During the day, Nellian finds the cemetery rather mundane without the complete darkness and constant mist like in the shows and movies. To alleviate her boredom, she brushes her dire wolf's mount fur while the storm elemental serpent on her neck stretches its elongated body.

"..."

Nearby, Margaret practices swinging and thrusting her lance with a clear dismayed expression.

"Hmm?" Nellian lifts her head
"What's wrong, Nell?"
"Someone's coming. It's a demon monk judging from their ki"

A wide range divination is cast around the cemetery where she can detect the race and aura of those who step in it.

"Aaah! It's Nehemoth. It looks like mom sent her butler as a messenger"

Through the Mirror of Remote Viewing floating in front of her, Nellian shakes her head in complete disbelief when the ever-familiar figure strolls to the cemetery. He's rigid yet careful while he walks past the headstones and dead trees.

"Maybe he's here to pick us up. Isn't it great?! We can all sit down and talk like normal people!"

Nellian has her doubts, but she strongly voices her desire for a civilized conversation in the most energetic and optimistic tone she has.

"Don't be foolish, Nell! No one in their right mind would send a lone butler to us. Since our mother made her move, prepare for the worst"
"You're paranoid! She would have sealed our surroundings if she wanted to attack us. Nehemoth didn't bring assassins either since my spell detects invisibility" Nellian angrily points at her sister
"They could be using anti-divination spells. Assassins who can use Perfect Unknowable or a powerful illusion are already cast!"
"Stop being so paranoid! We finally found mom and your first thought is bashing her skull! It's been five hundred years already"

Usually, Nellian will follow her sister's decision, but her temper snaps at that moment. Even the serpent on her shoulder stretches its head away from her voice seemingly like a thunder's roar.

"..."

Margaret slides her right foot back and jolts when her younger sister shouts at her. She couldn't respond from the mere shock when her younger sister is usually following her lead.

"Your mother will be unhappy to find you two arguing"
"...!" The half-demon sisters jump back
"Good day, Lady Margaret and Lady Nellian. Her majesty, your mother has sent me to escort you back to Eljudnir"

Nellian's vocal outburst leaves her distracted enough for Nehemoth to approach them. The demon places one hand on his stomach and bows facing the ground.

"Pick us up, huh. Tell our mother to come here herself and face us!" Margaret points her spear at him
"Lady Margaret, this is...unnecessary. Your mother doesn't like resorting to violence when reason is still available. More importantly, she doesn't wish to harm her daughters"
"...Tell me something, Nehemoth. Is it true the Demon Lord tortured prisoners and killed civilians?"

Margaret lowers her lance slightly, but she shakes her head and raises it pointing right at the demon butler's head. Her heart sways for a second, her own true feelings wishing to reunite with Shirogane rather than challenge her.

"...It's true. It only began shortly after you two vanished. I won't deny she hasn't stopped even in the present"
"What?!" Margaret stomps her foot
"Although some of it was part of interrogation, others were tormented to invoke despair. Her majesty is a demon, a race known for being sadistic and hedonistic upon birth. You two have no such instincts due to being half-breeds"
"She's supposed to be a hero? Mom always talked about how she's inspired to help those in need even if they hate her as a demon! So why?! Why did she ditch her ideals like it's nothing!"

Margaret swings her lance, destroying tombstones with wind pressure from a careless swing. She couldn't hold back her frustration when she still imagines Shirogane donning her white armor and wielding her spear. Tears roll down on her cheeks when she feels a crushing and twisting in her heart...as someone who once admired how Shirogane once protected demi-human civilians from being massacred.

"Why didn't you or anyone else do anything about it?" Margaret grunts
"I don't torment anyone for pleasure, but my loyalty is towards your mother. I and everyone else in Eljudnir will do whatever it takes to accomplish her goal even if it means casualties"
"Then it's the reason we won't return. She lost sight of who she used to be and succumbed to being a demon. The mother we know is someone who saved those in need like us!"

Margaret swings her lance. The gust sweeps dust, leaves, and twigs flying away while the pressure is enough to slightly tilt Nehemoth back. Her eyes have become cat-like and her fangs sharpen, displaying her demonic traits.

"If she had lost sight of her humanity, then the one sitting on the throne isn't the woman who treated us like her children. It's just a husk of someone once precious to us!" Margaret plants her lance on the ground
"Lady Margaret..."
"Nehemoth, we can't just go home and pretend nothing's wrong. Mom had already given up on herself a long time ago. We can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved" Nellian reluctantly sides with her sister
"..."

Nehemoth studies their expression first. Margaret growls at her with an intense glare while Nellian averts her gaze, lamenting and mourning at the turn of events.

"If that is what you wish, then I will respect it. There's nothing else I can do to change your mind" Nehemoth furrows his eyebrows but respectfully bows
"Return to the castle. We have nothing else to talk about"

Margaret ends any hope for further negotiation by cutting their discussion short. She turns around and pulls out her spear from the dead soil while Nellian lowers her head, unable to prove any words to remove the tension.

Great Tomb of Nazarick...

Shirogane and Ainz witnessed everything through the Mirror of Remote Viewing. Ainz mildly sighs, somewhat dismayed at how Margaret refused to reason further after s single confirmation.

"..." Shirogane stands up
"Shirogane?"
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

The intense anger, as intense as losing her daughter five hundred years ago, have reached its peak. Shirogane's base form is her female humanoid form while she has other forms due to demon's natural ability and the Shapeshifter job class. Shirogane breaks her concentration, assuming a bipedal lion with braided mane, four dragon-like horns, talons, and exposed jagged teeth.

"Damn it!"

Shirogane roars, but it's not the same as a majestic beast and more like distorted voices struggling against each other and drowning.

"Take a deep breath, Shirogane. I know you're angry at yourself and not at your daughters" Ainz taps her furry arm
"It's always my fault...isn't it? Every time I hold something...they only slip by my hands..."

In her current form, Shirogane is more savage and short-tempered but still capable of speech and retains a portion of her sentience. Each exhale releases steam as her entire body itself is eighty degrees Celsius at its lowest.

"I gave up on my humanity because my sorrow was driving me mad. I thought I would feel better, but it only made things worse"

Shirogane retains her demon beast form, but she manages to keep her temper partially in control.

"Feeling sorry for yourself and blaming what already happened won't change anything. You have to focus on the present"

When Ainz pats her on the back, his skeletal hand cannot reach her shoulders, so he settles with how far he can reach.

"...You're right. None of us can undo the past" Shirogane groans
"They're your daughters, so you must talk things out with them like a family should. They have to understand a mother's grief and how much they meant to you"

"Be honest with your feelings. You never told them your true feelings and endured everything. Being stubborn with your emotions out of pride or fear is the worst catalyst for misunderstanding"
"Ainz-san..."
"They love you too, so it pained them how you have given up on yourself. Let them know their mother is still there"
"Margaret wouldn't back down from a fight"
"Demons worked differently from humans, so I suppose your family's idea of talk is through letting out their frustrations. Even in humans, a disagreement is sometimes unavoidable"
"I don't like hurting them but I have to defeat them if I want to tell them how I feel"

Although Shirogane has regained her composure, she knows a physical confrontation is unavoidable. Demons only answer through strength and tear apart those weaker than them.

(Shirogane loses her temper when it comes to her family. Hel must have known this, so she plans to interfere before Shirogane can unintentionally hurt them...)

The transformation into a furious lion is evidence enough that Shirogane will lose her rational mind when her intense emotions reach a certain threshold. Margaret also showed her headstrong and straightforward personality - troublesome traits of children in their rebellious stage. Demons are infamous for not taking disrespect and disobedience from their offspring slightly, so it becomes one of Ainz's concerns.

(I can restrain her to prevent any escalations, but I believe Hel can stop her even as a savage beast)

Demons are also difficult to control, but Ainz shakes a bit of his doubt and puts his faith in Hel's confidence. He can only think to himself since if Shirogane learns Hel intends to interfere, it will cause a worse problem between the demon and the goddess.

(What they need is family counseling. Is there anyone in this world who can handle demon family arguments?)

Ainz's thoughts swerve to thinking about involving experts rather than letting the mother and her children fight each other until they make their point. Shirogane is a ruler, so even Ainz is aware this won't end well with Margaret's personality.

The next day...

The spell preventing anyone from teleporting has been dropped, allowing Shirogane to use Gate. She steps at the soil, crushing pebbles and twigs. Unlike her usual attire, she equips her full black armor with a silver cape on the side. Her daughters are half-demons with less experience in PVP than her, but they're both level one hundred with full equipment.

[Is this really necessary? You can just sit down and talk like normal people]
"You've been awfully quiet recently, Hel"
[I'm a neutral goddess, but I have rules for it]
"..."

Shirogane takes note of Hel's response, somewhat suspicious due to her currently displeased mood.

[They're your daughters even if you're not related by blood]
"Their idea of talking things out is through fighting. Margaret is being stubborn and that's a fact I've known before. She doesn't agree with my methods"
[You literally dissected someone and healed them even after they told everything they know. Margaret never abandoned her humanity, but you did]
"It was because I held my humanity that I lost them. I should have slaughtered those people"
[Oh, you're stubborn. If I hadn't known you since Yggdrasil, I would have thought you're their biological mother...]
"..."

Shirogane ignores the goddess berating her in her mind and steps forward. She walks past the countless tombs lining up, already covered in moss and grime. The scent of death lingers even in daylight, but the demon ignores as she makes her way to the half-demons waiting for her.

"..."

It's easier to teleport in their vicinity, but she chooses to distance herself out of her reluctance in fighting them and mentally preparing herself to a not-so peaceful family reunion.

"It's really, mom. W-we're really going to fight her..."

Nellian can barely stand straight with her legs visibly trembling. Even if she doesn't use divination magic, she can sense Shirogane calmly walking while in her black armor the cape swaying with each movement.

"You don't have to fight, Nell. I can face her alone" Margaret steps forward
"Even if you can't win?"
"...We won't know unless we try"

Even Margaret can neither confirm nor deny their chances of emerging victorious and with their limbs fully intact. Margaret couldn't admit to herself of her hesitation to attack the woman who protected them and loved them as her own.

"..."

The two sisters face forward, especially Margaret tightly clutching her lance transformed into its spear form. Margaret can instantly recognize the black armor partnered with silver cape and gambeson above the knee. It's a different variant when she normally wears a frilled knee-length dress beneath her armor with armor plates except in front of her waist.

"I've waited five hundred years for this, but this isn't how I expected our reunion would be" Shirogane stops about ten meters from them
"Even the way you look changed. You had a kinder face before. Now, you're just a heartless demon"
"Margaret, I haven't given up on myself entirely. That's why I'm here to make this right" Shirogane takes a step forward
"Liar! You tortured humans just for fun and killed countless innocent people. Do you think we can turn a blind eye and be a normal family?!"

Sorrow is mixed in her rage when as she berates Shirogane, tears splatter on the ground. They are still mentally and emotionally young compared to their adolescent appearance. Her shouting trembles when a child like her wants to drop on the ground and sob.

"That's not how a hero should be! You killed those people with a smile on your face and I had to tell myself and Nell that it was for our sake"
"It was for your sake! If I didn't kill them, they would have killed you two. Do you think I'd stand around and wait for that?!" Shirogane raises her voice

Shirogane doesn't raise her voice on them unless they act carelessly and endanger themselves, but in her eyes, Margaret is acting rebellious and naive.

"Is that what you tell yourself every time you make sure they don't get a quick death?!" Margaret retaliates
"That's..." Shirogane couldn't deny it
"You're always hiding a lot from us. I'm just a child in your eyes, but I'm not stupid. Mother...mom, I know you're keeping secrets from us..." Margaret bites her lower lip and sobs
"You treated us like we're...burdens. We want to prove ourselves that we can help, but you don't give us the chance" Nellian steps forward
"You never knew how I lost my family as a human because I never told you. That's why you don't know how I want to tear myself apart when my father was killed by the rich, my mother suffered because we couldn't afford her medicine anymore, and how I couldn't do anything when my sister died somewhere"

Shirogane has forgotten parts of her human life, but she can never let go of her guilt. As an eight year old, she only embraced her grieving mother. At the age of twenty, she held her dying mother's hand. Then one day after returning home from work, she only found her younger sister's note bidding her and their dead parents farewell.

"When you two came into my life, I believe I still have a second chance in life. That's why I did everything to protect you even if you don't agree with my methods"

When Shirogane attempts to close her distance with a single step forward, she stops when Margaret raises her lance against her as a warning.

"You're going to keep us sheltered even if it makes us miserable? Is that how mothers should treat their children. Then you're no different from our biological mother who loved her money more than us!"
"I'm not like that!" Shirogane growls

As a ruler, she has to maintain composure even in the most frustrating situations, but her daughter being straightforward and harsh is testing the limits of her patience.

"You're right! You're worse!"

Margaret's words further anger Shirogane when she bares all of her teeth sharpened much like a beast and her body temperature increases to two hundred Celsius. It's only due to her armor that the heat is prevented from further rising and limited to only those who touch her skin.

"You're a damn hypocrite! What kind of hero hurts people for fun?! Do you think you'd make Touch Me proud?"
"Don't involve him...!" Shirogane grits her teeth
"The reason you became a hero is because he inspired you to be a better person than everyone thinks you are. I was moved by that, so I wanted to be someone you can be proud of, but you turned back on your promise"
"You don't know why I became the way I am. I lost you because I clung to my humanity. The humans I once saved ended up betraying me and caused the Valkyries to find us. That's why I told myself, I will choose who to save. If they betray me, I'll kill them this time"

A small circular void appears beside her pushing out a black hilt tightly knotted by red fabric. Shirogane pulls out a dull silver sword with an intricate half of a cross as a crossguard. Her black horn mildly inspired from a markhor goat reassembles into black strands twisting and tightening with an ember glow inside, leaving small straight gaps which now resemble a pair of thin dragon horns. It's what her horns normally appear without the cosmetics.

"Humans lie, cheat, and betray. They always think about saving themselves and discarding their honor. There may be good people in the world, but scums outnumber them"
"That doesn't mean you should treat humans like trash. The humans you killed might have been someone you would respect"
"Humans who beg for mercy after wronging others don't deserve respect"
"You couldn't stand the ugliness of humans, but you protected us even if we're only filthy half-breeds" Margaret prepares a thrusting stance
"We know there are humans who are better off dead, but there are those whose character is worthy of respect. Haven't you met someone like that, mom?" Nell emits electricity in her hands
"..."

Shirogane briefly lowers her sword when an image of Gazef's worried expression comes to mind before anyone.

"I won't let anyone hurt you or take you from me ever again even if you hate me for it" Shirogane's scarlet eyes glows
"I think mom did lose it after we vanished. She went over the edge, big sister" Nellian shakes her head in disbelief
"If you think living like a caged bird is the best for us, then you really went mad! The mother we loved never treated us like helpless birds! We...we just want our mother back. The one who showed us love"
"I won't go back to being the foolish and soft version of me...because the one in the game and in this reality isn't the same"
"Mom..."

Margaret sees Shirogane's bright glare to be filled with not only rage but guilt, regret, and sorrow being the main catalysts for her drastic change after so long.

"...!"

Just as Shirogane is about to swing her sword and release a mid-ranged attack, she loses the strength in her limbs. Her legs tremble shortly before her knees fall to the ground.

"What the-"

Shirogane's hands tremble next and followed by mild numbness that she loses grip of her sword, letting it fall beside her. She tries to lift it, but it only slips by her hands as she loses her grip strength.

"Negative energy is harming me? Hel-!"

Only after two seconds that no one, not even Nellian, is inflicting her with negative energy. The source is internal, Hel herself. The goddess calmly sits by her icy throne with her legs crossed her head resting on one arm.

"What the fuck are you doing?! Why are you-" Shirogane coughs out blood
[I knew you've become hardheaded because you did lose it. Shui, you need serious help because even a coldhearted and selfish goddess like me thinks you went crazy centuries ago]
"...!"

Margaret throws her spear instead, but Shirogane manages to use her skill which completely blocks ranged physical attacks, but it's only effective once per PVP battle and only blocks the first attack. Shirogane manages to slam the spear to the side even with little strength she has.

"Time for a wakeup call, mother!"

Margaret chooses to charge without retrieving her weapon, but she's already equipped with a pair of gauntlets resembling futuristic robot arms. She pulls her right arm back before tightly clenching her fist. When Shirogane manages to stand up in the same moment, Margaret delivers a powerful right hook then followed by a left hook.

"This isn't...how heroes...are supposed to be!"

The small shockwaves delivered with each punch is pushing Shirogane one step back and leaving her unable to counterattack with her strength and durability points have been significantly reduced. If her defenses haven't been reduced, her punches wouldn't even cause knock back and barely scratch her.

"Just because we were kids, that doesn't mean our opinions don't matter!"

Margaret sends a straight jab that pushes Shirogane back by two steps and nearly stumbles down on her back.

"...!" Shirogane's mouth is spilling blood

Margaret tightly grabs both sides of Shirogane's head and quickly pulls her towards her for a violent headbutt. This knocks them both away, but Shirogane is the only one reeling from dizziness and blunt damage. Her visions sways, she finds it difficult to maintain her balance while moving back.

"Why are debuffing me, Hel?!" Shirogane screams at the goddess
[You would hurt your daughters to discipline them when they only want their old mother back. Even I can't turn a blind eye to that]
"It was because I was my old self that I lost them like how I lost my old family!"
[I have no energy to lecture you. Let Margaret's fist do the talking - Oh, and that Lightning Lance]
"The what-"

A bright blue lightning condensed and shaped to be an actual lance pierces through the air and directly hits Shirogane. Although it deals extra damage to metallic armor, even with the reduced durability, she manages to endure the shock and keep herself standing on two feet.

"...!"

After the brief stun, Shirogane realizes Margaret is in front of her with her two fists intertwined and her arms raised above her head.

"Just wake up already!"

Margaret swings down both arms and the amplification of the blunt damage when the mechanical gauntlets glow a bright red color is enough to send Shirogane crashing tot hr ground with her face meeting the soil. The damage leaves a five-meter crack around them and Shirogane's body is lightly buried.

"Life Essence" Nellian concentrates her vision
"Is that enough, Nell?"
"Not quite! She still has a lot of health left! About seventy percent"

Although her strength and defense have been reduced, Hel deliberately used Negative Energy to drain some of her health at first but proceeded to stack debuff after debuff which doesn't reduce her health much. Shirogane is as sturdy as she swings her sword hard, so the debuffs are mostly to reduce her physical resistance and turn off some of her defensive passives.

"You're...just going to keep hitting me...aren't you?"

Shirogane tries to stand up again, but her current strength makes her kneel and cough out blood. Her face is nearly covered in blood and some of her own blood has dyed her snow-white hair red.

"Yeah! Until you listen to us!" Margaret lifts both of her fists
"..."

Even if she still has much of her health remaining, both her head and vision sway from the stun. Since Hel has blocked access to spells and her warrior skills are unusable due to her reduced strength, Shirogane weakly lifts her head, staring at Margaret.

"You two...are really!"

Shirogane ignores her aching body and the weight of her armor burdens her when she forces her shaking knees to lift her body. She thinks of unequipping them but half of what defense she has left is from armor. Removing them will render her an easy target from an easy knockout punch.

"We don't even want to fight you! We just want our kind...caring...and gentle mother back!"

Margaret removes the gauntlets and equips her default ones. Rather than pull back her lance with a mental command, she equips a small thick shield with French-inspired patterns around it.

"Ggh!"

Margaret swings her arm with the shield secured on her forearm and uses it a blunt weapon instead. Seeing Shirogane is swaying with little balance left, she delivers a round house kick right to her abdomen. She briefly winches in pain due to the toughness of the armor itself, but it knocks away Shirogane by three meters.

"We don't want what you became! This isn't you!"

Before Shirogane can lift her head and arms, Margaret clenches her right fist with shield still on her forearm and proceeded to smash it repeatedly to Shirogane's face.

"Haa...haa..."

Margaret swings down her arm with slow intervals but each impact is cracking the ground around Shirogane. She estimates her force with each slow bashing to ensure she doesn't accidentally crack her skull. However, the damage is severe that blood splatters around Shirogane's head due to the shockwave of each strike.

"Do you think we want to do this? The one in front of us possessed by not an evil being, but by paranoia, hypocrisy, and guilt"
"Nngh..." Shirogane is barely conscious
"We can't stand seeing you destroy yourself like this!"

Each strike is a critical hit since Hel has removed her resistance to critical damage and made blunt damage deal twice damage. It effectively dropped her health points to sixty percent after a shield bashed her face about twenty times.

"Guah!" Shirogane coughs out blood again

Her face is drenched in blood that not only her vision is doubling but the color around her is painted in her pure red. In a fight without interference, Margaret and Nellian could only drop her health to seventy percent at best.

I want...I want to be like that too!
If I polish my skills, then you wouldn't have to protect me!
Someday I'll be a hero to our kind too!
You're our mother, but a big sister must protect her little sister!
I want to meet Touch Me one day because he certainly sounds strong!
When I grow up, I want to become queen, so I'll share your burden!
We don't want to lose you...so please don't push us away...

Five hundred years ago, Margaret had a softer tone too. She used to be idealistic but competent enough to understand most situations. Still, Shirogane can still remember the warmth in her chest when Margaret constantly works hard to improve herself to be seen as an equal.

"Ugh...you're...still trying to...save me..."

Shirogane hears her bones crack when tries to push her back off the ground while both of her elbows are on the ground. The pain is trivial when she primarily focuses at purely wondering why Margaret is bursting into tears while her blood is splattered on her chest armor and the tip of her shield is dipped in red.

"Nell..." Shirogane falls on her knees again when she tries to stand up

Even with her swaying vision, Shirogane slightly turns her gaze behind Margaret, spotting Nellian slowly approaching her. The once nervous and cheerful half-demon walks towards her with her hands on her chest.

"I miss the times where you would set aside work, so you can read me a story, hug me when I'm scared...or when you pat me in the head to tell me everything is going to be alright"

Nellian bends on one knee and gently holds Shirogane's right hand as she slightly lifts it by a few degrees. They're a bit smaller than hers since Shirogane's demon body is still an adult while Nellian is a few inches shorter than her older sister.

"I know children must surpass their parents...and set on their own path, but I was actually scared of seeing you leave. I wasn't scared of letting you go - I was scared that the world would hurt you and I won't see you ever again"

Shirogane sheds a single tear, and Nellian softly wipes it off for her just as Shirogane did the same in the past. Her optimistic and gentle nature is much like Shirogane as a teenager when she smiles and always holds her mother's hands as a sign of her support.

Can you read me this story...if you're not busy
Look! Look! This spell actually does this!
Please rest for a while. You look tired already
I...I don't like seeing you get hurt...even if you won
I don't want to be a burden to you
Please don't get yourself killed for our sake
Wake up! Wake up! You got to wake up!

The one who's always crying and smiling for her is Nellian who Shirogane can't help but treat like a child due to her mental state. She's been gone for a long time and the two only have each other to depend on. They're not the same helpless and naive child she had known.

"Have you realized it, brat?"

In the next moment, Shirogane realizes she's standing in black steel room occupied by ice and rime and all sides. Hel blows once to move aside the loose bangs annoying gjr center of her face.

"You planned to weaken me from the start. If you haven't done that, I would have hurt them and..."
"Regret it. You would be in a sorry state again" Hel clicks her tongue
"Since you've been with me since the beginning, I want to know why you never revealed yourself when I lost my mind"
"You're my host and I'm a goddess living rent-free in your body. Do I look like your babysitter? More importantly, you're an adult who should be responsible for their actions"
"I see..." Shirogane briefly raises her eyebrows

Hel's response may be harsh on the surface, but Shirogane chooses to believe she has her reasons with being a neutral goddess being one of them. She has yet to understand the whims of a goddess who ironically knows her better than Shirogane knows herself.

"Shui, being overprotective doesn't equal to love. You made a cage around your children. It's true you went astray, but everyone strays away from who they were. You just need the courage to repent, but you're too afraid right now"
"You actually say something wise once in a while" Shirogane mildly smirks
"You're not off the hook yet. After all the trouble you've caused, you hurt your children that I had to interfere and let you become a squishy punching bag"

"As a parent, show them you can change or at least you're willing to tone down your ways. I won't ask you to change who you are entirely, but set a better example to your own kids"

Hel scoffs and sweeps her bangs behind her ear. The goddess is irritated that she has to put effort in lecturing her hardheaded demon host.

"I know you won't go down from being evil, but even a demon has standards. If your hero was here, he'd be more harsh ins punishing you for letting yourself go to far. If it was me, I'd punish you for centuries"
"Of course you do..." Shirogane shakes her head
"Good grief. This would have been easier if I could just project myself and slap the bloody shift out of you centuries ago" Hel massages her forehead
"Just ot be clear, I'm willing to have some restraint and self-control, but the likes of helping with world domination won't change. I'm still entertained at the idea" Shirogane clears her throat
"Do as you wish, but if you indulge your urges again, I'd be less kinder than your daughters. Don't waste the chance I will give you"

Sometimes harsh and sometimes benevolent, Hel's whims and decisions tend to contrast each other much like her beautiful half and her corrupted other half. She barely smiles and even her current relaxed mood contrasts her rough and irritated tone.

"I'm only here to ensure you don't get yourself killed. That's why every time you commit suicide, I resurrect you"
"So you're the one who..." Shirogane stops and shakes her head
"Are you angry about it?"
"I don't know but I'm a bit too tired to be angry right now. As a ruler, my temper never got the better of me. It's only when it comes to my kids that I lose it and act impulsively"

Shirogane reflects on the current events. Even as a projection within her own mind, Shirogane isn't free from the physical and emotional fatigue of having her own child relentlessly hit her to knock some sense back into her.

"Even so, I'm glad they're not as helpless as before. They toughened up, but Margaret is still in her rebellious stage. I'm kind of proud they beat the shit out of me"
"Your family is strange. Not only do you reconcile with violence but you're also glad to be pummeled to the ground. Is this sadomasochism? Do you still have a few screws loose?" Hel massages her temples
"I'm a proud parent, that's all" Shirogane chuckles

"It's fairly normal. Touch-san repeatedly beat the hell out of me during mock battles to help me improve. It's what they call tough love"
"There's something wrong with you..."

The goddess squeezes and rubs the area between her eyes and leans back on her throne, giving up on finding sense in a demon who wears a bright smile after being pummeled to a bloody pulp.

"You weren't born from me...but you two are my greatest pride and joy. I even wished to have children like you two one day" Shirogane regains her focus
"I'm sorry we couldn't be useful or stronger back then" Nellian softly apologizes
"If we only listened, you wouldn't have been stabbed and bleeding on the ground. You got possessed as a result..." Margaret kneels as well
"No matter how angry you are at me, you never gave up on me" Shirogane laughs at herself
"Even if you became corrupted from guilt, you still thought of protecting us" Margaret faintly smiles
"It's a bit - no, too extreme...but you still love us"
"That's right. I was resisting my instincts...because I only focused on protecting my children. After that...I simply stopped caring and let go of myself..."
"We can help you, if you let us"

Margaret holds the left hand. It's uncertain if it's her emotions or her dizziness causing her to hallucinate, but Shirogane catches a brief glimpse of two children holding each of her hands. Shirogane gently squeezes their hands when she's reminded of her own mothers gently holding her hands as a child.

"I went nuts when I let myself go. Can I still go back to who I used to be?" Shirogane mutters to them
"It's not instant and may take a long time, but we'll gradually help you recover what you lost"
"Humans numb their sadness in alcohol and I let my instincts do the same. It didn't numb anything because it made me the worst version of yourself"
"The fact that you can still recognize what you've become means there's still hope for you" Margaret lightly nods
"You still have some sanity left, so it's not too late!" Nellian tightly squeezes her hand
"If I had completely lost it, I might have not hesitated to kill you for being disobedient. You two really saved me even back in Yggdrasil. You two...always kept me...together"

Shirogane slowly slips her hands away from their hold and lifts her arms to gently wrap them around the two girls. Most of her strength is drained, but she still has enough strength to pull them to her.

"..."

In response, they both touch her back with their own free hand, embracing her in return. Even the storm elemental around Nellian's neck joins in the family reunion by stretching itself a bit and placing its head on Nellian's arm when it tries to mimic a hug.

"I'm glad this was resolved peacefully even if there was violence at first"

Ainz removes Perfect Unknowable upon approaching the beaten demon and her tearful half-demon children.

"A lich?!"

Undead are quite common in New World and Eljudnir have many undead residents, so Nellian only drops her jaws in awe. As a magic caster, her eyes sparkle at the Overlord aura he emits, fascinated and intrigued at the same time.

"Ainz-san..." Shirogane has a hard time speaking loudly
"I was worried you'd hurt them, so I planned to restrain you if it comes to that"
"Hmm...that seems about right"

Shirogane weakly laughs since Hel had the same plan in the beginning, but she's drastically weakened to allow Margaret to pummel like a rag doll.

"I hate to see family turn against each other just as I don't wish my subordinates to be against each other"
"If Touch-san was here, he would have scolded me and lecture me for hours...after beating some sense in me. I mean I got a half hour sermon from him when I was a reckless novice"

Shirogane grins, briefly recalling how she chooses to stay and let Touch Me be furious about her while giving her advice and tips at the same time. It happened shortly after she first witnessed Touch Me being World Break to finish off a boss monster.

"..."

Both Ainz and Shirogane lift their heads and silently gaze at the sky. The pair of red dots serve as Ainz's eyes brighten while Shirogane growls under her breath. The sky remains intact, but a slight crack echoes in their ears.

"Do you think they bought that?" Shirogane sighs
"I added a layer of anti-divination spell just in case. Someone was watching you" Ainz stares at the sky
"Hel cast it beforehand and I'm surprised it wasn't cancelled when she blocked me from using magic. They saw a different fight, but I don't know how much they'll believe it"
"There's a chance that while they believe what they saw, they would realize it was fake"
"What's going on?" Nellian is looking back and forth
"Someone was spying at us throughout the fight. It looks like they prepared for such possibility" Margaret summarizes to her younger sister
"I've been getting a vague sense that someone was scouting Nazarick and Eljudnir. Although we have countermeasures, it looks like our enemy is prepared to bypass that too"

Due to Ainz's cautious and paranoid nature, he has layers of anti-divination spells protecting him to prevent anyone from eavesdropping or viewing him from an unseen distance. His spells would react in return, harming the source of the scrying and possibly killing them.

"You need to recover your strength, Shirogane. We might be facing a hostile player. Worse, if it's someone like the Valkyrie Queen that Hel once warned me about" Ainz tightens the grip on his staff
"The Valkyrie Queen. I remember her a long time ago. She wiped out countless heteromorphs and I barely won against her"
"It's possible. Her valkyries still exist in this world" Margaret frowns
"We haven't faced her, but she may still be alive" Nellian shudders
"Hmph. Then seeing two heteromorph players must be making her seethe with anger. Unfortunately, she may learn to not make an enemy of Ainz Ooal Gown if she dares attack us"

Ainz raises his staff proudly, but he's filled with worry when he already estimates the enemy is much like Shalltear but with the mind of a player, a combination he knows will be difficult for him.