The Nazarick Triumvirate (collab with daniel santiago 4545)

by theoneandonlyedster

The Undead Overlord. The Dragon Emperor. The Nephilim Champion. Momonga is joined in the New World by two of his guildmates who stayed with him 'til the end, and together they will take the New World by storm as the Nazarick Triumvirate! Collab story. Follows canon plot with minor and major alterations. OCxMulti pairing. Rated M for mature language, themes and mild sexual scenes.

11. Scripture Hunt

This chapter is going to be a long enough read as it is, so I won't waste your time. Fengxian is back and here to kick ass and I cannot wait to bring it to you. Sorry again for the slight delay. It's once again been a fortnight full of unmotivated days and not enough sleep for some of it, and if that's reflected in the quality of my offering then you have my unreserved apologies.

(daniel: Well guys we are here again! And it's time for the Grand Marshal to shine! And boy does he ever! Great to be here once more!)

With that all said, let's get on with the show! As always, the usual disclaimer that neither I nor daniel own Overlord or any of its characters, locations, events or anything else related to the anime, manga or Light Novels. The only things we own are our OCs, Henry and Fengxian. ENJOY!

Chapter 11 – Scripture Hunt

It was taking all of Solution's self-control not to burst into anger and slaughter every human at this establishment who thought they had the right to breathe the same air as her. Only constant reminders to herself over and over again along with thoughts of her darling Crown Prince ensured that she would keep up the façade of a warm smile and elegant demeanour that suited a person of high status, even if the food and wine before her was both tasteless and bland when compared to the lavish fare that she had experienced back in Nazarick.

"I will not fail my father, nor my beloved Crown Prince, by losing control so recklessly and endangering mine and Lord Sebas' mission," she told herself again, swirling the wine in her drink as though lost in thought. As a member of the Pleiades, she had considered it the greatest honour to be trusted with so vital a task by Lord Ainz, Lord Constantine and Lord Fengxian with the goal of one day bringing all of the nations of this new world under Nazarick's banner, and she would give everything she had to see it done even if it meant having to play nice with the humans she'd rather be ripping apart and feasting on with her slimy appendages. But to do such here would not only ensure the failure of her and Sebas' mission, which was to infiltrate the nobility of the capital and start laying the groundwork to establish connections that would ultimately hasten the collapse of the Re-Estize Kingdom from within, but would be egregiously offensive to not only the ideals and beliefs of both Lord Sebas, her immediate superior, and Crown Prince Henry, her beloved and heir to the throne of the Great Tomb, but also to the deep trust they both held her in. The despair she envisioned at the thought of letting down and disappointing them both, especially her beloved, was more than enough motivation for the maid to steel herself and keep her hatred of these…insects…to herself for now.

And so, instead of focusing on the people around her along with their pointless conversations and oh-so-annoying peals of laughter, Solution instead allowed her mind to focus on her darling Lord Constantine and the memories of their encounters so far, which not only warmed her heart but allowed her mind to swim in the pleasure these memories brought her. Their time together so far had both surprised her and been beyond her expectations, the love and affection her Crown Prince had brought both her and her harem sisters making her both unbelievably happy and weak at the knees.

As a slime, Solution had initially believed herself to be incapable of being loved since most men would be unable to look beyond her true appearance and dark nature. And yet, not only had her Lord Constantine not minded them at all, he had declared that he loved all parts of her, including her true form as this was what had made her beautiful and attractive to him in the first place, and it was this acceptance that had made her love him all the more. Not only that, but he had made her his secondary consort, only behind Lady Albedo in terms of the hierarchy! To be given such an honour had only increased her devotion to him and allowed her to fully embrace being part of his harem alongside Lady Albedo and her fellow Pleaides Lupusregina and Narberal. And she felt no jealousy at all of being the secondary to the succubus. After all, she was the primary object of her beloved's desire, a fact well known throughout Nazarick, and as the chief Guardian it was only right for her to be given the honour of being their Crown Prince's primary consort and future head wife, and she would gladly defer to her judgement and orders if it all meant they could be better lovers and future wives for their beloved.

And speaking of their beloved…Solution's mouth almost drooled at the memories of their sexual escapades as she reminisced over just how…virile and skilled her beloved was in the bedroom. Along with Lady Albedo, Solution prided herself on her dominant personality in the sack and had, should she or any of the others been required to sleep with a man as part of their service to Nazarick, always envisioned herself as being the one in charge with the man below her doing as SHE wanted in order to get him to beg for the pleasure of her attention. But her first time with her beloved Crown Prince had changed all of that for the better. He had come down on her and the others so hard and rough yet with so much gentleness and care that had made her melt completely, and the overwhelming glory and majesty of his strong body and frame had gotten her whimpering and begging him to allow her the privilege of being loved and claimed by him. The resulting encounter had been so passionate and glorious that any thoughts of dominating her beloved were banished from her mind. So long as she could please and be of use to him in both the bedroom along with any tasks he gave her in his capacity as Crown Prince, she would gladly be as submissive as her beloved sister Narberal if it meant she could be with him now and always.

It was only these thoughts of the future with her Crown Prince and her other harem sisters and the glorious heirs they would all bear for him that, alongside how mortifying it would be for her to let down her beloved, that had and would keep her sane throughout the mission to him. So long as she could turn her thoughts to him, and reminisce over what they had shared and would continue to in the future, it would satiate her until she was back in her beloved's arms once more.

She was dragged away from these thoughts when she espied Sebas, playing the part of her loyal butler, waving to her from the entrance to the restaurant with her suitcase in his other hand. It would appear that Lady Shalltear had grown impatient of waiting any longer and was ready to start with the mission the three Supreme Beings had entrusted her.

"Once I have escorted you to the carriage, I will ensure our driver knows you are ready to depart, my lady," Sebas muttered as the pair headed towards the exit to the establishment. Solution only nodded, covering her right eye socket with her hand as her slime skin moved it unseen through one of the open windows and onto the side of the building where, as fortune would have it, their driver was in conversation with another. As she espied on them, she overheard his plan to sell out her and Sebas to a group of bandits waiting nearby and couldn't help but smirk. Everything was going according to Lord Fengxian's plan so far.

Her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to feast on the remains of those foolish humans who would dare to face her, Lord Sebas and Lady Shalltear, or partake further in the bloodbath that Lady Shalltear would leave in her wake. At least she'd been able to enjoy the looks on the stupid humans' faces as they died in untold agony.

~TNT~

As the carriage got underway on the final leg of its journey with its human driver and not-so-human occupants, the three beings inside were all in differing states of deep thought and contemplation. As had been the case for the whole trip so far, Solution was distracting herself with thoughts of her beloved, whilst Sebas had his mind on the mission they had been entrusted with and was considering all the possible ways they could undertake it. As for Shalltear, her calm and collected demeanour was in sharp contrast to the giddiness she was feeling on the inside since she had been given a task that was not only deemed of great importance by all three of the Supreme Beings, including her beloved master Lord Ainz, but would also be very satisfying to her as it would involve laying waste to the bandit camps in the region. Whilst it would only be a preview of the carnage she was sure to undertake on behalf of her lords in the future, it would still be a good start.

"So, according to Solution's intel, it would appear that our unfortunate targets have taken the bait and will set upon us shortly," Shalltear mused after a while, sitting in between two of her vampire brides on one side of the carriage.

"Indeed, just as Lord Fengxian predicted they would," Sebas replied, him and Solution sitting opposite the vampire guardian and her servants as the maid simply nodded in response to Shalltear's statement.

"Our Grand Marshal truly is a man of great foresight and planning, and I must say it's about time. Spending all day cooped up in here has really gotten me in the mood for a good skirmish," Shalltear said with a slight yawn. "And with any luck, we will not only find a Martial Arts user that will suit our lords' designs, but also create enough of a ruckus to lure out our true targets from wherever they are hiding. Once done, Lord Fengxian and I should be able to return to Nazarick with all due haste."

"If you would indulge my curiosity, my lady, there is something I have been wanting to ask you for some time now," Sebas spoke up again.

"Of course, go right ahead," the vampire replied sweetly.

"It is quite apparent that you and Lady Aura do not get along well. I was wondering if there was a special reason for that?"

"Is that how it appears? I always thought she and I got on rather well," Shalltear replied after a small moment of consideration. "She and I only tease each other because our creators, Lord Peroroncino and Lady Bukubukuchagama, decided that we should since that was the nature of their relationship too. They were blood-related siblings after all."

"Is that so? I must confess, I never realised that myself. After all, it wasn't that often that I was in both of their company so I mustn't have heard it be mentioned," Sebas replied with a slight hint of surprise.

Shalltear chuckled slightly at seeing the normally dignified butler be caught off guard like that. "I overheard my beloved creator talk about it quite often with Lord Ainz, Lord Augustus and Lord Fengxian. In fact, it was something my creator and Lord Fengxian had in common. They were both the younger brother to older siblings and, to put it in their words, would often sigh to the other about 'feeling the other's pain'. Both Lord Ainz and Lord Augustus found each exchange quite hilarious." She giggled softly into her hand. "Not to mention all of the teasing Lord Augustus would impose on my creator despite them being 'ero-brothers'.

~TNT~

FLASHBACK

"Uuuuughhhhhhh!" A long groan escaped the biggest pervert of the guild as he poured out his troubles to Momonga, Fengxian and his brother in the art of appreciation of eroge, Henry, while Shalltear watched.

"What happened bro?" Henry asked

"My sister is the lead voice in the new H-game I just bought!" The Birdman lamented

"Well, Bukubukuchagama IS a popular voice actress but I totally feel your pain man" Momonga sympathized.

"Man, talk about bad luck…" Fengxian cringed at the thought of Peroroncino learning that…. in the middle of a session.

"I was itching to tap that hardcore too!" The Birdman snapped off a despair emoji as he lamented his misfortune.

"Well, since you're obviously not gonna use it… can you let me borrow it instead?" Henry asked with a salivating emoji

"DUDE! THAT'S MY SISTER!" Peroroncino exclaimed, snapping out of his funk and staring at his brother in the eroge arts like he had literally stabbed him in the back.

"Hey, like we always said man: Never let eroge go to waste…" Henry replied with a wink emoji as he continued to tease the ever-loving hell out of his eroge-loving 'brother'. "And I'm sure Bukubukuchagama will give me quite the session."

"ARGH! NOW I CAN'T GET THAT IMAGE OUT OF MY HEAD!" Peroroncino cried out, holding his head as he ran away and logged out to clean his mind with other quality eroge as the trio he'd left behind laughed their asses off.

"He's totally gonna snitch to her, you know that man?" Momonga told Henry in between their laughter.

"I know, but at least I'll finally get her back for all of her teasing!" Henry proclaimed, imagining the sweet payback he would now get for all the times his beloved sister figure had gotten the better of him, especially when it came to the four objects of his desires.

End Flashback

~TNT~

"I never thought my master would be… the teasing type" Sebas admitted, his lips twitching as he fought to suppress an amused smile

"Even the closest of brothers do so sometimes," Shalltear shrugged "And it only ever brought them closer together" The fact that it had made it more painful for Lord Augustus when both his 'brother' and his sister quit YGGDRASIL was left unsaid.

Although those new details about her beloved fascinated her to no end, Solution felt it prudent to speak up "Um…if I may beg forgiveness for intruding on your conversation for a moment, there is something I would like to ask you both," Solution spoke up, her tone surprisingly timid. "As you are both aware by now, I was recently given the honour of being taken as our Crown Prince's secondary consort, with Lupusregina and Narberal also being selected for the royal harem…"

"We have heard. The news did spread around the Great Tomb quite rapidly after all. You and your sisters have my deepest thanks for making my honoured Crown Prince so happy," Sebas said to her with a kind smile.

"Yes, I offer my congratulations to you as well. I hope you and the others are able to please our great heir in the manner he deserves?" Shalltear tittered with a teasing smile.

"Y-your kind words and praise are wasted on me, I seek only to make my beloved happy and hope to bear him a whole line of heirs in the future," Solution replied with a small blush. "But I was going to ask is…besides getting to know him in the bedroom which has been the most wonderful experience of my life so far, I confess I do not know much about my beloved. Lord Sebas, you are personally sworn to his service and, aside from ourselves, spend the most time with him. And Lady Shalltear, it was well-known that Lord Peroroncino was his best friend, 'eroge-brother' and confidant so the two may have often talked in your presence aside from the teasing you previously mentioned. If you could tell me anything that would help me understand him better and thus allow me to be a more dutiful servant and consort, I would be most grateful."

"As you are no doubt aware, I was originally created by and sworn to Lord Touch Me who our heir looked up to as a confidant, mentor and inspiration," Sebas explained after a moment of thought. "And since he held Lord Touch Me in the highest regard and saw him as a paragon of everything he wanted to be, my lord Constantine sought to honour his memory in everything he did. Even when he inherited my creator's title as World Champion, he didn't see that as the end of his quest which has carried on into this New World. My Crown Prince is determined to instil on this world all of the lessons and principles my creator imparted upon him and make it one he would be proud of: a world where everyone, no matter their race, wealth or circumstances of birth, is treated equally and with compassion and where talent decides your lot in life rather than your inherited status or wealth. If you support him in these endeavours and seek to understand why he strives to do this, you will be able to deepen both your understanding of him along with the emotional connection you share."

"Lord Augustus and my creator's love of eroge was the main reason they bonded so deeply, but behind their relentless teasing of one another, there was a compassionate and serious side to our Crown Prince that not many got to witness," Shalltear added. "I was present many times when Lord Augustus told my creator of the respect he had for Lord Touch Me and how he would always seek to uphold his ideals and legacy and as a result was present after the spat between Lord Touch Me and Lord Ulbert that led to them both leaving." Shalltear's smile and expression faltered slightly as she recalled this unhappy memory. "Lord Augustus was deeply upset when Lord Touch Me left and cried openly about it for a long time. It took my creator, Lady Bukubukuchagama, Lord Ainz and Lord Fengxian comforting him for a long while before he recovered."

"My poor darling…" Solution murmured. She couldn't help but curse Lord Touch Me and Lord Ulbert's names a little given how their spat and subsequent departure had so deeply upset her beloved.

"It was a tough time for everyone. Both Lord Touch Me and Lord Ulbert were greatly respected among the other Supreme Beings, so having them both leave at the same time was a hard pill to swallow…" Sebas mused, refraining from adding that it was especially the case with the former, given the animosity he, his former and current master held for the Goat Demon.

"Indeed, but that is not all my creator and Lord Augustus talked about," Shalltear continued in a slightly more positive tone. "He often spoke to my beloved creator about his dream of one day having a family to call his own, but how his insecurities and inadequacies would prevent him from gaining one. But now that he has you, Solution, along with Lady Albedo and your other sisters, I believe he now has hope of seeing that dream fulfilled and will give his all to achieve it alongside the wishes of our Lord whilst upholding the ideals of Lord Touch Me as Sebas described earlier." Shalltear's expression now went dreamy. "Since my creator viewed him like a brother and loved him dearly, I hope to continue that and have him see me in a motherly manner as his father's eternal companion. And even if I am unable to provide him with brothers and sisters, it would be my greatest desire to have a grandmotherly role for the legacy he will produce with all of you." Her expression then turned serious as she pierced Solution with a slight glare. "So make sure you, and the rest, not only keep him happy but also give him the family he has always desired."

Solution nodded without hesitation. When she had initially planned to ask Lady Shalltear and Lord Sebas for this information, she hadn't expected them to go into such detail, and their observations regarding her beloved would be of great help to enable her, and the rest of her sisters, to know and love him better. "Thank you for all you have shared, both of you. To learn more about our Supreme Beings, especially my beloved, Lord Constantine, is truly humbling. As for your request, Lady Shalltear, myself, Lupusregina and Narberal have all sworn to dedicate our lives and hearts to him for as long as we live. And alongside Lady Albedo, we will be sure to provide him with a legacy worthy of both our father and the Great Tomb of-" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as the carriage was brought to a dead halt, accompanied by the sounds of movement and jeering from outside.

"Knock, knock, girlie," they heard a leering, male voice call out. "Why don't you come outside? All we want to do is play with you!"

"It would appear our resident scum has arrived right on time, just as the Supreme Beings expected," Shalltear commented with an evil grin. "Let's go and give them a proper welcome, shall we?"

~TNT~

As Shalltear stepped down from the carriage, with Sebas and Solution trailing her, she noted with disgust the crowd of slobbering male humans surrounding them. "Do these foolish bugs really think they deserve to be in the presence of those created by the almighty Supreme Beings? How I would love to put them in their place!" The only thing stopping her from lashing out was the warnings given to her by her lord and the others to not cause a scene and blow their cover, as well as the sight of a familiar tall figure clad in all-black armour standing behind the group with their arms folded. "If only these insects knew who they were dealing with. Oh well, I'm sure it will all come to light very shortly. Then the real fun can begin!" Shalltear couldn't help but smirk at these thoughts as she moved to step down from the carriage, only to have her way blocked by an uncouth fellow with brown hair.

"This ain't your lucky night, sweetheart," he leered down at her. "So why don't you and your friends come quietly and we'll make sure you don't get hurt, okay? You've got a hell of a fare for a little girl so why don't you let me have a peek?" His right hand drifted towards Shalltear's bosom as he spoke, but before it could touch them the limb was parted from the rest of the arm in a small spray of blood.

"As if I would let you defile me with your dirty hands," Shalltear commented almost calmly, a sharp contrast to the undercurrent of rage boiling away within her as the man screamed his head off. "H-he dared to try and touch me?! Only my beloved has the right!" "You humans make far too much racket. Be silent." With a casual wave of her hand, his head joined his hand on the ground and was shortly followed by the rest of his body causing the rest of the group, aside from the tall armoured figure, to either scream or tremble in fear. But Shalltear wasn't done yet. Lifting her hand upwards, she used her powers to coalesce the human's blood into a whirling orb above her as her two vampire brides appeared at her side.

"A magic caster?! Surround her, don't let her complete her spell!" Another one of the bandits shouted. His cry rallied the group as they all unsheathed their swords and made to charge Shalltear and her brides. Yet before either Shalltear or the bandits made their next move, the tall armoured figure shoved his way through the group as if he planned to take all three ladies on by himself. This raised a small cheer from the ambushers, thinking that this big lug would either have the strength to deal with them or at least buy them time to escape. What they weren't expecting however was for the brute, in an astonishing display of speed and brutality, to unclasp the massive halberd from his back and, in one sudden and terrifying motion, lash out in a wide arc that hit a good portion of them with one strike, severing heads, rending flesh and slitting open bellies in a sea of blood and guts that caused the survivors to scream in horror.

"Stupid pigs…" The massive warrior grumbled under his breath before turning to face Shalltear and her brides. "You two…clear up the rest." As they hurriedly moved to obey, Fengxian's helmeted head turned towards Solution. "Capture the driver and bring him to me. Once he has outlived his usefulness, I will allow you to deal with him as you see fit."

Solution's eyes lit up, her tongue dragging excitedly along her lips. "As you will, Lord Fengxian," she demurred with a quick bow before making her way over towards where their driver, an ugly human with a red nose known as Zach, was currently cowering behind the rest of the bandits who were currently being torn to shreds by Shalltear's vampire brides. Given the vast power difference between the two groups, the slaughter was over within seconds leaving behind a mound of broken and bloodied corpses. A terrified Zach, his pants now a soggy mess from fright, was frogmarched before the massive warrior and forced to his knees by Solution as Fengxian told Shalltear what he wanted from her, and after one quick application of Shalltear's [Eyes of Attraction], the human dully moved back to his place on the driver's carriage having been tasked to ensure Sebas and Solution's safe transfer to the capital before allowing himself to be devoured by Solution as penance for his betrayal.

After thanking their Grand Marshal for his aid, the cart containing Solution and Sebas set off once again and faded into the distance, leaving Fengxian, Shalltear and her vampire brides behind. It was time for the next phase of their mission. "You remember the task you were given, Shalltear?" Fengxian asked the petite vampire.

"Of course, my lord. I committed it to memory from the moment yourself, Lord Ainz and Lord Augustus bestowed it upon me," Shalltear replied formally as she and her brides dropped to their knees before the towering warrior. "My vampires and I are to go into the bandit lair located not far from here and slaughter as many of them as we can find whilst leaving one or two alive to flee into the nearby woods, where they should cause enough of a disturbance to lure our true targets out of hiding. And if I should find anybody proficient in Martial Arts skills, I am to do my best to capture them and bring them before you."

"Very good, I am pleased to see you were paying attention," Fengxian said with a curt nod. "You may use whatever methods you want to complete your task, so long as you do not draw undue attention to yourself or go beyond the parameters we set for you. Once I have cleaned up here, I will remain close by to assist from without. Upon mission completion, or should you run into any problems, you are to Message me for further instructions. Is that clear?"

"Clearly, my lord. We will not let you down," Shalltear answered.

"See to it that you don't. Now go." As Shalltear glided off towards the nearby hills, her vampire brides on her tail, Fengxian began the short and torturous work of piling together the corpses resulting from the failed ambush. Once they were prepared, he messaged Demiurge and ordered them retrieved via Gate as he set off at a leisurely jog in the same direction as Shalltear had gone. Since this was a test of the vampire Guardian's capabilities, he wouldn't get involved unless things went dire or if Shalltear got in over her head.

~TNT~

In the depths of the mountain cave where his current employers, the Death Spreading Brigade, made their home, a muscular, wavy blue-haired, brown-eyed man with lightly tanned skin and stubble on his chin and who was clad in a casual set of chainmail armour was calmly polishing his blade with a rag. As a warrior dedicated to perfecting his craft and aiming to become the strongest throughout the land, he understood the importance of making sure one's weapon was constantly in the best condition it could be. After all, a skilled warrior was only that if the weapon in his hand was without blemish or imperfections. Should the blade become rusty from being coated too often in blood or chipped from clashes with other bladed weapons, it became a liability instead of a weapon and could easily break or shatter at the worst possible moment, with the warrior's death sure to follow after.

As he gave his blade another wipe, his attention was suddenly altered by the sound of screaming coming from nearby. With a sigh, he put down the rag and sheathed his sword back in its scabbard before proceeding to walk towards the door. Though he had no love for the company he currently kept whose usual acts included murder, slavery and assaulting women for nothing more than profit, they had provided him with food and a place to stay which caused him to stay rather…amoral…regarding the less-than-savoury practices they undertook, and so he was obligated to help them out if they came under attack, which from the sounds of the screams and crumpling bodies from nearby was almost certainly the case right now.

He passed through the curtain separating his room from the rest of the base and stepped out onto the pathway that headed towards the mountain lair's entrance where the screams were originating from. As he made his way down the rocky corridor, another of the bandits came scrambling down the path towards him, completely out of breath and with a terrified expression on his face. "Brain! Thank the gods I found you! We're being attacked!"

"Yeah, that much is obvious. I could hear the screams from all the way in my quarters," Brain Unglaus, once thought of as the strongest fighter in all of Re-Estize until his loss to Gazef Stronoff in the finals of one of the more recent grand tournaments, replied. "Do we know of their numbers or identity?"

"I-as hard as this may be to believe, the attackers number only two, and they are both women. As for their identities, I've never seen them before in my life, but they are absolutely terrifying. They're decimating our ranks with seemingly no effort at all, and it was only by sheer luck I was able to get away from them."

"Two women, huh?" If he hadn't known of the prowess of female warriors like the ones from Blue Rose, Brain would've most likely assumed that this guy had been pulling his leg. It took one of rare ability to be able to stand out in what many saw as a male-dominated line of work, so for these two to be as deadly as he described…it was definitely worth investigating. Perhaps they could even give him a good fight. "I'll deal with them myself," Brain told him, an eager smile on his face. "Inform the rest of the company and have them fortify the inside whilst waiting for my triumphant return!"

"O-of course. Thank you, Brain, but be careful! They seem to be extraordinarily powerful!" The man exclaimed before resuming his flight.

"Yeah yeah, sure," Brain causally dismissed with a wave of his hand as he continued his casual walk towards the entrance. As he got closer and closer to his goal, he came across those who had been unlucky enough to fall victim to these supposedly terrifying female fighters, and as he investigated their corpses, he couldn't help but feel a slight chill of unease at how they'd been killed. Some had been mercilessly ripped apart, their arms and legs torn from their bodies, whilst others had merely had their throat slit and had been left to die whilst gagging on their own blood. "Seems like that guy wasn't exaggerating…whoever's behind this, they're not incredibly skilled but seem to revel in the gore they are causing." Yet despite this slight feeling of dread, Brain couldn't also help but feel another small trill of excitement run through him. Whilst being part of several groups of bandits over the years had ensured he'd gotten into constant scraps, no one had given him a good fight in years. In fact, the last battle he'd enjoyed was his loss to Gazef which now felt like a lifetime ago. But as he got to his feet from investigating the last corpse, he suddenly found himself tensing up as the air around him shifted, the once-cool mountain air giving way to an overwhelmingly pungent aroma of blood and death as, from seemingly out of thin air, two pale-skinned women with red-eyes appeared in front of him.

As an admirer of the female form, Brain couldn't help but note these women were incredibly beautiful at first glance. But as he took a closer look at them, the same uneasy feeling from before came back. The way they were looking at him…there was no life behind their eyes and the way they were staring at him without blinking was making him uneasy.

Then his eyes were drawn to their blood-stained robes, and just like that he almost seemed to snap out of some hidden spell. The chap from before hadn't been lying…these two were the monsters who were brutally murdering everyone in this cave. In a purely instinctual move, his sword leapt into his hands as he slashed at the chest of one of them causing her to fall back and scream in pain. But even as he smirked at his supposed moment of triumph, both of the pale beauties suddenly stepped aside and fell to their knees as someone else approached them: a petite girl with red eyes, pale skin, silver hair and an ample bosom clad in a deep purple evening dress.

"Should've guessed…no human could have caused this much damage in so short a time…" The pale skin, red eyes and the fangs jutting out from the girl's mouth were a dead giveaway to her identity. "A vampire, huh?" Brain commented in an almost bored tone to mask the growing terror he was feeling as he rested his blade almost casually on his shoulder. "Great…this'll be fun. Very fun…"

"But you're all by yourself, sir," the vampire spoke in a childlike tone that would have likely fooled anyone else. "If I were you, I would call the rest of your friends to back you up. It's the only way you'll stand a chance."

"Heh, 'friends' is too strong a term for them. I'd say we're associates at best," Brain idly dismissed. "Besides, I don't need them anyway. They'd only get in the way and cramp my style."

"My my, aren't you a brave one?" Shalltear chuckled behind her hand, finding herself somewhat entertained by this human's defiance and bravado in the face of certain doom. "It would appear my lords Augustus and Fengxian were correct when they mentioned how not all humans are snivelling cowards…" The bride who hadn't been attacked made a move as if to lash out at Brain but was stopped almost immediately by Shalltear's raised hand and instantly kowtowed away, bowing repeatedly. "Hmm…normally I would have punished her for her defiance, but my Lord Fengxian was quite insistent that I show some restraint, that it would make them more loyal to me going forward. Perhaps there is some truth to what he said…" "Very well then. Since you are showing more spine than those associates of yours, I'll lower myself temporarily to deal with you."

Brain smirked, gripping his sword tightly in both hands as he angled it towards her. "My name is Brain Unglaus, and I shall be your opponent," he said calmly and to the point.

"He's even giving me his name! How honourable yet adorable at the same time!" "Shalltear Bloodfallen is my name," she replied with an elegant curtsy. "I do hope you provide me with some form of entertainment before you perish."

"Tch…she thinks she's unbeatable. Typical monster…" Brain thought to himself with a grimace as he crouched low, moving his blade down behind his waist. "But there's no way she'll be faster than my Glod Flash Strike, and she'll never be able to get past my Perception Field." He took a deep breath to steady himself before activating said Field which took the appearance of a ring of fire that encircled the area around him at a three-meter range whilst raising his accuracy and evasion to their utmost limits.

"Impressive…this must be one of the Martial Arts my lords mentioned. They'll be so pleased to hear we have found another practitioner…" "I take it you have finished your preparations?" She asked in an almost satisfied tone, but when he didn't reply she couldn't help but let out a slight sigh. "Very well then…let the massacre begin." With that, she slowly made her way forward toward the edge of Brain's field.

"Gazef…" Brain thought to himself as the vampire inched ever closer. "I developed my God Flash and Field in the hope of avenging my defeat at your hands, and if I combine them…I know I can beat you!" Every second felt like a minute as his eyes continued to focus on the vampire's footsteps as she came right to the edge of her field. And then, as she casually raised her foot to step over it…"Got you!" "Blade Technique…Wind of the Great Forest!" He cried as he swung his blade forward at a speed faster than the naked eye could comprehend directly at Shalltear's neck. Seeing that the strike was aimed true, he was about to yell out in triumph when the unthinkable happened. Just as his blade was about to hit home, the girl simply used her hand to catch the blade and hold it back before it could cut at her skin. "H-how? T-there's no way! That was supposed to be my ultimate technique…" he stammered, all of his previous bravado fading away to be replaced by a look of sheer terror. Nobody could match up to his speed…so how had this girl been able to stop his strike so casually?

"I think it's just dawned on you how outclassed you really are," Shalltear cooed almost sweetly as she held the blade in place with a vice-like grip, despite Brain's best efforts to retract it. "I may be a petite little monster, but I assure you…I am very capable of being cold, calculating and ruthless." Letting go of the blade, she elegantly jumped backwards to create some distance as well as to allow the poor human a chance to recover. It was the one grace she could afford him out of respect for his earlier courtesy. "I must investigate further…my lords were very clear that should we find a Martial Arts user, we were to prolong the battles to see as many of their techniques as possible." "If you have another attack, I suggest you use it now."

To his credit, Brain recovered quickly and readied himself in a marital stance, but it was hard to miss the way his hands were currently trembling as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "Aw, is that it?" She asked. "Is that all of the Martial Arts you had to show me?"

"M-Martial Arts? Is that what you think I was doing?" Brain replied sounding somewhat disbelieving. "She's taunting me. She knows I don't stand a chance against her. But…I am a warrior dedicated to the pursuit of strength, and as such I cannot back down!" Steeling himself, he let out a ferocious battle cry before charging at her again, slashing and jabbing at her from every possible angle to try and catch her off guard. And yet his efforts proved to be in vain as she simply batted away every one of his strikes with casual movements of her finger, her fingernail seemingly made out of the strongest metal as sparks flew where he struck and not even a dent or crack was made on it despite his best efforts, whilst she emitted a yawn from what looked like sheer boredom.

"What's wrong? Are you tired already?" Shalltear asked after a while as Brain backed away, sweat lacing his brow and panting heavily. "I'd have thought you'd had more stamina and skill than what you've shown me so far, especially with those fancy Martial Arts you used earlier. Weren't they meant to increase your strength and speed? Because quite honestly, I hardly noticed much of a difference between you and the rest of those weaklings that I slaughtered on my way here." His expression turned dumbfounded, as though he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, which caused Shalltear to giggle even more. "If you're going to make a good impression, you are certainly going to have to work a lot harder than that!"

That was when Brain's composure finally shattered as the once-proud and ego-driven warrior started crying and laughing at the same time, his whole body now shaking uncontrollably as it dawned upon him just how badly he'd been humiliated, by a mere little girl no less! His entire purpose in life, all the pursuit of strength he had done and everything he had sacrificed to make it to the top…all rendered meaningless, dashed like it was nothing! "Damnit…I am such an idiot! How could I even think I…I…AGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!" The man proceeded to let out a scream of despair and hopelessness that echoed throughout the cavern.

"Oh dear, it would seem I have broken what remained of that foolish bravado you were touting earlier…such a shame!" Shalltear sighed resignedly. "But don't feel too down-hearted, human, for I may have use for you yet! Your skill in Martial Arts will be of great benefit to the Supreme Ones, so if you surrender quietly I'll make sure you're delivered to them alive and unspoiled. Isn't that merciful of me?" These words, delivered almost condescendingly in her overly elegant tone, were the straw that finally broke the camel's back as he turned around and fled back the way he'd come, wailing in despair as he did so.

"H-he ran? Even after I generously offered him the divine mercy of the Supreme Beings?!" Shalltear seethed as her anger started to spike. To be shown up by a lowly human like that, especially after the boring display he'd put on…it was infuriating! She was almost tempted to go into her True Vampire form and show that coward, and those fools who fought alongside him, the true meaning of terror in revenge for the humiliation that had just been handed to her, but she reined herself back in just in time so that she could stop and think for a moment. Yes, the human might have escaped, but not only had he displayed some skill in the Martial Arts, but he had also given her a name. That information alone might be enough to spare her from Lord Fengxian's wrath for her failure as she reached out to him via Message. (Lord Fengxian, I humbly beg your permission to update you on my mission so far)

(Go ahead, Shalltear) His short and curt reply sent a small shiver of dread through her. His voice was still so imposing even at a distance!

(As per my mission parameters, my vampire brides and I began to slaughter the foolish humans that have made this mountain base their home. However, our progress became hampered by a human who was skilled enough to wound one of my brides. Since no ordinary human could possibly do that, I decided to test his skills for myself, and though they were weak and ineffective he used several Martial Arts skills against me.)

(Interesting…what happened next?) The Grand Marshal asked.

(Once he realised he could not best me, his composure shattered and left him a jabbering wreck. From the looks on his face during our fight, he'd no doubt believed himself to be a strong warrior, one who thought they could've defeated me easily. But when he realised it was the exact opposite and that he was the one who was being humiliated, all of that bravado he'd spouted earlier gave way to absolute terror! Oh, how I wish you could have seen it, my lord…it was absolutely exquisite!)

(It's true what they say…pride does come before a fall…) he mused. (What happened after he realised this?)

(I offered him the chance to surrender quietly so that I could bring him before you, but the coward fled before I had the chance to subdue him!) She exclaimed, the fury stemming from her failure and humiliation coming to the fore before being replaced by contriteness. (My failure is undeniable Lord Fengxian…I allowed myself to be made a fool of by a lowly human and in so doing allowed him to flee. I will submit to whatever punishment you deem appropriate…)

She heard the sigh from the other end of the connection and braced herself for the reprimand she was positive was coming…only to be utterly surprised when his next words came out in a calm tone (Did you get his name at least?)

(Y-yes, Lord Fengxian. He told me his name was Brain Unglaus. He has wavy blue hair, lightly tanned skin, brown eyes and stubble on his chin, and his weapon of choice is a sword) She rattled off quickly, hoping this would be enough to spare her.

(I see, then he'll stand out if we ever run into him again. After all, not many humans possess that colour hair…) He mused again before coming to a decision. (Though it's a shame we didn't get a chance to question him further, the fact that we have a name and an identity, as well as confirmation of his use of Martial Arts, is better than what we had before. We will investigate this further when we return to Nazarick, but for now, you will continue with your mission. Once you are done, I will meet up with you on the other side and take stock of how our goal is proceeding before moving on to the next step. Is that understood?)

(Clearly, Lord Fengxian!) She replied eagerly. "My efforts weren't all in vain as I feared!" She would have let out a cheer right then and there if not for the fact that she still had a mission to complete. The will of the Supreme Beings was paramount. Whatever joys or insecurities she was feeling would have to wait until she was done.

~TNT~

She'd tried…she had really tried to get herself under control and not fall victim to her anger, but for all of her efforts, Shalltear just couldn't shake the humiliation and anger she felt from being humiliated by a mere human which caused her to fall into a near-blood frenzy. Whilst she retained enough presence of mind to not slip into the mindless monster that was her True Vampire form, her blood lust combined with the welling anger inside of her proved too much for her to control, even to the point of losing sight of what the Supreme Beings had wanted from her in favour of causing as much chaos, pain and destruction as she possibly could.

Her rising torrent of rage was only compounded further when the filthy blue-haired man who'd eluded her so was nowhere to be found, leaving her to dismember and feast on the comrades he'd left behind instead. But even with every life she took, along with all of their delicious screams as their throats were rent asunder, she was still not satisfied. She needed more! This cavern…no, this entire area would be filled with nothing but blood, guts and corpses by the time she was done!

After taking care of all of the bandits in the caverns below, she'd snapped at her brides to feast on their remains while she continued the hunt for more victims. And as luck would have it, a veritable feast presented itself as she burst forth from the exit of the mountain lair and found herself coming face-to-face with a group of armoured adventurers who just so happened to have been approaching the bandit lair in the hope of claiming some of the bounties but who instead had the misfortune to run into a very angry and bloodthirsty vampire. "HOW WONDERFUL! THE MAIN COURSE, SERVED ON A SILVER PLATTER!" She screamed in delight, her tongue dancing along her blood-soaked fangs.

"It's a vampire! Everyone, infuse your blades with silver!" One of the adventurers, a magic caster, shouted. "And whatever you do, don't look into her eyes! Keep that thing at bay as best you can whilst we get back to E-Rantel!" The red-headed girl among them wasted no time in following this order as she cracked open the bottle in her hand, lacing her nearby companion's blade with molten silver.

"A part of me is insisting I capture some of them, and keep them bound to be interrogated…" Shalltear thought to herself, struggling to organise her thoughts amidst the blood-haze that was clouding her judgement as the adventurers made to begin their retreat once their weapons were all laden with silver. "But all I want to do is kill them…chew on their flesh and drain them dry until nothing remains but a shrivelled-up prune of a corpse! AGGGGH! I can't take it anymore! I WILL BATHE IN THEIR BLOOD AND REVEL IN THEIR SCREAMS!" With a bloodcurdling roar, she flew straight toward them and lashed out with the bloodied nails of her right hand that instantly decapitated the three in front and sent their heads flying into the distance. "YES! MORE! I WANT MORE!" she chanted over and over in her hand as she continued to revel in their slaughter.

To their credit, the adventurers tried everything they could think of to slow her down or cripple her. But no matter how many silver-infused blades pierced her flesh, or however many holy and divine bolts of energy and magic impacted her body, Shalltear wasn't to be denied as she tore her way through all that stood before her, laughing all the while manically as she revelled in the chaos and destruction she was causing until eventually it came down to her and the red-head who'd been slashing at her all this time without being able to inflict a scratch upon her.

"Y-you monster! You killed all of them!" She cried in a trembling voice as she made one last ditch effort to get out of the hopeless situation. She took out a potion from her pack and uncorked it, preparing to splash it over the vampire's body.

"That potion…why does it look so familiar?" As Shalltear's blood-addled mind struggled to process what she was seeing, the girl took advantage of the vampire's hesitation and threw the entire vial at her body. Thinking it wouldn't do anything to harm her, Shalltear didn't react as the liquid splashed over her, but as it came into contact with her skin, she felt something that she hadn't felt in a while: pain. And with the pain came realisation as she suddenly remembered where she'd seen this potion before. It was the same type of healing potion that was used in Nazarick! Where had this lowly human got it?! And how dare she use it in such an insulting manner?! "You…you actually hurt me?!" She growled as this further humiliation only inflamed the anger and blood rage that was roiling through her. "HOW…HOW DARE YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FILTHY HUMAN!" With a final roar, she leapt towards the young woman, intent on spilling her guts all over the floor. But just before she reached her target, she found herself grabbed forcefully out of the air by a powerful pair of arms. Before she could process what was going on, she found her head being smashed painfully into the ground as whoever had grabbed hold of her now had her pinned to the floor by the back of her neck.

"Who…WHO DARES DESECRATE A SERVANT OF THE SUPREME BEINGS IN SUCH A MANNER?!" She screamed internally as she thrashed about to no avail. Whoever it was that had grabbed her was holding her in a vice-like grip which limited her to only being able to move her head about. "Get your hands off me, wretched human!" She was able to spit once she'd managed to move her face out of the ground. "How dare you even think you can lay your hands on...h-hands on…m-me…" Her words and anger trailed off on the spot to be replaced by absolute fear and horror as she got her first look at just who had been able to manhandle her so easily. She then let out a scream of terror and pain as she felt an armoured knee plant into her back whilst the hand around her neck moved to grab her ponytail and lift her head up, forcing her to look directly into the fearsome red lights emitting from her lord Fengxian's helmet.

"Remind me what you WEREN'T meant to do, Shalltear Bloodfallen?" The towering warrior asked her calmly, causing Shalltear to tremble as the guttural echo of his helm made his seemingly innocent-sounding question absolutely terrifying.

"Oh no…what have I done?! I've put our entire mission at risk and angered one of the Supreme Beings because I couldn't control myself!" Shalltear thought to herself in fright. "This is all my fault…I've let down my Lord Fengxian, my beloved Lord Ainz and my Lord Augustus with my foolish actions! I'll never be able to redeem myself from such a humiliation! I-!" Her thoughts were cut off as the pain in her back increased. "What am I doing?! I'm only angering the Grand Marshal even more by not answering him! Yet how can I even justify what I've done?!"

"I believe I asked you a question, Shalltear…" This time, the terrified vampire felt the anger from the armoured warrior's words. "The longer you don't answer, the further my kneecap goes into your spine. And I can assure you, I won't let up until you either answer me or I succeed in crushing your spine. So unless you want me to cripple you permanently…YOU. WILL. ANSWER. ME. NOW!"

"I-I wasn't to draw undue attention to myself or go beyond the parameters of the task y-you set for me, Lord Fengxian," Shalltear finally answered.

"Tell me then, Shalltear…" There was no let-up in the Grand Marshal's anger. "…was losing yourself to a blood rage and going on a wild, uncontrollable killing spree part of your mission parameters?" When Shalltear didn't respond, he tugged back her ponytail harder. "What would have happened if I hadn't been here, huh? I'll tell you what would have gone down…you would have completely lost your head, gone charging off blindly into the words and been trapped by the enemies that WE are supposed to trap ourselves, and in so doing render all of our carefully constructed plans USELESS!" There was a moment of silence as Fengxian allowed his words to sink in. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Shalltear?"

"I-I'm so sorry, my lord Fengxian!" Shalltear finally sobbed as the weight of her transgressions caught up to her. As much as she wanted to deny and plead her way out of this, she knew no excuse could possibly justify what she had done. She had deliberately gone against the will of the Supreme Beings, a completely unforgivable sin. "I-I allowed the humiliation and anger I felt when that human embarrassed me to take over and send me into a blood rage! I-I have failed you and the rest of the Supreme Beings and will accept whatever punishment you see fit, and I swear I'll do whatever it takes to atone for my offence against your divine wishes!"

"At least she can recognise that she erred…that's one small crumb of comfort at least…" Fengxian sighed as he released Shalltear's skull, sending the vampire guardian head-first back into the ground with an undignified squeak. Looking around, he saw that the red-headed girl Shalltear had been about to kill was still standing there, watching the whole exchange in unadulterated terror. "Hm, looks like we can still salvage this…" "You. Get over here…NOW!" he barked at the girl. Having seen what both of these monsters were capable of, Brita knew it would be the height of foolishness to disobey, and as she came within arm's length of the pair Fengxian grabbed her none too gently and forced her to her knees.

"You want a chance to prove yourself again, Shalltear?" He asked the petite vampire who had only just gotten back to her feet and was nodding vigorously. "Interrogate her. Find out where she got that potion she used on you, and then ask her if any of her group are still out there."

"Y-yes, my lord. Right away!" Shalltear said hurriedly, dashing over in her eagerness to obey. With another application of her [Eyes of Attraction], Brita's face went slack and her voice monotonous as she mindlessly answered all of the questions Shalltear put to her. As fortune would have it, Fengxian and Shalltear learnt that she'd acquired the potion from a silver-armoured adventurer in E-Rantel known as Alfred, which they instantly recognised as Henry's adventurer persona. This almost caused Shalltear to freak out as she feared she had ruined her beloved master and crown prince's plans, but one stern look from Fengxian was enough to get her to refocus as she asked the second question, to which Brita replied that there had been a ranger among them who'd been ordered to return to E-Rantel and gather reinforcements should they run into any problems. When pressed about the path the ranger would take, she answered that the ranger, being a skilled and agile climber, would use the trees in the nearby forest to not only cover more ground but also avoid any potential dangers.

"Perfect…that works to our advantage, especially if that Martial artist and any of his comrades also fled that way…" Fengxian mused as the beginnings of the next part of the plan began to form in his head. "I think that's all we'll get out of her, so command her to go to Carne Village and offer her services to the people there, and that if asked to say that she was sent by Ainz, Constantine and Fen. That'll give her an in for sure."

Shalltear did exactly as bid, and as Brita was sent on her way the towering warrior stepped up to the edge of the ridge overlooking the forest below and took a few moments to not only digest what had just happened but also to incorporate what he had just learnt into his plans. He was glad that he'd had the foresight to ask Ainz for the use of a small detachment of the Eight-Edge Assassins that were originally going to be deployed to the Theocracy to gather intel as they had been of invaluable help in not only scouting through every inch of the woods around but also confirming what Fengxian had been hoping for: the Black Scripture were indeed camped out in this particular neck of the woods, and now that enough of a ruckus had been caused he was sure they'd mobilize to investigate, which in turn gave him the perfect opportunity to lure them into a trap. "Shalltear," he ordered shortly and sharply, causing the petite vampire to jump almost a foot in the air. "Call your Vampire Brides here. I have a task for them."

"A-as you wish, my lord," Shalltear said. Barely a few seconds later, the almost-ethereal pale figures were kneeling before the Nephilim, ready and willing to serve.

"There is a group of powerful enemies currently lurking on this side of the woods who are most likely going to be on the move when you run into them," Fengxian explained, pointing over to the right-hand side of the forest. "You are to head over there and reveal yourselves to them, but DO NOT ENGAGE! Once you are certain they are chasing you, lure them to the clearing in the centre of the forest over there…" he then pointed to the spot he indicated. "Once there, you are to delay them with your words long enough for Shalltear and I to spring our trap. Is that understood?" Both of the brides nodded wordlessly. "Good. Then go."

As the Brides left, Shalltear felt brave enough to ask a question. "M-my lord, f-forgive my impudence but…why the need for such an elaborate scheme to trap them? Surely you are strong enough to deal with them on your own without any trouble whatsoever?"

Fengxian looked down at her, and once again Shalltear found herself trembling slightly under his baleful glare. " 'He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious' ", he told her, quoting the famous Asian warlord Sun Tzu whose teachings littered his private abode. "Our enemies will be expecting us to do exactly what you just said, charging in like a mad bull to chase down those who escaped us. When they spot the Vampire Brides, they will believe those are the monsters that have been causing the ruckus in the mountains and chase after them, and watching them flee will make them overconfident and sure of themselves. As a result, they will not be prepared for us to turn the tables on them after the Brides lure them into that clearing, and their momentary shock and hesitation when we spring the trap will be enough to seize the advantage." He then placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "That situation would have happened in reverse if you had charged in there in a blind fury, and from what we've gathered from our intel we'll be dealing with some powerful enemies. Who knows what they could have done to you in that state? You are unquestionably powerful, Shalltear, but you need to ensure that doesn't make you arrogant and temper it with caution and strategy. If you know and understand the enemy and yourself, and conduct the battle on your terms instead of theirs, you will always achieve certain victory. Do you understand?"

"I-yes, my lord, and I thank you for your wisdom," Shalltear demurred with a contrite bow. "I shall strive to learn from your teachings and in doing so become a better servant to you and the rest of the Supreme Beings."

Fengxian nodded, pleased. "We all make mistakes, but as long as we understand where we went wrong and learn from there, they will make us stronger and more knowledgeable in the long run," he told her, his voice still firm. "We shall discuss your punishment after we return to Nazarick, but for now you are to follow my orders to the letter and not deviate from them in the slightest. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Fengxian. I am ready to serve and obey," she replied without hesitation. As the two made their way into the forest, Fengxian couldn't help but reminisce how similar his tactic was to that of the famed Chinese warlord Zhuge Liang at the Battle of Bowang in the year 202 where he used a powerful decoy, the famed general Zhao Yun alongside a paltry force of a few thousand men, to lure the famed Wei generals Xiahou Dun, Han Hao, Yu Jin and Li Dian and the 100,000 men under their command into areas of forest and rough terrain well-suited for an ambush. Their numerical advantage and the manner in which their opponents fled before them made Dun, the vanguard of the assault, overconfident despite the misgivings and caution of the other generals, resulting in him being lured into an ambush in conjunction with a multi-sided fire attack that ended up decimating their forces and forcing them into retreat, giving Zhuge Liang an overwhelming victory in his debut as Liu Bei's strategist and cementing his reputation as a warlord without peer. This would go much the same way, although this time a fire attack wouldn't need to be used given the much lesser numbers involved.

No. Fengxian and Shalltear would simply overwhelm their foes with their power whilst letting any observers and survivors know there was a new, unstoppable force rising within these lands, and that to face them in battle would be their doom.

~TNT~

What had started as a simple routine mission within the heart of the Re-Estize Kingdom had, over the span of a week, turned into a bigger deal than anyone in their company could have predicted. And for most of the Seats of the Black Scripture of the Slane Theocracy, particularly the more martial among them, this was more than welcome. After all, sitting and camping without anything to do wasn't their idea of a good time.

They had initially been dispatched to the area around E-Rantel and Carne Village to observe and back up their comrades in the Sunlight Scripture should they run into difficulties. A run-of-the-mill task by their standards. But this turned out not to be the case as word got back to them, via messengers from the Six Cardinals as well as Jemima's Observation spell, that the Sunlight Scripture had been slaughtered to a man by four powerful strangers. This had brought about a shift in the Black Scripture's directive from merely observing the area to actively staking it out in the hopes that these perpetrators would rear their heads again, and once they did they were under orders to use the powerful World Class Item [Downfall of Castle and Country] to put at least one, if not more of them, under its spell and make them serve the Theocracy and put an end to their sacrilegious spree.

It was a shot in a thousand to hope that these new powers on the scene would make another appearance, but it was apparent to the more ardent and pious members of the Black Scripture that the Six really had blessed them when, whilst camping out in the forest near E-Rantel, they'd started hearing terrified screams and running footsteps from nearby. Their intrigue piqued, the group had broken camp to investigate and shortly after had come across several bandits and adventurers running for their lives, screaming about inhuman monsters who'd brutally murdered their comrades and were now chasing after them. This was all the confirmation that Black Scripture needed to assume that the same devils who had slaughtered the Sunlight Scripture had shown their faces again. All they had to do was sit and wait in the path of the fleeing bandits for the monsters to come to them. And it was as if the Six really were answering their entreaties when, a short while later, two ghostly figures in blood-spattered white robes appeared before them, only to hiss and flee back into the safety of the trees when confronted by the numbers of the Black Scripture.

"Hah, look at these monsters flee!" Stoick, the 10th Seat of the Black Scripture who bore the moniker of 'Strongest Human', whooped as he led the chase after the pale figures. "It's as if they know that divine retribution is coming for them and are trying to escape their fate!"

"A brutish and succinct statement, Stoick, but one I have little trouble disagreeing with" Quaiesse Hazeia Quintia, the 5th Seat of the Black Scripture who possessed the title of 'One Man Army', replied. "In the end, all those who defy the will of the Theocracy and the glorious names of the Six must face justice for their crimes."

"Damn right! Not only are these monsters inhuman abominations, but they also committed an unforgivable sin when they not only laid hands on one of the blessed Scriptures but unjustly murdered them whilst they were carrying out the scared will of the Cardinals," the 9th seat, 'Divine Chain' Beaumarchais added. "There can be no repentance for such transgressions."

"I-I'm not so sure about this everyone," Jemima Arneberg, the 7th Seat, spoke up timidly from her place in the middle of the crowd. Having witnessed first-hand the destruction of the Sunlight Scripture, she was in no way keen to encounter them again. "I-if these monsters are as powerful as I witnessed in Carne Village, w-why are they running from us instead of fighting us h-head on?"

"Shut your trap and quit your whining, pipsqueak!" Cedran snapped with an annoyed cuff to the back of Jemima's head, causing the girl to squeak in pain. "I've just about had it up to here with your pointless mewling, so shut your trap and do your job when asked!" The poor girl almost dissolved into tears but maintained just enough of her composure to prevent that. Despite their many continued insults and mocking over the years, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of crumbling now, especially as they were on a crucial mission for the Cardinals.

"Jemima does have a point…they surrendered far too easily for the power they hold," The Captain and 1st Seat of the Black Scripture, Vali Zaldivar, said with a sigh. For years he'd had to put up with the others looking down on and poking fun at Jemima for her height and timid nature. What mattered to him was that she was able to do her job, but for whatever reason the others, except for the 4th Seat, 'Divine Chant' Mitzi Devanur, refused to see that and continued to view and treat her like a lower-class citizen. "But the orders of the Cardinals are absolute. Once we catch up to these monsters, we'll distract them so that Lady Kaire can use [Downfall of Castle and Country] and make them submit. From there, their fate is up to the Cardinals."

The Captain's words were enough to make the others shut their traps as they continued to chase the monsters, who flitted through the trees with seemingly no sense of direction until they made the mistake of bursting into an open clearing. This allowed the Scripture members to use the myriad spells and abilities they had at their disposal to surround and stall the monsters enough that they had nowhere to go. "We've got you now! Give up and come quietly!" Captain Vali told them as he and the others bore down on them, weapons and spells bared.

"You have committed crimes against the Theocracy and offended the will of the Six," 2nd Seat Dion Brannovich added with a superior sneer. "Lay down and accept your divine punishment."

Much to their surprise, however, the pale girls merely exchanged empty glances before looking at the members of the Scripture with disdain. "It would appear they think we are at their mercy since they have us surrounded, sister…" one of them hissed.

"It looks that way, sister, but we will not surrender so easily," the other one snarled as they bared their claw-like nails. "We shall exterminate them just like we butchered those fools at the bandit camp…"

"An admirable sentiment, but futile," spoke the 6th Seat, Cao Mendoza, as he levelled his massive great sword in their direction. "You may claim to be powerful, and your spree of destruction over the past week has proven that, but you stand before the 12 most powerful warriors of the Slane Theocracy. To even dare oppose us is not only certain death but is also an act of opposition against the Gods themselves."

"It's your funeral, girlies, but if you want a fight I'd be more than happy to give it to ya," Cedran sneered as he lifted his blue-plated shield and planted it in front of his face.

"Don't be too overzealous, Cedran. The Cardinals want them alive, remember?" Vali reprimanded him as he unhooked his spear. "You know the drill, everyone. Surround and overwhelm them. As soon as they are weakened, we will bring them before Lady Kaire and bring them under our thrall." The others all nodded simultaneously as they drew their weapons and prepared their spells as they bore down on the two Brides, who despite the overwhelming odds against them were not backing down. But just when it looked like battle was about to be joined, the entire affair was broken up by the sound of clapping.

"My my, what a wonderful show…you are all proving to be such entertaining guests. I'm so glad you accepted our invitation!" The source of the clapping spoke up in an elegant yet condescending tone, and as all of the members of the Black Scripture turned to face this new arrival, the Brides took the opportunity to instantly teleport to their mistress' side as Shalltear Bloodfallen arrived on the scene, having swapped out her usual attire for a full suit of red-coloured plate armour complete with a swan-shaped helmet and plumes of avian feathers attached to it from both sides. Clutched in her right hand was the Divine Class weapon Spuit Lance, a final gift from her beloved creator Peroroncino before he'd left the guild.

"Vampire!" Vali shouted. There was no mistaking her fangs and crimson eyes. "Defensive formation, everyone! Protect Lady Kaire!" The others instantly followed his commands and gathered in a tight defensive formation with those clad in the heaviest defences in front protecting the vulnerable spellcasters in the rear.

"Oh how clever you are to have recognised what I am, good sir! It would seem I have underestimated how smart you insignificant lower lifeforms truly are," Shalltear simpered with slight condescension as the two Brides knelt at her feet.

"You dare mock us?! We are the chosen warriors of the Slane Theocracy and will not be slandered by undead filth like you!" Stoick thundered.

"You are not fit to breathe the same air as us, filth!" Dion snapped, his haughty composure breaking slightly at the girl's insolence.

"You are an abomination and must be cleansed! The likes of you have no place in the perfect world the Gods have promised us!" Mitzi intoned piously.

"Hmph, such boorish and uncultured insults from such supposedly 'divine' humans. My servants and I have gone to great lengths to invite you here, and this is how you repay us? How very rude!" Shalltear replied with a slight yawn. "And to think, I slaughtered and decapitated all that scum hiding in their mountain lair just to bring you to us…" She shook her head in disappointment. "Well then, if you won't extend me any form of courtesy, I'll suppose I'll have to be the bigger woman, not that any of you deserve it…" She then dipped into a small curtsy. "My name is Shalltear Bloodfallen, and it is an honour to meet the famous members of the Black Scripture. I hope my servants here were accommodating?"

"W-wait a second….this was all your doing?" Vali asked dumbfoundedly as some of the others exchanged uneasy looks. "And you did this knowingly just to lure us out? By the Six…what sort of insane, twisted logic is that?"

"I told you all this didn't seem right, but nooo…no one listens to silly little Jemima…" the 7th seat muttered under her breath

"They're undead, captain. They don't have any logic aside from mindlessly causing death and destruction," Beaumarchais dismissed haughtily. "Why else would she have just casually walked out here and admitted to her crimes?"

"Let's just get this over with. Even if she's a vampire, she can't take us all at once, and once we've made her into a servant of the Theocracy nothing will stand in our way!" Cedran barked, drawing nods of agreement from most of the other seats as they now aimed their weapons and spells at the vampire.

"It's so wonderful to see you all so eager to die, but I'm afraid we can't start the show right now!" Shalltear said with a sly smile. "The guest of honour hasn't arrived yet after all!"

"Guest of honour? What in the name of the Six are you talking about?" Cao asked sharply, but before either Shalltear or any of the others could respond Jemima let out an involuntary loud squeak and collapsed to her knees, her whole body beginning to tremble as a familiar sensation of dread washed over her.

"What is it, Jemima? What's wrong?" Vali asked concernedly.

"Get your butt off the ground, pipsqueak! Now's not the time to be wetting your pants!" Cedran barked in irritation.

"N-n-no, n-not here…p-p-please not here," Jemima muttered shakily, hands clutching her face. "So d-dark…s-so powerful...and s-so full of d-dread…" Her eyes suddenly went wide behind her glasses as her skin paled over completely. "HE'S HERE! DEATH HAS COME FOR US!"

"What in the name of the Six are you-ARGH!" Whatever was on the lips of the 12th Seat, 'Heaven and Earth' Bikou, was suddenly cut off as, from out of seemingly nowhere, a dark tendril of solid blackness had wrapped around his neck and lifted him into the air, and before any of his comrades could do anything to help him, he was suddenly slammed at impossible speeds into one of the trees on the other side of the clearing, accompanied the sound of multiple bones breaking simultaneously on impact. As his broken body was dumped ignominiously to the ground, the dark tendril ratcheted back to where it had come from, and as everyone looked in that direction, the 'guest of honour' emerged as though summoned by the very depths of darkness itself, clad entirely in a suit of black armour that seemed to absorb the moonlight and cast him in an almost ethereal-like silhouette as he stepped into the open space. The blade of the halberd he bore on his black gleamed in the moon's rays, and from his massive body radiated a passive aura of dread and despair, a silent symphony of fear that, even as tempered as it was, caressed the minds of all the living who dared stand in his presence.

Just as her Brides had done before her, Shalltear fell to her knees instantly upon witnessing the Grand Marshal's glorious entrance, her entire body shuddering in anticipation of the death and destruction he was sure to bring in his wake.

~TNT~

"Greetings, servants of the Slane Theocracy," Fengxian spoke up as he unhurriedly approached the Black Scripture, his every movement a calculated display of command, authority and terror that caused the Theocracy's warriors to lose some of the bravado they'd be spewing earlier, replaced by hushed murmurs of alarm and looks of concern as they beheld what appeared to be harbinger of chaos and doom strolling into their midst. "I apologise for interrupting your midnight jaunt through the forest, but my servants and I have unfinished business with you. But before we get down to tacks, let me introduce myself." He paused to offer a slight bow, his hand over his heart. "My name is Fengxian, and it is a pleasure to meet the esteemed warriors of the Black Scripture. I sure hope you'll prove worthy of your lofty titles."

"What do you want with us?" Vali asked cautiously as he and the rest of the Black Scripture once more assumed defensive positions, all except for Jemima who remained frozen in terror on her knees.

"Simple. I am here to bring order and justice to this world that is so lacking in it," Fengxian answered coldly.

"If that's what you're after, then surely you'd ally with the Theocracy? That's what we're after as well," Vali ventured.

"You? Arbiters of justice? The actions of your countrymen suggest otherwise!" Fengxian scoffed. "You really think I'd believe that you stand for justice and mercy when your kind preys upon the weak and helpless for your own personal greed and satisfaction?" The red glow from within his helmet intensified as he drew his massive halberd and spun it over and over before planting it in the ground. "And the fact that you use your faith and so-called Gods to not only justify your crimes but to also look down on those that you believe inferior is the most inhuman example of justice I could ever conceive of! You claim to stand for a perfect world for those who believe in your faith, but in reality you are nothing more than a bunch of bloodthirsty human-centric zealots. The actions of your fellows in the Sunlight Scripture against the innocents of Carne Village is more than enough proof of my claims, so I am here to stand against you and all those who act against the ideals of justice and equality!"

"I-it was you?! You were the one who so callously murdered the chosen of the Cardinals as they carried out their sacred task?!" Beaumarchais yelled.

"You are nothing more than a filthy blasphemer! You have raised your hand against the Theocracy's chosen warriors and by extension the will of humanity itself! You will be purged in the name of the Six!" Mitzi screeched.

"I see you and your filthy taint as clear as day, sinner. I perceive the flesh beneath your armour and denounce you for what you really are…the foulest abomination that could ever have been spawned from the deepest circles of Hell itself: A NEPHILIM!" the black-robed 3rd Seat, 'Four Great Spirits' Domenico Pucci, denounced as he lifted his staff in Fengxian's direction. "It is the will of the Six that you are wiped clean from the face of the earth, fallen one! [Elemental Burst]!" From his staff burst forth a focused ray comprised of varying elements, including Fire and Light, that shot like an arrow straight toward the towering Nephilim's armoured chest.

"[Dark Cocoon]" The warlord growled, surrounding his body in a sphere of darkness that absorbed the spell like it was nothing. "Is that it? I was expecting better of the fabled members of the Black Scripture."

"You dare mock us, impure as you are?! [Holy Ray]!" Mitzi screamed as she shot a ray of pure light from her hands. This too did not affect the warrior but provided enough of a diversion for Stoick to charge in on the colossus' apparent blind side. But as he raised his axe and prepared to swing it downward, Stoick failed to notice the dark glow that now enveloped the warrior's gauntlets. In one swift movement, Fengxian not only causally avoided the warrior's wild swing but also managed to catch him by the neck, lifting his massive muscular frame into the air with seemingly little effort at all.

"I-Impossible! What vile devilry is this?!" Dion stammered in disbelief.

"We're all going to die…we're all going to die…we're all going to die…" Jemima chanted, clutching her knees and rocking back and forth hysterically, leaving the rest of her comrades to watch in disbelief as the dark-armoured Nephilim slammed Stoick to the ground with such force that his spine was instantly snapped in twain, killing him on the spot. As this was happening, Shalltear had decided to get in on the action herself, using a combination of [Time Accelerator] and [Greater Teleportation] to swoop in, grab the insolent 3rd Seat from his place in the middle of the crowd and pierce his heart for daring to raise his magic against the Grand Marshal before swiftly retreating back to her former position, leaving the Black Scripture bereft of two of its strongest combatants in the blink of an eye.

"That's Darkness magic!" 11th seat Morgana identified once they had gotten over the shock and realisation that perhaps their most powerful fighter and magic caster had been killed within seconds of each other. "And he has complete control over it! How in the name of the Six is that possible? None have been able to master that school in centuries!"

"I am a force beyond your comprehension, one who will have changed the world entirely by the time my mission is complete," Fengxian prophesied darkly, dusting his hands off as though choke-slamming an opponent to death was par for the course with him as Shalltear, who had landed back beside him, took a quick moment to shake Domenico's blood off of her blade "You fools of the Theocracy and all those who gorge themselves on their money and power will soon find out they are meaningless before the oncoming wave of death and despair, and your deaths will dawn the herald of a new age where talent and ability will decide who rules it."

"We will never allow this world to fall under the tyrannical thumb of an impure Nephilim and their vampire underlings!" Cao cried as he prepared to charge. "For the Theocracy!"

"Split up and overwhelm them! Lady Kaire, use the WCI NOW!" Vali ordered, his confidence shaken by the sudden turnabout in fortunes. Even so, he was still confident in their numerical advantage since they had eight (not counting Jemima who was still paralyzed by fear) to their two (not counting the Vampire Brides who appeared as though to be staying out of the conflict). As long as they could keep the Nephilim and the vampire distracted by surrounding them, that would buy enough time for Kaire to mind control one of them, and once that had happened then the battle would swing back in their favour. He took the lead in the charge against the colossus alongside Cedran and Beaumarchais with Morgana backing them up with magic, whilst Dion led Cao and Quaiesse against the vampire with Mitzi providing magical support on their end.

(Shalltear, keep them distracted on your side until I command otherwise. We need to stall for a few seconds until we find out the nature of that World Class Item) Fengxian ordered.

(As you command, Grand Marshal) Shalltear complied as she used the wings on her back to agilely leap away from both the swing of Cao's massive sword and another Holy Ray from Mitzi. For his part, Fengxian simply watched and waited as his opponents closed in from all three sides whilst the magic caster at the rear prepared a spell. But just as they got within striking range, Fengxian noted the old lady in the back casting off the garments she'd been wearing to reveal a silvery-white dress underneath bearing the images of a five-clawed dragon soaring to the skies stitched in gold thread which began to glow.

"Whatever that thing is, I don't think I want to find out what it does until after I've had a look at it," Fengxian decided as he stepped back, using his larger-than-average stepping distance to create another foot or two of space between him and his attackers as time seemed to slow to a crawl around him. "[Greater Physical Boost]! [Greater Double Ability Boost]!" He cast on himself, pushing his Physical Attack, Physical Defence, Magical Attack and Agility stats to their absolute limit. He then wrapped himself again in his Dark Cocoon to prevent any incoming damage in case the magic caster got off a lucky shot. As his opponents closed the distance he'd created for himself, Fengxian seized the opportune moment as they swung their weapons at him. "[Dark Cloaked Strike]!" In a burst of speed that was enhanced by all the boosts he'd cast upon himself, Fengxian seemed to vanish from his target's sight, his technique allowing him to barrel through the Slane Theocracy warriors like they were nothing and bringing him within striking distance of the old lady whose dress was now pulsing in a blinding golden glow. Without hesitating for a moment, Fengxian thrust his halberd forward and pierced her throat, ending her life on the spot, and as she fell to the ground Fengxian ripped the garment off her body in one fluid motion and cast a rapid [Appraisal Magic Item) on it, revealing it to be the World-Class item [Downfall of Castle and Country].

"Not only did they have a WCI, but they were also planning to use it to turn me or Shalltear against the others?" He thought with rising fury. If there was anything he despised more than bullying the weak and defenceless, it was robbing a sentient being of their free will. "That's it…I'm going to give these fuckers one more chance to give up. After that, they're all going down." "Bloodfallen! To me!" He roared, not even trying to hold back his aura any more. It was time for these fuckers to understand exactly who the hell they were dealing with!

"Yes, my lord! Did you discover the nature of the World Class Item?" Shalltear enquired as she glided over and landed next to him, her eyes never leaving what remained of the Black Scripture. True to her Grand Marshal's orders, she'd led her attackers on a merry dance whilst he'd retrieved the WCI before coming back to his side. Speaking of said attackers, they'd lost any remnant of their former bravado now that they longer had the means to subvert them and were now watching the pair with a mixture of fear and trepidation.

"A mind control item. They were going to use it to take control of either one of us," he snarled as he deposited the item into his Inventory. "I'm gonna recommend to Suzi and Ise that we lock this up and throw away the key. It's too dangerous for anyone to hold onto, even one of us three."

"Take control of-" Shalltear's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing again, her expression now full of rage. "You lower lifeforms dared to even think of subverting the mind of one of the Supreme Beings to make him your puppet?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL AND CHEW ON YOUR FLESH FOR THIS OFFENCE!" She screamed, the force of her rage almost knocking their opponents over. She would have made good on her threat had not Fengxian held up his hand.

"Rest assured, Shalltear, that their fate has been sealed," he told her. "But before they die, they will witness first-hand the power they sought to dominate and realise how futile their efforts will be. For now, hold onto my helm."

"As you wish, Lord Fengxian," she instantly demurred, holding out her hands reverently as Fengxian removed his helmet, allowing the Black Scripture to get a good look at the horror that lay beneath. The sight of his misshapen face, unholy skin pigmentation, dark glowing eyes and wiry hair, the antithesis and cruel perversion towards what one of their holy angels should look like was enough to cause the majority of them to freeze in horror at the sight of something so unbelievably ugly and horrific. The only ones unaffected were Vali, who was much stouter in heart and mind than his comrades, and Jemima who had already fully succumbed to her fear.

"M-Monster…" Cao muttered, trying and failing to get off the knee he had fallen to.

"Vile demon…unworthy to even exist…" Dion stammered, all traces of his earlier cockiness and haughtiness gone now that he had been forced to his hands and knees.

"Impure…Impure…IMPURE! Vile abomination from the deepest corners of hell!" Mitzi accused as she averted from gaze from the monster before her.

"You fools have seen nothing yet…" Fengxian thought to himself with a dark chuckle as he activated the next phase of his aura, one that was unique to him and that he had yet to use. It was somewhat poetic that he'd bring this to bear on those who considered themselves the perfect servants of so-called Gods. He focused and manipulated his control over Darkness to shroud his entire body in darkness and make his unholy appearance even more terrifying. And as if compelled by some unseen force, every member of the Black Scripture was forced onto both of their knees as their heads were involuntarily raised to gain upon the horrific sight before them, and what they beheld filled them with horror and despair and caused them to look away instantly: a massive figure wreathed entirely in black flames, the black glow of his eyes amplified by his mastery over Darkness and radiating overwhelming pulses of fear, terror and despair. In this state, no mortal man or woman, no matter how pure their heart was, would even dare to attempt to look upon what they perceived as the most terrifying of demons in their midst. "How pathetic…" he boomed, his voice amplified by the aura he was projecting. "The mighty warriors of the Slane Theocracy reduced to a bunch of cowering wretches fit only to grovel at the feet of their betters." He then slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground as he temporarily lowered his aura. "But let none say I am without mercy. If any of you value your lives, surrender now and I will spare your worthless life. But if you choose to continue your pointless resistance, I will slaughter you without mercy."

"Surrender? To the l-likes of you? Never!" Beaumarchais shouted defiantly.

"No true follower of the Six would even dare to think of going against their divine will, much less give themselves to the service of vile and impure monsters such as yourself!" Mitzi cried zealously as all of her comrades made similar statements. All except one.

For Jemima, the choice was easier than she could have expected. Ever since she'd laid eyes on one of the monsters who'd been present at Carne Village in the flesh, she knew she and her comrades hadn't stood a chance, and the events that had transpired since had validated these fears. Even more than that, she'd now gotten a true glimpse of the power these monsters wielded and knew that even thinking of opposing them was pointless. As cowardly as it was, she valued her own life above any form of religious belief or the comrades who'd constantly belittled and mocked her and wasn't prepared to die for or alongside them. Given the power the towering armoured monstrosity wielded, Jemima knew he could cut them all down easily in the blink of an eye. He had no reason to offer them a chance to surrender unless he needed or wanted something from one of them.

"Not only that…he spoke of a new age where how far one would rise would be decided by ability and skills, not status or race. If he speaks the truth and if I prove myself to be of use…I might be able to make more of a difference than I ever could by remaining here!" Summoning up reserves of courage she didn't know she possessed, she found the strength to get to her feet and walk forward on shaking legs, ignoring the protests and shouts from her comrades that followed as she came before the towering warrior and, without any show of hesitation, fell to a knee before him and bowed her head in submission. "Please spare my life, m-my l-lord," she begged, remembering the honorific the vampire had bestowed upon him. "And in return, I shall dedicate my life and soul to your cause!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, FILTHY PIPSUEAK?!" Cedran roared.

"WORTHLESS WHORE! I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED YOU WOULD GIVE UP SO EASILY! YOU ARE UNWORTHY OF THE SIX!" Quaiesse shouted.

"Jemima…why?" Was all that Vali could muster.

"I don't want to die…" was the only reply they got as Jemima refused to even look back at them. "I'm sorry Captain. Even with all the kindness you and Mitzi showed me, I refuse to die pointlessly alongside those who have done nothing but insult and belittle me for all these years. Please…forgive me…"

"It would appear one of you has some sense at least," Fengxian stated as he directed the Vampire Brides to gently lead Jemima off to the side. Once he saw that she was out of harm's way, he planted his halberd into the ground and brought forth the Gold Slaying Emperor Blade, the legendary weapon that had once belonged to his friend and comrade Warrior Takemikazuchi who had bequeathed it to Fengxian before quitting YGGDRASIL. "As for you, remaining members of the Slane Theocracy…" He brought the blade to bear as he allowed one of his darkened wings to extend from his back and his aura to manifest again, giving him the appearance of, for all intents and purposes, a One-Winged Angel. "All that's missing now is the theme song and this would be perfect…" "Drown in fear and despair as I bring upon you the death you so rightly deserve!"

Rendered helpless by the aura of dread and despair the behemoth radiated, all the remaining members of the Black Scripture could do was stand or sit helplessly as the angel of death mercilessly and brutally ripped their bodies limb from limb with precise and lethal swings of his blade that drew blood with every strike. The only ones who would live to survive this day, aside from Jemima who had surrendered, were Vali, who managed to maintain enough presence of mind and stoutness of heart to flee whilst his comrades were being slaughtered, and Mitzi who was reduced to a blubbering wreck and taken prisoner despite her constant entreaties to the Six.

~TNT~

In the aftermath of the slaughter, a terrified Jemima looked all around her at the broken and desecrated bodies of her one-time companions whilst struggling to hold back her vomit. If she hadn't come forward and professed her surrender, she had no doubt her corpse would've been among them. She then looked back up to the towering figure in black armour who was now looming over her, his monstrous halberd tilted casually towards her. "W-what are you going to do with me?" She asked fearfully.

"That depends on you," Fengxian replied, his voice distorted by the terrifying black helmet covering his face as the two red glows of light emanating from the eye slots appeared to pierce right through her body and into her very soul. "Was your surrender genuine, or merely desperation to save your skin? Answer honestly, or suffer the fate of your friends."

The terrified woman gulped as she looked back one more time at the bodies of her companions. If she was being honest with herself, her answer had been sealed the moment she'd laid eyes on the towering warrior and his vampire companion who was currently piling up the fallen bodies in a gory pile. She had glimpsed but the merest fraction of their power and it had been enough to scare her shitless, and given the fate of those she'd once called her comrades, she doubted she would have been able to do anything at all to hurt them if she hadn't surrendered so easily. "Y-you spared my life, even though you could have ended me so easily," she admitted. "And it would be foolish of anyone to even think of opposing you. I-I wanted to live, and not throw my life, worthless as it is, away as rashly as they did." Any lasting doubts about her decision faded away as she prostrated herself before the armoured figure once again. "My life is yours, my lord. Should you accept my service, I swear to serve you however much I can and to the best of my ability for as long as you would have me."

"Done." She suddenly felt her head being lifted by a strong armoured hand, and as she looked up she found herself staring right into the face of the monstrous-no, her new master as it was now. Without warning, the hand left her chin and wrapped itself around her neck as a pulse of dark magic ran down it. Before she could comprehend what had happened, the hand left her neck, and as she looked down she saw a strange array of symbols had been imprinted on her skin.

"W-what have you done to me, m-my lord?" She asked fearfully. The instant she'd felt the symbols being carved into her skin, whatever remaining fears she'd had about her new allegiance had faded away, and in their place were feelings of loyalty along with a slight compulsion to obey and not disappoint the being before her. "What sort of magic is this, and why does it feel so…right?"

"Just a little something to make sure you can't betray me if you are foolish enough to try," Fengxian intoned as he stood up back up before offering their hand out to her. "Come. We must leave."

"W-where are we going?" Jemima asked as the pale Vampire Brides began to hustle Mitzi towards them.

"Our base of operations, and your new home," Fengxian told her, his hand still outstretched as the vampire summoned an inky-black portal out of seemingly nowhere. "Will you come willingly, or do I have to drag you?"

Jemima gave one last look at the bloodied and battered bodies of her former comrades before turning back and accepting the giant warrior's hand, allowing him to lift her to her feet. "Willingly, my lord," she answered, her voice filled with a renewed sense of purpose and conviction as she followed her new master, the vampire girl and the Vampire Brides alongside the subdued Mitzi as they all passed through the Gate that would take them back to Nazarick.

HOLY HECK was that a long one! That's the price I pay for trying to get the events of Episode 10 all into one chapter but it needed to be done! As brave and dedicated as they were, the likes of Brain and the Black Scripture in the end stood no chance against the might of Fengxian and Shalltear. Fortunately for our favourite blue-haired warrior, he gets to live to fight another day, as do the Captain, 4th and 7th seats of the Black Scripture (even if they were forced to flee, captured or chose to surrender respectively).

As you can guess, we've veered away from the canon quite a bit this time around. From the very onset, we knew we were going to dispense with the whole mind-controlled Shalltear storyline and do things a little differently given the presence of our OCs impacting the overall narrative. Granted she still went overboard and almost screwed things up royally, but fortunately Fengxian was on hand to put her in her place before disaster occurred, and make no mistake she will be punished for defying the will of her superiors and losing control like that.

And yes, that was a m-f'ing Sephiroth reference at the end there. I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF EVEN IF I TRIED so deal with it! And last of all, I will freely admit that having a member of the Black Scripture surrender to Fengxian was inspired, like with other aspects of this story so far, by the Overlord fanfic 'The Antichrist Cometh' by GoodguysRoverated. I wanted them to have a willing source of inside information for the Theocracy and this seemed the best way to do it.

(daniel: DAMN! What a chapter am I right!? One of my absolute favourite parts of Overlord is seeing the arrogant New Worlders having their pride utterly shattered in the face of might their minds can't even comprehend! Fengxian really showed what he was made of! Shalltear will no doubt be punished but she will not be the depressed wreck she was post mind control so that's better!)

The next chapter will hopefully be much shorter as it'll be an interlude dealing with the fallout from our protagonists' recent adventures. As always I'll take the long weekend off before starting to write again on Monday. Until then, on behalf of myself and my co-author daniel, thank you all once again for all the love and support you've all shown this story, it really means the world to us, and we'll see you all again in the next chapter of the Nazarick Triumvirate!