[Chapter 4: The Hunter And The Hunted]
One wouldn't expect a contract with the skin devil to be very useful, and that assumption would be correct most of the time. After all, few people were afraid of their own skin. However, a skilled assassin would disagree. For a small price, one could get the perfect disguise.
This is exactly what Aldo, Jack, and Joey specialised in. Despite the jet lag after their flight in from the US, ambushing and killing three public safety devil hunters was no problem.
Overall, things were going well. Their target was supposedly just sitting out in the open. Easy work with the garrote wire, a well-placed bullet, or even a sharp knife could get the job done before any of his guards could catch up to them.
As the trio walked through the alleyway, planning their exact move, a handsome young man walked into view. "Password?" the man asked, with Joey taking a step forward.
"Who the hell are you? Do you know you're getting in the way of important public safety devil hunting business? No password I have is yours to know. Better beat it, kid." he said, flashing his badge.
The young man offered the three a small smile and said, "Kill them."
Three figures appeared out of thin air, stabbing each of the three brother's through the throat. Their skin warped back to their normal appearance, and Yoshida sighed, "I'm surprised Ainz predicted this."
"Now how do I use this?" he asked himself, fiddling with a beautiful ring that rested on his right index finger. After a minute or so, he managed to unleash the power hidden within the item, "[Message]."
{Um, does this thing work?} he asked, feeling like some sort of connection was established.
{Yes. Yoshida, right? Is there anything for you to report?} came the deep voice of Ainz from the other side.
{Yep. I got three guys here that were using the bodies of some other hunters. How'd you know something like this would pop up? And the idea of actually having no password?}
{Old trick from back in the day, back when illusions were more than just taking someone's skin. Anyway, good job. I'll have some of my summons pick up the corpses. You can return to your usual route.}
Ainz exhaled all the air in his nonexistent lungs after disconnecting.
'How the hell did that actually work?' he asked himself. The whole strategy of killing anyone who didn't know that there was no real password really only appeared because Power, of all fiends, had to bring up the idea that someone may want to sneak in.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
A few hours earlier
"Ooh! Ooh!" Power exclaimed, raising her hand high into the air.
"Do you have another idea?" Ainz asked, curious as to what the blood-crazed fiend would bring to the table.
"What if someone tries to sneak in? Like in those crazy spy movies!" she said.
"Ah, I have a very simple solution for that. Everyone who arrives into the killzone, and doesn't immediately identify that there is no password, dies. I will monitor the civilians, so don't worry about them being caught in this strategy." Ainz confidently stated.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
'Why the hell did I think up something so stupid!? And how the hell did it work!?'
He was just going to discreetly dispatch anyone suspicious who entered the area around him with his summons, so that nobody would discover how absolutely idiotic his strategy was. Now that it worked, however, well, maybe he could relax a bit?
'Three down, a few more to go.' he thought to himself, activating [Undead Slave Sight] and deciding to distract himself with whatever cool action was going on elsewhere.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Kishibe looked at the knife Ainz gave him. The rings already looked good, but this thing really was nice. Its weight was good, he felt that it could cut through even the toughest devils like paper, and he could throw it without worrying about having to pick it up again, since it just appeared back in his hand.
However, better than even that was the alcohol he was given. Wherever it is that Ainz was from, they knew their whiskey. With a slightly less bored expression, he sat in the cafe.
It was empty all around him, all the civilians having been evacuated. A brawl was surely brewing, and he would most likely greet quite the entourage.
As expected, through the door walked a Chinese woman with an eyepatch. Behind her were several fiends, all appearing to follow her as if they were puppies.
"Kishibe." she said, turning to the ageing man, "Nice knife."
"Quanxi." the captain responded, "You here for me?"
"We both know who I'm here for." she answered, sitting down opposite of him.
Kishibe, like the silver fox he was, normally would've taken this opportunity to reconnect with his old rival. With her white hair tied back into a ponytail, and her attractive physique, she made for a good target in more than just combat.
Unfortunately for her, he wasn't here for pleasantries. Ainz had devised a scheme, a damn good one, and so he said, "You've had a good run. Goodbye."
With a snap of his fingers, Quanxi disappeared from sight and was forcibly teleported to a predetermined location.
The second this happened, the demeanour of all her fiends changed as they began snarling at Kishibe.
He drew his runic dagger and beckoned them forward, "Come on. I'll send you back to hell along with your owner."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
How could he have forgotten!? Everything he had, everything he held dear, gone because of the most heinous devil of them all. Hatred, unimaginable hatred gripped the angel devil as he remembered Makima forcing him to absorb the lifespans of everyone he knew and loved.
Such was his curse, for his touch to drain the very life out of everyone. Once he absorbed their life, he could turn them into weapons. Oh how he wanted to turn all those lives Makima took from him into a weapon and strike her down with it.
Yet he knew such a thing was impossible, on his own at least. Whoever this Ainz Ooal Gown they were guarding was, he had the power to counter the mind control of Makima. Whether it be via an item or the "spells" he supposedly conjured, somehow the angel devil knew he was the only one who could kill her.
For now, however, he would have to figure out whether his case was just a fluke or not.
"Aki?" he asked the one assigned as his partner.
"Yes?"
"Do you feel any… different about Miss Makima recently?"
It was an odd question if the devil hunter were to be honest, but for some reason it seemed to make sense to ask. "Sort of. Why do you ask?" he answered, not betraying that his affection for Makima had for some reason diminished.
"No reason, just curious." the angel devil answered.
The two wandered around until a [Message] reached them both.
{Several dozen doll-like humanoids are approaching your location. Deal with them as you see fit.} came Ainz's cold voice.
Aki drew his new sword, one which glowed with a red hue.
The angel devil didn't bother to adopt any stance, simply standing around and waiting for the tide of enemies.
They both already had an idea of who exactly was coming, that being Santa Klaus and his army of dolls. His methods were as infamous as they were destructive, but Ainz had assured them that such tricks were trivial.
Devils already couldn't be affected by such a thing, and the few trinkets that now adorned Aki's hand were apparently more than capable of stopping a measly devil from converting him into a doll.
It took only a minute or two for the former humans to begin pouring out of the alleys. Their faces appeared to be nearly wooden, displaying nothing of note.
As his opponents ran forward, Aki readied his sword. "Remember angel, they are gone. Show them no mercy."
His weapon was covered by a searing flame, and the head of the first doll rolled forward.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Quanxi was disorientated for only a fraction of a second, finding her balance and drawing one of her swords immediately, sweat beginning to appear on her face.
"Oh, did Ainz send you here? How sweet of him. I was going to go looking for you myself." Makima said, her voice pleasant as can be.
"You…" Quanxi muttered. The ultimate prey was in front of her and yet her knees shook. For some odd reason, she felt like she couldn't take a step towards Makima.
"Yes, me. Now, you will go fight Ainz and make sure he shows me what he is capable of. Yes?" the devil said, her words sweeter than ambrosia.
It was as if a switch had been pulled, and Quanxi straightened up, saying, "Yes." and running off in the direction of Ainz.
Makima looked out from her office window as the assassin transformed into her other form. "Now you will show me, Ainz, whether you really are as great as you seem." she muttered, excited to finally have a chance at glancing into the unknown that the Overlord was.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
'Command mantra? I guess that's pretty standard for high-ranking devils. Or corporate managers, but I don't think those were a proper class up until that expansion came out.' Ainz thought to himself, observing as Makima swiftly subjugated the hunter Kishibe had identified as the most dangerous.
'I suppose I shouldn't be too disappointed. Command mantra is useful in a world with average strength like this, though I think she just has strong mind control. Still, she's probably decently strong if she has something like that.'
Suddenly Ainz thought of an idea that only the biggest of idiots would overlook, deciding to confirm it with his fashionable ornamentation and encyclopaedia.
{Vesicar, if Makima were to be able to mind control people, would she be able to force people into pacts? Ones that for instance say that if she dies, the damage is transferred to them, since you mentioned such a thing being possible.}
{Yes, my lord. If she indeed has such a power then she may have a nearly endless supply of lives. Unless you have a way to end her quickly, the casualties will be massive.}
Ainz breathed a sigh of relief, {I have just the thing. We'll interrogate her after I deal with the gun devil. I doubt that one is much for conversation.}
The Overlord looked up, finding that someone had appeared in front of him, seemingly avoiding all the patrols.
And wouldn't you know it? It was the Soviet spy he had 'saved' just a few days prior!
"Sir! Please help! There's monsters crawling all over the place!" she cried out, tears streaming down her eyes.
She made her way to Ainz and was about to grab his hand, but he was quicker on the draw, his hand lunging at her neck.
"Alright, enough of this charade. I'm surprised you've come in for another attempt." Ainz said, getting ready to execute the girl. Teenager or not, she was an enemy. As guilty as he would feel over executing what was effectively a child, she should have picked her battles better.
However, instead of pure fear, disappointment blossomed on her face. Her hand reached up to her choker, and she pulled a pin that hung from it, a deafening explosion consuming her surroundings.
He felt the girl leave his grasp as he waved away the dust and debris. The explosion wasn't powerful enough to damage him, despite such combustive forces being his primary weakness besides holy magic, and so he remained calm for the moment.
"A suicide bomber?" Ainz asked, presuming that the girl disappeared alongside the bench that he had previously been sitting on.
"Not quite." came the familiar voice of the spy, piercing the remaining smoke. It was filled with confidence, as if the girl had not sustained so much as a scratch from the explosion.
Once his flaming eyes could once more gaze upon her, he knew why. "A bomb devil hybrid? Hmm, I expected the Americans to have such a thing, rather than the Soviets."
Where once was the face of a pretty girl, now it was replaced by a bomb; the only similarity between it and a conventional human face were the teeth, though these had no lips to hide them and were plainly visible.
"So you know…" she muttered, brushing off the dust from her dress which appeared to be made of dynamite.
"Of course I do." Ainz said, playing the role of an all-knowing Overlord.
'Umm, what was her name again? One of the death assassins told me about it… Oh, yea.'
"Now, Reze, do you want to die?" the undead mage simply asked. If she were on his level, she would be a troublesome opponent, however, he was quite confident he could end this fight on a whim. In an effort to make sure that was more than mere confidence speaking, he cast [Drifting Master Mine].
"No, and I'm sure neither do you, but this is the end of the road for you. I need your heart." Reze said, pointing her hand at Ainz's chest.
Despite her being an opponent, she was still a teenager, and he could always get a hybrid body from Quanxi, and so he gave the girl one more chance, "Think about this carefully. I'd hate it if my time saving you was wasted. Besides, do you really think you stand a chance against me?"
The second the question reached Reze's ears, an explosion consumed her, sending her flying.
'So she isn't immune to the explosion caused by me or my spells. I suppose not blowing yourself up is nice, but not having immunity to any other attacks like that still hurts.'
Reze staggered to her feet, leaving behind a bomb devil shaped indentation in a nearby wall and tearing off the skin at her forearms, revealing more explosives.
As she prepared to strike, a whistling sound caught her attention.
Ainz raised his hand next to his head and caught the arrow that was about to impact it. He glanced at the new bow-like hybrid that Quanxi had become.
The transformed assassin offered Ainz no banter or taunt, instead taking aim once more.
"I guess a two versus one might make this more interesting." he muttered, an ominous aura surrounding him…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Tolka looked down from the building, rifle in hand. The masses of dolls from the infamous Santa Klaus appeared to have met a dam in the form of a devil hunter and a devil. Still, neither of those two were his target.
For his master to be able to peacefully retire, he would have to deal with the mysterious Ainz. He could guess who that was, as the robed man currently toying with the two hybrids was quite distinct in his manner of dress.
"Remember, you have to stab him three times with the nail. After this job is done, I will be able to retire and introduce you to my contracted devils." his master, a woman with dark hair and years of experience as a private devil hunter, said.
The young man nodded, readying to take the shot. He took a deep breath, steadying his hands and aiming at Ainz. The shot had to be precise; it would have to enter through the head, exit and re-enter through the shoulder, exit again and finally re-enter at another point in the arm.
With the bullet that acted as a nail technically piercing three times, the curse devil would do the rest.
He had to do this. It was his master's life on the line, and he couldn't disappoint her. His vision became clear, his focus crystallising. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and he was about to pull the trigger when something yanked the barrel of his gun.
The door to their hideout was kicked in, with two women walking inside. One wore an eyepatch and the other appeared to be a fiend of some sort.
"Seems like there's a couple rats in the attic, eh?" Himeno said, commanding the ghost devil to throw the gun out the open window.
Tolka held on for a brief moment but soon realised he was outmatched in strength, letting go of the weapon.
"But it's just two! Why can't I go have fun like Aki!? There's so much blood going to waste there!" Power complained, a spear made of blood appearing in her hand.
Tolka's master took a step back, her back hitting the wall. "This may require a change of plans…" she mumbled. For some odd reason, as she did so all the dolls fighting Aki stopped, entirely motionless…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"You're not going to use any of your contracts? Hmph, I suppose claw, needle, and knife devil deals don't come cheap, especially when you're so old." taunted Pingsti, one of Quanxi's fiends. She looked quite normal, if not for the seemingly sentient, snake-like ponytail.
Kishibe ignored her statement, instead throwing a knife at the neck of Long, another one of the fiends, with her one defining characteristic being her horns, not too dissimilar from those of power.
The weapon flew as if propelled by some supernatural force, lodging itself firmly in the fiend's throat. It dematerialised once her body hit the floor, appearing back in Kishibe's hand.
"I really don't see why Quanxi keeps you around." Kishibe said, taking a casual sip from his canteen.
Pingsti gritted her teeth, saying, "Get him! I'll help Long!" She ripped apart a piece of her arm, pouring blood on the wound of the motionless fiend to her side. One second passed, then another, until she realised something was wrong.
"What?! What did you do?!" she yelled, seeing that her companion wasn't getting back up.
"The knife stops healing. Normally I'd decapitate you all, but with this I don't have to." the captain said, appearing behind a frankenstein-like fiend, rendering it dead with a swift stab through the head.
"Cosmo! Do something!" Pingsti yelled, desperation and horror now filling her voice.
Kishibe turned to the fiend with half of its head missing, ready to react to whatever attack would be thrown at him.
However, to his surprise, the fiend only called out, "Halloween!" and then remained silent, as if she expected something to happen.
He looked at one of the rings Ainz had given him and muttered, "Mind control effect of some sort? Hmph, who would've guessed."
It was probably a blessing that the fiend didn't get to interact with Kishibe's mind, lest it decide to run away afterwards. Swiftly taking advantage of the opportunity caused by the confusion of the fiend, the old captain decapitated Cosmo with one slice.
Pingsti meanwhile slowly tried to make her way to the exit, hoping that Kishibe would be too absorbed in the thrill of the kill or something, but she only heard his voice from right behind her as she reached for the door handle.
"Killing fiends isn't even as fun as killing devils." he mumbled as he pulled his knife out of Pingsti's skull, his free hand already reaching for his flask.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"This is getting a bit tedious, no?" the angel devil said, decapitating a few more dolls with his sword, one that was made of five years worth of life.
Aki stabbed an approaching doll through the chest, his blazing sword cauterising the wound instantly and causing a sickly, burnt smell to encompass the area. "Don't let your guard down. We still do not know what Santa Klaus is fully capable of." he said.
"Yea, yea. You just want an excuse to use your shiny new toy. These guys can't even hurt us."
One of the dolls put its hand on Aki's arm, but the devil hunter remained unchanged, a ring granting polymorph immunity protecting him.
"That may be the case, but I'm not letting that old bastard get away." Aki said, his gaze focusing on an old, decrepit figure that stood behind the tide of dolls.
His white hair was thin and dishevelled, far from the majestic beard that typically came with the title of Santa Klaus. The sunken eyes gazed at the devilish duo with a thousand yard stare, as if looking past them rather than at them.
Frankly, he gave the angel devil an eerie feeling, and that could only be said for a few people the angel had met. This wasn't the feeling of fearing stemming from being powerless though, here something just felt wrong.
Unlike the dolls here, the angel devil could firmly feel Santa Klaus was still definitely alive and human, but something still unsettled him. It was odd…
The fighting continued on, with it really being more of a formality than anything else. Dolls fell dead and the two kept swinging their weapons.
However, just as Aki was about to try a larger area of effect option Ainz had recommended earlier, the dolls abruptly stopped. For some reason, Santa Klaus froze in place as well…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
'Jesus! She is quick!' Ainz thought to himself as he tried to make distance between himself and Quanxi. If this was the calibre of someone Kishibe could compete with then Kishibe was at least level 50 in his prime. Perhaps that time had passed, but the crossbow hybrid's agility still spoke volumes of the captain.
Alas, what good was speed when magic was at play?
"[Maximise Magic: Slow]." Ainz said, pointing at Quanxi for but a brief moment and then in front of Reze, "[Widen Magic: Wall of Skeleton]."
The assassin's speed was nearly halved, which meant that she was still quick but now more than manageable.
Reze meanwhile was blocked off by a wall of sentient bone, the corpses making it up swinging their rusted swords at her. She punched the wall twice, massive explosions blowing the thing to shreds.
The moment the makeshift fortification was gone, she found Ainz right in front of her. His hand glowed with an ominous, dark aura as he grabbed her wrist.
She instantly went limp, falling to the floor as any ability to move was stripped away from her.
"I presume you hybrids are quite resilient, so sit still for a moment, will you? Not like you have a choice. In hindsight, [Touch of Undeath] may have been overkill." Ainz said, dropping her to the floor as an arrow hit the back of his head and shattered into a million pieces.
Another arrow, and another, and a hundred more were sent at him from Quanxi, but they weren't enchanted and so couldn't scratch him.
'I'd rather not give Makima any more information, so I suppose I should end this quickly. Hmm, but what should I use?'
As Quanxi peppered him with more arrows, Ainz cycled through various spells he could use, eventually settling on something Makima probably wouldn't be able to figure out.
"[Death]."
The assassin fell dead on the spot, no amount of regeneration or blood being able to bring her back from that spell.
Ainz turned to Reze, about to repeat his last magic trick, but suddenly a portal began to open up above several of the blocks fighting was taking place.
A hand with six fingers reached out of it, seemingly eager to take everyone from where it came.
"Fancy animation. I'm guessing this is going to drag me somewhere? Kinda like forced teleportation I guess. I wonder if this'll work. [Dimensional Lock]."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Anyone could be Santa Klaus. All anyone needed was the appropriate clothes, a white beard, and a cheerful demeanour. A similar rule applied to the assassin known as Santa Klaus.
All it took was a bit of time and the creation of a perfect doll. Tolka was meant to become a doll like that, having his memory overwritten. Unfortunately, Santa Klaus didn't think the chances against the fiend and devil hunter in front of her were in her favour.
Her plans would have to be accelerated, and so she commanded all her dolls fighting outside to stop. Before her apprentice could notice, she touched his back and removed the personality of Tolka, leaving only a body she could use.
"Hell devil! I sacrifice my perfect doll, my normal dolls, and three children for you to bring all the devil hunters and devils here to hell!" Santa Klaus called out, using the payment she had gotten in advance for this job. As expected, devils appreciated young sacrifices.
She would have liked to thin the numbers of the devil hunters first and sacrifice some of them, but there was no time for that. Sensing that she lost the connection to all her dolls, she tried to run from the duo in front of her.
Once they were in hell, then she could initiate the second stage of her plan.
Unfortunately for her, a ghostly appendage grabbed her by the throat and kept her still after she took only a few steps.
"Oh no, you aren't getting away. You see, I quite like the goodies Ainz has, not to mention his powers. I'm sure he'll be eager to meet you, and who knows? Maybe I won't ever have to experience a hangover afterwards." Himeno said.
"It's – ukh – too late for you anyway." Santa Klaus managed to choke out.
"You think summoning the hell devil will stop Ainz? Pfft! Don't make me laugh!" Himeno said, silently forcing the ghost devil to tighten its grip on the assassin's throat.
"This is so unfair! Ainz will get to show off again!" Power complained, looking out the window with a sour expression.
"Stop complaining and just be glad you're not the one dealing with Ainz." Himeno said, watching as Santa Klaus finally passed out.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
The dolls were all on the ground, and Aki and the angel devil looked up at the hand above them with both curiosity and anticipation. Maybe this would prove to be a greater challenge? Or was this Ainz's doing?
Judging by the fact that the hand couldn't reach down and was pointlessly scratching at an invisible barrier, it was probably not the Overlord's spell that summoned the hand.
As they say, speak of the undead and he shall appear, and Ainz teleported next to the two, startling them and nearly receiving a slash at his neck from the duo.
"There's no need to be so alarmed. Aside from whatever devil it is that is trying to teleport, I believe all our adversaries are gone. As for that thing," Ainz said, pointing upwards as the hand receded, "I think it may have given up."
He snapped his fingers and cancelled the spell, preferring to not needlessly waste mana. However, the second he did that, a burning portal appeared a few dozen metres in front of him.
"Or I suppose not." Ainz said, "I guess it is obliged to keep its part of the deal. Would you two mind giving me some space? I'd rather you don't get caught in the crossfire."
"Just don't destroy the entire district." Aki said, sheathing his sword and walking away, the angel devil silently following him.
The Overlord gave them a small nod as a send off and turned to his adversary, finding it to be quite an odd creature. It was covered in flames and akin to a fleshy centaur, its head featureless.
"An old friend of yours?" Ainz asked his own devil, silently casting a few spells to buff up his fire resistance.
"I believe this to be the hell devil. Chances are that someone wished to drag you to hell, my lord." Vesicar answered.
"To hell, you say? I do wonder what that place is like. I just might have to visit some day." Ainz joked, "On my own terms of course."
His opponent seemed to be eager to go after him, charging before Ainz could think of anything else mildly clever or cool to say, causing him to internally lament the indecency of his foe.
'At least Makima would let me monologue for a bit. I think. She seems like the type to do that at least.'
Despite the name, the hell devil appeared to have a distinct lack of [Hellflame] surrounding him. Even if he did, the undead mage had a few tricks up his sleeve to deal with him.
Magic concerning water always seemed quite lame and was mostly for healers, so he decided to go with a simpler approach, one that worked regardless of the presence of flames.
"[Maximise Magic: Thousand Bone Lance]."
Thousands upon thousands of bones materialised out of thin air, a fraction of which immediately launched itself at the devil.
It galloped towards him, though it was still slower than Quanxi, having its body pierced by the attack. Flesh was torn and black blood fell onto the pavement, bubbling and eating through it as if it was boiling acid.
Determined to reach its target, it continued onward despite its wounds. Its thick, clawed hands were just about to get within reach of Ainz, who calmly stared down the devil and didn't budge an inch.
The second it pulled its hand back for a swing, it could feel everything below its torso be eviscerated by the lances that were simultaneously launched at it.
It fell forward, propelled by what remained of its momentum, landing directly at Ainz's feet, desperately trying to claw at him with what remained of its body.
Unfortunately for the devil, its attacks simply appeared to bounce off of Ainz. "Hmm, so you aren't even strong enough to bypass my immunity. I expected more from the hell devil." Ainz said, casually pointing at the creature, "Now go back from where you came: [Death]."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"So the operation was a success! Great showing, Ainz." Makima said as the group walked through the office. There were a few casualties on the side of the devil hunters in the form of the ones that were killed by the three assassins Yoshida had dealt with.
"I expected more from the best assassins." Ainz muttered, still disappointed by the fact that he let Reze get away. It seemed that when he cancelled his [Dimensional Lock], he accidentally also cancelled all his other spells, including the [Touch of Undeath] he had put on the bomb hybrid.
'I'll have to be more careful about that in the future. It's not like she has any information on me, but I guess I have to be more consciously selective with what I want to cancel.'
It was a bit inconvenient, but he would probably get used to it, and at least he got Quanxi's corpse. He had a few ideas in mind, but it was still a total waste to not get another.
'In the worst case I'll just send a death assassin after her or something.'
Thanks to Makima obliging his request for corpses, he now had a few dozen stealthy undead just prowling the streets. They made for an excellent information network, and most of them already had their designated targets already.
Just because some of these fiends and hunters were his coworkers didn't mean he could trust them fully, especially now that he knew about Makima's abilities.
So far it was 1-0.
This battle of information was won by him, and Makima had lost quite a few potential pawns.
"Alright!" Makima said, lightly clapping her hands to gather the attention of Aki, Ainz, Himeno, Power, and the few fiends and devils that were behind them, "I want a detailed report from all of you on the battle."
Ainz, recognising that all encompassed him as well, quickly said, "My apologies, but an important matter has come up. I will return to hear you out shortly."
With the stage set for his grand escape, Ainz teleported away.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Reze desperately ran away from the area of her previous battle. Despite her commitment to her mission and her motherland, she was not going to pointlessly die fighting that monster.
Despite being assisted by another hybrid, she wasn't even able to singe Ainz's clothes. In addition to that, he had seemingly known about her from the start! How in the world was that possible?! The Soviet Union's information network was supposed to be perfect!
Still, if she wanted to do her country a favour, she needed to do one thing as soon as possible.
Once she found herself in a secluded alley, she took out her small, pocket-sized radio and tuned into the one frequency she could trust.
"Have you accomplished your mission? Is Makima dead? Do you have the heart of their special agent?" came the voice from the other side.
"No. I have worse news. The one currently working alongside Makima is beyond me, and probably beyond the gun devil as well. Do not send him in. I repeat, do not send him in." Reze said, her desperate tone betraying her fear.
"Agent, you are not authorised to make such decisions. The central committee will decide how to proceed. As for your failure, how did you survive?"
"I wasn't worth his time and he forgot about me. Instead, he dealt with the hell devil by just pointing at it."
"..."
The line on the other side remained silent for a bit, until it disconnected entirely.
"Hello? Are you still there?" she asked, tuning in and out of the proper frequency as she attempted to fix the radio.
Something was wrong, she could feel it. The feeling of eyes boring into the back of her skull had returned.
"M-Maybe I'll just go work at that cafe…" she muttered, hoping that whatever was stalking her wouldn't kill her on Ainz's whim…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"Huh, so the Soviets have the gun devil. I wonder how they got their hands on that." Ainz mumbled, throwing Quanxi's corpse into the centre of his room.
As useful as death assassins were for making reports such as the one he had just received, he could probably do a lot more with a hybrid. Perhaps he could even make a high tier undead? Now that would be a powerhouse in this world.
Ainz stared at the corpse for a while, thinking of what the crossbow hybrid could become. Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into his head.
"Vesicar, I believe I have an idea as to how to give you a body." Ainz said.
"Oh? Would you be so gracious as to explain, my lord?" the hollow voice said, Ainz finding some excitement to be mixed into the question.
"It's easier if I just show you." the Overlord said, walking up to the corpse and crouching down in front of it.
He reached for Quanxi's head, which hardly resembled one of a human at this point, and said, "[Summon High Tier Undead: Decay Devil]."
Despite it only being a shot in the dark, his aim seemed to have been true, as the black rose on his robes turned into dust and the corpse before him was consumed by black sludge.
Where once was a figure with crossbows for hands and arrows sticking out of a triangular head, the figure that was revealed once the black sludge receded fit Vesicar much better.
It was perhaps Ainz's height, tall and imposing. The decay devil had a skeletal head resembling that of a vulture, though unlike Ainz's polished white look, bits of flesh still hung onto the devil.
Vesicar's body was also composed mostly of bones, ones of a sickly yellow colour. Bits of dry, leathery skin and black, foetid flesh covered up certain parts of him, and his arms appeared to have tattered wings connected to them.
No light burnt in the sockets of the skull, instead there was an all-consuming darkness.
"Ah, master. It feels good to return." the devil said, his voice unchanged.
"In all honesty, I'm surprised this worked." Ainz said, having completely guessed that such a thing may have been possible.
"There is no need to act so humble, my lord." Vesicar said, "However, I don't think this body has… returned me to my greatest heights."
"It hasn't?" Ainz asked, to which the devil shook his head.
'I don't think there's a much better body that I can get my hands on, so I guess he'll have to be satisfied with this.'
"I see. For now you will have to deal with it. Do you have a more convenient form? You walking around that way may cause some problems."
The devil nodded, his form suddenly shrinking and shifting into what resembled the decaying skeleton of a vulture. Vesicar flew up and found his perch on Ainz's shoulder.
'Well, it's not exactly a very cute familiar, but at least it's a useful one.' Ainz thought to himself.
"Stay like that for now. I, meanwhile, have some planning to do."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
The General Secretary of the Soviet Union sat opposite the President of the United States in a dimly lit conference room, having decided that it was time to deal with the threat Makima presented.
"Together we have approximately fifty percent of the gun devil, correct?" the president asked.
"If what you have told us is true, then yes." the secretary answered.
"Don't you think that will be enough to deal with her?"
"Most likely. Still, I presume you thought of this after our assassins failed to deal with that troublesome new element?"
"Obviously. If our, and China's, best couldn't deal with just this Ainz Ooal Gown, we need to eliminate both quickly. If Japan becomes any bolder… We both know how this will end."
"On that we agree, but the cost will be heavy to summon fifty percent of it."
"Yes, but the benefits brought on by it will be immeasurable. I propose we both sacrifice one year of each of our citizens' life. It is a heavy toll, but it is manageable."
The General Secretary remained silent for a moment, arms crossed and sharp eyes staring at the President. "Fine." he eventually said, "As long as Makima is gone, that is all that matters."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Defecting seemed like a good idea at this point. Her handler hadn't connected to any of the scheduled meetings and not a word came to her concerning what they were going to do with Ainz.
Given that she was also their strongest agent, she could most likely just live out a quiet life somewhere away from the USSR. As much as her lifelong training had instilled love for her motherland in her, living as a traitor was better than dying.
In fact, Japan was quite nice. She had found a job at a small cafe, could probably get into a prestigious high school, and live out a relatively normal life.
However, there was just one tiny problem.
The sound of a bell ringing echoed out as the door opened, and Reze turned away from the floors she was sweeping and looked at the newcomer. It was getting a bit late, but they were still open.
"Wel-" she began, only to become several shades paler once she looked at the masked man.
"Hello, Reze." Ainz said, "You didn't think I would forget, did you?"
The manager of the café peeked out from behind the kitchen door, but Ainz just flashed his public safety devil hunter badge, causing the man to disappear from sight.
Ainz snapped his fingers, and he and the girl appeared in an alley next to the café, the Overlord saying, "I will give you a chance to live, but only if you can prove you can provide something more valuable than your corpse, and I assure you that I have plenty of uses for it."
"I-I…" Her knees shook and her voice trembled, being faced with nearly certain oblivion. No amount of training could have prepared her for facing death incarnate. "I can give you information on the USSR!" she quickly said, hoping it would be an appealing proposal.
"Hmm, certainly valuable, but I don't particularly care for the Soviets. I sincerely doubt the gun devil would be able to harm me." Ainz nonchalantly said, "What else?"
Reze's mind raced as oblivion loomed closer and closer, 'He already knows about that?! Did he listen in on me somehow, or read my mind?!'
"T-Then maybe I-I could work for you? I am – was! – the best spy!" Reze proposed, desperate to find some niche to fill.
"I already have eyes and ears where I need them. If anything, your power is miniscule compared to what I could make from your corpse." Ainz said, taking a step closer to the girl, "Last chance."
"U-Uh, I…" This was it, she had to reveal everything, or she would be a goner, "I have information on Makima!"
Ainz froze in his tracks. "What did you just say?
"The USSR has been looking into her for years, a-and I think we might've guessed what devil she is!" Reze continued, seeing that Ainz's curiosity had been piqued.
"In that case, I believe our deal will be quite simple. I will let you live, and you will tell me what kind of devil she is. Of course, if you refuse and decide to get in my way, or if you are simply making things up…"
A malevolent aura encompassed the alley, and Reze's knees nearly gave out.
"I-I would never!" she exclaimed, now being dead set on retiring, "If I r-remember correctly, the higher ups guessed she w-was the control devil."
The aura retreated, and the Overlord said, "Control? I suppose that fits…"
It was quite a popular fear as well, meaning that she would be quite strong, or at least have some half-decent abilities alongside her mind control. Now at least he had some food for thought.
Ainz turned away from the bomb hybrid, "Thank you for your cooperation, Reze. Make sure not to get in my way again."
As he teleported away, Reze could finally let out a sigh of relief…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Makima absentmindedly pet one of her dogs.
Despite the assassins sent after Ainz being quite formidable, none of them could bring much out of the Overlord. So far she knew he could teleport, summon creatures, and kill things. How those things died was a mystery, but not even a hybrid could come back from whatever he used on them.
That was… both a good sign and a bad sign. On one hand, she was now practically sure that if she pushed the right buttons, Ainz could kill devils permanently, just like the chainsaw man.
With a power like that at her disposal, she could shape the world into her ideal vision. Death, hunger, disease, all of these things could be eradicated if she got a hold of him.
The problem, however, was that she had no idea what buttons to push, or if they even existed! Whenever she took the initiative, Ainz answered with that of his own, unconcerned with whatever Makima may have in store.
Killing Aki and Power, butchering everyone he ever showed so much as basic compassion to, it would all amount to nothing, that much she knew. As kind as Ainz appeared to be to them, and perhaps he genuinely cared to some extent, he still was an ancient being beyond even her comprehension of time.
What did a death or two matter to him? Aki and Power would wither away all the same, whether it happened now or a few decades down the line probably amounted to the same thing for him.
He was, in short, beyond her.
For all the power to control that she had, how could she ever try to compete with Ainz? His very presence made her charisma seem like a drop in the ocean.
In her decently long time on Earth and even longer time in hell, she only encountered a handful of beings who she couldn't control. There was the chainsaw man, her fellow horsemen, the primordial fears like the darkness devil, and them.
Still, perhaps there remained hope on the horizon. If the gun devil proved to be useful, if enough carnage was caused, perhaps then she would be able to find an avenue, some sort of method, anything to exact some measure of control.
However, for all she knew, he could even sever her contracts, and at that point she would be as good as dead. Hell, even if he didn't have a way to do that in his seemingly endless arsenal, there existed a real possibility of him killing her over and over until every last Japanese citizen was dead, rendering her pact with the Prime Minister null and void.
Her information network, the critters that wandered the city, also proved to be almost entirely useless. Whenever Ainz was around, none of her observation powers seemed to work, having to instead be direct and try to watch him herself.
Effectively, she was shooting in the dark, at least by her standards.
If she didn't play her cards right, she could very well perish, with years of planning going down the drain nigh instantly. However, in her circumstances she could no longer fold, and it was about time to go all in.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Aki opened the door, ready to cut down whoever had interrupted his day off. After the big assassin fiasco, he had certainly needed one, and God help whoever interrupted his single instance of 8 hour sleep over the last two weeks.
As it turned out, it was his partner from the job that was trying to get past him and into his apartment. The devil hunter blocked the way of the angel devil, not particularly caring that he may lose a year or two of his life in the process, given how he already had a surplus of that thanks to Ainz.
"Why the hell are you here?" he asked, his mind still returning from the realm of dreams and unable to put up his professional demeanour.
"I need to talk to Ainz." the devil quickly said, trying to squeeze past Aki once again.
He blocked the way once more, as if in step with his dancing partner, "Why?"
The angel devil carefully took a step back, "Be careful! I might accidentally drain your life if you bump into me!"
"Try me." Aki said with a bored expression, "Or answer the question."
"It's about Makima…" the angel reluctantly said, "Good enough? Now move."
"What about Makima?" Aki said, now most certainly not letting the devil pass without at least the guarantee of an answer at some point.
The angel devil sighed, "Just come with me to Ainz and you'll see, alright?"
Aki, however reluctantly, turned around and motioned for his barely invited guest to follow. They reached Ainz's door, with Aki knocking and walking in a few seconds after.
"What brings you here, Aki? Do you need another bottle? I understand that the battle was stressful but you have got t-" Ainz began, only to spot the angel devil coming in behind the devil hunter. "Now this is interesting." he muttered, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The angel devil's breath quickened, and his skin turned a ghostly shade of white. "It's about Makima." he began, "She is-"
"Yes, she is the control devil, I have gathered as much." Ainz said, dismissing the statement with a wave of his hand, "Do you have anything interesting to say, or do you simply wish to thank me for ridding you of her mind control?"
"You know about her?!"
Ainz scoffed, "Of course I do. She is but an amateur compared to me. The control devil… What a ridiculous title for someone who can't even keep a single country in check."
'Not like I could do any better. Still, no point in acting humble by now.'
"Then… what are you going to do about it?" the angel devil asked, silently hoping that the answer would concern lots of violence.
"After I deal with the gun devil, I pla-" Ainz started, only to be interrupted by Aki.
"What do you mean Makima is the control devil!?" he yelled, loud enough to the point where even Ainz's nonexistent ears were ringing, "That would mean that… that the woman I…"
Ainz got up and offered his coworker a friendly pat on the back, "I understand your sorrow, truly, I do. Unfortunately, Makima has information that I believe may be valuable, and I doubt she'll give it up willingly."
"Information? On what?" the angel devil asked, genuinely stumped by the idea that Makima may have known something Ainz didn't.
"Nothing that concerns you." Ainz swiftly answered, "Now then, is this everything now? Oh, you can keep the mind control ring by the way. I'd rather not have you turn against me."
The angel devil looked at Ainz, still confused, "So… will you kill her?"
Ainz shrugged, "I will do what it takes to get the information I want. After that? Who knows. She already got in my way by forcing Quanxi to attack me, if you take my word for it that is. Hopefully though she will be reasonable."
"Please," the angel devil began, his fists tightening and blood staining Ainz's pristine room, "kill her."
If the Overlord had an eyebrow, he would have raised it. "And what did she do to you to inspire such hatred? Perhaps you might just convince me."
"She…" The angel devil gulped, tears slowly manifesting in his eyes, "killed everyone I loved. Made me kill them."
It seemed that this was all the devil was willing to share, turning away from Ainz.
'A devil that shows compassion for humans? I suppose he is more angelic in that case. Odd but not unsurprising. Still, to do something like that…'
An ominous aura surrounded Ainz for a brief moment as he said, "I… believe I understand. Such a sin cannot be forgiven."
'If someone turned one of my friends or NPCs against me, or myself against them…'
The dark aura intensified for a second before disappearing entirely.
"Once I have what I require of her, I will see to it that she dies." Ainz said, a green light washing over him, "Unfortunately I can't promise you the right to the kill, but I hope you will be satisfied with the knowledge that she is dead."
The angel devil turned to Ainz, disbelief and hope both blazing in his eyes. "Thank you." was all he managed to say, walking away as Aki stepped in front of Ainz.
It seemed as if the Overlord was about to call out to the retreating devil, but Aki interrupted him, "What information are you going to ask Makima for?"
Ainz slightly tilted his head, confused by the tone of his flatmate, "Does it really matter? It concerns only myself."
"It concerns her, and so it concerns me as well. Devil or not, she saved my life." Aki said, looking directly into Ainz's flaming eyes.
"She may have done so by taking you into this line of work, but chances are that it was purely to manipulate you. She is the control devil, Aki. You cannot trust her."
"Says you, another monster. If you claim I can trust you, why wouldn't I be able to trust her?"
'Love is one hell of a drug.' Ainz thought to himself, finding that Aki was exceptionally unreceptive to his line of argumentation.
"We undead are simple creatures, killing machines. I don't need to lie to you, to the angel, to Himeno, or even to Makima. If I truly wanted something, I could simply take it, and such will be the case with that information. Deception and lies are the hallmarks of weaklings." Ainz bluffed.
If there was one thing YGGDRASIL and Punitto Moe taught him, it was that all war was deception. Still, perhaps this line of argumentation would resonate better with the devil hunter?
"But you still set up a trap for the assassins. Which is it? Are you lying about the first part, or are you not as strong as you seem?" Aki countered.
'Not taking the bait, eh? I guess Makima is good looking, but to be this devoted? If not for the angel devil, I would almost start believing that she can surpass mind control resistance.'
Ainz chuckled, "Is toying with your food really deceit? You saw how easily I dispatched all of the assassins who came at me. If you believe that to be a fluke then you are more foolish than you appear. However, I would hate for you to get in my way, given our brief though pleasant history together."
The Overlord put his skeletal hand on Aki's shoulder and leaned in, sending a shiver down the devil hunter's spine, "Don't die for someone who views you as a tool. I've seen too many like you make that mistake."
How many of his coworkers had thrown caution to the wind in order to impress the cute manager that came in for a regular check-in… and how many of them died soon after, whether it be from sleep deprivation or malnutrition?
Aki now stood at an impasse like the rest of them, he could either jump into the abyss where love could dwell, or he could take a step back and distance himself.
'I'd rather not kill him.' Ainz thought to himself. Aki was the one to show him the ropes around here, the one to discipline Power with him, and the one to actually provide him with a decent place to live and experiment.
Sure, he did seem like the typical shonen protagonist that would do anything to get his revenge if his love interest was killed, but that was a risk Ainz was willing to take. Rather, the risk practically wasn't there.
Even in the worst of cases, a devil that could harm Ainz would demand a price so great of Aki that it would make any attempt of his a one-time suicide attack.
Ainz took a few steps back, sitting down on his bed. "I believe this pleasant chat has come to an end, Aki. Think carefully about what you will do."
Aki's eyes narrowed for a brief moment, but he soon turned around and walked towards the door. Right as he was about to exit, Ainz called out to him once more. "Oh, just one more thing. Do remember who extended your life beyond a mere spark, will you? I'd hate for my charity to be for nought."
The devil hunter left the room, slamming the door behind him, prompting Ainz to sigh. "How stubborn… I hope I got through to him though."
Aki's stubbornness was almost charming, if not where Ainz knew it could lead him.
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Aki fiddled with the ring on his index finger. This was supposedly going to protect him from mind control of any kind, and he noticed his affection for Makima had dampened a bit, but still…
She had saved his life, so could she really be that bad? Though in hindsight… She had dumped Ainz on his lap when the undead devil first arrived, gave him ridiculous amounts of paperwork, and overall seemed to perform her managerial role to a sadistic degree.
Then again why would he trust Ainz over her? The devil had… killed the dog devil alongside him, gave him gear to help him, extended his life, and…
Okay, perhaps the points really were in Ainz's favour, but that didn't change the fact that it was Makima that had given his life purpose after the gun devil killed his family!
Wait, wasn't that purpose technically given to him by the gun devil? After all, Makima didn't seem to be in a particular hurry to kill the gun devil until Ainz arrived. She just kinda nudged Aki in that direction.
This… should've been an obvious choice, and yet the devil hunter struggled to choose between the two.
Suddenly the doorbell rang once more, returning him to the land of the living before he bumped into a wall.
'Did that angel forget something?' he asked himself, walking towards the door.
The second he unlocked it, he dodged back, the door narrowly missing him as it was swung open.
"Finally you answered! I've been sitting here ringing it for like a solid minute!" Himeno said, pushing past Aki and towards his kitchen.
"What are you doing here?" Aki asked, not even the hint of a smile on his face.
"And why are you in such a sour mood? Can't I just visit my previous mentee?" Himeno asked, beginning to rummage through Aki's kitchen, presumably in search of a drink.
"Answer my question first."
"God, you really need to relax a bit. The assassins are dead, you know?" She grabbed a six pack of beer from a hidden corner of the fridge, immediately beginning to down one. "As for my reason, Ainz said he'd give me a gift for catching Santa Klaus with Power. Sure, nothing great came of that interrogation, but he said that it's the thought that counts."
"Wait, did Power get a gift as well?" Aki asked, suddenly realising that the fiend hadn't caused a mess in more than fifteen minutes.
"Yea, Ainz gave her some spending money to buy things for Meowy, so I'm guessing she's somewhere out there shopping." Himeno said, finishing her beer and opening up another one.
"I see…"
'I dread the kind of damage she will cause' Aki thought to himself, ideas as to how he should discipline his most unruly flatmate already springing to life.
"I, meanwhile, am supposed to get something that will nullify hangovers! It's not as good as a full pact, but I guess I'll just have to catch more assassins for him. Now tell me where he's at."
Aki pointed down the hall, saying, "Down there, behind the door that seems really out of place."
Himeno nodded, walking off with a beer in hand.
A minute or two passed until uproarious laughter emanated from Ainz's room. Aki quickly made his way over there to find out just what was so funny.
"There's no way you're serious, right? He still tried to defend her? Ahahaha! Lovestruck little puppy!" came the voice of Himeno as Aki opened the door, finding her now wearing a jade amulet. She turned to the door as Aki entered the room, saying in between bouts of laughter, "Sorry, Aki. I would've tried to soften the blow, but it seems Ainz got to you before me."
"You knew?"
"Since yesterday, when Ainz and I made that deal about the amulet to cleanse – what did you say they were called? – status effects. That's also why I came here."
"And you still prioritised a way to get out of a hangover over telling me?"
Himeno shrugged, "I was gonna tell you after I got drunk enough to not feel too bad about it."
"Typical…" Aki muttered, the shadow of a smile passing over his lips, "Still, you believe Ainz?"
"Ainz healed me after I got shot. Makima, meanwhile, sends me on suicidal missions every other day." Himeno deadpanned.
"Isn't that kind of in the job description?" Ainz interjected, "You are a devil hunter."
"Maybe." Himeno said, shrugging, "But that doesn't change the fact that she's probably the reason half my old partners died…"
The glass bottle in her hand cracked and shattered as she spoke, blood now dripping on Ainz's floor.
'Is there a dirtiness devil I could contract to clean for me? That would make my life tremendously easier.' Ainz thought to himself, offering some loose cloth from his inventory to Himeno as a make-shift bandage.
"Then how come I lived?" Aki asked.
"Blind luck." Ainz immediately answered, "Or maybe she sees you as useful. Either way, first I believe we will have a bigger problem on our hands."
"Oh? Anything fun?" Himeno asked, "I was kinda bored during the whole assassin thing, so what's going on now?"
"Well, would you define dealing with the gun devil fun?"
Both the devil hunters immediately gulped as Ainz's eyes burnt just a bit brighter.
Edited by Korak324
Pa tr e on DOT com / EdgyTheWriter
(AN: You may notice that this chap came a bit earlier than I said it would. Well, that's for a very simple reason, that being that I received some fanart on the Grand Library of Ashurbanipal discord. If you want more chapters for either Sin or Fear, that's an easy way to bribe me, either on the aforementioned discord or on the official Overlord one.
Also, important notice: Aterro and I are no longer co-authors.
As always, more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!)
Answering Reviews:
Are devils a threat to Ainz? - The thing about Ainz being in a world like that of Chainsaw Man is the fact that he still runs off of MMORPG rules, with resistances and the like. I can point to at least 1 devil who would be able to damage Ainz and isn't currently in hell, that being the angel devil. However, who's to say there aren't more insidious forces at work than merely devils?