In the middle of the night, the dark sky was illuminated by bursts of blue, yellow, red, and green lights shooting into the air. Loud music filled the streets as a huge celebration raged at the heart of the town, centered around the otherwise unimpressive school campus. The school, with its main building, courtyard, and sports facility, looked like a typical Japanese school, nothing remarkable for its country of origin. But appearances can be deceiving. A single glance at the students revealed that this place was far from ordinary. Demons, humans, undead, bugmen, oni, and spirits mingled together.
All these beings were here for the same reason. They were all forced away from their worlds. For some, this wasn't the first time. This place was a recreation of a Japanese school and city, where they were compelled to obey strange rules and socialize with one another. But tonight, none of that mattered. They were all happy.
A small girl snatched a bottle of booze from the hands of a young man wearing a white shirt with a green cape draped over it. "Hey, Tanya, that was mine," he shouted instinctively, but regret quickly washed over him as he realized his mistake.
The small girl, dressed in a military uniform, stared at him with powerful, judgmental eyes, causing Kazuma to feel all his strength drain away.
"Kazuma, don't drink too much. I don't want you making a mess at our graduation ceremony. And that goes for all of you too, Squadron," Tanya commanded, her gaze sweeping over her squad. In unison, they all stopped what they were doing and saluted their captain before dispersing through the school grounds.
"Tanya, there's no need to be so harsh on them today. Give them a little break after the ceremony is over," Ainz suggested, gently placing his bony hand on Tanya's shoulder.
"Hmm, you're not wrong. Yes, after the ceremony is concluded, you may party as you wish. But before the ceremony, I don't want anyone causing trouble," Tanya agreed, recognizing the importance of the celebration despite her desire to avoid any embarrassment caused by her squadron.
"KAAAZUMA! I want more booze, but they won't give it to me!" Aqua shouted, clearly drunk as she bumbled around.
Tanya sighed, choosing to ignore the sight of a goddess crying on her knees in front of Kazuma while pointing at the two butlers handing out drinks.
"Changing the subject a bit, what do you guys plan to do when this ends?" Subaru asked as he sat down, sipping on a soda. "I mean, when we go back to our own worlds."
"Well, I'll most likely have to reorganize my Tomb if time hasn't stood still. Now that I think about it, the thought of my forces being without leadership for an entire year is rather troubling," Ainz replied, already feeling a headache coming on at the thought of the chaos his and the guardians' absence might have caused. 'Uwah, I really don't want to go back and deal with the fallout of four or five kingdoms being razed,' he mused, dreading the impending mess.
"I fear that once I return to Empire soil, I might have to face the frontlines again and endure Being X's usual tricks again," Tanya said, glancing around at the life she had now. It wasn't what she had envisioned, but it was a significant improvement for her lifestyle and peace compared to the war.
"Probably just go back to work, struggle to pay taxes, and babysit her again," Kazuma muttered, defeated, as he pointed to the blue-haired goddess sprawled on the floor.
"BABYSIT?! KAZUMAAA! I'M A RESPONSIBLE ADULT! NOW, GET ME MORE BOOZE!" Aqua demanded as she was visibly drunk, but Kazuma simply ignored her pleas.
"And you, Subaru? Any plans when you get back to your world?" Kazuma asked, nudging Subaru with his elbow and winking. Before Subaru could respond, Tanya stepped forward, grabbing both Kazuma and Aqua by the ears and dragging them away, ignoring their cries of pain.
Subaru's mind flashed with countless images, many of them unpleasant. The memories of the numerous deaths he had endured or witnessed made him uneasy about what awaited him. But he knew he would face it head on. This was something only he could understand. "I'll probably go back to working as a butler and continue helping everyone," he finally said.
"Subaru!" Rem called from behind him, carrying a sack brimming with candies and other treats. "I picked these for you. Let's eat together!" she said with a warm smile.
Subaru glanced at Ainz for approval, as he was the only other member of the group who had stayed behind. The skeletal overlord gave a nod in return. "Sure. Want to invite the others to join us?" Subaru asked.
"I already did, but Ram is helping Roswaal with preparations, Emilia is talking with Albedo, and Beatrice is reading with Mare," Rem replied.
"Well, then it's more for us," Subaru said with a grin, and the two of them headed to a table to share the treats.
As the group parted ways, Ainz decided not to remain idle and made his way to the courtyard, where the preparations were nearly complete.
"Everyone, we need to move this one about five meters to the left," Ram shouted, pointing to the spot where the long steel structure with an LED sign reading "Graduates" should be placed. On one side stood the male members of Tanya's battalion, and on the other, the imposing cold figure of Cocytus.
"Cocytus, can you handle this side on your own?" Weiss asked politely as he and the others prepared to lift their section.
"IT. IS. NO. TROUBLE," the massive ice insect replied, effortlessly lifting his side of the structure with ease.
"If anything goes wrong, I can stop it from falling! Haha," Darkness chimed in, positioning herself directly underneath the heavy steel. Inwardly, she fantasized about being crushed and pinned beneath its weight.
"Should we do something about her?" Glantz asked, perplexed by Darkness as she hugged herself and giggled, clearly lost in her own world.
"No, just do what Kazuma always says and ignore her. We've got more important things to focus on," Neumann shrugged, keeping his attention on the task at hand.
Despite some struggle on their side, the battalion, with Cocytus's overwhelming strength, managed to move the structure perfectly into position.
"IT. IS DONE. I. THANK. YOU. FOR. YOUR. ASSISTANCE," Cocytus said, stepping aside, a frosty breath escaping his mouth.
"No problem, but honestly, I think you could've handled the whole thing by yourself," Neumann teased, throwing a couple of light punches into Cocytus' leg.
"THIS. IS. CERTAINLY. TRUE. BUT. I. BELIEVE. THE. STRUCTURE. WOULD. NOT. BE. ABLE. TO. SUPPORT ITS OWN WEIGHT IF I LIFTED IT FROM JUST ONE SIDE," Cocytus concluded his explanation.
As he and the soldiers began to process his words, they suddenly heard the sound of someone clapping.
"This is maaarvelooous!" Roswaal exclaimed as he approached the group, continuing to clap his hands with his usual smirk on his face.
"Looks like the preparations are complete," said an older man with a thick gray mustache who accompanied the mage. Rudersdorf, the Brigade General, had found himself unexpectedly serving as the director of this peculiar school. One day, he was planning military campaigns, and the next, he was in charge of a school filled with all sorts of unusual characters. In the end, he just decided to roll with it, keeping a low profile.
"I think WE can START the SHOW now! Mein Gott will surely love this," Pandora's Actor said as he bounded toward the group, brimming with enthusiasm.
"Well, if everything's ready, let's get this over with so the students can enjoy their final party together," Rudersdorf said, taking a seat behind the teachers.
"You're right, Mr. Principal," Roswaal said, gracefully approaching the microphone. He switched it on and tapped it twice to make sure it was working. "Helloooo, students! Please make your way to the courtyard. Your lovely graduuuation is about to begin."
As he stepped away from the microphone, Roswaal noticed a large figure slowly making its way toward the courtyard. "Oh my, one of the four stars of the show is already here."
"MY. LORD," Cocytus muttered as he hurried past the soldiers, quickly bowing before the Overlord.
"Hello, Cocytus. Good to see you," Ainz greeted the insectoid with his usual emotionless expression. Despite the lack of visible emotion, Cocytus could tell from his master's tone that he was pleased.
"I. AM. HONORED. THAT. MY. LORD. IS. SATISFIED. WITH. MY. PRESENCE," Cocytus replied, rising from the ground as several frosty breaths escaped his mouth.
"Hahaha. I'm always happy to be around the children of my friends," Ainz chuckled briefly before his emotional suppression took effect.
"It seems Ainz got here before us," Subaru called out from behind, catching Ainz's attention.
"Ah, Subaru. I take it your snack didn't go as planned," Ainz observed, glancing at Subaru and Rem.
"Of all the times for things to go wrong, right? But I'm sure once we're done here, I'll be able to enjoy it. And maybe we can gather everyone to join us," Subaru responded optimistically.
"Yes!" Rem added enthusiastically, carrying the food.
"Turning bad luck into something good, very resourceful of you two," Ainz started to say but was interrupted.
"Subaru! Rem!" Emilia called out, running toward the group, waving her hand as she approached.
"Oh, Emilia. How are things going?" Subaru asked, waving back at the half-elf.
"Hello! Everything's going great. I was chatting with Albedo earlier, but on our way here, she got into a fight with Shalltear," Emilia explained, a bit concerned. However, she knew they would be fine as over the year, the two guardians had fought enough times that she no longer worried about their safety.
Ainz let out a heavy tired sigh upon hearing this. "Of course they did. What else could they possibly be doing? I'm so sorry," he muttered, covering his face with his hand.
"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Subaru asked, scanning Emilia for any signs of injury.
"Thankfully, I left before their confrontation started," Emilia reassured him.
"Emilia, would you like some cake?" Rem offered, but before Emilia could answer, they were suddenly interrupted by two terrified screams.
"Keep going!" As the group turned toward the source of the commotion, they saw Tanya chasing Kazuma and Aqua, brandishing a shovel.
"Oh, this is my chance!" Darkness exclaimed, running toward them with open arms. In the midst of Tanya's many swings, one accidentally struck Darkness, knocking her to the ground, but she fell with a delighted smile on her face.
Seizing their opportunity, Kazuma and Aqua quickly hid behind the group.
"They managed to escape... Well done. The training has clearly paid off," Tanya said with a smug grin.
"WHY ARE YOU TALKING LIKE A PROUD TEACHER?" Kazuma shouted, peeking out from behind Cocytus' leg, pointing at Tanya in frustration.
"Maybe I am wrong?" Tanya mused to herself as she rested the shovel on her shoulder, while Kazuma quickly ducked back behind Cocytus' large frame.
"Lord Ainz!" called a small, dark elf boy running over carefully, a book in hand. Beside him was a young girl with blond hair and drill shaped twintails, much like the boy was also clutching a book. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's no trouble at all. The graduation hasn't even started yet. Talking of being a little late, your sister still hasn't arrived. Any idea where she might be?" Ainz asked Mare calmly. Unexpectedly, the boy's reaction surprised him as Mare's expression quickly shifted to one of worry.
"She is probably dealing with Albedo and Shalltear fight. "Those two can't stop fighting for no reason, even on the greatest day of the school year?" Right, Beako?" Subaru interjected, seizing the moment to tease Beatrice.
"Why do you always try to tease me whenever the word "little" is mentioned?" Beatrice snapped, visibly irritated by Subaru's usual antics.
"Major!" Visha called as she approached the group.
"What is it?" Tanya asked, turning to her lieutenant who saluted her.
"The fireworks preparations are all set," Visha reported, her professional demeanor breaking into a smile. "I can't wait to grab something to eat."
Yes, without a doubt," Tanya said, looking down with a satisfied smile.
"You damn lamprey! If you even try to come between me and Lord Ainz!" Albedo's shout rang out as she punched Shalltear, the two of them storming through the courtyard.
Unfazed by Albedo's attack, Shalltear retaliated with a punch of her own. "You idiotic, hairy gorilla!" she yelled, striking Albedo in the stomach. But, just like Albedo's punch, the blow did little to affect her opponent.
""You two just can't behave, can you?" Aura asked, frustrated that her efforts to stop the two guardians' bickering before they reached their master had been futile.
""Shut up,"" Albedo and Shalltear said in unison, causing Aura to sigh in exasperation.
"Hold on, I'll handle this," Ainz said, leaving the group and walking toward the quarrel.
"Albedo, Shalltear. Enough. Calm yourselves. This is not the time for such behavior," Ainz commanded as he approached.
""Yes, I'm sorry, Lord Ainz~!"" Both guardians immediately responded bowing down before the Overlord.
"Apologies, Lord Ainz. I tried to get them to stop, but they just wouldn't listen," Aura said, her frustration evident as she bowed her head. Ainz raised a hand, signaling her to stop and reasise her head.
"There's no need to apologize for something that isn't your fault," he reassured her, gently patting the Dark Elf on the head for a moment before withdrawing his hand.
"Thank you, Lord Ainz," Aura beamed, her mood instantly lifting.
"Incredible! Once again, Lord Ainz displays his leadership!" a voice rang out from the group. Ainz turned to see Demiurge standing right in the middle, causing him to internally panic. 'Uwaaaaaah! When did he get here?' he thought.
"Huh? Has anyone seen Megumin?" Kazuma asked, scanning the area for his group's mage.
"Megumin? I saw her when I was on my way here, but I'm not sure what she was up to. She might show up a little later," Visha replied, thinking hard to recall any helpful details.
"Well, as long as she's not doing something reckless, everything should be fine," Kazuma said, shrugging off his concern.
"Everyone, Mr. Roswaal said the graduation is about to start," Ram announced as she approached the group.
"SO. IT. IS. SETTLED?" Cocytus asked, turning toward the pink-haired maid.
"It's settled," she replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
"I. SEE."
Rerugen stepped forward and climbed onto the podium, taking the microphone in one hand. "Hello, students of our great school. It is with great joy that I open this ceremony. It's been a long year since we all found ourselves here…"
"She's really going to be late for graduation," Kazuma muttered, noticing once again that Megumin was nowhere to be seen.
"Could she be in trouble?" Visha asked, worried that Megumin might have gotten herself into a difficult situation or left someone behind.
"Nah, if she were, we'd have heard about it by now," Kazuma replied with a shrug.
"You're probably right, but still…" Visha agreed, though an uneasy feeling lingered in the back of her mind.
"In this year, our students from classes 1 and 2 have learned much and also taught us much…" Rerugen continued his speech without missing a beat, though he occasionally glanced at Tanya and Ainz with a hint of worry.
"Oh, Rerugen is doing pretty well," Visha remarked, impressed by the major's smooth delivery.
"Kazuma!" Megumin called out, sneaking back into the group quietly.
"Where were you? You almost missed the whole graduation," Kazuma asked, annoyed at her absence.
"I was preparing for the best part!" Megumin said proudly, raising one hand dramatically toward the sky.
"Megumin, what did you do?" Kazuma asked, anxiety creeping into his voice. He had lived with her long enough to know that her excitement usually meant trouble.
"You'll see. Hahaha... ouch!" Megumin burst into laughter but quickly stopped as a small blonde girl smacked her on the back of the head.
"Both of you, stop and pay attention," Tanya ordered, glaring at the two adventurers.
They quickly fell silent, complying with the stern little girl's command.
"To conclude the opening, I call Tanya, Kazuma, Ainz Ooal Gown, and Subaru to the podium. Please come forward to accept this gift from the college body," Rerugen announced, stepping away from the microphone as Pandora's Actor approached with a large box in hand.
"What's in there?" Kazuma asked curiously as he walked toward the front, eyeing the large box with interest.
"We'll find out together, I guess," Subaru said with a shrug.
"I doubt it'll be anything special… but what if?" Ainz muttered, letting his collector's curiosity slip for a moment.
"It's probably just a congratulatory medal or something, considering Rerugen was the one chosen for this," Tanya added, recalling her time in the military and the typical nature of such rewards.
The four walked together toward the podium, stopping in front of Rerugen.
"You've all done well," Rerugen said as he slowly opened the box. "And because of this, the path out of this school is now open." As the box fully opened, they saw what lay inside, a single, very ordinary red button.
Their hearts skipped a beat as they stared at the button, fully understanding what it signified. It was the very thing that had brought them together in this strange place. As they stood in silence, a sudden explosion lit up the sky, forming a beautiful blue rose among the fireworks. The show had begun.
"Finally, my time to shine is coming soon," Megumin whispered excitedly to herself within the group.
"You can press the button whenever you want," Rerugen said, handing the box to Subaru.
"Wait, you're serious? Just like that? We can just leave?" Kazuma asked in disbelief, stepping away from the podium.
"Hm, it makes sense that the way out is the same as how we got here, but it's a little anticlimactic," Tanya mused, carefully studying the button, trying to remember which of the buttons during the flight test resembled the one in front of her more.
"I never imagined this could be one of our last moments together," Ainz said quietly, gazing up at the fireworks. A memory crossed his mind. 'I forgot to use my fireworks during the end of Yggdrasil, didn't I?'
"Hey, what about tomorrow? Shouldn't we enjoy today?" Subaru called out, raising his fist toward the sky as more fireworks exploded in bursts of color.
"Yeah, I'm not missing my chance to finally get some drinks," Kazuma added, longing for just one cup of beer after being denied it all year at the school.
"I don't see any harm in spending our last night together. Plus, any extra time away from the front lines is a blessing," Tanya said with a growing smile, satisfied at the thought of delaying her inevitable return to the battlefield.
"A proper goodbye party. That would indeed be most fitting," Ainz said, an unusual melancholy lacing his voice..
The fireworks continued, each one grander than the last, captivating the attention of the four students and momentarily making them forget of the button's existance. But then, abruptly, the fireworks stopped.
"They weren't supposed to end so soon," Visha said, confused, before being cut off.
After a brief pause, a single firework shot through the sky, larger and brighter than any that had come before. "HAHAHA! BEHOLD THE PRIDE OF THE CRIMSON DEMON! ALL EYES ON THE GREATEST FIREWORK OF THEM ALL! I, MEGUMIN…" But before she could finish, Kazuma rushed over and gave her a light smack on the back of her head.
"M-Megumin, what did you do?" he demanded, shaking the mage out of her triumphant fantasy.
"KAZUMA, STOP! I… I TIED A BUNCH OF FIREWORKS TOGETHER, AND I MAY HAVE MODIFIED THEM WITH DUST FROM THE CHEMISTRY CLASS," Megumin confessed, dizzy from the shaking.
"Oi. Dust is incredibly dangerous! You can't just mess with that," Subaru scolded, looking at her with growing concern.
"Hey, it's far away! It'll be fine!" Megumin replied, trying to dismiss the others' fears with a wave of her hand.
"Tanya… there's a problem," Visha said, her face drained of color as she stared wide-eyed at the sky.
"What is it?" Tanya asked, noting her comrade's obvious distress
"The fuses… they're different," Visha muttered, cold sweat dripping down her face.
"This is even worse! The tails, did you modify them too? Are they all uniform?" Visha grabbed Megumin by the shoulders, shaking her as Kazuma had earlier.
"This is even worse. Their tail, have you modified them too? Are they all equal too?" Visha grabbed Megumin by her shoulders and started to shake the girl, much like Kazuma had done before.
"Uh… no, why?" Megumin responded hesitantly.
"Their combustion is uneven! Some are burning faster than others, and the whole thing's out of control!" Visha explained, her voice rising in panic.
As she spoke, the group watched in horror as the modified firework, now completely off balance, swung wildly from side to side in the sky. One side's tail had stopped burning, causing the firework to veer sharply. In an instant, it accelerated, heading directly toward their location at an alarming speed.
"THIS ISN'T HOW FIREWORKS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK!" Kazuma screamed at the top of his lungs, panic seizing him as the fireworks careened toward them.
"Everyone! Brace for impact!" Tanya commanded, her soldiers quickly raising their shields in defense. Beside them, Albedo grabbed Darkness, pinning her to the ground, and activated her Walls of Jericho, forming a protective barrier around her beloved master.
The firework detonated with immense force, its explosion sending a shockwave that rippled across the surroundings, reducing everything in its path to rubble. "Kazuma, do something!" Aqua yelled frantically, using Kazuma as a human shield while accidentally shoving Subaru aside in her panic.
The box containing the button fell to the ground, its trigger accidentally activated as the button hit face down.
Although they managed to withstand the explosion, their fate had already been sealed.
"AQUA! YOU IDIOT! USELESS GODDESS!" Kazuma shouted as the world around them began to warp and distort.
"I didn't mean to!" Aqua sobbed, curling up on the floor, tears streaming down her face.
"Subaru, are you okay?" Rem asked, her voice full of concern as she knelt beside him, while Subaru stared down at the ground, dejected.
"Barasu managed to ruin everything. Impressive," Ram added with a smug grin, her eyes gleaming with twisted amusement.
"Oi, oi, it wasn't my fault! I didn't expect to get pushed at a time like this!" Subaru protested, standing up and brushing off the dust.
"Huh, there goes my plan of staying out of the frontline for another day," Tanya sighed, disheartened as her hopes for an extended break vanished.
"Another goodbye that went wrong. Could I be cursed?" Ainz wondered aloud, reflecting on how yet another moment of peace had ended in chaos.
Before they could react further, the world around them turned a blinding white, and they were suddenly separated.
.
.
.
.
.
.
But not for long.
"Good morning, Sensei!" Arona greeted warmly as she sat in her room within the Shittim Chest. Sunlight filtered through the broken walls, casting a soft glow around her as she smiled brightly. In her hands, she held an envelope adorned with a sigil Sensei had never seen before.
"Good morning, Arona. What's that you're holding?" Sensei asked, noticing the excitement in her expression.
"Oh, this?" Arona responded, playfully waving the envelope. "It's personal information about the new transfer students coming to Kivotos."
"Transfer students? From outside?" Sensei asked, surprised. While he hadn't been in Kivotos for long, the idea of students transferring in from outside was new to him.
"Yes, it's a rare event, but it's happening. Some of the new students are even heading to Abydos," Arona explained as she opened the envelope and pulled out three different files.
Hearing the name Abydos made Sensei smile. It had only been a week since he'd returned from the Abydos district after helping the Foreclosure Task Force thwart the Kaiser Corporation's attempt to seize control of the region. The memory of the five students working tirelessly to protect their home was still fresh in his mind. "That's good news. Though, I imagine the new students will be in for a bit of a shock adjusting to Kivotos."
"Haha, yes! But I'm sure they'll enjoy it here," Arona laughed, closing her eyes as she smiled radiantly. Whether it was her natural energy or just Sensei's imagination, it seemed as though she was glowing.
"Let's hope so," Sensei replied with an awkward smile. From his experience, he knew all too well that Kivotos could be overwhelming for anyone unfamiliar with its unique "culture."
Author's notes
Thank you for reading this chapter. Next chapter we are getting to Kivotos properly. I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes. English isn't my first language so if you find any mistake or overall style/pacing problems please feel free to point it out to me. The next chapter is already done but I will try to do some work on it to be the best possible before publishing it.