Hey what's up guys, I'm back and the third chapter of "Age of Overlords" is here. Thank you guys once again for your reviews and support of this story. And now it begins Shalltear's second wind against Arkhan the Black along with the counterattack of her comrades against the lich's forces in the Battle of Nazarick.
Peroroncino: a.) Thanks. Calm down and your vampire loli is fine. Plus, Ainz will avenge Shalltear and revive her; b.) Take a chill pill dude. Nope, not planning to make Nazarick weak against Age of Sigmar factions, they just had a nasty wakeup call and taking the humble pill that not only they're not the most powerful over anyone anymore, but became new players that decide the tipping of scales of balance and power between Order, Chaos, Death and Destruction depending who they side with.
In my defense, I am just adopting the story and being faithful with it, so I apologize if this upsets you, and thank you for reminding me to never get lost in the wrong path.
Guest: You assume too much. But then again, I could say the same for Overlord curbstomping too as well. If it was Warhammer Fantasy, then Nazarick would be the top dog over everyone in the Old World but this is Age of Sigmar, every major faction: Order, Chaos, Death and Destruction are all top dogs in their own right and have been fighting over dominion of the Mortal Realms for centuries.
The New World has become the new battleground as the ninth Mortal Realm and Nazarick with their Supreme Being Ainz became the new players.
Guest 2: Obviously finish what GhazzgullThrakan had started when he left this story to collect dust and I adopted it. You easily forget that this is Warhammer Age of Sigmar, not 40K you're way too familiar with. Overlord is not exactly faultless when it comes with crossovers either where Nazarick also easily curbstomps the weak opposition of any world they're in.
I wouldn't be surprised if Nazarick steamrolls the Fairy Tail world in a crossover for all I care. Plus, I'm just being faithful to the original content and will kick off the canon in Ainz' favor after that.
nobody cares: Indeed, in the original Age of Overlords, Shalltear was indeed get rekt. And motivated Ainz to get his Roaring Rampage of Revenge on Arkhan and his forces as a result. But that might get unwanted attention with Nagash, the God of Death.
62: When Ainz intervenes next chapter, it will be pest control.
Disclaimer: I do not own Warhammer Age of Sigmar or Overlord. Both franchises respectively belong to Games Workshop and Kugane Maruyama. Credits goes to GhazzgullThrakan, the original author of Age of Overlords who allowed me to adopt it.
Enjoy and don't forget to review. :D
Chapter 3: Deathrattle.
A huge pillar of smoke rose towards the pitch black sky in the middle of the raging battlefield between undead in Nazarick. The [Bindings of Hekaph], an old spell of Nekhekara used to hold tight prisoners as they met their impending doom, had left that annoying vampire loli anchored in the perfect kill spot. His offensive spell, the [Spear of Shyish], would have done short work of her.
On second thought...
Arkhan's staff glowed again as he prepared his spell. The powerful purple beam erupted violently from the Staff of Spirits, an heirloom granted by his lord, Nagash. The ray went straight ahead towards the pillar of smoke. Arkhan half expected it to pass through. Of course, it was half stupid to think so, thus why he was preparing a defensive spell.
Arkhan heard a faint "[Maximize Magic: Force Barrier]!" from inside the pillar of smoke.
Maximize What?!, Arkhan thought in confusion.
The ray exploded in the midst of the cloud.
Of course she was al-
A red blur and a lance dropped on the ground barely registered Arkhan's vision. Before he could fully understand it, he was pinned right on the ground and smashed through the surface, a silver shield blurring onward and backwards, hitting Arkhan repeatedly. Shalltear rode atop him, her helmet destroyed and gone and his previous attack had left a face that had a rather nasty wound on the head that bled down into her left eye. Many bruises marred her face, which was contorted into a mask of rage and fury that Arkhan can see all too familiar in most Khornate berserkers, eyes bloodshot, as she shrieked in rage.
She said "[Banishment]!" twice but Arkhan only felt tickles, for some odd reason.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Bones and plate started to crack a bit as the sheer brute force mauled Arkhan relentlessly. He was unable to meet and beat such a strong physical approach up close and personal. This was the weakness of all magic practitioners in the Mortal Realms and the reason why Khorne hates them for their lack of physical strength over their reliance of magic.
Arkhan would be feeling intense pain if he wasn't dead all along, he supposed.
He was going to die, wasn't he?
Then Razarak roared as he lurched towards the vampire in defense of his master. With a guttural bellow and a swift turn of her torso, Shalltear bashed Razarak right in his jawline and sent the beast sideways into the thick of the battlefield, throwing off and crushing scores of skeletons and zombies as a result.
In this fraction of a second, Arkhan cast a repel spell and blasted Shalltear into the air. Wasting no time Arkhan cast another spell, this time half a dozen projectiles of green light that went on in their hunt for the vampire, tracking the best paths. Five hit and the sixth ricocheted into the shield. She landed forcefully and rolled thrice, not too far away from where she had dropped her lance earlier.
Damnation.
He, again, went on to cast another [Binding of Hekaph]. As he prepared himself, Shalltear then threw her shield with great force of her inhuman physical strength. That had been an odd movement and left Arkhan confused.
Only after she cast a spell that greatly accelerated its speed did Arkhan notice what she wanted to do.
He jumped to avoid the razor-like spin of the shield but one of his legs didn't quite make it, sawed in half from justt beneath the left knee alongside the purple plate. Arkhan fell face first onto the floor. Quickly, and trying to not waste time, he tried to get on his feet, managing only to adopt a kneeling position.
Shalltear had her lance and lurched forwards only to disappear afterwards. Arkhan had enough experience to figure out invisibility tricks. Instead of panicking, he made himself levitate, rising fast like a rocket into the pitch black sky. He stood silent and still for a second and then turned quickly to avoid the shockwave incoming from the eight o'clock, thirty degrees of inclination downwards.
He went down at full speed, making his staff disappear and grasping his sword with both hands. He turned directions and altered his course twice. The clever minx was trying to flank him.
At the very last moment he saw Shalltear materialize, her lips closed tightly and her brows furrowed while her only working eye tried to mark well the target. The tip of the lance shone brightly.
The servants of Ainz and Nagash clashed violently and ferociously. Shalltear's spear blasted away his right arm, as well as that side of his torso and a chunk of his skull. Lilac and bone disintegrated from the massive blast. Arkhan's Tomb Blade sliced into her throat, going from one side to the other.
Blood came out messily and spurted like a fountain.
The fall was brutal and the crack in their cuirasses was painfully audible. Arkhan felt his remaining leg shatter and a few ribs crack. Right now he felt off balance with a side of him missing but still managed to finish the job. With a clean swipe to both sides, Shalltear's head went off in a decapitation strike. Her body vanished into a thin mist.
Most strange indeed.
But before Arkhan finished his pondering, he was sent into the ground again violently by a potent shockwave which caused the ground to crack and explode as a result. Something rather unexpected.
The Mortarch turned over himself to see what was going on, only to have a boot shoved into his chest quite hard, fully shattering the damaged sternum and heart of the breastplate. He realized that he been outplayed and defeated by the vampire girl in the end.
Shalltear Bloodfallen, with a few bruises and a nasty wound on her head that rained blood over her eye, stood in front of him. She had damages but nothing too serious since she would use her abilities to heal up her injuries and restored back to full glory in the name of Ainz Ooal Gown. She was in her state prior to this second round.
And she was smiling as inhumanly smug as possible thanks to her second wind.
On the right side of the Battle of Nazarick
Ephut Enephta, member of the Morghast Archai, had a dim notion of his existence. He couldn't be called the proud warrior he once was before Death claimed him as an eternal servant of Nagash, since he had no recollection nor enough emotion and personality to lay such a claim,
Still, he could tell when the odds became more dire. Legions of zombies and skeletons rose to their aid but they were quickly destroyed by the newcomers, skeletons clad in very ornate gear and weaponry. They were accompanied by savage dogs and they were lead by their own versions of liches, with vampires acting as a shock force.
How many they were? A thousand? Two thousand? Too many perhaps. Not his prerogative: he could tell the odds but couldn't determine under which ones he'd fight. He couldn't decide when it was too much, when it was enough. That was a freedom he hadn't had for far too long now.
The Morghasts took to the sky and performed dive attacks on the enemy ranks, so as to snipe away at the enemy commanders. So far, there hadn't been any major incidences with only two of the morghasts dying. Meanwhile, the Blood Knights had formed a schiltron and held their position on the right flank tightly while the Flesh Eater Court rampaged.
The skeletons in gaudy apparel charged. If he paid enough attention he could see which ones would explode or not. One would.
He stepped onward with great speed, anticipating the opponent's movements. Swinging his scythe, he hit that one in such a way he'd be caught by the scythe but not be beheaded. With a mighty pull he sent the enemy flying into the heart of the enemy ranks. Exploding and causing a chain reaction in the process. The opponent skeletons swung their blades and spears at Ephut, bouncing effortlessly against the magic plate. A second and third swing chopped down a dozen more of them.
Then disaster started to pile in.
A vampire from the opposing side leapt onward against Ephut. He was occupied killing the last of the score of armored skeletons so the enemy's blade struck without opposition. The weapon carved its way through his defenses and sawed off the bone of the right hand. He still had his left hand and thus swung the scythe about as well as he could.
The opponent stepped backwards just in time to avoid being cut in half but got a light cut from beginning to end of his upper chest. The split second he took reeling from the pain proved to be a fatal one, as Ephut got lucky with a second swing that split the vampire in half amidst a shower of blood. It had also been during that same split second that another vampire had taken the opportunity off to finish off his remaining arm. He had been careless, though, Ephut still had his teeth.
Craning downwards with his head, Ephut's maw clamped onto the unprepared vampire's neck, ending in bloody irony.
Jerking his torso violently, Ephut threw the dead body into a third vampire and caught the poor sod in mid-flight. He rose above the battlefield, where the forces of Nagash were starting to buckle up. Then he went downwards and ran the vampire into the ground very fast until the skin started to peel off and blood generously painted the ground.
Not wanting to stop, Amon took to the sky for a last run. Three skeletal vultures tried to fight him, only to be swept aside by his mighty wings slamming against them.
He saw, or at least he thought he had, his ideal target and went on for a last attack. The prey seemed to have noticed him.
How so? Simple.
A blast intercepted him in mid-flight and Ephut was no more.
On the left side of the Battle of Nazarick
Razarak was sent flying by the strong vampire leader's shield bashing to the face, and crashed against the horde of zombies and skeletons that turned into a fine mess of gore and bones. Turning himself over quickly, he turned his head around to scan the battlefield. A series of explosions brought his attention around and he saw several groups of vampires and undead that didn't boast the livery of Nagash's armies ever seen in the Mortal Realms.
He felt great power in their ranks, particularly a lich wearing a pair of horns on his head, clad in rags, and the other one, currently busy cutting down Arkhan's troops, appears to be a warrior whose appearance is that of an insect walking on two feet - a fusion between a mantis and an ant and has four arms.
That meant they were a potential threat to their master. Which in turn implied they needed to be eliminated. His master was occupied fighting the enemy commander. Which in turn implied he was in no condition to fend off the attackers.
Which meant it befell to Razarak to protect his master even if it costed him his unlife which he would probably be revived anyway.
That, then, implied he needed to attack and act immediately. Deal with the lich spellcaster first and then the insectoid warrior later.
So be it. For the glory of Nagash!
With a mighty roar, he rose to the sky and prepared for a dive attack. The skulls that filled his innards trembled as vengeful spirits started to lurch, ready to attack. He'd protect his master and anyone who attacked him would meet a most dire fate.
Meanwhile during the counterattack of Nazarick
Zibubael, a Level 70 lich, had lead the counterattack against the first wave while Lord Cocytus proceeds cutting down many foes of Nazarick by his four blades gifted by his Creator and one of the 41 Supreme Beings before Master Ainz remained with the Tomb. Over fifteen hundred warders, four hundred undead knights, and three hundred more NPCs of Level 40 and above were the first to attack. More would soon follow, but he hoped his soldiers would be enough to finish the job.
Casting an explosive spell, he obliterated one of the avian warriors with ease, the bigger one that is, from the sky. Then he fired another one at the flesh-eating cannibal ghouls and scattered them into disarray for his subordinates and the Floor Guardian to rout them.
So much fuss for this? He was almost disappointed.
Almost because a giant skeletal beast dove from the sky and killed three of his Level 50 vampires: one was bitten to death, the second was crushed by its sheer weight, the third was cut in half by the beast's massive tail. And it was heading straight for him.
Zibubael began casting a defensive spell and formed a magic barrier around him, brute force most likely wouldn't shatter. It was proven when monstrous skeleton had tried smashing through his defenses to no avail resulting with being pushed back by the shockwave of his blows reflected back on it.
"Not so strong now, huh?", he taunted.
As if the beast had understood Zibubael and his taunting, its spectral skulls shone more brightly until turquoise tendrils emerged. They took the form of sharp daggers and started to float and fan about. All were pointing at him.
Zibubael decided to cast an enhancer for the barrier, while he prepared his offensive sp-
The daggers flew straight ahead, bypassing the barrier, bypassing and ignoring his cloak, bypassing his flesh and bone. Instead they pierced straight ahead and into his very soul.
For the very first time in his unlife, he felt cold. Zibubael went to his knees, taken aback by the sheer surprise and impact. He was barely able to defend himself from the gaping maw that severed and crushed his skull and upper thoracic box.
Then in his last moments, he saw Lord Cocytus appear behind the beast who did not expect the Floor Guardian and had decapitated it, severing the head, limb and torso simultaneously, kicking the now unmoving giant corpse away like it was useless trash.
"YOU. HAVE. FOUGHT. WELL... NOW. REST..., the insectoid Floor Guardian told Zibubael.
Heh, perhaps they wouldn't be so disappointing.
Back on the duel between two loyal servants of Ainz and Nagash
"Surprised, aren't we you cocky bastard?" Asked Shalltear Bloodfallen as she gleamed with immense pride beneath the blood and grit. A part of her wanted to be let loose and burn everything, to slaughter, rape and butcher all in her path. Still she hadn't had that much blood yet as to be out of her mind.
Her status served Arkhan right. And she had won victoriously over him fair and square.
To think he could make the Supreme Being bend the knee to some upstart named Nagash or something like that, the gall!
Shalltear's smile widened as she thought about the rightful punishment, about how he should now be crying for mercy and be broken down!
"So you made a duplicate of yourself that perfectly mirrored your capabilities, gear and status," said Arkhan, in a more matter-of-fact tone and interest rather than a questioning tone or even hint of fear of defeat at all. "Marvelous... it was a marvelous spell, I daresay! Once we reach a more… agreeable climate between our policies I'd be most... interested to be enlightened by such... knowledge."
His voice was quickly getting more ragged, apparently his life force was abandoning him and thus he was about to die like he did as a human.
Shalltear winced slightly, her eye widening a bit in surprise. Did this guy know he had lost and was going to die? Was he so full of himself he didn't understand his impending doom?!
Still, can we not play around with him? He was going to be a cold corpse soon, better entertain his ideas. The battle still raged on, but both sides ignored their leaders and soon enough the full might of her floors would be brought to bear against them.
Reinforcements had already made it, from the sudden sounds of explosions. She even saw Cocytus leading the counterattack with all of his swords ready to cut down all foes of Nazarick.
Victory belongs to the might and glory of Ainz Ooal Gown, never Nagash!
"[Einherjar] is a special skill from my Valkyrie job-class that allows me to duplicate myself in mirroring perfectly my gear, condition and stats. It's a perfect copy and, since I am one of the mightiest fighters of Nazarick, if not THE mightiest, it is nearly impossible to defeat me!"
"Huh... huh," said Arkhan as he scratched his broken prosthetic goatee with his only hand. "To be honest... it sounded like Cathayian*... Gibberish to me. Valkyrie remind me of that Gorequeen, Valkia the Bloody. But well... now that you've satisfied my knowledge about that... 'trump card' of yours I'll tell you mine... You see, when I died… the first time that...is as a human, I made a curse that anyone who would touch my bones would...die horribly… This was of course a ruse... so they'd leave me in peace and wouldn't scatter... my parts across the dunes of my homeland."
Giving Shalltear a chilling smirk, he finished. "But, you see…"
With a snap of his bone, his arm parted ways from the rest of the broken skeletal body, lurching ahead into a grapple on her throat. She felt her force abandon her, he tried to free herself but the iron hard grip was too much for her weakening strength. She clawed to no avail and stared helplessly at the lich who stood silent in front of her.
"There's a bit of truth into it... only the other way around... if you excuse my rudeness and treachery...This has been a great fight… I'm sorry we've...met under these circumstances and… me being so heavy handed…. Plus using the [Curse... of Years] upon you..." As her sight started to fade away, she saw him casually shrug and utter a few last words. "Duty can't excuse this bluntness… Don't worry, I'll… make sure Nagash is merciful."
Shalltear tried to scream a last time but couldn't as her skin, now like a crone, turned into fine dust.
First the hands, then the face and the whole body and armor rusting away into dust.
Her resurrection item wasn't even working at all and she felt fear for the first time.
Last thing the vampiric gothic loli sees is Cocytus literally losing his cool upon seeing her demise, which is the first and probably only time, and went charging through the ranks of that bastard lich's undead forces towards Arkhan who has yet to realize that he had screwed up big time when he was too busy trying to recover from his near defeat by her hand.
"SUCH. TRICKERY. CANNOT. BE. STAND. FOR!"
Forgive me Lord Ainz... I failed Nazarick..., Shalltear can only shed a tear as this incredibly dick move of Arkhan finally consumed her.
Then... darkness.
Outside the perimeter of the campsite with Swords of Darkness, Re-Estize Kingdom
Ainz Ooal Gown stared dumbfounded at an astonished Nabe who reported to him about the Tomb of Nazarick being under attack by invaders of an unknown faction and had apparently killed Shalltear Bloodfallen in battle at the hands of the enemy leader. No sign of being brought back by her resurrection item as there was nothing but dust left.
With the addition of Cocytus immediately engaging the one responsible behind it too as well.
Albedo had sent this message to Narberal Gamma and told her to pass it to her beloved Supreme Being as she was suited up in black full-plated armor and war-axe and coordinated with her fellow Floor Guardians to secure the Tomb and reinforce Coyctus.
Nazarick invaded?...
Shalltear killed?...
On one hand his non-existent blood was boiling with rage. How dare they attack Peroroncino's creation and kill her?! How dare they soil the home he and his friends had built with great effort?!
THEY WILL PAY FOR THIS!
On the other hand, the Supreme Being was scared. Someone had dared to attack them… and could possibly triumph. He couldn't leave this matter alone without his direct intervention. He couldn't allow for more of his friends' creations to be under such harm. They needed to be swiftly crushed and annihilated expediently. He turned his armored head to Narberal.
"Narberal, I need to go back to Nazarick and stop these invaders as soon as possible, but you need to stay with them. There's still plenty we need to know about this place in the New World and those Adventurers may prove to be a useful tool," Ainz saw her shift uncomfortably.
To be alone with lesser beings would be a painful experience for her and she made no secret about her dislike of humans she sees as insects.
Still, the Swords of Darkness had hit a bit of a soft spot on the Guild Master of Nazarick for they used to remind him of his friends back in the good old days of YGGDRASIL, that and also because he didn't want to waste time into building his cover again with another party of Adventurers. "Keep them safe and learn as much as you can. No harm must come to them, am I clear? That is my direct order from your Supreme Being, understood?"
Almost grudgingly, she nodded as if she had a bitter taste on her mouth but accepted nonetheless.
Good. Nabe really needs some work to tolerate humans for his sake if they're going to keep his cover safe.
"They are going to ask, my lord," stated the gorgeous doppelganger blandly. "If I may suggest, I have an idea, though it may not be to your taste.
Ainz nodded, "I'm listening..."
Five minutes later...
The Swords of Darkness prepared dinner at their camp when a sudden explosive blast came from the forest. Half a dozen trees flew away as a hail of wood chips and debris with various critters of the forest running away.
Drawing their weapons, and Ninya preparing his staff, the party went on to see what happened.
A sudden clearing had come into existence, as all the trees around had been obliterated into a fiery blaze. On one of the edges of the catastrophe was a broken tree trunk, where Nabe lay wounded and unconscious.
Ninya immediately tended to the raven-haired woman's injuries while Peter and Dyne searched for any sign of the Dark Hero who appeared to have gone missing.
"Nabe! Are you okay!?" Asked a dead-worried Lukeluther. "What happened? Where's Momon?"
Within Nabe's mind, she thought while still pretending to be unconscious. It worked. The insects have taken the bait after I blasted myself to make it look like there has been an ambush. Hook, line and sinker, Lord Ainz told me. Now he can return to Nazarick and initiate pest control on whoever bugs that dare invade Nazarick. Come back safely Lord Ainz...
Author's Note: Guess, the third chapter of "Age of Overlords" is done and currently working on the next chapter. Technically, Shalltear won her fight but Arkhan had to be a huge dick and use his curse to cheat over her. Now, Ainz will have a perfectly good reason to lose his shit and show the lich why you don't mess with him. If Peroroncino was there with Ainz, no doubt he'd tear the smug-ass lich piece by piece for murdering his creation.
On the other hand, Cocytus is completely enraged of the dishonor Arkhan had done as this goes against the warrior's code of honor came from his Creator, Warrior Takemikazuchi, and is taking over the fight to avenge his fellow Floor Guardian.
Khorne would approve of Cocytus' action while sneering at Tzeentch snickering at such dirty move of Arkhan if they saw this.
*Arkhan's trump card is the [Curse of Years], a dangerous curse that makes time pass and makes people age unnaturally so there's no immortality shenanigans to bypass it for the enemy until only dust remains. Not even the resurrection item can bring you back because the victims' items, clothes and armor are also turned to dust.
*Cathay was Warhammer Fantasy's equivalent of China, a very original country ruled by a Dragon Emperor and defended from hordes of nomadic horse-riding barbarians by a great defensive system called the Great Bastion. Ring any bells? Don't worry, there's Nippon, guess which country it is based upon and how original it is? Japan.
Enjoy and don't forget to review. :D