crest worms, all launching themselves at the servant.
"Which part of my speech did you not understand?" the servant asked, genuinely perplexed as the worms around him ran into his invisible shield, "You are powerless against me. [Nuclea-]. On second thought, [Aura of Despair V]."
The worms immediately dropped dead to the floor, their bodies not even twitching.
Ainz picked one up by its wing, this variant different from the drill-type that had attempted to attack him first.
"Hmm, if memory serves, he has turned himself into a swarm, meaning that this wasn't his real body… The real thing must be somewhere in that dungeon alongside the other worms."
Through a very convoluted and annoying questline, one could achieve a similar result in YGGDRASIL. However, the shitty devs being, well, themselves, made the racial levels severely underpowered, nerfed the efficiency of class levels with the builds, and made every npc attack you on sight, so it was really not worth it. A normal entomancy build was typically preferred, even when designing NPCs such as the maids in Nazarick, Entoma being a prime example.
Here, however, Ainz had to admit that this old guy really did have something going until he ran into him.
"If he was more cooperative, he would've made for a wonderful ally." Ainz mused, casually dispelling the illusion that blocked the hidden passage.
To Ainz's surprise and subsequent approval, the torches in the dungeon lit up as he walked past them, making for quite a cool effect.
Yet his approval would quickly turn to dismay as thousands of worms came into view, a purple-haired girl floating on top of the sea of abhorrent creatures.
"Surrender and become mine if you want the girl!" she yelled.
"Ah, so my guess was correct, you are a worm hidden somewhere else. May I take a guess and say that it is within that girl?" Ainz asked, casually walking up to the pit of worms.
"You're sharp, but that won't help you, servant! If you want her alive, you will surrender, or I'll have her ripped to shreds right here!"
"Who said I need her alive? [Maximize Widen Magic: Cry of the Banshee]!"
A terrifying shriek reverberated through the halls as the worms suddenly became still and light in the eyes of the girl went out. Silence dominated the room as the mighty Zouken shrivelled up within the girl, his dream dying with him.
Paying little attention to the pathetic geezer whose soul was now gone, Ainz teleported the girl he presumed to be Kariya's niece to himself before she could sink beneath the worms.
"I hope this works." he muttered, taking out a rod of [True Resurrection], preferring not to gamble on the girl surviving a simple Tier 5 version.
He touched the girl's forehead with it and… nothing happened.
"Oh, right, the ring." Ainz said, grabbing a ring that let him use the wand from his inventory and putting it on. It'd result in a marginal decrease in power until he could put his usual ring back on, but he wasn't planning on fighting for the next hour anyway.
This time he felt one of the wand's charges be consumed, and the girl's eyes slowly opened.
"G-Grandpa?" she tentatively asked.
"Huh? Uh, no." Ainz responded, "I'm… a friend of your uncle Kariya."
Perhaps he should have expected it of a girl who had spent her time being devoured by worms, but she didn't seem particularly startled by his appearance. In fact, her eyes didn't change much from when she was dead. They remained almost lifeless.
'I wish whatever therapist she goes to luck.' Ainz briefly thought before saying, "Come now, your uncle is waiting."
"What about grandpa?" the girl asked, momentarily looking back at the pit of worms.
"He won't bother you anymore… and neither will the worms." he answered, taking the girl's hand and leading her up through the dungeon.
Her legs, however, remained weak, and she could hardly follow the steps of the mighty Overlord, leading to Ainz picking her up with one hand and putting her over his shoulder.
Time, after all, was always of the essence.
And it was a boon he followed this idea, as the second they exited the mansion, their ears were assaulted with the pained screams of a man across the street.
With the girl still on his shoulder, Ainz teleported directly over to the man, finding Kariya begging for death.
"Please! Kill me! Just let this fucking end!" he yelled.
Taking a moment to put down the girl on the ground and cover her ears, Ainz began running through various options in his head.
'The worms must be going berserk now that the central part of their hivemind is gone. I don't want to waste another charge of the wand on him, but if he dies then this whole ordeal would be a waste.'
As both he and the girl watched the man's flesh be consumed from the inside out, neither showing particular concern, Ainz suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.
"Hold on, Kariya, this'll hurt." he said, taking out a single scroll that quickly burnt up in heatless flame, "[Protection From Energy: Electricity], [Chain Lightning]."
Ainz never took himself for a gambler, aside from the YGGDRASIL gacha, but in the moment this seemed like the best available move and he quietly prayed that this human could survive such a meek spell.
Kariya fell limp for a moment, his entire body smoking. As quickly as he could, Ainz pulled out another minor healing potion and poured it on the man, breathing a sigh of relief as it actually took effect, meaning the man was still alive.
'I'm glad that worked…'
The man recovered surprisingly quickly, even when taking into account the potion. Unlike his dear niece, the recovery was quickly followed by him jumping away from Ainz and yelling.
"Who the hell are you!? One of Zouken's minions?!" he yelled, glancing at the girl and presuming she was a hostage.
Ainz pushed the girl towards Kariya, with her mechanically embracing her uncle.
The man froze for a moment, his mind not registering what was happening but returning his niece's hug nonetheless.
"I am a friend, Kariya. You used to call me Satoru, but now you may call me Ainz Ooal Gown." the Overlord said before noticing something odd. Kariya was rapidly becoming paler.
'Impossible. The worms were most certainly fried, and they couldn't have benefited from the resistance spell, since that one was a single-target scroll!'
"I, shit, I'm so tired. What did you do to me, Sat-, Ainz?"
"I got rid of the worms within your body, admittedly via a painful method."
"You did what!?" Kariya called out, "Berserker is sucking me dry now! I can't produce enough mana to sustain us!"
"Oh, is that the problem then? Allow me to do you another favour." Ainz said before pointing at Kariya. The man flashed every colour of the rainbow and then some, his complexion returning to normal as Ainz silently buffed the man.
"This power… What the hell are you, Ainz?" Kariya asked, still not letting go of his niece.
"A friend, one who expects you to repay their debt for all this. I got rid of those bugs, the man who controlled those bugs, rescued your niece, and now gave you enough power to sustain your servant for a time. I'm sure you understand if I demand something in exchange for my good deeds."
"Yea, yea, of course. Just say the thing! I… I really can't ever repay you."
"You can, and I will tell you precisely how." Ainz said, "Not to worry, your niece won't end up in danger, and I'll try to make sure you survive as well."
"Okay… You're starting to scare me, Satoru, I mean, Ainz." Kariya said, "And I really didn't expect you to be a servant. I thought you might be a master, but this is a whole other thing."
"What I am does not matter. Now, I believe you entered the Grail War to save your niece, is that correct?"
"Yea, but now that Sakura is here, I think I might just go to the church and quit." Kariya said, prompting Ainz to chuckle.
"I'm afraid that's not an option. I want you to remain in the Grail War, and I want you to help me win." Ainz said.
Kariya remained silent for a brief moment, looking from Sakura to Ainz. The girl's empty eyes seemed to regain a sliver of their previous cheer, and so Kariya nodded, "Fine. Tell me what you need, boss."
"I'm glad we see eye to eye. See, your servant is quite ferocious, and with a little help from me, I believe Berserker can easily overpower Saber, alongside whatever remains of Assassin and Caster."
"Wait, I thought you were Caster?"
"I'm not, and what I am is, once again, irrelevant. My point is, I want you to help me have Berserker deal as much damage as physically possible to the other servants. However, I don't want you to use your command seals for this."
{I want you to use them to force Berserker to commit suicide.} Ainz added via [Message].
"I see…" Kariya said, "You've really got all of this planned out, huh?"
"Brutes and fools do not get their hands on wish-granting objects very often in my experience." Ainz answered, "For now, however, go rest. I will let you know when I require Berserker's… services. Go, have fun with your niece." Ainz said, turning away from the now healthy young man.
"Hey, wait!"
The Overlord stopped mid-step.
"Thank you, Ainz or Satoru or whatever, both for this and that meal. I'll definitely get you that grail, you bony-bastard!"
Ainz chuckled, "I like your enthusiasm."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"Wow! That was so coooool!~~~" Ryuunosuke exclaimed as the pregnant mother they had kidnapped became just another bloody smear on the wall, akin to a mural and a testament to the brutality of the demon of Fuyuki.
Bluebeard, however, shook his head. "No… This is not it… We must find her, Ryuunosuke. All this terror for her is worth nothing without her here to see it!"
"You mean that Jeanne girl? I nearly got blown up when you last tried to look at her! And even then, it was blurry as hell! How can you know it was her?" the young man complained.
"The heart knows, and what is terror without its audience?! I will return, Ryuunosuke, with my Jean in tow!"
With spirited movements unlike anything Caster had displayed before, Bluebeard ran off from the underground hideout he and Ryuunosuke had created.
"What a weird guy…" Ryuunosuke briefly complained, "But I guess I could use a little time alone too, go on an old-fashioned night out."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
With the precision of a true professional, Saber spun the motorcycle around, just barely managing to save it from going down the cliff.
Irisveil yelped as Arthuria chuckled.
"Don't scare me like that!" the homunculus yelled, tightening her grip on the servant, "I swear, I nearly fell off!"
"I would never put you in harm's way." Saber countered, not slowing down for even a moment.
The sun had already disappeared from the sky, but the light of the moon provided enough visibility for Saber to demonstrate her riding skills a little more.
No matter what curve in the road appeared or dangerous it may have seemed, the servant didn't slow down for a moment. The motorcycle was an extension of her, and she an extension of it, though that didn't particularly help ease Irisveil's fears as the wheels edged closer to the cliffside with each stunt.
Suddenly, Arthuria forced the motorcycle to stop entirely, killing its momentum alongside Irisveil's appetite for the foreseeable future.
"I asked you not to do that!" Irisveil complained once more, only for her mild annoyance to turn into fear as Saber got off the bike and had her midnight-black suit turn into armour.
She looked up to find an odd, bug-eyed man staring at Arthuria with what seemed to be adoration, perhaps even obsession.
His coat was vaguely reminiscent of that of Ainz Ooal Gown, though far less impressive and lacking a hood. Instead, the man's greasy, blood-soaked hair was clear to see.
"Oh, Jeanne!" he began, "Finally I have found you!"
"Jeanne?" Saber asked, "Who do you think I am?"
The man tilted his head to the side, his rapturous smile turning into a frown, "Do you truly not remember me, Jeanne? All our time together, the things I have done for you?"
"I am not Jean. Instead, who are you? Could you be… Caster?" Saber wondered, pointing her sword at the man.
However, her question remained unanswered, the madman instead grabbing his head and calling out towards the sky, "Do you truly not remember?! Jeanne, all the things we have done together, your own downfall and death?! You must have forgotten! Yes, yes, you simply do not recall the truth. I will make you remember, Jeanne, just wait for me!"
For a brief moment, the man was covered by dark-blue tentacles, engulfing him like a carnivorous plant would with prey, but when they receded, the figure of the man was nowhere to be found.
Saber quickly hopped back onto the motorcycle, accelerating even faster than before.
"Eep!" Irisveil yelped once more, holding onto the Servant for dear life.
"There is no time to waste, Irisveil. I have a terrible feeling about that… Caster." Saber said, rushing back to Fuyuki.
"That was Caster?!" Irisviel exclaimed, "Does that mean Ainz didn't lie!?"
"That does seem to be the case, and if my guess is correct, this Caster is behind Lancer's suicide." Arthuria answered, her goal now clear.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Ainz sat upon the top of the bridge that connected the two parts of Fuyuki City, looking at the stars as he indulged in one of his favourite activities: theory-crafting.
Berserker, according to both himself and the best guess Kariya could offer, effectively enchanted whatever he held to elevate it to a level at least slightly comparable to the weapon of an average servant.
'I suppose a sword would do him well? I have a few legendary blades, so if I give him one of those, he should be able to overpower Saber quite easily. What if I give him two? He seemed to prefer a two-handed approach during his fight, but I have plenty of relic-tier gear to spare, so it wouldn't exactly cost me much. I can also recover it once he kills himself.'
The servant certainly would be a wondrous tool, but primarily against Saber. Kariya had informed him that apparently Berserker had lashed out against Arthuria on his own, meaning that Archer and Rider, the two main threats, would likely still remain one on one battles, unless Arthuria was not on the field.
'God, and that still leaves Caster and Assassin. Next time I run into Arthuria's master, I'm eliminating both, otherwise this whole thing will become way too complicated.' Ainz swore to himself.
Going after masters did truly seem like the easiest strategy, almost too easy in fact with his skillset.
The Overlord got up and began floating in midair, sending out a [Message] to Kariya as an idea popped into his head.
{Kariya, the Matou family wouldn't happen to be a major magical lineage, would it?} Ainz asked, hiding both the curiosity and anticipation in his voice.
{Uh, yea, it is, though the family isn't doing too hot and will probably collapse now that you got rid of Zouken. Why do you ask?}
{You wouldn't happen to know of any other magical lineages, right? Especially not ones that could take part in a war like this?}
{Well, the other two I know are the Ainzbergs, Einsirgs, uh, Einzberns I think? It's been a while since I brushed up on this, but the Einzeberns, and if I remember correctly, they've hired that Mage Killer guy for this war.}
{That would be Saber's, or rather, Arthuria's master then. What about the other family?}
Ainz could practically hear the disdain in Kariya's voice as the young man answered, {That would be the Tohsaka's, Sakura's original family. Tohsaka Tokiomi, the smug bastard, is definitely a master, I think Archer's, but that's just gut-instinct. That Archer guy who fought Berserker has the same aura around him, y'know?}
{And where exactly may I find this Tokiomi, and more importantly, could Berserker provide an adequate distraction?}
{Uh, if you find me with a map I can direct you to their house pretty easily, but he may not be there. As for your other question, yeah, probably, especially with your help. By the way, how long will these 'buffs' last?}
{I'll refresh them once they've run their course, do not worry, and thank you for the information. I'll meet you at the side of the river at noon.} Ainz said before cutting off the connection.
'So, another master revealed, and perhaps the most vital one at that… This'll prove interesting; perhaps Archer will be pushed to their limits if I buff Berserker and reveal their best cards? Hmm, but then I'd have to pray Arthuria doesn't appear to distract that mad animal…'
Suddenly, Ainz felt a few words resound within his skull, not too different from a [Message] but far less blockable.
[To all servants, Caster and his master have not kept the secrecy and discretion required of a pair during the Grail War, thus the War is now suspended until they are eliminated. Whoever shall eliminate them will be rewarded with an additional command seal.]
Ainz looked in the direction of where he felt the spell to originate from and his skull practically formed into a predatory grin.
'What a wonderful chance for a few… experiments.'
Discord . gg / 8966UupbPp
/edgy79048
Edited by Korak324
Betaread by: HackSlashBash, WhoStoleMyTea?, SIB
(AN: First and foremost, I'd sincerely like to apologise for my extended hiatus. You'd be surprised how hard it is to write in a straight jacket! Oh, and also I was busy getting into college, partying, and overall living life. I hope you'll forgive me. Expect chapters to come slowly still, as I'm busy travelling, moving into college, and enjoying my summer. I do apologise, but I hope you'll enjoy the chap nevertheless. By the by, all the power-scaling stuff in here will be exclusively from what servants show in Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night, not Grand Order; for that you can go read Grand Foreigner by RussianReversal. And remember, nothing I write is abandoned until I say so! Oh yea, and I have a kofi if you want to donate and contribute to future art commissions, with past ones being on the discord! As always, more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!)