ã€ŠOverlord of Biblical proportionsã€‹


 Prologue (1)

    Walking along the corridors of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Sebas crossed through another teleportation gate, the last in his journey to the First Floor. Walking across the threshold, Sebas fixed his uniform and dusted any debris that could have fallen on it ¨C not that it was disheveled or dirty in any way after the teleportation. Sebas always took great caution to keep his suit pristine and well-kept at all times, his suit bestowed upon him by his Creator, Lord Touch Me, would never be tainted or wrinkled. Alas, his Lord''s words had made Sebas experience something akin to nervousness.

    His Lord, the last of the Supreme Ones, Momonga, had uttered unexpected words about a situation that had suddenly and profoundly changed, which had led to his current unusual assignment. Sebas was to go to the surface from his post in the 10th Floor, something very unusual.

    Sebas had spent his entire life on the tenth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, fulfilling the primary function entrusted to him by his creator. Protecting the Throne Hall and the Holy of Holiest of the Great Tomb, the Hall in which the Forty-One Supreme Beings once proclaimed the power of Ainz Ooal Gown, is his duty. Sebas and the six Sisters of the Pleiades then performed a sacred function, their duty the most enviable of all, for they were to give as much time as possible to the Forty-One before They assembled for the final battle.

    Only Albedo''s, whose duty was to fight side by side with the Forty-One, and Pandora''s Actor, the personal creation of Lord Momonga outweighed theirs. A creation that Sebas had never met in person, whose duty was to buy as much time as possible in the treasury, allowing the Forty-One to return and strike another blow, in the very back of the enemy¡­ This was the first time that Sebas had done anything other than his duty, so perhaps it couldn''t be helped that he would be ''nervous''.

    Sebas had never left the confines of the Great Tomb, but he knew of exactly what lay beyond ¡ª the swamps of Helheim, full of creatures of level eighty and above. A swamp where the water was drenched with poison, the air covered with an acid mist, and the ground was full of steel grass that could easily pierce or destroy ordinary armor at a misstep.

    It was one of the Great Tomb''s best defenses, few were able to pass through these swamps to pose a danger to the Great Tomb and Ainz Ooal Gown.

    Master Momonga, however, ordered Sebas to survey the lands around the Tomb as He had felt a great disturbance ¨C and Sebas was willing to sacrifice his life if he had to, to do so.

    Sebas traversed the final spans of the first floor, to the stairs leading to the surface, before appearing at the Tomb''s threshold, glancing ahead and pausing for a moment. "Now¡­ That''s unusual."

    As far as Sebas knew ¨C the Great Tomb of Nazarick was located in Helheim''s marshes, not¡­

    In a void of nothingness.

    Sebas shook his head, trying to see if his mind was affected by the illusion, as his resistance to those was great, but Sebas did not possess powers like [True Sight]. Of course, he could use his powers to forcibly clear his mind, and unless his opponent was using Super-tier magic or a World Class Item so he did so, and nothing changed. It should have cleared his mind of the illusions affecting his perception ¨C however, the picture before him was unchanged.

    The Great Tomb of Nazarick - at least its upper mausoleum and the ruins of the colonnade, along with the smaller mausoleums around it, were all in their place. The building standing on mounds exactly where they had been located in the past¡­ Except, the mounds only extended a few paces from the walls of the Great Tomb, its farthest walls ¨C beyond that, there was only emptiness.

    A black, impenetrable void.

    "This is definitely unusual¡­ " Sebas was not blessed by his Creator to be as clever as Albedo, Pandora''s Actor, or the Demiurge, but for a moment he allowed the thought that even they could not easily make sense of the picture before his eyes. Only their master, Lord Momonga, the Leader of the Forty-One Supreme Beings, could discern anything about the situation at the moment.

    After all, he was the only one who could tell that something has happened, all the way back in the Throne Room even without casting a single spell. Truly, His Master''s intellect is a frightening thing.

    However, the current situation was definitely¡­ Interfering with Sebas''s order.

    His original order was to go around the Great Tomb within a one-kilometer radius to scout out the surroundings, but his order didn''t quite detail what he needed to do in case he simply¡­ Couldn''t.

    Unfortunately, Sebas was incapable of following Lord Momonga''s orders, given his inability to teleport and fly, so he could not leave the confines of the small clearing holding Nazarick in the middle of the void¡­ Unless he was supposed to simply fall down, perhaps to make up for his failure to comply with a simple order from his Master.

    Death in service was the ultimate reward for any member of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but such a reward was no excuse to violate orders. And unfortunately, if he fell into the void, he would definitely violate his orders to return to Lord Momonga along with the information he was due to receive.

    Sebas took a couple of steps forward just in case, then checked the void with his foot just in case the void was simply an illusion. Unfortunately, he had to note that the void was indeed empty and was not capable of holding his weight. Sebas shifted his pensive gaze forward after that, staring into the void, before noticing a small dot of light in the distance.

    Slowly the dot began to expand, as if it were getting closer to Sebas, and before long Sebas could determine that the dot was colored red ¨C then to determine that the dot was not some formless light. It instead has a proper shape¡­ A dragon. A big red dragon.

    Sebas frowned slightly.

    As he stuck his foot out into the void to pass the walls of Nazarick, he felt the ''terrain effects'' that the void possesses try to affect him. Sebas could identify ''mana absorption'', ''energy absorption'', ''life absorption'', and ''experience absorption'', a very dangerous cocktail of negative effects. But since Sebas had enough protection against such things, he paid no attention to it.

    "So that dragon also possesses the abilities to ignore these effects. Either that, or it is simply a very foolish being indeed¡­" Sebas slowly nodded at his deduction, as he watched the approaching, enlarging figure of the red dragon.

    Much closer now, Sebas could make out some details of the red dragon. As quite obvious now, it is a huge red dragon, with a large horn on the end of its muzzle and only two pairs of wings¡­ The most stereotypical a dragon could perhaps be.

    Sebas had once heard that the Supreme Beings, Peroroncino and his Creator, Touch Me, talk about how ''the Great Red Dragon is such a pain''. Apparently its regeneration being the most infuriating? But he had never personally seen such a dragon.

    If the dragon coming towards him really was the Great Red Dragon that the Supreme Being has talked about, then Sebas did not consider himself strong enough to fight someone his Creator, Lord Touch Me, considered a ''pain''. But as diligence demands, he first assessed the strength of the creature before him, using his senses of Ki.

    The dragon indeed appeared strong in his senses ¨C in fact, considerably stronger than he was, so Sebas did not consider himself capable of defeating the dragon if it comes to a fight. Perhaps the Dragon could even need three of Nazarick''s best warriors at one time, Sebas, Albedo, and Cocytus, to defeat. In such a fight, Sebas assessed that their odds of victory would be quite high ¨C perhaps even an eighty percent chance.

    If Sebas were to fight the dragon alone however, then even using his full strength, given that such a dragon must have possessed numerous strong and hidden abilities ¨C he estimated his chances of victory at between five and ten percent.

    The words of his All-Seeing Master, Lord Momonga, about not starting a battle if it was not necessary, and about attempting a peaceful dialogue, made Sebas nod in awe at his Master''s foresight. As expected of his Master, he was already aware of the fact that a creature of this world would be so strong.

    But his Master''s order is law¨C and Sebas needed to, in the event that the creature was intelligent, to invite him to a dialogue without starting the battle first.

    Sebas thought about how to go about completing his order for a moment, before, when the dragon approached close enough to hear Sebas'' voice, not daring to attack first, he addressed him, "Good day. Excuse me, Dragon, but my Master would like to speak with you¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The one they called the Great Red, the Dragon of Dreams, and the Dragon of the Apocalypse spent his days as he always did ¨C wandering in the Inter-world rift, the Dimensional gap, doing his duty.

    The Great Red had no particular empathy for the inhabitants of Draconic Deus ¨C or, as the younger races more commonly referred to this place, Earth, but he was not entirely heartless. If he had been, he would have allowed Ophis, the Ouroboros, the Dragon of Infinity, to continue their meaningless existence in this void, experiencing and feeling nothing.

    But Ophis was weak. For a lesser race, perhaps, she was incredibly strong ¨C but she was weaker than the Great Red, that was why he could her off the Dimensional Gap. She only wished to exist in the void ¨C but she did not realize that by doing so, her existence would not last.

    For creatures like him, the passing of time was no-issue. Thousands of years have merged together until the distinction between them vanished, as it would for an eternity more¡­ But eternity of existence did not mean that time stood still.

    The lesser races did not see, did not know, did not understand that time were passing through their fingers. They did not see that they should use their time better as the inhabitants of other worlds ¨C worlds beyond the Gap were waiting for their moment. They were preparing to strike, and they would strike ¨C so soon.

    For the lesser races, though, whose perception of time was laughably lacking ¨C what for the Great Red was a swift blow, for the lesser races was a matter that their descendants would meet in thousands of years.

    For the Great Red, there was no difference between ''tomorrow'' and ''in a thousand years'' ¨C both were swift events. But the lesser races, so limited in their perception, could not perceive it. The lives were so short, only a hundred, or two, years long.

    And here, in their perception, Ophis had stayed for a ''long'' time on Earth, and the Great Red have always been in the inter-world rift ¨C and that ''in the past'' it was the other way around. For Ophis and Great Red, it was no more than a few moments.

    Great Red had come to the Dimensional Gap to repel an attack on his fiefdom, Draconic Deus. And Ophis, who did not seem to heed his words, in her desire to exist in the void, she had fled away thinking that he was there to fight her¡­ Now, as far as the Great Red himself knew, she was gathering forces to try to drive him out of the inter-world rift.

    At least, the last time the Great Red had been interested in the matter, it had looked like that.

    No more than a mere few hundred years have passed since then, and he doubted that Ophis has had time to change its mind in that time. Though perhaps he should have checked in on her ¨C the lesser races were very weak, but sometimes, among them there were those that could pose a threat to the Great Red. Especially if there were many of them and with Ophis on the wings¡­ it would be quite troublesome.

    However, before he could think on that idea more, an unexpected feeling interrupted his musings.

    Feeling anything in the inter-world rift was itself unusual. Nothing existed in the inter-world rift, as existing in the inter-world rift drained any creature of their life, and even the most powerful could endure only short periods of existence here. Only the Great Red and the Ouroboros could exist here forever, thanks to their powers, abilities, and draconic nature.

    Such a thing was already treated as common sense to anyone who know of the Dimensional Gap. And that if the Void doesn''t destroy the being outright, then that Great Red would ¨C everyone knew this as fact. The only exceptions to this were Ophis, whose brief battle with her, ended in her escape, and Tannin, both for the same reason, but with the latter being much more annoying. The young dragon could withstand, thanks to his dragon nature, the forces of the Gap, but was ten thousand years younger than the time when he could interest the Great Red in a battle.

    However, the feeling that spread through the Dimensional Gap told the Great Red that someone new had come to his abode.

    The feeling disappeared a moment after it had appeared, but it left behind a trace, an awareness of the location of the anomaly, and something that would more properly be described as the ''smell'' of¡­ Of something possessing a draconic nature.

    It was a scent different from Tannin''s and Ophis'' - the one who appeared in the rift was much stronger than Tannin¡­ Still not strong enough for the Great Red, but still extremely strong, perhaps on the level of one of the two babies, Albion and Ddraig?

    Furthermore, there was something else, the smell was definitely of a Dragon, but there is something else there as well¡­ Someone dragon-like, connected to the dragons, but not a dragon¡­

    Maybe one of the [Longinus] hosts in which one of the little ones was sealed in? The last time the Great Red knew of them, their hosts were weak enough, but that was ¨C five hundred years ago? Something like that, but if Great Red remembered the humans correctly, those usually lived for considerably less. So, perhaps one of them got a great host who managed to unleash the full power of his [Longinus] and decided to challenge the Great Red himself?

    The Great Red would like to take a look at such a fool¡­

    Gradually, however, as he approached the place from where he had felt the feeling coming from, his thoughts began to change in another direction. From a distance he could see a small, relative to his own dimensions, that is, clearing of land. An island floating in the inter-world gap, consisting of what could be called earth and water, as if it were a piece of small marsh that had been cut from some other picture and thrown away by a child into the Gap.

    But that was not something that interested the Great Red much, such things happen from time to time, as people experimented only to have their surroundings be swallowed by the void.

    It was the structure on it, the columns and ruined crypts of an ancient mausoleum or tomb, the sight of which the Great Red could not match his knowledge to. The architecture was a bit like the Greek pantheon the last time he saw it, but with European influences.

    In addition, the Great Red literally felt nothing of the soaring tomb, and if his eyes could not see, it would be as if there were nothing there.

    That in itself said enough ¨C there were few powers in the world capable of defending itself from his gaze, maybe some Old Gods of lesser races at the peak of their powers could do such a thing. But to hide an entire mausoleum from him?!

    Besides, his instincts were screaming at him that what he''s seeing was not all there is to it to the Mausoleum. Even if he could not see anything under the thin layer of soaring earth, the Great Red could literally feel that if he wished, he could enter the mausoleum and be in a place that he could not dream of.

    And it was frightening.

    The Great Red approached a little more to take a closer look, before with a surprise he heard the voice. "Good afternoon. Excuse me, Dragon, but my Master would like to speak with you¡­"

    The Great Red moved his gaze hurriedly, with perhaps a trace of panic from his surprise, trying to find the source of the words. Before, after a while, he found it.

    Concentrating his gaze, he was surprised to see a man from the lesser races, a man with gray hair, straight sharp facial features, a gray beard and mustache on his straight face, standing on the marshy soil. The Great Red was poorly versed in the appearance of lesser races, but could guess, judging from his hair, that he was quite old.

    However, the Great Red could not sense anything from the speaker. Standing right in front of him, he was invisible to the Great Red''s perception, perhaps he could even attack the Great Red, and he wouldn''t even understand who exactly attacked him at that moment.

    It wasn''t until a few moments later that the Great Red''s brain informed him that the creature of a lesser race had said something, and then another second later that the Great Red realized exactly what he had said.

    ''Master¡­'' The Great Red frowned momentarily. Few could appear in the inter-world rift on their own, much less hide from the Great Red''s gaze ¨C so this Master, the lesser race being spoke of, must have been powerful. Perhaps he was the bearer of the draconic [Sacred Gear] that the Great Red had sensed a little earlier?

    Someone on the level of those little ones could perhaps survive the inter-world rift for a time ¨C but to hide from the Great Red?

    No, the situation didn''t add up ¨C a bearer of the Sacred Gears holding Albion or Ddraig wouldn''t hide their presence. Those little guys were inexperienced, but they weren''t shy about fighting and wouldn''t just disappear¡­

    After a moment, the creature of a lesser race - the Great Red considered the creature most likely to be a human male ¨C put two fingers to his temple next to his ear, and began speaking.

    "Yes, Lord Momonga?"

    There was silence for a moment, in which the Great Red, flying close enough to hover over the roofs of the mausoleum and the crypts surrounding it, silently continued to watch the man. All the while feeling as if he were missing something extremely important.

    "There was no territory found around the Great Tomb, only emptiness, but I did locate a representative of the intelligent species." The man talked calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial, like the weather yet with his head bowed so that the Great Red could see that he was talking to his superiors-perhaps to this ''Master'' of his.

    "As far as I can tell, this is the ''Great Red Dragon''¡­"

    The Great Red found himself opening his eyes in surprise. He was the only being known by that name, he was the Great Red, no one needed to mention that he was a dragon, as he was the only one who bore that title. But the way the man spoke his name¡­ It was as if the speaker wasn''t sure exactly what he was seeing.

    Absolutely everyone knew that it was the Great Red who had existed in the Inter-World Gap for the last hundreds of years. Only those who had existed for the last hundred years with absolutely no contact with Earth¡­ Or those who had come from another world would not know about it.

    The Great Red did not notice the moment when the man stopped talking, but after a moment he felt a portal open near him, and then the Great Red turned sharply around and froze.

    It was a creature like a skeleton, but not a human skeleton animated by dark magic at all, but a skeleton whose bones had never held flesh in the first place. Wrapped in a dark purple robe, marked with gold edging, held over his shoulders by two large shoulder pads fashioned from the white bone of an unknown beast, the skeleton surveyed his entire form.

    Its face was inlaid with two red spheres that glowed with unholy fire from within, perhaps as a mockery of eyes, while his head were concealed by a hood of purple, with golden symbols woven on it.

    On each of his fingers, but one, was a ring. It and each of the items of his clothing, including the rings, exuded an incredible amount of power, as if he were fully clothed in divine relics. As if each of his fingers held a Mj?lnir and his clothing consisted of the Shrouds of Turin.

    But that was the least of the problematic things the Great Red could see. In his hands shone a massive golden staff that exuded an unholy aura, with distorted hundreds of faces in agony, created from a tangle of golden serpents that atop created the likeness of a crown. Each serpent diverging from the center, each one holding one gem in its mouth.

    The feeling the staff gave off was even stronger than all his clothes combined, as if he were holding a [Longinus]. But the most striking thing, the thing that made Great Red pause, is in the center of his belly. Beneath his rib cage, the creature held a red orb, and one glance at it was enough to make the Great Red''s mind fog.

    The thing he saw ¨C was not a mere object. It was a world.

    An entire world, compressed into a small sphere like a toy, and displayed inside the body of the creature before him, for the amusement of the twisted being before the Great Red, like a trophy¡­ Like a trophy that had been changed into a weapon, the world before it was not merely compressed into a single sphere, it had also been changed to become a weapon¡­ A weapon against dragons.

    And its powers made the creature that knew no fear, feel fear for the first time in its eternity of existence.

    The picture formed in the Great Red''s mind a moment later. The insensible strange place, the scent of a draconic being, the breach in the Dimensional Gap¡­ all were things to lure him. As the Great Red had anticipated, they, the beings of another world, had come, all to invade Draconic Deus, in pursuit of their twisted goals and desires.

    And the Being before him already possessed a world that embodied a weapon against dragons¡­ He was here to kill Great Red.

    And when the Great Red felt fear ¨C he turned it into anger.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga exhaled as each of the now living Floor Guardians swore an oath of allegiance to him. He still couldn''t put his head around the fact that the game he had been playing for twelve years, Yggdrasil, had turned into reality¡­ If it was actually reality, and not just the product of his fevered dreams of his demented mind. A product of a man''s great grief, which had fallen asleep in the last moments of Yggdrasil''s existence and was now generating visions for Momonga that he desperately wanted to believe in.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Momonga shook his head ¨C reality or dream, doesn''t matter in the end, he could only live through it. Turning his gaze to the Guardians, frozen after their introduction to him, as if awaiting his verdict¡­ Something that he didn''t have in mind in the first place!

    ''What do I do?!'' Momonga''s thoughts were panicked for a moment, before he breathed out and instantly taking control as he felt his panic disappear, as if cut off in an instant.

    ''I don''t know why that kept happening ¨C but thanks to that, my image is still intact.''

    "Fine, my Guardians." Momonga tried to give a confident look to match his tone and was glad that his skeletal form could not sweat in terror or tremble with panic, or else he no doubt would be shaking.

    "Lift your heads ¨C verily, I have been blessed with such fine subordinates¡­"

    At these words, Albedo and Shalltear flinched slightly, but did nothing more, allowing Momonga to exhale.

    ''Okay, by all appearances things are going well, and they obey me, but¡­ What next?!''

    Momonga thought for a moment, he had absolutely no idea what orders he was supposed to be giving the Guardians at this point, but a moment later his panic disappeared, allowing him to grasp the saving thought. "Hmm, Sebas hasn''t come back with an answer yet¡­"

    "I apologize for his tardiness, Lord Momonga," Albedo replied instantly, bowing her head even deeper, "I will instantly dispatch a subordinate and bring him back to punish him for not appearing before you¡­"

    "No need," Momonga waved his hand aside as if to easily dismiss the thought from the table, and mentally rejoiced that he had once participated in Ainz Ooal Gown''s RP actions at Ulbert''s insistence. "I can just contact him. [Message]."

    In an instant, his [Message] reached Sebas, causing Momonga to inwardly exhale in relief. He hadn''t been able to contact any of the players he knew before, but apparently this ability had changed so that it now allowed him to contact former NPCs. It would be very embarrassing if that didn''t work. "Sebas?"

    "Yes, Lord Momonga?" Sebas instantly answered him in a short, professional tone.

    "Umu, what did you discover during your inspection of the new location of the Great Tomb? Were you able to encounter anyone intelligent? Can you identify them?"

    "There were no grounds to be found around the Great Tomb, only emptiness, but I was able to locate a member of the intelligent species." Sebas''s answer made Momonga freeze for a moment, "As far as I can tell, it is a ''Great Red Dragon''."

    And Sebas'' next words cause a great amount of panic to swell up.

    Momonga blinked a couple of times before a wave of calm suppressed the panic that had arisen in his soul. "Of course, I see, I''ll be there in a moment."

    Momonga, after finishing his talk with Sebas, glanced at the Floor Guardians in front of him, knowing that he would need their help if what Sebas said is true and there''s a Great Red Dragon just outside Nazarick.

    "At this moment, Sebas is faced with, umu, unintended consequences." Momonga nodded gravely, then glanced at the guards. "Prepare for the invasion- I will go personally to reconnoiter the situation."

    A moment later, Momonga used the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown] and immediately disappeared in a whirlwind of teleportation, transported to the first floor of the Great Tomb.

    ''What, the Great Red Dragon?! They''re all supposed to be in Muspelheim! What''s a farm boss doing here?!''

    After another moment, Momonga''s panic receded, allowing him to take a measured and sober assessment of the situation. "Hmm, if the NPC''s originally tied to the guild base got the ability to leave their posts ¨C it makes sense that other NPC''s, including mobs, got exactly the same opportunities¡­ I wonder why Nazarick were suddenly moved into a void, but it''s not that urgent at the moment, unlike the Great Red Dragon¡­ "

    Momonga exited the tomb and hid behind one of the many pillars in the Mausoleum outer yards. Carefully peeking out from behind the pillar, looking at the frozen lizard flying above Nazarick, noting that his gaze really only saw the black void outside the outer ring of Nazarick''s walls. "Hmm, looks really like the Great Red Dragon¡­ Why is one here, though?"

    The Great Red Dragon was one of Yggdrasil''s many dragon bosses, from the Great Dragons expansion ¨C there were dragons of all colors, including metallic ones. Ultimately, all of them were bosses, even if they were not the hardest. Each of these dragons possessed tremendous characteristics, higher than those of the average boss, which in turn greatly exceeded those of most players, but in return they were limited in their abilities.

    The Great Red Dragon, for example, could breathe fire, attack with a tail and paws that deal bludgeoning damage, claws, and teeth that slash and stab, fly, and had excellent defense thanks to its natural scaly armor and high regeneration. But other than that, there was nothing special in its abilities. It was just a big damage sponge that dropped not half-bad loot ¨C in other words, it was a ''farm boss''.

    No one seriously counted on the fact that he could kill a group of players prepared to face him, it was just another mob ¨C albeit a strong one. Of course, its characteristics far exceeded those of the average level one hundredth player, so even having prepared for its attacks no one was recommended to attack it alone, but overall it was a simple boss.

    However, this was only true for YGGDRASIL ¨C in this new world, this dragon could simply look like the ''Great Red Dragon'' but instead be the local counterpart to a World Enemy. For all Momonga knows, the dragon could possess power dozens of times greater than the combined power of the entire Nazarick¡­

    With that possibility in mind, Momonga should be careful and tried to engage in dialogue instead of attacking and try to determine what exactly this creature was and how exactly it ended up here.

    However, just in case, Momonga applied a defensive spell on himself. "[Body of Effulgent Beryl]."

    As far as Momonga himself knew, usually, the Great Red Dragon attacks first with its fire breath, something which was completely blocked by his usual equipment. But thanks to [Body of Effulgent Beryl] Momonga could also completely defend against any single crushing or bludgeoning attack, that is, the next paw or tail strike. The creature''s claws and teeth dealt slashing and stabbing damage, against which Momonga was highly protected against by his racial resilience.

    Judging from the fact that the dragon did not react to Momonga''s actions, it was not aggressive, but Momonga preferred to be prepared just in case, so he used [Gate] to teleport behind the creature''s back. He did so just in case it did decide to attack, to put it in an awkward position.

    For a moment after teleporting, Momonga marveled at the size of the creature ¨C it was much harder to appreciate the dragon''s size in the game¡­ A pause that made it too late for his mind to register that the dragon had turned toward him and exhaled flames.

    The player instincts of Satoru Suzuki, who was controlling the avatar named ''Momonga'' instantly oriented themselves for a fight. "[Flight]!"

    The firestorm that burst from the dragon''s throat slammed into Momonga''s body a moment later, but Momonga''s equipment''s effects immediately blocked the creature''s attack, allowing Momonga to emerge from the attack without a scratch. Some part of Momonga wondered how much damage the Great Red Dragon would have dealt him if he were without his equipment.

    When he had fought it in the past, its attacks had dealt Momonga great damage, when he had not yet put his full equipment in order. He was curious, but now he was not prepared to risk taking damage from the dragon, especially since that damage was fire, Momonga''s main weakness.

    "[False Data: Life], [False Data: Mana]." Momonga''s words coincided with Sebas''s actions, which leapt from his position on the ground as soon as the dragon had moved to attack his Master. He moved with such speed that he crashed like a bullet, or cannonball, into the dragon, making it tilt in flight like a boat rocking in a storm.

    "[Life Essence], [Mana Essence]." Momonga''s magic instantly hid his own parameters, just in case the dragon could see them, and allowed him to look at the dragon''s parameters ¨C more specifically, its HP and Mana values. It is without specific information in numbers, but it allowed him to see those as two huge lights, one blue, one red, each overlapping and yet completely separate, allowing Momonga to see clearly the differences between them. With some relief, he found out that the Red Dragon was not some World Enemy but instead exactly what he appears to be, the Great Red Dragon.

    ''Hmm, about the same as the Great Red Dragon¡­ In that case, it most likely also possesses the same abilities.''

    The staff of Ainz Ooal Gown that Momonga released from his hands glowed a moment later ¨C after which a huge flash of fire covered the creature''s body. Momonga can see through his abilities that this did virtually no damage to the dragon.

    ''The same resistances as well¡­''

    The dragon, however, having recovered from Sebas''s blow, began to turn its head toward him, apparently realizing that its fire had not worked on Momonga. Now it seems that the Dragon was planning to rain fire down on Sebas and wagging its tail sharply, wanting to blow Momonga off, probably along with the staff hovering beside Momonga.

    ''Good thing I prepared myself,'' Momonga inwardly nodded to himself as the tail approached,

    "[Body of Effulgent Beryl], [Grasp Heart]!"

    The dragon''s tail slammed into Momonga, but failed to damage or move him thanks to the effect of his magic once again, causing the dragon to flail in place, clearly not expecting to encounter such an obstacle in its path. After which a heart emerged in Momonga''s hands ¨C from the looks of it, the heart did not belong to humans, but Momonga was not educated enough to claim that for sure. ''Hmm, it worked differently before¡­ But I can experiment with that later.''

    A moment later, Momonga squeezed the heart in his hands, causing the dragon to freeze, judging by the way it clenched its paws, in a fit of pain, but that didn''t stop Sebas. Who immediately crashed into the creature again, causing the dragon, frozen and unbalanced by the pain Momonga''s spell had caused, to lose control of its flight.

    ''It''s to be expected that instakill won''t work against him. Though weak, it''s still a boss'' Momonga nodded.

    ''Although, [Grasp Heart] can hold a target for a few seconds anyway, so it''s not a waste.''

    Momonga''s staff glowed, followed a moment later by the glowing form of a humanoid giant, seemingly woven from flickering flashes of different colors flowing into each other.

    ''Primordial Star Elemental.'' Momonga nodded. ''A good choice for this fight. If the dragon is indeed a Great Red Dragon, the Primordial Water Elemental could do more damage with icy attacks, but it is incapable of flying. Something which would make it almost less than useless in this great void, unlike the Primordial Star Elemental.''

    Momonga suddenly had a strange feeling as if someone was thanking him for his actions, which was weird since there was no one else in the void besides him and Sebas. But before he could think about it more, Momonga returned his full attention to the battle, "[Obsidian Sword], [True Dark]."

    Moments later, an obsidian blade lashed out and slammed into the dragon''s body, but didn''t do much damage. ''I see, like in YGGDRASIL, physical damage that is not strong enough to pierce armor still does some damage. Sebas doesn''t do much damage either, but any damage is still good, at least it keeps the dragon''s regeneration occupied. As for it resisting damage of the ''none''-type from [True Dark], that''s a nasty discovery. In YGGDRASIL, the Great Red Dragon didn''t have much defense against that¡­ Though I sense the place is trying to use various types of debuffs on me, but thankfully my immunity from those, protects me. I suppose if it existed in this place, it should also have some protection from attacks of similar nature.''

    A pillar of darkness engulfed the dragon''s body, then Sebas struck another blow, pushing off the soaring island of the Great Tomb as he struck, sending the dragon''s body down, still lost in its control. But before it could fall down, Sebas pushed off the falling body, then with an acrobatic trick flew easily in an upward arc, ending up back in Nazarick before he could also fall into the void.

    The Primordial Star Elemental, meanwhile, rushed down after the creature.

    "Sebas, stay where you are," Momonga commanded the NPC, or former NPC, Momonga wasn''t going to think about what was happening about that right now. "[Flight]!"

    Momonga could have used [Mass Flight] to go with Sebas to the dragon, but Sebas'' mobility and speed in flight under Momonga''s control would have been low, so he preferred to go by himself. Taking advantage of the fact that as a mage he could be far away and didn''t need mobility as much, plus he spent significantly less mana on [Flight] than on [Mass Flight]. Both didn''t require much from Momonga, but he still preferred not to unnecessarily waste resources.

    Momonga rushed down into the void a moment later, feeling his staff instantly follow, using Momonga''s own functions instead of his spell, before seeing the dragon desperately tearing at the Star Elemental with its claws.

    Momonga''s gaze could tell even without determining the target''s HP that the fight didn''t come easily to the dragon. The dragon''s scales were scorched and burned by star fire in some places, but were already beginning to recover. A dragon''s regeneration was truly terrifying.

    "[Triplet Magic: Summon Undead X]" Momonga used the next spell, which immediately summoned three soaring ''Elemental Skulls'' that immediately used their spells to attack the dragon with [Polar Claw], the strongest non-super-tier ice magic. The original Star Elemental exploded in a flash of light, self-destructing and doing a lot of damage to the dragon, while also blocking its regeneration completely for a short time. After which another Primordial Star Elemental appeared next to the staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.

    Momonga only nodded at this, already having a pretty good idea of exactly how the battle with the dragon would proceed. "[Create High-tier Undead: Eternal Death]!"

    And as expected, Ainz Ooal Gown would emerge victorious once again.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The Great Red fought for his life in the hellish fight that had gone full tilt in seconds.

    After the undead appeared, the Great Red had attacked instantly. However, as if in mockery, the strongest being of Draconic Deus could not even scratch the undead, which first shook off the True Dragon''s fire as inconsequential. After which, when trying to strike the being, the Great Red had run into an insurmountable obstacle, which he could not even move.

    And then came the pain.

    The gray-haired man struck with such speed and force that the Great Red did not even have time to defend himself. Then his body was consumed by fire, then darkness, then his scales were slashed by a blade that continued to strike his body even now. And then came the cold and scalding fire of stars, and when the dragon managed to destroy the star creature, it exploded with icy fire, burning his scales before the creature was beside him again, just as it had before.

    And then came the unbridled fear ¨C an irrational sense of fear and helplessness crept into the Great Red''s mind. The creature who knew no defeat, who knew no fear and weakness, wanted to escape ¨C to escape, anywhere, to flee to earth from the creature that came from another world. Then, as if some thread inside his soul had been severed ¨C and the Great Red, the Dragon of the Apocalypse, howled in terror.

    It wasn''t Ophis that was weak ¨C it was all of them, all of them were unprepared for the emergence of creatures from other worlds¡­ And because of his pride, the world might pay an unimaginable price.

    The Great Red channeled all his energies into escaping. To warn all creatures of Draconic Deus of the terror that was coming for them, forcing all his strength toward forming a passage to Earth.

    All of it came to naught as something descended upon the dragon''s shoulders, cutting off his portal.

    "Hmm, it was definitely the [Gate] spell¡­" Right behind him, the skeleton''s voice sounded calm, as if he wasn''t fighting the Great Red at this point, but merely noticing an amusing detail of the surroundings. "Hmm, I suggest you surrender¡­ If you understand me, of course."

    Great Red realized that he could no longer sense his connection to the Dimensional Gap, as if the whole of it were completely locked off from him. And that the creature who had so easily dealt with the Great Red was offering him to surrender.

    It was his utter defeat.

    Perhaps, purely in terms of power reserves, he still had plenty of them, his regeneration was healing his wounds quickly, and he had enough energy to fight like this for a long time ¨C but he had already effectively lost. The creature in front of him had brushed aside all his attacks and possessed an incredible arsenal of abilities. He was also easily capable of creating creatures of inconceivable power with a single wave of his hand that could deal grave damage to him. He was covered with divine artifacts from head to toe and held an entire world inside him ¨C in a sense that no writer could ever dream of¡­

    And it was offering him surrender.

    As if it was tired of fighting the True Dragon ¨C as if the protector of Draconic Deus was less than a fly, an annoying creature that the alien invader was just too lazy to waste time destroying. It was as if he were suggesting that the Great Red simply step aside, like a mindless beast, to bend his knee and not interfere in the conquest of his world.

    A cruel joke and at the same time an ultimatum that combines the arrogance and confidence of the strong, more irritated by the need to kill the Great Red than frightened by it.

    If the Great Red could have laughed, he would have laughed. But instead of agreement, he only lunged at the creature again.

    "Umu, too bad, I would have liked to have some information." The creature merely sighed, as if watching a foolish student unable to understand a simple lesson. "[Triplet Maximized Magic: Reality Slash]."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Half an hour later, Momonga could finally take a relaxed breath ¨C though he didn''t need to do so in his new body, but it was how he dealt with the stress before. Now that the battle''s done he needed to do something else, sending a [Message].

    "Cocytus?"

    "Yes. Lord. Momonga?" His message''s recipient replied instantly, before snapping his mandibles, a sound that transmitted even through [Message].

    "Prepare a place on the Fifth Floor to store a very large body." Momonga glanced at the gigantic body he was holding aloft with magic at the moment.

    "You may also remove the alarm for the time being ¨C I have dealt with the enemy."

    "Yes. My. Lord. We. Watched. That. Happened. A. Great. Victory. My. Lord." Cocytus replied seriously.

    Momonga blinked, then turned his head before realizing. "You''ve asked for Nigredo''s help?"

    "Yes. My. Lord." Cocytus replied again, flicking his mandibles, "For. Us. There. Are. No. More. Great. Honor. Than. To. Watch. On. Your. Battle."

    ''If only it was something exciting. Though, actually, that might be a good thing¡­'' Momonga shook his head, then turned to Cocytus again,

    "The body¡­"

    "We. Have. Prepared. The. Place. Lord. Momonga. All. Clear. For. Moving." Cocytus answered once more, whereupon a [Gate] opened beneath Momonga, and he slowly sank into it.

    The dragon had fought desperately to the end, and was generally strong ¨C Momonga had to heal himself several times, and he wasted almost all of his mana and daily limits. Even all of his staff mana and limits were spent, with him needing to change his armor numerous times during the battle. But in the end, he won.

    The dragon was strong but fought very straightforwardly. His fighting style was a bit different from the ''Great Red Dragon'' that Momonga himself knew, like this one having a high resistance to parameter reduction from negative energy or trying to use [Gate] during the battle to escape. Such strategies showed that the dragon was not completely irrational, since he chose to retreat when he realized that he was at a disadvantage¡­

    However, in the end, he was limited in the abilities that he could use ¨C with his attacks consisting almost entirely of physical and fire ones. Even so, as fitting as a boss, the creature''s characteristics really were immense.

    It could kill most of the undead that Momonga summoned with one punch, and could take out a Primordial Star Elemental with two or three punches. Plus, the amount of HP and regeneration of the creature itself made the fight much, much harder. Momonga wasn''t saying that it was hard to beat him, but if Momonga hadn''t known the tactics to do it, and if he hadn''t had that much of an arsenal of abilities, he might have lost.

    Though, what clinched Momonga''s victory in the end was the fact that the dragon in front of him didn''t seem to have much experience in combat. Something which led Momonga to two opposing possibilities.

    Either the creature in front of him was much stronger than everyone else around him, which was why he had never had to learn the art of battle¡­ Or, alternatively, the creature in front of him was a novice, not having had time to learn anything yet.

    And while Momonga would have been happy to discover that is in fact the former, that such creatures were quite rare, he was not foolish enough to discount the latter. Still, if he had fought two such bosses at once, however limited in their abilities, he probably wouldn''t have been able to win ¨C so he couldn''t simply discount the second option.

    The first creature that Momonga discovered outside Nazarick in this world turned out to be a ''Great Red Dragon'' ¨C a mere coincidence was unlikely in this case, so perhaps similar creatures existed everywhere in this world? It was a dangerous and disturbing thought ¨C until he could disprove or confirm that thought, he had to be careful.

    Of course, other than the general level of strength of the place he had found himself and Nazarick in, the other pertinent question is ¨C where, in fact, was he?

    The surrounding emptiness stretched as far as he could see ¨C which even during the battle with the dragon, Momonga had never seen anything else around, which left him questioning exactly where he was at the moment.

    Judging from the fact that the dragon attempted to cast [Gate] ¨C there must be some other place than the endless void, somewhere the dragon was headed¡­ But after encountering a creature of great power, which Momonga only defeated because he had prepared for the battle initially ¨C and the fact that the creature had few ways to attack ¨C he was not prepared to set out blindly. Especially knowing the possibility that there are creatures in this world with at least ''farm-boss'' level of power, and thus there is quite likely someone stronger¡­

    Unless the strongest creature in this world has decided, for some strange reason, to stroll through the void and attack the first person it meets.

    At last, Momonga had fully passed along with the dragon''s body through the portal, and then emerged in the wake of it, glancing around.

    The fifth floor was a frozen wasteland, just as he remembered, allowing him to use it as a kind of refrigerator for the dragon''s body. Of course, in YGGDRASIL, slain enemies were simply supposed to drop items, after which suitable players with the right skills could strip the creatures'' corpses. But if this place was in fact a separate world and not YGGDRASIL, then it made sense that once a creature died its body had to be stripped by hand.

    Come to think of it that way, what else could have changed with the world?

    Momonga leaned on the staff ¨C after depleting his mana and daily abilities, the only use for the staff was to increase the parameters and enhance Momonga''s own abilities, including mana regeneration and so on. That was the only reason he was able to maintain [Flight] and cast [Gate] at the end of a draining battle.

    As he looked thoughtfully at the dragon corpse, and he wondered what drops he could expect, he almost missed as Cocytus approached, whereupon he knelt down on one knee as he approached Momonga. "My. Lord. What. Do. You. Desire. To. Do. With. The. Body. Of. The. Defeated?"

    Momonga thought about it for a moment, then unconsciously rubbed his chin in thought.

    The simplest and most logical thing would probably be to try various experiments with the dragon''s corpse ¨C but he wasn''t ready to test how resurrection works in this world right now. The dragon might have been a ''farm-boss'', and even if it were revived still hostile ¨C the forces on the Fifth Stage would quickly be able to pacify it, especially with the terrain effect of this floor.

    Still, Momonga was not prepared to risk resurrecting a rather powerful creature within Nazarick at this point¡­

    Next was, perhaps, processing the dragon''s body for reagents. Its blood, meat, bones, eyes, scales, wings, claws, teeth, heart ¨C every organ and inch of the Great Red Dragon''s body was a very valuable ingredient for crafting.

    That''s probably exactly the order Momonga would give ¨C but before he did, he hesitated.

    The ''Great Red Dragon'' of this world was slightly different from the ones Momonga himself knew of ¨C and just as Momonga''s magic had shown to be different from the way it worked in Yggdrasil¡­ In that case, perhaps Momonga should have done at least one test before giving the order to recycle the body after all?

    Although it was a ''farm-boss'', the Great Red Dragon, or its counterpart of this world, there is one last possible use for the body, [Dark Wisdom]. While it''s definitely not a player, hinted at by his abilities and the fact that players couldn''t choose a dragon race ¨C along with as many other facts like his predictability and inexperience in combat. However, as proved earlier with [Message], which was meant to communicate between players could now work in relation to NPCs a possibility exists.

    In other words, the difference between NPCs and players was at least blurred, maybe even erased ¨C which meant that Momonga had a chance that the most important ritual for his style of play would work.

    Momonga held out his hand, then placed his hand on the dragon''s muzzle, and uttered, "[Dark Wisdom]."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Once, no more than the cosmetic aura of the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, which represented dozens of souls screaming in agony, now it had taken a much more sinister role. And so, as Momonga activated his ability, another face was added to the choir of agony, the face of a man who subtly resembled a dragon in his appearance.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The dragon''s body instantly seemed to shrivel up, as if it had aged hundreds of thousands of years, not as dragons age, growing stronger. No, the body withered as if it were human, the scales began to be covered with wrinkles that instantly scarred even the beast''s impenetrable scales before the monolithic frame of the body cracked.

    However, when the viscous scarlet blood was about to spill onto the ground from the cracks that cut through the creature''s body, the cracks continued on and on and on, tearing the dragon''s body apart. Before long, all of it collapsed into dust, in an instant turning into dark particles that immediately rose from their place, spinning in the invisible wind, instantly enveloping Momonga''s body until his figure was completely hidden beneath them.

    Cocytus remained silent on one knee ¨C it was his Master''s action, which meant that what was happening was fully in line with his predictions and plan.

    Momonga, however, thought quite differently. ''Aw, crap, this looks very scary in reality!''

    Momonga''s mind forcibly calmed down a moment later, allowing him to silently begin to pick up on the details of the process. ''Umu, so this works differently in this world and apparently has the ability to affect at least some creatures. I didn''t feel like my level or parameters increased, not that I would know how that would feel, but my instincts were telling me that I would know. Still, the main effect of the ritual was to be able to learn a new spell from a slain enemy whose body you sacrificed in exchange for it¡­ Hmm, so this dragon had spells that I don''t know? It showed nothing special during the battle, perhaps it was some kind of regeneration or self-enhancement spell that I didn''t know before? If so, it''s extremely unfortunate, a low-rank enhancement spell is far worse than being able to harvest a dragon''s body¡­ Well, it''s only a farm-boss, I shouldn''t expect something great.''

    The dragon''s body, now fully turning to dust, completely transformed into a black vortex that swirls around Momonga, before it began to approach his body, gently touching his bones and soaking into it.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The Great Red possessed an affinity for magic that only dragons could possess ¨C if he wished, he would become an incredibly powerful mage¡­

    If he wished for it, that is.

    The Great Red had never met anyone strong enough to fight him ¨C except for the Ouroboros, but that was the only case, and Ouroboros eventually lost and escaped from the Great Red. So, there was no reason for him to find any other way to become stronger.

    Indeed, the Great Red never studied spells, for he did not need them.

    Except for one.

    One spell that the Great Red has used in the past. Though he could indeed appear in his form at any time in any of the worlds and many would be afraid to fight him, sometimes the best approach was not to win the battle, but to avoid it entirely.

    The Great Red possessed one single spell.

    In another world, in another story, he would have used that spell for the sake of his enemy and her ward, a boy with one stupid and, frankly, lustful dream.

    However, it was a different world and a different story.

    The story of Ainz Ooal Gown.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga blinked as he looked at the vanished body as it completely transformed into black ash that soaked into Momonga''s body before exhaling. "Umu, I have a strange feeling, as if it was inevitable¡­"

    Momonga sensed that he had received a new spell from the body of the slain dragon.

    The spell ¨C [Create Body].

 Prologue (2)

    Unfortunately, the Great Red Dragon''s body completely dissolved after Momonga used his most beloved and important of rituals on it, [Dark Wisdom], leaving him no reagents or materials to harvest.

    This saddened Momonga, but not much ¨C if the Great Red Dragons were common in this world, he could hunt them later. However, the new spell obtained from the slain dragon at least intrigued Momonga.

    Momonga did not know any spells from YGGDRASIL with this particular name, [Create Body], though he had learned all the spells that his opponents could use at any given moment in order to pick the right strategy to confront. Though, of course, this spell could simply be a secret of the other players that they hadn''t revealed all this time, this kind of thing happened more often than it might seem in YGGDRASIL. Information was critical to all players, and being able to hide their trump cards and convince their opponents of making incorrect preparation for PvP was the key to victory.

    On the other hand, Momonga knew a few spells, like [Polymorph] or the Super-tier Magic [Magnum Opus], Tabula Smaragdina knew the latter ¨C that were similar to what Momonga understood from his newly learned spell¡­ Well, he''ll find a use for it.

    In any case, after sending all the Guardians back to their posts and ordering Nigredo to begin exploring the surroundings around Nazarick, Momonga returned to his chambers, eager to begin experimenting with a newfound spell.

    The first experiments were quite successful, with the spell [Create Body] doing exactly what it said on the tin. The spell could change his body, to any one Momonga could imagine, capable of working as an illusion, but at the same time the created body was also fully alive and material.

    Momonga later tested how his new body worked. For example, in his skeleton body Momonga did not need to breathe, but by creating a new body, looking like his, Satoru Suzuki''s, old body he began to breathe reflexively and automatically.

    Momonga was a little scared, but after creating his body, he focused on stopping to breathe. And after twenty minutes without finding any negative effects, he just let his instinct take hold now that he knows that his body didn''t need oxygen.

    He then teleported to the treasury, whose atmosphere was completely saturated with the poisonous vapors of [Blood of Jormungandr], but after breathing a couple lungfuls, found that it had no negative effects on Momonga.

    From the information he managed to gather, the body Momonga created with the spell was considered a ''cosmetic object''. Healing potions still damaged him, for instance, while his passive skills still continued to work, and the undead on the first floors continued to ignore him. However, perhaps it was because he was a Nazarick''s master and not because he was still considered undead in the perception of the other undead?

    His new body also possessed all the abilities of his past body, as well as its weaknesses, and was capable of considerable customization.

    To begin with, back on the Sixth Floor, on the free plains, Momonga used a spell to create himself a dragon body. Instantly he grew to enormous size and was covered in scales, but Momonga''s claws provided him no bonuses as his ''natural weapon'', just as his scales provided him no additional armor. The created wings also proved unable to lift him into the air, though his change in size allowed him to look over the Sixth Floor from a dozen meters above. The experiment to see if he could turn smaller would be delayed, however¡­

    Momonga''s further experiments, however, were interrupted when Nigredo informed him that she had made a complete survey of Nazarick''s surroundings and found nothing but the same black void that Momonga had seen before. At least, that is what her scouting an area about the size of Japan back home. It might be possible that there exists something else beside the void, but at this point trying to reach it would be hazardous without any landmark to guide one back to Nazarick.

    This information reassured and alarmed Momonga a little at the same time. The fact that he need not fear any surprise attack at the moment did please Momonga, especially considering that Nazarick was protected from teleportation and outside surveillance, but the fact that he was actually currently in the void was disturbing. It was like what he imagined being lost in space would feel.

    Nazarick may have been home to Momonga, but he could not afford to hole himself in it all the time. Even assuming that he could stop spending money to maintain Nazarick, something Momonga was afraid to do in a world where he could easily stumble upon the Great Red Dragon outside the tomb. And that all NPCs could exist without the need for food due to their equipment, especially if Momonga distributed the contents of the treasury among them. An eternal existence in the void didn''t sound like something Momonga would like¡­

    Especially when knowing that there might exist unknown dangers outside the walls of Nazarick that might endanger it. Existences that existed outside of Nazarick''s surveillance, threats that Momonga would never suspect until the moment they strike.

    However, Momonga recalled the dragon''s attempt during the battle to open the [Gate] blocked by the [Dimensional Lock] that his staff had used a little earlier, and thought about it more. [Gate] was a high-level teleportation spell, capable of creating a passage for the player even into another of the nine worlds of YGGDRASIL. In other words, it was confirmation that in addition to the empty world Nazarick was currently in, there was at least one other world beyond that to which the dragon had planned to escape to.

    In addition, given the fact that the dragon had attempted to retreat to this world ¨C it most likely considered this place safe from Momonga. Which meant that somewhere there were other beings more powerful than the Great Red Dragon ¨C a kind of ''base'' for the dragon, or maybe even its ''lair''.

    Conjectures sadly would not fully answer Momonga''s questions as to why and how exactly the dragon ended up near Nazarick. That''s why Momonga authorized Nigredo to use her most powerful abilities as a master of surveillance to observe other worlds ¨C on the condition that she would act with extreme care, use only abilities fully covered by all possible spells and counter-spells from all sides, To be extra careful to spot any possible information when observing and, should any of the objects of surveillance notice something or her surveillance to be noticed by someone, to immediately retreat.

    Nigredo, of course, obeyed Momonga, and it was only at this point that Momonga realized that he was still using his ''created body'', namely his body of Satoru Suzuki, and Nigredo could still easily identify him as Momonga. This question intrigued Momonga ¨C but he came to the logical conclusion that it was likely that Nigredo had decided that no other creature could be in the Great Tomb of Nazarick at the moment but him. And that no one would dare to communicate with the Guardians the way he did, giving orders, even if his appearance was new to Nigredo. Either that, or [Message] also included some kind of caller ID.

    In any case, Momonga pushed these thoughts to a distant shelf focusing on Nigredo, as they looked at the first attempt at observing the other world, one that the Dragon had tried to connect to. Which, not so surprisingly after Momonga''s previous mental conclusions, worked.

    Momonga could see for a brief moment a world, full of high cliffs and mountains, and various caves¡­ Which proved to be full of dragons, of various kinds, ones Momonga could recognize at a glance, like simple reds, ice or bronzes, to the ones Momonga had seen for the first time.

    ''I see, no wonder the dragon wanted to escape here, this world seems to be full of dragons,''

    Momonga frowned, feeling something inside him stir. Dragons were the strongest race of all, possessing the strongest characteristics and, usually, a whole host of abilities that could simply be called ''cheats''.

    "Nigredo," Momonga turned to the girl, who looked at him intently with her unblinking, eyelidless eyes.

    "Be careful, but if you succeed, I need you to determine the dragon''s average level, abilities, and species, if you can do so. When you have done this, start checking and examining other worlds besides the one we are currently observing, your orders would be exactly the same ¨C catalog any possible dangers. This information is vital to all of Nazarick."

    "As you command, my Lord," Nigredo bowed deeply before turning to the screen before her, beginning to cast spells and use her abilities.

    Momonga, knowing that he could not help Nigredo, who was vastly superior to him in gathering information, immediately teleported back to the sixth floor. With nothing else to do, he proceeded to further explore the new spell abilities that he had obtained from the body of the slain dragon.

    Further research, however, only confirmed Momonga''s earlier conclusions, that his ''new'' body was more or less a ''cosmetic object'', like the way his robe emitted a black and red aura of ''terror'', which was essentially a purely cosmetic effect.

    The wings created by the spell could not lift Momonga into the air if he tried to take the form of an angel, dragon, or any other winged creature because it did not grant him [Flight]. Though, his body could change its size, either larger or smaller conferring a change in Point of View, but not anymore or less power. He''s just as strong as 40 meters tall or as small as a mouse.

    Momonga tried to test the limits of his size change, how big or small he could become. He stopped his experiments in getting larger when he realized that he could become at least several hundred meters tall, and still felt that he could become bigger still. Which he didn''t try, since, by this point, it would become more of a problem for Momonga than an advantage.

    The smallest size that Momonga could take was the size of a small insect, after which he tried to give himself [Flight] by shrinking his body and giving himself enormous wings, and then flapped them to try it out. This time, thanks to the laws of Physics, Momonga did manage to fly, but it was not easy to use unlike Momonga''s usual flight using magic.

    Although he could ''fly'' just by changing his body and physics, it would take him many years of experimentation with proportions and mastering with those until he could actually use his new wings reliably. Plus the fact that Momonga had to use physical laws, not magic, which supported creature flight, makes him susceptible to spells that use them.

    Further experiments displayed similar results. Any extra limbs he created worked almost perfectly, Momonga didn''t tangle with the extra legs when moving and the extra arms were automatically positioned so as not to interfere with Momonga''s main arms. Actually using them as separate limbs was another matter entirely, incredibly difficult. It is as if his body rejected attempts to use three arms at once.

    Only after twenty minutes of constant trial did Momonga manage to move the three arms simultaneously in different directions. Sadly, such a paltry feat required such a mental effort from Momonga that for a second Momonga thought his brain would explode from it.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Momonga had repeatedly seen users of more than one pair of limbs in his home world, with cybernetics advancing at a steady pace. But he also heard that getting used to and learning to use those required special extra modifications and was incredibly difficult for normal people to use.

    Contrarily, attempts to change his limbs to tentacles, for example, or to lengthen his limbs were much more functional. As long as Momonga acted relatively within his ''normal'' understanding of his normal body''s capabilities, he could use almost any form without problems.

    But when he tried to change his form to gain a ''natural advantage'', what in YGGDRASIL would be considered as ''racial abilities'', such as [Flight] or [Multi-armedness], he was immediately met with the most serious of resistance. In theory, he could force his body to use it, but it required such mental focus that any potential ideas about combat use instantly disappeared from his mind.

    Which was not to say, however, that there was no way Momonga could use the spell in combat, at least it could be used to deceive his opponent.

    His abilities, weaknesses, and immunity remained exactly as they were in his original body, regardless of which ''created body'' he used. In particular, he was able to create himself a body composed of fire, which would fool his enemy into thinking that fire was useless against him. Common sense after all was that trying to attack a living fire with a ball of fire was pointless, so any opponent would prefer to use ice magic against him. To which Momonga was completely immune due to his build.

    Momonga could also become minuscule and completely transparent ¨C this could not save him from special abilities or detection spells, but would allow him to easily pass unnoticed by unobservant enemies. Further experiments also revealed to him that his human body, though still fundamentally the same as his undead body, appeared fully alive. It was warm, had a pulse, and was stealthy enough that no detection spells or illusions or doppelg?ngers could detect the switch.

    With his ''false'' body, any observers would detect him as that creature in question ¨C it was even able to fool the senses of life-detection. Sebas, when Momonga set out to create a Draconid body but took a human form, still registered him, and probably to other creatures as well, as Draconid.

    Though, he was still primarily identified by them as ''Momonga'', which was an interesting feature that Momonga could not check until he found a being from outside the Nazarick.

    Also, along with changing his body, he could change the appearance of his equipment without changing its properties ¨C he could turn his robe into a ring and his ring into a robe. Trying to put on a duplicate piece of equipment, such as a robe while he was already wearing another robe that had taken the form of a ring, was also possible. But, this new robe worn ''on top of'' the original one had no additional effects, which was also great information.

    He could easily make his opponents see a completely different outfit worn than the one he was actually wearing ¨C adding another layer of information obfuscation. Although the inability to repeatedly use the same ''outfit slot'' did frustrate Momonga a bit. He couldn''t simply turn all his equipment into easily carried accessories.

    The last and most interesting experiment he had carried out was an experiment in the functions of his new body. Though it was not necessary to breathe, and while not enough time has passed for him to feel ravenous, the total lack of a sense of hunger probably also meant that he didn''t need to eat. Momonga easily concluded that this was because of his undead nature. But even without the need to, he was still able to breathe, smell, and feel touch in his new body, even more clearly than when he used an undead body.

    The sense of pain was still dulled either in his fleshy body ¨C he noted it, but only indirectly, as a fact. It seems that even with a human body, pain would not affect his thinking or feeling, while he could feel the delicate texture of the petals or leaves around him.

    Through this observation, Momonga realized another important feature, apparently his magically created body was fully functional in terms of the race whose appearance he was taking. Although he received no additional senses or abilities from other races, having taken human form, Momonga opened his inventory before retrieving [Infinite Water Pitch] from it along with one cup to test something.

    In YGGDRASIL, Momonga could enjoy various foods, drinks, and potions that provided various buffs, being as much a player as anyone else. YGGDRASIL however was severely limited by laws in terms of the sensations that players could receive from the environment. So there was naturally no smell or taste in the game. Having been moved to the new world, though, Momonga assumed that he could now taste ¨C and he definitely could smell¡­ The unfortunate smell of a burning dragon and a burning poisoned swamp still sticking to his nostrils.

    In this new world however, now, due to his condition, he was unable to eat food or drink drinks, as he was solely a mass of bones. All the food he bit off or drinks he tried to drink simply poured out through the empty space at the bottom of his mouth. By creating a new body for himself, however, Momonga could test whether the objects'' behavior would change in this regard.

    Pouring some water into the cup, Momonga put his [Infinite Water Pitch] back into his inventory, then brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. A moment later, he felt the cool taste of fresh spring water on his lips and tongue, which immediately rushed down his throat into his gullet and down into Momonga''s stomach.

    Unless you exclude the fact that in place of Momonga''s stomach was his World Class Item, so the water probably disappeared to an unknown destination never to appear again.

    For a second, Momonga had only one thought. ''Umu, this saves me a big weakness in the form of not being able to use potions or food giving buffs¡­ Plus, it was delicious.''

    The water that Momonga just drank was plain water without any additional features or effects. But because in the past in his world, Suzuki Satoru had existed on repeatedly distilled water that came to him along with nutritional rations. Created from poisoned sewage and industrial water after being repeatedly used and treated by industrial units and chemicals, the water that Momonga just drank was the most delicious water. Perhaps, even the most delicious drink that he had ever tasted.

    "Is this what the rich enjoyed in that world?" Momonga exclaimed for a second, then chuckled inwardly.

    "Hmm, it''s been less than twenty-four hours, but I already think of my past world as ''another'' world entirely, as if it was long ago and now has nothing to do with me¡­ Though, I suppose, that''s not surprising, I have already decided that even if I get the chance to return to my past world ¨C I won''t take it. So, it makes sense to start settling in the new world and consider my past world my ''past'' world, which I have no desire to return to."

    Momonga paused for a second, then checked his body again and looked around to see if the liquid had spilled anywhere else. He then listened to the sensations of his body to see if he had any desire to go to the bathroom. But wherever the water had disappeared to, it didn''t look like it was now waiting for a moment to come out. In fact, Momonga wasn''t even sure if his body at the moment had the same organs that his body was supposed to have, so his body functions at the moment remained a big mystery to him.

    Realizing this, Momonga nodded to himself and put his cup away in his inventory before returning to his experiments. "Umu, so I should start developing tactics that use my newfound abilities¡­ "

    ***

    Albedo raised her hands, folded in a prayerful gesture, then gazed lovingly at the [Throne of Kings] before her, on which her Lord, Momonga, had once sat. "Ah, my love, I pray that you will allow me to share your bed¡­ "

    When Sebas returned with the urgent report that, Lord Momonga, the Last of the Supreme Beings, and, in Albedo''s opinion, the only one worthy of the title, had gone into battle, Albedo had almost disobeyed the order to stay put. Every one of the Guardians of the Floors, every one of Nazarick, down to the last maid, was willing to go after him. Death in service was the ultimate reward for any of the beings of Nazarick, but the very thought that they might lose Him, the Last Supreme Being and Lord of the Supreme Beings, Lord Momonga, is unthinkable. It was an endless torture worse than any other.

    Albedo herself almost threw herself at Sebas for being there, before rushing to flee to her Lord, but Sebas uttered the most sacred of words, that he had received orders from Lord Momonga, that he should remain in Nazarick. These words managed for a moment to keep the Floor Guardians from acting harshly ¨C and from attacking Sebas for the perceived disloyalty, for his betrayal of Nazarick and the Forty-One Supreme Beings.

    But even assurances that Lord Momonga could always retreat if the battle failed, a ludicrous notion, could not completely appease the Floor Guardians.

    So the general decision to turn at short notice to go to Nigredo, Albedo''s own older sister, was formed unanimously and in a matter of seconds ¨C whereupon the Guardians instantly rushed to the Fifth Floor. All in order to be able to view her Beloved''s battle.

    Albedo was aware that her lover, Lord Momonga, always maintained a passive shield to protect him from surveillance, even when he wasn''t using his ring to completely hide him for observation. Nigredo however is a high level Area Guardian specialized enough to bypass that protection, even considering that it was Lord Momonga''s own protection.

    So the general procession of the Floor Guardians and Sebas, who had joined them, clearly also worried about Lord Momonga''s fate, made their way instantly to the Frozen Prison. After which, opening the way to Nigredo, are able to convey the necessary information and requests to her.

    Nigredo responded instantly, using her own abilities and spells to glimpse Lord Momonga''s battle¡­

    And what the Guardians of the Floors saw was breathtaking.

    For He had shown Himself to be a Ruler by taking their oaths, but now He had shown Himself to be a Warrior by fighting the beast. For each of the Guardians could tell that the dragon was vastly stronger than any of them.

    Yet He fought it one on one, seemingly without even noticing the danger from the creature, for He was cruel and efficient, clever and strong, cunning. Every action of the dragon were at the palm of His hand, always being one step ahead of the creature.

    In the end, He had easily dispatched even such a powerful foe with a ruthlessness and genius. Every blow from the beast were turned into another wound on the dragon''s own body, and every mad attack into a suitable step to showcase His own power.

    The dragon, what first had seemed a powerful enemy to all the Guardians, had become nothing more than a prop for a stage to demonstrate the power of their Lord, another stepping stone in their Lord''s ascendancy.

    Albedo''s heart seemed ready to burst with the emotions of admiration and lust that almost overwhelmed her¡­

    If it were not for that leech, Shalltear ¨C who began moaning halfway through the battle, Albedo would not have found a single reason to be displeased at all!

    In the end, after the battle, the enemy was defeated, and the beast, uttering its last howl, tried to throw itself away from the stage. But He, the Lord of Death, did not give it the right to leave the performance.

    And, moments later, Cocytus received a [Message] that Lord Momonga wished to return the body of the dragon to Nazarick as belonging by right to the Lord.

    Indeed, every creature should be glad of the opportunity to bestow his body upon the Great Lord, for it was the highest honor and favor that the Lord could bestow upon inferior beings outside the confines of Nazarick. Certainly, as their Lord commanded, Cocytus rushed away, to see if he could find a place that fit the parameters specified by Lord Momonga, while the other Guardians shuddered at His power again. Each of them repeating their oath again and again and wishing only to devote themselves even more to His service.

    But as the other Guardians left the Fifth Floor, returning to their sacred duties, Albedo lingered longest, wanting to enjoy the sight of Him a little longer. And, for the moment, since the Great Tomb of Nazarick was truly in the void and therefore not in need of general supervision, Albedo could afford to linger even for a moment.

    And what she saw sent shivers down her spine, for she saw her Lord take multiple forms, first as a man, then as a demon, an angel, and a dragon, and her heart filled with joy.

    None of the inhabitants of the Great Tomb knew the limits of the powers of the Supreme Beings, so to discover powers they had not known before was not strange. But Albedo''s heart was filled with joyful longing, not from the realization of their Lord''s power, but from the realization that her Lord had changed his body in order to¡­

    To share the bed with her.

    Albedo''s heart was filled with a sweet longing and delightful trill of this realization. It was so strong that it seemed as if her heart were about to burst, but Albedo managed to bring herself under control and return back to the [Throne of Kings]. Back to the feet of her Lord, waiting for the moment when He would utter the cherished words¡­

    Albedo raised her hands in a gesture of prayer, then lowered it, covering her eyes and making the deepest bow to the empty throne, barely touching the ground with her face¡­ Though, she was ready to kiss every inch of ground blessed by His footsteps, this was not the time.

    "Let the Great Tomb of Nazarick be forever ruled by the Lord of Supreme Beings, Lord Momonga," Albedo slowly raised her gaze to the throne, then looked at it lovingly, as if to complete a prayer before a god¡­ No, before the Supreme Being who stands above all gods of all worlds, repeating words she had only once heard from her Creator, Lord Tabula Smaragdina, but instantly understood their meaning. It was a gesture of longing, and of certainty.

    "Amen."

 Prologue (3)

    Momonga spent a few hours figuring out how his new spell worked before finally fitting it into his standard combat strategies before he considered his mission on the Sixth Floor complete. With that done, he returned to his chambers with the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown].

    Momonga was not at all bothered by his appearance ¨C which was odd enough.

    Though he had indeed spent an incredible amount of time in the body of his game avatar, Momonga, he was still, remained, and considered himself, at least until recently, a human.

    He did not resemble schoolchildren who called themselves ¡®elves¡¯ or ¡®lords of darkness¡¯ while playing games, and never once until then had he thought about something like ¡®Why are my hands not bone, I am Momonga, am I?¡¯ Except when he had a particularly vivid dream about Yggdrasil, confused in his sleep whether his dream was still going on at the moment.

    Any claim to the contrary is a filthy lie! He didn¡¯t suffer from Eight-Grade Syndrome!

    In other words, Momonga completely correlated with his human body¡­ until recently.

    When he had found himself in his skeletal body, back in the first moments of this new world, Momonga didn''t panic, at least about that, and was easily able to adapt to his new conditions. Except with some strange curiosity he began to notice the features of his ¡®old new¡¯ body, he was seemingly completely unconcerned that his body was now a collection of bones. Without the flesh and skin part, that is ¨C his education at least covered the part where every human does have bones inside their body.

    As he began experimenting with his newfound spell, Momonga only strengthened his own relative perception ¨C the bodies he created had almost no effect on his self-perception and did not cause Momonga to feel any ¡®wrongness¡¯. Whether it was a human, dragon, insect or just a mass of living fire, the only feeling of wrongness he got was trying to use the ¡®racial skills¡¯ of his new body, and his attempt to change his gender.

    Strangely, even though the formless mass of fire he could transform into was supposed to be sexless, Momonga still considered himself a man when taking this form. When he tried to take the form of a human woman, one of his past colleagues, he failed. Even when in the sexless form of fire as before, but concentrating on his desire to create a ¡®female blob of fire¡¯, a sense of impropriety forced him to abandon such a thing.

    ¡®I wonder if this is solely about my perception and psyche, or the fact that the female body also possesses certain ''racial'' or, in this case, ''sexual'' skills that I cannot fully utilize?¡¯ Momonga thought about it for a moment before shaking his head and raising his gaze to the door of his private quarters before entering it.

    Momonga had been in his chambers before, but had done so quite rarely, since the chambers created for Role Play were meaningless to Momonga. Other than the occasional chance to admire the beautiful interior ¨C which Momonga wasn¡¯t entirely what they are, only that they looked good.

    Momonga''s gaze momentarily slid over the expensive wood paneling, the magical chandelier, the desk, the huge bed covered with expensive sheets, Albedo, who was completely naked and now lying on the bed over the sheets, the pillows behind her head¡­

    Momonga felt as if there was something extra in the row of things he had been observing, before determining that it was most likely Albedo¡¯s presence. He was pretty sure that he hadn¡¯t edited Albedo¡¯s data to the extent that he had changed where she¡¯s usually located.

    Albedo''s completely naked figure lay on the sheets, black and purple bedspread with the gold embroidered symbol of Ainz Ooal Gown on top. Her voluminous breasts with pink nipples straight with excitement, heaving in tune with her noisy breathing, and her juices flowing down the inner surface of her thighs¡­

    Momonga instantly felt his mind begin to cloud over, before it was forcefully calmed down

    "Hmm, Albedo?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my Lord?¡± Albedo said with a gasp, causing Momonga''s mind to clear once more, as it nearly crashed by the mere tone of Albedo''s slightly husky voice¡­ perhaps as expected of a succubus, the ultimate seducer.

    ¡°You''re¡­  Naked," Momonga couldn''t resist pointing out the obvious and most important fact.

    ¡°Absolutely, my Lord," Albedo replied, stretching her lips in a lustful and enchanting smile, before suddenly flinching at the same time as her eyes widened in horror.

    ¡°Oh no, Lord Momonga, did you wish to undress me yourself?! I beg your pardon, I''ll get dressed now and¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Momonga tried to object to Albedo to calm her down, but when Albedo''s chest jerked up from her abrupt attempt to stand up, drawing Momonga''s gaze back to it and forcing his consciousness to clear again, he spoke slowly.

    ¡°Umu, that is, yes, you must get dressed because I¡­  ¡°Momonga¡¯s mind once again grasped at the saving thought, saving him from embarrassment. Though what it¡¯s saving him from, he rather not know.

    "Nigredo is inspecting the other worlds at the moment, and she has discovered a detail that seems important to me, so I have come to inform you that I am departing at this moment and that you¡­ Umu, that you remain temporarily as leader of the Nazarick¡±

    ¡°Certainly, my Lord!¡±  Instantly, Albedo dropped to her knees, bowing her head and putting her hand to her chest¡­ An action that took place while Albedo was still completely naked, causing Momonga to involuntarily draw a parallel with the eroge that Peroroncino had once spoken of. And found that what he saw before him was far better than what Peroroncino had spoken of in the past¡­

    His suppression of emotion again allowed Momonga to shed the rosy haze from his thoughts and respond quickly. ¡°Yes, Umu, have a good day, I''m off.¡±

    After another moment, Momonga used the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown] functions and teleported to the Fifth Floor, the Frozen Prison, his mind instinctively knowing that he needed to ¡®cool off¡¯.

    After which he exhaled, shouting inwardly, ¡®What was that?!¡¯

    After another moment, the suppression of emotion helped Momonga look at the situation calmly again. "Hmm, if you think about it this way ¨C the very first experiment I did in this world was to touch Albedo''s chest, and she had expressed that she liked it. So, it makes sense that she thought as if something like that would have a continuation. Besides, I changed her settings in the last minutes of YGGDRASIL and prescribed that she was in love with me, so it made sense that she would come to me for that¡­ Ah, Tabula, I apologize, but I defiled the NPC you created, I am very much regretful. Besides that ¨C how am I supposed to react to this now!"

    Momonga felt his emotions being forcibly suppressed again. "In the past world, I was a loser with no family or girlfriend ¨C I didn''t go on dates and died a virgin¡­  And Albedo does look gorgeous, she was created by Tabula Smaragdina, he completely did his best modeling her appearance, creating a truly world-class beauty. I just panicked, how else was I supposed to react to this?! I need to let Albedo know that her feelings are not real and were something her creator did not plan to put in her, before something irreparable happens¡­ Even if she hates me ¨C better she does it now than after I defile her even more." While Momopnga felt a certain sense of sadness at losing her love, it was something that he must do!

    "But even so, I need to gather my thoughts, prepare for her reaction¡­" Momonga imagined the moment when Albedo''s beautiful features would turn into an angry grimace, and she would cover him with insults and his nonexistent¡­ When he tried imagining it as Tabula saying it, he couldn¡¯t bear it. The newly existing heart in his new body ached with pain.

    "Albedo, I''m sorry, I never planned for it to turn out like this¡­ "

    Momonga inhaled and exhaled several times, then looked down at his hands.

    His current body was that of a human, Momonga had used his past appearance as a model, without some details like biomechanical changes to his skin or pupils, or a connector for the hardware on the back of his head. It was a regular human body, like the ones he regularly saw in YGGDRASIL.

    "Can I even think about touching Albedo?" Momonga was suddenly in the deep throes of depression. He was not handsome, while Albedo was simply incredible ¨C everything from the tips of his hair to¡­ The suppression of emotion worked again the moment Momonga''s mind began imagining a completely naked Albedo and her groin region. Something Momonga had not seen in the past except in porn and brothels.

    And then Momonga lowered his gaze again, looking at the way the pants that had seemed fitting before were starting to get a bit too tight.

    "Well, that''s¡­ Expected, I guess," Momonga shook his head.

    Though his mind was clearing from the mental effects of arousal, because of what it was, his abilities did not affect his body¡¯s natural reaction. A body which was responding to the expected reaction of the normal body of an ordinary man who had just encountered the incredible and aroused beauty of Albedo.

    Momonga was suddenly hit with a realization, as he pulled a blade from his inventory and sliced his arm, aiming to hit all the deep veins, then watched as his blood poured from the cut arm. The initial blow did some damage to him along with the cut, but the blood that poured down did not continue to damage him.

    "Hmm, as in the original body, human body-related debuffs like [Bleed] don''t apply to my body, but the cosmetic effect makes it look like I keep bleeding. Another trick in my arsenal ¨C but I need to be careful. I don''t know yet if my blood would be considered blood suitable for activating vampiric abilities or Shalltear¡¯s [Blood Madness], for example. Hmm, actually, how much blood could I draw from my body, before it affects my health, if it does at all. Would the blood flow indefinitely?"

    Momonga held that thought and set it aside for a while.

    Judging by the presence of physiological responses, and the ability to breath, and drink water, his spell-created body could somehow mimic the functions of a full body, right down to bleeding and demonstrating arousal¡­ It might take some more experimentation with this before Momonga could fully get used to his body ¨C but it could wait awhile.

    So Momonga applied [Create Body] once more, reverting to his usual appearance and looking at the small pool of blood under his feet before shaking his head. "I escaped from Albedo by saying that Nigredo got some information about the world around us¡­ I should probably at least check Nigredo''s progress in that case."

    After taking the decision, Momonga slowly moved forward, looking out over the ice-covered mansion of the Fifth Floor, before making his way to the door leading to Nigredo''s room.

    Under normal circumstances, anyone entering would have to do a certain sequence of actions to ensure that Nigredo would not attack anyone who entered. Something especially important in this ¡®Friendly Fire allowed¡¯ world.

    But, given that the Floor Guards had done this sequence before and Nigredo was currently working under the orders of Momonga himself, he didn¡¯t need to worry about this. So, knocking for decency¡¯s sake, Momonga opened the door leading to the Area under Nigredo''s control¡­ Instantly finding Nigredo on one knee, head bowed.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Momonga could trace a similarity in the posture of Albedo and Nigredo, whom Tabula had created as sisters¡­ However, at the same time, where Albedo evoked love and desire, Nigredo, whose face was completely devoid of skin, hardly aroused Momonga himself. He had no desire to check if it would happen if the older sister took on a similar state of dress as his younger ¨C that is completely nude. He really didn¡¯t want to know what horror Tabula¡¯s mind could conjure up behind her dress.

    ¡°Lord Momonga," Nigredo uttered in her low, chested female voice, "You have arrived at the right time ¨C as expected¡­¡±

    "Yes?" Momonga was inwardly surprised, but did not show it, rejoicing at the fact that if he was not willing to show emotion on his face, his face would show his standard expression¡­ Which meant, none, since his ¡®real¡¯ body was a skeleton without a face.

    ¡°Umu, of course. What have you discovered, Nigredo?¡±

    ¡°My Lord, you can see it now," Momonga looked up from Nigredo to see a screen showing¡­  A girl revealing two black raven wings?

    ¡®Hmm, she doesn''t look like a ''bird man'' like Peroroncino¡­ Maybe a fallen angel? Or is it a unique race of this world?¡¯

    After another moment, Momonga noticed the fact that in front of the girl, dressed, it seemed, in normal human clothes, was a boy. Judging by his appearance, height, and clothing that suggested something like a school uniform, was a schoolboy himself, with short brown hair sticking out in different directions.

    ¡°My Lord," Nigredo never rose from her seat, "I have discovered several worlds in the course of my observation, and I can assume that there are more ¨C I have also examined the various inhabitants and stumbled upon this man.¡±

    Apparently the guy and the girl were talking at the moment, however, after exchanging words, the girl took half a step back, after which an object that resembled a spear appeared in her hands. So it seems that the inhabitants of this world had some fighting strength, Momonga was curious what the boy could do.

    ¡°And what did you find out?¡± With a strange sense of detachment, Momonga watched as the guy, seemingly surprised by the girl''s actions, took a step back, then nearly stumbled, falling on his back, which made the girl with wings in front of him laugh. Truly, it is important to be alert at any time, as shown by the boy failing to prepare any defense against the girl¡¯s assault. Of course, it is very possible that the boy was just acting¡­

    ¡®Hmm, I''m watching, most likely, the last moments of a schoolboy, a young person and feel nothing from this picture¡­  It''s like I really stopped being human ¨C although I can take human form thanks to the new spell. Then again, such a sight was a dime a dozen back in the corporate hellhole I called a home ¨C but to feel nothing¡­¡¯

    ¡°According to your orders, I¡¯ve maintained complete secrecy and was extremely cautious in my assessment, but I was able to determine that most of the creatures of this world are extremely weak," Nigredo''s words caused Momonga to calm down slightly.

    ¡°The average level of creatures of this world ranges from ten to forty, though I have come across creatures of level fifty or sixty on several occasions. I was also able to detect creatures that were most likely stronger, but remembering your order and not knowing their abilities and counter-surveillance capabilities, I retreated.¡±

    ¡®That''s not bad, actually.¡¯ Momonga nodded. ¡®In YGGDRASIL the real game didn¡¯t really begin until level 70, with the previous levels considered ''training'', where any actual battlefield value started on level 90. The information that creatures of this world were weaker than usual is really nice, but at the same time, the information that there is someone stronger than this level still makes me wary. Especially since I don¡¯t know how many potential enemies there are.¡¯ Momonga would¡¯ve liked to scout out these ¡®stronger¡¯ creatures, but it¡¯s too risky ¨C there¡¯s no point in getting more information only to trigger the enemy¡¯s attack.

    ¡®In the past, Nazarick has been able to withstand the largest raid in the history of YGGDRASIL, involving a total of fifteen hundred members. But such a thing is an inherently losing position, as in this case Nazarick will have to go into siege mode entirely. An alarming news¡­¡¯

    ¡°Umu, but why exactly are you looking at this man?¡± The girl''s spear snapped from her hand, then slammed into the guy''s body, piercing through his abdomen. And though Nigredo''s observation provided no sound at the moment, from the looks of it, the girl then burst into laughter, while the guy, holding onto the spear, fell to the ground, beginning to cough up blood instantly. "Is he strong?¡±

    ¡®Yup, that¡¯s definitely a fatal wound¡­¡¯ Momonga himself was surprised at the callousness of his remark.

    ¡°I don''t think so, my Lord ¨C my observation revealed that his level is probably below the fifth, while the fallen angel''s level is below the twentieth," Momonga only shook his head at these words. The difference in power between levels increased exponentially. The difference between level one and twenty was magnitudes lesser than the difference between ninety-nine and one hundred, but even so, a fifteen level difference meant that the guy had no chance in a battle against the girl¡­ And it seems that Momonga''s earlier assumption was correct ¨C it really was a fallen angel.

    ¡°But the observation also revealed that this person possessed an artifact of considerable power.¡±

    ¡®Hmm!¡¯ Momonga suddenly felt more interested in the screen, as he could feel his collector instincts begin to kick in. Collecting new artifacts was always a pleasant addition to Momonga''s pastime ¨C especially if it was a potentially unknown artifact from another world, power aside.

    ¡°So¡­  What level of power did you detect?¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­ " Nigredo answered slowly, as if unsure. "A World-Class item?

    Momonga blinked.

    The whole world seemed to stand still for a moment¡­

    Before the [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] appeared in Momonga''s hands.

    ¡°Seal all exits from Nazarick, full alert, prepare everyone for battle," Momonga uttered commands so quickly that they seemed to merge into a single word, then in one motion changed one of the rings to one that completely protected him from all surveillance and used a spell. ¡°[Gate]!¡±

    ***

    Issei Hyoudou tried to breathe desperately, finding that he could only get a coughing wheeze instead, trying against all hope to keep the blood draining from his body. Touching the spear that pierced his body burned his hands, but Issei still hoped that he could get it out of his body. But his arms grew weaker by the second and more and more blood gushed out of his body with each shaking fit of coughing in his chest, each one a searing pain in his punctured lungs.

    ¡°Really? In one fell swoop?¡± Yuma''s voice ¨C no, not Yuma, the girl he''d gone out with, but the fallen angel Raynare, if that was her real name. She seemed to be both encouraging and almost joyous as he watched Issei struggling to breath and dying.

    ¡°I thought you''re going to be a problem, but fuck, you were so weak¡­ Yeah, just my luck.¡±

    After another moment, the spear that had pierced his body disappeared, and Issei, who had been held in place until then thanks to the spear, fell to the ground. The sudden change in elevation caused him to hit his head on the dirt that had already mixed with his drained blood into the slush.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a job well done, maybe I¡¯ll even get some praise from lord Azazel? Time to go, see you later, Issei!¡±  Raynare''s mocking voice sounded the same time as Issei heard the flapping of wings, as if someone had opened them, preparing to fly. All Issei''s remaining strength was enough to strain his leaden arms one last time to roll over onto his back, to see his murderer, to see Raynare, preparing to fly¡­

    And to see¡­ Death.

    A black portal, it seemed, from the sight of which Issei''s soul sought to leave his body, taking his gaze into the blackest and darkest depths of space, consuming all light.

    ¡®So that''s what you are¡­¡¯ Issei chuckled weakly, feeling his consciousness begin to leave him following the sight of Death coming for him. ¡®A tunnel, at the end of which I will see only light¡­  Ha ha, God, when I see you¡­ Or maybe the devil, perversion is a sin I¡¯ve been told¡­ I have a few questions about the job of your angels¡­ I would like to lodge a complaint¡­¡¯

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Raynare, however, has a wildly different response to the sudden appearance of the portal. Recoiling, as she looked in equal measure of interest, apprehension and fear, before turning around, trying to flee. "All right, fuck it, my job¡¯s already done anyway!¡±

    However, Issei could not even try to escape as Raynare had intended to do, forced to watch as the first thing to emerge from the dark passage was¡­ a staff? A very expensive-looking staff, brimming with so much power, that even the dying Issei could tell.

    A golden, sun-shining staff as if made of intertwined golden snakes, each rising to the top to form a crown as the snakes faced away from the center. In each snakes¡¯ mouth, a shimmering gem of one of seven colors, while the staff itself was covered in a sinister black and red aura. From that staff wafted illusionary figures rising for moments as faces twisted in agony, as if screaming in pain, before falling back into oblivion. And holding that staff was¡­

    A middle-aged Japanese man.

    Indeed, a terrifying staff, the mere sight of which sent shivers down Issei''s spine, was held by a man Issei could easily have met on the street, in a store or even at school. Only the realization that middle-aged Japanese didn''t hold such staffs or appear from black portals kept Issei from exclaiming that this man was a mere passerby¡­

    Other than the fact that Issei''s lungs were completely punctured and now filled with blood, and Issei himself was dying, of course.

    A moment later, the man turned from Issei to Raynare, who immediately cried out in fear. Issei could see another spear of light in her hands that had earlier pierced Issei''s chest, whereupon she threw the spear. But unlike with Issei, the spear of light suddenly shattered powerlessly before it even reached the man a dozen centimeters away.

    The man only lifted his hand and spoke out calmly in response ¨C even his voice sounded so normal. ¡°[Mass Hold Species].¡±

    A moment later, Issei realized that he couldn''t move an inch, though perhaps the reason was that his body was finally starting to fail after being wounded. But, as the magical circle of hundreds of intertwined symbols that instantly appeared under him and the fact that Raynare was also frozen in place told him, it wasn''t. At least it was not just because his body was finally starting to fail.

    In a blink of an eye, the man was already standing next to Raynare with a speed that Issei couldn¡¯t parse. Then, with a single movement of his hand, he grabbed her and sent her hurtling inside the black portal. After another moment, Issei realized that his consciousness had finally completely failed him, and he was being sent into the darkness¡­ He was finally going to die, he didn¡¯t even have time to mutter his last regrets, his full attention on the battle between Raynare and the middle-aged man.

    Only to feel a life-giving spring-flavored moisture pouring into his mouth a second later ¨C the pain instantly receding before him, and Issei abruptly opened his eyes. As his consciousness returned fully ¨C the first thing Issei saw was the middle-aged man leaning over him¡­

    The man''s eyes expressed nothing.

    There seemed to be absolutely nothing in them, nothing human, no compassion or pity, as if he were looking into the eyes of a wax figure that had suddenly descended from its stand.

    Issei would have shuddered if he could ¨C but the man, no, the creature with the appearance of a man only picked Issei up with one hand, whereupon Issei realized himself already in flight, approaching a dark gap in space.

    A sharp jolt caused the flier sheet that he''d received earlier from the girl who handed them out to fall out of Issei''s pocket. But now Issei had very different problems to worry about, the flier falling out of his pocket.

    However, the man who instantly followed him in, picked up the leaflet on the flier as he went, before dashing inside after the boy, completely disappearing from the outside world.

    A moment later, the black portal closed, as if it had shrunk to a single point until the point itself disappeared.

    The only evidence that anything had happened there recently was the tiny hole where the Fallen¡¯s spear had pierced the pavement, and the pool of blood, the last reminder of Issei Hyoudou.

    ***

    Rias wrinkled her nose before she sneezed.

    ¡°Something wrong, miss~tress~?¡± Akeno poke out in a teasing voice that many guys would find seductive, but Rias only found annoying at the moment.

    ¡°A contract just stopped working,¡± Rias only exhaled and shook her head. ¡°The demon summoning one.¡±

    ¡°Did it go out of range?¡± Her knight, Yuto, asked the most logical of possible questions.

    Unfortunately, in the life of demons executing the contracts of humans, there are all kinds of kinks that make their job harder. The person who took the flier, for example, could board a plane and fly to the other side of the world, ending up in the territory of a completely different pantheon. A group which would not regard the appearance of demons in their territory calmly. Not to mention the energy consumption for long-range teleportation, making any possible contract not worth it.

    Rias could, in theory, teleport a few hundred kilometers, maybe even a total of a thousand, through several jumps, but such an action would have left her completely without power for a while.

    ¡°Then it wouldn''t have activated in the first place," Rias frowned as she was in the process of being summoned before the beacon that was supposed to direct her towards the flier suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Maybe it was wards.¡± Akeno made another suggestion.

    ¡°Though, it would take a lot of strength for it to be able to block a summoning contract.¡±

    ¡°I hope not," Rias shook her head. The Fallen on the edge of the city was an old problem that Rias could never quite get rid of. Because of the potential scandal of a clash between the Fallen and the younger sister of the current ruling Satan under the title Lucifer, the situation could turn very bad very quickly.

    The only consolation for Rias in that headache was that the gathered Fallen were weak enough so that at any moment, if the situation called for it, Rias could deal with the enemy with her own strength. To find out that they''d gotten a reasonably strong barrier master from somewhere now would have been unpleasant.

    Not to mention, in that case, there was the question of who had actually started to summon Rias. Judging from the fact that the contract required Rias and her power, the wish must have been really significant ¨C if the Fallen found this man and for some reason dragged him under the barrier¡­ Oh, the situation didn''t look good.

    But because of the political implications, it simply couldn''t be handled in one fell swoop by Rias.

    ¡°Well, don''t sulk, miss~tress~.¡± Akeno melodically spoke again, causing Rias to try on the pillow beside her for a moment, weighing it in the manner of a throwing projectile. Akeno sighed almost despondently at that, hiding her face with her hands.

    Rias clutched the pillow in her hands, but still exhaled and placed it beside her. And then, gathering herself again, returned to the discussion that had been interrupted a moment earlier by the call of the contract, which was now clearly not working.

    "So, we go back to the question¡­ Who has any ideas where to find strong pieces in anticipation of the battle with Riser?¡±

 Prologue (4)

    Momonga worked as fast as he could, pulling off the theft of a potential World Class Item from under a potential enemy''s nose in a textbook-example fashion.

    However, the [Gate] he opened did not lead back to the Frozen Prison. Although that place was probably more suited to holding an enemy on a long term basis, at this point, with the suspicion that the guy possessed a World Class Item, it was too dangerous to leave him unsupervised.

    The [Throne of Kings] blocked the use of World Class Items (WCI) in Nazarick and whose target was Nazarick, but it was a necessary risk for the tantalizing treasure that he''s fishing. It is almost a miracle and a half to find a low-leveled character possessing a World Class item. But then, with its nature as an incredibly random find, it''s no surprise that a low-level player could actually find one. It is also equally no surprise that the guy just got PKed.

    Usually, WCIs were owned by one-hundredth-level players, and only those with the support of a strong enough guild behind them, who decided to give the artifact to either the strongest or most strategically fit member.

    In that case, Momonga couldn''t allow a potentially incredibly strong opponent who managed to maybe fool Nigredo''s assessment and the opponent who managed to kill him to access the Fifth Floor immediately. While it is likely that Nigredo''s assessment were correct, it is very unlikely that a WCI possessor to be so weak as to be level 5. And that the assailant that had managed to assassinate and figure out the location of a WCI to be a mere level 20.

    So instead, Momonga moved the both of them to the first floor, next to the entrance to the Nazarick Tomb, to the room where the teleportation trap was located.

    Momonga possessed his own World Class Item, in addition to the work of [Throne of Kings], and so could withstand a surprise attack by an unknown artifact, and the teleportation trap could activate if necessary, separating the enemies. Just in case Momonga found out that they weren''t really in conflict with each other, or took out Momonga himself if they blocked teleportation in some way.

    Fortunately, Momonga''s magic worked without any problems, paralyzing the two potential opponents. And Momonga''s cast spell, [Life Essence], which allows Momonga to see the opponent''s health value, confirmed that the guy''s HP, which had dropped to almost zero, recovered as he had used a [Minor Healing Potion].

    Experienced players could control the information manifested by using [False Data: Life] spell at the same time as taking damage or healing. But most likely the guy wasn''t using the spell after all and was indeed practically dead before Momonga''s potion took effect, which means he was also not an ally of the fallen angel.

    Even so, though, Momonga wasn''t ready to settle down so easily ¨C especially when it came to a potential World Class Item.

    "[Mass Charm Species]!" Momonga applied another spell, whereupon the girl and the boy, who had previously been looking around and trying to wriggle out of Momonga''s spell, slumped slightly as their facial expressions relaxed, and they looked at Momonga carefully.

    "What''s your name, friends?" Momonga addressed the two in the most ''friendly'' tone he could.

    "Raynare," The winged girl replied, after which her wings disappeared instantly.

    "Hyoudou Issei," The boy replied soon after, then turned his head to the girl, "So your real name really is Raynare, not Yuuma?"

    "Yes, that''s my real name," She nodded, before Momonga took a closer look at the girl.

    Dressed in the most ordinary clothes, at least for this world, since Momonga didn''t think a light cream-colored blouse and dark dress along with small black heeled shoes would have lived long in his past world on the street. The girl was quite tall, with black hair and violet colored eyes¡­

    ''Not the strangest eye color I''ve ever seen'' Momonga shook his head, remembering how his acquaintances from his past world were constantly changing their appearance. He then looked at the guy ¨C a short-cropped brown hair with strands sticking out in different directions, maybe a hundred and seventy centimeters tall, and with brown eyes, silently looking at Raynare.

    "I don''t want to interrupt you." Momonga realized, however, that most likely his magic did work and Issei would start questioning Raynare about the cause of his death next. And thinking about what happened could break the spell, so Momonga decided to interject.

    "Raynare, would you please step aside and wait in the hallway for me for a bit?"

    She only frowned a bit at Momonga''s ''request'', proving that she''s uncomfortable with the command, though her magic made her see Momonga as a ''close friend'', and so she nodded.

    "Absolutely," Rayanare replied, and Momonga nodded, as he lifted the [Mass Hold Species] spell in effect, allowing Raynare to leave the room, before turning to Issei, who had risen from his seat and was shaking himself off, looking around.

    "Issei, tell me, do you have a World Class Item?" Momonga decided to take the bull by the horns and asked an important question.

    "Um¡­" Issei was clearly embarrassed by this question, and not a little bit confused.

    "I don''t think so¡­ But then, I don''t know what a ''World Class Item'' is."

    "Hmm, I see," Momonga mentally noted that Issei probably didn''t know the terminology of YGGDRASIL players, existing, literally, in another world entirely.

    "In that case, maybe you have some artifacts? Magical ones, I mean."

    Issei only frowned harder. "No, I don''t think so¡­ At least, I''ve never seen them?"

    "Although Raynare said I had, um¡­" Issei frowned again, trying to remember the specific term.

    "A [Sacred Gear]? Which was supposed to be dangerous, or something like that¡­ Could that be it?"

    "Probably," Momonga noted that this was probably what he needed, but decided not to tell Issei,

    "And until now you, um¡­ Didn''t know you had it? You didn''t check your inventory?"

    "No, I didn''t," Issei shrugged, "I didn''t even know magic existed until today, I''ve never checked the storeroom either. Or is this inventory like in the games? Do I get one of those?"

    "Probably." Momonga shied away again. "Can you summon it now?"

    "No, I can''t, but maybe now¡­" Issei frowned and then tried to concentrate, but after a few seconds he exhaled, no WCI in sight.

    "No, I guess I can''t. Or like I don''t know how to do it? Can you teach me?"

    "Umu, a little later." Momonga didn''t even think for a second about teaching the guy how to use the World Class Item, not if the guy didn''t know that he possessed the artifact and couldn''t summon it himself. Hmm, if his [Sacred Gear] really wasn''t summoned at the moment, the only answer to where it was now was the player''s ''inventory''.

    And to get an item out of someone''s Inventory ¨C it took thief classes. Something that Momonga didn''t possess but could easily get.

    For a brief moment, Momonga thought about summoning Aura, being a level one hundred [Ranger], she had good enough skills in thievery, but in the end decided not to do it anyway. She was specialized as a [Beast Master], while her stealing skills were rudimentary at best.

    Most likely, Momonga needs to summon a specialist in order not to miss out on the World Class Item. He most likely needs to take a visit to Ashurbanipal, the Great Library of Nazarick, and summon a creature specialized in theft, a high level one¡­ Momonga probably should choke his greed, thinking that it''s a waste, and maybe summon a 100th level thief in that case.

    ''So, it''s decided,'' Momonga nodded before turning back to the conversation. "Umu, you said you only encountered magic today? Is Magic not common in this world?"

    "''This World''?" Issei grasped at the strange wording before patting his eyes a few times and returning to the discussion.

    "No, of course not. Magic in this world is nothing more than fairy tales and legends, though some temples or TV shows talk about practicing magic. But so far I haven''t seen a single real magician, until I''ve met Raynare and you that is."

    "Umu, I see." Momonga noted internally both the fact that magic was not common in this world, at least not that Issei knew, and the fact that magical beings, like fallen angels, were not commonly known.

    "I take it that the only intelligent population of this world are humans¡­ Speaking of which, what is it called, the world that is?"

    "Yes, only humans live in this world¡­ Um, well, at least I always thought so," Issei clearly remembered Raynare at the last moment and corrected himself "And, well, um, this planet is called Earth¡­"

    Momonga blinked, hearing a very familiar name coming out very unexpectedly.

    ''Did I go back in time?!'' The panic inside Momonga was instantly quelled, he did see some antic buildings that are common in the 21st Century, but just put the thought away at that moment.

    ''No, there were no other worlds on Earth¡­ Or did I just not know? Issei apparently never knew that magic existed, and that non-humans lived nearby. Perhaps Earth''s past really did, and then they were destroyed? Or did they continue to exist, it''s just that I also, like Issei, never knew of their existence¡­?''

    "What is the date now?" Momonga asked perhaps a touch a bit too urgently, wanting to be sure of Issei''s words.

    "Um, the thirteenth of April, Friday¡­" Issei thought for a second, then finished his thought,

    "Two thousand and five."

    ''Wow, I really did go back in time¡­'' Momonga blinked. ''One hundred and thirty-three years, to be exact, in the past. Ha ha, That''s before¡­ before the world turned to hell¡­''

    Momonga hadn''t had time to look at the world around him when he teleported to Earth, how strange it was for him to use that name and those words in that sentence now. Seeking to capture the World-Class Item that Nigredo mentioned, he ignored his surroundings. But if he really was on Earth in the past¡­

    Momonga shook his head, dismissing the unnecessary thoughts, then returned his attention to Issei. His [Mass Charm Species] should have lasted a long time on a low-level opponent, but this world had changed the effect of his magic somewhat, so he shouldn''t have been distracted. Hmm, probably better to¡­

    "[Message]," Momonga used magic to contact Ashurbanipal''s Elder Librarian, "Titus?"

    "My great Lord, Momonga." A moment later, he heard Titus'' slightly husky voice resounding in his mind. "I have no greater honor than to answer thee - how may I serve thy cause, my Lord?"

    ''Um, yes, right, NPCs and their eccentricities, I almost forgot that.'' Momonga sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, hearing the unfamiliar speech before continuing.

    "I need you to summon the strongest NPC who specializes in surveillance and send them covertly to the First Floor, there''s a fallen angel there who needs to be looked after. She''s been affected by [Mass Charm Species], but we don''t know how long it will last. I also need the strongest summon specialized as a thief to come to me, in the room next to the entrance on the First Floor,"

    Momonga nodded, "Someone who can retrieve items of the World Class Item tier from an inventory is needed."

    ''Thy wish will be fulfilled with the highest zeal, my Lord.'' Momonga was glad for the conversation to be over that his mind didn''t have to work overtime to translate the overly flowery words, before turning his attention back to Issei.

    "Ahem, Issei, by the way¡­ umm, why, don''t you tell me a little about yourself¡­"

    At these words, Issei frowned slightly, scratching his chin, looking up, clearly not knowing where he should start his story before nodding. "Well, I''m an ordinary schoolboy, studying at Kuoh Academy, class 2-B¡­"

    Momonga compared what he saw in front of him with the information that Issei was saying, coming to the conclusion that Issei was talking about a ''high school. A place that his low-class stature wouldn''t allow him to even look at ¨C back in his old world, that is. Looking at his clothing, Momonga could guess that Issei''s family was comfortably middle-class, and yet were much poorer than what that economic class meant in his old world.

    ''Huh, how strange¡­'' Momonga shook his head. ''I only finished elementary school, and it cost my mother a lot of money. Only a couple of people I knew graduated from high school¡­ How strange to find that many people could afford high school in the past ¨C even the random guy from the streets.''

    "I live with my mother and father, I have two best friends, Matsuda and Motohama." Issei shrugged, then continued with something that almost made Momonga''s world tumble.

    "In the evenings I like to watch porn, peeping at the school girls clubs, the Kendo club, or swim team for example. Sometimes they catch me and beat me up, but overall I think it''s worth it¡­"

    Momonga blinked, then looked at Issei like he''s some kind of alien. ''Well, at least I already feel better knowing what I''m going to do with him¡­''

    "Are your parents influential? How will they react if you don''t show up at home?" Momonga asked the following questions and only magic prevented Issei from understanding what the Undead Lord, who had taken human form, was now thinking.

    "No, my father is just an office worker, while my mother is a housewife, though sometimes she took some side jobs when she gets tired of sitting at home," Issei smiled slightly at the mention of his family, causing Momonga to shake his head

    ''I really am not human anymore with what I''m contemplating doing¡­ An office worker though, how nostalgic.''

    "If I don''t come home, they won''t worry right away, I''ve gone to sleepovers with friends several times before, without even telling them before¡­" Issei smiled a little, as if remembering something fondly. "Ha, one time when I went to Motohama and didn''t come home until a day later, my father put me under house arrest for a month, and my mother didn''t cook my favorite food for a year¡­ Ha, if I do that now, I don''t think I''ll get off that easily¡­" Momonga did feel a little bad in destroying a happy family, but he''s willing to do much worse to keep his own family a little bit safe. Something that a World Class Item would definitely contribute to.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "But anyway, they''ll probably try to call me when it gets dark, then go to Matsuda and Motohama and their parents, and if they don''t find me there, they''ll definitely panic." Issei grinned a little, but not in a mockery of his parents'' worries, but with a kind of warmth.

    "Why are you asking?" It seems that [Charm Species] still allows some doubt and suspicion to appear, Momonga concluded. He would note that in the future, [Charm Species] does not instill absolute loyalty.

    "It''s nothing," Momonga looked away, then grimaced slightly.

    ''Office worker, housewife, loving parents¡­'' Momonga looked down, feeling a bit reluctant to do what he''s about to do.

    He wasn''t at all interested in the fate of the guy in front of him. If anything, the fact that he was peeping and harassing girls and thought it was ''worth it'' rather made him look at Issei negatively. But the thought of his worried parents, especially considering the loving mother that Momonga remembered, and the office worker father that Momonga once was, made his soul stir unpleasantly.

    ''Haha, are these the remnants of my humanity? Haven''t I completely changed yet?'' Momonga shook his head slightly before deciding on a course of action. ''In any case, I don''t yet know how this world works, so covering up the disappearance of a person, an entire family even more so, can be quite difficult¡­ So, in the meantime, I need to experiment with my powers, so I''ll just take it as if I were conducting another experiment on the effectiveness of my magic.''

    "[Sleep]," Momonga held out his hand and Issei slowly closed his eyes, whereupon his breathing leveled out, instantly sinking into a deep sleep. "[Control Amnesia]."

    After another moment, Momonga felt his magic sink into the boy''s consciousness ¨C images, sounds, sensations began to flash before Momonga''s eyes, and Momonga himself felt his mana slowly begin to subside.

    The mana waste wasn''t immediately catastrophic, but it seriously overpowered his passive regeneration, so Momonga wouldn''t be able to maintain the spell forever. He measured that even if he currently held the [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] that he had returned to his inventory, it would still not be enough. In fact, even if he used all the equipment he could find in Nazarick''s Treasury aimed at regenerating mana it wouldn''t be¡­ No, recalculating, if he were to do so, he would probably be able to get close to equilibrium, or at least reduce mana waste to almost imperceptible. It seriously depended on what exactly he could find in the Treasury. Momonga didn''t thoroughly remember everything stored in the Treasury, but it didn''t matter right now.

    At the moment, Momonga didn''t need to search for any specific moments or anything like that in Issei''s past, otherwise it might have stretched out for a long time and the mana expenditure might have become quite obscene. Momonga only needed to erase Issei''s recent memories, starting from the moment he fell asleep, to the moment when Raynare revealed her wings and her true nature, methodically erasing them completely.

    After wiping those off, eventually Momonga stopped applying mana to his spell ¨C almost forty minutes of Issei''s life had been removed, summarily, since that moment. And while it wasn''t fatal or obvious, the missing forty minutes of Issei''s life would most likely raise questions.

    Momonga wasn''t entirely sure if he could, the spell had worked quite differently in the past, but he tried to trust his senses and add a new memory to Issei. Using the most recent memory, that is of Issei being killed by the Fallen Angel, Momonga substituted something else. Using Momonga''s own memory of the Guardian of Asgard, or more their voice lines, he inserted a voice saying ''Hit the head!'', followed by the feeling of a blow and loss of consciousness.

    Now Momonga needed to rip the clothes on Issei and drop him somewhere on the outskirts of town. Perhaps he could even be dropped from some height a little so that he would simultaneously wake up and get a couple of fresh scratches on his face and body. In support of the theory of a ''gang attack'' or something like that.

    "It''s not because of you, it''s because of your parents¡­ Though perhaps that''s not exactly a consolation. " Momonga shook his head. It was strange to him, simultaneously frightening and pleasant, to find that he had at least some human feelings left. It was pleasant to find that he still had emotions ¨C frightening to find that he had only these slight emotions left. He felt nothing and was ready to kill the guy simply because it was the easiest and simplest of the options to resolve a problem.

    Even now he decided not to kill Issei not because he was human, a child, Japanese, or a combination of all three and not because Momonga, as a resident of ''Neo'' Japan, felt some kind of kinship with him. It was simply because he saw in Issei''s parents a parallel with his own situation. Though it was a little strange to him to see Issei''s mother as he saw his own.

    But in Issei''s father he did see himself, and it led him to some strange associations that

    Momonga would rather not contemplate.

    Finally wading out of Issei''s memory, Momonga heard a light knock on the door, then turned around to, "Come in."

    A moment later, the door to the room opened, whereupon the silhouette of a man dressed in baggy black clothing completely concealing his features appeared. His head was concealed under a high-lifted black hood sealed with gold staples attached to the rest of his clothing. He wore a traditional but all-black short kimono, transitioning into wide, baggy pants that ended in straps that covered his legs and feet. With his feet transitioning, seemingly even merging with his wooden boots on perpendicular platforms, also black, on which he moved entirely silently.

    "Goemon," Momonga nodded toward the newly summoned NPC, a level 80 Ninja-type summon that specializes in thievery, who dropped to his knees in an instant, in one fused motion.

    "I''m glad to be in your service, My Lord," Goemon, one of the ninja-type beings kept for summoning in Ashurbanipal, specialized in stealing, so it was the right choice. Technically, he was level eighty, so it wasn''t the most ideal of all the options that existed in YGGDRASIL, but Ashurbanipal didn''t keep many books to summon creatures above eighty. And among that group, Momonga couldn''t think of anyone who specialized entirely in stealing, unlike Goemon, so he really was most likely the best of the options.

    "What does my Lord commands?"

    "You need to completely free this guy''s inventory," Momonga pointed at the lying Issei, "Try not to kill him¡­ But freeing his inventory completely is of the highest priority."

    "Absolutely, My Lord," Goemon bowed deeply to Momonga after his command, then rose from his knees in one motion and made his way to the sleeping Issei.

    ***

    As Goemon made his way to the sleeping boy, he looked down at him through the hood that seemed to block his view. Though, it would be more accurate to say that his hood was his face and eyes, it was the shape that Goemon took, because that was the shape he was.

    Goemon had been summoned by Titus Annaeus Secundus to serve the Supreme Being, Lord Momonga, the Greatest of Warriors and the Smartest of Rulers, the Most Cunning of Commanders and the Strongest of Mages. He who allowed no mistakes and gave light under the shadow of his gaze to anyone who bent his head and his knee.

    And so Goemon was at a loss, why was his presence necessary? Was this but another test? But as a servant, it was not his job to question his Master''s orders, he simply carried them out.

    As he reached out his hands to the sleeping young man, Goemon instantly sensed exactly what the Lord wanted stolen in the boy''s inventory ¨C he even instantly knew exactly what was stored in his inventory.

    ''[Longinus: Boosted Gear]'' Goemon noted to himself, but did not bother his Lord with unnecessary information that he already knew in his infinite wisdom anyway. What he found later however caused the ninja''s thoughts to stall a moment later.

    In addition to the object, [Longinus], there was another thing in the boy''s inventory, or rather, a living creature.

    Unlike his other summoned brethren, such as Hanzo, who specialize in gathering information and stealth, Goemon had no specialized abilities regarding enemy assessment.

    At the same time, however, Goemon still possessed the skills of a related specialization, so it could at least roughly determine the dragon''s level.

    The dragon was considerably stronger than him. But at the same time, it was no surprise.

    Though he was an eightieth level creature, it was primarily a thief, and mostly had skills related to that very activity, not fighting. Lord Momonga was much stronger than him as well¡­ Then again, why state the obvious?

    Of course, this couldn''t completely appease Goemon''s worry, knowing that he would let a potentially hostile monster out. But the Gordian knot of his doubts was dispelled by the words Lord Momonga had told him just a few seconds ago.

    ''Release his inventory completely.''

    In other words, his Lord already knew that the boy''s inventory contained a dragon, and so Goemon could only applaud his Lord''s knowledge, and as his Master''s faithful servant, do his bidding.

    So, a moment later, a gauntlet came into the light in Goemon''s hands, the [Longinus]¡­ Which instantly cracked, releasing the dragon contained within.

    A moment later, the room became packed, as the newly released red dragon crashed into the walls and immediately broke through them, as it crashed into the ceiling with a roar.

    ***

    "You, the one who set me free!" The red dragon, as far as Momonga could tell from the dragon''s appearance and color, but this time much smaller than the one he had slayed before, turned to Goemon, speaking clearly and loudly.

    "Know that I will not forget your deeds! Know that it is in my power to give you much, and appreciate it, for I grant you this favor! Tell me, what is your desire!?"

    Only Momonga''s miraculous skill, saving him from sudden panic attacks, allowed him to hold his ground and not fall to the ground the moment a huge red dragon appeared in place of the young boy and some red gauntlet.

    Although, Momonga admitted, at the moment his face did not express any emotion solely because it was frozen in shock.

    ''[Silent Magic: Life Essence], [Silent Magic: Mana Essence].'' Momonga uttered silently to himself, casting his usual suite of magics, before sighing in relief.

    ''Less than the Great Red Dragon I killed a little earlier, but it''s definitely a hundred-level dragon¡­ It has almost as much mana as I do, and I had to go a lot to break the max cap of one hundred ¨C and apparently this dragon is intelligent, so fighting it is undesirable¡­ Tch, Dragons are filthy cheaters!''

    A moment later, Momonga came back to reality again, watching as Goemon continued to stare silently at the dragon, perhaps waiting for Momonga''s command, or was just finding a way to escape. And although the creature''s face was not visible, because its size made his head far above the canopy, for some reason Momonga was sure that it was now glaring at Momonga. It was as if the dragon were trying to measure Momonga''s mettle before he would fight him¡­ or flee.

    "Ahem, I''d like to¡­" Momonga wanted to finish the phrase ''start by introducing ourselves to each other!'' but couldn''t finish his thought before he was interrupted.

    "Silence, you whelp!" The dragon responded with a swish of its tail, crashing into Momonga.

    The creature''s attack was clearly not serious, as Momonga was sure that the dragon could have attacked with far more force. Especially, considering that the tail attack was bludgeoning damage, and with [Body of Effulgent Beryl] still active, it had no chance in hell of breaking through Momonga''s passive barrier.

    But even without waiting for the tail to hit Momonga, Goemon reacted much faster ¨C instantly striking the dragon that had dared to attack his Lord.

    ''A battle is undesirable, but apparently inevitable¡­'' Momonga sighed, feeling the staff that had now become somewhat familiar appear in his hand, then releasing it beside him.

    "[Triplet Maximized Magic: Reality Slash]!" A moment later, three kaleidoscopic slashes made their way to their target, crashing into the dragon''s body. As three deep gashes appeared on the dragon''s body, it howled in pain, and turned to Momonga.

    The dragon''s health had decreased by a decent amount, but Momonga needed to be smarter if he planned to win this battle. Though, he had achieved his main goal of distracting the dragon from the far weaker in battle, Goemon¡­ He didn''t exactly want to waste the NPC, which must cost a pretty penny to summon.

    ''Okay, until we know how he attacks, I shouldn''t take any chances.'' Momonga used the best trump card he had. "[Teleportation]!"

    A moment later, and he was in a completely different direction from the dragon, who was busy releasing a fiery cloud of white and blue flame, where Momonga used to be. As Momonga appeared, the dragon instantly started turning around, looking for Momonga, rumbling in his growling voice. "[Boost]!"

    Whereupon Momonga blinked. [Life Essence] and [Mana Essence] had just told him that the health and mana of the dragon in front of him had just¡­ Doubled.

    "§°h¡­ That''s just unfair!" Momonga shifted his gaze to the broken gauntlet that had already been turned into scraps of twisted steel under the dragon''s feet. ''So that''s what this World Class Item was capable of doing¡­ I wish I had gotten it, but I need to finish the fight now! It would be best if he could only [Boost] once, but if he could do it multiple times, I would lose simply by a battle of attrition!.''

    "[The Goal Of All Life is Death]!" Momonga activated his strongest skill, and started dodging like a madman for the 12 seconds needed for its activation. "[True Death]!"

    The only thing Momonga could hope for was that the dragon in front of him didn''t know how to instantly revive after death. Goemon attempted to attack again, a moment later he was joined in his actions by Hanzo, the guardian that was supposed to stay in stealth. It seems that the ninja preferred the opportunity to protect his Master over following orders.

    "[Message]," Momonga dodged another fiery exhalation with [Teleportation], noting that three seconds of the required twelve had already passed. Still, he required another insurance just in case his strongest skill didn''t work. "Albedo, prepare the guards ¨C you will probably be called to battle if my ability doesn''t work¡­"

    ''By your orders, Master Momonga!'' Momonga cut the conversation with the girl short as he noticed that the creature''s health and mana had doubled again, his mental clock told him that five seconds had passed after the previous [Boost]. Before he could think about it further, he turned his attention back to the struggling Goemon and Hanzo, who were desperately dodging the dragon''s attacks.

    Momonga needed to distract the dragon again. "[Triplet Maximized Magic: Reality Slash]!"

    The dragon howled, but once again exhaled flames towards Momonga ¨C this time flooding the surrounding area with flames.

    ''Learning fast¡­'' Momonga noted the dragon''s actions with some respect.''So it can amplify his attacks multiple times for the next attack, making it many times stronger¡­ However, this only works for one attack and requires a considerable amount of mana - comparable to [Reality Slash], which is known for its huge mana waste. But the subsequent attack does not change in mana consumption, no matter how many times the attack is ''Boosted''... Cheat, indeed.''

    "[Triplet Maximized Magic: Reality Slash]!" Momonga once again distracted the dragon, one last time as his mental clock struck 12 seconds, and the giant bronze clock hovering behind him completed its full revolution ¨C after which he smiled. "Time is up."

    There was a resounding sound of bells ringing¡­ And the dragon simply dropped dead.

    Goemon and Hanzo froze, as they stared at the slumping dragon, and Momonga himself waited a few seconds, ready to use [Teleportation] and send [Message] to the Guardians just in case the dragon was faking its death. There are many ways to fool [Life Essence].

    The dragon, however, never got up even when the flames it had cast around it continued to burn, clearly not going out anytime soon.

    ''Huh, his fire spell is reminiscent of Demiurge''s [Mantle of Hellfire]. That fire can ignore even immunity to fire attacks and is impossible to extinguish.'' Momonga traced the still blazing flames of the dragon with his eyes, then shook his head.

    ''Okay, if it doesn''t extinguish itself, some of Nazarick''s creatures can put it out¡­ As a last resort, I can use Nazarick''s daily limit on recovery, it should cover the flames¡­ I hope.''

    Momonga looked around him, noting the ruined walls, and shook his head. ''And, of course, we''ll have to rebuild the walls, at least they''re relatively inexpensive.''

    After he finished documenting the damages, without approaching the blazing flames, Momonga made his way to the dragon''s body and thought for a moment about what he should do with the dragon''s body. ''Hmm, I hope I can get that broken ability of his by using [Dark Wisdom] again. But our battle lasted fifteen seconds at most, the dragon must have had many other spells that it didn''t have time to show.'' But then again it''s a red dragon, they''re not exactly known for their breadth of abilities.

    ''Besides, it might not have been a spell, but a skill instead, and [Dark Wisdom] can only absorb spells along with the defeated bodies, but not their skills. If I lose the second most excellent body of a high-level red dragon and get something useless in return¡­ I''ll be quite salty. [Create Body] is a good spell, but it doesn''t outstrip the high-end drop from the Great Red Dragon that I lost.''

    Momonga thought for a moment, then remembering something urgent that he almost forgot, sent a [Message], "Albedo, you can clear the alarm. The enemy''s killed¡­ and send Aura to dismember the body, take it apart for resources, by the looks of it, it''s a high level red dragon, so I assume it will yield excellent materials¡­"

    "Of course, Lord Momonga!" Albedo replied instantly and Momonga shook his head at her enthusiasm, turning away from the body, trying to find Issei with his gaze.

    And finding with his gaze only a bloody mess where his body should have been lying.

    ''Well, that wasn''t such a good plan¡­'' Momonga shook his head, finding that his ''mercy'' had gone to waste anyway, simply because a dragon decided to pop out of nowhere.

    Of course, he could try to resurrect Issei, but all resurrection magic required payment for the act of resurrection or the expenditure of valuable items. And Momonga, though he empathized with Issei''s parents, was not willing to spend valuable items for nothing.

    Not to mention that Issei was clearly a low-leveled person, so a simple spell like [Raise the Dead] probably wouldn''t work on him. Most likely Momonga would have had to use [Resurrection] or [True Resurrection], which required large sums or expenditure of really rare items.

    ''Well, if it makes you feel better in your postmortem ¨C I planned to just take your World Class Item, or, I suppose, [Sacred Gear] ¨C and let you go home¡­ Too bad that didn''t happen'' -

    Momonga shook his head, then held out his palm and his golden [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] returned to his hand, before, a moment later, disappearing into his inventory.

    After another moment, Momonga turned to the kneeling Goemon, Hanzo, and¡­ Momonga blinked, "Raynare?"

    Hearing Momonga''s voice, the fallen angel slowly trembled, the acrid smell of ammonia spread around.

    Trembling, slowly, Raynare looked up, full of madness and fear, while her face clearly tried to form a welcoming smile, but constantly turned into a grimace of horror halfway through. The strange expression made it look as if Raynare were having an epileptic seizure right now.

    "Fa¡­ " Raynare tried to say something, but her voice trailed off so high that she coughed, and then she looked up at Momonga again, her eyes bulging with an expression of fear and surprise. "Father?!"

    "Umu," Momonga concluded that [Control Species] or perhaps [Charm Species] have some very interesting side effects, as he looked at Raynare''s trembling form.

    Raynare, a moment later, rolled her eyes before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

    He needed to make sure to take into account the side-effects if he were to use the spells again in the future. He knows that [Charm Species] were supposed to make the target feel as if the caster was their best friend ¨C he wasn''t sure it was supposed to make them believe he was their parent, though.

 Prologue (5)

    Raynare surprisingly felt very good.

    She was running through a big, big rainbow.

    And beneath the rainbow, white lambs were frolicking.

    Raynare frowned a little as there was something strange to the lambs. No, actually the lambs were white only in relation to their fur, as each of the lambs had a human head covered in brown hair, and each of the lambs was bleating "Yoo-yoo-yuma¡­"

    "Ha ha, what a silly name, Yuuma." Raynare paid no attention to the bleating lambs as she continued to run down the rainbow. "Ha ha, how good¡­ "

    Also, a little further along the rainbow on the sides lay the slain Red Dragon Emperor, and Raynare ran on, knowing that no one could have killed the Welsh Dragon. What a silly dream!

    And at the end of the rainbow stood Him.

    "Father-e-e!" Raynare ran across the rainbow toward Father, who, for some reason, this time took the form of a middle-aged Japanese man. But Yuma knew for sure that it was Father, she still remembered when Father took the form of a burning bush after all! Taking the form of a middle-aged Japanese man were incomparably normal.

    "Father, I had a strange dream, as if You had returned! Back after You died!"

    "Umu." Father simply nodded gravely at Raynare''s words, then held out his hand to her.

    "Wake up."

    "But Father, I just woke up from a strange dream in which you just waved your hand and killed the Red Dragon Emperor!" Raynare smiled at her Father. "I am not dreaming!"

    "Umu, I see" Father uttered something as he nodded slightly, as if to confirm his words, coming to a final conclusion. "[Awaken]."

    Raynare opened her eyes abruptly, the beautiful large rainbow she had been running on, and the multitude of Issei lambs vanished immediately before her eyes¡­ Unlike Father in the body of a middle-aged Japanese man and the dead body of the Red Dragon Emperor beside her.

    Raynare blinked, shifted her gaze from the dragon to Father, then back, then closed her eyes, feeling her feet begin to run on the big beautiful rainbow again.

    "[Awaken]." A rainbow that immediately dissipated and Raynare opened her eyes again, looking at the Father and the dead dragon¡­ Raynare wondered for a second, could she now pretend to be mute? Mentally retarded maybe? She was ready right now to start pissing in her pants¡­ Um, in her skirt, if it could save her from Father''s wrath.

    Then her memories helpfully suggested to Raynare that she had communicated with Father before. He had appeared out of nowhere right in front of her as she had struck Issei, used some ability that made Raynare unable to even move, then she found herself in an obscure stone room. And then she suddenly realized that Father was her best and closest friend, and Raynare no longer remembered when she had any friends in the past, then he asked her to leave and wait in the corridor¡­

    And then the room that Father and this guy, Issei, were in literally exploded from the inside, a large piece of stone crashed into Raynare''s head, and she lost consciousness. Thankfully her concussion only lasted for a few seconds, thanks to her fallen angel nature she woke up just seconds later to see¡­ To see the fucking Red Dragon Emperor spinning around attacking something unseen, bleeding from the huge incisions that ran through his entire body, seemingly even separating parts of him. Making her come to the conclusion that she was dreaming, and that her concussion was more severe than she first thought.

    Then the middle-aged Japanese man she had seen moments before, who had suddenly become her ''dear and close friend'', and had ceased to be after she had lost consciousness, held up his hand and Raynare heard a resounding bell ring. And the Red Dragon Emperor, or Emperor of Red Dragons, Raynare did not remember what was correct, rolled his eyes and collapsed to the ground dead.

    Then, seemingly completely unsurprised that he had just defeated one of the strongest creatures in the world, the Japanese man turned to the void, saying something about the need to dismantle the damn Welsh Dragon into ''materials.'' MATERIALS! The Welsh Dragon!

    Raynare''s worldview, which had cracked several times in the last few seconds, suddenly fell into place in the only possible configuration with a slight ''pop'', bringing her a simple and understandable thought.

    Father, He, had returned. It was the simplest, most logical and understandable of all the inferences Raynare could come to.

    To begin with, perhaps, the problem of the [Sacred Gears] had been occupying the minds of all factions and pantheons for a very long time, since their creation by God¡­ I mean, Father.

    Different factions approached the matter differently, but all agreed that having someone on their side with a [Sacred Gear] was better than not having, or worse, against them. Many conducted various experiments, but the fallen angels achieved the highest understanding of the [Sacred Gear] system of all factions thanks to the efforts of Lord Azazel, and by necessity.

    The Fallen were the weakest and fewest of the biblical factions, and one of the weakest factions in the international arena. The [Sacred Gears] were their only salvation. Without the ability to replenish their numbers naturally, and without the ability to convert people like Devils, their numbers were constantly dwindling. And because the mass fall of the angels stopped after Michael took control of the devastated Throne of His and His [Heaven''s System] they didn''t even have that avenue to replenish their numbers.

    And so, the Fallen had to begin to become well-versed in the intricacies of human technology, political wrangling and [Sacred Gears], all in order to survive. Lord Azazel himself taught most of the fallen angels how to identify and just what ridiculous existence [Sacred Gears] are, and the most ridiculous among them were the [Longinus].

    And so Raynare knew that destroying a [Longinus], which was definitely Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, who had previously been sealed in [Longinus: Boosted Gear], was not only a very bad idea, but in principle impossible.

    No one has been able to destroy a [Longinus] before, and not for lack of diligence or effort. At different times, different factions and organizations have repeatedly caught carriers of Ddraig or Albion or other [Sacred Gear], trying to unseal the creatures imprisoned in them for a variety of purposes. Some, hoping for the creatures'' gratitude, some simply wanting to target peaceful peoples with powerful beasts.

    And they could ¨C they really could. If Albion or Ddraig broke free ¨C even the most powerful gods would have to treat what happened as a world crisis and act with all urgency.  Lord Azazel himself rated his strength compared to the two Dragon Emperors as ''between zero and nothing'' ¨C and Raynare could not even imagine how strong Lord Azazel was.

    The various Pantheons then had come to the conclusion that the [Longinus] were more trouble than they''re worth, and started trying to find ways to destroy it. But no one was able to do that ¨C not even the God of Destruction himself, Shiva, could.

    The fallen angels, after much experimentation, had made little progress in their skills in manipulating [Sacred Gears]. Even Lord Azazel himself, the greatest master of artifacts who himself had successfully created a [Sacred Gears], though he would still deem it a failure, had failed. He, in the end, had declared that to completely destroy [Longinuses] or to release what was stored in them, was impossible.

    But what did Lord Azazel''s words mean to the one who had personally created those very [Longinuses] and sealed Ddraig and Albion in them?!

    Then who would have the strength to deal with Albion or Ddraig other than the one who had already dealt with them once?

    And finally, who would have the desire to initially free Ddraig from his confinement ¨C only to finish him off a few seconds later?!

    Raynare had only managed to fight a few times in the Great War, for she was one of the youngest angels He had created. But, she was aware of the fact that in the past He had sealed Ddraig because He could not destroy him immediately. But she also knew that in those days He had been greatly wounded. His strength had been undermined long before the Great War began.

    Though Raynare did not know thoroughly why, His mind had been wounded by Lucifer''s betrayal, and His soul destroyed by the death of His Son, and so He had not found the strength to destroy Ddraig¡­ But still, as an absolute existence, there shouldn''t have been much trouble in killing Ddraig once for all, for He is mighty.

    Raynare knows that His hatred for dragons was great ¨C He had hated dragons since the Serpent and the Expulsion of the first humans from Paradise. And so, now that He had returned, he had immediately searched out for Ddraig and had finished what He had once started, after He had regained His strength, was logical¡­ No, it was the only rational justification for everything that had happened.

    Raynare imagined that Albion would soon suffer the same fate as his Red brethren.

    Indeed, if Raynare had simply killed Issei and his [Sacred Gear] had gone away to be reborn, appearing years later in a different host ¨Cthat would have been a problem to search for¡­ An irritant to Him.

    And that is why He had appeared so unexpectedly before Raynare, wanting to deal with Ddraig before Issei, his current host, died¡­ A grim picture formed in Raynare''s mind, and she twitched for the first time, realizing that all this time she had been in prostration, staring ahead of herself with unseeing eyes. And that her unblinking eyes were desperately watery from the tension and dust that rose in the air during the brief collision with the Red Dragon Emperor.

    Raynare blinked, then looked up at Him, who had taken the form of a middle-aged Japanese man, dressed in simple office clothes, totally out of sync with the power He had demonstrated earlier, and at¡­ A child? An elven child? A child of the dark elf?

    "Lord Momonga, if you wish to create something voluminous from the body, like armor or cloak, I should cut off the scales in this, this, and this place," The child, seemingly completely unimpressed by the enormity of the dead Ddraig, poked at the creature''s scales a few times, Her manner of speaking, talking about cutting up a caught game, without any pity for the slain.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    "But in that case we''ll have practically no skin left for the scrolls ¨C I''ll have to take off the undamaged body parts first, so it won''t be a very efficient use of materials¡­"

    "Umu, in that case ¨C take off enough skin for one complete set of armor, enough for a cloak, gloves, boots, cuirass, belt, pants and helmet, but send the rest for scrolls. The armor is primarily for experimentation, there is no real practical need for it, while scrolls are a consumable item." Father supported the girl''s words with a cold detachment, as if he were simply looking at pieces of meat in front of him, wondering which part of the pig would go to steak and which would be smoked.

    "Thank you, Aura"

    "He~he¡­" As he reached up and ran his hand through the girl''s hair, she instantly broke into a smile and let out a light chuckle, clearly enjoying the touch and swaying slightly in place, like a dog following his hand¡­ In a not-so-appropriate way for a child.

    Raynare had heard of elves and seen one once before, but in general elves very rarely appear in public, especially in Japan, where she had worked for a long time¡­ Dark elves especially appeared even more rarely.

    But on the other hand, He was someone you could expect the most incredible and impossible things from.

    Raynare blinked once more, shifting her gaze to the side¡­ To realize that she was not, in fact, in Japan. To the side were a total, black, indifferent emptiness that stretched as far as she could see ¨C and Raynare suddenly felt her throat go dry.

    Never before had she seen what the Dimensional Gap looked like, especially in person ¨C she had only heard of its existence, but she imagined that this was most likely what it was.

    That''s right, she was in the Dimensional Gap, a space famous for its antithesis for life¡­ And she was still alive.

    Raynare shifted her gaze from the void to the figure of the Father ahead, then swallowed.

    There was no doubt in her mind, she still existed only because of Father''s intervention and because of His desire. All she had to do was say something against Father, and she was dead. No, maybe if she even drew Father''s attention to herself, and she was dead.

    And if so, she had already failed on all fronts.

    "Umu, Raynare, I presume?" Father turned to Raynare, and she felt a shudder run through her entire body, she then reflexively grasped her groin as if trying to forcibly keep her bladder from emptying.

    ''Fallen angels have always died in excruciating pain, and for it to be drawn for a long time.'' Raynare swallowed. ''Father does not forgive betrayal¡­ But I did fall after He died, so potentially it wasn''t actually a betrayal? Or, I suppose, not died, but went into the Dimensional Gap for some reason¡­ I fell because of a mistake! It was all because the [Heaven System] was out of control! Father, forgive me, I repent, I repent! I believe, Lord, I believe!''

    "Raynare, I know you are capable of speaking," Father''s eye traced Raynare''s hand to her groin, whereupon she realized how provocative the pose looked, and this despite the fact that she was a fallen angel! She had to show that she was remorseful for her fall, that it was not her fault, not to give evidence to the contrary!

    Especially when she smelled of urine!

    Raynare felt her brain completely boil over, then began to cover her eyes, feeling her feet touch the beautiful rainbow again.

    "Umu, this is starting to get a bit tiresome, [Awaken]," Raynare came back to reality again, looking at her Father approaching and the dark elven girl beside him, what did He call her? Aura or something?

    "Lord Momonga, if she''s boring you, I''ll get rid of her at this very moment!" Aura took a step toward Raynare and Raynare realized that the girl would happily follow through with her threat, the second Father commanded.

    "Fa¡­" Raynare tried to squeeze words out of herself, but could only make a squeaking sound. The threat to her life, however, allowed her to force out a semblance of a word out.

    "Fa¡­ Father!" Raynare then dropped to her knees, instantly folding her hands in a gesture of prayer.

    "Father, forgive me! I repent of all my sins, I repent of my sins, murder, and theft, and profanity, lying, blasphemy, especially of that last one! Three times I repent, three times I believe, repent and believe!"

    Raynare fell into a kind of madness, repeating over and over ''repent'' and ''believe'', unable to utter anything else but these words.

    "Umu," Father''s voice passed her ears. "Hmm, I think I still have a scroll of [Cure Madness] in my Inventory somewhere, but is there any point in using it? Hmm, Aura?"

    A moment later, Raynare''s consciousness was pierced by¡­ Fear. An unbelievable terror that forced her into silence, interrupting her mutterings, choking instead on a mute scream, frozen, unwilling to even move. No, deprived of that possibility.

    It was a fear and terror that had no form that is permeating her whole being, born from the depths of the oldest and most primal of fears, born before the moment of human consciousness, from their animal instincts.

    "Umu, enough," And the fear disappeared a moment later, as if it had never existed, allowing Raynare to exhale a breath that she had held back without realizing, after which she emptied the contents of her stomach.

    "Bleh!" Aura''s voice broke through the veil of her consciousness before Raynare could lift her face, busy as she was dumping the entire contents of her humble lunch and afternoon snack onto the stone floors.

    "Umu, quite uncultured." Father furrowed his brow slightly, but Raynare had been through so much in the last hour that she no longer even knew whether she should have fallen into another panic or just give up and go with the flow.

    "What do you mean, when you call the Lord Momonga ''Father''?!" Aura, however, clearly annoyed by Raynare''s actions, reached for her belt, whereupon Raynare flinched when the tip of a whip, so fast that even her heightened senses as a fallen angel could not track its movements, clicked beside her.

    Raynare looked up at Father, expecting His reaction, but He only looked back at her silently.

    ''That''s¡­ Why is Father silent?'' Raynare blinked, knowing that even at the height of God''s anger, torture wasn''t an option He would choose. Nor would her creation be a mystery to Father, He was the one that created her after all.

    ''Is it a test? Yes, that''s right, it''s a test, He wants to know what I have to say about Him. Ha-ha, I don''t think this test is that effective considering that He''s standing around with his [Omniscience]¡­ However, as I am in the focus of His powers, it probably makes no difference to Him whether He''s standing around, or not! Ha-ha¡­'' Once again the rainbows are beckoning her, but she knows that if she answered the call, she would be gone for good.

    "I''m not talking about Him being my biological Father," Raynare finally understood that her old understanding of the world is gone for good. All she had left was to walk through the ruins, trying to find a sign of what would become her new ''normality'' from this day forward.

    "I was simply created by Him¡­"

    After saying it, Raynare thought for a moment. Explaining to a mortal, even an elf, what it meant, to be ''created'', was hard enough, the first thing they would start thinking about would be to draw parallels with robots or golems, not understanding what exactly Raynare meant.

    But Aura surprised the girl with her response, "Wait, like we are? How I was?"

    Raynare blinked, then looked at Aura. Father, for some reason, also shifted His gaze to the girl, who shifted her gaze first to Father and then to Raynare.

    Raynare wondered for a moment, could the girl really be an angel and not an elf like she appeared to be?

    Gently, Raynare tried to open her senses and feel her nature¡­ To freeze in a vain attempt to free her stomach from the contents from which it had already been freed a little earlier. The girl, no, Lady Aura was felt many times stronger than Lord Azazel himself! The head of the entire faction of fallen angels! The man who had rebelled against Father!

    Although Raynare realized after a moment, that if this girl was also created by Father, then Azazel was very lucky that Father was weakened then. Otherwise, the Fallen would only be left in the history pages ¨C if Father didn''t burn those either.

    "I guess¡­ That is indeed the case." Raynare answered, her body still continuing to shake finely after the revelation, then shook her head,

    "The Lord¡­ I mean, Father created us many years ago¡­ we thought we had lost Father¡­"

    "Umu, that¡­" Father tried, as if uncertain, to intervene in Raynare''s words, but the woman, finally understanding the situation in which she had found herself in, could not help herself.

    "But He is back! Father is with us again!" Raynare raised her hands in the air after which she lost her mind. At least, that''s how she looked, Raynare, unable to keep her shattered psyche under control any longer, laughed like a madwoman.

    To think, just a few days ago she had considered an errand as something that is most important in her life, the one she had received from Lord Azazel about having to get rid of a certain Issei Hyoudou. Never could she imagine, that in the end of that path, Raynare had met with Father, seen the murder of the Red Dragon Emperor, talked to a dark elven girl who could deal with the entire Biblical faction herself. And Father was still alive and had not smitten her!

    Raynare burst into laughter, unable to keep herself under control, and continued laughing until her laughter turned into hysterical howls. Before collapsing to the ground, only a dozen centimeters away from her puddle of vomit and urine, then, unable to hold back her howls, began sobbing.

    "Lord Momonga, is it true?! Have you returned here to return to your abandoned children?!" Aura instantly jumped up in mute amazement and adoration looking at Father, but Raynare no longer cared about anything around her, the distraught fallen woman was laughing and crying as hard as she could.

    "Ah¡­ umu, well." Father looked at the dark elf with an amused and unsure look, as if to mock her ignorance. "About that, umu, Aura¡­"

    "So Lady Bukubukuchagama can come back to us, too!" The dark elf''s next words made Father freeze.

    ***

    Momonga looked into Aura''s eyes, understanding her loneliness¡­ But how had she arrived at this point? He just wanted to find out information from Raynare, he had heard her calling him father and had heard something in the past from Tabula about such things. Sadly, he had never been a religious man and there were almost none of those in his social circle, so he knew next to nothing about religion.

    He knew that the angels were God''s messengers, so, in retrospect, he might have been able to guess that an angel might consider God as their father. Especially after noting that he was considered their father in the same sense in which Ainz Ooal Gown were considered ''parents'' of the NPCs¡­

    So, in hindsight, he might have guessed that if Raynare addressed him as ''father'', that meant she saw him as her God¡­ But he certainly couldn''t have ever imagined that the conversation would take that turn! He definitely didn''t expect Raynare to start vomiting and pissing herself out of nowhere!

    He just wanted to find out information from Raynare - about what exactly she wanted to do with Issei, why, what she knew about these [Sacred Gears] and whatever else she knew. Issei knew nothing about the magical side of the world, so he decided to use Raynare and get the information from her.

    But then she started calling him ''father'' and then passed out, so Momonga decided to leave her alone for a while and get busy with Aura cutting up a dragon that happened to come his way. But then Raynare woke up, started calling him ''father'', catching Aura''s interest, Momonga''s too. And so he decided to find out why she''s doing that, and at the same time thought it would be rude, and he would hurt Aura if he didn''t let her ask her questions.

    All that led to Aura now looking at him intently, eyes glistening with moisture and underlying hope, lips trembling, and Momonga realized¡­ That he couldn''t upset Aura now.

    Telling her that Bukubukuchagama wasn''t coming back would trample her heart, and break her forever. Besides, with some probability, Bukubukuchagama or any other member of the Ainz Ooal Gown Guild could actually exist in this world. Or, if he indeed did go to Earth''s past, he just has to wait a couple of decades, and they would have been born in this world in the future.

    He has no idea how to go from there, though¡­ maybe he could fib and say something along the line that their ''rebirth'' had some unforeseen issues? Or maybe even that they had suffered from amnesia due to some random enemy action. If nothing else, he has time to figure out what to do then.

    And so, he wouldn''t be lying when he says that Bukubukuchagama ''would'' return ¨C after all, Aura''s question was not whether Bukubukuchagama ''will return'' to us, but if Bukubukuchagama ''may return'' to us. And because she theoretically could, it wouldn''t be a lie if he says yes.

    "Umu," Momonga squeezed his heart in a vice and nodded slowly, no matter how hard it is for him to lie ¨C because he knew that it would be a lie. But, at the very least, he also wanted to believe that it would also be possible, he had been doing that for the last ten years after all.

    "I don''t know if it will happen, and if it will ¨C when exactly it will happen¡­ But it is possible."

    Aura, hearing Momonga''s words, froze¡­ Whereupon Momonga saw tears running down her dark cheek, from her heterochromatic eyes.

    "So¡­ She''s going to come back." Aura almost whispered these words, as if she herself could not believe what she was saying. "She really can¡­ Come back too."

    Momonga, unable to stand it, stretched out his arms to Aura, then pulled her into an embrace and, unable to restrain himself, lifted Aura in his arms and embraced her.

    Aura instantly clutched at his office clothes, which he had created a little earlier, hiding the sight of his outfit, after which she began crying.

    "Uwaaa¡­" Momonga instantly felt his clothes begin to soak in moisture. "Uwaaaah!"

    ''Aura may seem older and more serious than her brother, Mare, but she''s still just a child.'' Momonga felt like an old man as he stroked Aura''s back and head as she, unable to contain her sobs, pressed her cheek against his clothes as she continued to shake in resounding cries. Raynare, on the other hand, had stopped sobbing a little earlier, and just continued lying on the ground, on her back, looking up at the ceiling, before closing her eyes with a sort of detached smile. Her consciousness finally leaving her.

    "Well, well, don''t cry, Aura, it''s all right," Momonga ran a hand over the girl''s back, feeling her wailing begin to subside into silent sobs and shaking shoulders before, when she calmed down a little, allowing Momonga to put her down from his embrace.

    Aura still flinched periodically and sniffled noisily as she looked at Momonga, so there was no way to mistake her condition for anything else. Still, she stubbornly tried to force her expression back to a serious and even frown that only further emphasized her childlike directness in wanting to imitate her elders. Momonga could not contain a small, love-filled smile, looking at her action, which showed even more on his human face.

    "Lord Momonga, I''ve made you dirty," Aura replied to Momonga after a moment, still unable to get her voice completely under control, proof of how much Momonga''s words had affected her, "I humbly apologize and¡­"

    "There''s no need for that, Aura," Momonga held out the sleeve of his robe to Aura''s face, then gently wiped the tears from her face, first from her right cheek, then from her left.

    "You are my treasure, and I appreciate everything you give me ¨C whether it is your smile, your work, or even your tears."

    Aura, hearing these words, looked away, her eyes instantly beginning to fill with tears again, but she noisily sucked in air through her nose, then turned, looking at Momonga with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Lord Momonga, I believe I have an important errand to run ¨C and I must do it, by all means, even if it grinds my bones into powder!"

    "I''d rather you didn''t hurt yourself trying to do my errands, especially if they''re wrong or stupid," Momonga held out his hand and then patted Aura''s head. "But yes, I suppose you should take care of the dragon''s body, before it begins to decay."

    "By your will, Lord Momonga!" Aura saluted him with her usual pep, then teleported to the body in a single, cohesive motion. Which, as if by itself, began to disintegrate into its component parts with a speed and professionalism that even the most advanced automated disassembly lines of his past world could not have expected.

    Momonga shifted his gaze to the bloodstain, in which no human form was discernible, and shook his head. The only thing that''s left of poor Issei. ''Well, in that case, I should think about what to do with the murdered Issei Hyoudou¡­''

    Momonga shifted his gaze to the side, to Raynare, who continued to lie quietly on the ground, and shook his head.

    ''And I still need to decide what I should do with Raynare and her unexpected outburst, which I kind of indirectly confirmed to Aura, hmm¡­''

    ''Well,'' - Momonga shrugged. ''Let''s hope it doesn''t have any far-reaching consequences.

 Prologue (6)

    Momonga examined Raynare closely, but she never woke up from her strange zen trance, continuing to lie still on the ground with a slight and mysterious smile. Momonga even used [Awaken] on the girl, but the low-level spell didn''t work, so apparently Raynare wasn''t asleep either. But if that were so, then her current situation was even stranger than Momonga had assumed.

    Raynare didn''t wake up during the cutting of the red dragon, which was over in a few minutes. Nor did she wake up during the transfer of its parts, which added to Nazarick''s collection, nor even when Momonga, as a test, ordered Aura to get rid of Raynare herself.

    When Raynare did not rise even when she was about to die, Momonga was able to determine that whatever the fallen angel''s condition is, she was clearly now completely useless in terms of answers¡­ Except maybe using [Control Amnesia]? Where he could see the answers to his questions straight from Raynare¡¯s mind. But, as the brief experiment with Issei had shown, the mana consumption was considerable. And it would take a long time and many attempts to accrue an acceptable amount of information.

    And, so, relying on the fact that Raynare had no unique escape powers of any kind, Momonga ordered her imprisonment in the Frozen Prison. That done with, he returned to pondering the current situation he had found himself in. Seeing off Raynare, who had never woken up, being carried away with some strange hesitation by Cocytus¡¯ vassals who, as if they were in doubt as to how exactly they should treat Raynare.

    Although, Momonga had zero knowledge of the body language, gestures, and seemingly unchanging faces of the insectoids, and therefore did not give it any weight. For all he knows, that¡¯s their default expression.

    ¡®Hmm, Raynare can be dealt with a little later, at the very least, she can be killed and resurrected again to unequivocally rid her of all the statuses affecting her.¡¯ Momonga pondered the solution, as if to ¡®turn on and off¡¯ a living being was just something normal, the old reliable technique, before shaking his head.

    ¡®Judging by Nigredo''s assessment, she should be able to withstand even the lowest-level resurrection, and experimenting with resurrection should have happened sooner or later. However, if she refuses to resurrect, I have no decent ways to resurrect her forcibly, only some high-level magic and [Wish Upon A Star] can do that. And the latter is too valuable, since I can only apply it six times without spending exp, after which I have to spend my own experience to activate it. An unfortunate situation indeed, so it''s worth checking first to see if she wakes up on her own, after which I can send Pestonia to help Raynare recover. And only after that failed, can I experiment with resurrection. ¡®

    Momonga shook his head once more before returning his gaze to the spot where the red dragon fire had finally gone out. It burned long enough, but in the end it still went out even without using the special abilities of the inhabitants of Nazarick, though it did scorch the walls black completely.

    However, the bare walls of one of the random rooms on the first floor were practically worthless. And the daily limits on restoration had covered rebuilding the room, hallway and a couple of corridors damaged when the red dragon suddenly appeared in front of Momonga easily.

    "Umu, so the World Class Item is lost." Momonga''s emotions surged for a moment, along with his anger at the dragon that destroyed the World Class Item, then at the Goemon that appeared to have somehow participated in it. Then at himself for making such a mistake, before dissipating completely.

    ¡®Okay, no point in crying over spilled milk, in a pinch I can always console myself with the thought that I deprived a potential enemy of a World Class Item. I wish I''d gotten it, but at least I got some important information in return. First and foremost, the very information that in this world at least some World Class Items are not just artifacts, but contain other sealed beings with strange and powerful abilities inside them,¡¯

    Momonga imagined for a moment himself sealed in the [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown], giving the user the ability to use [Goal of All Life Is Death], but dispelled the thought. ¡®In that case I need to be careful, perhaps the World-Class Items of this world, [Sacred Gear], operate on entirely different principles than those of YGGDRASIL. When the dragon was released from the Inventory of Issei, he appeared intelligent, but far more critical to note was that the [Throne of Kings] did not suppress the effects of his strange ability, [Boost]. If the [Throne of Kings] has lost its function of neutralizing the actions of enemy World Class Items within Nazarick, this is extremely disturbing news, for it suggests that the actions of the World Class Items have changed.¡¯

    Momonga rubbed his belly where his own World Class Item was stored in some doubt. ¡®Or is it that this World Class Item was not directly directed against Nazarick. After all, the ability used, [Boost], only affected the dragon itself, the function of the WCI enhancing the dragon rather than targeting Nazarick directly. Or is it because the WCI of this world, the [Sacred Gears] is a living being, whereas in YGGDRASIL they were merely artifacts? Or could it be that once it left the bounds of the Inventory and, I assume, the gauntlet, the red dragon ceased to be a World-Class Item. And that it became just a high-level creature with the unique abilities for which it was originally imprisoned in an artifact for. And the [Throne of Kings] has no effect on creature abilities? I have so many theories, and I should check them out¡­ But at the same time, I wouldn''t want another World Class Item bearer anywhere near Nazarick. If [Throne of Kings] has now changed its effect or World Class Items no longer offer their bearers protection from other World Class Items, it might cost me dearly¡­ Haaaa, I feel exhausted just imagining the consequences¡­¡¯

    After these reflections, Momonga shifted his gaze, finding Hanzo and Goemon still silently awaiting orders, in the ¡®dogeza¡¯ pose with their heads down. As if they imagined themselves as samurais, waiting for the moment when their lord would allow them to seppuku and retire from life with what remains of their honor.

    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Momonga turned to the two ninjas, then inwardly cringed a little as the two creatures flinched, just realizing how harsh his words might be taken.

    ¡°I mean, umu, I wanted to say that you have done your tasks well and can go to rest for a while¡­¡±

    Both creatures twitched after these words, then nodded slowly, "Of course, my Lord, we will always be ready to answer your call.¡±

    ¡®Yes, they''ve just encountered, albeit briefly, a one hundred level dragon. I might be used to that thanks to my experience from YGGDRASIL, but the both of them, only having existed for¡­ how old? Half an hour old? They must have been terrified of something like that, that must be why they''re trembling so much. They showed their best side by rushing to defend me from the red dragon, even though they know they were nothing more than an annoying gnat to him.¡¯

    Momonga shook his head slightly. ¡®Of course, they''re much lesser in importance when compared to Nazarick''s NPCs, but they''re really loyal to me and performed well right after their summoning. Ha, I''ll have to figure out how to reward them¡­ Come to think of it, maybe I should reward all of Nazarick''s NPCs? They are loyal to me, but their loyalty may change over time. And even if not, I will never forgive myself if I become to Nazarick''s NPCs what my old bosses were to me. No, even more than that, they are not just NPCs now, they are now living beings. Human and non-human beings, with their own goals, thoughts and aspirations, not just mindless drones for battle, I will need to devote time to studying them and trying to develop some sort of reward system. Ah, my head starts to hurt just thinking about it. Besides, I still need to figure out exactly what to tell Raynare when she wakes up¡¯.

    Momonga shook his head once again, trying to jostle his gray matter. ¡®I haven¡¯t directly confirmed what she said about me being her god or ''father'', but apparently indirectly confirmed it to Aura by answering her question. She seemed to easily take for granted that I was some sort of ''god''. Especially when Raynare said that she was ''created''. In the minds of the NPCs, she was ''created'' in the same way as they are. And based on the loyalty I have managed to see from the NPCs, it is extremely easy for them to imagine me as some kind of ''god''. If I tell the NPCs now that I just lied to Raynare, then I''ll have to answer Aura''s question about Bukubukuchagama. Not to mention the fact that posing as a god will obviously make it easier for me to influence Raynare.¡¯

    Momonga sighed, feeling the convoluted web of lies he has to manage trying to strangle him.

    ¡®But if I accept that Raynare and, I assume, the other fallen angels at least, or anyone else, are my NPCs from the past, there will be a problem with how I should treat them. I just can''t consider Raynare on the level of my own NPCs. But if I start treating them significantly worse, the NPCs will notice this, they''ll have a question like ¡®if Momonga treats his past NPCs so badly ¨C then he''ll treat his current NPCs, us, badly in the future too¡¯. It''ll break their heart¡­ Or maybe they''ll revolt, and then I''ll be destroyed. I have a lot of trump cards up my sleeve and full information on all Nazarick NPCs, but the most I can fight under such conditions is two hundredth level NPCs. And that''s if I burn through every expendable item I have. If all Nazarick turns against me, there is almost nothing to save me, most likely I can''t even hope to escape from Nazarick. Especially considering that I don''t want to fight Nazarick ¨C the last memory of Ainz Ooal Gown¡­¡¯

    Momonga took a slow breath, then held his breath, and exhaled. ¡®Okay, Momonga, no need to panic, we''ll deal with problems as they come. Raynare appears to be still out cold, and I¡¯ve ordered the NPC to let me know when she wakes up ¨C so she''s not my concern right now. The one issue I need to tackle right now, is something else entirely.¡¯

    Momonga shifted his gaze to the bloody pool of blood in which no human figure could be discerned, crushed first by the red dragon''s paw and then burned to black charcoal by its flames. "What to do with Issei Hyoudou?"

    Scratching his head, Momonga was struck by the conundrum he¡¯s in. "Initially, I did plan to let him go home, albeit by taking his [Sacred Gear] and changing his memory. I will not however sacrifice rare, scarce items to resurrect him, especially given the danger that the red dragon in his inventory might resurrect along with his resurrection. Who knows what the dragon''s reaction to that will be."

    Momonga shook his head. "From what he told me before he died, his parents won''t really notice he''s missing until 24 hours later, and they''re not powerful. They can''t make my life much more difficult in the future ¨C especially if I do go back now and kill them¡­ However, if the disappearance of one person can still be justified somehow, the disappearance of an entire family would be difficult to explain. It might attract the powerful figures in the world¡¯s attention. Not to mention that in this case, I would not just have to show up for a moment, but to search around the city a bit and possibly leave some traces."

    Momonga frowned slightly, coming with another avenue of actions. "If I completely ignore Issei''s parents¡­ Hmm, from what he says, magic is not available to his family, or his parents have managed to hide its existence from their son all this time, but more likely still the former. While teleporting into this place would require at least a ninth tier of magic, [Gate], protection from the multiple debuffs of this place is also necessary. Furthermore, an encounter with Nazarick itself, a small island in a seeming infinity of nothingness, seems minimal at best, especially if I keep the scrying defenses up. In other words, the possibility that a threat could come from them is minimal. "

    Satisfied with his conclusion, Momonga nodded. "In that case, it''s probably easiest to just leave them alone¡­¡± Momonga frowned slightly, as another niggling though drilled into his mind.

    "But I wouldn''t want to upset these people¡­  Huh, how strange, I don''t feel anything about Issei''s death, but for some reason I am saddened by his parents'' possible reaction, just because I can draw a parallel with myself. Really, what a farce."

    Momonga tensed for a moment, thinking, trying to reconcile his rational part with his emotional part, or, in other words, trying to find a suitable justification for his feelings.

    "Hmm, okay¡­ To begin with, I need information, and while Raynare is a good source of potential information, she is still unconscious, or whatever else happened to her. Also, now that her status is at the level of ¡®potential fellow NPCs¡¯ for the denizen of Nazarick, any harsh actions towards her, like using charm magic, the NPC¡¯s will try on themselves. Which means I can''t vouch for the truthfulness of the information she can give me, since I can¡¯t just torture her¡­ Not to mention the fact that her information may only concern her side, she may lie out of ignorance, or might have biases that I can¡¯t detect if I just have one source of information. The need to verify the information she will give me from other sources, the fact that being a weak creature she may simply not know much. And of course the fact that Raynare may overlook some details she would consider ¡®obvious¡¯ if she really perceived me as her ¡®god¡¯."

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Momonga felt some phantom shiver down his back when he imagined the rest of the NPCs calling him god.

    "Besides, I just don''t want to sit twiddling my thumbs in Nazarick, even if it''s my home, it''s basically just a box floating in the void, I''d be glad to have some chance to get out of it. Especially if I can find a place without red dragons jumping out of the void every few minutes."

    Momonga grimaced like he¡¯s feeling a toothache, "What is wrong with these dragons anyway, why am I always bumping into them?! I hope I don''t get more dragons in my way¡­"

    Momonga thought of an idea that suddenly struck him for a moment. In principle, after getting rid of Issei, and having the abilities of his new spell, [Create Body], he could just copy Issei''s body and impersonate him. Besides, he really wouldn''t mind going back to school.

    More specifically, the chance to attend high school was a rare chance. He had only managed to learn elementary school in his life, so raising his level of education would be nice. However, his memories of Issei made him instantly drop the plan of using Issei as his cover. Momonga considered himself to be a bad actor, so if he had to play the role of Issei - he had no doubt that he would screw up in something big, and very soon at that¡­ And let''s not forget the fact that Momonga didn''t want to look like some perverted voyeur!

    He was totally not okay with peeping on girls and hanging out with some weird guys just to avoid arousing suspicion! But the support of his family would immediately give him extra protection and plausibility to his story. A man who appeared out of nowhere raised far more questions than a man with a family¡­ there are so many advantages, but so many disadvantages either.

    "No, I definitely don''t agree to be Issei Hyoudou." Momonga made a firm decision before hesitating, still looking at the black remains of the former human.

    "Ahem, maybe I could send a¡­ Doppelg?nger? Yes, a doppelg?nger sounds great, it could take on the appearance of Issei Hyoudou to allay suspicion and still work for me at the same time, especially since doppelg?ngers are born actors. But at the same time, a simple doppelg?nger would not do, they are able to check their surroundings thoughts, determining exactly how they should behave, but therein lies their main weakness. If two people have different perceptions of the same person at once, a doppelg?nger will be torn between two opposing behaviors, which in the end will spell their doom¡­ Or so it was explained and should work, understandably, doppelg?ngers in YGGDRASIL functioned quite differently, given that it was all just a game. However, since this world is no longer a game¡­"

    Momonga thought and shook his head. "Hmm, okay, so just any doppelg?nger won''t do, I need someone with a high racial level to not get confused in their role, with excellent acting skills, with high intelligence¡­ And let''s not forget that there are really strong beings in this world"

    Momonga raised his hand, rubbing his chin a little. "Nigredo has confirmed that in this world, or rather, in these worlds, in this universe? How do you say it right?"

    Momonga thought for a second, then threw off the distraction. "There are a multitude of creatures with an average level of forty, including many stronger creatures. And I''ve already encountered a boss myself, and the owner of a World Class Item, um, [Sacred Gear]. I should start switching to the vocabulary of this world if I want to try to pass myself off as a local god. Of course, it might just be that I''m that unlucky, but potentially, this world is dangerous enough, and sending an untrained and weak doppelg?nger on a mission makes no sense¡­ If I still want to use a doppelg?nger to gather information, hmm¡­"

    Momonga rubbed his chin in his thoughtfulness once more. "I could even use his disguise myself and even possibly influence Issei''s family through him and enroll myself in the high school. My disguise would be even stronger with somebody extensively on my side already entrenched. But in that case, I would additionally need a doppelg?nger close enough to me and who understands how I think¡­ So, all in all, I need a high-leveled doppelg?nger with high intelligence, strength, and also familiar with my mannerisms to be able to create a fake identity for me to insert myself into¡­" Momonga sighed.

    "Where could I find someone like¡­"

    Momonga suddenly stopped thinking as an eerie thought ran through his mind.

    Fear shackled his heart.

    His soul quivered in the wind.

    All Momonga could utter was a weak denial.  "Oh no¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°OH YES!¡± Pandora¡¯s Actor pirouetted on the spot, then instantly stopped in place and gave a martial salute with his hand to his temple. ¡°Mein Gott! Dein Wille wird geschehen!¡±

    ¡°Please, at least not German!¡± The great Father of the Pandora Actor, froze, opening His mouth before still closing it, clearly admiring the incredible coolness of Pandora Actor himself.

    At the thought of his Father admiring him so much, Pandora''s Actor felt some strange feeling rise from his depths, as if it would tickle lightly through all his nerve endings. The sensation made Pandora''s Actor hold back his laughter and swear in his heart to become even cooler so that his Father could enjoy a great performance. A performance Pandora''s Actor would hold in His honor!

    ¡°Ah, m, um, yes¡­¡± Father finally managed to close His mouth before He coughed into his fist.

    ¡°Pandora''s Actor, do you understand exactly what I am asking of you?¡±

    ¡°Jawoll!¡± Pandora Actor saluted immediately, after which he felt his Father literally knock him to the ground, pinning him to the couch next to him.

    ¡°I also forbid you to use German during this entire mission!¡± His Father stared at him with His burning eyes staring deep into Pandora Actor''s very soul. ¡°That¡¯s right, I forbid you to use German at all! Period!¡±

    Pandora Actor only smiled inwardly at these words. This meant that his Father fully acknowledged the Pandora Actor''s actions, that He agreed that the Pandora Actor had fully mastered the coolness that came with the German language that his Father had put into him. And now, Pandora Actor himself had to find new ways to demonstrate his coolness, and at the same time to widen the very horizon of understanding ¡®coolness¡¯.

    Exactly as his Father had bequeathed him!. ¡°Of course, Lord Mo~mo~nga!¡±

    ¡°The singing isn''t much better, but they can be tolerated," Father swallowed something, probably an exclamation of just how cool Pandora Actor¡¯s is as he pulled away from Pandora¡¯s Actor, letting him first lift one leg high. Then, using that as a lever and counterbalance, to rise in a single upward motion, remembering to turn in his movement so that his cloak would rustle behind him and his back would be turned to his Father. The greatest insult a resident of Nazarick could ever show to the Greatest of High Beings, but Pandora Actor was permitted to do so. Because it was Lord Momonga Himself who had created him as such.

    Pandora¡¯s Actor knew that his pose, the way he now turned his back to his Maker, turning his head to the side as if looking past his Father. Looking at the Lord with one eye and shifting his body slightly as if he were leaning on one leg, and putting out the other to the side, was the peak essence of coolness.  ¡°Oh, my Creator, Your will be done!¡±

    ¡°Kuh, can you not call me that?¡± His Father swallowed yet another exclamation of coolness.

    ¡°You may address me as ¡®Father¡¯ or ¡®Pa¡­¡¯ No, just call me ¡®Father.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Father?¡± Pandora actor couldn''t believe his ears for a second ¨C which, strictly speaking, he didn''t have in this uniform and form. Was it really not a dream, was it real? Had he really earned this, this most sacred right of all, this almost blasphemous right to call Him, the Supreme Being, the Lord of all the Great Tomb Nazarick¡­ Father?! His own Father?!

    Pandora¡¯s Actor would have cried with the force of a thousand waterfalls if he could, but his body was deprived of that ability¡­ Besides, the Pandora Actor understood that mindless sobbing was not cool, and his Father appreciated his coolness in everything.

    He had created him as such. Which meant that the Pandora Actor, who had been given the greatest right of all, the right to call Lord Momonga his Father, could not, in no way, shame his Lord and show his ¡®uncool¡¯ side. And mere moments after his Father had granted him His greatest mercy at that!

    Some tears were cool, Pandora¡¯s Actor knew this, but with all his great intellect given to him at his Father''s creation he could find no way to turn those tears that were waiting to come out, into cool tears. He could only smile helplessly, seeing how, with just one sentence, his Father had turned all his lauded intellect to nothing, and acknowledge his utter admiration and powerlessness in the face of the Greatest Supreme Being.

    ¡°Yes, but only in private, umu, it would be strange for you to call me Father on a mission.¡±

    Father shook His head, before acting as if he had forgotten something. ¡°Ah, right, I almost completely forgot, in addition to your mission of gathering information and posing as Issei, I will also travel with you as your¡­ Umu, the older brother of Issei, and I¡¯m counting on you to help me maintain my cover.¡±

    Pandora¡¯s Actor paused for a moment before realizing something magnificent. Indeed, there¡¯s no reward as great as the right to call Him, the Greatest, their Father, could have been bestowed without an equally great test. For otherwise it would have been only an undeserved reward, weighing down the soul of Lord Momonga''s loyal servant, and becoming a stigma on their minds. For none of all Nazarick would have allowed themselves to benefit from a reward bestowed upon them by a Supreme Being without an equally grand achievement.

    And his Father, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, bestowed upon Pandora¡¯s Actor just this ¨C the opportunity to prove, not to the Father himself, but to himself, the right for him to enjoy the greatest reward of all. For the Actor was not to take center stage in this play, being only an Actor, he was to become not the leading role, but the support, the main stage decoration, which would elevate his Father above all others.

    Just so, Pandora¡¯s Actor was to play his part as an Actor is supposed to, and let his Father ascend to the applause of the audience. Playing villain and hero as his role required, to allow his Father to rise above them all.

    ¡°Umu, however, I will likely be away a lot on Nazarick business, so I will need to come up with a rationale as to why I will be away a lot. Hmm, maybe sanitary quarantine? No, I don''t think they are that common in this world yet, and I don''t think I could easily find slums that often use ¡®cleaners¡¯ in this world¡­¡± His Father pretended to be thinking for a moment, as if He in his infinite Wisdom hadn¡¯t found an answer to something. Immersing Himself in thoughts that were beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, and plans that stretched wider and deeper than any body of water, before shaking his head.

    ¡°Ahem, well, that can be decided later.¡±

    ¡°That''s right, Father!¡±  Pandora¡¯s Actor instantly saluted his Father¡¯s decision, causing Him to freeze for a second.

    ¡°Um, also, please don''t salute¡­ Not in Nazarick, not on the mission, not anywhere,"

    Momonga nodded seriously, and Pandora¡¯s Actor was pleased that his Father considered his salutes also had perfectly achieved coolness, and therefore no longer necessary.

    For the Actor''s skill was not to repeat the same old tricks, but to seek out new roles, each of which he had to turn into a peak of cool!

    ¡°Ah right, regarding the looks you need to use," Father pronounced before with a wave of his hand he enacted a miracle, "[Create Body].¡±

    A moment later, Father''s form changed, and a young man with brown hair and brown eyes appeared before Actor. Pandora¡¯s Actor felt a joyous longing in his chest, for he knew that the Father was the God of Death and the Supreme Being, but to see a new facet of His power was a blessing in itself. But to see how they would become alike, indeed, as Son and Father, was a blessing above all others, for it confirmed once again that Actor was indeed entitled to call himself a son and Lord Momonga his Father.

    ¡®How great is His wisdom, for His every movement leads to its purpose, every gesture is woven into a single story, an endless spectacle where He owns all the roses from the sighing audience. Being both hero and villain, dragon and knight, truly, there is no happiness higher than being His son.¡¯ Pandora¡¯s Actor fortified his heart, for it had been bestowed upon him by his Father, and began to scrutinize the form of the young lad before him.

    Before, a moment later, Pandora¡¯s Actor form changed and the exact same copy of the young lad arose before his mirror reflection.

    ¡°Umu, okay in that case, um, [Create Body]. I''ll take advantage of that.¡±

    A moment later, his Lord¡¯s form changes again, now a slightly older and slightly taller than his previous one. With shorter hair running neatly down the sides of his head, clearly combed unlike Issei''s hair, and eyes a tone darker, so that tracing the family resemblance was incredibly easy.

    ¡®Father, even so, I can only rejoice in how similar we are now, even if none of these bodies are our real ones¡­¡¯ Pandora¡¯s Actor smiled slightly, but refrained from showing his happiness fully. Wide smiles were very rarely cool, and this was clearly not the time for that.

    ¡°Umu, in that case¡­ I''d also like to give this to you for safekeeping, it''s the remains of your disguise¡¯s World-Class Item, um, [Sacred Gear]. It''s pretty much destroyed, but I think we can still benefit from it.¡±

    A moment later, Father''s hand disappeared into his Inventory, then emerged holding a split and shattered red gauntlet, crumpled in many places and covered in caked blood and black soot. Indeed, there was nothing unusual about the gauntlet, even if the Chief Blacksmith were to repair it, it would become just another gauntlet, a relic among the thousands of others collected in the Treasury of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. But if his Lord said that it was a World Class Item, then it must be one.

    In its current state, with caked blood and the imprint of a large claw and the slight, not yet fully gone smell and sense of the presence of the mighty red dragon sealed within, this gauntlet could indeed ¡®do good¡¯.

    ¡®How far does Your knowledge extend, Father? How far does Your eye see, and how grandiose are Your schemes really?¡¯ Pandora¡¯s Actor took the glove in his hand gently, after which, a moment later, it disappeared into his Inventory. Before, realizing exactly what role he was to play in the new play, pressed his hand to his heart, his outflow of admiration no longer could be held back.

    ¡°Wenn es meines Gottes Wille ist!¡±

    Momonga could not hold back his emotions either. ¡°I SAID NO GERMAN!¡±

 Prologue (7)

    Tannin was an old dragon. Old even to dragons ¨C not just to humans and similar short-lived races. One of the Six Dragon Kings, it was expected for him to be old. At least, he was once one of them, before he was reborn as a demon, and the Dragon Kings dwindled in number to five.

    Of course, even powerful demons couldn''t completely reborn Tannin into a demon, to etch out all his dragon essence and completely replace that with a demonic one. Tannin may have changed his essence, stopped being a Dragon King and became a ¡®queen¡¯-piece demon. But in the end he was still a dragon, whatever the whispers of those who hated him whispered behind his back, laughing at his decision to enlist as a demon for the ephemeral purpose of ¡®saving the species,¡¯.

    Many dragons had a rather simple view of the world, that if someone was too weak to survive ¨C perhaps they didn''t deserve to survive in the first place.

    But Tannin thought otherwise. Defying the beliefs of so many dragons, he caused a split in his society, forcing the ever-quarreling winged lizards to unite, into groups that supported Tannin''s decision to save the dragon species. With the other side, a group that were offended by his decision to serve the demons, dismissing his title of Dragon King as an old unwanted rag.

    And, where the seed of enmity had been planted, a harvest of lies would spring up. And so many rumors about Tannin began to spread faster than listeners had time to hear all the previous ones. That he had lost his dragon wings, that he was no longer defined by their senses as a dragon, that he now worked as a watchdog for his new master, Mephisto.

    Of course, lies were nothing more than that, lies ¨C Tannin was in fact still a dragon.

    And dragons had many natural advantages over many other races ¨C advantages so important that it was simply impossible to get past them.

    One of those advantages was a dragon''s natural disposition to learn magic.

    Of course, Tannin was never really strong in that direction. The only magic he really relied on was the magic of his [Blast Breath] and other than that he only relied on his strong claws.

    But even so, thanks to his nature, and thanks to the action of his [Figure], Tannin has a keen sense to detect magic. He was able to sense strong magic from several hundred meters away, even while distracted by the communication with his sons.

    So when Tannin sensed the usage of really powerful magic, as far as Tannin himself could determine, some kind of portal, he was alert. The not yet fully formed portal was enough to alert Tannin to the intrusion, only for it to disappear a moment later ¨C Tannin instantly realized that the situation was strange.

    When that intrusion was instantly gone, as if knowing that Tannin had cottoned on to its presence, the situation went from strange to mysterious.

    Teleportation wasn''t some rare trick in the world of the supernatural, but it was unlikely that any of the demons in Tannin''s neighborhood would suddenly dare to invade the demesne of a former Dragon King, an Ultimate rank Demon. At least, not without an extremely good reason.

    And, as further questioning and inspection of the demons'' situation showed, none of Tannin''s acquaintances planned to pay him a surprise visit. That, in turn, made Tannin''s situation even more puzzling. Who in that case would try to appear in Tannin''s fiefdom? More importantly, if they were planning to do so, why did they change their mind moments later, allowing the portal to disperse before it could even fully form?

    Especially strange was the fact that Tannin himself and his territory were of no interest. His territory was populated almost entirely by dragons, with the only thing of interest in his mountain being the Dragon Apples. With all the attempts Tannin himself or the ruling Satans had made to establish relations between the other races, the process of reconciling the two different races, dragons and demons, was too slow. And that was even for Tannin himself, who was an unaging and very old man.

    Who could have thought of trying to go into dragon territory? Why would they change their minds? And, in the end, what did this event itself mean to Tannin himself and his dragon wards?

    Tannin did not know the answers to these questions¡­ But for some reason, when he thought about the strange incident, Tannin''s insides began to tighten into a strange and unpleasant knot¡­

    He hoped that it¡¯s just indigestion, and not his instincts crying out that he¡¯s in great danger¡­

    ***

    Goemon and Hanzo looked at each other with uneasy looks. Though neither could see the other''s eyes, they both could tell that each other¡¯s expression was nothing but good. Stepping astride to their destination, even with the pall of their failure hanging heavy on their head, they couldn¡¯t help but admire the architecture of the place they had found themselves in.

    The small room was filled with a light and enchanting half-light, accentuating the expensive wood counter in the room, the chandelier hanging above highlighting the many shelves full of precious drinks behind the glass cabinet. In front, laid several padded seats in front of the bar, and finally their attention landed on the steward of this bar himself.

    There could be nothing else this place could be, a place where failures like them go to wash away their shame. In concert, the two of them bowed fully before the proprietor of the bar, bending their waist to a right angle. ¡°Dear Lord Clavu, we ask you to allow us two, unworthy, to wash away our shame in your bar with alcohol!¡±

    ¡°Oh, distinguished gentlemen," At these greetings, Clavu, the bar steward, sous chef, and more importantly the myconid created by the Supreme Being Blue Planet, only shook his head. ¡°My bar is always open to visitors, on the days that I run it, of course, especially to such courteous gentlemen, so please, take a seat¡±

    A moment later, the tentacle-like roots that made up Clavu''s arms pointed to the two seats across from him. And the two, Goemon and Hanzo, made their way to those, neither of them breaking out of the general rhythm of their stride. Then, in a unified motion, they each made their way to the padded seats, each seated opposite the bar.

    ¡°What would you like?¡± Clavu tilted his head slightly, a sign that would be difficult to interpret for those capable of discerning only the emotions of humans. A motion which the two summoned beings instantly identified as a sign of attentive listening from the myconid whose head was a mushroom.

    ¡°I would prefer poison, but my Lord has not granted me permission to leave on my own.¡± Hanzo answered first. ¡°So any drink, the most bitter and alcoholic of all, will do, for I want my body to feel as trashy as my soul.¡±

    ¡°I choose the same option," The Goemon repeated the order, after which he lowered his gaze, or at least tilted his head, since it was virtually impossible to determine the direction of his gaze.

    ¡°Hmm, I think I have just the right thing for you," Clavu reached for the first glass for the entrant, "However, such a disposition makes me ask you, gentlemen ¨C what exactly is the sadness that brought you to me?¡±

    ¡°We have made an unforgivable mistake," Each of the two ninjas said at the same time,

    "And for that we have been sent to¡­¡±

    The two ninja beings were silent for a moment, as if each was gathering his strength to utter a curse word, before Hanzo spoke first. ¡°Rest.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± The mikonid''s tentacles trembled, as he heard one of the worst fates for the Servant of Nazarick imaginable, the glass in his hands nearly falling to the floor, picked up a moment later. "A tragic fate indeed¡­¡±

    ¡®Rest¡¯ was a curse word for all the inhabitants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick - the worst curse of all. It meant the impossibility of fulfilling one''s duties, of devoting oneself to the service of the Supreme Beings, of showing one''s love, loyalty, and admiration to the Supreme Beings, of fulfilling one''s purpose in this world.

    Those sent to ¡®rest¡¯ were sentenced to an ultimate punishment far surpassing death. For death meant blissful oblivion and a ghostly chance that one day their Lord would call them back into His service, granting them the right to devote themselves to His service. While ¡®rest¡¯ meant that the inhabitant of Nazarick was forced to exist, devoid of purpose and meaning for their existence, watching others, blessed with sacred duties and orders, perform their duty.

    Truly, it was a torture above a thousand others.

    The fact that any of Nazarick''s servants received that horrific stigma, ¡®rest¡¯, was worthy of regret and a hundred tears. Along with it, a lingering fear as to how it was that the hapless servant of Forty-One had earned such a horrible punishment.

    "That is why we wish to forget ourselves in alcohol, so that we do not have to feel this painful feeling," Hanzo replied, and then bowed his head, "Lord Clavu, I beg you!¡± Goemon repeating his words were the last straw and Clavu could not refrain from nodding back,

    "Certainly, gentlemen, at once!¡±

    Clavu turned away for a second mug, beginning to wipe that one down, but a small worm of doubt and deadly curiosity continued to grind at his mind before Clavu gave up. "However, forgive me for being rude, but I just have to wonder what brought you to such a horrible punishment¡­¡±

    Hanzo and Goemon were silent for a moment, before Hanzo answered first, "I disobeyed an order¡­¡± As if in some visceral reaction of disgust, Clavu yanked his tentacles away from the ninja, causing his hands to let go of the mug in his hands, before hurriedly extending them back to catch it.

    ¡°I allowed an attack on Lord Momonga!¡± Goemon howled a moment later, and Clavu, who had reached for the falling glass, felt all strength leave his body, and instead of catching the falling utensil, he collapsed beside it. All he could hear, as if through a pall of mist, were the muffled sound of the broken mug.

    Clavu lay like that for a few seconds, slowly trying to come to his senses and realize what had happened. As if trying to convince himself that the words he had heard were only fantasies. Before realizing that he was still lying on the floor of the bar, next to the shards of the broken glass, and realizing that what he had heard was not a dream.

    From that moment, Clavu realized how serious the sins of his customers really were, and he feared for his bar and himself. Whether he would incur the wrath of Lord Momonga and a curse on his bar if he allowed these seemingly so noble gentlemen to remain inside.

    Indeed, disobeying orders, such a great transgression, deserved only a punishment as great as ¡®rest¡¯. But to allow an attack on Lord Momonga, the Last and Greatest Lord of the Supreme Beings¡­ No, such a transgression deserved not even ¡®rest¡¯ but ex¡­ ex¡­ exi¡­!

    No, he could not utter that cursed word even in his mind!

    A moment later, Clavu¡¯s tentacles quickly opened the utensil drawer, pulling out a second mug for his visitor and no longer caring to wipe it cleaner than it already is. These people needed the strongest, crappiest alcohol that the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick had ever stored¡­ And so did he!

    He needed urgently to clear his mind of these words and these thoughts!

    The third mug ended up next to the other two, after which Clavu¡¯s light tentacles headed for the very bottom of his liquor cabinet drawer. However, Clavu didn''t have time to get the necessary liquor out of his supply before he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Hmm, sous chef, gentlemen? What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Lord Demiurge!¡± The sous chef distracted himself from his activities for a moment, if only to respond to his regular visitor. "Please, I don''t believe I''m saying this ¨C but I''m afraid this really isn''t the best time for you to be here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, really?¡± Lord Demiurge, in his usual orange jacket and small glasses on his face, only smiled good-naturedly ¨C the very intense aura he was exuding, made clear that it was all a facade. ¡°I think I heard some words that would make such egress impossible¡­¡±

    Clavu froze, for the very utterance of such blasphemous and cursed words as ¡®to allow an attack on Lord Momonga¡¯ should have carried a punishment commensurate with the blasphemy of the highest caliber. And Clavu understood that his relationship with Lord Demiurge meant nothing in the face of the Supreme Beings and their judgment.

    ¡°But before I can answer you gentlemen, I just have to ask you one thing¡­¡± Lord Demiurge glanced at the three men at the bar, whereupon they felt themselves pressed into place, pulled and gutted before the eyes of the Seventh Floor Guardian, who was in an infinite rage. His eyes, normally hidden, opened fully, revealing to the world the gaze of two diamonds with countless facets in place of his eyeballs, looking at the world with anger.

    ¡°WHO HAS MADE HIMSELF THE EQUAL OF LORD MOMONGA?!¡± Lord Demiurge''s voice seemed to pierce the soul of the listeners, and made them freeze. Unlike last time, when Clavu fell to the ground as soon as he heard the Goemon''s words, this time Clavu seemed bereft of strength to even fall. His mind and soul froze in primal, powerless fear at the thought of such an act, then cursed ten thousand times the thought of standing on the same level as the Supreme Beings, their Lord.

    ¡°No one, Lord Demiurge!¡± Hanzo answered first as he was the first to come to his senses, then fell to his knees, "Never! Never! Never! Such great blasphemy, who would dare!?¡±

    A moment later, the Goemon also fell to his knees, and after that, Clavu himself, with his hands folded in a prayerful gesture, denying any possibility of such sacrilege.

    After a moment, the hatred and power that the visitors felt from the Floor Guardian vanished, and Lord Demiurge, slightly, adjusted his glasses with a glance at the still kneeling creatures. His anger now slightly abated. ¡°In that case, I suppose I must apologize for my abrupt actions, but I must also correct your misconceptions.¡±

    Moments after the pressure disappeared, the Hanzo and Goemon were able to rise slowly and unsteadily, still staggering slightly from the strength demonstrated by the Floor Guardian. Though the weakest in direct combat of them all, he still possessed power unassailable to the other inhabitants of Nazarick, and so his action caused the three creatures to stagger backwards, still struggling to come to their senses.

    ¡°Was ''rest'' all Lord Momonga said to you?¡± Lord Demiurge smiled at the trio, but the glint behind his eye made it clear that a wrong answer was unacceptable. Clavu of course agreed, forgetting a single word from their Lord was unforgivable.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "Or was there something else in His words and actions?¡±

    ¡°He¡­¡± Hanzo thought for a moment before he answered. "He¡­ complimented us on our work!¡±

    ¡°And so He did, gentlemen!¡± Lord Demiurge smiled, as if to convey the obvious through his smile to the denizens of Nazarick, "You have done your part admirably, as He would have wished you to do. Do you really think that anything you could create and do could frustrate His plans? Do you really think you could¡­ Ha-ha, thwart Him?!¡±

    No, of course such a thing was impossible, Clavu instantly realized. For each of the inhabitants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick knew that their Supreme Lord, the Lord of Life and Death, the Head of the Forty-One Supreme Beings, Lord Momonga could make no mistake. For His plans embodied countless all other plans, that they, the denizens of Nazarick, were all, in their originality, merely small pawns on His great playing board. It was impossible for any inhabitant of Nazarick, no, not one at all, to challenge the will and thwart the Supreme Being.

    ¡°I see that you are beginning to understand.¡± Lord Demiurge smiled, then paternally patted the shoulder first of the Hanzo and then of the Goemon.

    "You thought you had made a mistake while in fact, you were only doing His will, dancing to His song, unaware that your every movement was incorporated into His great plan. And so because you did His will, He rewarded you,¡± Lord Demiurge shook his head as if he was looking at the clumsy dance of a child.

    ¡°Rewarded you with rest.¡±

    Of course, none of the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick would have allowed themselves to doubt the words of the Supreme Being. But when it came to the words of someone even as highly placed as Lord Demiurge, still infinitely closer to the rest of the inhabitants to the Supreme Being, doubt could arise in interpreting the Supreme Beings¡¯ words. Especially in interpreting ¡®rest¡¯, one of the most terrible punishments to which a faithful servant of Forty-One could be subjected to.

    Particularly when it was to be taken as a ¡®reward¡¯? From these words alone, doubt itself would naturally arise.

    ¡°But how can ¡®rest¡¯ be a reward? Is it not the greatest suffering to which a loyal servant of a Supreme Being might be subjected to?¡± Clavu, like the picture perfect of a supplicating believer asking their priest for absolution.

    ¡°Haha, yes," Lord Demiurge laughed a little fatherly, "And that is why it is a reward, because it is the Supreme Being who decides what is a reward and what is a punishment. It is by His command that suffering can turn into happiness, and happiness can turn into suffering, for He is the Supreme Being." Demiurge shook his head, as if once again contemplating the Supreme Being¡¯s innumerable sides and admiring each of them,

    "Rest is not only suffering, but redemption, for He gives everyone the opportunity to become more than they already are. For rest is His cruel reward for faithful service, the opportunity to use time and one''s own suffering to become even better, to become a more suitable instrument of His will, to spend time on one''s perfection. For this is His beloved and cruel reward, like a great craftsman, He allows His faithful instruments to be freed from their labor so that each of them may find their new purpose, new powers, new ways to praise Him. Giving forth from their suffering the most beautiful melody that glorifies Him, each move calculated, and each plan laid before His eyes. He may have already predicted that you would go to this bar in failure to understand His thought, and therefore turned reward into punishment. But, by allowing you to learn of His thoughts through my pathetic attempts to understand His words, He has once again turned painful suffering into the greatest reward.¡±

    Lord Demiurge smiled indulgently in ecstasy and looked up to the emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown embroidered on the ceiling, "Truly, for only He determines what is a reward or suffering, for He who is truly worthy to be called the Supreme Being.¡±

    Filled with bile at himself for his disbelief at Lord Demiurge''s words, Clavu could only retreat, blurring inwardly, for lack of the right body parts, in a self-deprecating smile. Indeed, how could he have thought that all this was not part of His great plan¡­ Clavu felt dirty for allowing these thoughts to enter his mind and allowing the fact that Lord Momonga''s infinite love bestowed upon all of Nazarick, and His infinite wisdom, might have been overridden by the actions of summoned beings.

    ¡°Don''t be sad, gentlemen.¡± Lord Demiurge shook his head as he looked warmly on the three, as if looking at his own children. "For your sadness, self-deprecation, and remorse are also only part of His great plan, which we can only comprehend a fraction of what He will reveal to us one day. Even my words are only part of His action, for He has foreseen what has been, is and will be, and your repentance will be the fire that will forge you into the instruments of His exalted will.¡±

    Once again, Clavu could only smile self-deprecatingly, for to be an instrument of the will of the Supreme Being was the main and only purpose of the life of every inhabitant of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. And Lord Momonga was able to grant them this, through a thousand plans and actions anticipating the wishes and prayers of them all¡­ Indeed, only He who is rightly worthy to be called the Supreme Being.

    ¡°In that case!¡±  Hanzo was the first to rise from his seat. ¡°Pardon us, Lord Clavu, Lord Demiurge, but I believe that I must begin preparations!¡±

    ¡°And me too!¡± The Goemon rose from his seat, but Lord Demiurge only smiled at the duo¡¯s actions.

    ¡°I think that at least you will have time for one round of drinks, if you have already come to this bar.¡± Demiurge only smiled a little deeper, as if with his ¡®mischievous¡¯ smile all would be revealed.

    ¡°For you have understood exactly what your reward is. For understanding what your reward is, I don''t think you have anywhere to be in a hurry,¡±

    Lord Demiurge nodded. ¡°After all¡­ You have been given a gift of rest.¡±

    And everyone at the bar nodded at those words.

    "Though, I confess¡­¡± Said the Lord Demiurge, loosening the ties on his tie, while the smile on his face never changed.

    "I confess I''ve been wondering exactly where His grand design is now taking place or where it¡¯s leading to¡­ But," He nodded at the way Clavu had quickly swept up the remains of the mug he''d broken earlier.

    "I do hope that the fallen angel Raynare will wake up soon and reveal this secret to us¡­¡±

    ***

    Momonga sneezed unexpectedly, then rubbed his nose a little. "Hmm, so the created body is so real that it is even capable of sneezing¡­ Interesting, but also rather unpleasant. Sneezing makes me momentarily distracted, blink, make a sound and leave traces in the form of droplets of saliva. If someone takes advantage of these factors and hangs some sort of ''dust traps'' around themselves¡­ Hmm, maybe I should start wearing my familiar dust and gas mask from the past world? Although, on the other hand, judging from what Nigredo has managed to gather while observing this world ¨C wearing a gas mask is not commonplace here and wearing it would make me stand out¡­ Hmm, how problematic, perhaps I should create a human body, but try to ¡®disable¡¯ its ability to sneeze? I wonder if a spell can do that¡­ "

    Momonga thought about the limitless experiments he could still pull off with his newfound spell, but dispelled those thoughts immediately. "No, I''m just trying to find myself a distraction now, I''ve already decided what I need to do, and the longer I put it off, the harder it will be to admit it later¡­ Tabula, I hope your daughter will forgive me!"

    Momonga made his way to the Throne Room where, according to the maid found along the way, Albedo was present, trying to distract himself by thinking along the way. "I wonder if she considers the Throne Room her workplace and that is why she is there? I wonder where her private quarters are? I don''t remember Tabula prescribing one to her, though I haven''t read all the way through her settings, and may well have managed to forget some information in the intervening time¡­ Huh, one of these days I''m going to have to sit down and do a thorough inventory of Nazarick, I can''t even remember how many locations we''ve built in Nazarick¡­ Haaah, things keep piling up and piling up, I feel bad about my plan of just running away from Nazarick to another world. Um, is it the human world, maybe? Is it Earth? I''ll have to find out what the worlds of this place are called, so I don''t get confused about naming them again."

    Momonga made his way to the Throne Room, then froze, becoming timid, as if he was about to enter Albedo''s private chambers. Which made no sense, given that he was the ruler of Nazarick and this was his throne room.

    "Well, okay, I just need to go in, repent to Albedo for what I''ve done and endure her first reaction. After that, I can retire to the human world for a while and give Albedo a chance to cool off a bit¡­ Huh, is that what you were talking about, Touch Me?"  Momonga suddenly remembered Touch Me''s words about how he sometimes came to YGGDRASIL after a fight with his wife to give them both time to cool down and blow off some steam by gutting some enemy. "But Albedo is not my wife¡­ And I don''t know how she will feel about me at the end of our conversation."

    Momonga thought for a moment, then took another slow breath, exhaled, gathering his strength, and opened the gates to the Throne Room.

    Instantly a huge hall appeared before his eyes, huge columns with many flags hung on the sides of the passage leading to the [Throne of Kings] and the Ainz Ooal Gown flag hanging all over the wall. A moment later, Momonga found Albedo standing beside the throne, in fact, she instantly dropped to one knee as Momonga appeared at the entrance to the throne room, and she bowed her head without looking at him.

    ¡®It pains me how much trust they place in me, especially Albedo, and I betrayed it by desecrating Tabula''s creation¡­¡¯ Momonga shook his head, but finding the strength of will, he took a step inside, letting the gates of the throne room close behind him, moving toward Albedo.

    The passage leading to the [Throne of Kings] was long enough, and all the time that Momonga walked that way, he heard no sound but his own footsteps, muffled by the expensive carpet laid on the floor. With each step and with each passing second, Momonga felt his nervousness grow as if he were walking toward his executioner. But as he approached Albedo, finally his panic rose to such levels that his acting skill came forward as if it¡¯s expected, allowing Momonga to act as if he were completely unconcerned about what he¡¯s about to do.

    ¡°Umu, raise your head and rise from your knees.¡± Albedo, obeying his words, rose instantly, all the while casting a glowing smile and a bewitching glance at Momonga. The joyful expression put yet another dagger into his non-existent heart ¨C but he still steeled his resolve.

    ¡°I must tell you something, Albedo.¡± He nodded resolutely inwardly, aware that he might be signing his own death warrant, but unable to turn from this road without desecrating the memory of Ainz Ooal Gown.

    "Those feelings you have for me¡­ they''re not real. ¡°

    Albedo, hearing this, blinked in incomprehension, then tilted her head slightly to the side, her expression an image of confusion. "My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Umu, Tabula Smaragdina, your creator, did not prescribe ¨C that is, did not give you these feelings you¡¯re currently feeling for me.¡± Momonga nodded, feeling the weight that had been hanging there, unknowingly to Momonga himself, slowly begin to fall from his soul,

    "Your love for me¡­ Umu, this is what I put in you, I saw in you something that I¡­ Something that I did not like, and therefore I changed it. Forgive me.¡± Momonga bowed his head to Albedo a moment later, suddenly aware that he was still in the human body that he had chosen to use in the human world. ¡®Huh, I didn''t even feel it ¨C any body I create feels like mine¡­ I think I need to dispel this body and use my usual Avatar, otherwise it¡¯ll starts to feel like I''m unable to face my mistakes and hide behind someone else''s guises, like someone else did it, not me¡­¡¯

    ¡°My Lord, please raise your head!¡±  However, whatever reaction Momonga was expecting to receive, Albedo panicking was not one of them.

    ¡°Please, please, raise your head!¡± A moment later, Albedo found herself on the floor beside Momonga, on her knees, looking into his eyes with panic. ¡°Please!¡±

    ¡°Umu," Momonga lifted his head momentarily, an action that achieved an audible sigh of relief from Albedo.

    "Albedo, I have changed you, regarding what you were supposed to be¡­  I apologize for that.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Lord Momonga!¡± Albedo instantly rose from her feet, finding herself at his side.

    ¡°Lord Tabula was the Supreme Being and my Creator, but I would not trade my feelings for anything else! My Lord, if my feelings don''t please you, then I''ll¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no," Momonga almost succumbed to a panic attack when Albedo raised her World Class Item after a moment, pointing it at herself, but the panic attack was drowned out a moment later. Once again, he had to thank his lucky stars that his emotion suppression still works even in his newly created bodies, otherwise he would also be panicking like Albedo.

    "Your feelings, ahem¡­ Your feelings don''t bother me, I would even say that they please me¡­¡± At these words, Albedo shuddered, as if an invisible electric shock went through her whole body.

    ¡°But right now, you''re not what Tabula made you.¡± Momonga knew that the NPCs Creators were the most important of all for them, so Albedo couldn''t help but feel something when she heard the news. Though for some reason, Momonga saw some disgust in Abbedo¡¯s expression when he mentioned Tabula¡¯s name? It must be just a trick of his new fleshy body.

    ¡°Doesn''t that bother you?¡±

    ¡°What was I like before?¡± Albedo smiled as she asked her question and Momonga suddenly stopped speaking, unsure of how he could put what he had read back then, gently.

    ¡®Well of course, naturally, the first thing she would ask in this case is exactly what she has lost¡­¡¯ Momonga felt some regret for his past action, but most of all vexation that he now has to say some crass words to what effectively is his niece.

    ¡®But¡­ can I say that she was supposed to have been a ''whore''? Tabula, why did your love for the gap-moe generate such conflict!¡¯

    ¡°You were different," Momonga finally answered vaguely, averting his gaze, asking another question to mask it.

    "Do you think Tabula would approve of my actions?¡±

    ¡°I think that my Creator, Lord Tabula Smaragdina, would be pleased with my feelings with the feeling that he is seeing his daughter off to her wedding, entrusting her to One who can take care of her.¡± Albedo only smiled at Momonga''s question,

    "Lord Momonga, if my feelings do not bother you. If¡­ If you even¡­ are in fact pleased with them, then¡­ I don¡¯t mind¡± At that moment, Albedo flinched, as if she''d been struck by another electric shock, but continued speaking without changing her expression. In fact, is she having a fever right now? Momonga could seen some redness in her face, and in fact her breath was getting shallower by the moment. Their conversation must be taking a great toll on her,

    ¡°Ah, no, no, of course yes," Momonga blinked. Huh, he had been preparing for this conversation for so long and gathering his strength for so long, and in the end it was all resolved so easily¡­ Momonga''s feelings at that moment were in equal parts relief, from Albedo not ending up trying to kill him, but also regret, from realizing just how much the NPCs trusted him and how much he¡¯s far from their expectation.

    ¡®Huh, I guess my worries about their betrayal really are meaningless after all¡­¡¯ Momonga shook his head, then looked up at Albedo, who was still staring at him intently, Momonga resolved himself into clearing up this conundrum once and for all.

    ¡°Albedo, just in case, you shouldn''t feel bad or reluctant to tell me your true feelings, I am ready to apologize in any way I can for what I did to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Lord Momonga?¡± Albedo blinked, after which a smile blossomed on her lips. ¡°Ah, in that case, I suppose I could ask you to forgive my rudeness¡­¡±

    ¡®Ah, so she did decide to¡­¡¯ Momonga''s further thought was interrupted the moment Albedo grasped the collar of his jacket, the style of which he had spied a little earlier from Issei''s uniform. She pulled Momonga forward, before literally thrusting her lips into his, and Momonga''s mind seemed to take leave of his body for a moment as Albedo''s tongue penetrated his mouth.

    His emotions were cleared after a moment, but his inaction came not because of his emotions, but because his brain simply did not know what it needed to do at the moment.

    The pleasurable feeling from his tongue spilled over his body, concentrating in his stomach and¡­ going somewhere lower.

    Albedo was insistent, clearly trying to taste everything that made up Momonga, but at the same time she did not cross some invisible line beyond which insistence would turn into aggression. Instead, while holding the initiative, she still allowed Momonga to back away at any moment.

    And Momonga liked that strange and unfamiliar feeling¡­ Kissing ¨C his first kiss, was not bad at all.

    Momonga''s experience in love affairs was, naturally, zero ¨C so he did not know what exactly he was supposed to do rationally in the current circumstances. So he did the only thing he could, he trusted his instincts. And so when their tongues touched again, he easily overpowered Albedo, who didn¡¯t actually put up much of a fight, and answered her actions by deepening his kiss, invading Albedo¡¯s mouth.

    For a moment, it seemed as if the two of them were entwined in some strange dance that existed only for the two of them. The kiss continued longer and longer, and Momonga completely forgot about breathing, immersed in a strange and so pleasant feeling, as if trying to taste Albedo in her entirety.

    His instincts were screaming at him to take hold of Albedo¡¯s hips and continue on, the blood in his brain surging towards his loins. Luckily, before he could do anything further, his rational mind returned, and he pulled away from Albedo, taking a noisy sip of air. Not because he needed it, but as if trying to make the air replace the strange feeling still dancing all over his body.

    Albedo pulled away with the same sigh, wandering the walls with her eyes blanketed in a pinkish veil, before taking a sharp breath, then another, and another¡­

    And, with a muffled cry that turned into a groan, she collapsed on her knees, trembling.

    Momonga rushed over to Albedo, before he noticed a stain slowly begin to appear on her white dress, about the level of her groin, and her legs glistening in the candelabra light from the droplets left on them. Momonga froze, then swallowed the strange sweet fruity taste still reigning in his mouth and looked away.

    ¡®Well, I suppose now my departure can still be considered an attempt to give Albedo some time to rest a little¡­¡¯ Momonga shifted his gaze. ¡®I''ll tell Sebas or maybe Demiurge¡­ Or anyone else, really, about where I''m going. I need to reign myself in before I make another mistake I can¡¯t take back¡­ I¡¯m not ready to be a father yet!¡¯

    Albedo, previously trembling finely, seemed able to find the ground beneath her feet and lift her slightly lucid gaze to find Momonga¡¯s eyes. And, once again emitting a muffled, obscene, long and completely indecent moan, she fell to the ground again, trembling even more than before, while the stain on her dress only grew larger.

    ¡®Okay, I''ll tell them using [Message]!¡¯ Momonga felt a panic attack begin gathering, before it got muffled by his emotion suppression. Seeing it as the sign that he needed to leave soon, he then sighed and turned around, doing his best not to make it look like he¡¯s running away.

    "Well, Albedo, I''m off! [Gate]!¡±

    Momonga had a strange feeling as if he¡¯s supposed to buy some milk or cigarettes after that debacle with Albedo, especially when he¡¯s planning to leave for a long time.

    What a strange feeling¡­

 Overlord of a High School (1)

    The NPC formerly known as Pandora''s Actor, now playing the role of ''Issei Hyoudou'', moved through the slowly darkening streets of the city of Kuoh. He refrained from assessing his surroundings openly, to not give away his unfamiliarity with the surroundings.

    ''Hmm, how unusual.'' Pandora''s Actor, no ''Issei'', smiled inwardly. ''There are so many people around, so many different thoughts ¨C and they''re all meaningless, chaotic and so geistlos.''

    Unlike lesser Doppelg?ngers, ''Issei'' was a Greater Doppelg?nger with the maximum racial level, so his mind reading was not as bare and superficial as that of his lesser brethren. He could read not only the superficial thoughts swirling above, but even the deepest of them, pulling out important information from the depths of the minds of those around him. And at the same time, remembering to appreciate all other thoughts of no importance other than as a collectible item.

    The whole point, however, was that Issei was a collector of sorts, a trait he shared with his Father, he shared a love of collections of all unusual kinds. Primarily, related to objects of a magical nature, but anything could be a collection for Issei. Father also loved to collect living people, unusual creatures, strange materials, exotic spells, and a host of others, while Issei above all else loved to collect the roles available to him and given to him from his surroundings.

    So now, finding himself in a new world, outside the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Issei expected to be able to collect hundreds of new roles. And he did see them, as he walked the streets, revealing with a light touch the minds and souls of those around him. But, he realized with some sadness, all these roles were¡­ Empty. They were practically meaningless.

    The people around him did not give themselves to their roles, preferring to hold those as meaningless carnival masks. They use their daily life, walking through familiar roads, following their routines, as if hoping that it was the mask that would turn them into another being, into another role, rather than their actions.

    Standing at the crossroads, looking at his watch, the young man considered himself ''an exemplary worker, a faithful husband, and a good teacher''. But he, in fact, was empty inside, like a glass jar whose walls had been painted over, in a foolish attempt to pass off emptiness as fullness.

    No, there was no desire inside him to really commit to his role, as a ''model employee'' he pondered how he could wean himself off his job early and weasel a pay raise from his boss. A ''Faithful husband''? Nothing more than a paper lantern, easily pierced with one finger, only just below his ''faithfulness'' were fantasies, desires, dark emotions. A ''Good teacher''? It was only a screen to hide his weariness and stale irritation at stupid students, and at himself, forever stuck in his position as a mere ''teacher''.

    Empty, empty, empty and absolutely meaningless existence, protected solely by the easy mask and drawing of the ''role'' that they performed, but deprived of the most important thing. They lack the spark of existence, the meaning of existence itself ¨C they were soulless beings in their weak, imperfect bodies.

    Indeed, Issei knew that they were not actors, but only scenery, wandering meaninglessly around the stage, creating ''extras'' as the background in the Actor''s and Father''s stories.

    There were dozens, hundreds, of them wandering about their business and yet deprived of the sacred understanding of what their business was. Blind kittens trying to find their way through meaningless pokes at walls, unaware of what they were really deprived of.

    Issei even felt some pity for them. He had no particular love for humanity in him, but faced with the sight of their current condition, he could do no other than regret their senseless and hopeless walk to one day realize their true destiny.

    Only once in Issei''s path did he encounter one man, from whom he felt something like a faint facsimile of the spark of that great flame that burned within each of the inhabitants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. And, as the analysis of his mind told him, it was all down to his religious devotion to the Shinto Temple at the edge of town and its gods.

    Issei supposed that, in a sense, it made sense. It was not a drive granted by a Supreme Being, whom the lower beings could not see in any other way than as God, but it was a drive all the same.

    Blind to their destiny, humans try to unravel the will of their gods, trying to find their destiny through the determination of their will and plan¡­ a laughable endeavor. Even beings emboldened by the presence of the Supreme Being among them and gifted with an understanding of their purpose of existence were unable to fully grasp the majesty of the plans and the might of the will of their Master. Then, what chance do men, deprived of this grace forever, have? They were no more than blind men, trying naively to understand the will of their gods, relying solely on their own knowledge.

    Still, the fact that this slight shadow of a spark existed within one of them was worthy of Issei''s approval and praise. His mind was incapable of even imagining how terrible it was to exist without will or understanding. And the fact that some tried to bridge this endless chasm, acquiring something whose absence they could not even fathom, was worthy of all praise.

    All of this, however, was only Issei''s idle musings as he moved toward his home. Although he had not been handed the memory of Issei Hyoudou, Father had shared with him the information he had gained from his knowledge ¨C Issei was supposed to live in Kuoh. So, all Issei had to do was to gradually narrow his search by reading the thoughts of old Issei''s acquaintances, who began appearing periodically, and he could figure out the location of Issei''s home.

    Something which he had just accomplished, an easy task over all.

    "Hmm?" As Issei tried to get inside the heads of the two people sitting inside, and succeeding, he was intrigued by what he had found. ''Funny indeed ¨C I can see why Father decided to take an interest in these people. There is a spark of understanding in them, as in the priest I met earlier, but it was born not of following the gods, but of their own awareness of their place in this world. For them the reason for their existence was Issei himself and his birth. Hmm, entertaining specimens indeed ¨C but, alas, your spark of awareness is nothing before the will of my Father ¨C even if I can feel some regret for your fate.''

    After another moment, having carefully traced the basic details in the mind of Issei''s parents, Issei could only shake his head. If his Father were around now, then¡­

    Then, as if He could hear Issei''s thoughts ¨C a [Gate] that opened near Issei, instantly revealing to the light, his Father, who had already taken the form of ''Issei''s big brother'', just when Issei thought of it.

    ''Indeed, He already knows all the steps of this act, tens of thousands of years in advance.''

    Issei bowed slightly at the sight of Father, no, his older brother, but he allowed himself an indulgence, there was no one around them after all. He checked. "Father, you are just in time¡­"

    "Umu," Father replied, looking around, as the [Gate] closed behind him. "I assume this is Issei''s home?"

    "It is, Father," Issei nodded, "And I apologize in advance for any rudeness I may commit towards you and¡­"

    "Not to worry, we have a mission and we both have a part to play." Father nodded seriously.

    "So from now on, you are Issei Hyoudou, and I am¡­ Umu, Satoru Suzuki."

    Father, of course, already knew exactly what plan Issei had picked up to infiltrate this family, and with one stroke of his pen, completed the necessary picture, even the family name¡­ Haha, did Father already know everything that was stored in the minds of Issei''s parents? Of course, that was exactly what it was, his Father had already made His first move.

    "Absolutely, esteemed elder brother." Issei bowed.

    "No, no, just call me ''brother'', or you can use ''bro'' or ''elder'', if you want to be formal." Father shook His head.

    "We will continue to act like brothers in public and at any time, until we return to Nazarick or I tell you directly and explicitly that we no longer need to support the masquerade. Do you understand me, Junior?"

    "Absolutely, bro," Issei blurted out, sporting the slightly cocky smile he''d found in the memory of Issei''s parents. "I''ll go first and introduce you."

    "Okay," Father nodded, then turned toward the entrance gate moving to the side a bit, giving Issei the opportunity to advance.

    Issei, moving towards the strange contraption of this world, already had knowledge from his surroundings of how the ''doorbell'' was supposed to work. And, as he pressed the button, hearing with his heightened ears the slight trill of a bird inside the house.

    A moment later, with a beep, the door leading inside the yard and then to the front doors opened, so Issei made his way inside. It still pained his heart to stop himself to turn around and hold the door for Father, devoting himself entirely to his role.

    Climbing quickly up the low porch, Issei opened the door leading inside the house, after which he was instantly confronted with Issei''s mother and father, Gorou and Miki Hyoudou. They looked very irritated, fearful, and relieved at the same time ¨C quite the mix of emotions.

    "Young man!" Miki Hyoudou, a middle-aged woman, well-preserved looks for her age, with short dark brown hair gathered into a ponytail down to her shoulder blades and brown eyes. Issei notes that there''s a glimmer of tears in her eyes ¨C and that she was restraining herself from hugging him. Though, it looked equally likely that she was about to punch Issei as well.

    "I am waiting for an explanation of where you were all this time, and why I could not call your phone!?" Gorou Hyoudou, a middle-aged man with short-cut brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a slight unshaven face, his big glasses prominent on his face. He was trying to look menacing, but he did not dare interrupt his wife, making it clear who was really ''the man'' in this house.

    "Mom, I''m sorry!" Issei instantly fell into a ''dogeza'', just as Issei had apparently always done in the past when his mother was angry with him. "The phone fell out of my pocket into the sink! It''s my fault, I''m sorry!"

    Issei immediately began bowing enthusiastically, as if to apologize to Issei''s mother, inwardly pleased that he had managed to spy many details before from the minds of random people, and inwardly apologizing to his Father for calling this woman ''mother''. Miki Hyoudou, on the other hand, looked at Issei with a frown for a few more seconds, but then relaxed and looked away, dropping her shoulders and exhaling defeatedly, realizing that her anger might be misplaced. After all, it''s not like her son meant for his phone to be broken, right?

    "Okay, but the money for the new phone is going to be deducted from your birthday present. And where have you been all this time?!"

    Taking the question as his cue, Issei stood up, shook himself off a little, then acted as if he came to himself as if he almost forgot to say something important. "Mom, I found my big brother!"

    At this moment, Father, finding the best moment for His appearance, took a step, coming out from behind the front door showing Himself off to the two adults. After which, Miki Hyoudou abruptly gasped out and took a step back, along with Gorou, throwing incomprehensible glances now at Issei and at Father.

    "Umu, good afternoon, dear father, mother," Father bowed slowly, keeping a smile of politeness and some embarrassment on His face, perfectly playing the role of a person ''embarrassed by the unexpected development of events''.

    "My name is Satoru Suzuki." Miki blinked, then shifted her gaze once again to Issei and then to Father, obviously comparing their physical resemblance to each other before frowning.

    Of course, Miki hadn''t given birth to a second son a year before Issei, which she had just happened to forget. But a look at the mind around Issei in his way ''home'', had long since shown him the appropriate way forward.

    "Dad, my brother told me he''s my half-brother, and came here from Kyoto looking for his father whom he had never seen before." A moment later, Gorou''s thoughts stirred, some half-forgotten memory rising to the surface, making the lie even easier, thanks to Gorou himself beginning to remember his past.

    "He said that his mother, Mai Suzuki, died recently, and he came to look for the father he had never met. And seeing how similar we looked, I made an assumption¡­"

    Images began to form in Gorou''s mind, and he froze, his pupils dilating. ''Got him.''

    Gorou and Miki had been trying to have children for a long time, but because of Miki''s medical issue, her previous pregnancies had come only after long attempts and ended in miscarriages. So, a year before Miki finally became pregnant with Issei, his father, Gorou, went on a long pilgrimage to every temple he could think of, praying to the gods for help. A pilgrimage which included a visit to Kyoto, traditionally considered the seat of power of the gods of Shintoism ¨C along being home to Japan''s most famous temples. He had left his wife behind for the duration of his trip ¨C for almost a month.

    Of course, Gorou really loved his wife and during the whole trip he really only visited temples and prayed incessantly to all the gods he could think of. He had even made the pilgrimage barefoot, stepping in the cold snow, almost losing his own feet from frostbite as perhaps some sacrifice to ensure that his prayers were heard.

    As much as his intentions were pure, in the end he still had left his wife''s side for almost a month. Something which led to a small fight when his wife had discovered that Gorou had some relationship with a woman in his travels. Someone named Mai Suzuki.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Now, the fact of the matter is, from what Issei could gather, this Mai Suzuki was nothing more than a nurse who was secretly consulted by Gorou about their medical issues of conceiving. Something that Gorou told his wife about, reassuring her when she discovered the many times Gorou called this Mai.

    However, now that living proof to the contrary had appeared before Miki and Gorou''s eyes, and with Mai Suzuki''s death ¨C all Gorou''s previous explanations meant nothing. Especially considering how similar Issei and Satoru were to each other, and both of them, according to Issei''s parents'' memory, were pretty much carbon copies of a young Gorou.

    "Gorou¡­" Miki, clearly coming to the same conclusion, slowly turned to her husband as her eyes glazed over, and her voice became dry and lifeless. "You¡­ what¡­ What do you have to say about this?!"

    "This¡­" Gorou took a step back out of shock as if he was struck, his back striking against the wall. "This is all some mistake! A joke, a prank¡­"

    Gorou was indeed faithful to his wife, but the problem was that seeing the provided proof to the contrary, he couldn''t produce anything that spoke in his favor except his words. Besides, that very long month alone had really made Miki doubt his fidelity for a while and¡­ well, Issei''s perversion has to come from somewhere.

    ''Ja, what juicy stories you have¡­'' Issei smiled inwardly, ''Hmm, and you''re an interesting ausstellungsst¨¹ck to boot, Gorou Hyoudou¡­''

    It turns out that in the past, Gorou Hyoudou had a desire to gather numerous beautiful girls around him for the purpose of creating a harem of concubines. While he didn''t directly pass this dream on to his son, Issei, he still allowed it to flourish. Of course, soon after he got married, he abandoned that dream in short order, not wanting to hurt his wife along with really loving her. At the same time, however, Miki also knew of this old dream of Gorou''s, and it was this knowledge that now broke free, finally overwriting her perception of the figure of the ''faithful husband'' that was Gorou.

    ''How ironic, Vater, with how many empty masks of ''fidelity'' there are in the world, but the only one who truly wore none was the one whose mask was became face,'' Issei sighed at his Father''s brilliance. Truly, He, the Father, was the greatest of playwrights, for His pen, Pandora''s Actor, was now writing the great tragedy of irony, weaving the disparate shards of chance into the unified fabric of a tragically comic plot.

    "Gorou!" Miki raised her hand in anger, then with a sharp sweeping blow made a harsh slap that resounded in the hallway. "GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!"

    Gorou, grasping his cheek, which had a scarred handprint on it, looked up at Father, equally confused and shocked, now replaced by anger, "He''s lying! He''s lying, I''m going to throw him out of the house!"

    "Maybe I should really go away¡­ I don''t want to cause any trouble." His Father''s acting was so perfect that Issei could even believe that He was really ashamed, embarrassed, and disappointed. Bringing His participation in this performance to such perfection that He literally dissolved into His role, ceasing to play a character on stage, completing the deception.

    "I did not mean to cause any¡­"

    "Nonsense!" And of course, as He had planned, Miki completely bought the act and was immediately on Father''s side. "You should stay, where are you going to go from here! You''ve come from so far away¡­ And you, Gorou!" Miki glared angrily at her husband, a complete 180 from his way of talking with Father.

    "Get out! I don''t want to see you again!" Gorou, upon hearing his wife''s angry remarks, still full of anger and confusion, did the only thing his lacking thought processes were good enough to do ¨C he lunged at Father, raising his fist.

    Issei would have had no trouble turning Gorou into bloody mists with one sloppy movement of his hands. He had indeed copied an appearance that was not memorized by him at creation, not allowing Issei''s original stats and skill to be added to his own, so he had to use only his own parameters.

    Even so, as a level one hundred creature, even in his weakest, most basic form, Pandora''s Actor possessed enough strength to take down not only Gorou, but most of the houses on this street in a single blow.

    And yet Issei knew that his boiling blood, which demanded action, was only another of his tests. Just as his Father was always able to keep things under control, so Issei, if he wished to be His son, had to keep his feelings from interfering with His play. And of course, in no way could Gorou harm his Father, so this was all just another scene in a play, Gorou was simply playing on strings.

    As one would expect, Father intercepted Gorou''s fist a moment later with ease. Even without using [Perfect Warrior], Father is a hundredth level Player, and was therefore many times stronger than a mere human with no special abilities. However, the moment Gorou''s fist was intercepted with an ease that could not be expected from Father''s appearance, he only seemed to become more enraged, and grasped Father''s body with his other hand, trying to knock him to the ground.

    Of course, it was utterly useless, Father didn''t budge even when the man put his whole weight into the action. Gorou, faced with unexpected resistance, fell on the ground in a heap.

    ''Hmm, really, what exactly is Father up to at this point? What advantage is he getting from letting the man embarrass himself?'' At other times, Issei would not have hesitated to ask Father for advice or guidance, any insult or taunt was better than the most ghostly possibility of allowing a misinterpretation of His motives and actions. But this time, Issei could not do so, for it was all a test.

    A test of how Issei himself could understand his Creator''s intent, and his ability to anticipate His plans in order to be rewarded with the right to call him Father. Father himself had unambiguously pointed this out by saying to Issei that ''until the moment when I tell you directly and unambiguously'', that Issei had to play his part without asking any advice from Father. And so, Issei now has to evaluate all the variables so that he could come to the right conclusions, to what Father is planning.

    ''So what are the variables? Just after Gorou was branded a cheater in Miki''s mind, now he seems aggressive, unbalanced, and at the same time, pathetic and distrustful. He was acting as if to take out his anger on his son, illegitimate or not, for daring to bring Gorou''s own misdeeds to light. All because the son himself sought his father, an act that only happened because of insurmountable circumstances, as his mother had died, leaving the pubescent boy without parents¡­ Vater, tell me, are You the hero of this play, or the villain? Or are You something more, and from the beginning You did not plan to hide under the mask known to these people, appearing to them in Your splendor as the True Supreme Being?''

    Sure enough, Gorou tried to rise from the floor, unable to move Father even with all his strength, this time swinging his fists again, to which Father only raised his hands, pushing Gorou away lightly. "Umu, I apologize for what happened, but perhaps I really should leave¡­"

    Issei almost laughed ¨C with just one phrase Father turned Gorou into a pathetic villain, whose words no one else would believe, at the same time elevating himself with His modesty, strength, and politeness to heroic heights. Turning reality into the most basic of plays, with an unambiguous hero and villain, and yet at the same time, plausibly real. So much so that the actors and the audience cease to notice the uniqueness of the script, carried away by the ''realism'' of the scene.

    Pandora''s Actor was not one to revel in human suffering, and he even, on some insignificant level, sympathized with Gorou Hyoudou''s plight. But like an enchanted man watching the majesty of a storm approaching with all its destructive potential, devouring houses with indifferent force, Issei simply watched the play with mortal admiration. As He created His great play, using human souls and minds as canvas and words and deeds as ink.

    "Gorou, that''s enough!" Miki rushed forward, trying to hold back the now hysterical Gorou. But Gorou no longer seemed to hear her, striving with all his strength to harm Father, and yet unable even to even wound Him, especially now that his hands were completely restrained in Father''s grip.

    Out of impotence and anger, Gorou kicked out his knee, trying to hit Father in the groin. Which, as if by surprise, Father let go of Gorou''s hands, though Father himself, of course, suffered no damage, and it was all just a calculated move. For in his blind rage Gorou swung his fist to strike again, but the knee, seemingly crashing into an impenetrable barrier in his path, failed him, causing him to stagger backwards and tip over slightly. Falling, so that his clenched fist hand crashed not into Father, but into Miki, who had rushed to separate Father and Gorou, crashing into her face, breaking her nose, and throwing her to the ground.

    A muffled cry of pain and surprise from Miki finally made Gorou stop. After which the anger was completely gone from his face, with blood seemingly draining from it, leaving only a funeral white wax mask, and Gorou turned on the spot, rushing to see Miki.

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to!" Gorou dropped to his knees, but when he reached out his hands to his wife, the latter struck them back, refusing to be helped by the one that had hurt her. Both mentally, and now physically.

    "Go away¡­" Miki''s voice was quiet and muffled, but her pain was unmistakable. "Just go away¡­"

    Gorou, recoiled back more than if he were actually struck, threw a hurt look at Miki, then at Issei, who had adopted a proper shocked look, then at Father. And, unable to contain himself, rushed away into the street with a sob, eager to escape as far away from this house as possible.

    "Umu, it didn''t turn out the way I wanted¡­" Father said quietly and completely with frustration, but in a way that could be heard in the silence that settled, allowing Miki to once again reinforce her opinion of him as a truly frustrated and noble hero. "Sorry, I didn''t mean for things to turn out like this¡­ It''s all my fault¡­"

    "No¡­" Miki tried to hold back the tears of pain, resentment, betrayal, and shock inside.

    "You shouldn''t worry¡­ it''s not your¡­ fault." Each of the words was accompanied by a sob, simultaneous with the pop of bloody bubbles from Miki''s broken nose, and on the last word she finally could not help herself, sobbing at full voice. Father, seeing this, shifted his gaze to Issei, and Issei could almost have sworn it was as if Father was scolding him. His expression seemingly expressed ''what have you done?!'', but since that was completely impossible, Issei realized the most logical of all thoughts at the moment was that he had to help his ''mother''!

    "Mother, I''m going to call an ambulance!" Issei acted with alacrity, as he began reading the surrounding minds for the ambulance number, but before he could, Father''s voice stopped him.

    "No need." Father spoke out, after which he knelt down on one knee beside Miki, making her stop for a moment in her gasping cry as she watched Father warily. Father then reached behind her back, so that she couldn''t see what he''s doing, while Issei could see that father was reaching for his Inventory for an item, a [Potion of Minor Healing.]

    A moment later, Issei realized that this woman''s place in Father''s plans was far greater than he had initially assumed!

    For his Father clearly knew that if He used the potion now, she would later have to be taken under Nazarick''s personal control or guard ¨C even if she were killed, she could be resurrected and subsequently interrogated for important information. And if she was not killed, she would surely soon begin asking questions of her own concerning Father''s potion, not to mention just how valuable the items were from the Supreme Beings themselves!

    "Drink it." Father handed the small vial full of red liquid, and the woman, shaken by sobs and the news that had completely overturned her past conception of her life and her world, did not even resist. Miki, powerlessly, and without question, accepted the vial, drinking its contents easily. Which immediately, as one would expect, healed the minor wounds that Gorou''s fist had inflicted on her, instantly restoring her bloodied nose, and removing the blood from her face. A sure sign of rapid magical healing that restores even severed body parts, which included, for example, the blood that had left Miki''s blood vessels earlier.

    As soon as the healing ended, and probably feeling the pain disappear, Miki opened her eyes and, unbelieving, groped her nose.

    "How! What?" She looked up at Father with a confused and surprised look on her face, her earlier sadness suddenly overwritten.

    "[Sleep]," Father used a spell that instantly allowed the exhausted woman to fall asleep, with her falling in his arms, thus leaving the last memory in the woman''s mind of falling asleep in Father''s arms¡­

    Indeed, with each movement He only moved forward, toward the fulfillment of His purposes.

    "Pandora''s Actor¡­ Issei, I need you to find your father, apologize to him, and¡­ Make the situation at least a little better," Father sighed, playing his role even when there''s no one watching.

    "Please, I don''t think he''s gone far, but¡­ I don''t know, send him somewhere, preferably somewhere far away, so he can''t interfere anymore, and no more of this. He has suffered enough already."

    Issei thought about Father''s order for a moment. He was tempted to ask about Father''s specific instructions, but He had already said before that the masquerade would continue until He said otherwise, precisely and unequivocally. Which meant that this was still a test for Issei''s understanding of Father''s own instructions.

    "All right," Issei nodded, adopting his role''s vernacular, and then, as he rose, he quickly disappeared behind the door leading out of the house.

    Of course, it was easy to find Gorou Hyoudou with the abilities that Issei possessed. Even if he was more lacking, Gorou had barely made it one block away, so he had instantly caught up with him. Gorou was running away, through unlit alleys, torn between anger, fear and bitterness, dropping tears on the way, alternating between angry and resentful¡­ Making Issei''s job much easier as he traveled through abandoned passages.

    At this point, however, Issei, Pandora''s Actor, froze.

    What exactly did ''make the situation a little better'' mean? The spark in Gorou''s soul has extinguished and destroyed, it could not be corrected by simple actions, unless one reversed time, or allowed the Supreme Being to act Himself. Or, most blasphemously of all, went against the will of the Supreme Being, his Creator Himself. And though the Issei could take Their guises ¨C he was by no means equal to Them. Even more, it was by possessing the ability to take Their guises that Actor was fully aware of the gulf between them.

    And now, having personally witnessed his Father''s great performance, he was convinced of this once more.

    ''Send him somewhere, preferably somewhere far away, so he can''t interfere anymore'' ¨C but where exactly? Issei didn''t know the place Father had spoken off nor anywhere in this world much either ¨C all the information he knew was made up of scraps of thoughts and memories of the people around him. Issei could confidently pronounce the name of the city, Kyoto, as he had guessed that it was far enough away ¨C but he had absolutely no idea where that city was. And without that knowledge and having no one he knew in the city itself ¨C Issei could not teleport Gorou there¡­

    And most importantly, ''he''s suffered enough already.'' What does Father mean by that? It was certain that the spark this man possessed had been extinguished, and therefore he would henceforth suffer for eternity because of what had happened until he¡­ Died! Eureka!

    Suddenly, in a single moment of realization, all of Father''s words came together in a single picture, and Issei could barely keep from raising his hand to his face, seeking to cover it in a fit of shame. "Oh! Mein Gott, how foolish I am¡­ "

    A moment later, Issei dispelled his [Stealth] and appeared behind the man who had changed from running to staggering, and then he turned to him. "Father!"

    Gorou paused for a moment before turning to Issei, his face changing into a relieved expression, but still with a tinge of anger and sadness. "Issei?"

    "Yes, father!" Issei nodded. "Hurry, let''s go home! We realized that this man was a trickster and mom is waiting for you! Come, she wants to apologize!"

    Gorou blinked, trying to comprehend what had been said, whereupon, a moment later, a huge weight was lifted from his soul, relief made him practically soar above the ground, and the tears in his eyes changed from angry to joyful. His expression, a smile full of joy with his purpose, his soul, roaring back to life.

    Whereupon, Issei''s fist turned Gorou Hyoudou into a bloody mist.

    "Indeed, the best of deaths." Issei smiled, a creepy visage now that he''s covered in blood.

    "Truly, Father is merciful."

    To make things right¡­ Issei could only go so far as to violate the Supreme Being''s previous orders, to tell him about the plan and bring Gorou back to the family¡­ unthinkable.

    Or, he could simply tell what Gorou wanted to hear before he killed him, ''send him to a place where he won''t disturb us.'' that is, to the afterlife.

    To kill, at the same time, make it that the last moments before his death, he felt a sense of grace. For his suffering was over, and for a moment he soared above himself, for all weight had been lifted from his soul and relief allowed him to forget everything for a moment¡­ And in that moment. Issei killed him.

    Faster than his mind would have felt any pain or betrayal, allowing him to die on top of his grace, in the Father''s mercy, merciful even to the one who had to die to do His will.

    "Truly the only one worthy to be called the Supreme Being¡­" Issei sighed as, with a masterful stroke of His pen, Father had set another point in the great play, allowing each of them to feel their part of both drama and catharsis.

    For a moment, Issei transformed to his original form to blow away the settling blood mist, thus destroying any possibility of Gorou Hyoudou''s resurrection. That is, of course, if ruling out [True Resurrection] and stronger magic from those who knew of his existence and would have wished to use such powers for it.

    In a blink of an eye, Issei has returned, leaving no proof of what he had done before except for the pool of blood in the alleyway.

    "Truly." Issei smiled, a serene, beautiful smile, totally out of place in the bloody alleyway. "I am blessed to be your son, Vater."

 Overlord of a High School (2)

    ¡®This is just a nightmare¡­¡¯ Momonga exhaled sadly, as he brought Issei''s mother back to her bed, Miki, or so he had managed to hear during her fight with her husband. So, Miki Hyoudou.

    ¡®This has gone completely off plan¡­¡¯ Of course, Momonga wanted to introduce himself as Issei''s older brother ¨C however, what happened back there was not how he planned to do it at all!

    He wanted, if it worked, to introduce himself as some distant relative of the Hyoudou family, telling them that he had come to find his relatives. Something like a third cousin or even further, then try to convince Issei''s parents to let him stay with them for a few days, using his friendship with Issei as a reason. And if that didn''t work, use [Control Amnesia] on Issei''s parents, convincing them that they had recently arranged for Momonga to come and stay with them for a few days until he could find a suitable house for himself.

    After all, he didn''t want to upset Issei''s parents and didn''t plan on enjoying their hospitality for long. He was palling on finding some simple job and getting one legally once he figured out exactly what documents he needed to have with him in this world and how he could get a work permit.

    However, in the end ¨C his first encounter with Issei''s parents turned into a complete disaster¡­

    ¡®Pandora''s Actor!¡¯ Momonga cast an angry glance toward the front door, as if to glare at the Pandora¡¯s Actor beyond the door as he placed Miki on the bed. She looked uncomfortable with her wet clothes, but Momonga couldn¡¯t undress her! He was embarrassed enough thinking of such actions, before his emotions and anger were forcibly extinguished, and he could balance his emotions again.

    ¡®No, it''s stupid to be angry at Pandora¡¯s Actor when he only acted according to my own orders and was created by myself. If there''s one person in the world I should be mad at, it''s myself, for creating him as such. And for not telling him my plan right away, relying on the possibility that Pandora¡¯s Actor would be able to guess my thoughts simply because he was made by me¡­ Besides, reasoning logically ¨C Pandora''s Actor did exactly what I wanted him to do, and did it all in the best way. Gorou was simply an unintended collateral ¨C well, he¡¯s now in a better place, I think that Pandora¡¯s Actor shouldn¡¯t have trouble following such a simple order. Living a full life without any worries should be recompense enough, right?¡¯

    Momonga shook his head, clearing his mind, putting Gorou¡¯s fate out of his mind, it¡¯s not like as his ¡®illegitimate child¡¯ he should interact much with him. ¡®Pandora¡¯s Actor was able to put together a realistic and self-explanatory explanation on the fly, saying that I am Gorou''s illegitimate son¡­ Umu, I have drawn parallels for myself with Gorou before, but now I don''t even know what to think about having ''illegitimate children''¡­ Ha, I¡¯m not even married, let alone have children, so how would I have illegitimate ones!? God, I''m still a virgin! What am I even thinking about?!¡¯

    Momonga shook his head, then looked at Miki again, at her calm expression, thanks to magic no longer distorted by pain or sadness, as surely her sleep would be altered if she fell asleep in the usual way¡­ Ha, if she could fall asleep at all after having her life turned upside-down.

    ¡®Okay, what''s done is done, I gave orders to Actor to take care of Gorou, so he''s no longer a problem and send him somewhere else. Hell, maybe I should have sent the money with him, otherwise he''ll have trouble surviving in Neo-Tokyo or somewhere else¡­ Or, ahem, is there a Neo-Tokyo in this world? Maybe it''s just Tokyo for now? Things shouldn¡¯t be as bad as in the future, right?¡¯

    Momonga dismissed these thoughts after a short nod. ¡®Okay, I think Gorou can handle it, he still has his job and savings after all¡­ I''m sorry, Gorou, I didn''t mean for it to turn out this way! I really, really apologize! But anyway ¨C Pandora¡¯s Actor has created a good cover for me, even if not what I originally intended.¡¯

    Momonga raised his hand, then scratched his chin. ¡®A child out of wedlock is a simple, believable story, plus, if my supposed mother is really dead, then that takes away Miki''s ability to verify the information, since she clearly has no resurrection spells¡­ hopefully. This can also serve as a fairly simple but strong and realistic shield against many questions, explaining why I suddenly appeared in this town without any knowledge about it or money. All without any prior information about my appearance, and why no one even suspected my existence until I arrived in town¡­¡¯

    Momonga tilted his head, then sighed. ¡®Okay, Pandora¡¯s Actor did accomplish what I wanted very well, if not in the way I originally intended. So, the only one I can be offended or angry with what happened, is myself.¡¯

    Somewhere, downstairs, a door opened with a slight creak, then closed, and Momonga could hear someone making their way to the stairs, quickly going upstairs and ending up next to the door leading to Issei''s parents'' room¡­ Or, well, now it was just Miki''s room now.

    A moment later the door opened and out of the dark corridor ¨C completely unobstructed to him due to Momonga''s racial skill, [Dark Vision], appeared the figure of a young boy with brown eyes and brown short ungroomed hair.

    Pandora¡¯s Actor, finding Momonga''s gaze, only nodded silently to him ¨C conveying the information that Gorou had been ferried somewhere away, somewhere where he couldn¡¯t obstruct Momonga.

    ¡®Huh, so at least, that''s been dealt with.¡¯ Momonga nodded back, then cast one last look at Miki ¨C the middle-aged woman was not young, you could tell that from one look at her, but she was perfectly preserved for her years. Momonga thinks that she was about the same age as his real age ¨C maybe even a little younger¡­ And she looked really good.

    ¡®Maybe it''s because she lives in this world where the ecology hasn''t been so badly destroyed yet?¡¯ Momonga looked up to the window, looking out through that into the night sky, practically empty except for a few bright stars and the moon ¨C unlike his old world, where such a view is completely obstructed by pollution. ¡®Huh, she''s probably never been exposed to acid rain, or is she just taking care of herself? Maybe genetic modification? No, ahem, I don''t think they use them so massively yet ¨C like cybernetic implants¡­ Maybe it¡¯s simply heredity?¡¯ Momonga thought for a second, then looked away from the peacefully sleeping woman and made his way to the first floor, Pandora¡¯s Actor following silently behind him.

    ***

    Miki Hyoudou slowly opened her eyes, then stretched out, yawning heavily, trying to figure out why exactly she felt so uncomfortable at this moment, covered in sweat.

    "What happened¡­?" Miki tried to remember if Gorou had decided yesterday to repeat their sex escapades, which they had entertained in the past, and whose numbers had invariably begun to dwindle as Issei grew older, and they got older.

    Checking herself over, she didn¡¯t feel the expected soreness, instead feeling overall tired. "No, I guess not¡­"

    Miki ran her hand beside her, trying to find Gorou, but feeling nothing but the blankets, which made her situation even weirder. Why would she sleep over the blanket? In fact, the bed looked like it was still made, which meant that she had fallen asleep over the blanket with her sweaty, clammy clothes, and she could still feel the sweat-wet fabric sticking to her.

    Miki frowned, looking over the sweaty clothes ¨C she was wearing her favorite cream blouse, along with a dark brown skirt¡­ clothes that she would never wear to sleep.

    "Why am I dressed and sleeping so strangely?" Miki''s question bursts through her cloudy mind, before a whirlwind of memories and images pierced into her mind, stripped of the saving cloak of sleep. All at once, the memory about Gorou''s infidelity, the appearance of Satoru Suzuki, who looked so similar to Issei, the fight, the blow from Gorou, then the crying and the last, confusion along with the painful thoughts.

    About how Satoru held her in his arms, said something, and then how she had lost consciousness in the stranger¡¯s arms.

    And then, she woke up here, in her bed, alone.

    A sob fitted from her chest a moment later, followed by a second and a third. Miki could only raise her hands to her face, trying to press those to her eyes, as if to dam the shed tears coming out against her will. The shivers that ran through her whole body, however, prevented her from doing so, so without holding back, Miki burst into tears, trying to muffle her loud sobs.

    Twenty years of marriage¡­ Twenty entire years she''d spent married to Gorou. Everything from romantic dates under the shade of a sakura tree, to hot sex in a love hotel, from meeting her parents to crazy trips with friends to the sea in the middle of the work week. For twenty years, they had lived, hiding nothing from each other, sharing the most intimate, expensive and shameful things. She remembered the time when they barely had enough to rent a small room and when they bought a house together, they had been together all this time.

    Twenty long years, time they had spent together sharing everything, and in the end¡­

    Miki didn''t know whether she should have burst into tears at Gorou''s betrayal ¨C or laughed at how, in retrospect, she could have been so blind? Gorou had never concealed his foolish adolescent ambition to gather a harem, heck, he was even worse than Issei in high school! Which says something!

    Miki should have realized at once that such a man could not be a good husband ¨C but she fell in love with Gorou like a fool. She had believed all his promises to be a model family man, to abandon his old habits, to become a responsible adult¡­ Only to be betrayed.

    Ha-ha, she could only laugh at how short-sighted she was, but now before her eyes was the confirmation. A trip to Kyoto, a pilgrimage to the temples for the birth of a child¡­ Isn''t she a fool? How could she see all the humble young man, looking for the last member of his family that had abandoned him, and still close her eyes. To believe Gorou, no matter what!?

    Now before her eyes was only one, but the most important, confirmation of his infidelity, his son by another woman¡­ How many other sons did Gorou have? How many more trips did he use as an excuse for his infidelity, were the business trips, visiting his mother in the village, corporate holidays, actually just that? And how many more she didn''t know about!

    Miki couldn''t help herself but to continue crying, sobbing out loud, unable to even move out of her seat and pull off her sweaty, sticky clothes.

    Miki felt dirty, the feeling of betrayal, treachery, overwhelming her, Miki didn''t even know if she was actually awake and was not just having a bad dream. If she was, she wanted to wake up from this nightmare¡­

    But the clothes clinging to her body, and the clarity of her thoughts, told Miki that she was awake. Miki lifted her fingers, then dug one into her other hand, hissing a moment later as she felt the pain.

    It wasn''t a dream. It wasn''t a dream ¨C it was a nightmare, one that she has to live through.

    Miki lifted her head, looking at the clock hanging in front of her bed, and it was very late in the day already. She always woke up a little earlier than everyone else ¨C she would make breakfast for her husband and son, saw them off to work and school¡­ And as the clock in front of her told her, she was already a little late with her usual routine, it was six forty-five in the morning.

    Yet Miki could not find it in herself to get out of bed, even to move her hands and pull off her sticky clothes or wipe away her tears. Miki just kept lying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, as if trying to find signs on it, an answer of exactly what she was supposed to do with herself now that her whole life had collapsed overnight.

    But the ceiling was silent, leaving Miki lying there alone with no answer.

    Minute after minute passed, but Miki could not get her thoughts together, before the natural needs of her body forced her to slowly get up. That is, unless she wanted to continue lying not only in sweat and dried tears that stung her skin unpleasantly, but in something even more physiological and disgusting.

    Slowly Miki lifted one arm, then the other, and, bending those, lifted herself above her bed before exhaling.

    The events of yesterday were still swirling around in her mind, but she had no way to form a coherent picture. She remembered Issei returning, the shocking news, Gorou''s punch, the pain, and the slight metallic taste in her mouth, and in between one blink and the next, she was in Satoru''s hands. Then, she tasted a light taste, as if she were drinking fresh spring water, then the pain was gone ¨C and she closed her eyes. She opened her eyes much later, lying in her bed with no idea what happened in the intervening hours.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Well, at least now I know the threshold of news before I would pass out¡­ What a bad joke¡­" Miki sighed, defeatedly ¨C not that anyone could blame her after such information surfaced. "Ah¡­ Right, shouldn¡¯t there be some pain and swelling?"

    Miki felt her eyes fill with tears again after she remembered Gorou''s punch, as she lifted her hand, groping her face to check for any swelling. Only to find one devoid of any damage whatsoever.

    "Was I actually dreaming all that? How I wish it were so¡­" Miki took a step toward the door of her bedroom, her legs still slightly wobbly.

    "No, I remember the pain and the blood. But where did it all go? Is my nose still broken?¡± Touching her face again, Miki noted that her nose was just as usual.

    ¡°Or not? I don''t know what''s real and what''s not anymore¡­"

    After making her way through slowly, Miki opened the door ¨C after which she smelt an incredible smell coming from the kitchen that made her bladder retreat for a moment and her stomach rumble piercingly. She couldn''t eat anything last night, worrying about Issei not returning for so long after school, and after that¡­ Her appetite was the last thing on her mind, suddenly falling asleep or not.

    Miki made her way to the bathroom before closing the door and dumping her clothes in the laundry basket, and she stepped into the shower as if trying to wash herself of everything that had happened yesterday. Minute after minute, Miki desperately tried to wipe off all the dirt that she couldn''t stop feeling on her body. Before, finally giving up after washing her hair and brushing her teeth a third time, and feeling a little better but still not fully clean, she got out of the shower, quickly putting on a change of clothes

    After her shower, the clock showed a little after seven. Usually, by this time, Gorou and Issei would start waking up, then spend ten or twenty minutes cleaning up, and then they would go down to breakfast, gathering around the same table as a family.

    Thoughts of Gorou caused pain to bloom from within Miki and, at the same time, resentment and anger.

    She wondered if he had ever laughed at the way Miki was busying herself in the kitchen, unaware of what he was doing behind her back. Maybe he even compared Miki to the others? Haha, and what place did she deserve on his list? Probably somewhere high, since he chose to live with her.

    Or maybe he just couldn''t afford to live with those who were really high on his list? Or maybe they didn''t know about his true nature either.

    Miki wished she could stop thinking about it, but she couldn''t, and she would be happy to take any opportunity to distract herself. So, when her stomach protested again, remembering the great smell from the kitchen, she took control of herself and after putting on her homely yukata, walked down the steps to the first floor.

    As she approached the kitchen, the smells became more and more appealing, and as she entered the kitchen, Miki''s eyes blurred at the sight of the table.

    She could recognize the rice and soy sauce pork by sight, alongside the eel sashimi, and mushroom tempura ¨C but most of the dishes on the table seemed unfamiliar to Miki.

    Meat, rice, slathered with sauces she''d never seen in the past. And each of the dishes literally shone, as if prepared for the presentation of a new ultra-expensive three Michelin restaurant in Tokyo. It was as if each of these dishes were the trump card of such an establishment that rich people would pay millions for.

    Miki swallowed the saliva that almost ran down her chin before finding the man who had turned her life through no fault of his own, Satoru, who was in the kitchen preparing the incredible food. As soon as Satoru noticed her, he instantly bowed deeply.

    ¡°Miki, I would like to apologize for what happened yesterday and¡­ I¡¯ve cooked breakfast." Satoru said softly, maintaining perfect posture even as he bowed before rising.

    "I have no money to repay for the opportunity to be here, but I am ready to start working as soon as I, um¡­ get to know the city. Until then, I hope I can repay you with these low-level¡­  I mean, this simple meal.¡±

    Miki froze, feeling her already damaged psyche seek to break free of her control again. ¡®No money, ha ha? Then tell me how you bought all this! Heck, even if you are secretly a world-class chef ¨C where the hell did you get those groceries, where did you find the cooking utensils, I don''t think you''d even have time for that while I was asleep!¡¯

    ¡®Wait, what did he say¡­?¡¯ Miki lowered her eyes, as Satoru¡¯s words stuck a chord with her. ¡®He didn''t say he had ''no money'', he said he had ''no money to repay for the opportunity to be here'' and an apology for yesterday¡¯. He really sees what happened yesterday as his fault, as if he was to blame for Gorou¡¯s infidelity and the fight that followed. And this is all after his mother died ¨C maybe just a week or less ago¡­ Ha, don''t tell me he spent all his money to make this breakfast trying to apologize to me for something that wasn''t even his fault?!¡¯

    Miki felt her heart ache again ¨C but it wasn''t for Gorou, it was about the young man in front of her, the realization of how good a man he really was, and how much he must have suffered. He had only come to Gorou only after he was left without his mother''s care, after which he tried to leave when he realized that he had not caused the reaction he had hoped for. And even though it was not his fault ¨C he still tried to apologize, probably after having spent ungodly amounts of money ¨C and even with the inheritance he received from his mother¡­ No, wait, he isn¡¯t yet of legal age! How could he even get here as a minor, all the way from Kyoto?!

    Miki thought about it for a second before deciding not to get involved in Satoru''s personal life, at least now, while they were still practically strangers to each other, and while she was in this state.

    ¡°You shouldn''t have¡­¡± Miki tried to tell Satoru that he shouldn''t have felt bad about what happened yesterday, but he instantly interrupted her words.

    ¡°No, Miki, I should.¡± Satoru exhaled, feeling bad enough by the looks of him, but still keeping himself under control. "I am the cause of what happened yesterday, and you are a fine woman who agreed to shelter me despite everything that happened, I even feel bad about providing you only such low-level¡­ I mean, only food and nothing else. So, please, just try ¨C it may not be much, but with your lev¡­ I mean, in your condition, I''m sure this food will give you a meaningful buff¡­ I mean, give you strength.¡±

    Faced with Satoru''s insistence, and still exhausted from yesterday''s events, Miki found no strength or ability to resist his words, so after making her way to the small table, to her seat, she sat down, and then looked around. She noticed that Iseei was nowhere to be found, and that Satoru wasn¡¯t going to eat, continuing to stand. ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat? And Issei? Where is he?¡±

    ¡°We have already eaten," Satoru replied calmly, after which, Miki shifted her gaze to the sink, where the dishes she usually accumulated, which she washed for each member of the family, and found it to be empty of dirty dishes. And, following her gaze, Satoru immediately added, "Umu, I already washed the dishes.¡±

    Hearing this, Miki shifted her gaze back to the dishes in front of her. All of them are as fresh and incredible looking, meat, rice, mushrooms, the glazes ¨C it all looked so incredible that Miki did not even know if she had the right to destroy this beautiful composition with her actions. Somewhere inside her, Miki was somewhat mad that her son wasn¡¯t with her right now, but Miki quickly extinguished that thought and the flame of resentment inside.

    She shouldn''t have thought that she was the only one who felt bad right now. For Issei also, his world had also collapsed yesterday, and it was only natural that he wanted to be alone.

    It was just strange to Miki that now, in the kitchen, preparing to try some incredible restaurant dish, she was alone.

    No, she was not alone, she was together with Satoru ¨C even if she only knew him for the second day, he seemed to her to be a really kind, open, and reliable young man¡­ Even if he appeared in this house at the same time as the tragedy.

    Miki shook her head, she didn¡¯t want to think about that again, especially when she was trying to blame an innocent person of another¡¯s sin. She then quickly picked up her chopsticks and, deciding to try the sashimi first, took a small piece and put it in her mouth.

    A moment later, the tender eel literally melted in her mouth.

    The gentle and delicious taste caused Miki to relax her shoulders, and somewhere inside her a small flame seemed to ignite, filling her body with strength. ¡®Ha, it''s true what they say, a good breakfast can give you strength for the whole day¡­¡¯

    Almost unknowingly, Miki reached for a second bite, then, as she swallowed it, felt a smile blooming on her face.

    She hadn''t smiled since the moment Issei had suddenly disappeared yesterday, not returning after school at the usual time, and after the debacle with Gorou, she only smiled now. There were only two reasons for this, either the food she was eating was magical and could strangely empower Miki ¨C and Miki didn''t believe that ¨C even if the food tasted magical¡­

    Instead, she believed that the source of her happiness was the atmosphere of the table. The amount of care and sincerity coming from Satoru was almost palpable as she ate the incredible home-cooked meal that must have taken ages to prepare, the young man made for her.

    ¡°Would you like to try the pork?¡± Satoru smiled, then moved the other dish a little closer to Miki. Miki, still unable to wipe the smile off her face, extended her chopsticks to the pork and took a small piece of artistically sliced pork into her mouth. Then she felt her thoughts gradually begin to clear, all her previous fears and doubts slowly began to recede into the background.

    And the reason for that was¡­

    ¡°Thank you, Satoru¡±, Miki smiled slightly at the young man. ¡°For your care.¡±

    What Miki had lacked all these years ¨C but she hadn''t even noticed it until now¡­  Someone showed care for her, and it was not her son or husband, but a random man from the street. Well, not really strangers¡­ Ha-ha, her husband''s son by his mistress.

    Miki only smiled sadly at the thought before returning to her meal.

    ***

    ¡®Umu, I see,¡¯ Momonga watched as Miki slowly devoured the food on the table, as he looked at her parameters with [Life Essence] and [Mana Essence]. Miki''s parameters and characteristics were negligible, so she was the perfect candidate to experiment on ¨C given that the low-level food Momonga pulled out of his inventory gave not a percentage buff, but a fixed one ¨C something like ¡®+200 to HP max¡¯.

    In other words, it was much more effective for low-level players, whose HP might only be a hundred or two hundred, but for high-level players it was useless garbage. Even throwing such items in the trash would not bother any of them, they would not bother to clutter their Inventory with such low-level items. No one except Momonga himself, of course.

    Being a pathological collector, he kept an incredible stockpile of the most useless things in his Inventory, not to mention Nazarick''s treasure trove. Low-level food was one of the least bizarre things he kept in his inventory. And, as you could tell, due to her low stats, even slightly below the non-combatant first-level of YGGDRASIL classes ¨C Miki was the perfect specimen for a test.

    For one, Momonga could test whether the food from Nazarick and its buffs worked on the inhabitants of this world. Whether the people of the new world were affected by a dish if not eaten completely, which was impossible in the past in YGGDRASIL, and how trying to eat several dishes at once worked.

    Unfortunately, only one food buff could be active at a time in YGGDRASIL -- Momonga had already tested this on himself, and these buffs behaved the same way as in the game. If he ate a new dish while the previous buffs were still active, the new buffs would replace the previous one. Furthermore, the buffs from the dish would not appear until he ate the dish in its entirety, as in YGGDRASIL, if now consuming even more time.

    The creatures of this world, however, behaved differently.

    As Momonga looked at Miki¡¯s stats, Momonga could see two buffs stacking, from two different dishes ¨C and they both began to act instantly when Miki first tasted the dish. Their effects however were reduced relative to the full effects ¨C Momonga assumed that their effectiveness depended on how much of the total dish Miki ate.

    In that case, the YGGDRASIL dishes gave the creatures of this world much more tactical flexibility, but became much more restricted by how much they can stomach. Momonga needed to check exactly how much Miki could eat ¨C could she eat two dishes at once and get two effects at once? And, when she ate a dish in portions ¨C would the effect of that increase with each portion? But did the effect timer reset, or was Miki limited, she had to take some time to dispense with the dish and get its full effect, and in doing so she lost buff time to eat the food? What if she ate two dishes of the same type ¨C would their effect double? Would the timer update? Would the buffs remain if you vomit out the food after eating it?

    Momonga saw so many potential experiments before him.

    Besides, he was really feeling guilty before Miki, and so he apologized to her ¨C maybe the low-level consumables weren''t much like Momonga''s sincere remorse, but he wasn''t willing to spend anything high-level on Miki. And as it was, while the low-level consumables were practically worthless to Momonga, especially considering how many of them he had accumulated in his inventory and Nazarick, they were extremely tasty.

    This Momonga had determined on his own a little earlier, but here Momonga could have been wrong. His tongue was used to chemically treated water and food paste, so for him almost any food was incredibly tasty.

    But this one seemed to taste better than usual ¨C so Momonga decided to share these dishes. Plus, it saved Miki from having to cook food for today¡­ Hmm, and maybe for tomorrow as well? At the same time, Momonga would check to see if the food outside his inventory in this world would go bad, and if it would lose its flavor.

    However, Miki, who glanced at him a few times, made Momonga stop his experimental planning for a moment before inwardly sighing. ¡®Ha, of course, seeing someone just standing there watching you eat is uncomfortable. Hmm, maybe I should have gone somewhere, then come back using [Perfect Unknowable]? Okay, it''s too late to fix this ¨C I''ll do that next time when I conduct these experiments.¡¯

    ¡°I''m sorry, Miki, if I¡¯m making you uncomfortable," Momonga apologized, before grasping the excuse that came to his mind a moment later,

    "I just don''t know where I should be going right now¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize, I''m just very grateful for the food and concern," Miki smiled slightly, "Really. And as for what you should be doing¡­¡± Miki sighed a little. ¡°Don''t you have to get ready for school?¡±

    Momonga blinked. He certainly wanted to go to school, but education was very expensive in his home world, even if it had been cheaper in the past, Momonga didn''t think he could afford that without a single bill in his pocket.

    Sure, he could spend the gold or sell some of the items in his Inventory ¨C but that would be tantamount to announcing his connection to YGGDRASIL. Anyone with any knowledge of it would instantly get information about Momonga and completely destroy his cover before he could get all the knowledge he needed.

    ¡°Umu, I''d be happy to, but¡­¡± Momonga spread his hands, as he tried his best to think of excuses in case the school here was affordable to all the people, and being that poor would be strange even for a teenager coming from out of town. ¡°I don''t even know where it is¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, that''s right," Miki nodded slowly before setting the sticks away from herself, "I really thank you for the food, Satoru.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome, Miki," Satoru shook his head. Miki hadn''t eaten a single dish to the end, and even the total came out to less than one full serving, so he couldn¡¯t really conclude his experiments¡­

    ¡®Hmm, is that her limitation? Appetite?¡¯ Momonga held back the impulse to put a hand to his chin in a gesture of thoughtfulness. ¡®Or is she just lacking stomach volume? Hmm, if you force-feed a person food¨C or maybe if the food is not in the stomach, but only in the mouth or esophagus, will it give bonuses or¡­ No, not the time to be thinking about it!¡¯

    ¡°Really, if you think about it that way ¨C then I guess I need to work out your adoption, if you want to, of course. A young man like you, no matter how mature you are, you still need a family.¡± Miki sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°Umu, that¡¯s right, adoption," Momonga nodded understandingly before he realized what Miki was saying, "Wait, what?!¡±

 Overlord of a High School (3)

    Momonga froze, an expression of shock writ on his face as he looked at Miki, pondering exactly what he should have done at the moment, and how very different the Earth of the past was from his own past world. In his past world, the practice of adoption and even orphanages still existed, but not until the age of twelve. For at that age a child could well afford to work on the assembly line without additional problems, and thus be able to earn, provide for himself, and pay the bills ¨C nobody wants to adopt a parasite. So orphanages function more like a cheap labor pool than a place for orphans to be adopted.

    And they were the lucky ones.

    Of course, there were certain age-related restrictions. After all, it was difficult for a child, unless he had inherited an apartment from his parents or had just been released from an orphanage, to find a place willing to rent them a room. As children were known to be forgetful and could easily set off a fire or similar disaster.

    Momonga saw dead orphans with a certain frequency and periodicity ¨C and more than once had to go around certain neighborhoods because of the work of the ¡®cleaners¡¯. Especially during colder times or months of letting orphans out of their orphanages ¨C but he was officially a year older than Issei, which meant he was already seventeen. He should be able to get a job easily in almost any job that didn''t require connections or special education

    Not that he wanted to work in an assembly line factory or as an office worker again, but for a few days, at least. Enough time to make up his mind about how the world worked and how he should behave in society, that would have been enough.

    Adoption, on the other hand, was a very rare occurrence. Usually it was either when a rich person could not have children for some reason, which all the technology of his past world could not help. Or ceremonially, in the case of adoption into one of the rich families, as a reward or with some purpose in mind. Last, and very rarely, by the kindness of a rich man who might take a fancy to a random orphan.

    Perhaps that was the point, though? Education in the past might have been extremely cheap, but only available to certain families or groups of people, and that''s why Miki wanted to adopt him, to give him the opportunity to learn. In Momonga¡¯s past world, anyone could get into a school if they had the money and met the minimum requirements of the institution itself. If in the past, only certain groups of people could learn, Momonga might even be a little surprised that mega-corporations did something relatively good in this world. Where they made it possible for everyone to learn, regardless of status ¨C though with regard to their money.

    But no, Miki had said a little earlier that he had to be in school, hadn''t she? So he must have belonged to one of those families¡­ Ha, really, trying to pass himself off as a local in another world was really hard.

    Momonga thought about it for a moment, then decided to take a risk. "Well, I have this¡­¡±

    Whereupon Momonga pulled out from behind his back ¨C to be exact, he created with [Create Greater Item] a copy of the documents he had managed to study a little earlier, using Gorou and Issei''s documents as an example ¨C something like the ¡®ID card¡¯ he had in his past world, only of a slightly different type. Of course, after replacing the important details with new ones that fit him.

    He''ll try to show Miki''s documents, and if she starts asking questions that Momonga won''t be able to answer, he could just wipe her memory using [Control Amnesia], then head to the adoption process with her. Huh, if they don''t use body chip implants at this time ¨C then what marking will be made to indicate his adoption? If they''re going to brand or something like that - Momonga will need to scrutinize that branding for the future, since just one use of [Create Body] could easily change his branding, taking away his credibility.

    In any case, reaching forward with the card to Miki, Momonga paused for a moment. He wouldn''t want to use a tenth tier spell like [Control Amnesia] right away, after yesterday he''d managed to put some simple wards on the area to protect himself from surveillance. But he decided to limit himself to the simpler and weaker wards, so as not to raise suspicion in any possible observer with the very strength of the wards.

    As a last resort, he would rather feed his opponent false information about his weakness and gain their scorn and underestimation than reveal his hand completely.

    Miki, taking the card, immersed herself in reading it for a few seconds ¨C before blinking and shifting her gaze to Momonga.

    Momonga, on the other hand, tensed inwardly as he looked at Miki¡¯s strange expression. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°These papers¡­ They say you''re of legal age, you have a driver''s license¡­ Why do you have one? Do you have a car?¡± Miki blinked, in apparent confusion, before exhaling slowly, while Momonga had already prepared to use [Charm Species] and [Control Amnesia].

    Apparently, just copying Gorou''s papers, he forgot to delete some important details he didn''t know about. ¡°And here I was wondering how did you get here and about money¡­ Ha, you are actually emancipated?¡±

    ¡°Emancipated?¡± The word pricked Momonga''s memory a little, but that knowledge wasn''t on the surface of his mind, and he didn''t have time to dig into his memory right now. So, he just nodded, hoping that it wasn''t a trap. But, judging by Miki''s facial expression, it was an answer to her question, explaining if not all, then many questions at once, "Yes, I am, Miki.¡±

    Miki raised her hand and put it to her face before looking away, an action that seemed suspicious to Momonga, but he allowed Miki to act as he saw no intention to attack or do anything similar or unexpected.  ¡°Ha, a great rarity indeed, I guess that explains a lot ¨C how you got here, the money, your maturity¡­ It''s just, it is so rare that I never thought I would ever meet anyone emancipated even once in my whole life.¡±

    ¡®Oh, apparently what Miki thought I did is possible, but is really an extremely rare event¡­  Maybe it would have been better to just let her adopt me?¡¯ Momonga thought about it, but decided against it in the end.

    ¡®No, until I know the situation definitively ¨C it''s better to use as little high-rank magic as possible. The less magic used in creating my cover, the less likely I am to screw up on some little thing. I should try to adapt to this world ¨C the more underestimated I am and the less my enemies are aware of my abilities, the better.¡¯

    ¡°Ahem, in that case," Miki twirled Momonga''s ID in her hands before returning them. "I guess there''s no point in me going anywhere with you right now ¨C much less to school¡­ But, huh, maybe I should go with you after all? I think you¡¯ll soon realize that emancipated people are very rare, and it would be better if I could be present during your enrollment for school. At least it would be better for the principal.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, I would love to have you with me Miki," Momonga nodded. One more person, especially one who knows how the world works and who can guide him at the right moment, has always been a joy for Momonga. When it¡¯s available, discounting a trustworthy guide just because you want to go on an ¡®adventure¡¯ is beyond foolish.

    ¡°And I think it¡¯s best for you to prepare to bring your emancipation documents with you when we go to school, just to make all progress smoothly¡­ Actually, did you already bring all your stuff with you from Kyoto? Yesterday, you¡­ yesterday, you came without your things ¨C did you move them overnight?¡± Miki stumbled as her memory of what happened yesterday was still raw.

    ¡®Ah, crap, that''s right, I forgot to fabricate some luggage¡­ I guess it¡¯s a good that I had put Miki to sleep, she would¡¯ve asked some uncomfortable questions.¡¯ Momonga, however, not showing his discomfort, only nodded. Then, after a slight momentary regret, did not dispel his ID documents, instead returning them to his inventory, forgoing their original function as a temporary item. He rather not risks crafting them again and miss some slight detail that would mark them out as fakes, especially now that he has to use them as his permanent personal documents.

    "That''s right, Miki¡­¡± Momonga simply agreed, not showing outwardly any of his thoughts.

    Things created with [Create Greater Item] could exist for a long time, as long as their existence was maintained by Momonga himself. The cost of maintaining them depended on the size, quality, quantity, and purpose of the items, plus, of course, the inability to create artifacts, magical weapons, food, or materials ¨C anything that could be a resource.

    Instead, he could only create facsimiles of the item, albeit a high-quality one, one that would  be immediately recognized as a ¡®fake¡¯ if he ever tried using it as a resource, disappearing as soon as Momonga wished it. Of course, given that his documents were essentially a ¡®page of paper¡¯ in YGGDRASIL terms ¨C Momonga could maintain the existence of his ID indefinitely.

    Still, albeit only a drop in a pool, such an act reduced Momonga''s potential mana regeneration. It would last at least until he learned the look of his documents thoroughly and could reproduce them perfectly every time after.

    ¡®One more item on the quickly growing to-do list¡­¡¯ Momonga sighed, then frowned. ¡®Now, a question, who has any idea what an emancipation resolution looks like?! What even is an emancipation resolution!¡¯

    ***

    Issei made his way to the gates of Issei''s school before closing his eyes, drawing in the scent with his nose.

    ¡®Ah, mein Freund, indeed ¨C it is the smell of¡­ purposelessness.¡¯ Issei smiled, then crossed the small boundary separating the school grounds and the rest of the city. As he got closer, he could feel the sleepy and already awake minds of the students and adults around him begin to slowly spin, preparing for their daily drudgery. And through it all, the smell of directionlessness, of people simply ¡®existing¡¯ rather than ¡®living¡¯ are thick in the air.

    ¡®Purposeless teachers, purposeless students, purposeless people and even purposeless demons¡­ what a contradiction in terms¡¯

    Issei even began counting the demons, sensing their presence around him. ¡®One, two, three, four, five¡­ Oh, there''s a whole posse of them here!¡¯

    Kiba Yuuto is a demon, a former human in fact, reborn with the help of [Evil Pieces]¡­ Hmm, a race-changing artifact from this world? Interesting¡­ Maybe Issei should take the form of some Supreme Being and try to steal those? A good idea, but Issei couldn''t afford to be distracted by his passion for collecting now that he had a mission...

    Though maybe a little later?

    Issei thought for a moment, before lightly touching Kiba Yuuto''s thoughts, trying to determine if he was a potential danger, an actor, or just another setting of this scene.

    ¡®Hmm, a [Knight] of Rias Gremory ¨C his current level¡­ Hmm, judging by his thoughts and memories, he is supposed to be well above the level of a new ''low class demon''. But still hasn''t made his way to ''middle class demon'', so I would estimate his level to be about the twentieth? Perhaps, a little lower, although his ability to create swords¡­! O mein Vater, that''s not an ability ¨C that''s an artifact he possesses!¡¯ Issei felt his interest slowly begin to take over as he discovered an artifact in his ¡®stroll¡¯.

    ¡®[Sword Birth], another of these so-called [Sacred Gear] that Father mentioned earlier. The feeling I got makes it not nearly as strong as the World Class Item ¨C but it is still a unique artifact of this world, a member of a very high rank of artifacts! Though the swords he created are quite weak, but the tactical flexibility itself is magnificent!

    Oh? Hmm, further, within his memories he was¡­ Trained by Okita Soji? I''m not familiar with the name, but he looks like a strong enough opponent. However, in Yuuto''s memory he hasn''t demonstrated anything really strong. In his training Okita would bring Kiba along to destroy hmm, Stray Devils? Another unfamiliar term¡­ Still, judging by the monster¡¯s appearance, the one in the memory was about level fifteen ¨C even an opponent only ten levels higher could easily deal with him, so it¡¯s not a good measuring stick of Okita¡¯s strength. Still, this is Yuuto''s thoughts, and Okita¡¯s strength was in no question to him as he was¡­ A [Knight] of Sirzechs Lucifer? Hmm, he¡¯s the elder brother of Rias Gremory, and is supposed to be the Strongest Satan. What strange information, isn¡¯t there supposed to be only one Satan, Lucifer? Are there multiple Satans in this world? Hm-hm-hm, what lovely information I¡¯ve found! I wonder¡­ what lies deeper within you, Yuuto Kiba?¡¯

    Stolen novel; please report.

    With a silent smirk, Issei did find something exciting beneath all that memories and thoughts.

    ¡®Oh, sadistic experiments to create [Holy Swords] users!¡¯ Issei nearly jumped from the emotions from Yuuto at that memory, almost overwhelming him. ¡®The only surviving orphan at that¡­ This is so cool! His real name is Isaiah, not Yuuto Kiba ¨C great, unbelievable! So cool!¡¯ Issei felt some exuberance as he began to penetrate the very center of Yuuto''s mind, half absorbed by the horizons that opened before him. Of course, the other half is still keeping vigil, no matter how intriguing this first demon he had found, choosing him as his target simply because he was nearest. All must be because of Father¡¯s will!

    ¡®And inside him¡­? Oh, my what a struggle! Two raging streams of flame, two sparks trying to defeat each other, were raging inside Yuuto. His loyalty to Rias Gremory, who saved him in his final moments ¨C and his hatred for the holy church, for the very concept of a [Holy Sword], a desire for revenge for all his slain comrades¡­¡¯

    The beings of the Great Tomb of Nazarick were bestowed by Their grace with the knowledge of their purpose, their life purpose. Whether as a ¡®maid¡¯ or as ¡®Floor Guardians¡¯, while the people of this world were empty and meaningless, bereft of that purpose of which they were incapable of even realizing.

    And yet, even among these masses of empty vessels devoid of everything, there were those who tried to raise in their souls that great flame that burned in every inhabitant of the Great Tomb. They do so senselessly, and yet commendably, capable of generating pathetic sparks from their own understanding of their purpose ¨C such a purpose existed inside Yuuto¡­ Yet Yuuto Kiba was torn ¨C for there were two of these sparks in his soul. Both of them insignificant compared to the great flame of a true servant of the Forty-One, and yet real, tangible ¨C and each of these sparks were tearing his soul apart.

    His colliding passion causing him great suffering.

    Issei could not imagine the terrible agony that Yuuto must have felt, being torn between his two destinies. It would be a pain throughout his entire being, like the thorns of a rose sprouting through his flesh.

    And yet, just like a blooming rose, it was so beautiful and thrilling, a magnificent tragedy for those who wished to enjoy it.

    ¡°Ise!¡± A loud voice of a student interrupted Issei''s musings, causing him to remember that he had a mission, and to turn away from the contemplation of the stunning specimen, turning away, hiding a slight expression of displeasure on his face. ¡°I know that look on your stupid face, you bastard! You almost drooled there just now, your eyes glistening ¨C did you get lucky with that Yuma yesterday, you bastard?!¡±

    The student who approached Issei had a shaved bald head, dressed in his school uniform, and was practically sobbing, as he looked at Issei ¨C or, well, ¡®Issei¡¯.

    ¡°Brother, we were abandoned, abandoned to our cruel fate!¡± Almost sobbing as hysterically as the first, dressed exactly the same as the first, with disheveled hair and large glasses covering at least half of his face. He seems to linger behind the first, as he responded to his cry, torn between trying to be the more resilient of the two, and wanting to fall to the ground and tear up right on his way to school.

    ¡°Ah, Matsuda, Motohama¡± Issei easily picked up on the superficial thoughts of the schoolchildren, getting their name and relationship with ¡®Issei¡¯. ¡°If you mean yesterday about Yuma and me, then¡­¡±

    Issei thought about what he should answer for a moment. ¡®Yuma¡¯, that was the name the Fallen Angel, Raynare, had introduced herself to Issei with. Issei was not fully aware of what had transpired between the Fallen Angel and ¡®Issei¡¯, but he did receive adequate information from Father as He prepared to go into this world.

    It seems that ¡®Issei¡¯ had died after his date. More precisely, he should have died after Yuma, Raynare''s actions, but he was saved by Father, before becoming an unfortunate collateral of the fight between Father and the red dragon''s¡­ Or, perhaps it was intentional ¨C considering all other actions that followed before and after what had transpired.

    The bottom line, however, was that the date between Issei and Yuma did not end in a way that the Issei could have simply told. Even if he had received permission to inform these people about the existence of magic, fallen angels, and, as could be understood from Yuuto Kiba, demons and dragons ¨C he had to play the role of Issei.

    And so, instead of answering, he merely picked up a superficial thought from the mind of one of the schoolchildren, then voiced that. It seems that ¡®Issei¡¯ doesn¡¯t have the best of reputations with the fairer sex. ¡°It was all a prank¡­ When I met her for the date, Yuma filmed me and then laughed and ran away! It was kind of a set-up, or maybe she was forced to do it as a way to humiliate her¡­¡±

    Moments later, Issei collapsed on his knees, after which he balled his fists and began striking the ground. The perfect pose to act out despair!. ¡°I''m crushed, totally crushed!¡±

    ¡°Shit, man!¡± Matsuda, the bald guy, made his way over to Issei, then instantly knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder in a conciliatory gesture. ¡°Don''t worry, I have some raunchy new mag on me ¨C the best boobs, I''ll give it to you for free!¡±

    ¡°Dude, let''s go to my place after class! I have so much new stuff, and my parents have moved out of the house for the rest of the week! It¡¯ll cheer you up right away!¡± Motohama, the young man with glasses, immediately got on the other side of Issei, showing his support of him.

    Issei, however, only noted that simultaneously with the real worry for Issei and his trampled love life and the friendly support and sympathy from the depths of the two schoolboys'' minds ¨C came relief. As if they feared that if Issei would get a girlfriend, bypassing them in life, and that by getting a girlfriend he would leave their ¡®perverted trio¡¯. Which was once an offensive nickname that the trio of friends now proudly wore. Along with that, however, were considerable anger ¨C both at Yuma, for daring to wound Issei, and at themselves, for being relieved to learn that Issei didn''t actually have a girlfriend.

    ¡°Thank you guys!¡± Issei rose from his stupor, then smiled sadly, wiping away a small tear that had appeared as he sucked in the air noisily. ¡°You two are real friends.¡±

    ¡°No problems, bro," Matsuda gave Issei a friendly slight nudge on the shoulder as they began walking towards the school, causing Issei to note that Matsuda was in excellent physical shape ¨C surpassing his supposed first level.

    ¡°Ah, speaking of bros," Issei shook his head, acting out some kind of surprise. "I think I found an older brother¡­¡±

    Matsuda and Motohama, upon hearing this, instantly stopped their attempt to walk forward, shifting their attention back to Issei. ¡°Ise, don''t tell me you found someone you''re willing to trade us for¡­¡±

    ¡°No, that''s not what I mean," Issei shook his head, "I really did find my older brother¡­ It turned out that my father had a family on the side, and the result of that relationship came here after his mother died, trying to find his father. So to make matters short, mother kicked father out and now my sort of older brother lives with us.¡±

    Matsuda and Motohama shifted their gaze to each other at these words, then back to Issei. And then, clearly not knowing what else they should have said somewhere along the way, just said the first thing that popped into their mind.

    ¡°That sucks, brother," Matsuda spoke up first, briefly summarizing the news.

    Motohama only nodded at that, allowing Issei to frown and hang his shoulders. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Matsuda and Motohama''s thoughts swirled in their heads, regret mixed with some awkwardness and along with that, sadness, sympathy, and anger. Not only were Issei''s dreams trampled yesterday, his father also turned out to be nothing like he had seemed all these years.

    ¡®They really were good friends to you, Issei.¡¯ Issei sighed mentally, and outwardly, to complete his act. ¡®If that''s any consolation for you in the afterlife, of course.¡¯

    Issei¡¯s attention was then drawn towards the direction of the school as more and more figures of schoolboys and schoolgirls, adults and youths, demons and humans with their emotions swirled in the distance.

    Issei smiled a little. Indeed, his Father had prepared a great task for him ¨C and at the same time, seemingly a dangerous one. It was a buffet full of viands and possibilities ¨C even just one Yuuto Kiba was already such a unique specimen, so what awaited Issei next? So many choices, so many wonderful, wonderful choices¡­

    Issei''s gaze suddenly came upon the figure of Father ¨C and at the same time the figure of Issei''s mother, Miki, walking lightly across the school grounds. Father''s face expressed no emotion, while Miki seemed to be changing somewhat rapidly as she cast a slightly unfocused look around her, and at the same time looking at Father ahead, now with apprehension, and with respect¡­

    ¡®Father, have you come here to see if I have done Your will?¡¯ Issei smiled inwardly, feeling as if he were a child before the gaze of his Parent, watching intently as the child wrote their first letters.

    ¡®Father, such grace and mercy¡­ Father, look at me, for I am now Issei Hyoudou, and I am doing Your bidding!¡¯

    ¡°Brothers, but you know exactly what will never betray us?¡± Issei ¨C no, Pandora¡¯s Actor, who took that mask, dissolved into it, and became Issei Hyoudou until Father said otherwise ¨C smiled a smile full of pain, and at the same time, an undercurrent of confidence.

    A moment later, Matsuda and Motohama smiled as they understood his message, and then, embracing together, they threw their arms up in the air with a loud shout.

    ***

    ¡°BOOBS!¡± A loud shout surprised Momonga ¨C though the shame he felt was definitely not about the content of the shout, but who exactly was shouting.

    ¡®I''m not listening, I''m not even looking, don''t look at me, let no one see or notice me, I don''t even know these people¡­ Pandora¡¯s Actor! Why!?¡¯ Momonga kept his gaze straight ahead, trying not to shift his eyes, running from the shame that rose so high that it dissipated after a moment.

    ¡®I am so grateful for my abilities¡­  If it weren''t for them, I would have run away by now, using [Time Stop] and [Perfect Unknowable] liberally.¡¯

    Momonga took a few steps before he heard voices ¨C apparently someone was enraged by the shouts of schoolchildren, including Pandora¡¯s Actor¡¯s, posing as Issei at this moment, trying to quiet them. ¡®I am grateful to you, whoever you are. I am very grateful¡­¡¯

    Stopping for a moment, Momonga waited for Miki to walk a little closer to him, as he had unconsciously hastened his steps as soon as he noticed Pandora¡¯s Actor.

    ¡®Huh, and why did I only copy Gorou''s documents¡­¡¯

    As it turned out, Gorou could indeed drive. A fact that was reflected in his driver''s license, which Momonga had copied and not changed because he didn''t know what that particular box on the card meant. So when Miki discovered this fact, and thanks to the fact that Gorou had left his car as he ran off into the night without it, she offered to let Momonga drive.

    Momonga should compensate Gorou, somehow, later for this loss.

    Momonga in turn reasoned that if he had a driver''s license, it would be hard for him to find a reason not to get into a car, although he had never driven a car in the past world.

    In YGGDRASIL, Momonga had used many different mounts, including mechanical ones. Even though he didn''t have the special abilities of the cavalry classes, barring him from bonuses for fighting on horseback or driving a mount ¨C he was still capable of using those.

    Therefore, he decided to at least try himself as a driver¡­ As it turned out - Momonga didn''t know how to drive.

    Thankfully, he didn''t crash into anything along the way ¨C and, as far as he could tell from the lack of police chasing him, he hadn''t broken any traffic rules¡­ At least, other than speeding.

    Momonga had forgotten that in YGGDRASIL, mounts were used primarily for two things ¨C either to move quickly from one location to another or during a battle to change positions quickly. Perhaps as an extra power in case the mounts were strong enough, or to activate the special abilities of players that required those, like [Ramming].

    So when he got behind the steering wheel of the car, Momonga used it as he always did. He didn¡¯t pay any attention to the fact that the mounts, cars, of this world were not meant to be used at full speed ¨C even if they had the ability to move quickly. The fact that he¡¯s accustomed to the speed of level one hundred players, with the maximum speed of the car ¡®below a specialized level forty mount¡¯ didn¡¯t help matters. His mind was simply used to processing things moving at a much greater speed.

    So Miki, who was sitting in the front seat and had only time to buckle up, was instantly crushed by the speed of the bellowing beast of a car. A car which immediately burst with inhuman speed into the thick stream of cars on the road, and then rushed forward, as Momonga maneuvered the car between offensively slow cars.

    Momonga didn''t even pay attention to the strangled wheezes Miki made beside him, as she tried to figure out what she was seeing in front of her eyes. Momonga ignored it all completely, considering what was happening as normal as it was in YGGDRASIL, having covered the distance to Kuoh Academy in literally minutes.

    After that, having easily parked with a ninety-degree turn he had practiced in the past ¨C adjusting for the car''s comparative clumsiness of course, Momonga calmly stepped out of the car. While for Miki, she seemed to just flow out of her seat ¨C like slime, barely finding the ground under her feet only because Momonga had put his arm up to her and waited another dozen minutes before she could regain her composure a bit.

    If it hadn''t been for Momonga''s buff-giving food a little earlier, it''s likely that Miki would have parted with the contents of her stomach by now. Something which made Momonga think of experiments ¨C if the person who ate the buff-giving food expelled it from her body, would its effects end? What about the natural exit of that one from the body? Some high-level food could give extremely long-lasting buffs, what if the person went to the toilet earlier ¨C would the buffs stop working, or not?

    Momonga shoved those thoughts away again ¨C after which he did lead Miki to the headmaster, supporting her for a while as she couldn''t walk on her own.

    And now, when she did seem to have found her legs, she still intermittently stopped to cast strange glances at Momonga ¨C something that made him feel uncomfortable. But, at the same time, Momonga knew that he well deserved the reaction, Momonga was faced with his child acting strangely as Miki also was faced with the strange actions of her newfound son.

    ¡®I don''t even know what''s more embarrassing ¨C when he salutes and speaks German, trying to do some ridiculous ''cool'' pose all the time, or now as he acts like Issei.¡¯ Momonga couldn''t help himself, and put his palm to his face, as if trying to hide from the world behind the barrier of his fingers.

    ¡®Ha, I don''t even know what to do. Miki, should I apologize for my son¡¯s actions, or sympathize, because I know what it''s like to have a shameful child¡­¡¯

    Momonga cast a glance at Miki, who was looking at Pandora¡¯s Actor ¨C Issei. Or rather, at the trio of schoolchildren, at the moment seeking to escape from some girl with a wooden sword in her hands, running after the trio, threatening them with every possible punishment under the sun.

    Momonga turned his gaze to Miki, wanting to convey his silent sympathy and understanding, but found on her face not what he himself was experiencing ¨C but a strange detached expression, full of pain and recognition.

    Then Miki shook her head and turned away, finding Momonga''s gaze.

    Momonga sighed, then tried to silently convey a commiserating thought to her. ¡®Don''t worry, I understand how you feel right now¡­¡¯

    It was unclear whether his thought had reached Miki''s mind, but she cheered up a little and then smiled a little, less sadly and without so much pain inside.

    ¡°Let''s go, Miki," Momonga nodded toward the nearby school administration building, noting that there were still twenty minutes left before classes began ¨C if classes here began the same time as in his previous world, at least, at half past eight.

    Miki, taking a few steps forward, clearly strengthened and recovered from Momonga''s trip, stopped for a moment, then smiled Momonga¡¯s way. "You know if you want¡­  You can call me Mom.¡±

 Overlord of a High School (4)

    Miki paused for a moment before giving herself a huge mental slap. ¡®Miki, you''re a stuffed-up, brainless fool! He just lost his mother just days ago ¨C and you decided to just go ahead and suggest that he call you ''mother''?! Just because he took care of you and Issei reminded you of Gorou''s behavior?! You have no brains at all in your head, Miki! You''re an idiot!¡¯

    ¡°Umu," Satoru then looked at Miki as if he was thinking for a second, most likely from shock, as if to assess her, but before Miki could apologize for her outburst, he only nodded slightly,

    "Okay, Mom¡­¡±

    Miki blinked, as if trying to settle the words she heard in her head before nodding briefly, feeling uncomfortable with both her own actions and Satoru¡¯s reaction for agreeing to her proposal so easily. Though, along with that came some joy at Satoru agreeing and calling her ''mother'', and the realization that it was not okay to easily call someone mother after your own mother died just recently. Perhaps it was simply his way of dealing with the shock? Or was he actually not that close with his mother?

    Miki lowered her gaze, unable to meet Satoru''s gaze, then moved forward, making her way to the main building of Kuoh Academy.

    ¡®Although, I don''t know how his mother died and how he feels about it¡­¡¯ The thought of Mai Suzuki, Gorou''s mistress, sparked deep anger in Miki''s soul that clashed simultaneously with her empathy for Satoru, causing her mind to freeze in indecision. She hated Mai Suzuki as her husband''s mistress¡­ Ex-husband if she can help it.

    At the same time, she sympathized with Satoru for losing his mother. Satoru seemed to her a really kind, wonderful, caring young man, and Miki deeply felt sorry for his loss ¨C but she could not let go of her hatred either. The dueling sentiments froze her in indecision, as if someone had stretched her mind into a single thin line and was now pulling at it from both sides, making Miki unsure of how to feel.

    ¡®Ha, but if he did call me mother¡­ Was Mai abusive?¡¯ Miki thought for a moment, and she could see the chain of logic forming.

    ¡®And well if you think about it, emancipation is very rare ¨C so, the ¡®why¡¯ he decided to take such an opportunity¡­ No one seeks to become an adult early for nothing ¨C and such recognition requires a court order that requires Satoru to be able to prove that he is capable of behaving as an independent member of society. And along with that driver''s license¡­ it didn¡¯t paint a pretty picture.¡¯

    Miki then paled slightly, remembering exactly how Satoru drove the car.

    No, judging by the fact that he managed to get to Kuoh Academy in record time and without a single accident at that speed, he was indeed a first-class driver ¨C but at the same time¡­ He was, simply put, a death hazard on the road as he demonstrated driving skills that an ordinary person could not even dream of, at the same time disregarding all possible traffic rules¡­ Probably, Miki couldn¡¯t really tell.

    She was squeezed into the seat moments after Satoru got behind the wheel, and so she wasn''t sure if he had broken any other traffic rules other than the speed limit. All the while, she was trying to figure out if she was dead already ¨C the flashing lights she could only see rushing toward her ¨C really, looked like light at the end of the tunnel.

    At the very least, she did feel as if her soul were leaving her body, so the comparison seemed very apt to her.

    Still, the very fact that he could drive, albeit in obvious violation of speeding rules, meant that was how he learned how to do it. And, as Miki was still alive, even after such a drive, then he had been practicing that way for a very long time.

    Which meant that he had gotten his driver''s license a long time ago ¨C again, it doesn¡¯t paint a pretty picture.

    It takes people years to learn even to drive at ordinary speeds in the not very busy Kuoh traffic. Even if Satoru was a genius chef and a genius driver at the same time, the kind that are born once in a generation and become legends, it would still take him years to learn to drive like that.

    And that, in turn, meant that Satoru had long ago became emancipated ¨C maybe even as early as fourteen, since that was the youngest age a court would recognize a child as ready to become an adult. But the question remained, not ¡®how¡¯ exactly he was recognized as an adult, but ¡®why¡¯ he decided to do such a thing¡­

    Only a mature and well-balanced person could be emancipated ¨C and the court would only grant such decision only on a dire need. In cases where the minor was in a dreadful living conditions, or perhaps seeking to escape from their family¡­

    Miki stumbled as her thoughts reached the very possible but deeply troubling conclusion ¨C as she stopped to look behind her for Satoru, she found no one. Luckily, before she could panic, she immediately found Satoru already in front of her as they had reached the headmaster office¡¯s floor ¨C with him waiting for her to catch up. As Miki looked at Satoru¡¯s worried face, she could feel her conjecture looking more and more probable.

    ¡®If that''s so¡­ that would explain why he doesn''t seem to care at all about his mother''s death ¨C no, probably somewhere inside him, he feels something about it. But, judging by his actions, he cared more about what happened to me and Gorou yesterday than something as close and tragic as the death of his mother. He never once mentioned his past, and easily agreed to my proposal. What if, in fact, he was not so much looking for his father as trying to escape from his mother? What if he really decided to find Gorou not because he had no one else, but because he wanted no one else? If you think about it¡­ It¡¯s possible.¡¯

    Miki felt like pulling on her clothes, a slight nervous tic showing always when she was heavily immersed in her thoughts. ¡®Gorou never once visited Kyoto again, after the first time ¨C so Satoru''s mother wasn¡¯t dating Gorou anymore, and Satoru became¡­ a by-product of their indiscretion. It is even possible that Gorou decided to return home just because his mistress got pregnant, severing all ties with her, while his mistress decided to keep the child. And being the son of a single mother failed to give Satoru a proper childhood, while Mai failed to become a good mother. Perhaps after being abandoned by Gorou, she neglected herself, after which Satoru simply had to grow up early and apply for emancipation. But, by getting his rights he also got the responsibilities of an adult, and he couldn''t leave his mother so easily. Even though she gave him nothing maternal but birth itself, and, after her death, he tried to leave for another city, trying to find someone near and dear to him ¨C the father he had never seen¡­¡¯ Miki''s heart was filled with pain toward a fellow woman being abandoned ¨C even if it¡¯s for her ex-husband''s mistress, she did also just get abandoned, by the same person even!

    The feeling of empathy, however, could not overpower her overflowing anger toward her too ¨C but it was especially filled with pain toward the young man who had to grow up so quickly in such hellish conditions. A young man who, despite this, had managed not to squander his human feelings and qualities, and still remained a kind young man. A kind man who just wanted to find some warmth in this cruel world ¨C he was looking for his father, but was ready to accept warmth from Miki as well, easily agreeing even to call her his mother.

    Miki''s heart ached even more as the whole picture came together in her mind, causing her to stifle a rudimentary sob as she realized the situation before deciding to accept Satoru fully as her new son in her heart. ¡®Issei, I hope you get along with your big brother¡­¡¯

    The thought of Issei, on the other hand, suddenly resonated not only with a familiar love for her child, but also with a slight note of bitterness. ¡®Issei, you look so much like your father¡­¡¯

    In his youthful days, Gorou was an even more open and perverted person than Issei ¨C and in that respect, Issei clearly is Gorou¡¯s son. Miki wasn''t a shy girl herself ¨C that was one of the reasons she and Gorou had hit it off in the first place, but after all that had happened? It was hard and painful to see in Issei the habits of Gorou as he had once been, and who, because of those habits, had ended up committing the greatest betrayal.

    Satoru clearly understood this, as he constantly threw her a reassuring, sad, empathetic and understanding smile a little earlier, as he watched Issei¡¯s actions ¨C but there was nothing more Satoru himself could do. He clearly couldn''t remake Issei¡¯s proclivities in one day, but Miki inwardly vowed to erase Gorou''s habits from Issei and prevent him from growing up to be like his father.

    Making his way up the fourth floor to the headmaster''s office, Satoru paused slightly in front of the doors, as he began looking around them carefully, clearly in a fit of nervousness. It took a while before, facing Miki''s reassuring smile and gaze, he stepped forward to open the doors and find himself in front of the headmaster.

    Miki had only met the man a couple of times before ¨C first, when she''d tried to get Issei into the school and a couple of times when he''d called them to school after another of Issei¡¯s deeds. The headmaster was essentially a stranger to her.

    The headmaster was a fairly ordinary middle-aged man, with the fact that he¡¯s a foreigner the only notable thing about him ¨C he¡¯s maybe a little older than Gorou¡­ Or, well, Miki herself. His hair already starting to turn gray, gathered into a neat lacquered hairstyle on his head, he wore strict black-rimmed glasses and an expensive suit.

    The European looked more like a businessman than a school principal.

    Another notable thing about the headmaster is the unmistakable aura of power and strength he exudes causally. A rather unsuitable aura to have for the rather high, but not too high, position he has in society. It was as if he had the ability to easily destroy the life of anyone who would only cross his path.

    Under the influence of this aura of power and strength, Miki unconsciously straightened her posture, while Satoru, who had seemingly easily overcome this aura, just took a step forward. Not paying attention to the strange look the headmaster was giving from under his glasses towards Satoru, he just began glancing at the various objects in the room. First, Satoru would look at the pen on the desk, then to the pile of papers on the desk, to the small mirror hanging on the wall behind the principal''s desk, then to the principal himself.

    It was as if, only at that moment, did he notice the headmaster¡¯s presence. Still, surprise or not, Satoru stared at the headmaster straight in the eye, facing the man for a moment in a silent duel.

    Miki instantly felt an uncomfortable pressure building up in the room, as if she had found herself at a very ¡®heated¡¯ negotiation between two power-brokers quite by accident.

    Whatever it was that was happening, it seems that the headmaster conceded the battle, as he looked away first from Satoru and spoke first. "Good morning, Miss Hyoudou, and you, Mr¡­?¡±

    ¡°Suzuki," Satoru replied calmly before bowing slightly, not low enough to show deference, but not so shallow as to show disregard and rudeness, demonstrating the perfect proficiency of his movements. It was as if he had done nothing but meet all sorts of bureaucrats and officials for decades. "Satoru Suzuki. Good morning, Headmaster.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good morning, Headmaster.¡± Miki followed soon after, the shock of Satoru¡¯s first meeting with the headmaster almost making her forget decorum. After a short exchange of words, Miki was able to raise her voice, thereby drawing the headmaster''s attention back to herself, which suddenly became much less threatening than it had been just a moment ago.

    ¡°I¡­ ahem, some important things happened yesterday and I¡­ I would like to help Satoru transfer to this school.¡±

    ¡°Is that so, Miss Hyoudou?¡± The headmaster in a snap returned his attention to Satoru, his eyes searching for something that he couldn¡¯t find. ¡°This is¡­ A rather unusual and unexpected request. Although I have nothing against transferring students ¨C the school year has already begun, even if only a few days ago, and a transfer to this school requires passing exams¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand," Miki shook her head. "But what happened¡­ It''s very unusual, for me, too.¡±

    ¡°I am emancipated,¡± Satoru finally spoke up, causing the headmaster to look in his direction again, this time with an upraised eyebrow. ¡°And I would like to study at this school, but because of my unexpected move to this town I was unable to prepare a complete list of all the necessary documents, and previous events prevented me from applying earlier¡­ I am willing to complete any conditions for studying at this, umu, Kuoh Academy. I would like to find out if it is possible.¡±

    After Satoru¡¯s calm but impassioned words, the headmaster was deep in thought for a moment, before nodding. Miki could feel her shoulder relaxing somewhat, a proper education is necessary for a proper life after all. Hopefully, living in a less stringent environment would be a healing period for Satoru.

    ¡°Of course ¨C but first, I would need your high school diploma and, um, your documents, along with an approved application for emancipation. Forgive me if I cannot take your word so easily.¡±

    ¡°Of course," Satoru nodded easily, before Miki realized that Satoru had not brought any document bag or anything like that ¨C before Satoru reached into the pouch of his jacket. It was a very prim and proper jacket, suitable as a school uniform, but honestly looking more like an office worker''s uniform.

    For a moment, it seemed to Miki as if reality itself blinked suddenly. Perhaps for a split second, like a strange trick of the eye, it was as if Satoru had shifted a little, by millimeters, from his seat. And then with a magician''s gesture and flourish he pulled several sheets of documents from his pocket, all bearing the necessary stamps and signatures, so that their veracity was not to be doubted.

    The headmaster took those, ran a glance over the documents, and then smiled. "I see no reason to stop you from studying at our academy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Satoru was as surprised as Miki by the headmaster¡¯s easy acceptance, but the headmaster only shook his head.

    ¡°You know, exams would just be a formality, looking at your certificates.¡± The headmaster turned his gaze to the grades from Satoru¡¯s emancipation certification, and Miki blinked in surprise. It seemed as if every subject a person could imagine was written in Satoru''s certificate ¨C ¡®Japanese¡¯, ¡®Math¡¯, ¡®Biology¡¯, alongside elective courses like ¡®Photography¡¯ and ¡®Programming¡¯ ¡ª and each of them had a grade beside it, exactly one hundred points.

    Miki gasped in surprise a little ¨C where did Satoru come from?! A hundred in all subjects, and with the sheer number of subjects¡­ It was just an inhuman level of academics. And what school could one find so many subjects to study?! Did he go to an academy at Kyoto University?! Only an institution like that would have had the means and resources to provide those subjects. Furthermore, to graduate early with a hundred all those courses at one of the most prestigious schools at one of the most prestigious universities in Japan.

    Where does Satoru''s abilities end? He was a super-chef, a stunt driver, and now it turns out he was also a super genius¡­ and all this while he was emancipated and single! That''s the kind of person they should make movies about!

    ¡°I think our academy will be glad to have you in our ranks.¡± The headmaster smiled at Satoru, then turned his gaze and began addressing the still shocked Miki. ¡°The first class starts in fifteen minutes¡­ I think you''ll find a place in class 3-A, you can get the uniform fitted later.¡±

    ***

    ¡®Just like that?¡¯ Momonga inwardly sighed with relief as he looked into the director''s eyes, and the magic of the headmaster seems to be casting. ¡®Though apparently it''s not my grades after all, it''s the fact that this guy couldn''t get through my surveillance protection ring. I¡¯m glad that I¡¯m always prepared, it would be quite laughable for my disguise to fail just as soon as I started using it.¡¯

    Momonga had a lot of racial and class passive skills ¨C most of them he had turned off a little earlier so as not to provoke mass deaths of random observers from his [Aura of Despair V] or something similar. But some of them he never thought to turn off, like his passive skill [Arcane Sight].

    This ability allowed Momonga to see through any form of magical concealment and invisibility, but did not work for some abilities not directly related to magic. For example, he was able to ignore even the ultimate spell of stealth, [Perfect Unknowable], which even one-hundred-level rangers could barely get through unless they were specialized in stealth neutralization and information gathering. On the other hand, he was incapable of ignoring stealth granted by the natural skills and special abilities of those same rangers if those skills were not considered spells, even if they happen to be available from level 1.

    Additionally, this passive ability allowed him to see through illusions, detect magical enchantments, magical creatures and intangible objects such as ethereal creatures. As well as that, he could see the effects of magic and the traces left by its application if the magic applied was strong enough and was applied recently. There were some ways to bypass or to block Momonga¡¯s [Arcane Sight], but in this case the opponent had to have special classes and abilities of specialized builds or creature types.

    The only problem was that, for all its good points, [Arcane Sight] did not allow Momonga to determine the very type of enchantment or magic applied, or the level and direction of a magical creature''s abilities. All the skill would tell him was only that the object was enchanted, or the creature had some magical abilities.

    So when Momonga suddenly discovered that the doors leading to the principal''s office were enchanted, he had immediately stopped moving for a moment and prepared some counter-measures.

    The fact that magic existed in this world had already been known ¨C so discovering a magical artifact, albeit in the form of doors, was not so strange to Momonga. The problem begins when he doesn¡¯t know the function of the magical doors ¨C could be either a trap or a harmless artifact enchanted with something like [Silence] so that they would not slam or creak as they opened and closed.

    In YGGDRASIL, permanent magical objects were created in a very different way, with [Data Crystals], while the magic cast on objects was most often temporary ¨C with some exceptions of course. But this world had already proven that there were unknown artifacts that did not fit within the normal logic of YGGDRASIL.

    And so, as expected, as Momonga stood in front of the doors, he cast the spell [All Appraisal Magic Item]. The spell fully reveals the item''s properties and abilities, as well as how it was created, enchanted, its creator, and similar additional information.

    In retrospect, Momonga probably should have checked if the spell worked the same way earlier on the [Longinus], the remnants of which he received after killing the red dragon. But by the time of this realization, Momonga had already given those to the Pandora Actor, and so he simply had to check it another time.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    However, luckily, the information from the artifact doors came to Momonga without any problems. As it turned out, these doors were a kind of emergency portal installed here and were made of something called [Hellwood]. Its original construction was disguised by a layer of plain wood.

    When activated, anyone passing through would be deposited out in the location designated beforehand, in effect it was a door that was enchanted by a spell that is similar to [Gate] ¨C with some limitation. The doors can only be used by a few specific users, and only led to a predefined place ¨C some place called ¡®Lilith¡¯?

    The artifact itself was enchanted, slash, created by Serafall Sitri-Leviathan and Sirzechs Gremory-Lucifer, and was very, very strong. It had a built-in semblance of regeneration in case it was damaged, and automatically used weak information gathering magic on anyone passing through.

    In other words, if Momonga walked through those doors without the ring protecting him completely from information-gathering magic ¨C his automatic barrier to suppress surveillance would most likely activate, and the artifact would explode from his return spell.

    Another thing to add was that whoever was sitting in the principal''s chair at the moment ¨C they were clearly gathering information about everyone entering their office¡­ Momonga had to rely on the effect of his ring and prepare for battle as soon as he crossed the threshold.

    Though he felt sorry for Miki, he was ready to sacrifice her at any moment and give Pandora¡¯s Actor the order to retreat immediately if anything goes wrong.

    A moment later, however, Momonga realized that Miki was looking at him with a strange look, most likely having no idea why Momonga was frozen in front of the doors. So, he cast aside his doubts, quickly made a fight plan in his head if a fight did happen, and as he opened the doors, he took a resolute step inside.

    And, of course, instantly found himself face to face with a man that almost made Momonga cringe ¨C he was almost a splitting image of his old bosses from the past world, except without the visible signs of cybernetic modifications.

    Sure enough, Momonga picked up instantly that the man''s office contained several other artifacts.

    The pen on the desk was a transformed object, a staff originally, as his spell later explained to him, enchanted to take the form of a pen and transform back at the wearer''s will. The pen/staff, had been enchanted by someone called ¡®Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa¡¯, and was comparatively not half bad of an artifact. It¡¯s not too high rank, but it still gives appreciable bonuses when used, enough to make Momonga to consider it to be a usable item if extremely niche in usage case.

    The stack of paper had a low rank distraction illusion applied to it, preventing a casual observer from detecting the contents of the sheets themselves. The mirror had the ability to dispel the low-rank illusions of anyone who happened to be reflected in it. Momonga could only nod approvingly internally at the fact that the owner of this office had successfully hung a mirror that instantly reflected everyone who entered the office. He was also very glad that his [Create Body] was not an illusion. In addition, the mirror itself could use a strong enough attack spell, but only once.

    And lastly, the Headmaster''s glasses, also enchanted by a certain ¡®Agrippa¡¯, possesses basic information gathering abilities like [Mana Essence] and [Life Essence], as well as identifying low-ranking illusions that fell into the man''s gaze.

    Momonga could only be pleased that he wore his ring ¨C currently transformed as his underwear, that concealed every information about his presence. And because attempting to remove his underwear was last on any list of priority actions for an enemy should a battle with Momonga begin ¨C Momonga considered that one tidbit quite genius, in his own option.

    Luckily also for Momonga, the artifact glasses did not have the ability to see the doppelg?ngers'' true form, but internally Momonga noted the need to inform the Pandora¡¯s Actor soon to stay as far away from the Director as possible. Just in case.

    Lastly, but most importantly, Momonga had determined that the man sitting across from him had magical abilities, but he could not determine his level or his highest tier of magic. He could not even determine who exactly this man was! Was he this same Agrippa who made the enchanted items?

    Anyway, needless to say, Momonga¡¯s haunches were raised, and he had to struggle with himself not to silently start to cast some spells. So much so that he might act a bit wooden.

    However, luckily, their dialogue about Momonga joining the Academy went well without an outbreak of battle, even when Momonga himself had determined that the headmaster had already moved into the category of ¡®potential adversaries¡¯ in his perception. Everything seemed to be able to resolve peacefully ¨C  until the moment when the headmaster demanded from Momonga his credentials.

    And, of course, Momonga didn''t have one ¨C emotion suppression activated several times in quick succession.

    He did, however, have an idea, an attempt which he was going to use that might work. And so, without making any sudden movements, Momonga raised his hand and put it inside his jacket¡¯s non-existent inside pocket, where there was nothing. And with a silent cast, Momonga cast [Time Stop]. An almost suicidal move that could mark the beginning of battle if the headmaster had any artifact that counters [Time Stop] ¨C but Momonga¡¯s earlier observation made him confident enough to use the spell.

    Judging by the level of the artifacts ¨C his opponent was not too strong, and therefore should not have protection against temporal spells, but Momonga was ready for his opponent''s reaction, in case he reacted with hostility to his action. But, despite Momonga¡¯s paranoid self and his racing heart, the headmaster froze with the rest of the world.

    Quickly, Momonga leaped to action in the frozen time. First, he spent some precious seconds memorizing his original posture and position before the Time Stop. Next, he walked behind the headmaster¡¯s desk, and began perusing the documents on his desk to find something that he can fake as his credentials. Unluckily, Momonga didn¡¯t find anything useful, instead finding that these documents did not appear to be about the school at all, if the document title saying ¡®Gremory Territory¡¯ and ¡®Lilith¡¯ meant anything. Hmm, wasn¡¯t the door linked to this ¡®Lilith¡¯?

    Momonga wanted to read more to sate his curiosity, but simply had no time, luckily his next search was more fruitful finding exactly what he was looking for ¨C other people''s certificates. Momonga quickly glanced through the documents and made his own appropriate copies.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t know very well which subjects he was required to put on the list and which weren''t, and which scores were the most realistic, so he did the only thing he could do. He copied all the information he could and then gave himself the maximum number of scores everywhere, a hundred, figuring this way he could attract attention, but no more than by his emancipation. It should reduce the risks of being rejected into the Academy and requiring additional exams, which Momonga himself wasn''t sure of passing.

    Fortunately, the certificates he found were written in Japanese ¨C a language that he could write and understand. Momonga had already determined that he understood the local language by ear, but was a bit unsure whether the script would also be the same ¨C something that he was happy to find to be true.

    Though, as it turned out, he understood more than just Japanese. It turned out that he understood at least some other languages ¨C something he found out when he had visited another country at night, though he wasn¡¯t sure what country or what language the people were speaking. But, other than finding that he could understand foreign languages now, he still couldn¡¯t parse the foreign writing, so finding the Japanese entries in the certificates made Momonga happy.

    Of course, [Time Stop] did not allow him to interact with other stopped creatures, but he was still able to interact with himself. Either changing his equipment or placing buffs on himself, as well as with inanimate objects that were not associated with Players, were possible.

    For example, he could easily open the unlocked safe next to the director, take out the certificates, create his own copy, and return them back. In YGGDRASIL, players didn''t specifically use [Time Stop] to read and forge documents, but if the opponent had no countermeasures against temporal abilities ¨C it opened up a huge range of actions for other Players. The examples were myriad ¨C putting or refreshing buffs mid-fight, laying traps right in front of enemies, watching the next step of the opponent, or even changing their equipment completely.

    Or, as in this case, steal an item from under the guard''s nose while fleeing away. That is why temporal defenses are the basic requirement for any Player above Level 70 ¨C without it, you¡¯ll just die instantly.

    Of course, the ability still has limitations, and it¡¯s impossible to stun-lock an enemy by abusing [Time Stop]. First, being that the spell itself required a lot of mana, and any spell to be used needs to use the metamagic [Delay], increasing their mana usage. And lastly, and the thing that makes it almost impossible to pull off, was that one had to be incredibly precise in using each successive [Time Stop].

    Momonga was one of the rare players who could implement this tactic without burning his mana for nothing, having studied and trained his abilities over the years of YGGDRASIL, not that he ever had the chance to use the strategy. Until now, he had never had the chance to do so¡­

    Until this moment, when he decided to vociferously burn his mana again, after it had finally almost fully recovered from the waste of killing the Great Red Dragon, using a spell of the tenth rank to forge documents. Momonga had to use [Time Stop] several times to fully copy the necessary documents before he returned to his seat, assuming the pose he had held before, to wait until the end of the spell.

    Of course, he quickly ran into another problem. His credentials were too amazing ¨C luckily, the problem was solved without him having to do anything, and he¡¯s now a student of Kuoh Academy.

    The mana he had spent on the documents were very well spent. Documents that had ended up being his pass to the world of education ¨C so, at the moment, he was in an extremely happy mood. He was ready to start his studies at the academy, even if he now had to be wary of the principal of the place along with some others¡­ If his senses weren¡¯t fooled, he had seen a couple more holders of magic in this school.

    However, that¡¯s a concern for later, after all what¡¯s the chance that the people he sensed earlier would be anyway near him? The school is a very large place with many students and classes. And so, with nothing more to worry about, rejoicing inwardly, Momonga let Miki out of the principal''s office first before following behind her.

    As Momonga was about to exit, his good mood died a quick death, tensing inwardly, almost flinching when he heard a quiet voice from behind him. "And where are your real documents, Satoru Suzuki?¡±

    Momonga almost froze when he heard those words, but with such outstanding credentials and having blocked all attempts to gather information, it would be foolish to expect himself to be above suspicion.

    But right now, almost any move he could make was a bad one ¨C Miki was already behind the doors in front of him -- and Momonga should have ended the conversation as quickly as possible... But by not giving away any information - even if he decided to play "cool" and say something like "how did you know?" - he would only confirm his opponent''s possible assumption, since he might be bluffing, testing Momonga''s honesty.

    ¡°What do you mean, Director?¡± So Momonga decided to play it as simply as possible, testing his opponent''s hand.

    ¡°Nothing at all," And just as Momonga predicted, his opponent was bluffing, "I''m sorry, I haven''t been sleeping much lately, and I''m starting to talk to myself¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Headmaster," Momonga smiled, "Have a good day, I think I should get to class¡­¡±

    ***

    Johan Braun was an excellent wizard ¨C and excellent wizards quickly rose through the ranks. That was why he¡¯s in the position he¡¯s in, the headmaster of Kuoh Academy, a place where two Heiresses study, a place regularly visited by two Satans alongside the head of two Pillar Houses. Johan was very high up in the hierarchy of his organization indeed.

    Coming from a rather old and venerable family of mages, he was trained for generations under the wing of the Grauzauberer, the Grey Wizards. Johan had shown himself to be a great man ¨C he was talented, energetic, and even had some political weight in his circles. Even at his young age, he had already reached the rank of ¡®Master¡¯ which mages usually reached only in their later years, when their hairs were gray. Perhaps, befitting the name of their magic association, if they received it at all, of course.

    His growth potential however was not infinite, of course, and the next step up from his position, ¡®Magister¡¯, seemed a long and difficult road even for him, not to mention ¡®Archmage¡¯ ¨C the highest rank a mage could achieve. Well, theoretically there was the rank of ¡®Archmagister¡¯ above that, the position as head of his magic association. Sadly, this position has been held by Mephisto Pheles for centuries, the current and perhaps for a long time more, leader of Grey Wizards. There was no chance of anyone else gaining that position, as he was what one would call a ¡®cheat¡¯ existence.

    While all decent wizards learned magic as humans ¨C Mephisto Pheles had learned magic as a demon, a race already possessing powers too high for wizards to compete with. Add human magic to his natural magic to that? And you get a cheater holding the mantle of ¡®Archimagister¡¯ for hundreds of years since the death of the founder and past head, Faust.

    Still, it¡¯s not like the Grey Wizards would complain much. It was Mephisto''s action that started the integration of Grey Wizards with the demons, an act that had greatly benefitted the association. And while such actions forced many mages to leave the association, founding their own instead, the good still balanced out the bad. After all, centuries of stories about ¡®dishonest tricksters who steal souls¡¯ could not be undone by the fact that Mephisto himself was not a bad guy, who was genuinely into magic.

    Especially considering that demons could indeed steal souls and some even practiced it periodically even when the act was made illegal¡­

    Still, on the whole, the Association¡¯s integration with the demons brought more positive things to the Grey Wizards, and to Johan in particular. The demons were very interested in the services of mages, and the mages were very interested in what they can pay with. Not always necessarily monetary compensation, the demons could provide magic materials that were difficult to find on Earth, patronage, or even their own knowledge.

    At the same time, the demons could closely monitor the progress of individual mages, selecting the most promising mages for the most important demons. While the mages themselves were given information about their potential employers ¨C usually the information was even close enough to the truth!

    In other words, it was a fruitful cooperation in which the pros far outweighed the cons ¨C at least from Johan''s perspective ¨C many of the mages who left the organization refused to ¡®become the demons'' lapdogs¡¯. Johan didn''t see much of a problem with that, though ¨C many of the magic universities kept their own associate academies and schools with them, for roughly the same purposes that the demons kept their relations with the Grey Wizards.

    Was there anything wrong with that?

    In any case, Johan had quickly risen through the ranks, attracting the attention of the top Gray Wizards and, through them, the attention of powerful demons, so the invitation to serve one such demon was no surprise to him. The only thing that came as a slight surprise to him was who offered him the service.

    Zeoticus Gremory, one of the most powerful demons, father of the Crimson Lucifer himself, the current ruler of the Underworld. One of the rulers that is ¨C considered also the strongest demon ever born in the world, it was rumored that he was stronger even than the original Lucifer. In other words, he was going to get a contract from a very powerful demon with enormous power and connections with no string attached.

    So, of course, Johan jumped at the chance given to him.

    The catch turned out to be that Johan should have questioned exactly why Zeoticus needed a mage. Usually, demons used mages to show the prestige of their family, to use them as their agents in places where demons themselves were lacking, sometimes as teachers or instructors, as far as magic was concerned. If the demons for some reason wanted to learn, of course, or as teachers of everything ¡®human¡¯. Some lucky magicians were even reincarnated!

    For demons, recruiting magicians into their peerages was the easier option.

    First, magicians were close to the human world, but already knew about its magical side and would probably already be vetted for potential thoroughly beforehand. And second, they would not start praying the second they see a demon.

    Zeoticus Gremory, however, needed a mage for only one thing¡­

    To dump all his administerial work on him!

    Technically, Zeoticus was the ¡®Administrator¡¯ of Kuoh Academy, overseeing both the school and its associated college, but he very rarely showed up to his workplace, preferring to go about his demonic business and dance around in his bloody camel costume!

    That man was willing to do anything but the school bureaucracy he was supposed to control!

    And so, of course, all Zeoticus'' labors fell on the shoulders of Johan, who was put in as headmaster, as his officially contracted mage. He works alongside Elizabeth Rosenkreuz, who was officially contracted mage of the Sitri family as headmaster of the college. If it weren''t for the help of Sona Sitri and her wonderful student council helping to sort out the school''s affairs, Johan would have died of stress long ago, buried under a large pile of paperwork.

    Technically, Rias Gremory and her ¡®Occult Research Club¡¯ were also supposed to help with the running of Kuoh Academy. But, because of some quirk of their own, the demons had divided what they thought was ¡®fair¡¯ in their duties. Sona helped with the running of the Academy during the day, and Rias helped at night. There¡¯s only one problem with that arrangement, though.

    Kuoh Academy did not operate at night!

    Rias did occasionally help with the little things, like securing the academy grounds at night with her team, but she did absolutely no paperwork. And Johan''s concern was not any possible attacks on the school, but the endless attempts to get funding for new teachers, the old school building renovation, when it was abandoned when the academy moved into the new building. And finally build a normal dormitory for college students! Not everyone attending this school was connected to the demonic aristocracy, damn you, having virtually endless supplies of money! The ordinary students needed a dormitory, too!

    Besides, who would be crazy enough to attack a school where two Satan¡¯s sisters study?

    The constant numbers and reports seemed to be swirling in front of Johan''s face¡­

    So when he sensed something unusual ¨C he even rejoiced to be able to think no more about student lists and the annual budget revision.

    His joy, however, was short-lived.

    The doors that led to his study were enchanted by the [Bishop] of Zeoticus Gremory himself ¨C a very powerful wizard, Agrippa, in case of emergency. The door was to be used if it became necessary to drag Rias and Sona away from any danger, or if any other means of escape were blocked. At the same time, the door also served as an excellent defensive tool, since they identified the true nature of the creature entering through them. The door, perfectly relieving anxiety about agents and unknowns seeking to get close to the younger sisters of two of the four ruling Satans in the academy¡­ At least as far as Johan himself knew.

    However, when someone else entered following Miki Hyoudou, an ordinary human, as confirmed by the artifact''s reaction ¨C Johan instantly sounded the alarm.

    Agrippa was a powerful mage, but he wasn''t too strong ¨C on the world scale, I mean ¨C there were many more extremely powerful creatures in this world. Some of them even preferred not to wave their power like a flag, but keeping it secret instead, balancing the strategic advantage of showing their power with the tactical advantage of hiding it.

    Even Johan himself, if he tried very hard and prepared himself, could probably fool the artifact. However, Johan was helped immensely by the fact that he knew about the artifact in the first place. A fact that random people should not know.

    Agrippa had hidden the enchanted [Hellwood] inside the door, behind a layer of ordinary wood, and had made it so that it was not easy to sense the magic of the door. It was possible to do it, but at a glance? This wasn''t just the level of ¡®high-class¡¯ demons, but quite possibly an ¡®ultimate-class¡¯ demons ¨C and Johan preferred not even to look at such creatures for fear of their capabilities.

    Of course, he was technically under the patronage of Zeoticus, who, for his many downsides, would not leave his subordinates unprotected, but it would have done Johan no good if he were turned to ash. Even the [Evil Pieces] had their limitations, they could not resurrect a person from a pile of ashes, requiring a relatively whole body ¨C and that''s if Zeoticus even decided to rebirth Johan into a demon¡­ If Zeoticus could do it at all in the first place. It¡¯s possible that Agrippa might well have costed two of the Lord¡¯s [Bishops], so Johan would really hate to die for nothing.

    The reason for him panicking so much?

    There was nothing, no information¡­ The doors didn''t work whatsoever, and Johan saw nothing in his glasses. Glasses that were supposed to determine the level of magical energy in the target. The mirror also couldn''t dispel any illusion¡­ If it was an illusion and not something else.

    And this person, who Johan had met for the first time, wanted to enroll, even after the school year had already begun. He was also the perfect student ¨C judging by his age and grades, a hundred points for every school subject imaginable. He also did not exude any supernatural presence whatsoever, the perfect shoo-in for Kuoh Academy. That is if not for the fact that it¡¯s the same school where two younger sisters of two ruling Satans were studying, completely by chance.

    Of course, there was a slim chance that it was all just a coincidence. Some magic that was placed on the young man without his knowledge ¨C or perhaps he might even possess some [Sacred Gear] with surveillance blocking capabilities. Given how many such students there were at this school, Johan would not even be surprised that he stumbled upon another one by pure chance, as if something was pulling people with [Sacred Gears] to this academy.

    However, the boy, who introduced himself as Satoru, had unmistakably glanced at all the magical objects in the study ¨C including a folder of reports from Lord Gremory. Something which had a good distraction spell on them. And then, he had provided Johan with his education certificate¡­

    Signed by Johan himself.

    His certificate was signed by Johan as the principal, with the same signature even! And Johan was pretty sure that he was not the principal of Kyoto Academy!

    It could have been a completely random mistake on Satoru''s part when he had forged the documents ¨C or, it could have been a conscious move, a hint, even, ¡®I''ll get into this school, whether you like it or not. Your signature is already on my paperwork ¨C so why shouldn''t it be on my application?¡¯

    And Johan didn''t know at all what he was to do or think about this. He had to think quickly on the fly, and the only thing that came to his mind was to send him to school lessons, to get more time for him to look at him more closely. And, of course, to inform Zeoticus Gremory about what had happened immediately. His daughter was studying here, and if something unpleasant happened afterwards, Zeoticus would simply and without any hesitation remove Johan¡¯s head off his shoulders, and would, in fact, be absolutely in the right about it.

    The least said about what the Lucifer would do to him, the better.

    So after trying to provoke Satoru for a moment at the end of their meeting and not getting any meaningful response from him, it showed that Satoru knows of the other side of the world ¨C the supernatural side. Johan could only sigh as he set aside the newly obtained certificate, taking out his phone and getting ready to dial his boss'' number on it.

    Johan hated doing paperwork, but in this situation, he would really prefer to do just that.

 Overlord of a High School (5)

    Momonga lightly made his way out of the principal''s office before turning to Miki, who was following behind him, smiling slightly. A smile that Momonga returned, glad to have a chance at furthering his education, even if it had almost hit a snag in his meeting with the headmaster. "Thank you for your help, Miki¡­ I mean, Mom.¡±

    Momonga wasn''t sure exactly why Miki had suggested for him to call her ¡®mother¡¯, especially when they haven¡¯t known each other for long ¨C familial relations or not. But, it might have been a quite common occurrence.

    And judging by her not asking more about his emancipation ¨C especially since he didn''t have a good idea of what that was himself, it was easier for him to refer to Miki as mother. Something which also added a layer of plausibility to his identity, if he lived with his mother, he was less suspicious, especially as a young man who had not yet reached adulthood.

    True, the very thought of addressing Miki as ¡®mother¡¯ was strange to him, but he would soldier on.

    The last time he had seen his mother was decades ago, when he found her dead in the kitchen, trying to make his favorite dish. It was probably the worst day of Momonga''s entire life ¨C perhaps even worse than the end of YGGDRASIL, despite the recentness of the latter.

    But time had passed, and old wounds were scabbed over. And with her body long ago being turned in for processing at the fertilizer aggregators, there were no more things that triggered any memories of her passing. So, Momonga pretty much stopped thinking about it years later, remembering what had happened only occasionally on the anniversary of her death.

    When the developers of YGGDRASIL announced the end of service ¨C on the days leading to it, Momonga often remembered and drew parallels to it with the death of his mother. Perhaps trying to reassure himself that even such great past wounds became less painful as time passes and would be forgotten in time, so he would survive even the end of YGGDRASIL.

    And, so, as a result, he had long since stopped being sad about his mother''s death, simply accepting what had happened as the harsh truth of life, so he felt no sadness in calling Miki ¡®mother¡¯. Still, the very act of referring to her in that way felt strange, unfamiliar, and, frankly, unexpected to Momonga. After all, she was close to his real age!

    However, Momonga could easily suppress his thoughts on the subject with the thought that he was doing it to avoid drawing attention to himself as he walked Miki out of school, watching the minutes pass before his classes started.

    ¡®Ha, I didn''t even bring a computer with me, how would I take the class? Or will they give me a school one? How exactly schooling worked in Japan in the past?¡¯ Momonga thought for a moment, but judging by the fact that the principal hadn''t mentioned it, then it was likely that the school would provide his study material.

    If worse comes to worst, Momonga would have no trouble creating them with [Create Greater Item] ¨C though, Momonga hadn''t checked to see if he could create a complete computer or complex electronics at all using his abilities alone. ¡®Okay, I''ll walk Miki to the gate, and maybe I can check it before class starts.¡¯

    Escorting Miki to the gate, Momonga bowed slightly as he said his goodbyes. ¡°Thank you again for your help.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome, Satoru," Miki smiled back warmly at him, before turning around and making her way back home ¨C Momonga, on the other hand, activated [Life Essence] and [Mana Essence].

    ¡®Hmm, from the looks of it, for Miki, every single bite she ate was considered a separate dish, so now the effects of food are starting to disappear and weaken, one by one. Interesting observation, I should write it down somewhere. Hmm, maybe I should start creating a sort of ¡®Experiment Journal¡¯? I''m sure it''ll be useful in familiarizing Nazarick as to the differences between this world and YGGDRASIL. Huh, another thing to add to the ever-growing and growing list of concerns¡­¡¯

    After a moment of watching Miki¡¯s disappearing form, Momonga turned away, then quickly walked to his class, leaving Miki to make her way home alone¡­ Walking, since she didn''t have a driver''s license.

    ***

    Pandora''s Actor, no, Issei Hyoudou, he didn¡¯t want to become sloppy because of his happiness having Father near him, made his way to his class exactly as he normally would. All the while, he kept a grim and sour smile on his expression and responded languidly to attempts to cheer him up from his friends. Issei was perfectly maintaining the mask of the man who had just survived an awful ¡®date¡¯ and a betrayal by his father. An expression that let the world know that something extremely sad and unfortunate had happened in his life.

    Issei¡¯s act was so perfect that it even caused Aika Kiryuu ¨C an old acquaintance of Issei since elementary school who never missed an opportunity to vent a sarcasm or mock him, to retreat, allowing him to ¡®mope¡¯ himself in peace.

    Issei would love to dive deeper into Aika¡¯s psyche, to know more about ¡®Issei¡¯, but found that he was too disappointed by her to bother. Of course, he still did it, his orders were absolute no matter what he felt about it.

    ¡®There''s nothing special about Aika Kiryuu ¨C she¡¯s as directionless as the rest of her peers.¡¯ Issei sighed inwardly a little.

    ¡®Although meeting Kiba Yuuto has stirred my feelings as an actor and my instincts as a collector too much, it would be too stupid to assume that everyone I meet on my path will be as unique as this ausstellungsst¨¹ck¡­ Father bestows rewards ¨C but only on those who can take it themselves, wonderful delicacies are hidden at this banquet among the tasteless dishes of third-rate cooks. Father has given me a purpose ¨C in my service I need to get information about my entire surroundings, now I am a restaurant critic, and even if the offered dishes taste like dust ¨C I will do my Father''s will and deliver every minute detail of the dish.¡¯

    ¡®Pandora''s Actor?¡¯ Just as he reiterated his loyalty to his Father, Issei instantly felt the connection of a [Message] from Father formed between him.

    ¡°Yes, Father?¡± Issei spoke softly as he leaned forward, crossing his arms in front of him to conceal the movement of his lips, yet speaking softly to minimize the chance of eavesdropping. He was now looking as if he were scowling at something under his nose ¨C a fitting picture for someone who had looked so sad a little earlier.

    ¡®I ran into the headmaster of this school ¨C he has magical powers and possessed several artifacts that might not be made by him, precluding the existence of another. And, by all appearances, he knows I am no ordinary person ¨C he has probably already passed on information about me to the others aware of the magical world he knows.¡¯

    Father replied bluntly, getting right to the point. ¡®The artifacts he possessed allowed him to ignore low rank illusions, and possibly see the true form of doppelg?ngers, though whether he can see through the abilities of a greater doppelg?nger is still unknown. Plus, he can summon back-up. If someone stronger shows up, be prepared for a fighting retreat if the enemy turns out to be too strong ¨C retreating with as much information as possible is priority. If you think you are being lured into a trap ¨C retreat, any information you might gather by springing it is useless if you can''t pass it on. Until such a possibility occurs, act naturally and try to gather information without giving yourself away, but don''t take any unnecessary risks. If you were to be near the director for whatever, use your special abilities to conceal your nature, but do not transform without a plan ¨C you are Nazarick''s trump card, to use you without a plan is dangerous and pointless. If you discover any strong adversary, let me know immediately.¡¯

    ¡°As you command, Father," Issei nodded slightly, simultaneously suppressing his desire to bow completely and yet incapable of not showing respect to his Creator in any way, even if He was incapable of seeing him when using [Message].

    After a moment, the connection between Issei and Momonga disappeared again, and Issei breathed out a slightly picturesque exhale, as if he had just finished a sad and inaudible monologue. Thinking out loud some thought, confusing the potential observer, then slowly leaned his head back with his hands in front of him, showing his ¡®defeated¡¯ posture.

    Issei''s mind, however, was working at full strength ¨C his current target for observation being the director, there¡¯s some problem, however.

    If he was to observe through walls without seeing the target or looking into their eyes, without communicating or using his special skills, he could only penetrate the minds of extremely weak beings, level thirtieth and below. And that was if they had no resistance to mental influences, so there was a good chance that he could not penetrate the director''s mind. What was especially dangerous, however, was that it¡¯s possible, in the attempt to invade his mind, Issei¡¯s action could be detected by the Headmaster himself, so Issei froze in indecision.

    If he could have approached the Headmaster and could see him, then Issei would have planned much more confidently. However, his order was also very clear ¨C to stay away from the Headmaster and not draw attention to himself. On the other hand ¨C Father also said about the need to gather information without risking himself in vain¡­

    Issei was at a loss.

    He wanted to receive more information from Father, to clarify his orders, to prevent a single blunder in his work, and not to fail in a single verse of his song. And yet, at the same time, all this was a test of the Issei himself, on how he would be able to act appropriately to carry out His plans.

    Issei frowned before still taking his chances, preparing to flee a moment later if he was discovered. Overconfidence might be a slow and insidious killer, but underconfidence might even kill you even quicker ¨C or worse, disappoint Father.

    ¡°[Mirror of Thought]." Inaudible to anyone listening, furthermore turning sideways, looking out the window, Issei used his strongest of mind reading abilities, then further amplified it and cast spells to conceal his potential interference with another being''s mind.

    "[The Look From Within], [Silence in the Looking Glass].¡±

    A moment later, Issei''s mind reached out to the headmaster''s mind, with careful light touches testing the latter''s mind defenses. It was hard to tell if something had been originally applied to the Headmaster''s mind, since he had acted calmly even before Issei''s actions and did not react when he did start. Of course, it¡¯s very possible that it¡¯s all a trap ¨C but jumping the gun is unwise as well¡­

    ¡®Hmm, so far so good¡­ However, I should be wary ¨C creatures of this world may have strange abilities that interfere with my observation or even be able to notice my actions easily.¡¯

    So, carefully, but quickly, Issei began to retrieve the memories of the Headmaster, Johan, starting with the most recent ones, since Father had only met him a dozen minutes ago.

    ¡®Hmm, so¡­ Zeoticus Gremory¡¯s contracted mage, the younger sisters of the two Satans¡­  And they decided? Hmm, really? Of course, they will provide insurance and protection ¨C but even so¡­ Ah, validation? It makes sense, but the risk¡­ Ah, a potential enemy would not kill them so easily, but try to take them alive, and they are sure they could prevent that. Johan, growing up ¨C resentment, eager to prove himself, prone to confrontation ¨C all useful stuff to know. And regarding his powers, um, Johan he¡¯s¡­ level thirtieth? Within those limits, plus or minus five levels, judging abilities in the new world and only by their memories and thoughts is extremely difficult, note for the future, humans are an unreliable source of information.¡¯

    Confident that his intrusion has not been detected yet ¨C or if he had, then he needed to get more pertinent information quicker. Issei began focusing on his older memories. ¡¯Hmm, going a bit deeper now ¨C a little more orderly chaos, but still empty meaninglessness, bereft of purpose. Oh, there¡¯s another babysitter for the Sisters ¨C a demon, one that¡¯s a little higher level than Johan, but they can''t interfere. Agrippa ¨C stronger than Johan, but I would not call him strong¡­ Ah, finally, the Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer. From the rumors, Johan has heard but not seen first-hand, the owner of a really impressive power, at least above the eightieth level. But, Johan has never observed him personally, so the estimate may differ greatly in either direction by dozens of levels¡­ Perhaps even to the hundredth level? Potential danger ¨C I need to warn Father¡­¡¯

    The sharp sound of bells brought Issei back to the tangible world, informing him that classes had begun, and he quickly left Johan''s mind and rose with all the students, as their routine greeting began. ¡®It is necessary to deliver information about certain things to Father, but it is not urgent at the moment. Instead of apprehension, the poor fools had decided to choose pompous hubris as their response, a desire to turn Father''s appearance into their own luck.¡¯

    Issei had to fight his instinctive desire to destroy all these ants to dare to presume to use Father, but he successfully controlled himself. Assuring himself that it¡¯s all a part of Father¡¯s plan, he just has to play his role, and all would be right.

    ¡®These fools see the danger he represented, the barest hint of the iceberg they¡¯ve seen, as a ¡®test¡¯ for Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. All the while, not even realizing that they are only writing their own lines in His great play¡­ Truly, Father, how far does your plan extend?¡¯

    ***

    ¡®Having some kind of plan at this point would be nice,¡¯ Momonga sighed as his thoughts turned maudlin, before rising from his seat after the bell sounded. The memories he got from Issei informing him what he needed to do.

    Unfortunately, the school didn''t provide him with a computer ¨C although he noticed that those existed in this world, albeit so ancient and primitive that they would have been of value only as antiques in his past world. But, having roughly understood the principle of operating them, Momonga was willing to try his hand at working with them¡­

    However, the problem was that apparently none of the students were assigned a computer ¨C they all used paper instead! And they had to use expensive ink to write on them! Wasting both the ink and the paper!

    You had computers, why didn''t you use them and write on paper instead?!

    Fortunately for Momonga himself, he was provided the textbooks and notebooks of this world, along with a suitable single-seat desk and writing utensils ¨C something that he was grateful for. He doesn¡¯t really have the legal tender to buy the expensive school supplies. How rich must the school be to provide such rare resources to every student for free!?

    Momonga has to admit ¨C it¡¯s weird to hold on to a pen for the first time.

    Although writing with a stationary was not unusual for Momonga, after the widespread use of technology in his past world making tablets and stylus the preferred way of writing, he never actually ever held a pen in his life. Even in YGGDRASIL, magic and special abilities existed that could transfer entire texts in a flash, he could still write Japanese, though not very confidently, quickly or beautifully.

    By the end, however, he did figure out both how to write his name, and after introducing himself to the class, received some initially interested looks from the other students. Something which was quickly replaced by disappointed and even disgusted ones when he mentioned that he was Issei Hyoudou¡¯s older brother.

    ¡®Issei, it''s my fault you accidentally died, I admit and apologize¡­ But stop destroying my reputation from the afterlife!¡¯ Only his undead nature was able to suppress his desire to fix his reputation and use some kind of spell like [Wish Upon A Star] to change all people''s memories of Issei.

    Other than that car wreck of a first introduction, lessons proved uninteresting for Momonga ¨C at least the first lessons, that is. Not because he¡¯s a natural genius or anything like that, nor because he was well-educated, his only elementary school level education proves that. Rather, he never had a problem with the Japanese language in the first place, given that he was an adult who knew it well ¨C even if he had to refresh some of the grammar rules he''d managed to forget. He¡¯d even managed to learn some that he didn''t know!

    He knew math because he had studied YGGDRASIL formulas, he remembered biology roughly because of his study of the world of YGGDRASIL itself, even if he had to make extra marks in his recollections concerning magical creatures.

    Literature, history, and chemistry, however, were another matter entirely, he was poorly taught in those subjects ¨C in fact he lacked formal education in those subjects entirely! He could recall scattered memories in the past from his friends from Ainz Ooal Gown mentioning bits and bobs about the subject, but no more than that. He had managed to deflect suspicion for a couple of times during class, using the years as a salaryman to avoid attention and to get extra work instead of answering a question. But in the end, he mostly just stared blankly at his textbook and whatever it is the teacher wrote on the board, hoping that his teachers would perceive his gaze as understanding the subject.

    Finally, however, when the school bell rang and the students began to gather for their big break, chatting among themselves about inane things and about where to settle down for lunch, Momonga ran into a problem.

    Momonga didn''t need to eat, strictly speaking. Though he could do so thanks to his new body, food did give him buffs, but the concern was that Momonga didn''t have the kind of money that people of this Japan used. Without money, he couldn''t buy himself a proper lunch, and judging by the way all the surrounding students acted, not eating lunch would be taken as something strange ¨C something that might even attract attention.

    No, of course he could use the food in his inventory, but as far as he could tell from Miki''s reaction ¨C that kind of food was unusual in this world¡­ even the low-leveled item.

    Momonga frowned as he pondered this conundrum. Should he risk not eating anything? After all, it wouldn''t be strange if he missed one meal, would it? Maybe it was a little strange, but if he brought lunch tomorrow, maybe the watchers could just let today''s mistake by Momonga pass them by, dismissing it as mere coincidence?

    A slight exclamation from the people who had not yet left the classroom caused Momonga to scramble out of his musings, chiding himself for losing focus. Thankfully, he did not make any sudden movements that would attract attention, as the idle chatter suddenly turned into insistent whispers. So, instead, he shifted his gaze first to the window, concentrating on its reflective surface, checking to see who was standing behind him at the moment and listening a little more closely to his surroundings'' voices.

    In the reflection of the glass, Momonga saw two girls in school uniforms with¡­ very noticeable features.

    One has long red hair running freely down almost to her knees, the hair covering her very provocative school uniform, whose skirt was obviously specially shortened. Most notably however were her volume of breasts that seemed more dangerous to her back than seductive. Momonga certainly preferred big breasts to small ones, so it was impossible to say that he didn''t like what he saw, but¡­

    ¡®What am I thinking! Maybe they''re coming to attack me right now! Get your head back in the game, Momonga!¡¯ Momonga shifted his gaze to the second girl who entered following the first, walking half a step behind the red-haired girl. ¡®But their appearance doesn''t help me concentrate on this possibility at all. What a scary ability, to distract me so completely!¡¯

    The second entrant was slightly shorter than the first, with black hair gathered into a high, thin ponytail that came down almost to the girl''s heels. Momonga wondered how she styled her hair that it wouldn¡¯t drag on the floor. The other girl was dressed in the same clothes as the first entrant, and with breasts that seemed even larger than the first girl''s. Given her barely realistic breast volume and the length of her hair, Momonga wondered for a second if this girl was a created NPC like the denizens of Nazarick ¨C they definitely were eye-catching enough to merit such a possibility.

    Before Momonga could think about this possibility further, however, his new sense that he pegged as his magic radar, noted that the two girls possessed magical abilities. So, slowly, without making any sudden movements, he slowly turned his gaze to them.

    "They''re here¡­", "¡­don''t tell me they know¡­", "¡­and it''s Issei''s brother! Of course, he is¡­",  "¡­and yet he seemed so decent¡­"

    With each of his classmates¡¯¡®silent¡¯ conversation he overheard, Momonga felt his dignity crumble under the iron boot of indifferent public opinion, making him even consider going back to Nazarick for a moment. Huh, to think, in Nazarick he was choked with endless admiration from the NPCs, but as soon as he was in the opposite situation, he instantly preferred undeserved admiration to undeserved censure.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    They activated his emotion suppression almost equally!

    ¡®Issei, why couldn''t you just be a regular schoolboy?!¡¯ Momonga''s overwrought emotions dissipated a moment later, exactly as the breezy couple stopped in front of his desk.

    ¡°Hello," The red-haired girl smiled at Momonga before extending her hand for a handshake,

    "My name is Rias Gremory, and behind me is Akeno Himejima.¡±

    ¡°Umu, a pleasure.¡± Momonga responded to Rias'' handshake in kind, still inwardly wary of her actions and reactions as he also watched Akeno behind her ¨C thankfully she wasn¡¯t moving to box him in. She was keeping a calm and even good-natured smile, slightly raised one hand and waved at him slightly without saying anything.

    "Satoru Suzuki.¡±

    ¡°It''s nice to meet you, Satoru," Rias glanced at him with a smile before letting go of his hand.

    "I must admit, it''s very unusual to meet a newcomer who transferred after the beginning of the school year. I hope you''ll forgive this mild curiosity ¨C you''re not busy right now, are you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Momonga was even glad for the chance that he could not procure lunch without attracting suspicion. But at the same time, he reminded himself that depending on where the two girls were taking him now, he might be in for a fight.

    "If you wanted to talk about something, I would be happy to answer your questions.¡± After another moment, Momonga sensed an attempt to use magic, but not directed against him ¨C but against the people around him. Gradually, Momonga could easily hear their whispers begin to subside and people began to return to their normal activities.

    ¡®An illusion? Or some kind of mind effect¡­¡¯

    ¡®[Silent magic: Life Essence], [Silent magic: Mana Essence].¡¯ Momonga silently cast his spells, glancing at the data revealed. His findings made him relax a bit.

    ¡®Unless they used something like [False Data: Life] and [False Data: Mana] beforehand, what¡¯s shown should be how strong they truly are. Hmm, I''d say the red one, Rias ¨C is close to a level forty mage, while Akeno is much weaker, about twentieth. They are both completely no danger for me, but it''s really like Nigredo said, meeting a level forty being in this world is not that rare. After all, what are the chances of me finding two in a school I just randomly enrolled in?¡¯

    As Momonga slowly started to stand up, he once again assessed his situation.

    ¡®The difference between Rias and Akeno may seem enormous, but they are much closer in power level than level ninety-nine and level one hundred¡­ Hmm, the only question remains, are they the Director''s spies or his soldiers?¡¯

    ¡°Then I guess we can take a little walk. You don¡¯t mind, right, Satoru? This is not exactly the best place to have a chat." Rias smiled calmly, then started to walk away, clearly expecting Momonga to follow behind her, with Akeno herself, showing a good bit of professional training, lagging behind Rias. The position as they moved, maintained so that Momonga himself would be on an angle between the two of them.

    ¡®Basic PK trick, one leads, the other watches from the side.¡¯ Momonga easily rose from his seat, standing and then walking between the two girls. ¡®In case of danger ¨C I have to deal with them instantly and simultaneously¡­¡¯

    Then, remembering the ability of the previously slain red dragon, and the fact that his [Goal  of All Life Is Death] was still on recharge, and was only supposed to recover in three full days, Momonga tensed a little internally. ¡®Assuming that these girls do not possess any of the strange abilities of this world, that would counter me. A level one like Issei did carry a World-Class Item after all, so I need to keep on my toes.¡¯

    Rias silently made her way to the exit of the classroom, opening the door before stepping forward, Momonga following closely behind¡­ Which had almost made him nearly bump into  a tall and stout man in gilded purple armor, with a stern expression on his slightly unshaven face, who had taken a step back.

    Momonga''s gaze lingered for a moment before realizing that the figure in front of him was shrouded in a light haze, as if the figure itself were translucent. It was a clear sign of the use of magical invisibility that was countered by Momonga¡¯s [Arcane Sight].

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Akeno spoke for the first time, asking from the side from Momonga, and he had to slow his responses before he could cast a spell.

    Momonga on the other hand only smiled inwardly, not planning to reveal his cards so early and so easily, inwardly beginning to prepare for a possible fight. ¡®Another level forty, but this one appears to be more of a magic knight, judging by his armor. A rather astute act if Rias was leading me to an ambush, having an invisible backup. And, oh? I see another one ¨C this one appears to be a mage, but judging by how far he¡¯s on the corridor, he fights from a long distance rather than a middle distance. Ranged attacks or summoner?¡¯

    ¡°No, nothing," Momonga swept his gaze lightly over the black-haired figure of the frozen demon in front of him, as he counted the ¡®invisible¡¯ figures around him. He moved his eyes surreptitiously so as to not give out the fact that the ambushers were not so hidden after all.

    ¡®And that makes eight ¨C or six, if you exclude the two girls in front of me. It''s hard to judge levels using only basic indicators like HP and Mana, but I would say their levels are in the thirtieth or higher, the strongest being apparently the forty-five leveled mage. Garbage in combat, but still enough for me to be on guard. Who knows what these strange people around here will throw out¡­¡¯

    ***

    ¡®Who knows what this strange man will pull¡­¡¯ Akeno watched the unknown young man who had introduced himself as ¡®Satoru Suzuki¡¯ closely, trying to move at some distance, so that she was not leading him in a kind of convoy, but simply moving slightly behind Rias. Slightly behind her ¡®king¡¯ that is.

    The news of an unknown person appearing at Kuoh''s academy had reached Rias Gremory from her father within minutes of his first entrance to the headmaster''s office ¨C after which Rias had to argue with Zeoticus a great deal. First, demanding that he promise not to send Gremory''s fighting forces directly into the academy ¨C fearing both diplomatic incidents and the fact that in the end, there might easily be nothing of the Academy left. The fighting would also almost certainly disrupt the normal work and rhythm of Kuoh''s life.

    By the end of the day, though, Akeno had no doubt that Zeoticus had sent his personal bodyguards or some other elite group of demons anyway. After all, while she couldn¡¯t see any, she had a feeling as if someone powerful was near her, even if she couldn''t pinpoint exactly where or how many there were.

    Akeno could sense the presence of high-ranking demons, being always gifted at sensing magic ¨C and she felt nothing from Satoru. Literally, nothing.

    He didn''t feel like a demon, a fallen angel, a mage, or even a human, which left Akeno with no idea what ¡®Satoru Suzuki¡¯ was supposed to be. After all, all living things possessed magic, no matter how small.

    But perhaps that was no surprise.

    In the first case, Akeno simply didn''t know what she was supposed to feel, and therefore couldn''t grasp Satoru¡¯s identity. The world was big and for the hundreds of magical beings and abilities that Akeno knew about, there were a thousand that she didn''t know about. And then, above all, ten thousand of things that she didn''t know that she didn''t know about.

    Of course, this is all barring the possibility that Satoru had an ability that masked him even from Akeno''s keen perception, unrelated to his general level of power ¨C such as a [Sacred Gear] or magic.

    In the third and most unpleasant option, her inability to tell what Satoru is, was proof of his strength. That Zeoticus had been right in his assessment of an ultimate class demon level opponent, and Akeno needed to pick up Rias and run away right now, straight to Director Johan''s door. All in, hoping that she had enough strength and time to activate the emergency portal.

    Akeno had fought in the past, although intermittently ¨C the destruction of the Stray Devils in the city fell on the shoulders of all demons who encountered one. But, it was Rias who was in charge of tracking them down and destroying them throughout Kuoh''s territory, with Akeno occasionally accompanying her. Even then the level of enemies she had fought were only low-leveled Demons, with anything tougher screened by the many demons the two older sibling Maous had placed in the city.

    In other words, Akeno was relatively inexperienced in combat, only being in a scrap several times ¨C and so, the possibility of fighting an enemy that she had no hope in defeating had only remained in her imagination.

    An enemy equal to that of an Ultimate-rank Demon was definitely in that category of a hopeless fight. If Satoru really was that strong, that is. But the fact that the possibility exists was still something that caused her heart to beat erratically.

    And now they would suddenly provoke such an opponent.

    Akeno was dead¡­ To be fair ¨C most of this city was dead, including Rias and Sona. Of course, if anything happens to the two heirs, Satoru would also be dead, as the emergency forces arrived in Kuoh ¨C followed closely behind by the two Maous. But that would be cold comfort if she were already dead.

    So Rias, though she had hammered out permission to at least try to make contact with the mysterious Satoru, didn''t feel too confident. That¡¯s why she didn''t immediately lash out at him, demanding him to respect the Underworld''s authority over Kuoh, long ago bought from the Youkai factions for the Demon Faction¡¯s use. Instead, preferring the most diplomatic and mild of languages, ¡®excuse my curiosity, but can you tell me a little about what the hell you were even doing in my city!?¡¯ if a lot more politely. Well, she did say polite, and not diplomatic ¨C she had almost had a heart attack when she heard Rias speak that way.

    Luckily, nothing bad happened, and Satoru had acquiesced to her demands peacefully.

    According to Zeoticus, there was zero chance that this was all completely coincidental, and in the matter of protecting her daughter, Akeno was inclined to believe him. As were believing that having her and Rias ¡®escorting¡¯ the Ultimate-Rank level threat was more ridiculous than threatening.

    Why would basically handing the most probable assassination target on a platter be the way to go? Akeno understood that having Satoru where they could see him is much better than letting him wander alone ¨C but why couldn¡¯t Sona handle it instead?

    Out of the corner of her eye, Akeno could see that Satoru was taking glances at the window, looking at something out of it. Akeno, unable to hold her curiosity back, followed the direction of his gaze, spotting three familiar troublemakers, currently enjoying their lunch and seemingly were loudly chatting about something. Most likely about a woman''s body.

    The famous ¡®perverted trio¡¯ of Kuoh Academy ¨C no less an attraction of the academy than the ¡®two Great Ladies of Kuoh¡¯ ¨C Akeno and Rias themselves, if for two entirely different reasons.

    As far as Rias and Akeno have managed to gather, Satoru Suzuki had introduced himself as the older brother of one the perverted trio, Issei Hyoudou. He had applied to the Academy just this morning, together with documents in his name and a diploma from Kyoto University Academy. Fakes, of course.

    However, while the diploma might have been fake, was Satoru¡¯s relation to the Hyoudou family also fake? The Youkai were famous for having large and long family relations, at least some of them. For the longer-lived Youkai species, they could create many families during their lifetime, so having many extended families was not impossible, especially as Kuoh was formerly a Youkai territory.

    Of course, it was also possible that this was all a Youkai prank ¨C that faction is famous for having some very egregious pranksters, after all. And while there were not many true ¡®heavyweights¡¯ among that faction that would risk pulling such a prank on the heirs of two very important Pillar families.

    And while no one investigated the Hyoudou family too hard when enrolling Issei in the academy ¨C as far as it was known, they did not have Japanese monster blood flowing in them either.

    But even so there remained the issue of family resemblance ¨C Satoru Suzuki looked like the splitting image of a much older and mature Issei, and not at all dissimilar to the Hyoudou Patriarch either. Not that changing appearance is a rare skill, nor was it all that common either.

    But still, to be able to change one appearance to mimic familial resemblance so perfectly, requires great magical power, and knowledge. Never mind, doing so without giving out any trace of it? One needed to be an ancient magical being, who has centuries of experience in controlling their magic ¨C lending credence to Satoru¡¯s identity as someone of the Ultimate rank.

    But in that case ¨C why Issei? Issei was certainly an amusing pervert, but he was ill-suited as a cover to infiltrate Kuoh Academy, his reputation preceded his accomplishments, and one mention to Satoru that he was Issei''s older brother could bury his reputation permanently.

    Something wasn''t quite clicking right in Akeno''s mind, as if she had overlooked, or perhaps didn''t possess an important piece of information, which made Akeno nervous. Her nervousness then passed on to Rias, and seeing the nervous ¡®king¡¯, only made her even more nervous.

    Only Satoru seemed perfectly calm in the current situation ¨C having to escort such an unknown is nerve-wracking to both Akeno and Rias. Sadly they cannot simply leave, as while watching him during lessons, they also had to do it with the help of simple human observers, since it turned out that she simply could not use magic to watch him. Nor can they simply send familiars, as if through their eyes they could not find him.

    Rias managed to find out that all throughout the day''s lessons, Satoru was perfectly calm, and in some time he just seemed bored. He hadn¡¯t even bothered to put out the textbooks, preferring to sit silently sinking into his thoughts, only sometimes reacting to the teachers¡¯ questions.

    What¡¯s even stranger, however, was that whenever he was called by the teacher to answer some sort of question ¨C even once from a subject not in the textbook, he would just shrug. Oftentimes, the teacher would even just simply forget that they had asked him a question! And no one found it weird or even glanced strangely at his actions.

    Akeno even checked Satoru''s teachers and surroundings after class for mental manipulation, but could find nothing. Which meant either that there was no such manipulation or that Akeno couldn''t detect it.

    The possible consequence of the latter option unnerved Akeno, causing her already troubled mind to think of even more dire possibilities, which in no way helped her calm at the moment.

    So, with the stairs leading to the rooftop of Kuoh Academy in sight, Rias started speeding up, almost leaving her [Queen] and Satoru behind. Akeno didn¡¯t blame her though, Rias could barely keep herself from some kind of nervous tic, and Akeno wasn''t much better off wanting for all this to be over with.

    Though what kind of plan is just leading the unknown danger to the rooftop to talk with him, Akeno doesn¡¯t really know. It¡¯s not like the change in elevation would make the situation any less dangerous to the two of them. Actually, why couldn¡¯t they just have this talk in the headmaster¡¯s office, so that the escape route is much closer?

    ¡®I should have just put my foot down and told Rias that the school wasn¡¯t her responsibility, right now.¡¯ Akeno tried to calm down, seeing as Satoru hadn¡¯t reacted to Rias¡¯ action, and failed. ¡®It''s Sona''s responsibility by day, we should have just dumped everything on Sona¡­¡¯

    Though knowing Sona, who fancied herself more of a strategist and tactician, but not a negotiator, who panicked about involving her family in any way, she couldn¡¯t imagine what she¡¯d do. Most likely, she¡¯ll just try to sit Satoru down to play chess ¨C which was probably even sillier than trying to negotiate on the academy rooftop during their lunch break.

    Anyway, walking up the steps up to the rooftop, and the waiting Rias, they¡¯re already here. She just has to hope that Satoru didn¡¯t have any ill-intent ¨C and if he does, she¡¯s really hoping that the Gremory backup she¡¯s feeling was around, wasn¡¯t just a tic of her nervousness.

    If nothing else, the rooftop should provide a clear firing line.

    So now, Rias, who Akeno could see was trying to regain her original confidence when she had argued with Zeoticus about the fate of Kuoh Academy, took a deep breath. Another of the reasons Rias wanted to designate the location where she would confront Satoru, was for this small symbolic gesture of defining the negotiating place.

    Though, even Rias knew that such a symbolic gesture meant little.

    After all, she had decided to not invite Satoru to the Occult Research Club, the actual seat of her power, nor had she actually recalled her whole peerage. Perhaps she was feeling that leading Satoru there would have an adverse effect on the chance of open negotiations? And seeing that any other rooms would just elicit the same response, the roof was the only place suitable as ¡®neutral¡¯ territory.

    At least the roof has chairs? Akeno doesn¡¯t really know how to feel if she has to entertain the ¡®guest¡¯ on the concrete ground. Rias seems to have already chosen the place where the negotiations were supposed to take place, seeing as she¡¯s already seated on one of the chairs.

    So Akeno, trying to appear more confident than she really felt, made her way, taking a seat behind Rias'' back, as her role as [Queen] dictates. Satoru, who looked as relaxed and unruffled as he was before, maintaining an unreadable expression, settled down opposite Rias, tucking his legs slightly.

    There was an awkward silence for a moment ¨C Satoru was clearly putting the initiative in Rias''s hands, and yet he looked so calm that Akeno would not be surprised if he was now planning their destruction. At the same time managing, in a strange way, to give the initiative and yet keep the situation under his watchful control.

    ¡°Ahem," Rias spoke first, trying to ease her nervousness, and unable to tolerate the silence anymore. "It is a pleasure to welcome you to Kuoh and especially to this academy.¡±

    ¡°Umu, thank you.¡± Satoru nodded slightly, showing the proper amount of ¡®official¡¯ respect, but nothing more. It is as if he doesn¡¯t care at all about the fact that he was in the presence of the heiress of the Gremory family and the younger sister of Lucifer to boot. He had easily dismissed the fact that Rias had greeted him on behalf of Kuoh, and thus on behalf of the ruler of this place¡­ Not that Akeno was too well versed in such diplomatic etiquette.

    Akeno were only familiar with how Rias would act as the heiress and never really in any official capacity, or only in view of her upcoming duties as heiress to the Gremory family. But at least, judging from the interaction, that was the impression Akeno got from the brief exchange of phrases.

    Rias waited a few seconds to see if Satoru would say anything else, but he didn''t seem to care at all about this negotiation. He was really acting as if he was only ¡®satisfying¡¯ Rias Gremory''s curiosity, as it was said, rather than engaging in dialogue. Ha, to invert and twist Rias'' own phrase in an instant, as a result of which she was now relegated from the position of ¡®negotiator¡¯ to the position of ¡®asking for answers¡¯.

    It was a cruel and mocking but masterfully executed trick that may have caused enmity, but it also demonstrated Satoru¡¯s keen mind.

    ¡®Ha ha, I''m slowly beginning to like you¡­¡¯ Akeno smiled slightly, feeling her nervousness slowly begin to recede at the playful gesture.

    ¡°Ahem, in that case¡­¡± Rias, still feeling uncomfortable though, especially after Satoru had reduced her negotiating position with a single phrase, easily bridging the chasm that separated the ¡®heiress of the Gremory family¡¯ from that of the common man.

    "I would like to know¡­ What is your purpose for coming here? In Kuoh Academy especially.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, my purpose for entering Kuoh Academy¡­? Well, that¡¯s simple¡­ I wanted to get along better with my little brother, Issei. I see it to be much simpler for me to enroll at the same school as he did.¡± Satoru both answered and did not answer Rias'' question.

    Akeno knew he could easily lie, but if Issei really was his little brother ¨C who knows, maybe he was telling the truth? I mean, coming to protect his family and younger brother from the world of the paranormal was a simple, understandable, and logical motivation¡­ Though it didn''t explain who Satoru Suzuki really was or who he was to Issei, as Rias had investigated Issei when the thought of adding him to her peerage first appeared.

    Issei had no older brother.

    ¡°Which faction do you represent?¡± Rias took the plunge, simultaneously questioning both Satoru''s political affiliation and his species.

    ¡°Only myself.¡± Which Satoru just as easily rebuffed. In a way it answered Rias'' question by actually saying that he had come here, unaffiliated with any faction, and thus not having their support behind him. Which, also, in turn, meant that he was strong enough to allow himself this autonomy. And yet, his answer also easily evaded divulging his true nature, so that Rias couldn¡¯t continue to press the subject ¨C that is, unless she wanted to choose to stand as opposition, who was trying to ferret out his secrets.

    With one simple answer, he had positioned himself as a neutral figure ¨C one that, without having a clear picture of his power, Rias couldn¡¯t take any hostile action towards. At the same time, he had also hinted that even if Rias did figure out his affiliation, he had shown that he was acting on his own volition without the support of that faction ¨C and also without any restriction.

    Of course, that was simple sophistry, as any hostile action on his part would still carry an effect to his faction ¨C no matter how independent he proclaimed to be. But, Rias couldn¡¯t move to figure out that information without being the party that had ¡®broken the peace¡¯ first.

    ¡®You''re really good!¡¯ Akeno liked this strange, appealing way of Satoru, turning his verbal opponent''s words, thoughts, and actions into his own advantage. With slight hints and just a few words, achieving results that would not have looked half as graceful had they been uttered by someone not maintaining Satoru¡¯s mask of quiet politeness.

    Akeno had never thought until this moment that she would enjoy watching someone satisfy their own sadistic tendencies, much less through conversation ¨C but life, as it turned out, was amazing and full of surprises!

    ¡°Ahem, right, what about¡­ your plans?¡± Rias looked intently at Satoru. ¡°I mean, I''d prefer it if you weren''t planning to set up your residence here¡­¡±

    ¡°But Miki''s house is in Kuoh and I live in it. I suppose you could think of it as my residence as well¡­¡± Satoru tilted his head slightly to the side. "Well, Miki''s residence¡­¡±

    Akeno felt her smile creep further up her cheeks against her will. It was only the guise of professionalism to prevent her from bursting out laughing, as Satoru took Rias by the nose like that and made her look like a fool. Akeno considered Rias her friend and wouldn''t have been happy if Satoru had become truly hostile to her ¨C in the end, he still kept his calm politeness and clearly made it clear that he wasn¡¯t Rias'' enemy.

    Even if his answers amounted to mockery with a slight touch of sadism and masterful, truly masterful skills as a negotiator and deft politician. He hadn¡¯t actually outright become hostile, it was simply Rias¡¯ bad luck to encounter such a cunning linguist.

    Akeno had heard of the Youkai of Kyoto being mired in politics, but never thought she could see the results of such a brutal selection for herself¡­ Not that Satoru had shown any Youkai characteristics.

    Satoru''s words and actions seemed to tickle the nerves all over Akeno''s body a little, causing her to take another close look at the new guy.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±- Rias tried to clear her throat once more to mask the redness in her cheeks as she was led around in circles in the conversation.

    ¡°Rias, perhaps I could get you some water to drink? It seems that your throat is particularly dry.¡± Satoru feigned politeness, though he didn''t particularly change his expression from his polite and calm mask, managing at once to both hint at his desire to leave the current negotiations, seeing that lunch is coming to an end. And to mock Rias'' actions and nervousness, standing on a fine line between sadism and mockery, an insult and a joke.

    Akeno couldn''t help herself and let out a light chuckle with her nose, which earned her an angry look from Rias, who had broken negotiating protocol and had tacitly dismissed Satoru.

    But he instead looked from Rias to Akeno and back again, keeping the same expression as before, as if he had nothing to do with it.

    Rias, realizing that she was being mocked like a little child trying to get into a place where it was too soon for her, only took a deep breath and exhaled, asking the last and most important question, "Do we have reason to be wary of you?¡±

    ¡°No," Satoru answered calmly, before he looked at Rias carefully, his gaze touching Rias'' as she suddenly flinched, just as Akeno flinched instantly, forgetting her mirth in the same second.

    If eyes were a reflection of the soul, then this man, this creature, had no soul, his eyes were empty and lifeless, staring at the world coldly. It was like an empty abyss, drawing in anyone who stared too long into it.

    ¡°Unless you take the first step against me, that is, I would not be the first to break the peace.¡± Satoru replied, keeping the same calm and polite tone and the same expression on his face, but his eyes differently ¨C paradoxically empty and yet full of ruthlessness.

    ¡°And I would be glad if you would not do so right now, as a gesture of goodwill. I would like my first day of class to end peacefully.¡± Satoru looked away, and the spell was immediately broken, allowing Akeno and Rias to breathe out the air that they suddenly held as they were plunged to the deep end of the pool.

    ¡°And call these people away, before either of us takes the first and final step.¡±

    A moment later, Satoru looked up, and Akeno realized that three pairs of demons had appeared behind her where there was no one before. Judging by the look of them, they were ready to rush into battle at that moment, as soon as anyone made a move.

    ¡®First and last step, just like he said¡¯ Akeno froze once more, finding herself in such a precarious situation so suddenly. A stark difference from the pleasant, for her, conversation they had before,

    ¡®But that explains exactly why I felt the presence of strong demons nearby, other than Rias herself ¨C although it does not explain how Satoru could find them so easily. Ha, so he was really someone on the level of the Ultimate-Ranks, if not stronger. God ¨C ouch! Who the hell brought him into our school¡­¡¯

    The demons, obviously intent on battle, hesitated for a moment¡­ before they obeyed the order and lowered their arms, stepping back to show their peacefulness.

    Rias could give the order, "Stand back.¡±

    Satoru on the other hand only silently and slowly rose from his seat, not provoking the demons before smiling and bowing slightly again. "A pleasure doing business with you, Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima.¡±

    Turning around slowly, Satoru headed away ¨C exactly at the moment when the bell sounded to end the lunch break.

    The only thought in Akeno''s mind at that moment was something truly trivial.

    ¡®Hah, he remembered my name!¡¯

 Overlord of a High School (6)

    ¡®Hmm, that could have gone better, but all in all, not bad,¡¯ Momonga noted internally the results of the past negotiations.

    After all, he still had absolutely no idea who exactly Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima were. But judging by the fact that the demons watching them obeyed her orders and had appeared instantly, as soon as Momonga looked into Rias'' eyes, and she reacted strangely for some reason, when she recoiled ¨C she was someone important.

    Maybe she was a commander of some sort¡­? Apparently she wasn''t too surprised by the appearance of the invisible people, so she was at least aware that they were there. Perhaps she had even sent them there herself to watch the proceedings or maybe just as backup and just pretended not to notice them the whole time? Perhaps she hoped to be able to attack Momonga if necessary, if he didn''t notice the people''s presence?

    On the other hand, these people weren''t even strong enough to penetrate his passive defenses ¨C but Rias shouldn''t have known that, given the surveillance protection Momonga used. In which case, Rias would have been planning to the best of her capabilities and knowledge and used someone strong enough, by her standards, for her possible ambush or at least emergency defense.

    Well, she at least has some tactical acumen on her side, as creatures from level thirtieth to forty were about the same as what Momonga himself would choose as a human shield. At least if he was prepared to retreat at the first sign of trouble, as the ratio of cost to expected effectiveness was terrible ¨C namely, zero. They were completely useless except for the very possibility of the chance of intercepting a strike aimed at Momonga.

    But in that case, the plan regarding ambushing Momonga made no sense.

    Against a level one hundred player, especially given the inability to gather information about him, it might require either several battles for intelligence gathering, or two or even three level one hundred players. Thirtieth and Fortieth level creatures in this case could act solely in the role of living shields, disposable test objects, living projectiles to disarm traps or for reconnaissance at the cost of their lives.

    ¡®So either someone was using Rias as bait, to gain information about me, or she has extremely seriously underestimated me and my abilities, or from her point of view level forty is strong enough to use against an unknown threat¡­¡¯ Momonga frowned at the potential implications coming from this information.

    ¡®On the other hand, this is a new world after all, and I¡¯m judging using only simple basic information gathering spells from the past ¨C and I''ve already come across one really strong being of this world, the ''Great Red Dragon''. Umu, staying vigilant in this case is still a priority.¡¯

    Momonga ended that line of thought with a nod, as he sat silently in the classroom as the teacher drone on about one subject or another, as Momonga didn''t really know what they were talking about. If nothing else, that meeting with Rias had allowed me to pass lunch without suspicion.

    ¡®Getting back to my other thoughts. I don''t know Rias¡¯ identity yet, but she at least has some weight in the local balance of power.¡¯

    Momonga nodded to himself, not paying attention as the teacher, who, seeing his action, cheered up a bit as he continued his lesson.

    ¡®And judging from the outcome of our conversation, as long as I go about my business quietly, or at least without implicitly being against her interests, she will not attack me. It can''t be called peace, because she will definitely try to gather information about me to find out my weaknesses ¨C then again, I''m actually already doing that by using Pandora¡¯s Actor as a proxy. Which means that this ¡®peace¡¯ is precarious ¨C but, for the moment, we''ve both outlined red lines that no one should cross.¡¯

    After another look up at the board, and seeing nothing that he could understand, Momonga returned to something that is actually fruitful ¨C planning his next move. Unknowingly, Momonga¡¯s action, shaking his head, caused the teacher to panic and check his writing on the board to fix the mistake that the newly transferred genius had noticed.

    ¡®Rias apparently doesn''t want me to stay in this town for long ¨C understandable, no one wants an unknown near their base, but I managed to convince her that I would just stay within the confines of Miki''s residence. Hmm, come to think of it, I wouldn''t mind walking around town and maybe doing a bit of shopping. Ha, I''d be happy to get out into nature, something that I couldn¡¯t have done before. Indeed, the opportunity to enjoy nature, I don''t think even the rich could afford it in my past world, excluding perhaps the artificial gardens of the arcologies. But here, I need nothing more than to get on a car drive.¡¯

    Momonga remembered exactly how he''d gotten to the academy this morning before frowning, causing the teacher who''d caught his expression to falter slightly.

    ¡®No, get me off the wheel, how about a train ride instead? Or even by bus. Hah, but that would obviously require money, and there''s no way I can start earning money willy-nilly, especially since it¡¯s against the academy¡¯s rule.¡¯

    As it turned out, the high school of this world was something full-time and disallowed any part-time work. And, although he still hadn''t received his tuition bill yet, probably because he would get it at the end of the month. Hah, finding an earning opportunity at the moment was already difficult, and now he has to work around the academy¡¯s rules as well?

    ¡®Maybe I can use doppelg?ngers?¡¯ Momonga thought for a moment.

    ¡®Send them to work in this world after summoning them, to find them proper identities though¡­ Finding identification for himself was already causing him so many issues, to find them for the doppelg?ngers too would be close to impossible. After all, if this world were anything like his past world, strange amounts of wealth gained would be scrutinized heavily by the authorities ¨C especially for taxing purposes. Maybe he should just make them mine for mineral resources to sell? Processing raw ores into ingots should be profitable enough. But then again, where would I find a seller that wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions?¡¯

    Another errant head shake, and the teacher had to scramble once again ¨C how could he have missed such a simple mistake?

    ¡®Hmm, maybe if I could easily find some high paying job in this world that I would be good for ¨C maybe killing monsters? But apparently the monsters of this world were hidden from ordinary people, which makes it unlikely that I could easily find such a job. I could ask Rias, but apparently she didn''t really want to do business with me in general, preferring that we both not interact too much. Not to mention that she would obviously start gathering information about my abilities, even if I hid it, some would definitely leak out. This, of course, assuming that she would actually have a job killing creatures that she would be willing to offer me and pay for¡­ Ha, perhaps I shouldn''t have done what I did in the end? While necessary, it did sour our relationship a bit, making it awkward if I were to ask a favor now.¡¯

    Unfortunately, Momonga''s own [Create Body] spell, though it created a perfectly natural body, was somewhat limited in functions ¨C while it was capable of simulating the body''s sensations and physiological responses within certain limits, it could not fully reflect its emotions. More specifically, it followed a strange system, mirroring the actions of Momonga''s normal undead body and his undead body could not display his emotions, except for rare exceptions like blinking or opening his mouth. In this case it led to the fact that without additional assistance, his new body could only display a small range of emotions, mostly through the eyes, with almost no involvement of his facial expressions themselves. But Momonga could compensate for this disadvantage by manually maintaining his facial expressions, just as a person could smile just by moving their lips, it just wouldn¡¯t show in his eyes.

    In his opinion, a wide smile with dead eyes just looks creepy as hell, so he preferred not to show any expression. At least it worked really well as a poker face, not showing Momonga¡¯s inner panic at all.

    After the previous night, during which Momonga had worked out several appropriate facial expressions, he had settled on what he considered a standard ¡®polite and calm¡¯ expression, and just kept that same expression all the time. However, during the conversation with Rias, Momonga was struck by great nervousness, as if he were sitting in an interview in his former world. And so, while Rias only asked him questions, making him only answer and answer, Momonga himself was unsure whether he could ask a question in response.

    So when his nervousness hit its ceiling at the end of the meeting, Momonga, after his passive skill got rid of his emotions, decided to do something so that Rias and Akeno would not take advantage of his weakness. He had issued them a warning, determined to show that he could be serious too. And to do so, he stopped faking his facial expression in his current body for a moment, instead returning that to a completely impenetrable mask before looking seriously at Rias with more than a clear hint of a threat.

    And it ended up causing the men who had been standing silently around Momonga all this time to rush forward, defending their charge, almost making Momonga react violently.

    Luckily, Rias called her subordinates back before it could have turned into a full-fledged battle. Still, his attempt to impress Rias was rather unsuccessful, and all Momonga himself could do was turn around and quickly walk away, pretending as if it was all part of his plans.

    And so, from that moment on, Momonga sat silently in the classroom, watching the lessons gradually go by in front of him. If he had less control of his actions, Momonga would have loved to begin scratching his head in annoyance ¨C that was such a failure!

    Hah, well there¡¯s no use in crying over spilled milk, he¡¯ll just have to move forward without expecting any cooperation from Rias¡¯ part.

    Still, the idea of enrolling in a school, itself, wasn''t that bad in Momonga''s mind. He barely remembered what his elementary school was like, only remembering that he generally liked learning ¨C and from a rational point of view, the idea of going to school to get smarter and better at running Nazarick wasn''t bad. Of course, seeing that what the teacher was speaking and writing were basically Greek to him, and he could probably learn the language much easier now, he needs a lot of studying to catch up to the curriculum. Besides, by staying in school, he could actually look closer at the human world, escape from Nazarick, and gather more information.

    In general, there were a bunch of reasons why in the end, Momonga''s plan was not bad.

    At the same time, however, Momonga suddenly realized that the school in this world did not provide specific information, concentrating instead on general information. Perhaps Momonga should have remembered this earlier, but the last time he visited a school in his former world was decades ago, and he hasn''t even thought about formal education since. Especially since mentions of a school were usually when he came across vacancies of various levels, like ¡®high school diploma required¡¯.

    Considering that certain jobs required a certain level of education ¨C it would be logical to assume that at the school he could get that very knowledge he needed. At least that¡¯s what he thought would happen.

    Momonga doesn¡¯t really know what the teacher¡¯s teaching, but he doesn¡¯t think he¡¯s teaching on how to operate certain heavy machinery, or the complex machination of things that his previous world¡¯s high-level jobs required. Perhaps it is something that requires special permissions? It¡¯s strange how the classes he¡¯s been in have been a shotgun blast of all possible subjects. Why would he even need to learn the reason a specific author chose a red door in his writings instead of blue?

    Momonga could somewhat understand the necessity of learning geography and language, gathering information is basic warfare 101 after all. But why advanced algebra and literature?

    In addition, Momonga had seriously underestimated the time and energy he needed to spend on school. The realization that he needed to study for a full year, day after day, five days a week, for half the day came to Momonga only when he suddenly realized that he had spent seven and a half hours on school today. Of which only an hour and a half was spent on all kinds of breaks, which meant he had studied for the full six hours.

    And that¡¯s only for 1 year! To think that a normal education was supposed to take 12 years¡­

    Of course, that was only half of his regular work shift, and after each work shift he found time to play YGGDRASIL, which meant it wasn''t such an obstacle. But to think that every year, eight hours total would be spent on only one thing¡­

    ¡®This is the most useless and frustrating grind I''ve ever had to think about.¡¯ Momonga shook his head, forcing the teacher to look away, then, in a slightly shaky voice, continued reading a paragraph from the textbook.

    ¡®Every year, for twelve years, eight hours a day, with only weekend breaks, ha¡­ Why do I have to do this! I don''t even like this quest, and I wasn''t promised any significant reward at the end! And I¡¯m even used to the uselessly long grind in YGGDRASIL!¡¯

    The grind in YGGDRASIL was divided into two types ¨C one that players liked, and one that was rewarded by the developers. If a player enjoyed dealing with hordes of low-level enemies, turning entire armies into nothing with a single spell? Then they didn''t really need a reason in the form of a reward to go to the same location and kill the same enemies over and over again. And the one the Players didn''t like doing? The developers could promise or even hint at some reward, or Players could accidentally find out about some rare drop and go grind the same boss ¨C even if they didn''t like the grind itself!

    In Momonga''s situation, however, he didn''t like the grind, and he didn''t like the fact that he wasn''t entitled to any significant reward for it in the end. At least not one that he could see.

    Apparently, as was proven in his easy admission, barring the surprise of the supernatural presence accusing some hiccups, he could forge documents pretty well with his magic. If he were to use real crafters and maybe by carefully studying the documents of this world, he could get rid of the need to get documents legally!

    ¡®Ha, besides, I can''t even go to work properly if I''m completely tied to the school from morning till night ¨C and with Pandora¡¯s Actor gathering information even in my absence there¡¯s no reason to stay. Especially since I''ve already fully exposed myself to the local faction, while Pandora¡¯s Actor, thanks to my bad luck, was able to slip under their noses easily ¨C why do I need to stay? I could just stay in Nazarick¡­ Okay, maybe sitting indefinitely in Nazarick with nothing to do isn''t any better either ¨C besides, with Albedo there¡­ Ha, Albedo, there¡¯s another headache that I would prefer to never have to address.¡¯

    Momonga shook his head, and the teacher, who seemed to be somewhere between life and death by this point, finally gave his soul to God and could only murmur something about studying a textbook on their own. ¡®Okay, even so, I should stick around for a couple more days, maybe I''ll even change my mind about staying in school? And, ha, Miki, I''m sorry for how things turned out, that I accidentally destroyed your life for something I didn''t even like in the end, Miki, I apologize very much!¡¯

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    A moment later the bell rang, snapping Momonga out of his musings, whereupon he shifted his gaze to his watch, then to his teacher, whose face was changing between all the colors of the rainbow, attracting Momonga¡¯s attention. Which just seems to make their pallor worse for some reason. ¡®Hmm, maybe he''s sick? If so, I hope he has the money to pay for treatment ¨C I''m sorry, teacher, but I have nothing!¡¯

    Shrugging internally at his teacher''s strange condition, Momonga blinked as he realized that his [Arcane Sight] had determined that he actually had magical powers. After which Momonga shrugged.

    ¡®Rias has clearly already made the first move against me¡­¡¯ Momonga turned away, eager to exit the class and school entirely. ¡®So getting out of here soon might not be a bad idea ¨C but along with all my previous actions¡­ Ah, I''m starting to get a headache.¡¯

    ***

    "I''m going to have such a bad headache in the morning¡­" Miki paused her libations for a moment, looking at herself in the frosted black reflection of the television, before she scoffed and put her hands back on the bottle of wine, swallowing a big sip. "Ha, that hits the spot!"

    When she got back to her empty home after dropping off Satoru, Miki found that she didn''t know how to live her life anymore. Everything seemed pointless and useless, the world seemed ruined, and where yesterday the idyllic garden of beautiful family life had bloomed, now was only slowly fading ashes. Probably if it were not for a completely random chain of coincidences, Miki would have still been asleep, having exhausted all her strength in repeating the same thoughts in her head a thousand times in a row the day before.

    However, Miki had gotten out of bed, and had faced the earnest Satoru as he had cooked breakfast. Ha, what a silly thing to do.

    Miki took another large gulp of wine before she tried to rise from her seat on the couch, and found that she¡¯s unable to put her legs under her. She leaned to the side and almost flew into the refrigerator, before she froze and wrinkled her face.

    She had seldom drank alcohol ¨C she might have allowed herself a little sip of wine for the holidays in the past few years. But other than that, she had never had a passion for alcohol in any form. She had tried it, of course, and once or twice in her distant youth had drunk to the point where she could definitely be called ¡®drunk¡¯, but even so her level of familiarity with alcohol was extremely close to zero.

    "Ha, that''s right, with alcohol you need to have some snacks along¡­¡± Miki paused, after which, putting down the wine bottle that luckily hadn¡¯t spilled even with her rough handling, she opened the refrigerator, peering into it to find her snacks

    "Ha, wine is supposed to¡­ What is it supposed to be accompanied by? Cheese and chocolate? Haha, there¡¯s neither!"

    Miki''s gaze came across the neatly packed dishes that Satoru had prepared this morning, and she hummed sadly to herself. "Okay, the food Satoru cooked looks and tastes like the most expensive restaurant food I have ever tasted in my life. Maybe not cheese or chocolate, but it will absolutely do as an appetizer! Maybe I should have drunk sake instead of wine to make it go together better¡­"

    Pulling out a container from the fridge that contained¡­ something from her morning breakfast, Miki made her way back to her seat, grabbing the bottle and closing the fridge before settling down in front of the TV again.

    In the morning, finding herself with Satoru as he showed her concern, Miki felt¡­ Better.

    Much better than she had expected ¨C much better than she thought was possible, given her morning.

    The trip a little later had been¡­ unusual ¨C the mildest word Miki could use in this case, but it hadn''t been bad in the end. No, in a way, it was even¡­ Interesting.

    If Miki needed something to distract herself, a car ride at a couple of hundred kilometers an hour on a road jammed with morning cars rushing to work by the inhabitants of Kuoh was exactly what Miki needed.

    Then in the principal¡¯s office, Miki found out that in addition to his previous incredible qualities, Satoru is also a genius in about all areas of human knowledge. After that, Miki said her goodbyes to him, sending him to school and¡­ And as she slowly walked home, Miki suddenly realized that with each step she walked, moving away from Satoru, the thoughts that seemed to have receded completely from his mere presence began to return again.

    With each step that she walked, each moment that she moved away from Satoru, from Kuoh Academy, Miki felt her past thoughts begin to press more and more into place. About Gorou, about her marriage, about Issei¡­

    About Issei, her Issei, her son¡­ The son for whom she had sacrificed her health, her strength, her entire inheritance on the best doctors and medicine. And to move in with Gorou, she had given up all her friends and dreams. How stupid she had been¡­

    Miki barely put the cold container of food down before taking another large sip of the wine.

    Ha, no, of course not, Issei, her son, it wasn''t his fault. Gorou, it was by following him that Miki had almost cut all her ties to the past world ¨C giving up her once seemingly wonderful career prospect because he had promised to take care of her. For her to become a housewife, halting her career, she had even stopped talking to all her past friends.

    Why hadn''t she seen red flags before? Gorou always pretended to care about her, but if only Miki hadn''t been so blind¡­ If only she had seen what he actually is¡­

    ¡®Miki, honey!¡¯ Gorou''s voice sounded pitiful and squeaky in Miki''s head, reflecting her inner state and the copious amount of alcohol she had drunk.

    ¡®With your health, you shouldn''t be working! I''ll take care of the two of us, but in the meantime, you lock yourself in the house, don''t talk to anyone, cook, clean, do the laundry, and wash ¨C it''s a lot easier than shifting papers at work! Oh, I know about how much you wanted to go into the teaching career, but then you''d start socializing with other people ¨C what if you''re just like me and started chasing after the nearest man! No, stay home, Miki, you''re tied up inside your cell now, where you have to clean up every day and make sure the bars don''t rust. Just perfect!¡¯

    Miki took another swig of her bottle of wine before reaching for the food container and opening it.

    Issei wasn''t to blame, not at all for what had happened, but¡­ He was so much like his father. Looking at him, Miki would remember Gorou and anger and pain started to boil inside her. It was not Issei''s fault, absolutely not his fault¡­

    Miki could say it over and over again, but making herself not only say it, but also hear it, was much harder.

    Miki hadn''t met Issei in the morning, and when she met him again at school ¨C he only reminded Miki how much he had taken after his father. She wanted to cry for how low she had fallen, judging her own son for his father¡¯s action. At the same time, she could only cry after realizing that even knowing the wrongness of her feelings, there was nothing she could do about them.

    It seemed that, at this time, only Satoru remained her ray of hope in this strange and unsteady world, which, overnight, had ceased to make any sense.

    Miki put the eel sashimi in her mouth, and then leaned back on the couch.

    As soon as she thought about Satoru, her thoughts, which seemed to be full of unsolvable questions, wavered and retreated a step.

    When Miki was with Satoru, when he showed her his caring or poised adulthood, when he helped her, or even when he drove, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding dangers - Miki felt¡­ protected.

    Did it make any sense at all? Or was it all a consequence of yesterday''s betrayal? Did her psyche, now wounded, damaged and scarred forever by what had happened, with her sanity was already beginning to slip through her fingers, her thoughts began to muddle through? The effect and the cause had switched places, and tomorrow she would wake up in a small room with soft white walls?

    Miki raised the bottle of wine again, and then, after greedy gulps of the last drops, she didn''t even set it down, instead letting the now empty bottle fall from her hands to the floor and roll away.

    To hell with cleaning, to hell with her responsibilities, there were no more responsibilities!

    There was no family, no home, no husband, just her, she was alone, an aging housewife who had lost everything in an instant. She didn''t even have a job, the last time she had had a job six months ago was as a librarian for a couple of months, because she was tired of sitting at home. She had worked three or four hours a day, two or three days a week, and only for two months¡­ Did she even remember what it was like to wake up every day for work, to go to that ¨C did she remember what ¡®work¡¯ even was?

    Her world had fallen apart ¨C Gorou hadn''t even shown up on her doorstep after yesterday to try to even apologize or explain himself. She''d even gotten a call from his work, so apparently Gorou hadn''t shown up there either¡­ And rightly so, let him run away with his tail between his legs ¨C the bastard!

    Ha ha, twenty years of marriage turned to nothing in a dozen minutes on one fateful evening.

    And in the sea of her shaky life, there was only one lighthouse, seemingly immovable even in this storm ¨C a lighthouse called ¡®Satoru¡¯.

    Only Satoru had kept her from falling into a meaningless existence that morning, lying in her bed and crying from her own weakness, only he could throw off her silly thoughts. And, when Miki found herself cut off from him ¨C the thoughts returned again. With each step, with each passing moment, the memories began to appear, crumbling Miki''s mind. She did not have the strength to return home on her own ¨C her strength had run out a couple of streets before her house.

    All the pathetic remnants of her strength were only enough to go to the nearest store and to so many bottles of wine that she could carry.

    So, all Miki did when she got home was drink alcohol, pausing between panicked sobs and hysterical laughter, trying to drown out her thoughts for the last¡­ last twenty-four hours? After all, it hasn''t even been twenty-four hours since Satoru took his first step over the threshold of this house.

    It wasn¡¯t so long ago that her life had turned upside down, and yet it felt so long. As her thoughts seemingly slowly break through the lid of her skull, digging into her brain and turning it, along with all her thoughts and memories, along with her entire worldview into a meaningless liquid mush. She could only drink more to dampen the pain, as her head mixed together the seemingly supposed to be always separate thoughts. Husband and lover, son and scorn, Satoru and¡­

    Miki just wanted things to be simple again.

    Her seemingly unsinkable titanic of quiet family life turned out to be a cardboard boat in a small stream. It sank not even because it ran into a rock, but simply because its cardboard got wet, and it was time for it to fall apart. The world ceased to have any meaning and everything that Miki thought was sacred, thought inviolable, became nothing.

    Miki just wanted it all to end. For someone wise and knowledgeable and full of understanding coming along and telling her how to live her life. What was the sacred meaning of her twenty years of marriage to Gorou, how she should feel about Issei now, how she should live her life now, what was her damn meaning in life?

    Miki had once asked herself this question ¨C and had once come up with the answer. Her raison d''¨ºtre was to be Gorou''s wife and Issei''s mother, a model housewife and, later, a grandmother.

    And, as it turned out, she didn''t know a damn thing.

    She couldn''t even guess a single letter of her reason for living, her seemingly appropriate answer couldn''t even fit into the puzzle given to her. And now, as if she were just as trapped, as if, when doing a crossword puzzle, she easily gave an answer, barely hearing the question. Giving an answer consisting of five letters, only to discover that that answer had to consist of twenty letters, three numbers and two apostrophes!

    Nothing made sense, everything made no sense, and she was a boat stuck in a storm¡­

    The latter, however, was due not only to the metaphysical storm in her life, but also to the fact that Miki had already drunk enough to not only be considered merely ¡®drunk¡¯. She was rapidly approaching the state of being ¡®half-dead¡¯ if only judging by her blood alcohol content.

    Miki stood up, whereupon she reached for another bottle of wine with an unsure step and in a couple of awkward movements pulled the cork with a corkscrew before taking another sip.

    Gorou was out of her life, she didn''t want to see Issei, and Miki had never believed in God.

    Miki wanted, genuinely wanted someone, someone kind, wise and strong to appear and solve all her problems.

    Miki took another helping of the exquisite sashimi, where did Satoru even find such a fresh fish? As she felt instantly a little better, along with her thoughts rearranging itself.

    "Satoru¡­¡± At the thought of the newcomer, the person responsible for revealing Gorou¡¯s trickery, Miki could only smile sadly, feeling her soul grow a little warmer. "If only you could help me¡­"

    ***

    "How¡­ Fascinating!" Issei, Pandora¡¯s Actor, gently treaded the strings of Miki Hyoudou''s soul and thoughts, watching with bated breath, as slowly, as if in the throes of birth, her soul was re-forged. In place of the spark of purpose that had burned out in the past, a new one rose, quite young and small, but quickly rising before his own eyes, gradually flaring up more and more.

    "Father¡­ I thank you a hundred, no! A hundred thousand times for every movement that You make in this world, that I can make in this world, and I am so, so grateful to You that I can see the bestimmung in her soul."

    Issei obeyed his Father''s commands, primarily what He said directly ¨C he had studied the occupants of Kuoh Academy carefully for the past day. Classes were surprisingly easy for him, he could always use his teacher''s knowledge as an answer to any question, even if he didn''t know the answer himself when it came to history or literature, but most of the time he didn''t even have to answer correctly. No, he needed only to answer, as Issei had always answered.

    Skimming over the thoughts and memories of his surroundings, quite uniform in their perception of Issei, it showed that he was only required to answer what people expected to hear as his answers. Sometimes guessing, sometimes blundering, and sometimes showing unexpected strange wit in non-obvious places, forcing his ¡®irrational and unusual¡¯ answers, where there seemed to be no logical connection between the question and the answer. In the sense that these answers pointed not to logical systematic weaknesses or strengths in Issei''s education, but were merely a random sampling of possible choices, each of which was quite randomly defined as ¡®suitable¡¯ and ¡®unsuitable¡¯ for Issei. All based on such fuzzy concepts such as ¡®I think Issei knows this¡¯ and ¡®I think Issei couldn¡¯t answer that¡¯.

    Pandora¡¯s Actor acted to seem as ¡®ordinary¡¯ as possible in the perception of all the people around Issei.

    And, since Issei wasn''t even supposed to pay attention to the progress of the lessons and the questions and assignments from the teachers, he devoted himself entirely to the study of his surroundings.

    Mostly, of course, it was all meaningless. All around him were empty stupid people with empty stupid meaninglessness in their souls and heads. Miserable souls, so miserable that they were not even capable of understanding what exactly they were deprived of.

    Just as a blind man couldn¡¯t comprehend what it meant to ¡®see¡¯, so do the people of this world were doomed to exist unable to fully comprehend what they had never had in the first place.

    And yet among the tasteless dust and irritating emptiness there were exceptions, oh so appealing exceptions.

    Kiba Yuuto, as for example. His hatred and purpose, all pointing in the same direction were so exhilarating to watch, all the while he put on a facade of calm. A little further along is Akeno Himejima, a magnificent and unique figure. Similar to Kiba Yuuto, and yet so different from him.

    Where Kiba should have been a [Holy Swordsman], a road tragically cut off, Akeno was born as a [Half-Fallen Angel] and could not get rid of that stigma. Where Kiba was full of hatred for the world around him ¨C Akeno was full of disgust for herself. And where Kiba was torn between two inner fires, Akeno created a clamp of her own, trying to strangle herself, each time approaching and recoiling from that boundary, walking in circles, unable to leave her own self.

    Kiba was a loyal [Knight], Akeno was a loyal [Queen], and they both pursued their goals. Kiba''s goal contradicted his loyalty, the destruction of all [Holy Swords] ¨C while Akeno''s goal coincided with her fidelity. To destroy forever the very notion of ¡®Akeno Himejima, the fallen angel¡¯.

    A wonderful, unique being, a magnificent exhibit, looking at which Issei could pull out a new mask, a new emotion and a new reaction time after time. He now understood why his Father liked to collect not the prints of personalities, but their wholeness enclosed in the overall shell of a living being. Turning what would only be paintings in His gallery into living artists, continuing to paint new and new masterpieces, even when the artists themselves became exhibits.

    And even more ¨C Issei felt his mind tickle with a pile of thoughts of each new discovery prepared for him by Father. For in His mercy He not only bestowed the greatest reward at the end ¨C but also rewarded Issei at every step of the way as he followed according to His will.

    All the more incredible, was to see how the seemingly certain truth of the world about the invariability of the blindness of those born outside the mercy of the Forty-One crumbled under his gaze. Father wove His actions into a single thread, moment by moment, creating a vision for one who was deprived of it, as if in the stories of men making the blind see ¨C a miracle. But of course, on a level that was beyond the imagination of any creature but the inhabitants of the Great Tomb, surprising even their imagination and consciousness.

    Father also was outlining for Issei, a new path, a new stage of his play, rising to a crescendo step by step, allowing him, Issei, Pandora''s Actor, to play first fiddle in His great play.

    For this was a test for Issei as much as it was his reward, it was a punishment as much as a blessing. For such was the will of the Greatest Supreme Being that determined the very meaning of these words and concepts, just as the lesser beings determined only one of them for each of their decisions.

    Now Issei saw what his Father was doing, and what role Miki played in His great infinite play. Why she had ascended the stage, and how she would be exalted by His will, and how she would be brought down if it were His whim.

    In other words, Issei saw both his role and his path¡­

    "Father!" Issei smiled, exultant ¨C inwardly, of course, he would not fail to play his part. "Your faithful son will play the part assigned to him, as You have decided then, and will turn the audience into actors and the actors into stars. For Thou hast already taken the actress from her two-person little street box and raised her to the great stage before the eyes of the world. And all that remains to me is to act in Your will and grant her those lines that she will have to utter. To see if she is worthy to be the one standing on that stage, or to be rejected as talentless."

    "Father, please look at me as I enact your will!" Issei could not restrain himself, responding with a high military salute before reporting back to his Father, all-seeing eye.

    "Vater mit uns!"

 Overlord of a High School (7)

    Miki felt horrible ¨C not only in regard to her morale, her nightmares made sure of that, but also physically. Probably from the copious amount of alcohol she just drank before blacking out.

    Miki had never known how to drink ¨C and so she never actually measured her alcohol tolerance. Then again, even if she did know it, she doubts that she would have cared.

    When her desire to drink herself into oblivion outweighed her attitude toward alcohol, she had failed to keep her measure. She had drunk to the point where her body had stopped stumbling, now unable to move completely, and instead her thoughts began to stutter, scattering to the winds, disappearing and looping in whimsical patterns of their own volition.

    Miki knew that she probably should have been dead due to alcohol poisoning ¨C she definitely didn¡¯t care one whit to pace herself or how much she drank. She had even switched to any leftover alcohol she could find in the cupboard and the fridge. No leftover sake and tequila were safe!

    She remembered some of the alcohol being some half-forgotten gifts from Gorou''s semi-familiar colleagues. But amazingly, Miki was still, if not exactly very lucid, alive ¨C something remarkable considering the ludicrous amount of spirits she had drank.

    "Ha ha, apparently snacks do help!" Miki couldn''t even smile at this silly nonsensical joke, her hangover brain incapable of following through, instead dragging off some incomplete thought from the dregs of her mind.

    "I''ll have to get a new one¡­ to replace it." Miki didn''t even remember nor understand what she¡¯s talking about. Not what she needed to replace, or even what exactly she was supposed to pick up¡­ or buy? Or what she was even talking about, or not talking about...

    ¡°What''s it called again¡­? Ha, thinking is too hard¡­ Thinking, right, the word she was looking for¡­ What was she thinking about again?¡±

    Miki could feel herself slowly beginning to approach the point where she would not just lose her rationality, but lose her consciousness, falling to the ground. After which she would begin to vomit ¨C ha, maybe she would choke and just die¡­

    "Maybe that''s what I wanted?" Miki felt her thoughts, memories, and random thoughts breaking through the veil of her mind. "Gorou¡­ why did you do it? Or was it my fault? Maybe it was my fault¡­ Maybe, something¡­ I don''t know."

    Miki tried to feel her surroundings before realizing that her head was resting on something soft, a little cool. She was laying down on the sofa in the living room.

    Through the shroud of thoughts dragging like slush, some memories broke through ¨C images of sensations at the back of her mind. The sofa in the living room, opposite the television, the cold upholstery, the leather substitute, the chore of cleaning, the expensive dry-cleaning services, the smell of cleaning products, and the disappointed sigh of finding a new stain.

    Her thoughts and memories tangled with each other, interrupting each other, disintegrating into single meaningless fragments. The tangled thoughts and memories made her doubt what was real and what is simply her imagination, gathering into a general line that seemed to stretch into nothingness. Without a guiding post that could ground her ¨C with her previous life turning out to be nothing more than lies, Miki realized that she was hopelessly lost in this mire¡­

    ¡°Mom?¡± A very familiar voice, and yet now sounding so alien, broke through Miki''s stupor, causing her to turn her gaze.

    ¡°Is¡­¡± Miki remembered the name, blurted it out with familiarity, but could find no more strength than a single movement of her lips. She could not stand to see his face right now. ¡°Get out¡­ Issei, I don¡¯t want to see you.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you looked¡­¡± Issei instead of heeding her word, came closer and took a closer look at her. The closeness allowed Miki to see the same slight wrinkle between his eyebrows he always sported when he was thinking about something serious, full of thoughtfulness. But what was behind that expression? Fear, doubt, or is it anger out of disgust at Miki¡¯s very sorry sight¡­ Or is it mockery? Issei really looked like his father¡¯s son¡­

    ¡°Get away," The thought of Gorou caused fresh pain to bloom, pain that Miki could no longer bear. And so, with her own lips, all the while, unable to hear herself, Miki pleaded for Gorou¨CIssei to go away. "All of you, all of you¡­ Go away.¡±

    ¡°Mom?¡± There was undisguised worry in his voice, but Miki knew, she saw deeper ¨C he was also laughing at her. Miki knows that Issei despised her, he enjoyed making her dance to his song, he also hated her and despised her and laughed.

    ¡°Go away!¡± Miki summoned up what was left of her strength for one last burst, a single cry that sounded like a muffled curse. ¡°Get out! Get out! Get out!¡±

    ¡°Mom, are you okay? Do I need to call a doctor?¡± Issei didn''t leave. He didn''t care about her. No one cared about her. He didn''t give a damn about her, either. She''s not sick! He¡­ He''s like his father, just like Gorou¡­

    Miki wanted to shout, to gather all her strength and all her bile, to say something that she, if she were in a better state of mind, knows that she would always regret from now on. Something that she would remember, every dark night, to sink her claws into the very depths of Issei''s soul and hurt him, to kill him, to make him feel just as bad as she felt at his father¡¯s betrayal¡­

    But she couldn''t.

    Not because she had held her anger back, held back her resentment within her, but because she didn''t have the strength. When she opened her mouth ¨C instead of the curses that she was prepared to hurl, a sudden cough hit her chest unexpectedly, causing her to curl up in pain. Then, with a disgusting sound, the remains of the alcohol and the food she had eaten up to that point were vomited instead of words. The sudden pain made Miki shiver, as her body rejected the burning and disgusting liquid that clouded her consciousness, and with it the few small morsels of food that she had remembered to eat in between alcoholic libations.

    And with each heave, with each shaking, Miki¡¯s pain only got worse and worse. Her physical body began to feel a little better, but her mind felt only worse as the veil of ignorance began to fall. The evacuation of the intoxicating liquid letting the previously confusing thoughts in her head to settle. Now, now, Miki could no longer ignore the devastation and broken remains of her life.

    She wanted the alcohol to continue to blur her mind, not letting her remember why she began to drink and how pathetic she looked now¡­ But she had drank the last of it.

    Miki shuddered, expelling the last remnants of what was still stored in her stomach, as her stomach seemingly painfully contracted to try to expel even more detritus. And now, along with the disgusting taste on her lips came the so disgustingly contradictory desire for food.

    Miki slowly looked up, wiping from her lips the disgusting slop of vomit that remained there, if for the sake of the last remnants of her sanity and self-respect. As she glanced at Issei she saw with her now clear eyes¡­ Disgust, fear, contempt, squeamishness, and disgusting curiosity, as if looking at a vile worm that had unexpectedly ended up in his dinner plate, trying to figure out exactly how it had ended up there.

    From deep within, Miki came a torrent of anger and disgust ¨C at herself for letting herself go so badly, and at Issei. To the one who was looking at her now with this disgust, this contempt¡­ To Gorou''s son, once again the flare of anger returned.

    ¡°Get away ¨C I don''t want to see you! I hate you!¡± Miki spat out her words, realizing somewhere inside her with a tragic sinking of her heart that what had been said in spite and outburst of anger could not be taken back.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Miki''s gaze caught Issei¡¯s eyes against her will, seeing how his usual exuberant and happy expression dimmed, with the poisonous words Miki had thrown to the wind ¨C an action that she immediately regretted. Not only did she lose her husband, she was now about to lose her son as well ¨C the rictus of pain that struck her at that realization, made her immediately forget about the pain in her stomach

    Issei, with a heartbroken look, with a little uncertainly, took a step back. ¡°Yeah, I¡­  Motohama invited me to view some videos¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll stay with him for tonight¡­ I hope you¡¯ll feel better soon, Mom.¡±

    Miki felt her throat cramp up, preventing her from spitting out the next insult, but not allowing her to even think about apologizing. Her mouth frozen, Miki could only stew in silence as she watched her son turn around, dropping his shoulders as he headed out of the house in a swift walk¡­ Maybe even for good.

    Miki collapsed to the ground, feeling her regrets begin to beat into her head like drums, as if to trample into the dirt the bits of her consciousness that had still remained and held up to this point. Now, with her own hands, she had just destroyed her family, and she couldn¡¯t even blame Gorou ¨C that thought was almost enough for her mind to collapse.

    Miki reached for the remaining bottle, one amongst the many empty and nearly empty bottles around her, and then Miki turned it over. She could feel the vile taste of vomit washed away with the equally vile taste of grain alcohol, wishing for the oblivion that comes along with it. The siren song of intoxication lulling and sheltering her from her thoughts, actions and memories, like a light warm blanket over her, causing Miki to let her exhausted mind go again.

    ¡°Umu," Before she could once again embrace her stupor, another familiar voice reached her brain, lost in a sea of alcohol, slowly turning into a mere vestige of her poisoned body. Miki couldn''t remember exactly who it was, though she was sure she knew, for some reason it seemed important to her to know, to remember it.

    ¡°Ahem, I know that celebrations allow one to indulge themselves, but this much alcohol is bad for you¡­ I know that getting your child into higher education is something to be greatly celebrated, but this much? Well, I don¡¯t really know where to buy medicine, so¡­ Ah, there it is ¨C [Cure Poison.]¡±

    Miki could only blink, as all the stomach pain, and even the intoxication instantly disappeared, and even her formerly alcohol-addled mind cleared up. It was as if someone had pulled a switch in her head, clearing the dust off of her mind, even though she had drank enough alcohol to send an average team of Olympic athletes to the afterlife.

    Miki looked up momentarily at Satoru, incomprehensibly, before blinking, realizing that Satoru was here, and that she was laying on the floor in a heap. She felt another bout of nausea rise up in her throat, but this time not from the alcohol, but from the mere awareness of her current situation.

    Unable to endure Satoru''s polite and calm, understanding gaze, Miki lowered her eyes ¨C stumbling over the sight of several glass bottles rolling across the floor. Some had even managed to leave behind short trails of stained and somewhat already dried alcohol.

    Miki felt her nausea rise even higher, making her turn away, as if in defiance of all understanding, like a child, hoping that if she did not see it, then it would disappear, cease to exist. When she turned her head back again, Satoru was still there, and behind him, the mess was even worse than she could imagine. Not only were there even more bottles scattered around the place and on the tables, a moment later, came the disgusting, hideous smell of stomach juices, alcohol, and half-digested fish and rice.

    Her house is a wreck.

    Miki could feel her stomach cramping, and if it was not already empty of its contents she would have vomited again, and along with the disgusting sensation and pain came hunger.

    She could almost chuckle at the absurdity of it all, even when her whole life crumbles before her eyes, she could still feel hunger.

    Ever since yesterday, just twenty-four hours ago, she had found herself on some endless straight road, walking, unable to stop, even after breaking her legs, she crawled, no longer having even minimal control over her movements. Everything, just about everything that could go wrong, had gone wrong.

    In just one 24-hour period, Miki Hyoudou had lost everything, but every time she thought she had really lost everything, she only found another thing of what she could have lost ¨C and then proceeded to lose it. It was as if everything that made up her personality, the human being called ¡®Miki Hyoudou¡¯ were slowly being peeled back layer by layer with the methodicality and speed of a soulless robot. Slowly she¡¯s losing everything that made her the way she is, like the way old newspapers are recycled into a homogeneous mass, their shape, color, drawings and writing removed until they become ¡®recyclables¡¯.

    Nothing remained but low quality material that could later be recycled with brutal soulless efficiency into something new and cheap. As cheap and crude as ¡®used recyclables¡¯ are supposed to be, causing passersby to nod superficially, approving such actions, and at the same time, only inwardly chuckling at the thought of someone being saddled with trash.

    Miki could no longer tell where the bottom of the hole she had been thrown into was, and she didn¡¯t help matters by digging that hole deeper. Every time she found the bottom, it turned out to only be a precarious ledge, or simply another layer that she would dig deeper, the impact causing her more and more pain every time she fell.

    The hopelessness of it all, a more intoxicant substance than the alcohol she had just expelled from her mouth, even without its poison inside her left, she was still in a catatonic state.

    But, even in that state, Miki could feel a presence beside her ¨C Satoru was still here beside her. ¡°Mom, is everything all right?¡±

    Miki heard the question asked in a calm and polite tone, not judgmental, but simply interested, as if the speaker already knew the answer to his question. Just like a loving and calm teacher helping his inattentive student, letting him solve the problem on his own. And would express joy for the genuine triumph of a child solving a puzzle, all the while hiding his wise kindness behind mild praise, and felt her vision begin to blur.

    Tears ran down her face at the unexpected feeling of unbridled kindness the voice exuded. If in the morning there had been the remnant tears of regret, this time it came from knowing that she hadn¡¯t lost everything ¨C that she still has something to live for.

    ¡®He called me mother ¨C at a time when I had thrown my own son away, could I even be called a mother after that?¡¯ Miki continued to cry, then, unable to find the strength to restrain herself, sobbed out loud, not hiding her sobs and wails.

    For a moment, Satoru seemed to pull away from Miki, causing the tears that were streaming down her cheeks to intensify. And then he was back, now being a little closer, taking her by the shoulders and allowing her to lean slightly so that her head rested on his shoulder.

    Miki couldn''t help herself, she threw her arms forward, wrapping them around his chest, and then she pressed herself into his shirt, sobbing and shaking softly, alternating between sobs and wails.

    Miki cried her heart out, feeling as if her mind was cracking apart, as she released the sadness that she was suppressing before.

    Gorou¡¯s betrayal had turned every single one of Miki¡¯s pillars of self into doubt, all that she knew into confusion. The things that made her herself, the things that she held dear, into ash that she could no longer grasp. All that remains were nothing more than the skeleton that made up Miki''s very identity. How would she live now?

    It was as if someone had destroyed her body, her mind, but left only her one last bastion, her very soul, from which Miki could grow again. Through all the problems that forced her to change and adapt, the scars of the betrayal had left in her soul ¨C Miki still remained. To sprout again, to become the new, yet still the same Miki Hyoudou she once was.

    But even so, Miki felt something break in her soul with a kind of nauseating crunch.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The closed gates of her bastion inside her mind fell, and the very components of her personality began to fail her. Like ores being melted, Miki Hyoudou''s very personality is breaking, like an avalanche slowly rolling down the hill, it¡¯s breaking who and what she had been until that moment.

    Miki stood still for a moment, then slowly looked up into Satoru¡¯s worried eyes. ¡°Satoru, tell me ¨C what should I do now?¡±

    At that moment, Miki''s stomach clenched once more, letting out a pitiful moan that Satoru immediately heard and looked away, pulling away from Miki a little ¨C or rather, letting her pull away from him herself. "Umu, I think it¡¯s a good idea for you, would be to eat something, and then¡­ I suppose it would be best to shower and go to bed, it was, umu, quite a long day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, Satoru. I¡¯ll be doing that." Miki nodded slowly, then reached for the container next to her that she had unknowingly placed between one blackout and the next. Thankfully, the contents were not soiled accidentally by her emotional outburst, and she began eating its content, still delicious for the moment she first ate it.

    Like an automaton, she wasn¡¯t even going to think about his words or make her own decisions, just doing as she was told.

    Slowly, piece by piece, Miki suddenly felt like she was getting better. Her thoughts cleared up and there was an unfamiliar lightness in her body, as her muscles filled with strength and a warmth spread over her body. It was a far more simple and understandable feeling than the emptiness of despair she felt before.

    ¡®Ha, is it all because I don''t have to think, and just do what he says?¡¯ Miki smiled, but unlike last time, Miki''s smile was full of not only sadness, but also, lurking inside¡­ was interest. As if Miki''s shattered personality with its fallen facets had unleashed something new, strange, as it tried to reacquaint herself with the world around her, like a child unsure of what ¡®hard¡¯ or ¡®sharp¡¯ or ¡®hot¡¯ meant for the first time.

    ¡®Or is it not about the words, but about who exactly is saying them?¡¯

    Miki heard another phantom cracking sound inside her, as if another important part of her personality had broken, smashing and crushing the very foundations of her consciousness. But this time the cracking did not sound to her as terrible and disgusting as before, only making her freeze in mute amazement. It was not a feeling of loss, but something that could not be described in any other way than with her soul being changed.

    The delicious taste on her taste buds, returning herself to reality again. The morsel of food seemingly not diminished at all in all the time the food had spent in and out of the refrigerator. Her body was full of strength and her mind was calm, and she almost felt¡­  Happy.

    ¡°Thank you for the dinner.¡± Miki bowed slightly, as if they were at a dinner table, no longer trying to apply the clear and familiar framework of ¡®normal¡¯ to her current situation. As with her personality falling apart, it had also dragged her very understanding of what is ¡®normal¡¯ along with it,

    "Now I''m going to take a shower¡­¡±

    ¡°Umu, yes," Satoru nodded, averting his gaze for a moment as if he was thinking or lost in thought before continuing. ¡°And, umu, eh, well, I think you had better change your clothes too¡­ Umu, mother.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Miki nodded at those words before turning around and walking away.

    Truly, she should just follow the instructions, they are much better than thinking for herself. Satoru should know best, right?

    ***

    Issei, Pandora¡¯s Actor, carried on walking with his shoulders dropped, the picture perfect of a teenager that was just chastised by their mother very harshly, and whose life was just turned upside down. Then, when realizing that there were no more audience members as it is currently the intermission, every trace of that emotion disappeared ¨C and the young man suddenly adopted a placid, emotionless appearance. Then like the previous depression was just a mirage, a rictus grin appeared, unnaturally wide, as if it stretched beyond his lips on his face.

    Issei was almost shaking with exuberance ¨C it was such a glorious part he had played!

    Issei felt like a child for whom his birthday had come early, as if he was a child told to run wild in a candy shop. Why shouldn¡¯t he be so exuberant? He had been allowed a glimpse of  Father making great craftsmanship unimaginable to Issei himself. Issei needed to control his own shaking hands and trembling fingers, to keep control of his every move lest he would leap upward from the feelings that overwhelmed him, exclaiming great praise to his Vater.

    His Father had bestowed graces upon him every day, rewarding him for each of his accomplishments, granting him glimpses of His will. For the right reading, for the right understanding of His will, Issei was given His mercy and the opportunity for the greatest of rewards ¨C the opportunity to see Him work out His great play.

    Humans were like rusty iron, unfit for anything in its useless shoddiness, weak in its will, so that even the great smiths, to whom, with his Father''s greatest permission, Issei included himself, had difficulty working with them. For all his strength and knowledge, all he could do was to wipe the rust off the blade, hoping and praying, that even in the most minuscule quantities, in the twisted blade some good metal could be unearthed. All he could do was hope that he could use his knowledge and practice to create a semblance of a sword. To turn the rust into new raw material and re-melt it, to discard the old and create new, to make a fake Zweih?nder, something small, insignificant, but at least existing and real.

    All the while before his gaze his Father had accomplished what even he, a creature of the Greatest Supreme Being, could call nothing but a miracle, turning ash into fire, rust into steel, and blindness into sight.

    A day, it took just a day, for Miki, who was chosen by the Father to play a part in His play, had set herself on the path that would lead her forward to follow Father¡¯s will. All the Father had to do was to cast a stone, a stone that turned into a great avalanche. He had played the strings of her soul and mind, like lesser beings play musical instruments, turning her thoughts and behavior into a single tune worthy to bear the title of authorship from the Supreme Being Himself.

    With simple words and gestures, Father had destroyed what Miki was before fully, and with equally light touches, had remolded her into an instrument of His will.

    Issei needed only to understand it, to see the choice given to him, as if it were an invitation to the stage and at the same time another test, another appraisal. Like every action of His, all plans are an extension of other plans, the checks consisted even in the checks themselves, woven together at the same time. And all Issei needed was to act.

    Issei did not even doubt that the Father was prepared for any of the actions, choices, or behaviors of Issei himself, whether he understood or not, accepted or not, no matter how blasphemous the very thought. All of his actions were already precalculated by Father, participating in his role by doing what His first fiddle was supposed to do.

    Each action contained an underlying meaning, the events were more than accomplishments, they were symbols and metaphors, a colorful language created from the deeds and written on the canvas of time, telling a great tale. The epic of Momonga, the Greatest Supreme Being.

    The lesser beings could reason endlessly in their cumulative understanding and worldviews, trying to deduce theories of thought and psychological analyses, trying to find explanations for Father''s actions. Struggle endlessly for causal attribution, parsing cause and effect, trying to explain what happened as a chain of actions and consequences, but did all this make sense to a Father who could rewire souls the way humans rewire clothes?

    Issei could only shake his head at such foolishness, while inwardly admiring his Father''s actions once more. He could feel his steps becoming lighter as he basked in the greatness of his Father.

    He had already fulfilled his mission as His first fiddle, and therefore was now blessed to fulfill his mission as His younger brother.

    ***

    ¡®And where the hell is Pandora''s Actor when he''s so needed! I made him smart, why can''t he just solve the problem in this case?!¡¯ Momonga almost wanted to pull his hair, shifting his gaze from Miki''s calm gait, to the surrounding mess. The room is a wreck, with scattered bottles, empty dirty food containers and a small puddle of vomit right next to him ¨C all Momonga could do was to rub his head, feeling some phantom pain. ¡®I really require someone smart who can explain to me what the hell just happened! Why is Miki acting so strangely!?¡¯

    With school finished, Momonga had met with the Actor, who had played the part of Issei perfectly, to Momonga¡¯s great consternation and humiliation. Well, he decided to make sure that all that cringe pain would have some dividends, and ordered Pandora to spend some time in Issei¡¯s friends¡¯ house. A place where Pandora¡¯s Actor could continue monitoring Rias and the demons or any unknowns with impunity ¨C Momonga grinned at the great concession he had ¡®negotiated¡¯ with Rias. After all, while he was limited to Miki¡¯s house, he had promised nothing at all about Pandora¡¯s Actor.

    Still, it¡¯s interesting that the few demons sent a little earlier were far from a strong force, but also not entirely weak. They¡¯re probably sent because the demons didn¡¯t expect too strong an enemy, but is Rias¡¯ position not that important? Which is strange considering the fact that Rias Gremory was the daughter of the school administrator, who¡¯s probably a powerful demon, Zeoticus Gremory, with the director of the school being his subordinate.

    Though, the fact that Rias turned out to be a demon intrigued Momonga greatly, and he had to clamp his excitement from discovering that fact. The demons in YGGDRASIL could take many different forms, and there were different kinds of demons capable of impersonating humans through illusions or actual changes in appearance, like doppelg?ngers. Momonga¡¯s [Arcane Sight] couldn¡¯t penetrate the latter''s abilities, since changing their appearance was not about magic powers or illusions, but about actual changes to their bodies.

    The fact that Rias Gremory and, it could be assumed, Akeno Himejima and the surrounding demons sent by her father to protect her possessed similar abilities intrigued him. Or were they literally a unique species of demons of this world whose appearance was different from the demons Momonga was used to?  All of it intrigued him.

    Momonga was, is and plan to remain a collector, so getting information about new unique species of demons of this world pleased him¡­ Unlike the information that Rias Gremory was a powerful figure of this place and the daughter of some powerful demon lord.

    Of course, it was not always the case that the strongest member of the community became the leader. On the contrary, such a thing was considered barbaric from a normal people''s point of view and caused people to imagine the days when a tribal leader was determined by ritual combat or something similar. But in YGGDRASIL, as one would expect, the logic of ¡®high standing means personal strength¡¯, or as Peroroncino would put it ¡®Authority Equals Asskicking¡¯, was more often followed than disproved.

    Rias Gremory was level forty ¨C in other words, to a normal human she was a walking disaster, capable of easily destroying several Special Police units with the most expensive technological equipment and bio-agents¡­ Or, ahem, such things probably didn''t exist in this world, but most likely there were special forces of their own in modern ¡®non-Neo¡¯ Japan, and for them Rias was a living disaster. The entire squad would, except perhaps for Akeno, who could probably be neutralized quickly enough if caught off guard and used enough explosives or large-caliber artillery shots, would die horrible deaths.

    Rias¡¯ group was bad news for Japan, if they wanted to they could have destroyed Japan in a matter of weeks, well, maybe destroying it might be too much of an ask, but conquering it would be quite easy. Ahem, does Japan of this world possess nuclear weapons? Neo-Japan possessed quite the stockpile of it, but that happened in a past world, not to mention it was one hundred and thirty-three years later, so maybe conquering would also be hard¡­ What was he talking about again?

    In any case, to the mundane world, Rias and her crew were a monstrous threat, while in battle with Momonga they were garbage. So much so, that Momonga wouldn''t even want to waste mana or time on in order to finish them off in one blow, probably only as a collateral killing from a battle with someone of a hundredth level. The fact that the demon lord, from his position, considered it enough strength to, from his point of view, cover his daughter from the most expected level of strength, or at least have time to take her out of harm''s way told Momonga that creatures of the hundredth level were quite rare in this world.

    Depending on the level of strength and the specific type of ability, the six level 40 demons ¨C Akeno could be taken out of the equation for being too weak, and Rias as the one who had to retreat¡­ They might well have held up and even had some, albeit small, chance of winning against a level 50. The situation could vary greatly due to many factors, like planning, the surprise factor, external conditions, equipment, consumables, build, and specific abilities and many more factors¡­

    But excluding that, and talking only about the theoretical without including it in the practical equation, when a level one hundred creature clashed against a level ninety-five, the former had a ninety-five percent or nineteen to one chance of winning.

    Not a level at which it was impossible to say that the lower-leveled Player had absolutely no chance of winning at all, but one at which his actual victory would have caused many to raise their eyebrows in mute amazement.

    A ten level difference however meant that the chance of the lower level possessor winning was not completely zero, but was many times less than one percent. In other words, it could be considered a miracle, and there was a good chance that if the higher leveled Player opened the battle using his trump card at the right time, it would all end with that one hit. A fifteen level difference meant that the lower level opponent was doomed the moment the higher level enemy decided to get rid of him. A twenty level difference, excluding specific builds and conditions, where it just entirely counters the higher-leveled Player build, just one or two serious attacks from a hundredth level player would get rid of an eightieth level player.

    Twenty-five levels of difference meant death from almost any normal attack. Thirty levels meant that the opponent would die, even if the stronger player decided to hold back and choose an attack he would use to test his opponent''s defense under normal conditions. At thirty-five levels of difference, Momonga would have to find ways, to seriously try to, not to kill his opponent in a single blow. And at forty levels of difference, Momonga was bound hand and foot when trying not to destroy his opponent. Even an unaltered, unmaximised [Magic Arrow] of his, would kill a level sixty creature instantly unless it had a unique build or was completely specialized in HP and magical defense. Forty levels of difference is literally insurmountable, Momonga himself possessed the skills [High Tier Physical Immunity III] and [High Tier Magical Immunity III], which blocked any magic and all types of attack below level sixty from damaging him.

    In other words, if an opponent was forty levels below Momonga himself, whether there were thousands of them or millions ¨C Momonga could simply ignore them. They would pose more danger to Momonga by running around and shouting loudly, distracting him from his thoughts, than by their attacks.

    Of course, Momonga himself could only reason about this from a level one hundred Player of YGGDRASIL¡¯s perspective, he couldn¡¯t really tell how it works in this world. The growth of power in YGGDRASIL was exponential, and the closer the players and mobs got to level one hundred, the more and more noticeable the difference in levels became. So that going down to lower levels like forty, the difference between forty and forty-five did not obey the rules described by Momonga, further diluting the power level.

    But the point was that even the strongest of the opponents that Lord Zeoticus sent to protect his daughter was still fifty-five levels below Momonga.

    In other words, they posed about as much of a threat to him as a first-level human did¡­ Assuming, of course, that they didn''t possess unique super-artifacts like the [Longinus] or unique abilities designed specifically to turn the balance upside down.

    Either way, the group of six demons from level thirty to forty-five, even if they had great training, a plan, various equipment, and other factors, and were willing to sacrifice themselves in the most efficient way to give Rias time to escape and get to the emergency teleport, and Rias herself could do it in a second or two, blowing up the floor beneath her and teleporting to the gate, then going through the gate ¨C the maximum level the demons could detain was seventy. If they¡¯re without the ability or skill to use [Time Stop] or similar abilities, that is ¨C otherwise they¡¯re already dead.

    In other words, even from the point of view of a demon lord who was influential and therefore sufficiently aware of the world''s power balance, even to protect his daughter from an unknown being whose powers he could not determine with certainty, it was a rational thought for him to assume that Momonga could only possess power comparable to the seventieth level.

    It was very reassuring that the ¡®high danger level¡¯ in this world correlated with the seventieth level, since Momonga could easily take out a medium-sized army of seventieth level creatures. Still, this is no reason to relax, there could easily be other creatures of higher power levels in this world.

    This was already confirmed directly by the discovery of two dragons, one a hundredth level and the other a weak boss. And was confirmed indirectly by the mention of ¡®Sirzechs Lucifer-Gremory,¡¯ the elder brother of Rias and one of the demon rulers whom many correlated with their one supreme ruler. Pandora¡¯s Actor couldn''t get direct confirmation of his power level, but he was rumored to be extremely strong, most likely someone from the eightieth level and above, a hundredth even and possibly even equal to a boss.

    This was consistent with Momonga''s theory. That such powerful creatures, like the Red Dragon he had fought, were not singular in this world after all ¨C nor that their numbers were too high. Which meant that Momonga could afford a little more freedom in his movement, but while not forgetting that there were still those creatures in this world that were a threat to him and, potentially, to all Nazarick. So, what he should do now is to get busy increasing his Nazarick strength in the near future¡­

    But as he pondered this, Momonga returned to the home of Miki, his mother, after which he was confronted with something mind-boggling.

    For a moment, seeing Miki and her condition, Momonga thought that she had tried to commit suicide. Not that those thoughts had no basis in fact, especially given the situation and condition she found herself in. But as her reaction suggested a little later, when Momonga did decide to use the [Cure Poison] scroll on her ¨C it was not so.

    Miki was simply trying to cope with her current condition with the help of alcohol - Momonga could even, on some level, find a rapport with her. In the past, when his mother died and he had to go out to work doubleshifts to pay the bills and recycle her body, Momonga had not yet even been old enough to be allowed to buy alcohol. And even then he had to pay quite a bit to get it. But one time he did decide to get drunk when he found out that the girl he liked was already married.

    Unfortunately, he only had enough money for raw liquor and had to pay his boss the next day to make up for his reduced work efficiency. But he understood what it was like to want to get drunk out of his mind.

    True, when Miki started sobbing, Momonga didn''t know what he needed to do or what facial expression to show, so he used the only thing he had practiced yesterday ¨C his ¡®polite smile¡¯. He then began awkwardly trying to comfort Miki, trying to remember what his friends at Ainz Ooal Gown had said about a similar incident.

    Which eventually led him to ask Miki, who seemed to stumble a few times on her feet, to wash up and go to bed, leaving him alone with an empty room filled with bottles, soaked with odors, and comprehensively filthy.

    ¡®And where''s Pandora¡¯s Actor when you need him so badly¡­ Ha, and now it all has to be cleaned up.¡¯ Momonga sighed, then raised his hand and placed it against his forehead.

    ¡®Damn it ¨C I already have so much to do on my list; experiments, making the report for Nazarick, and planning on how to make money. Then more than that, I need to study the demons¡¯ abilities, and communicate with Rias, to find ways to strengthen Nazarick itself. And lastly but not less importantly, check for other Players¡¯ presence and search for information in the public domain about YGGDRASIL and Ainz Ooal Gown if it exists in the first place¡­ Ha, is that it? That seems to be it, I don''t think I''m forgetting anything."

    ***

    Calm, rested, and even almost refreshed, placed in the most comfortable of the Frozen Prison rooms on the Fifth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the fallen angel Raynare opened her eyes.

 Overlord of a High School (8)

    Raynare opened her eyes, feeling her consciousness, which had escaped her several times from what she had seen in the past, remotely and even peacefully noting her current surroundings.

    Raynare was covered by a warm and, with just one touch, she could determine to be high-quality blankets and that she was laying on a soft bed¡­ That is, she was practically frozen to the bed, that is also frozen to the floor, which in turn was encased in a thick crust of bluish transparent ice.

    The walls around Raynare were a similar picture. It was difficult to make out what they were made of and what they really looked like, given that they were completely frozen over, along with the pictures and flags hung on the walls.

    The windows to Raynare''s room were the same picture, but there was no way to look through them, given that they were at a height at which Raynare could not look through them. In theory, Raynare could have used her wings, but it was hardly worth it at the moment.

    Other than the fact that the room was spacious and comfortable enough, though frozen through, and filled with various furniture and pleasing to the eye interior, the door leading outside were made of thick steel. And seeing that there''s no door knob, or any way to open the door that she can spot, Raynare was, at the moment, in nothing less than in a strange dungeon.

    It was cold in the room, but lying under the blanket, Raynare did not feel much discomfort, rather even enjoying the strange pleasure of warmth and coolness at the same time. But if she climbed out from under the blanket, or worse gotten off her bed completely, she had no doubt that she would have been frozen to the bone moments later. It was a very interesting way to make a dungeon to keep prisoners, and as a Fallen Angel, that really meant something.

    So, with nothing else to do, she chose to remain silently in her place, keeping warm even in the current conditions, against all common sense. She really needed to start finding ways to escape, but the revelations she had just come to made such a thing a far second in her list of priorities.

    "So, I''m imprisoned in some icy place¡­ Ha, I don''t remember any such place in Heaven, so let''s take as a working assumption for now that I wasn''t going to be taken to the executioners. Wait, am I in Cocytus? Am I in the Underworld right now? Ha, I don''t know, at least I''m still alive ¨C which in the current conditions, is not half-bad." Raynare almost smiled at how little the Fallen Angels really needed to be happy, it turned out.

    Or maybe the previous near-death experiences have just fried her brains, she couldn''t really tell ¨C if nothing else, she''s definitely in shock. But considering what she has just learned, could anyone blame her?

    "Father is back." Raynare remarked emotionlessly as she slowly exhaled. "What to do about it now?"

    The Father of almost all angels, and most of the fallen ones, excluding those born naturally, and the ancestor of all demons who descended from Lilith and Lucifer. The one whom others have called the Biblical God. A legendary figure ¨C in the sense that he was indeed the hero of legends and mythologies, and in the sense that in the past, Father stood out even from other legends.

    By many, Father was considered one of, if not the most powerful of all the Gods in the world, and they''re right. He''s one of the most powerful beings in the world, capable of warding off even the Great Red and Ophis from his domain. Wise, loving, especially of humanity, He''s the Great Creator, it was He who created [Heaven''s System] with His powers, which became His main trump card against the other pantheons.

    Where the other gods had to perform miracles using proxies by sending their heroes, powers or artifacts, Father created a self-sustaining system that allowed humans themselves to take his power to create miracles. His Graces made humans, which were the weakest of creatures with no actual powers, into nightmares to the unprepared ¨C which Rayanre had to admit she''s one.

    It''s hard for her to treat humans, who most Supernatural faction treats almost like cattle, as dangerous. But they undeniably are dangerous, if only for some exception ¨C Dulio Gesualdo could kill her just by upturning his palms, for example.

    With the miracles, exorcism, [Holy Swords] and the magic system given to humans, albeit disclosed officially without his permission by some Angels, for which they fell. And the fact that he personally destroyed many creatures that threatened mankind and created the [Sacred Gears] that enabled humans to use powers beyond their understanding ¨C and Father''s victory against the other world pantheons was virtually assured.

    But, as is usually the case, the blow came to Father not from without but from within. Lucifer, or Helel as he was known then, the Morning Star, betrayed Father and fled from him to the Underworld, capturing Lilith and creating the original Demons. While Azazel, another of the greatest Angel, broke Father''s main prohibition and lounged¡­ Well, had sex, in less Biblical terms, with a mortal woman.

    As Azazel himself described what happened to a disappointed God, ''you should have seen that figure!'' His fall, along with many others before him, caused a rift among the Angels, unexpectedly forced to choose between loyalty to the Father and loyalty to the Governor General.

    A considerable number of angels followed the latter, weakening Heaven even further after Lucifer''s fall and his war against Heaven soon after.

    Father, as expected, did not find the situation to be preferable. Kind and loving, wise and just, He was nevertheless not one to hide from hard choices or to forgive treachery and defiance of His commands. And so, the faith that was moving swiftly, victoriously through the world, which had just destroyed the entire Roman pantheon so that the shards of the slain gods had to blend fully into the Greek, almost completely erasing the difference in their perception, stalled, beginning the fratricidal Three-Sided War.

    To this it was worth adding that Father, after a long deliberation and giving in to the entreaties of his then pre-Fallen, Azazel, agreed to send his Son to Earth. Only for Azazel to betray Him and ending with His Son sacrificing himself, giving up salvation, and when resurrected and ascended to Heaven, refused and gave His life for again.

    It was a very sad day for Heaven ¨C weakening it even further.

    And all this time Lucifer, who had finished building his army of what were then not yet known as ''demons'', announced publicly his desire to begin the conquest of the world. An announcement that other pantheons and long-lived races had still not forgiven the current generation of demons. Doesn''t help matters that they really, really suck at diplomacy.

    It was the perfect storm, Heaven was at its weakest, and then God was dead, and the great secret was born. At the climax of the war, after the short armistice to deal with the Heavenly Dragons, God and Lucifer killed each other, finally ending the long Great War, not that the demons knew. With the death of the main instigators, and the four original Satans, and God''s seeming waning interest in the War, it ended, not because of any conclusion, but because there was no one else willing to fight it.

    The Demon''s Civil War soon after, only made continuing the War a fool''s errand.

    Lord Azazel had left the war a little earlier. The Fallen were the smallest, weakest, and most affected faction of the war, so they had not participated in the last battle of Father and the Morning Star. So Father''s death was always in question ¨C no one was stupid enough to fully believe the news from the Father of Lies'' subordinates after all, and therefore could not judge truthfully from their own words what had happened. But the general belief was that Father, weakened from His costly miracles in the past, and Lucifer had, in fact, killed Father in a sudden and underhanded trick, even though he paid for it with his life.

    Raynare did not participate in the last battle either, so she hadn''t known for sure. She was one of the last angels He created, and before her fall had only managed to take part in a couple of skirmishes. She was one of the many, many angels created during and for the Three-Sided War, having not had time to experience but war.

    And so Raynare, who by then was no more than a couple of months from creation, suddenly learned that the war was over. That Father had fallen, that she had no more purpose.

    When Father fell, the armies of the angels retreated back behind the Gates of Heaven, licking their wounds for decades, mourning His demise. But [Heaven''s System], Father''s trump card with which He triumphed over the others, turned on their enemy. While the Father sat on His throne, [Heaven''s System] obeyed its Creator humbly, but when it found itself without His guiding hand, it simply continued to do His last orders.

    It upheld the miracles, protected the faithful, and punished those whose deeds were unpleasant in God''s eyes.

    But how would it do it? Whose standards would it follow, what pleases God when God was no longer with them? [Heaven''s System] was the most powerful machine, the greatest artifact of this world, but it was also just a machine blindly obeying orders without a single thought or doubt in its judgment.

    Words to the effect that God, the Creator, the Creator died, killed by the Morning Star? Blasphemy, heresy, slander! And the punishment for each of these, for the angels, was to Fall.

    To Fall is the punishment for everything. For doubting the Father, for blasphemy, for thinking of making peace with demons. [Heaven''s System] simply did its duty, duly crossing out the white wings of the angels and banishing them forever from Heaven for their ''betrayals'' of the Father that were no longer with them.

    Raynare also fell, though she didn''t know why. Maybe she had allowed blasphemous curses in her mind, or did something contrary to the last instruction of the machine, or something else. Raynare did not remember those times, she did not want to, immersed in sorrow and rage like the other angels who had Fallen, not because of their own fault.

    But when she finally awoke from her madness, she was already fallen, with blackened wings and Heaven, her home, forever barred from her.

    Raynare was more surprised, not that she had Fallen at the same time as so many others, but that there was anyone left in Heaven at all. Perhaps even [Heaven''s System] knew how to play favorites. Or perhaps Raynare had really attributed to the machine things that were not its fault, and Raynare''s fall was more than just the mistake of a soulless machine, and she really deserved to Fall.

    But as her situation changed, Raynare, deprived of Heaven, found a society of Fallen to replace it, created by Azazel and his fellow high-ranking Fallen Angels, the Grigori. They were the one to teach her their ways instead of the ways of the Angels, which Raynare never learned. Given that at the time of her Fall, Raynare was essentially a child, an empty slate, devoid of any knowledge of the world around her ¨C Raynare easily accepted the ways of the fallen, making them the only way she knew. Something which in turn made even the other Fallen look at her with doubt, if not squeamishness, after a while. They were once Angels, after all.

    But if Raynare knew only war, blasphemy, anger, and despair ¨C could she really be judged for her actions? The burned altars and destroyed crucifixes were nothing more than senseless childish resentment of a departed Parent, rather than meaningful blasphemy. And sadism or the contempt that became her way of interacting with anyone were not so much to her liking as they became her only understanding of ''normal''.

    Or, Raynare was already trying to make excuses in her head for everything that had happened in the past, so that her Father could at least kill her painlessly. Raynare knew, the Fallen rarely died quickly.

    Father was dead, the Three Factions that had been prophesied to conquer the world greatly weakened. And even the remnants of the other pantheons that had not yet been completely exterminated, even if they had lost a good portion of their followers and thus their power, breathed a little easier.

    But a question hung in the air ¨C for gods, unlike all other creatures of this world, could return.

    Not quite so easily, but possible, especially if their powers included abilities to revive the dead. Dead gods could return to reality perhaps after a centuries or more later, but only if those who believed in them still existed in this world. Presenting this as an analogy, each believer gave out a small amount of something to be called [Faith] each day, while a god could be reborn when he accumulated the necessary supply of that. The stronger the god was ¨C the more [Faith] he needed.

    It was a race against time ¨C a dead god could not perform miracles. And without the miracles of the god they believed in, the faith of the followers would weaken, and the god risked losing his faith until he was reborn. This, in turn, meant that a god could indeed die. If a god stalled one step from his rebirth, he was not left hanging in the void forever, waiting if, centuries later, someone decided to revive faith in him again and break free. No, there was a general limit, differentiated by the power level of the god himself, a final timer, how long a god could accumulate a suitable supply of [Faith] ¨C the rebirth of a god was really a race against time.

    At least that was what Raynare learned from Azazel, who, after Father died, began vociferously researching it. Secretly, of course, no one else outside the Three Faction knows that Father had died, barring a few exceptions, or else they would be under siege right now.

    Anyway, Raynare had learned that few actually won this race. Only a smattering of gods from living religions were known reliably to do so, these gods being very difficult to exterminate even centuries later. And many gods of old, dead religions did not count on such random possibilities at all. Preferring to retain the crumbs of their powers, to retire as far from the world as possible, or perhaps some small enclave of their believers, hoping that they would extend their life.

    Raynare knew of such Pantheons, like the Phoenicians, that had done so.

    But in any case, Raynare as well as all the Angels knew that a god could still be reborn ¨C it just took time and followers. So what would happen with Father?

    Where other gods were bound to lose many of their followers, no longer possessing the ability to perform miracles ¨C [Heaven''s System] made such risk moot. The machine would serve as a ''living'' confirmation of the power of the One God, allowing believers to accumulate [Faith] in Him, believing that He exists. This, in turn, led the world into a game of masquerade. The Angels, wiping away their angry tears, decided on the desperate step of hiding information about His demise, hoping that if they could convince humanity long enough, He would return again.

    The angels, for being beings that do not lie, are very, very good at acting.

    That was one of the two main reasons, God''s possible revival, with the other being a way to stop more Angels from falling, why Michael took His throne and took control, however imperfect, of the [Heaven''s System]. And maybe he didn''t do it very well, but he was trying to fill shoes that were too big for anyone.

    It was still enough of a threat for anyone that found out about the secret, to not push their luck. No one dares to become a target of Michael''s ire, armed as he is with [Heaven''s System], at least as far as Raynare know.

    And so, the Angels believed that if they prayed long enough and pretended that all was well, He would come back¡­ And, as much as the Angels had despaired, and Heaven''s glow to dim, it seems to have worked!

    He came back!

    And, judging by the fact that the Ddraig was killed so easily before her eyes ¨C was stronger than He was before. So, here she was, captured by that same God, the proof of her betrayal of His will written on her blackened wings. Her Father was not well known for forgiving sins, not for anyone that is not human, anyway.

    At least she was not being tortured or was there any plan to kill her¡­ Yet.

    And that raised so many possible theories and assumptions in Raynare''s mind that she wasn''t even ready to start voicing them at the moment.

    So lost in her thoughts, it took Rayanare a moment, for her sensitive hearing picked up the light clatter of footsteps on the icy planks approaching her cell. Then with the sound of seemingly rusty hinges, the door to her cell opened.

    Raynare in turn, realized that just lying under the blanket did not look at all presentable, especially in case the Father had come to judge her for her sins. But if she did get out from under it, she would instantly freeze to death in the cold in ten seconds, so she preferred to lie still, looking carefully at the door that opened.

    The figure that appeared behind the door, confirmed in her mind that she was indeed currently in the Underworld. There was no way that the sharply dressed man was anything but a Demon.

    Dressed in an expensive and perfectly fitting suit, the man of medium height with black slicked and standing short hair, on whose face rested round glasses in immaculate frames, concealing his calculating eyes. The red tie around his neck, black gloves on his hands, and expensive dress shoes on his feet ¨C all his appearance, made an impression of a high-class gentleman. He wouldn''t look out of place in the most expensive yacht club in the world, or at the highest level of business meetings.

    Without even speaking, the man exudes the aura of competence.

    However, what drew Raynare''s attention more was his long pointy ears, reminding Raynare of the dark elf, Aura, making her doubt her first impression that he was a demon. It took a while for Raynare to notice that one of his ears were decorated with piercings, her attention instantly taken by the metallic blue-silver tail trailing behind him.

    It looked like a brutal implement, its ends ending looking like some kind of small spiked mace. The thought that he was anything close to an elf, was shut off, there''s no way that this man was not a demon.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ''Would it be a wise decision to try to find that out? At least to feel out how strong he is?'' Raynare thought about it for a moment, before deciding not to. The last time she''d tried to understand Aura''s power, she''d nearly been crushed, as if she''d crashed full speed into a standing wall. ''Huh, well, there can''t be that many of those creatures around¡­''

    As it turned out a moment later, there could be.

    Raynare felt her eyes involuntarily climbing to her forehead, prevented from coming out of her eye-sockets only because of her lost consciousness causing her to close her eyes.

    ''Ha-ha, perfect, just perfect! It''s a demon! It''s a fucking demon with¡­ I don''t know what to compare it to anymore ¨C this guy can play the Satans as fucking pins! What the hell went wrong in my life and where did Father find this one?! Ha ha, great, so not only do we have a reanimated Biblical God here, but we also have super-powered elves and now new super-powered demons. Don''t tell me that this guy had killed Father!? If so, that would be the most murderous and stupid plot twist in history! The Angels waited centuries for Father to resurrect, only so that the Demons could finish him off again, before he could appear to the angels again! What was the purpose of me being saved?''

    Raynare felt her head slowly begin to spin, her mind cracking from seeing something that she should have not. ''Was it because of me? Because I was near Father? Do they want to know something from me? Ha, that''s the trouble when it turns out that I know about Father and his new appearance about as much as they do. And where have the demons been hiding this guy all this time anyway?! Did one of the original Satans survive? Or is this Lucifer instead!? God is back, so couldn''t the original Demon? Ha, my head is spinning¡­''

    "Good afternoon." The man spoke, his voice just as sonorous as Raynare expected, not that she''s in the state of mind to appreciate its qualities. The man paused as he made his way to Raynare''s bed, hovering over her, causing the Fallen Angel to involuntarily cringe away under his gaze, even if this action seemed ridiculous in the current situation. "My name is¡­ Yaldabaoth."

    Raynare wondered for a moment if the phrase spoken could be interpreted in any way as a threat, before she recognized the name had been spoken. "Yaldabaoth?"

    "Indeed," Yaldabaoth smiled, "Or rather, it is one of the names given to me by my Creator¡­

    And I suppose I don''t have to explain at length the nature of my Creator, do I?"

    Slowly, Raynare nodded, feeling for the first time in her life her regret that she had not studied religious and occult texts in the past. Then again, an Angel reading the occultic texts of humans reaching blindly about the truth about God when she knew Him personally? Ludicrous¡­ though, perhaps, not so much now.

    ''Yaldabaoth¡­ It''s something from¡­ Gnosticism? The Demiurge, huh? An imperfect deity fighting the Father and bringing suffering to this world because of his own attempts to implement perfect plans in imperfect execution, or something like that. Hah! Even Gnosticism ended up being true, and I thought I''ve run out of things to be surprised about¡­ Although, did I really think that before I even started talking to my, I guess, captor?''

    Yaldabaoth, or as he actually is, the Demiurge, though Raynare would not be addressing him as such ¨C paused. He was clearly waiting for something, but all that came to Raynare''s mind was that he was clearly waiting for her to get out from under her blanket after all. And, reasoning that death from the Demiurge''s displeasure would come to her faster than death from the cold, she did throw that away. Almost immediately, her body''s temperature plunged deeply into one where even a fallen Angel like her would find it dangerous.

    Still, as befit her nature, or maybe as a desperate measure to entice the extremely strong Demon, even when rubbing her body for warmth, Raynare tried to do it as sensuously as possible. But either he has an excellent poker face, which Raynare could not read, or he felt absolutely no emotion at all at the sight of her body¡­ Which was to be expected.

    Raynare was not bad looking, but she was hardly anything more than dirt underfoot for a demon above Satan''s class.

    Feeling the cold wind rush through her body, Raynare restrained the impulse to shudder and instantly rose before the Demiurge ¨C Yaldabaoth¡­ Whichever name he wants her to call himself.

    Seeing no other way to survive, she immediately dropped to her knee, staring down at the floor. "I hear and obey, my lord!"

    "Hm?" The Demiurge didn''t even seem to change his expression as he gazed on her prostrated form. Though, with his glasses covering his eyes from view, casting glints as if they were glossy, it was hard to tell. "As far as I know, my Lord has not bestowed you as my servant at the moment¡­ Not to mention the fact that you just tried to seduce me."

    Raynare bit her tongue in anger, at herself that is, for thinking that someone like Yaldabaoth wouldn''t notice her little stunt. Before she could think about her impending death any further though, something that the Demiurge said caught her attention. "''Lord''?!"

    "Certainly," Yaldabaoth replied, his tone of voice brokering no doubt that if Rayanare would raise her head, she would die. Attempting to determine his mood from his movements and facial expression, was pointless, "At the moment, the Lord has instructed us to take care of your safety by giving you suitable quarters¡­ Raynare."

    The information that Yaldabaoth knew her name did not frighten Raynare ¨C unlike something else that she had just realized.

    ''He''s with Father?!'' The very idea that a demon of any kind was working with the Father was laughable. And yet the Demiurge, as the Gnostic books told, was a being spawned by the Allfather, and Allfather and Father sounded close enough to be the same person.

    ''Father, my brain¡­ it hurts. Ha, the theology of the modern world will spin so fast you could build an electric generator on the site of St. Peter''s Basilica and power the entire world with how many people would spin in their graves.''

    Raynare flinched slightly as an icy gust of wind swept through her body once again, causing Yaldabaoth to speak again. "I apologize for the effects of this place. I took the liberty of stopping the most powerful abilities from¡­ ending your stay in this world before we spoke, but some effects of this place cannot be completely disabled."

    Raynare only silently continued to glare at Yaldabaoth''s boots, unable to tell whether the speaker was sincere in his apology or was sneering as he insulted Raynare''s weakness.

    ''Ha, at least I haven''t been killed yet, which is good¡­ But I still don''t understand where this conversation is going.''

    "Raynare, I grant you permission to rise from your knees and look up." After a few more moments, perhaps no longer willing to watch the squirming Raynare, Yaldabaoth spoke, and some unseen weight lifted from her shoulder.

    "You may sit on your bed and use the blanket ¨C it is a low-rank magic object, but I suppose in the current circumstances it is quite enough to keep your body warm."

    She inwardly thanked Yaldabaoth, simultaneously allowing her to relax a little, that her execution was not on the agenda for now, and also by explaining why the blanket provided her with such comfort even in such a freezing environment.

    Moving with previously unknown deftness to herself, she ensconced herself in the warmth behind the blankets once again. While the nakedness doesn''t really bother her, being bone-chillingly cold certainly does ¨C her nipples hurt like hell. The previously sexy figure were replaced by a bundled, shivering mess ¨C perhaps a little cute, but definitely not arousing to the observer.

    "First, I suppose I should ask you what exactly you know about me. It seems that my name has elicited some sense of familiarity." Yaldabaoth said calmly, then instantly added, catching something in Raynare''s gaze as she looked up at him.

    "No need to be shy, but you shouldn''t hide information either. You''re easy enough to read ¨C not to mention that I should have no trouble getting information from you in a much simpler and cruder method. But the answers to the questions I asked will most likely help me determine my Lord''s plan and determine your future in this world. Know that without such information, you''re very easily replaced."

    Raynare hesitated for a second, torn between two kinds of fear. What would happen if she told the truth and what would happen if she lied¡­ nothing good, certainly. Quickly deciding that in this case, honesty was the best policy ¨C even if it was foolish to expect honesty from a Fallen Angel. "Your name is Demiurge, and, um, you have many other names that I don''t know or have forgotten, and you¡­ You seem to serve my Father¡­"

    "Hmm, is that so?" Raynare''s words didn''t seem to elicit any reaction from the Demiurge, so he didn''t even say anything back. Before suddenly a strange expression appeared on his face. "Father? In that case¡­"

    "I''m not Father''s direct daughter, I mean I was an Angel and was created from his power and was ordered to fight in the Three-Sided War, but then Father was killed¡­" Raynare didn''t have time to continue on before a wave of power literally pressed her into place ¨C she shuddered, realizing that she was already dead.

    She had already been turned into the thinnest slightly pinkish layer of paste that must have grown under the action of the icy frost into the pale blue crust of the ice of this place. And the fact that she now felt as if she were alive was only the result of the fact that she had died so quickly that she had not yet realized it.

    "[Speak all you know]," Demiurge''s words crashed into her brain with an iron hook, seemingly opening her skull in an instant, pulling out all her thoughts and memories.

    Reflexively, Raynare tried to clench her teeth, to keep her mouth shut. But as if to a rabid dog, something forcibly opened her jaws before Raynare felt the Demiurge begin to speak again, each word like a battering ram to her psyche. "[Don''t resist. Don''t lie. Don''t withhold information. Stay where you are.]"

    And Raynare, instantly, felt all strength disappear from her body and all thoughts of resistance and pleading disappeared from her mind. She began to speak, and if she were capable of it, would die from the frightful look the Demiurge face had taken with each word she spoke.

    Oh, right, that was wrong. She was already dead.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga put the last bold dot on the last sheet of paper before stretching a little, feeling some relief as another sheet of reports is completed.

    A great positive quality Momonga found, being an Undead now, was the ability to give up sleep. Well, maybe not completely ¨C he still needed to lie down sometimes, resting his overworked mind from everything that had happened in the day for a couple dozen minutes. Even more so, if something especially stressful happens during the day¡­ Which is almost every day now that he had found himself in the New World, but the point still stands,

    But other than that short rest, he could continue working practically a full day without even interrupting for rest, food, or toilet breaks, thanks to his endless stamina and lack of need for sustenance or need to dispose of waste.

    Momonga even conducted an experiment for the latter, more out of mere curiosity than really figuring out how he could use the knowledge, and found that although he had no natural need, he could leave waste. Waste from what exactly Momonga could not imagine, given that he had not drank or eaten anything the entire time, but a practical examination of his new body physiology yielded just these strange results.

    "In the saddest of cases, I could potentially produce fertilizer for money, but this is one of those options that I would really rather not think about and experiment on." Brushing that thought aside, Momonga tried to go back to the notes he had written in his notebook.

    "Hmm, I think I may have forgotten some information, but I put most of what I have already learned about this world and how YGGDRASIL''s abilities have changed in it here. I''ll have to pass this information on to Nazarick soon and start making preparations to infiltrate this world¡­ But should I? Hah¡­ Nigredo has scanned maybe a thousand kilometers around Nazarick, finding nothing but black emptiness around, so I''m pretty sure there''s nothing else around Nazarick. And the only world I''ve been to so far seems like a familiar Earth, even if sent back in time for over a hundred years, only very weak humans exist here openly¡­

    But it still doesn''t mean that there might not be hidden dangers here.

    There are various legends and stories about the mystical side of this world, but nothing meaningful in the public domain ¨C except for the fact that religion and mysticism are far more prevalent in this world than in my past. Or is that normal, and related not to the uniqueness of this world, but only to its condition? Being undestroyed that is.

    In my past world, religion was all but eliminated, and science has dispelled most of the myths and misconceptions. So the current state of this world may not be due to real magical beings, but to the lower technical level of this world and the lack of control by mega-corporations?"

    "I don''t know, but it''s not that important at this point. I''ve already contacted Nigredo, and she said that she has scouted out and researched at least a dozen different worlds. Each containing different inhabitants, and she''s recording the information to the best of her abilities, but that will take a long time, after which it will still take a long time to analyze, double-check, and correlate them with each other¡­"

    Momonga felt something begin to twist in his stomach and pressed his hand against it. No, he was not hungry, though he might be developing an ulcer with the amount of stress he''s in.

    "Thank God, I don''t actually have a stomach! Ha, okay, enough joking around, when the time comes ¨C I''ll think about it¡­ Hmm, maybe assign it to someone, who though¡­? No, dumping unnecessary work on my subordinates is a sign of a bad boss. But if it''s entrusted to me, I''ll probably screw up. And that could mean anything, in a world where there are hundred-level creatures with powers unknown to me, that may work on a completely different principle than I have seen before¡­ Information gathering has never really been my forte, where''s Nishikienrai when you need him¡­ Ha, now I not only have a stomachache, but also a headache."

    Unable to endure the flow of his thoughts, Momonga decided to look away from his notebook before, after some brief deliberation, summoned a [Magic Box] and placed the notebook in that one. At the moment, the notebook with his experiments represented the most important information to him, the loss of which could lead to many problems, along with giving away too much information about Nazarick to the enemy. So, such precautions were absolutely necessary.

    Putting the notebook with the results of his experiments into the [Magic Box], and that one into the [Item Box], or, as Players more often and more simply called it, the ''Inventory'', Momonga exhaled. Now, to address something that is potentially very time-sensitive.

    Pandora''s Actor never showed up back at home, Miki''s house, that is.

    After a while, Momonga''s paranoia almost reached a fever pitch, but a quick check with [Message] dulled his bout of paranoia and informed him that Pandora''s Actor was currently in a sleepover at one of Issei''s friends. Ha, Momonga never thought about it before, but by having Pandora''s Actor acting as Issei, he had placed him in the same conditions as Issei himself, along with his friends and family.

    And while it was difficult for Pandora''s Actor to consider Miki as his mother, especially considering that he considered Momonga his father, it did not preclude the possibility that Pandora''s Actor himself could find friends in the outside world. Even if his circumstances were somewhat unusual and strange ¨C considering the fact that Pandora''s Actor had to pretend to be another person and the like¡­

    But on the other hand, Momonga might have felt second-hand shame from Pandora''s Actor doing all those salutes and speaking German, but Momonga had created him that way and blaming him for being that way was stupid. If Momonga has to blame anyone for it, it should be himself ¨C and even though Momonga was ashamed of his shameful past, which had resulted in Pandora''s Actor, if all the NPC''s were children of Ainz Ooal Gown¡­ Then Pandora''s Actor was his son.

    And Momonga, while still feeling uncomfortable, is yet strangely happy that his son had found friends outside Nazarick.

    So, after wishing Pandora''s Actor a good rest and to have fun, Momonga returned to reality¡­ In which Miki Hyoudou, completely oblivious to Momonga himself, did as he told her, washing and changing clothes, then went off to bed. Such behavior on the part of his ''mother'' was unusual for Momonga. But on the other hand, who knew what was going on in her mind and how the copious alcohol she drank had affected her.

    Even if Momonga had sort of got rid of the effects of that with the [Cure Poison] scroll.

    So, after making sure that she was just asleep and hadn''t done anything weird, or were planning to, Momonga left her alone for a while.

    With Miki out of the way, Momonga finally started cleaning the living room. Admittedly, Momonga was a little squeamish of cleaning vomit, but he''d look like a trash boss and a fool if he sent a message to Nazarick about how he needed help from the maids just for cleaning.

    So he did what was necessary, cleaning up the vomit, fixing the pillows, airing the room, washing the containers¡­ and collecting all the empty bottles of alcohol into his Inventory. Momonga was such a compulsive collector, and Miki wanted to throw them away anyway, so, he reasoned, that even the useless junk in his Inventory wouldn''t weigh on his pocket if at some random moment he suddenly required it.

    He could at least recycle it for some change. He could at least bring it as samples to Nazarick and have the crafters from there forge it to maybe capitalize on the recycling business.

    "Ha, counterfeiting money essentially¡­ " Momonga shook his head at the thought of making bottles only to recycle them ¨C it should be much easier than entering the glassmaking industry, at least?

    "On the other hand, should I worry about that if I''ve already committed document forgery and ruined someone else''s family?"

    In any case, by the time Momonga had sorted out all of his business for the day, except for long-term projects like increasing Nazarick''s power, he was done for the day. The long-term projects required intellectual effort from his subordinates, not just Momonga.

    He did decide to take up a case he had put off for too long, though. So, with the pilfered, borrowed, computer he had found that had once belonged to Gorou, Momonga used the Internet for the first time in the new World.

    Computers of this time were archaic, but Momonga had managed to catch a glimpse of how the local people used them, and while the UI was different some things remained the same.

    Momonga turned it on, then checked the Internet connection, opened up a web browser, typed into the search bar the word he was very interested in with practiced fingers.

    ''YGGDRASIL.''

    A moment later, numerous search results blanketed the screen, and Momonga immersed himself in reading what he had found. Information about Scandinavia, mythology, all the things Tabula had said before ¨C some of it matched the information from the game, some of it was different.

    After checking the first ten pages of the search, Momonga found no mention of the existence of a DMMORPG with that name, not even the company that developed it, or DMMORPG itself, existed.

    Which was almost expected, considering he''d been thrown back more than a hundred years.

    After another moment, without much hope, Momonga punched in a new search criterion:

    ''Ainz Ooal Gown.''

    Not a single mention. Nothing, nothing at all ¨C Momonga went through the various links and results, mostly relating about dresses, but without much hope. The word combination itself appeared nowhere.

    That didn''t completely negate the chances that any of his friends or anyone with information about them were in this world, though. After all, the world of the paranormal was hidden from ordinary people, which meant members of Ainz Ooal Gown could just be hiding, being Heteromorphic Races, they would stick out like a sore thumb.

    But, the hope inside Momonga was slowly beginning to fade.

    "Ha, I feel sad, and at the same time, it''s exactly as I expected, so should it be disappointing instead¡­?" Momonga sighed, closing the search result page about an evening gown.

    "If they were in this world ¨C there would have been scraps, signs, and information about them, their appearances were very eye-catching after all¡­ But there''s none of that."

    Momonga''s emotions vanished the moment they crossed some invisible line, which simultaneously brought relief to Momonga, pulled from the abyss into which he had begun to sink. Alongside a considerable amount of annoyance that he could not even allow himself to feel sadness quietly before sighing and getting back to work.

    "Okay, even if I find myself alone in this world, it doesn''t mean that my friends won''t find themselves in it later, or, um, be born in it later. I think the oldest member of Ainz Ooal Gown won''t be born in this world for decades to come¡­ My mission is unchanged ¨C my friends, even if you are not in this world, I swear I will carry your legacy through this world and not allow the Great Tomb of Nazarick to fall. Or to allow the name of Ainz Ooal Gown to be forgotten!"

    Momonga smiled, feeling a new surge of strength. Then, afterward, more for self-satisfaction, typed in more search terms into the search engine. The names of other guilds, items, classes, and abilities ¨C but, as he had expected, found nothing of significance, then, after spending a few more seconds, deleted his search history.

    Using such archaic technology was uncomfortable and unfamiliar to Momonga, but he generally handled any problem that appeared easily enough. A glance at the clock in the corner of Gorou''s computer screen, forced Momonga to turn it off.

    "Four o''clock in the morning¡­!" Momonga sighed, not from tiredness, but from boredom.

    "Judging from the previous night ¨C Miki will wake up in a couple of hours at the earliest, if her routine stays the same that is. She probably went to bed much earlier today than usual, but so far, I don''t hear her even start to toss in her sleep or any sign of sleep ending. Hmm, what would I spend my time on now¡­?"

    As if as an answer to this question, Momonga''s mind sensed a connection of a [Message] forming between him and someone else, something that he opened immediately.

    ''My Lord!'' Demiurge''s voice sounded hurried, clearly full of emotion, but Momonga couldn''t determine what kind. From his voice it seemed to him that Demiurge was now experiencing a mixture of fear, admiration, anger, and joy ¨C and maybe a dozen other lesser emotions mixed into a single expression.

    "Umu, Demiurge," Momonga nodded slightly, not that Demiurge could see him, looking around to see if he detected any potential spies around him. "Is it something urgent?"

    ''No, my Lord, but at the risk of sounding like a useless apprentice and disturbing the harmony of your great plan ¨C I humbly ask that you allow me to perceive a modicum of your wisdom!'' Momonga could practically see Demiurge kneeling in a ''dogeza'', jamming his head into the ground in such a way as if to spread his face completely over it.

    Momonga sighed at these words, then shook his head. Well, here''s something for him to do this time, so he won''t get bored. "Well, I was planning on visiting Nazarick at the moment anyway, so I''ll be arriving shortly."

    After which, interrupting the flow of happy words of gratitude, Momonga looked at his watch again and sighed. "Hopefully I''ll get whatever Demiurge wants, sorted quickly¡­ I still have to go to school today."

 Overlord of a High School (9)

    Demiurge was proud of his intelligence, his magnificent self-control and his ability to remain cool at all times. Just as every other creature of the Supreme Beings was proud of what they were, created as they are by the will of Forty-One. Even so, Demiurge understood that he was no more than a child, building his sandcastles before the gaze of the Forty-One. Supreme Beings who determined the fates of gods and worlds, and their Leader, Momonga, the one to whom even his Creator, Lord Ulbert Alain Odle, acknowledged, stood at their summit, honored and obeyed even by the other Supreme Beings.

    Though Demiurge remained loyal above all things to his Creator, and no factor could have affected that, and truly believed that his Creator embodied evil and hatred above even Lord Momonga himself. He could not fail to recognize that Lord Momonga, by right of intellect, strength, and charisma, was the first amongst them all.

    Every action of His led to the realization of countless schemes, every coincidence made sense, and every acting actor was but a pawn in His great game in which the fates of nations and people were decided. Which at any moment could be thrown off the board as having played their part as entertainers, enemies and allies.

    So when Lord Momonga uttered the words that the Great Tomb of Nazarick was now beyond its limits in the swamps of Helheim. Demiurge realized that another of Lord Momonga''s countless plans, which no one but other Supreme Beings could comprehend in its entirety, had been brought to fruition.

    Demiurge did not believe that the Great Tomb of Nazarick had no role in this world, that Lord Momonga who had come to this world, had no plan of His own. Except of course when the lack of a plan was part of his Lord''s even more powerful, ingenious and incomprehensible plan.

    However, as a faithful apprentice and servant, he dared not ask his Lord for instructions when He had already given each of them exactly as much information as was needed to understand their role. His role was not only to be an endlessly needy fool incapable of doing anything ¨C Demiurge refuses to be so useless ¨C he could not imagine being so useless

    If Demiurge would not ask for directions, but still be capable of understanding Lord Momonga''s will on his own. If he was capable of executing orders on his own, solving problems along the way. If he were useful in his Lord''s actions and grand plans, serving, if necessary, as his chief commander or as a suitable victim of His¡­

    Perhaps Lord Momonga will not leave the Great Tomb of Nazarick?

    The inhabitants of the Great Tomb considered it the greatest honor and the highest reward to die for the Forty-One Supreme Being. But the greatest, most damning, existential terror in their minds was only one apprehension¡­

    To allow their Creator to leave them.

    To allow that cursed moment when they would no longer have anyone to swear allegiance to. When the Great Tomb truly becomes a tomb¡­ Just imagining it caused Demiurge to shake uncontrollably and for a great phantom pain to pierce his heart.

    Something like that must not be allowed to pass!

    So, Demiurge chose his step, his path carefully as he headed for the Fallen Angel Raynare, who had been captured earlier the moment his invisible guards informed him that she had come to her senses and awakened.

    Aura''s words about what had happened earlier, about their encounter with Raynare, and what Lord Momonga had said, resounded in Demiurge''s mind. The seemingly random words creating a single, new vision that shed light on the plans of his great and inscrutable Lord. And, at the same time, lifted part of the veil of mystery to Demiurge, forcing him to act, allowing him to see with his own strength exactly where his great Lord''s gaze was now fixed upon.

    And more importantly, what role He wished to see Demiurge play this time, looking with an eye full of love and expectations of His subordinates.

    Demiurge had no right to disappoint his Lord, and so he wished to be the first to assist in Lord Momonga''s grand plans, excluding Pandora''s Actor that is. Who, at this point, was already greatly rewarded by his Creator, with the highest honor. Ample duties, and the right to observe his Creator and His actions up close.

    Though the Demiurge should not have felt any negative emotions about this, he was very, very jealous. Though it was entirely expected, given that Lord Momonga was the Creator of Pandora''s Actor, and that he''s the one most suited to these duties. Demiurge has to admit that Pandora''s Actor was quite his equal in his intelligence, so Demiurge has no doubt that he would be accomplishing his missions adroitly.

    Thinking of the other denizen of Nazarick that was his equal in intelligence, reminded Demiurge of the Floor Overseer, and what role she would play. Albedo was equal to his intelligence, but it was Demiurge''s own abilities that were far more suited to interrogating Raynare.

    Besides, Demiurge was not blind to how exactly Albedo looked enviously at the other girls who might have been close to Lord Momonga.

    No, Albedo saw no other problem with Lord Momonga''s decision, nor with her Lord''s ability to have multiple concubines, slaves, toys, or even wives ¨C and would never have contradicted her Lord''s explicit decision. But the first wife issue was still as pressing, and, until Lord Momonga decided, would clearly not be off the table, and so questioning an unknown girl by Albedo would not be the smartest possible action.

    Unless they were starting the experiment to check the various resurrection abilities'' efficacy.

    Resurrections most often required material expenditures, and all possessions in the Great Tomb of Nazarick naturally belonged to the Supreme Beings and Lord Momonga as their Ruler. They thus could not be used without the Lord''s permission.

    Therefore, it''s best for Demiurge to conduct the first interrogation alone. Besides, to be honest, he was a little intrigued by what answer Raynare could provide.

    In addressing Lord Momonga as Father, Raynare had committed great blasphemy. For the very suggestion that the created inhabitants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick were in some sense equal, at least by right of blood, to their Creators as their children was, at its core, an unforgivable heresy. But, Demiurge couldn''t deny the curiosity if there exists the possibility that Lord Momonga might have bestowed on Raynare in the past.

    In addition, according to Aura, Raynare was similar to the inhabitants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, she was also a created being. In other words, the Demiurge might have felt some affinity for the Fallen Angel.

    If it was true of course, otherwise¡­ Well, there''s worse fates than death.

    Furthermore, Lord Momonga''s reaction to her words was quite cold ¨C not to mention that Raynare''s reaction to His appearance was not a happy one either. Frankly speaking, any creature of the Great Tomb of Nazarick would have killed Raynare long ago for the mere fact that she had dared to empty her stomach before Lord Momonga''s gaze, nearly contaminating His feet.

    But the possibility of their unknown relationship and the fact that Raynare might be in some sense a distant relative to the inhabitants of the Great Tomb caused considerable doubt in the inhabitants'' minds. They could not determine exactly how they should have treated her and what place she held in their Master''s plans.

    Therefore, as ordered, Raynare was placed in the Frozen Prison on the Fifth Floor, but at the same time was protected from the effects that would have led to her death, either instantly or indirectly.

    Subsequently, however, when Raynare came to her senses, Demiurge would be the first to greet her. Dispelling the layers of her lies and her small and simple schemes was laughably easy.

    But at the same time, when she uttered the most profane of words and the most terrible of all thoughts ¨C even Demiurge, who always kept himself calm, was not able to restrain himself.

    For if ever there was a good reason for the Demiurge to give up his emotionless mask, the Supreme Beings were ones above all other reasons.

    As expected, his [Command Mantra] easily took control of Raynare as a being with powers below the fortieth level, and made her speak ¨C revealing more and more of what she knows to Demiurge. And what she revealed to the Demiurge was as fascinating as it was frightening.

    The information that Lord Momonga had once been in this world was not so unusual, for it fit perfectly with previous assumptions about his Lord''s infinite plans. As did the information that in His past incarnation in this world, his Lord possessed different powers, or at least powers that He had not previously demonstrated to the creatures of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

    The powers of the Supreme Beings surpassed the understanding of lesser creatures like Demiurge. Albedo had once brought to the discussion not long ago, information about something called [Call GM] ¨C and that Lord Momonga had failed to use this ability. An ability that the inhabitants of the Great Tomb had not even known existed before.

    So, learning that their Lord possessed other powers ¨C or had in the past and did not possess now, was not unusual. Nor was it unusual to learn that Lord Momonga had been the God of this world in the past.

    It was difficult for lesser beings to grasp the true greatness of Supreme Beings, so using the offensive in essence, but praiseworthy from the lesser beings'' perspective, title of ''god'' might have been justified for them. However, it is possible that in the past, Lord Momonga was indeed once a mere God ¨C perhaps as a child grows from an infant to an adult. Lord Momonga might have gone through growth from a mere god to becoming a Supreme Being¡­ No matter how heretic a thought that their creator was anything but perfect and omnipotent at any point in time is.

    And with this certainly interesting, important and intriguing information, came another. A thought which made Demiurge''s blood boil and his eyes glitter like two sparkling diamonds, full of anger and at the same time ¨C fear.

    The great betrayal of the angel Lucifer turned Demiurge''s inside into lava, barely able to move his lips in the hope of ending the torture! Demiurge wanted nothing more than to cast such dreck into endless torture!

    For there was no sin more terrible than betrayal.

    The betrayal could not be lightened or reasoned by any words or actions, by any will. Much less by what the proper faithful servants of the Supreme Beings themselves had chosen as one of ''their own''.

    Pain and hatred in equal measure rose in Demiurge''s soul. He was ready to give orders to each of his subordinates, after which to raise the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick and go on a united campaign against the great traitor ¨C Lucifer. To his great joy and relief, however, Demiurge learned that Lucifer had been killed ¨C killed by the hand of Lord Momonga himself, no less.

    Or, as he was then called, the Biblical God.

    In his final act, however, Lucifer dealt a critical blow to Lord Momonga ¨C forcing him to recuperate in hiding.

    Demiurge''s heart could not bear imagining it, only a faint thought allowed him to stay on the edge of his consciousness.

    Indeed, for this final battle did not kill Lord Momonga, forcing Him to leave for the other worlds instead, but it stripped Him of His powers.

    Yes, that explained how Lord Momonga found His powers again, other forms of it this time ¨C as Demiurge heard from the Supreme Beings, that each of them began their journey at the first level. So, too, did Lord Momonga, deprived of His powers, chose a different path to power.

    After which, together with others like Him, the other Supreme Beings, Lord Momonga created Ainz Ooal Gown, conquering the Great Tomb of Nazarick in their first try and then turning it into an impregnable fortress. Perhaps that was why they were here in this world, for Lord Momonga''s revenge.

    Such realization explained many things ¨C and once again, Demiurge couldn''t help but exultantly cry out his appreciation for Lord Momonga''s greatness.

    It also explained where other Supreme Beings like Lord Momonga had disappeared to. It was likely that many of Them had similar pasts, and after suffering such tragic fates, had bonded together to regain their powers. Then, after sufficiently restored, they returned to their old world, leaving the Great Tomb, wishing to get even with their old enemies and to reward old allies¡­

    And when Their great mission is accomplished ¨C perhaps They will also return to the faithful inhabitants of the Great Tomb, as Lord Momonga had returned to His old world.

    In any case, apart from Lucifer, whose very mention of existence was the greatest blasphemy, which should not be punished by death, but by the supreme punishment of the Great Tomb ¨C exile itself! And his spawn, which to the great shame and pain from Demiurge, were of the same race with him, demons. Though, to his great happiness, almost all of those demons who had dared to raise their hand against Lord Momonga had already been destroyed.

    There were still other traitors as well.

    The oldest amongst them was Azazel, a Fallen Angel, a brat who dared to violate Lord Momonga''s orders and have sex with a human woman. And his followers who had turned their backs on Lord Momonga from their own hosts and deserved no forgiveness for it¡­

    Though what worse punishment there is Demiurge couldn''t imagine. The greatest punishment, banishment, had already been inflicted upon them. and instead of ending their now miserable and useless lives ¨C they dared to rebel against Lord Momonga and fight Him in battle!

    No, there would be no mercy of a quick death anymore. Demiurge reveled in the cruelty and pain he could bring to this world, but after what they had done, even Pestonia or Sebas would have coveted the traitors'' blood.

    And, most terrifying of all, was Demiurge''s realization that Raynare, with whom he had communicated affably all this time, was one of these Fallen Angels!

    Demiurge had ample knowledge about Fallen Angels and their species, but only about the ones in the past world. Back then, they were only one of a multitude of races, not indicative of their past deeds, probably also having no connection whatsoever to the Fallen Angel that exists in this world. While in this world, Fallen Angels were a creature borne from a great betrayal, their blackened wings an indelible sign of their great betrayal.

    Though, if given the chance, Demiurge had no doubt that the denizen of Nazarrick would love nothing more than to remove the stains that dared to remind Lord Momonga of such a betrayal. Even if they had no connection whatsoever, being literally a world apart from the one that had actually betrayed Lord Momonga.

    Raynare herself however was one of the ones that had personally betrayed Lord Momonga. It even took Demiurge''s brilliant mind a second to comprehend what she had said, shocked at what a hideous fiend he was communing with. At his folly in communicating with a heretic and not just erasing her from existence, this great source of heresy. Only the possibility, as Raynare explained, that perhaps she had fallen by mistake, that Demiurge immediately seized upon, allowed him to forgive his own lapse in judgement. The possibility, hoping that in this case, his only punishment would be a long and painful death rather than the banishment and disappointment of a Supreme Being.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Or even worse, being commanded to live in such shame, prevented from even committing suicide in recompense. Only one other punishment could be worse, and Demiurge would not even dare to think about it, lest he would be gripped by fear.

    Further information about Raynare was of little interest to him ¨C mechanically, his mind picked up words and thoughts, information about this world, at least about the locale. About the [Sacred Gears] and the Youkai of Japan, before his mind came to a single decision.

    Ready to suffer any punishment for his failure to understand his Lord''s great plan, and willing to sacrifice himself for the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Demiurge decided to sacrifice himself by turning to his Great Lord for help. Hoping against all hope that his Lord would only be disappointed in him, and not in the Great Tomb.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga took a step through the [Gate], finding himself instantly in a thoroughly frozen, icy room. ''Umu, I guess this is the Fifth Floor, the Frozen Prison. I don''t remember if I''ve ever been inside one of these rooms? They would even look pretty good if only they weren''t completely frozen, covered in ice¡­''

    Even through his false flesh, or perhaps because of it, Momonga felt a cold wind chilling him through to his bones. But instead of feeling anything unpleasant, it was just a bare sensation, he just noted that the surrounding temperature is low, without feeling its effects at all. Probably thanks to his immunity to ice attacks. The wind was quite pleasant if nothing else.

    A moment later, the portal behind his back closed, allowing him to look around, to a floor that he hadn''t visited in a while¡­

    Okay, he needs to stop trying to escape reality.

    In front of him, Demiurge was laying prostrate in a dogeza for some reason, with Raynare doing the same behind him. She was trying her best not to plant her face on the icy floor, while facing it as close as possible ¨C she was shivering badly, either out of fear or just the great cold. Does she not have any resistance to ice or cold at all? He might need to revise his assessment of her level, if she could be damaged from just the cold.

    ''And here I was hoping that the worst had come to pass after Miki. And here it is, a complication. At least it''s not the worst possible outcome, where Demiurge realized that I''m not actually as great as I portrayed myself as.'' Momonga inwardly sighed.

    ''I just thought that Demiurge was about to grill me for answers when he heard something that didn''t match his assumptions and guessed that I wasn''t as good as he thought¡­ Umu, by the way, what is Raynare doing here?''

    Realizing, however, that the situation was clearly not suited to simple conversation at the moment, Momonga wondered for a moment what was more important. Trying to keep friendly relations with Raynare or behaving as the NPC expected. There''s not really any question, is there? He decided to follow the second option ¨C disappointing the NPCs was never an option. "Umu, raise your faces ¨C you may stand up."

    After another moment, Momonga made what he thought were regal movements before settling into a completely frozen chair placed in the room. Did Demiurge place the chair here on purpose? Or was it already here in the room in the first place?

    ''Ha, I hope I look majestic enough now, I''ll have to find time to practice how I should look in front of the NPCs¡­ Haaaa, maybe see how the mighty beings of this world do it? But I''m no expert at observing, maybe start with something simpler, like observing someone who is not very powerful¡­ Perhaps if someone is level seventy, they should be strong enough to be someone influential, right? I think that''s enough for the first time¡­''

    Demiurge, meanwhile, finally rose from the dogeza when Momonga finally got comfortable. But his gaze was still slightly downcast, as if he were a child afraid to ask his parent for something, and his tail hung lifelessly, only twitching slightly in time with the howling wind. Along with Raynare, who was now shivering much more, unprotected from the ice and cold temperatures, they cut a sorry figure.

    ''I pity her a little ¨C but on the other hand, the priority at the moment is to find out exactly what is going on here.'' Momonga shifted his gaze to Demiurge, who had not yet begun to speak. Seeing this, Momonga decided to break the silence first.

    "Demiurge, I presume you wished to ask me something?"

    "Yes, my Lord." Demiurge nodded slowly, then began straightening himself, bracing as if preparing to be punched. A move that made Momonga a little nervous ¨C was this it? Was he about to be pointed out as a fraud!?

    "I ask with my last wish to forgive the other inhabitants of the Great Tomb and take my life as atonement for my sins!"

    What?

    A moment later, Demiurge cast [Aspect of the Devil: Razor Claws], turning his fingers into giant razor sharp blades and brought them to his throat, causing Momonga to panic so much that his panic was instantly extinguished. "Umu, Demiurge, I beg you to stop ¨C start by telling me what''s wrong¡­"

    Then Momonga shifted her gaze to Raynare, who was beginning to shudder again, but who, by the looks of her, was beginning to gradually freeze, so that she wouldn''t be able to hold out for very long. Momonga hoped that Rayanre could reveal what was wrong ¨C did she say something unnecessary? Did she possess mind-control abilities!? No, first I need to stop Demiurge!

    "No, perhaps you''d better just tell me exactly why you wanted to sacrifice yourself, umu." Momonga nodded slowly, hiding just how nervous he felt inside.

    "My Lord, I could not unravel Your wisdom and stepped into the trap of learning of treachery against You and allowing Raynare to exist in this world, her stain desecrating the Great Tomb!" After these words, Raynare, whose eyes had begun to slowly slip before, perked up sharply, looking at the Demiurge and at Momonga with great fear.

    ''Great, so Raynare is somehow involved in this¡­'' Momonga inwardly sighed, a tinge of hatred and bloodlust began to appear, before he forcefully suppressed it. Answer first, killing Raynare painfully, later. ''Okay, let''s get on with it¡­''

    "Even if Raynare has done something, umu, treacherous? I still see no reason for you to sacrifice yourself." Momonga nodded, then turned his gaze to Raynare, who, colliding with his gaze, froze, unable to find the strength to even a small shudder.

    "I think we can talk about this in some depth ¨C but, I''m afraid, at this rate Raynare will not survive a long conversation. So, perhaps it is better to send her¡­"

    Before he could continue, Momonga blinked, realizing something important. ''Ah, right, where am I going to send her? I gave the order to take her into custody, so I could talk to her first, but Demiurge had done, so before I could. And now if I decide to talk to her myself, there will be uncomfortable questions like, ''why exactly do you need to talk to her?'' Or ''why don''t you already know everything''? And she''s probably already said something to the Demiurge that made him come to some strange conclusions.''

    Momonga wanted to rub his forehead to ease the phantom headache he''s feeling now, but can''t since he doesn''t know how Demiurge would react to that action.

    ''Ha, is this betrayal? Raynare didn''t exactly betray me, since she wasn''t loyal to me in the first place ¨C I just stole her in the middle of the day for being near to Issei. That, and the weird things she started saying when she saw me, which probably only made the NPC even more confused. And if she now can''t even give me information, that means she''s worse than useless¡­ But I can''t just kill her. Aura has probably already told every denizen of Nazarick, about how Raynare had called me ''Father'' and I can''t just let her go because she already knows about Nazarick and me¡­''

    Argh, why is it so hard?!

    Demiurge, however, upon hearing Momonga''s words, shifted his gaze to Raynare, then back to Momonga. Whereupon his expression suddenly changed to his usual smile. Only this one seemed to be a little deeper than usual, his tail suddenly trembling, and a glare ran across his glasses that, judging by the lighting, should not have been possible. ''Hmm, is it a cosmetic effect? Surely Ulbert wouldn''t have spent [Data Crystals] on something like that¡­ No, no, he probably would.''

    "I understand, my Lord." Demiurge nodded suddenly, as if a metaphysical light bulb had gone off over his head.

    ''What did you understand!? I didn''t even say anything!'' Momonga refrained from asking this question directly of the Demiurge ¨C or to shout it out loud like he wanted. ''Ha, if only I could just get them to reveal their train of thought, but without admitting that I didn''t understand anything¡­''

    Raynare, who had finally stopped trembling from fear ¨C or she just started dying from the cold, that''s possible too. She shifted her gaze to Demiurge, then to Momonga, after which Momonga felt a light bulb finally illuminate above his own head, a very rare occurrence. He just got the best idea on how to use Raynare!

    "Umu, Demiurge," Momonga nodded calmly ¨C or at least he hoped he had. "I understand your train of thought, but could you explain it to Raynare? Unless, of course, you think you ought to conceal that."

    "Of course, my Lord," Demiurge turned momentarily on Raynare, who glanced back at him with no small part fear and apprehension. It was as if Rayanre thought that Demiurge would eat her or something, quite ridiculous, really.

    "Raynare, I cannot believe that my Lord has granted me the right to utter these most sacred of words, but you are henceforth once again serving under his command and on the path of your redemption."

    Raynare''s eyes seem to bulge momentarily in surprise in response to Demiurge''s words. Momonga would have done the same if he could have done such actions physically.

    ''What is he talking about!?'' A moment later, however, Momonga''s emotions were suppressed, while Raynare, lacking such abilities, opened her mouth in mute astonishment, glancing again at Demiurge, then at Momonga herself, before she let out her first words.

    "What?! Father?! Father, is it true!?"

    "Umu," Momonga nodded slowly, hiding the great confusion he had from having recruited Raynare to his side inadvertently.

    ''If Demiurge has come to this conclusion ¨C it''s probably the best of all options, Demiurge is smart, he should know better than I do. But why her? She''s so weak? Does she possess really important information that increases her value?''

    "That''s right, Fallen Angel Raynare, you can thank your lucky star that Lord Momonga is so gracious and merciful." Demiurge shook his head slightly.

    "Lord Momonga has returned to this world again, discarding His previous title as what you know as the Biblical God ¨C all in order to accomplish what He was denied in the past. The great victory and the great judgment on traitors. Truly, for this is the Second Coming, now He Himself has reappeared to judge this world and everyone according to their sins and virtues. And you have already been judged, and have been found worthy of the right of redemption."

    After these words, Raynare opened her eyes in shock, casting glances around in shock in confusion. Momonga understood her completely ¨C only the suppression of emotion and his desire to prove himself as the best possible boss to his subordinates, kept him from mimicking her actions.

    ''Whoa, wait, the Second Coming? I''ve heard of something like that from Tabula, but I don''t know the details at all! It''s supposed to be something big, right?''

    "I understand your plan now, Lord." Demiurge nodded, "Indeed, how foolish and naive of me to assume that anyone really had the ability to betray You, to disrupt Your plans, much less kill You ¨C please forgive me for these blasphemous thoughts!"

    ''I have been killed regularly in YGGDRASIL!'' Momonga sighed, mentally that is, outwardly he presented a stately figure, his expression unchanged, as if the mind-bogglingly strange things coming out of Demiurge''s mouth was something expected.

    ''There''s no need to apologize. And where did ''my'' plans come from!? My only plan at the moment is to scout this world, strengthen Nazarick, and not make enemies in the meantime. What''s this about victories and judging traitors!?''

    "Ah, what about¡­" Raynare spoke out, before silencing herself, shifting her gaze to Demiurge, looking unsure about something, before noticing something in Demiurge''s expression and continuing on "The Son?"

    "He''s already gone out into the world, to complete his mission." Demiurge replied with a slight smile. "In the body of the one you were assigned to kill, even! Truly, you played your part the way you were supposed to, how foolish of me to think that anything could not fit into my Lord''s plan¡­"

    ''A lot of things don''t fit into my plans, actually, including this conversation¡­'' Momonga sighed, shaking his head, again mentally, he couldn''t imagine the pandemonium that would happen if he did actually do the action.

    ''Okay, the Second Coming, I could hear the capital letters there, apparently something big? We''ll have to see what that means later, and apparently Raynare seems to have been taken to Nazarick for that reason? That she has a part to play in it? All according to my plans or something like that ¨C I''ll have to assign someone to watch her in the meantime. And they were talking about my son? Are they talking about Pandora''s Actor? I guess it really wasn''t a bad decision, sending him to Earth, but apparently there''s some kind of additional meaning to it? Ah, well, I hope they don''t do anything too disturbing while I go to school. Judging by how boring the grind is there, I''ll only last a couple of days at best, I should find some ways to either accelerate it or just automate the grinding¡­ Right, I almost forgot!''

    "Demiurge," Momonga glanced at the demon, who momentarily bowed his head, then wondered about Raynare''s presence, but judging by the fact that Demiurge sort of concluded that she was not dangerous, decided to trust her to some degree. But then again, he should check first, before he inadvertently spoke about something important.

    "I suppose there''s no need to talk about, ahem, safety¡­ Especially in the case of Raynare?"

    "Absolutely, my Lord." Demiurge replied without raising his head, whereupon Momonga held out his notebook of experiments towards him, his peripheral vision fixed on Raynare. She seemed to have had another perceptually shattering revelation and was now staring glassily at the world.

    "In that case, I believe this information will prove useful to you." Demiurge took the notebook from Momonga''s hands, holding it as if it were the greatest treasure in the world. "I also need you to, umu, think about the possibilities of enhancing Nazarick''s capabilities¡­"

    Instantly remembering that Raynare was still in the room with him, Momonga bit his tongue, then glanced at Demiurge, as if trying to convey his own thoughts to him without speaking. Demiurge, apparently receiving the message, and Momonga hoped that it was the correct thing and not another misunderstanding, nodded, a smile on his face.

    "Of course, my Lord, every movement is only part of something bigger, even the Great Judgment is only one more piece of the puzzle in the overall picture of Creation¡­"

    ''Well, as long as he''s satisfied, and I don''t have to justify myself ¨C let him say what he wants.'' Momonga sighed, again, mentally¡­ he needs a holiday soon.

    ''But who would have thought that getting Demiurge to reveal his plans would be so difficult¡­? Ha, or is it all about Raynare? They''re talking about something they already know, maybe I should have rounded him up in front of the Guardians of the Floors and asked him to reveal his plans? Surely in that case, he would have had to divulge more details to the other. Hah, there''s no point crying about spilled milk, a thought for the future, perhaps.''

    "There are still other questions in my mind, but I would not dare to ask You for answers, My Lord. Knowing how much You have already given me and how much You have shown us, it would be too unseemly." Demiurge bowed his head even lower than before, forming a completely right angle between his upper and lower body. At least it''s not a dogeza this time.

    "I thank You, my Lord, for Your mercy¡­ And I ask only that You allow me to serve You not only as Guardian of the Floor, but also as herald of Your will in this world, becoming the first to conduct the Court. I suppose I was created for that role."

    "Umu, of course." Momonga nodded, he had no idea what Demiurge was talking about other than he wanted to do something outside Nazarick.

    ''Ha, looks like Demiurge doesn''t like much sitting in one place in the void either, but should I allow him to go out? He''s not much of a stealth expert, he''s not human-looking too, almost no one would mistake him for a Human. Like many of the inhabitants of Nazarick, actually? We did try to create a guild full of monsters, so there''s really only one human NPC in the entirety of Nazarick and not many who would pass as a human. And even so they would need good surveillance protection to pass as human, never mind their evil Karma¡­ But I also can''t just keep Demiurge in the Tomb all the time! Demiurge, I''ll think and figure out exactly what I can do, I promise! Hopefully, Demiurge wouldn''t do anything that would attract too much attention''

    "Thank you, my Lord," Demiurge blurted out in a smile, then nodded. "But please, I dare not detain You any longer."

    Hearing these words, Momonga nodded, then turned around, "In that case, if you have any more questions, you may address them to me at a later time ¨C [Gate]!"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Raynare watched as Father, the Biblical God, Lord Momonga, judging by the way He was now addressed, disappeared into the black vortex of some kind of portal, and then she closed her eyes. She could barely keep herself from jumping in joy.

    ''Raynare, you lucky bastard, congratulations, you just hit the jackpot!'' The voice in her head couldn''t make up its own mind whether it was congratulating her or laughing at her. ''You''ve been forgiven for your sins! Really, you don''t even have to wait for the [Ascension] or even for the next, ha-ha, I don''t know how long the Time of Sorrow and the Last Judgment will last? Speaking of which, you''re kind of involved in them now ¨C congratulations, the career progression next to Father is amazing, from a random Fallen errand girl to Apocalypse bringer!''

    "And yet, hm¡­" Demiurge''s contemplative words made her open her eyes again, as if hoping that, if she were to see a demon who, contrary to all previous assumptions, was subject to the Biblical God himself, her life would oddly make more sense. "As for this Miki person¡­ Perhaps Albedo and Shalltear had originally posed the question wrongly. It was not who was first, but who that didn''t matter?"

    Raynare waited a few more seconds before she realized, trying to move out of her seat, that the cold had crept into her body so deeply that she could no longer move. In fact, her body''s condition was so critical, that she no longer felt the cold, instead her thoughts were simply slowing and the call of sleep was like a siren''s song in her ears. There was no doubt about it, she was dying.

    "Lord¡­ Demiurge¡­ " Will all of her leftover might, Raynare tried to squeeze out a plea for help from the demon, but he turned to her with a strange expression. He was smiling, and perhaps it was a product of her dying mind, but it almost looked¡­ kind. Perhaps, of course, it was also one of his false smiles, but for some reason Raynare became strangely certain that this was not the case.

    "Yes, I suppose you have been entrusted to me now, as atonement for your sins and a test of my abilities." Demiurge shook his head slightly, the mirthful smile still on his face, as if inwardly admiring something,

    "Hm, I suppose my fiefdom, though strikingly different from this one, is still of little use to someone of your level and ability. In that case, I suppose it would be best to go to the Sixth Floor. When, indeed, we have a long preparation for the moment when Lord Momonga gives us the sign to start the play."

    Demiurge smiled again, but there was as much joy in this new smile as there was sadistic anticipation. "You, Raynare, will play an important part in the coming days and will witness as the new and old servants kneel before Lord Momonga and the Forty-One in His person¡­ And how we will bring His Kingdom Come to this world by cleansing the world of sin one last time!"

    Lord Demiurge''s smile turned instantly into a manic grin. "Through the greatest prophecy of this world, which will be fulfilled before our eyes and by our hands ¨C the Apocalypse!"

 Overlord of a High School (10)

    Miki opened her eyes, with the cold from the dawn highlighting the emptiness of her own room, The gradual brightening of her room the only thing that tells her that time is still moving.

    Miki''s gaze slowly moved towards the clock, hanging opposite the bed. The tick down of the clock, usually almost inaudible in any other time, was almost deafening in the silent morning hours. It¡¯s currently a quarter past six.

    It was the usual time at which Miki used to wake up, just enough to prepare for the day¡¯s goings-on, to prepare breakfast and lunch for Issei and¡­ Gorou. Ten to fifteen minutes to brush her teeth and shower, fully washing away the leftover morning drowsiness, and she would go down to the kitchen, leaving herself a full hour to cook. Cooking something big or gourmet in that time was difficult, but breakfast was neither the former nor the latter. When she was in a good mood, oyakodon or even curry for packed lunch.

    By the time everything was ready, the rest of the household would be finally awake, going down to the kitchen with a fully prepared breakfast¡­

    ¡®Does that make any sense?¡¯ Miki silently caught the last thought in her mind, looking at the clock that was so disgustingly slow and loudly counting down the passing seconds.

    ¡®Why am I awake at this time? Gorou is gone, Issei is also gone¡­ I am the only one left, what¡¯s the point in waking up so early?¡¯

    Suddenly, another thought flashed through Miki''s mind. ¡®Just me and Satoru¡­¡¯

    Miki covered her eyes for a moment, trying to understand what she was feeling at this time, from this thought. Joy? Regret? Anger?

    The tangle of thoughts in Miki''s head shrank after time passed, but failed to generate an answer. Instead of a clear understanding, only a heap of emotions came to her. Like a computer repeating error messages, after deleting some very important files, spitting back panicked errors that made no sense. As if someone had ripped out some critical part of Miki''s mind that kept it functioning, and now it had to hobble on, encountering error after error.

    ¡®Does this even make sense?¡¯ Miki''s shattered mind couldn''t even tell her what she liked and didn''t like, and what that even meant in the first place.

    Miki waited a few seconds, as if clarity would come to her¡­ And that epiphany came along with the slight, barely audible squeaking of a pen on sheets of paper. Someone else was already awake even earlier than her, and seemed to be already busy working.

    ¡®It''s Satoru.¡¯ The realization came to Miki a moment later. ¡®He''s up even earlier than me and already working¡­? While I can''t even decide if I should get up at all¡­ Ha, he must be hungry, right? That should be something that I could do¡­ But he¡¯s a much better cook than me¡­ No, just because he made a fancy breakfast yesterday, have I now decided that I can dump all my responsibilities on him? What purpose would I even have then¡­¡¯

    Miki exhaled and then got out of bed forcefully, throwing back the blanket before heading off to do her morning routines. A bath should help clear her head, at least, she hoped so.

    A few minutes later, Miki came out of the bathroom, refreshed but still not knowing exactly what she needed to do with her life. At least, she knows what she is going to do in the next hour.

    Slowly, trying not to make any noise, Miki tried to determine where Satoru was at the moment, then froze in her steps when she realized the answer to that question.

    Satoru was in Gorou''s office.

    ¡®Haha, really, it¡¯s not like I could blame him, it''s not like I gave him a room. Even if I did, there''s only an extra bed in the home, and that¡¯s in Gorou''s office. So, the most logical thing for him to do was to settle in there.¡¯ Miki smiled sadly to herself, but still with a wistful happiness. It was as if Satoru had cut another little thread leading to her past, relieving her of another chain weighing on her that she hadn''t even suspected was there before.

    ¡®And now he¡­¡¯

    ¡°Mom?¡± Satoru turned around, just as Miki had looked into the room and saw that Satoru was covered in textbooks and notebooks, he had noticed her presence.

    ¡°Ah, Satoru, good morning," Miki answered him, noticing from the corner of her eye that the books Satoru was reading were mainly textbooks and dictionaries. ¡®Of course, how else would he get a hundred points in all subjects, if not by spending his free time on his studies, from the early morning even, what a studious student¡­ so unlike Issei.¡¯

    ¡°Good morning, Mom.¡± Satoru nodded back in greeting, a polite smile on his face, changing into a worried one when he looked at Miki, who was staring. "Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing," Miki shook her head a little sadly, Satoru¡¯s likeness to Gorou making her feel wistful. "Breakfast will be ready in about an hour. Do you have any requests?¡±

    ¡°Umu.¡± Satoru assented, thinking for a moment. ¡°No, nothing like that ¨C make whatever you want yourself¡­ Or, umu, I can make something myself?¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn''t, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Miki shook her head.

    ¡°Thank you for the offer, but if you cook for the second day in a row, I''ll feel uncomfortable¡­¡±

    ¡°Umu, okay," Satoru nodded, before waiting another moment to see if Miki would ask him anything else, and seeing that they were done talking, returning to his studies.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t Issei be like his older brother¡­¡¯ Miki unconsciously allowed a bitter thought into her mind before she froze. ¡®Ha-ha, how strange? I¡¯m already comparing between Satoru and Issei like they¡¯re siblings already, and I¡¯m already picking favorites¡­ Ha-ha, I''m definitely not Gorou''s wife anymore, maybe I''m even already not Issei''s mother after all? If I''m neither a wife nor a mother, then what am I?¡¯

    Miki slowly tore her gaze away from Satoru before forcing her body to move, slowly heading down the corridor further, toward the stairs and the first floor, determined to distract herself from thinking about that thought further. Slowly descending the stairs, Miki found the hall with her eyes and froze, as she looked at a clean room.

    Her brain connected yesterday¡¯s memory with the incongruous visage in front of her. The room should be a wreck, the spilled alcohol, empty bottles, the vomits. The room was cleaned, spotless ¨C but it could not erase what she had done yesterday. The way she had brushed off Issei when he only wanted to help, the way Satoru brought her warmth, care, understanding. What kind of mother was she?

    When Issei appeared beside her, all Miki could do was throw insults back at him. But as soon as her mind realized that Satoru was beside her ¨C her stupor that should have seemingly knocked her down long ago, and had by then, instantly evaporated. It was as if her body could not bear the very thought of Satoru seeing her in her miserable state. Like in those silly stories where a person can instantly sober up from the mere realization that he has to do it, or from fear.

    Haha, how is it that Issei only made Miki irritated and angry, while Satoru was, on the contrary, able to bring her out of her condition. How is it that just by standing next to him, it made Miki feel calm and protected, her body became strong, and her mind became calm?

    ¡®One is my son, whom I have always loved, watching with bated breath as he grows and matures with such high hopes. And the other is a random stranger whose existence I didn''t even know existed just a week ago¡­¡¯ Miki looked at the living room, which no longer held any trace of her outbursts last night. The only evidence that this was not a dream was the slightly crumpled upholstery of the couch and the light, almost weathered, tart smell of alcohol.

    ¡®So why can''t I figure out which one is supposed to be my son that I loved?¡¯

    Miki felt her emotions shivering in a single tangle ¨C guilt from thinking that she¡¯s loving her son less, and happiness that her new son is an upstanding man. The confusion prevented her from making sense of her situation, from figuring out exactly what she was feeling now, and for whom. But at the same time Miki equally hoped and feared that if she could only sort her life out again, get it back on track, reignite what was left of her identity as Miki Hyoudou, she would get an answer¡­  An answer she would not know what to do with.

    Miki made her way to the kitchen, then smiled slightly as she looked at her familiar, yet for some reason, now, alien utensils. ¡®Funny, these are the same utensils I''ve been using for the past few years, and for some reason it seems so new and strange to me now. Had not using them to cook just for one day made them feel so strange now?¡¯

    Opening the fridge, Miki was pleased to find that there¡¯s still some Satoru¡¯s food leftover from yesterday. He had cooked a really large amount, and it would go bad soon, so Miki had found what she¡¯s going to cook now.

    Taking out some eggs and chicken breasts, Miki grabbed the leftovers as well, before taking out the rice from the nearby drawer, then proceeding with the cooking.

    Rice to the steamer, chicken to cut up, eggs to prepare ¨C oyakodon with rice, a breakfast fit to start the day.

    The container of Satoru''s breakfast leftovers from yesterday opened, allowing Miki a little snack before starting to cook. The process itself, hitherto always so ordinary and familiar, suddenly brought an unusual warmth inside Miki, causing her, for the first time in a while, to show a little smile on her face.

    ¡®I''ve been a housewife for over ten years, and all that time I''ve been doing the same thing, all the time, every day.¡¯ Miki felt her smile grow sad, but the sadness in her smile was only superficial, not reaching her eyes. ¡®And all this time I thought this was my place in this life, that I was happy with my place and happy with my occupation. But I am smiling, doing what I have always done, only now, feeling joy as if nothing had happened before, with neither Gorou nor Issei. As if everything had become good only at this moment, only now that my life had meaning¡­¡¯

    These thoughts, just a few days ago, would have caused Miki''s psyche to be terrified, to cause her to doubt her mental health. But Miki was aware that she was definitely no longer healthy in the sense that ordinary people understood it. Miki had lost some important part inside her that had stopped her thoughts from heading in that direction in the past. As if, after a day and a half of incessant psychological and emotional abuse, some critical thread inside her mind had broken. And what should have been assembled into a single structure, ensuring Miki''s functioning as a complete person, had fallen apart, in an instant, nothing remained of the past Miki.

    ¡®Could it be that¡¯s because Issei is Gorou''s son?¡¯ Scary thoughts for any mother settled in Miki''s mind with absolute ease. ¡®I always thought that I loved Issei, maybe I was just confusing love with affection? Or confused love for Gorou with Issei? When we first tried to have a baby, I loved Gorou, after all, so I decided to have a child with him. I loved Gorou, and Issei came as a result of what happened after many tries, and failures¡­ The fruit of love, ha-ha. But I loved Gorou, not Issei in the beginning, it''s just that Issei came into my life, and I loved him because he was my son with Gorou, the proof of our love. And when it turned out in the end that my love for Gorou was built on false pretenses, then wouldn¡¯t it mean that my love for Issei was false too? If there was no reason to love Gorou, then why should I love Issei¡­¡¯

    Tasting the oyakodon for seasoning, and determining that it was ready, Miki turned off the stove, then checked the steamer, noticing that it was almost done as well. Miki then smiled as she looked at the prepared breakfast, before glancing at her watch. "Seven-fifteen¡­  Usually by this time Gorou and Issei were down for breakfast, but they¡¯re not here anymore."

    And, as if in response to her thoughts, Miki heard quiet footsteps on the second floor, coming down the stairs. Satoru appeared in the dining room a moment later, looking at Miki with the same eternal polite smile that never seemed to leave the confines of his face, and Miki smiled back. ¡®Of course, there¡¯s Satoru, exactly as it should be¡­¡¯

    Something else inside Miki broke with a loud bone-crunching crunch, but this time she welcomed the sound with something akin to joy.

    ***

    Momonga smiled at Miki, as she looked at him with warmth in her eyes, feeling a little uncomfortable internally as he looked at the spread of food on the table. Though perhaps the feeling came from some strange sense of nostalgia, Momonga wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡®I don''t need to eat at all, so no point in wasting food on me, but Miki had made me food anyway, and she looked so happy doing it. Ha, is it because she''s my ''mom'' now? I never thought before that adoption could really change the relationship between people so radically¡­ Hmm, maybe I need to do something for her in that case, too?¡¯

    Realizing that he was once again immersed in his own thoughts, Momonga returned his attention back to the breakfast on the table. Before he could begin to eat, he noticed that Miki was still standing, and that there was no food on the table for her. ¡°Mom, what about you? ¡°

    ¡°I usually have breakfast after everyone¡­¡± Miki thought for a moment, then shook her head and smiled slightly again. ¡°Then again, why not?¡±

    Miki joined Momonga a moment later, getting a portion of food for herself, so that his guilt over the food waste receded from Momonga, allowing him to enjoy the food finally without any reservation.

    ¡®Incredibly delicious!¡¯ Momonga hadn''t tasted everything that could be eaten in Nazarick, limiting himself to a few experiments with low-level dishes, but Miki''s cooking seemed to be on their own level! Considering that the magical dishes that Ainz brought from YGGDRASIL represented magical items or were prepared by very high-leveled cooks, Miki''s food far exceeded what Momonga expected. ¡®I know that my taste for quality is skewed since I¡¯m used to the thankfully tasteless, nutritional paste and insect flour, but this food still tastes incredible! Plus, it''s made with non-magical foods, I specifically checked those earlier ¨C so Miki really deserves praise!¡¯

    Momonga took another bite, then another, finishing his breakfast very quickly, then smiled at Miki for the good food. "Thanks a lot, Mom, that was incredibly delicious¡­ Hmm?¡±

    A strange effect however made Momonga pause for a moment. ¡®Wait, maybe¡­? No, damn it, it was!¡¯

    Momonga felt the food buff begin to take effect on him.

    A completely insignificant one, one that he could have easily missed if it had come to him unexpectedly while he was doing something. But since Momonga knew, by this point, exactly what he had to be looking at to notice it, he instantly realized that the meal Miki had cooked had given him a buff. He had to thank his previous ample experiments to make him unusually perceptive when he¡¯s eating, even when he doesn¡¯t need to.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    It was incredibly weak, something on the level of maybe a level five or ten, food ¨C yet Miki was able to make a buff-giving dish from completely non-magical ingredients. Which in turn indicated that she possessed at least five levels of Cook.

    ¡®Umu, this is a great find!¡¯ Momonga felt a small light ignite in his depths, as excitement coursed through him.

    ¡®Hmm, there aren''t many cooks in Nazarick capable of cooking for the inhabitants, I can only think of Clavu to be honest¡­ Miki could strengthen Nazarick if I convinced her to work for me, especially since she could hide in plain sight, being a Human and all. Huh, I am already her adopted son, so I could ask her to cook extra, but if I start asking her to start cooking for dozens of people at once¡­ Yeah, that will definitely look weird, something I couldn¡¯t easily explain away. Hmm, if only there was a way to somehow use her for Nazarick''s benefit and still ensure her loyalty¡­ Gorou and Issei have already disappeared from the picture, so if I use Pandora¡¯s Actor well, perhaps I can somehow influence her attitude towards me. Issei is her son after all, she will have to listen to him. Huhum, this would absolutely work! Let''s start the experiment to strengthen Nazarick by using the inhabitants of this world!¡¯

    ¡°Thank you again for breakfast, Mom, but I¡¯ve got something that I need doing¡­¡± Momonga spoke as he rose from the table, nodding to Miki, before she abruptly stopped his attempt to head for the sink, "Satoru, why don''t you sit with me for a while¡­ Son.¡±

    Miki said the last word with a sort of smile and almost tenderness, that Momonga felt a little awkward for lying, it was that heartfelt that it caused some emotional damage to the Undead. An incredible feat. ¡®Ha, great, now I''m feeling a little sorry that I decided to infiltrate this world using such a cover, when Miki was about to contribute greatly to Nazarick¡­ Well, I''ll try to give Miki a good working environment.¡¯

    In any case, finding no reason to refuse Miki¡¯s request, and judging by the time, Momonga had time to stay a while before going to school. Momonga sat back down, after bringing his plate to the sink to clean it as a force of habit.

    Momonga looked at Miki, as she glanced back at him suddenly looking thoughtful, as if thinking something inwardly, before popping the question. "Satoru, if you don''t mind, I''d like to know a little more about you¡­¡±

    Momonga frowned inwardly at the question, his paranoia rearing its ugly head, before quickly realizing that Miki probably wanted to know something about Satoru Suzuki''s past, who Momonga introduced himself as, or rather, how Pandora¡¯s Actor introduced him. She wasn¡¯t asking about ¡®Momonga¡¯. ¡®Huh, I never thought through my false backstory actually, I was too busy with other things all this time¡­ Okay, what should I say here in that case? Pandora¡¯s Actor didn''t say anything specific, so I could try just repeating what he said and then come up with more specific details a little later when I have time to think it over¡­¡¯

    ¡°Well, umu, I''m just an ordinary person, my name is Satoru Suzuki, and my mother is Mai Suzuki, and my father, umu, Gorou Hyoudou.¡± After repeating what Pandora had said, pretty much useless information that doesn¡¯t say anything that Miki doesn¡¯t already know, Momonga decided to continue as vaguely as possible.

    "I, umu, after Mothe¡­ Mai Suzuki died, I came here, looking for my father, not knowing exactly what he looked like¡­ Which in hindsight, was actually a terrible idea when I only had a name, but I just didn¡¯t know what to do after Mai died. I was probably just going to wander around for a few days with no lead before giving up ¨C that is, until I luckily met Issei by chance, and he led me to you. And well, umu, you know the rest¡­¡±

    After these words, Miki nodded a few times and looked up at him, then smiled a little sadly, ¡°Ah, about your mother¡­ About Mai Suzuki ¨C what can you say about her?¡±

    ¡°She was nothing out of the ordinary," Momonga instantly decided to answer as vaguely as possible. "She''s just like any other mother¡­ I mean, um, Mai¡­¡±

    Momonga hesitated, then decided to take the unfortunate line of thought into furthering his story, and strengthening his background. If he can compliment Miki as well, that¡¯s just swell. He needs Miki to think of him well if he wants to make her contribute to Nazarick. "I mean, of course Mai was a good mother, but you''re much better than her, Mother.¡±

    Miki, hearing the unexpected compliment, froze, then shifted her gaze to his and shook her head slightly, "Just as I thought¡­¡±

    ¡®Hmm, did I say something strange? What kind of conclusion did you pick up from that very vague story?¡¯ Momonga thought about it for a moment, returning to the conversation when Miki asked another question, ¡°And how am I better than her?¡±

    ¡°You''re a great cook for one¡­¡± Momonga suddenly froze at the unintended compliment he had blurted out ¨C that¡¯s the wrong thing to say, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡®Ah, crap, nobody liked being complimented like that, right? What to do now!?¡¯ Momonga almost slapped his face at his faux pas, realizing that he didn''t know how to say compliments to girls properly.

    Touch Me always did say there was one win-win way to compliment a girl ¨C and Bukubukuchagama agreed with him then, while Ulbert on the contrary, says that it only worked with handsome men like Touch Me.

    ¡®Ahem, well, at least let''s check whether I would count as handsome in this body, if nothing else I could just apologize, right? Saying your mother is beautiful is just something normal, right?¡¯

    ¡°And you are also incredibly beautiful.¡±

    Miki, hearing Momonga¡¯s compliment, blinked a few times, confused, before then shifted her gaze to Momonga, making him inwardly draw near, the moment he noticed some unhealthy light in Miki''s eyes for a moment. But Momonga didn''t have time to ask if she was all right, as he heard the abrupt mechanical singing of a bird trill ¨C the sound of the house''s doorbell.

    Miki''s gaze momentarily lost the strange emotion in it, replaced by irritation, before Miki rose from the table and quickly made her way to the front door.

    Momonga himself picked himself up internally, recovering from the social disaster of his conversation with Miki, angering her. Actually, if the bell was from Pandora Actor coming home, that wasn''t bad ¨C but if it wasn''t him, Momonga instantly became curious.

    Who would visit his dwelling so early in the day? Was it the Devils?

    Trying not to show his nervousness, Momonga finished his mug of tea, then, hearing an unfamiliar muffled voice and the sound of footsteps in the living room, used his scouting spells immediately. Silently, of course. ¡°[Life Essence], [Mana Essence].¡±

    The blaze showed that apart from Miki¡¯s low parameters, one that he¡¯s already familiar with, there¡¯s another similarly low leveled figure in the house.

    Seeing that it¡¯s not an ambush, Momonga exited the kitchen, coming face to face with the unfamiliar presence sitting in the living room with an indignant Miki. It was a short, thin, middle-aged man dressed in something that reminded Momonga of the ¡®cleaner¡¯ uniforms from his past world.

    ¡®Practically zero mana, just like Miki, but he has considerably more health. Or rather, he only has significantly more health when compared to Miki, whose health is lower than the average first level. I''d say this man has, um, judging early levels¡¯ parameters is very difficult, but judging by the comparison¡­ Maybe a third level warrior? Or a fifth level?¡¯

    ¡°Ah, good afternoon," The man, seeing Momonga¡¯s figure stiffen on his way out of the kitchen, only nodded sadly. "Excuse me, are you Issei Hyoudou?¡±

    Momonga, hearing the unexpected words, shifted his gaze to Miki, trying to understand what he needed to answer at the moment. But Miki, probably misunderstanding his gaze and his thoughts, shifted her gaze back to the man, looking even more incensed than before.

    ¡°Officer, what exactly is the matter?¡±

    ¡°Ahem, excuse me, Madam Hyoudou," The now revealed to be police officer moved his gaze to Miki, then back to Momonga, as if trying to mutely gesture to Miki to see if Momonga was supposed to be present at the moment. Miki, however, only continued to glare at the officer, forcing him to surrender. ¡°Alright, Miss Hyoudou, I¡¯ll explain. The fact of the matter is that your husband, Gorou Hyoudou, did not show up for work yesterday, And when he didn¡¯t come to work today, his office decided to lodge a report when they couldn¡¯t contact him. That¡¯s why I was sent to check for a house visit to see if something¡¯s wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°And I hope he never comes home again either!¡± Miki practically spat the angry words out at the officer, causing him to recoil a little and then cough awkwardly into his fist with a forceful cough to dispel the awkward air.

    ¡°Ahem, well, I take it you have no information on his current whereabouts?¡± The office suddenly addressed the silent Momonga, causing him to blink in confusion and surprise at that moment, finally realizing what had happened and why the police officer was here.

    ¡®Did something happen to Gorou? Where did he disappear to? What happened to him was definitely something that would cause such an abrupt change in routine. So, did he not go back to work? Well, his job definitely noticed his disappearance¡­  Ha, it was indeed something incredibly strange if someone didn''t show up for their work in my past world. Their bank account would be automatically deducted due to his absence from work as a penalty¡­ But wouldn¡¯t police officers only show up to their domicile when their bank account runs dry, making the employee a criminal. Then and only then would a police officer come visit to drag the employee to jail, or at least to remove a dead body from the apartment, a very common occurrence, sadly. Did Gorou have such a small account that was only enough for him to miss work for only one day, or were there other laws in Japan¡¯s past?¡¯

    ¡°Surely not here! I''d check on one of his mistresses¡­ If I knew who they were, and if I even cared where he was now." Miki exhaled loudly, before adopting an angered visage as she continued complaining at the officer.

    "Actually, officer, If you find him, no need to notify me, but if he shows up at the door I will tell you about it. But there¡¯s no way he''s coming back to live in this house either!¡±

    The officer looked away, uncomfortable at the outbreak of emotion-filled words, before exhaling and shook his head. ¡°Well, I understand you, madam¡­ Good day and I apologize for such an unexpected visit this early in the morning.¡±

    After a short nod, the officer rose from his seat before turning around and heading for the front door, with Miki, who was still holding a frown on her face, following behind him, closing the door. At the same time, Momonga himself felt calm again before returning to thinking about what might have happened with Gorou.

    ¡®Huh, actually, I don''t even know where exactly Pandora¡¯s Actor sent Gorou ¨C if Pandora¡¯s Actor actually did anything already. Maybe he just decided to move away to another city entirely because of the debacle with Miki yesterday? This world is more primitive in terms of technology, so possibly Gorou has not yet had time to convey the fact that he ended up in another city¡­  Huh, on second thought, what if Pandora¡¯s Actor sent Gorou to another country? Then it might be quite impossible for Gorou to contact his past place of employment, especially considering that I doubt that Pandora¡¯s Actor would send Gorou with any of his money or paperwork¡­  Gorou, I''m really sorry!¡¯

    Miki returned a moment later, still fuming ¨C apparently the reminder about Gorou seriously displeased her. With a huff, she settled back down on the couch, looking with a frown somewhere ahead and yet somewhere very far away.

    ¡°Mom, is everything all right?¡± Momonga tried to show a little empathy, feeling guilty for Gorou and, because of that, following the connection, for Miki as well.

    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Miki, however, only brushed his words aside before shaking her head and looking at him again, this time more calmly, ¡°Don''t you have to go to school soon, Satoru?¡±

    Momonga glanced at his watch and nodded, and he began to stand to return to his room to ¡®prepare¡¯, before Miki shouted about something behind him.

    ¡°Don''t forget your lunchbox in the kitchen!¡± Miki smiled at him as he turned back, so Momonga just nodded at those words and went to get ready for school.

    ***

    Issei Hyoudou, Pandora¡¯s Actor, walked along with Motohama and Matsuda, who had joined the duo halfway to the school. He could only watch with internal glee as Issei''s two friends ¨C his friends now, almost stumbled over their feet as their thoughts were still a thick, thick mud brought about by their early morning stupor. Their main aspiration at the moment, it seems, is to find a suitable place to sleep, and yet, their feet continue to carry them to school like instinct.

    ¡®Sleep really is such an irrational waste of time.¡¯ Issei shook his head at the weakness of these lesser beings. Blessed by the wisdom of his Creator, Issei possessed abilities and equipment that completely negated his need for rest and food. And as expected, the lesser creatures of this world were not afforded similar abilities nor such artifacts, and therefore were forced to spend an irrational amount of time and resources on sleep and daily sustenance. Something that forced Issei himself, who required no such thing, to conform to the behavior of the two people beside him and go to sleep ¨C or rather, simulate sleep.

    Issei simply lied still in one place with his eyes closed, while inwardly making a count and inventory of the great treasures of Forty-One. While there¡¯s no such thing as wasting time in service of the Great Forty-One, Issei much preferred doing so, in person, in the Treasury.

    It was a long eight hours before he could sense the waking mind of those around him and consider it an appropriate time for his awakening.

    Even then, when amply made awake by their alarm clock, his friends were not capable of acting with satisfactory efficiency. Their minds were still half asleep, their bodies were slow, and their aspirations had degenerated even further, from inferior desires to physiological ones.

    Issei even felt a little pity for these sad, imperfect creatures, capable only of meager capabilities to further their own false functions. And even those, for only for some invisibly small part of their lives, require devoting an unbearably large amount of time to support their physiology and compensate for the weakness of their bodies.

    Issei could not even imagine how sad it must be for Aura and Mare, who were told by Father to ¡®get as much sleep and food as necessary for their growing bodies¡¯ ¨C how terrifying! Such a useless waste of time in which they were forced to face their own imperfections, forced to give up the opportunity to devote themselves to work for the good of the Great Tomb of Nazarick¡­ Issei dare not imagine what they had done to deserve such grave punishment.

    Although, Lady Bukubukuchagama did create Mare with a love for sleep, thereby saving him the incredible physical and mental torture of wasting his personal time on something so imperfect. Perhaps that was why Aura seems so irate when interacting with Shalltear?

    Anyway, without anything else to occupy his time, Issei''s mind had already habitually begun to touch and bounce around the people around his group, noting those who had been checked out yesterday and those who were new. Issei nearly lost his step when his mind discovered something new.

    ¡®How interesting¡­¡¯ With some strange gourmand''s pleasure at discovering a new dish, Issei noted the new mind that had reached the periphery, the identity of the person still not evident.

    ¡®What a strong mental defense¡­ Hmm, it will be hard for me to get into this mind without using my special abilities, and even with them, it will be extremely difficult to do it unnoticed¡­ [Silence in the Looking Glass] can only be used once a day, so I won''t be able to penetrate this mind unnoticed for about another half hour. And even without touching this mind, I can determine that doing it in any other ways will definitely give me away, perhaps even that the owner of this mind will even detect and understand exactly what happened to them. How fascinating!¡¯

    Issei changed his trajectory slightly, which Matsuda and Motohama, who were just beginning to come to their senses after a short nap for the average person, of course did not notice. As Issei came near the person, he could barely hold his glee as he glanced at the possessor of the mind that had caught his attention.

    It was a short girl with black hair gathered into two long ponytails at the sides of her head and with piercingly blue big eyes. She was wearing a pink tank top that covered her ample breasts, the outfit not quite fitting for her height, her short pink miniskirt that left little room for imagination. On her legs were long, knee-length, black-and-pink-striped socks, and on her head was a small pink beret, nestled neatly between the two ponytails.

    The Actor instantly strained his memory and the memory of the others, which he had already managed to check later, to find her identity, after which he found a suitable answer. The source of the answer, also confirming that the person¡¯s identity was anything but mundane.

    ¡®Ah, Serafall Leviathan, or Serafall Sitri, if you refer to the family name which she had abandoned by taking the title of Leviathan. One of the strongest demons of the Underworld ¨C incomparably weaker than Sirzechs Lucifer or Ajuka Beelzebub, but then it was simply because the two of them were the outlier. In the eyes of the local ¨C she possessed incredible power and is quite possibly the strongest demoness, daemonette? In this world. Hmm, what an honor that you visited this academy in person ¨C not surprising, though. Yesterday''s meeting with Father had gone in one of the worst ways for the demons, as you failed to learn anything from Father, yet at the same time were forced to retreat, acknowledging His right to His own actions. Forced to allow His stay in the city, and more importantly in the academy, where your own relatives are studying. Sandwiched between a hammer and anvil, not yet realizing that you are mere blanks in the Master''s hands, and that what you thought was your territory was never so. For everything in this world belongs to my Father by right of the Supreme Being.¡¯

    It took all of Pandora¡¯s Actor''s entire will to not allow even an iota of his inner thoughts and joy to appear on his face, maintaining Issei¡¯s normal, bored appearance.

    ¡®Ah, I almost felt sorry for you, Serafall Leviathan. Sorry for how little you know of this world, how little you understand, yet at the same time I am glad that Father is giving you such a grand revelation¡­ Miki was the first ¨C perhaps you will be next, Serafall?¡¯

    And sure enough, Father, already aware of what was happening, appeared moments later, heading forward and Serafall, who had instantly found Him with her gaze, as she went to cut across His trajectory.

    ¡®I cannot read your mind, dear Lady Serafall, but I don''t need to,¡¯ - Issei allowed a slight smile to appear on his face.

    ¡®I already know everything that you are thinking of, all your schemes, and plans, it¡¯s almost routine really¡­ You think you are a player in this world, and you see before you an opponent, a danger, a potential source of benefit. You would try to subdue the Father and use His power at the same time, to protect what you dare to call yours, whether it is territory or family. All the while not realizing that only the Supreme Being determines what is true and what is false in this world, and what was given to you, will turn into your curse, only to later become salvation. Go, mistress Leviathan, Vater wishes to see you on the stage, and you have no choice but to fulfill the role that pleases Him¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ise, I do know that, that," Matsuda started, then pointed to the retreating figure of Serafall, moving toward Father. "Is a great eye candy, but what have you taken today, if you have the strength to smile this early in the morning?! You¡¯ve slept less than we have!¡±

    ¡°I don''t know," Issei shrugged, then looked up to Kuoh Academy, to where Father and Serafall had disappeared into.

    "I just feel like something good is about to happen¡­¡±

 Overlord of a High School (11)

    Momonga walked toward the academy as routine, or as routine as one day of doing it, anyway. More specifically, toward the gate separating the academy grounds and the outside world, trying to internally prepare himself for another useless day of grind. In this case, grind his knowledge.

    ''Hah, maybe I could ask Pandora''s Actor to study carefully in school, and then just make him give me everything he learned in one go? No, that''s a bad idea. If I do it that way, he''ll immediately have questions about why I don''t know such basic things ¨C and I can''t admit that I only went to elementary school. Not to mention that Nazarick might not know what elementary school is¡­ Or, even worse, Actor might imagine something incredible and teach me some esoteric things instead, forgetting to mention something important because he thinks it''s obvious.

    Ha, the problem of my subordinates being so much smarter than me, all because I once thought that making Pandora''s Actor a ''super genius'' was ''cool''. Am I now suffering, just because, for once, I wasn''t able to not keep my chuunibyou syndrome under control!?''

    Momonga almost raised his fist to the sky and screamed his frustrations, but the suppression of emotion kicked in exactly the moment he approached the school gate, and exactly the moment a stranger''s female voice invaded his thoughts.

    "Halt evildoer! You shall not pass!" Momonga''s entire train of thought suffered a catastrophic crash upon hearing such chuuni exclamations. Then, like a wooden doll, he turned his gaze and found a short girl in pink clothing that could not be called other than ''cute'' or ''evoking cute'' blocking his path to school. The girl wore a pink top and skirt and beret ensemble that looked like a very expensive, and yet tastefully cute dress. That, along with the girl''s overall height and her hair, fashioned into two ponytails descending from the sides of her head, instantly made Momonga think of a mahou-shoujo.

    A thought that was only reinforced a moment later when Momonga also noticed the staff in the girl''s hands pointed in his direction. It was a white staff with a golden star on top surrounded by a ring, and two small bat-like leathery wings just below the ringed star.

    The girl lifted her staff and struck it to the ground, completing her pose, then with a determined but still cute expression turned her gaze to Momonga.

    Momonga was instantly ready to attack this unknown potential danger. ''[Silent magic: Life Essence], [Silent magic: Mana Essence].''

    Momonga''s gaze immediately changed ¨C contrary to his expectations, the flame that appeared before him was only suitable for the first level, before his [Arcane Sight] broke through the illusion and spells like [False Data: Life] and [False Data: Mana]. The illusion the girl hid her true capabilities under quickly gave up under the onslaught of his abilities.

    ''Oh, surprisingly strong being for this local world, at least so far, complacency kills and all that. I would say¡­ hmm, she''s about equal to a level seventy mage? Her staff is enchanted, as are all her clothes, though I can''t really tell their ranks¡­ At the seventieth level, a mage already has tenth tier magic, so she may well sense my use of [All Magic Item Appraisal], not to mention the possible passive protection from surveillance¡­ Okay, the correct thing to do here would be to start preparing for any possible attack and find out exactly who she is.''

    The girl, clearly not expecting Momonga to actually stop after her commands and the ''menacing'' stomp of her staff, blinked in confusion, before the previously ''menacing'' expression on her face disappeared. Almost immediately after, Momonga had to force himself to remain alert, as the girl devolved into a childish tantrum.

    "No, no, not like that, that''s not how you''re supposed to respond at all! After I proclaimed my command, you were supposed to start walking slowly and inexorably toward me, so I could copy the scene further. Don''t you have any respect for the feelings of magical girls at all?!"

    After being bombarded by a litany of complaints that didn''t make sense at all, Momonga blinked before nodding internally, praising his opponent''s tactics. Trying to confuse an opponent is a simple, but very effective PvP tactic, after all. The girl in front of him might pose no threat to him, but if there is an ambush team of several hundredth level creatures nearby while she serves as bait, the situation can become dangerous in a flash. She''s definitely distracting enough.

    ''Hmm, I would use [Gate], but I''d better get information before retreating¡­''

    "I''m sorry," Momonga took a few more steps, deciding to humor the girl to get any information he could. "I didn''t know it was so easy to meet a mahou-shoujo in this town just by heading to school."

    "Not ''mahou'', but ''maou''!" The girl held up her forefinger instructively.

    "Maou-shoujo! Do you get it?"

    "Maou-shoujo?" Momonga depended on his skills heavily to maintain a poker face and calm in the eve of a battle happening, and even then, his eyebrow raised a little.

    ''Hmm, so she''s a demon? A Demon lord, if I still remember correctly, what ''maou'' means¡­ Hmm, quite expected, actually, considering what Pandora''s Actor told me about who''s ruling over Kuoh Academy, and a level seventy at that. So she''s one of the local rulers? She''s stronger, higher in base level than any of the Pleiades, excluding Omega, but depending on her equipment level and specific build, her danger level could change drastically. Given how much time and effort the members of Ainz Ooal Gown have put into providing the best equipment for their created NPCs ¨C I''d say she''s as strong as Narberal Gamma. Though, given the strange abilities in this new world, I still shouldn''t let my guard down. If she''s, for instance, specialized in facing Undead, she could be as strong as a level 100 Player.''

    "That''s right, the cutest demon lord girl in the whole world, Serafall Leviathan, is here!" She smiled while doing a pose with her legs shoulder width apart, extending her hand to the side with the staff to form a triangle. Her other hand was on her face, so her eye was between two fingers, as she grinned. It was clearly a practiced pose, one to display the cuteness of the Maou-shoujo in the best way possible.

    Momonga felt his jaw involuntarily fall wide open. ''God, she''s like Pandora''s Actor! No, worse, Pandora Actor was cool, while this one is trying to be cute instead! Wait¡­ did I just seriously think that Pandora''s Actor was ''cool''?! No, get away you dreaded disease! Don''t come back to me, I''ve learned from my past mistakes!''

    Inadvertently, Momonga suffered a massive amount of SAN damage.

    A moment later, Momonga''s brain was forcibly cleared of the shame that struck him in the depths of his soul, far more damaging than any magic Serafall could use. Momonga spent a few moments recovering from the savage blow, after which he returned to his cold reflection. ''Hmm, Serafall Leviathan, is it? She was identified as one of the people responsible for creating the door in the principal''s office. And according to Pandora''s Actor, she is one of the four demon rulers in this world and probably the strongest demoness ¨C or is it daemonette? In this world. It eases my paranoia somewhat, that even the strongest demoness of this world is someone with level seventy. But then again, it still doesn''t mean that she''s the strongest demon there is, or that there isn''t a demoness significantly stronger than her in hiding. Actually, it doesn''t ease my paranoia at all!''

    Momonga once again cursed the fact that there are so many unknowns, and even things that he doesn''t know, he doesn''t know.

    "It''s nice to meet you, lady Leviathan." Regardless of his inner turmoil. Momonga replied calmly, not allowing any of it to appear on his face. And thanks to his [Create Body], which maintained the last facial expression automatically without his interference, namely his usual quiet politeness, his poker face is impeccable. "My name is Satoru Suzuki."

    "I already know that!" Serafall smiled momentarily, as if revealing that finding his identity was something trivial to her, perhaps to intimidate Momonga further? That remains to be seen, Momonga would remain vigilant nonetheless.

    "But I still don''t know who you are! Would you mind revealing your secrets to this cute magical girl?"

    After another moment, Momonga saw Serafall trying to use a spell, reflexively, he was about to use [Triplet Maximized magic: Reality Slash] in response, before Serafall could attack him. Such a spell would have guaranteed that Serafall would suffer catastrophic injuries, unless she had used another illusion under the first level of illusion that concealed her even higher level. Luckily for Serafall, Momonga decided to pause his casting when he realized that the Serafall''s spell was not an attack spell, though perhaps not quite innocuous either.

    Judging by the way it tried to touch Momonga and dispelling without even reaching him, it was a spell of gathering information.

    "It''s quite rude, lady Serafall, to try to learn the secrets of your new acquaintances the first minute you meet them." Momonga squinted his eyes slightly, preparing himself to attack or instantly retreat into Nazarick with [Gate], if Serafall decided to increase her aggression.

    Serafall, blinking stupidly in surprise as if not expecting the outcome, squinted back, looking at Momonga as she clutched the staff in her hands a little tighter. It seems that the time for playing is over, as the Maou''s expression finally turned serious. "I think you understand that I can''t just let you into the Academy, can I?"

    "I never would have thought that a maou-shoujo would be so opposed to people getting an education¡­" Momonga spoke before pausing, remembering Demiurge, another Demon, and the fact that almost all the Demons in YGGDRASIL possessed extremely negative karma, in fact the lowest, and immediately corrected himself. "Though I suppose it''s to be expected for demons¡­"

    After these words, Serafall only squinted her gaze more, looking at Momonga with no small amount of apprehension.

    Momonga sensed that the situation was close to the start of a battle. If Serafall was planning to attack him with an ambush ¨C now was almost the perfect time for that, further delaying was useless. At this point Serafall''s thoughts were completely obvious and all Serafall needed was a sign to attack, a second of distraction from Momonga, and with his delayed magic already prepared, she would die at that time as well.

    So, Momonga decided to spring the trap himself.

    Momonga surreptitiously glanced to the side, taking his eye off of Serafall, waiting for this distraction to serve as a sign to start the battle. There was little point in killing Serafall, with her level, unless she was cloaked in a second layer of abilities that Momonga could not passively ignore, and she was, in fact, much stronger than she first appeared. She was more of a distraction, a decoy and a mild inconvenience, quite likely meant to make Momonga spend some mana before the true battle began.

    Depending on her build and abilities, she could withstand several low-level spells from him, opening himself from attack from the hidden assassins. That is, if he didn''t want to risk it, he would have opened the battle immediately with something strong like [Triplet Maximized magic: Reality Slash], overkilling her. Which, in turn, meant that he would start the battle with the real enemy with mana spent on one of the most mana inefficient spells, with an expensive metamagic in addition to that.

    It wasn''t any significant waste for Momonga, but depending on who exactly was sitting in ambush at the moment, it could affect the outcome, as could any minute detail.

    ''If I knew exactly where the people in hiding were located, I would have already attacked first, but my [Arcane Sight] can only pass through magical obstacles like illusions or invisibility. While the enemy can hide behind a rock and go completely unnoticed to me due to the fact that I have no single [Ranger] level or similar abilities. Casting any detection spell at this point would definitely be construed as an attack.'' Momonga continued to stare into Serafall''s eyes, letting her do the same in return.

    The silent duel of glances dragged on, seeing who would blink first, literally and figuratively. But Momonga, with his undead racial advantage and the ability not to blink if he wished, won the silent confrontation, causing Serafall to blink slowly and very slowly, clearly trying not to lose sight of Momonga. Instead of attacking, Serafall decided to put her staff down and speak. "Maybe we can come to an agreement? A [Contract], to be exact?"

    Momonga, instantly sensing the danger of battle beginning to recede, and that talks would begin with Serafall, and probably the Demon side, began to relax. Not fully, of course, springing your trap when you''ve put your opponent at ease is simply the basics after all.

    But¡­ a [Contract]? What does Serafall meant by that? Momonga doubts that it would be the same contracts he was accustomed to during his time as an office worker in his former world. Still, since Momonga lacked the ability to read minds, he decided to let Serafall present what she''s talking about and nodded slowly.

    Serafall, seeing Momonga accepting her suggestion, seems to return to her previous cheery self, so quickly it was almost as if her previous serious expression were nothing but a mirage.

    "How about¡­ Something like you won''t attack Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory and their [Peerages]?"

    Momonga, now smelling blood in the water like a shark, instantly lunged forward at this vulnerable target. "How will I know which one is which, which students are members of the two''s [Peerage], and what about a case of self-defense? If they attack me first, or if they attack my subordinates? What about the theft, the invasion of my house, besides, don''t you think, Lady Serafall, that in this case this contract should continue with ''in return I'' because, at this point, this contract is extremely one-sided, isn''t it?"

    Serafall, hearing this such a rapid and verbose response, slowly squinted her eyes, but interrupted herself halfway through, whereupon, a moment later, her gaze changed completely, and her smile returned to her face. And, in an exaggeratedly childish, or ''cute'' movement, she stuck her tongue out. Then she covered one eye and touched her head with her fist, as if trying to pull off a mahou-shoujo scene in reality.

    Once again, Momonga suffered massive SAN damage, but forged on.

    "Oops, magical girls aren''t good at bureaucracy, and complicated words. You better discuss those with complicated people!"

    Momonga frowned inwardly, then smiled as he found what he thought was a simple solution to the problem, "In that case, maybe it''s easier to leave things as they were before? Especially since I haven''t given you any reason to suspect me in the past day at the Academy, have I?"

    Serafall looked into Momonga''s face with a much more keen and tenacious gaze that didn''t suit her mahou-shoujo appearance at all, and then she flashed a big and slightly silly smile again. "Sure thing, cutie!"

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Momonga blinked, unsure of what he''d heard. ''Cutie?!''

    "But you''d better behave yourself!" Serafall raised her index finger again, wagging it slightly as if to admonish a pupil. "Or else this beautiful maou-shoujo will come back and punish you, you boring villain of bureaucracy instead of a weapon!"

    Momonga blinked again. ''Villain? Why am I a villain? And why am I wielding bureaucracy instead of a weapon?!''

    "Umu, of course" Deciding not to get bogged down by the girl''s weirdness, which reminded Momonga too much him of Pandora''s Actor, Momonga only nodded. "In that case, if you''ll excuse me, lady Serafhall, I have to go¡­ Umu, to class at the Academy."

    "Of course, cutie!" Serafall grinned and then moved swiftly to stand by as Momonga walked past her, waving at him. "But remember what magical girl Levi said!"

    "Absolutely." Momonga nodded at the veiled warning, as he headed forward towards the Academy. ''Huh, so this ended well without too much trouble¡­ Huh, I''m glad another weird misunderstanding didn''t grow out of it.''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    ''So he knows that much about Devils?'' Serafall frowned slightly, looking at the back of the departing Satoru, but not letting the seriousness of her thoughts be reflected in her face and body movements with more than a slight frown. Not letting the inner thought of the Demon Lord in charge of Foreign Relations to show. ''What is his true identity, really?''

    Devils fulfilled contracts, this part of their identity was known to almost all the peoples and pantheons of Earth. To the point that even ordinary people not privy to the secrets of this world knew about it from legends and stories.

    It was also known to many that occasionally a devil could be deceived at the time of a treaty, and would still be forced to keep their part of the deal. And while a devil could pervert the spirit of a treaty, they could not pervert the letter of it, and even though humans knew that the devils would do their best to cheat and lie, humans still made deals.

    The reason for this was that the Devils possessed the ability to make iron-clad [Contracts], a magical pact acting on both participants, primarily as a mental compulsion to abide by the [Contract] by reading each participant''s mind and memory. A [Contract] is able to determine, on a rudimentary level, whether the Devil acted according to the [Contract]''s stipulations, using the participant''s own thought for this determination.

    If a participant decided that they were violating the [Contract] by their actions, punishment followed instantly, more specifically, the [Contract] took away part of the [Soul] of the target, transferring it to the other party.

    Many of the old generation of Devils gained their power this way, by making [Contracts] with people, then pushing them to break and knowing they had broken it, they gained power quickly and easily. And so the Devils were wary of breaking their own [Contracts], risking losing their power, and their trustworthiness.

    Because as Devils were creatures of [Contracts], just completing one would also increase their power, that was why the Devils even bother creating [Contracts] in the first place.

    Trust in the devils was never too great, of course. But having a reputation as ''duplicitous assholes who always hold to the letter of a contract, if not its spirit'' was better than a reputation as ''duplicitous assholes who cannot be trusted at all''.

    Serafall Leviathan, as a maou, a Satan with the title of Leviathan, in charge of the entire Devil faction''s foreign relations, understood this well.

    In other words, approaching a [Contract] with a Devil, each party could have had different assumptions, either in respect for the spirit or for the letter of the [Contract], which each did not plan to violate. And judging by the way Satoru acted, he held the second position.

    But here opened a second problem with the [Contract]. A [Contract] was a powerful and unbreakable ability, but such magic, capable of influencing the [Soul] directly, required great power for its realization.

    For weaker Devils, performing minor services in the human world and guided by the ''spirit'' of the [Contract], it wasn''t too much of a difficulty. The simpler and smaller the request, especially in duration, a [Contract] was, the less effort was required to implement it. The [Contract] to ''cook a meal'' or ''beat up my abuser'' could be made by low-class devils from the first days of their lives. Fresh from their course to get themselves situated in their new life as a reborn demon, interacting with mere humans who resorted to demons solely to facilitate their otherwise disconnected from magic lives.

    However, not all of those who used the services of devils saw them solely as another convenience of life, like a cab or home delivery. Occasionally, a Devil might encounter a powerful figure or even experienced devilogists who wanted something far more sophisticated ¨C a hundred years of service, secret forbidden knowledge, seventh-generation lasting family protection, and the like.

    And that, in turn, meant that devils, if they hoped to enter into a [Contract], needed to use a lot of their powers, and the more conditions there were, the more power a devil needed.

    A high-class devil could make a [Contract] of a few terms lasting a few months long. While an ultimate class was capable of forming a [Contract] lasting years, with the terms a full-fledged document that would merit the approval of a good lawyer or notary public.

    Serafall surpassed even the ultimate-class demons, reaching the penultimate level of power in the Underworld ¨C a Satan-class devil, or Maou-class. Her class is only second in power to the two insane cheaters, Sirzechs and Ajuka, Devils who were so far removed from the other demons that it was not even funny.

    For Devils of her power level, she was capable of creating [Contracts] that lasted generations long, with terms that are volumes thick. But it still doesn''t mean that she was capable of creating all [Contracts], Serafall could theoretically still exhaust the limit of her powers and face a [Contract] that even she could not make.

    And Satoru Suzuki, if that''s even his real name, had easily pointed this out to her, simultaneously flicking the nose of Serafall, who had thought that she had the advantage in the negotiations. By reminding her that for all her power, for all the Devil''s side power, Satoru Suzuki had easily infiltrated Kuoh without anyone being the wiser. That the Devil''s claim to Kuoh meant little to him ¨C all while keeping an unflappable politeness and wisdom in his demeanor.

    It was the first time she was threatened so politely.

    Serafall knew that she was not the strongest being of this world, she was the strongest girl in the Underworld and might even be the strongest female devil ever. No matter what people say about Grayfia! But, even though she''s powerful enough to bring the apocalypse to the human world by her lonesome, she was weak compared to most of the gods of the old religions. Someone like Odin or Zeus would simply wipe the floor with her, and the less said about Sirzechs or Indra the better.

    And yet she was strong, quite powerful even, not only within her own faction, but also within the world. Except for the gods, locked in their own dimensions, oblivious to what was going on in the human world, there were a piecemeal number of beings capable of resisting or even surpassing her. There were only a few in all of Japan, the current rulers of Kyoto, for example, Yasaka Kyubi, or Nurarihyon could.

    And yet, none of them were able to completely escape her gaze¡­

    Hmm, maybe Nurarihyon could do it, but only in the sense of ''not getting caught by her'' rather than ''taking any form and not giving himself away'' when Serafall was using her magic.

    But her magic couldn''t get any information to her about the unknown intruder, after which he only flicked her lightly on the nose, reminding Serafall that she wasn''t the strongest in the world.

    How cheeky! Serafall Leviathan is a figure known to all, as one of the Maou, one of the strongest devils, even powerful entities like the gods were wary of directly incurring her wrath. They would all play along with her play as a Maou-shoujo, and would not risk offending her by breaking character. A simple trick, but as long as it worked ¨C no one could say that she was using it for nothing.

    That, and she liked doing it too! Seeing Sona''s embarrassed face is all worth it in her opinion!

    And yet, the unknown Satoru Suzuki, not only threw off her act, as if he were used to communicating with the powerful personalities of this world, especially with those as ''informal'' as Serafall, every day. But on the contrary, where others would only go into defense ¨C he went into offense, easily unbalancing Serafall from her position and overturning her words. It was as if he couldn''t care less about the attitude of the most powerful demoness and the entire demonic faction toward him.

    As if he could afford, by right of the powerful, to ignore what world politics saw in him¡­

    And all this despite the fact that he had invaded someone else''s territory without revealing a single bit of truth about himself! He had entered the citadel to the two younger sisters of the ruling Satans. After which, when the guards arrived eager to escort the uninvited guest out, or at least to find out by what right he dared do such things now, he only gently scolded the seasoned fighters as silly children. He even politely asked them not to disturb an adult, busy with his own business.

    It was as if the threats from the High-Class Devils, who were especially trained for body guarding, didn''t even enter his eyes.

    On some level, Serafall felt anger at how simply and easily the unknown intruder had smashed her entire prepared attack, figuratively that is. Instead of being startled by the sword held to his throat, he had only noted its lack of quality before easily taking it aside. A threat known as Serafall Leviathan appeared before him.

    On some levels she couldn''t, even if slightly, not admire the insolent ease with which, betraying his complete confidence in his strength and power, his deep understanding of his own and his surroundings'' strength. At his profound intelligence. Satoru had simply walked through every obstacle in his path, without even paying attention to the way the seemingly best guards of the fortress were trying to stop him.

    On some primal level, Serafall admired this kind of bold directness, confident strength, and intelligence. Unafraid to show how deep his understanding is of the truth of this world ¨C that with enough power, all is allowed. It''s about the same level that children might admire their favorite superhero on the television screen. And yet at the same time¡­

    ''What to do now¡­'' Serafall quietly relaxed as Satoru disappeared beyond the Academy''s door, but a slight frown still tried to break through, proof of the seriousness of her intentions.

    ''In fact, Serafall needed to decide on what to do about his ultimatum.''

    Just sit back and stay out of my way while I go about my business ¨C I don''t even know nor care who Sona and Rias are, is it?

    What a bold claim, and an even bolder lie. No, the latter of his claim is impossible, everyone arriving in this town, unless they literally lived under a rock, must know about why this place is devil territory, bought from the youkai. Nor why this territory is guarded so heavily. So he must mean that¡­

    ''Hmm, I don''t care about your games, I don''t care about Sona and Rias, if you sit quietly, I won''t even notice your presence and do what I came to do!''

    Ha, what great impudence ¨C I should add a character like that to Magical Girl Levi''s new season!''

    Serafall couldn''t hide her giddiness at the great idea she had, before abruptly sobering up.

    ''But what about Sona ¨C should she just trust him that he won''t do anything? What''s the alternative to that, ordering her to evacuate the city? Sona won''t like that, and who knows how this Satoru will react to such a blatant action. Maybe she should call in the heavy artillery in the form of Sirzechs or Ajuka? No, that won''t work, with Satoru being able to completely hide from my abilities, then he must be someone above Satan''s level, which means we''ve got some previously unnoticed god here from somewhere.''

    Wondering if she could stealthily bring the two Super Devils to bear, or if she could just evacuate Sona from the city without catching any attention, Serafall had to admit that such a thing is impossible.

    ''Even with all of Sirzechs or Ajuka''s power, they wouldn''t be able to contain him without Satoru being able to cause some great damage before he would be defeated. If he could be, that is, given his brash insolence and confidence in power¡­ Ha, has some forgotten pantheon decided to come out of its lair? I believe in Sirzechs and Ajuka''s power, but I''m not used to doubting the power of the gods either. So we''re stuck with him, we don''t know who he is or what kind of power he has, and we have no idea what to do unless we want to explicitly provoke him¡­ Ha, to think, I''m in charge of all the external relations of the devil faction, the social battlefield is literally my job title, and here I am, stumped in ten seconds of negotiation, outplayed on all fronts¡­ Okay, I admit, color me impressed.''

    Serafall finally exhaled before turning away. ''Okay, so we''ll have to leave him alone for now, at least just increasing the number of observers and guards in the school and preparing additional emergency evacuation methods. The Academy is our territory, so Satoru shouldn''t react adversely to this ¨C if he does, we can just point out that this is the Devil''s residence, similar to how he already took the Hyoudou family residence under his control. So there shouldn''t be too much of a reaction. Ha, in that case we should also stay away from his residence, to prevent any possible provocation. Satoru, why are you such a complicated person, just one meeting, and I''m already stumped! I called you a villain correctly!''

    Serafall stomped her foot, not sure if she wanted to convey admiration or annoyance with this gesture, before turning and walking away, ignoring the three pairs of eyes that continued to stare after her.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Is that¡­" The chesty low voice came from the tall woman with long, deep blue hair running down her back in a single ponytail below her buttocks, ending just above her knees. With her yellow eyes and dress, a crimson colored garment that with some doubt could be considered a short fitted coat with a shirt underneath, that looked slutty and yet still appropriate. Though very barely at that. Completing the outfit, a skirt, and black boots with a rather high heel, blared through the underneath. The figure cut an alluring figure, dripping with sensual temptation.

    Though, at this point, with her pupils opened wide in shock, and her expression full of terror, her attractiveness took a great hit. Not at the strange sight of a person cosplaying as a mahou-shoujo right in front of a school, but at the identity of the cosplayer. "Tell me I''m dreaming."

    "This will be the first time I won''t be glad to upset you in any way, Kalawarna." A high voice came in response to these shocked words, as if from a little girl. Though the identity of the voice looked unmistakably like a young girl, she was anything but, though one couldn''t tell from the way she dressed. Dressed in a black dress with white lace and a big black bow in front, the short girl looked like a young, innocent girl. With her blond hair gathered into two ponytails by another black bow, her blue eyes just make her into the complete package of a jail bait.

    Seeing that the girl is older than most nations, the dress style might simply be an ironic appellation, or perhaps simply her hobbies. One couldn''t really tell with Fallen Angels, after all.

    "We, to our great regret, are not asleep."

    "Why is the fucking Leviathan here?!" Completing the trio, the source of the cursing was a middle-aged man with a slight unshaven look on his serious, as if carved out of stone face. Wearing a wide cloak over his white shirt and black pants, and a pair of leather gloves that literally made one look at him exclaim ''detective!''. He managed to ask the world only once before Kalawarner, pushed him to the ground and his mouth was immediately clamped by the other girl''s hands.

    Without even the sudden act of violence, the trio looked completely out of place.

    "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" On the verge between panic and hysteria, the girl continued to press her palms to the face of the man. "Just shut up, Dohnaseek, you''re going to kill us all!"

    Dohnaseek, realizing he had spoken too loudly, instantly stopped resisting, showing his acquaintance that she could stop choking him, but doing so was not so easy. She was gripped by deathly terror, like she was swimming only to discover that a Great White Shark was just passing by in front of her.

    "We''re all going to die, we''re all going to be killed!" Delirious and mumbling her words, the girl continued to press Dohnaseek to the dirty pavement of the alley. "We''re all¡­"

    Abruptly, the sound of a slap resounded through the alley, along with the sound of the girl''s body falling off the tall man''s body.

    "Mittelt, you either come to your senses ¨C or we''ll throw you out to Leviathan as a distraction," Kalawarna''s harsh words instantly made Mittelt come to her senses before opening her mouth in a mute question and immediately closing it.

    "Well, at least that answers the question of where Raynare went and why the hell Issei is still alive." Dohnaseek hummed almost hysterically, which didn''t go well with his appearance, before casting an insane look at Kalawarna, who seemed to be the only one in his current state maintaining a semblance of sanity.

    "So what do we do now? Run for our lives?"

    "If the Leviathan wanted us dead, we would''ve been dead long ago. If nothing else, how are we supposed to escape from her!?" Kalawarna replied sharply, watching Dohnaseek try to rise from the ground and shake Mittelt off.

    "If we try to, we''ll just attract more attention to us, but not succeed ¨C someone like the Leviathan only needs to think, and our heads would explode or something."

    Mittelt, obviously still not recovered from her panicked state, wrapped her head around herself, as if hoping that in this way she could avoid the fate Kalawarna had described.

    "There''s no point in trying to kill Issei now, as long as the Leviathan is around, we should sit quietly in our church and pray, ha-ha, to God that we might live to see tomorrow. You can cross out the possibility that Raynare is still around, she probably did something stupid and mouthed off to the Leviathan and got erased for all her troubles. We will have to send Lord Azazel a message that the mission is impossible to accomplish now."

    As much as Kalarwarna tried to hide it, her plaid pallor still showed that she was truly shaken from almost coming face to face with the crazy strong Devil.

    "Hahaha, of course, Lord Azazel will easily understand us abandoning the mission! He''ll have to!" Dohnaseek only threw a half-hearted smile at his exclamation, ignoring the two girls looking suddenly ahead, as if the monster might return suddenly at that point.

    "What are you saying, Kalawarna! He may be one of the good ones, but he''s still a Fallen - our bosses won''t take ''impossible to do'' as an answer. What if he ordered us to monitor the Leviathan''s movement instead!"

    "We''ll cross that bridge when it comes ¨C we''ll definitely at least get to live another day or two." Kalawarna swallowed nervously before turning her gaze to the morning sky, and sighed.

    "I never thought I''d miss Raynare¡­ But the world, as it turns out, is full of surprises."

 Overlord of a High School (12)

    The subsequent day of schooling for Momonga went by about the same as the first, perhaps even more boring, if that''s even possible. After the sense of novelty had weathered and given the absence of meeting Rias Gremory and any possible ambush dissolved, Momonga found that he was bored out of his mind.

    No, Momonga preferred situations where he was safe, even if doing something rather boring, to those in which he risked his life. But having realized that yesterday, he was probably not in any actual danger ¨C Momonga realized that yesterday''s encounter was actually the only interesting event of the entire school day. He spent the rest of his study time either trying to listen to the teacher and reading a textbook, or immersed in his own thoughts.

    With nothing to do, he had actually spent most of his time looking out the window or at his desk, not understanding what the teacher was talking about

    In other words, Momonga was completely bored, with the most exciting thing to happen was the arrival of new invisible and cloaked figures, presumably the devils, into the school. Periodic checks allowed Momonga to somewhat tell that their overall level hovered around thirty, and their total number was maybe in the range of three dozen.

    Under normal circumstances, such actions on the part of a potential adversary would have caused him some concern ¨C if the enemy was something more threatening than a passing breeze, that wouldn''t kill him under any circumstances. Creatures of this level were only well suited to be used as ambush material if a level one hundred or even higher player was lurking nearby. Momonga of course checked, and found none each time.

    Gradually, his paranoia about finding a maximum level player behind every rock began to recede after a personal meeting with one of the ruling demoness whose danger level was disdainfully small to Ainz himself. She was not that weak in the big picture of this world, as Momonga could tell anyway, she might be able to use one attack against him before she died.

    But if someone could muster, um¡­ about fifty or a hundred thousand of them? Then Ainz would definitely be at a disadvantage. If, for some reason, of course, he chooses to stay and fight, rather than retreat, which would be his main plan in case he discovers at least a dozen level seventy creatures. Mainly because the presence of such would absolutely indicate that they are being controlled by someone even more powerful, not that he would be threatened by them.

    Pandora''s Actor was in roughly the same position now that Momonga thought about it. He lacked certain top-end abilities and equipment, but had far greater tactical flexibility, able to take on various forms of Ainz Ooal Gown Players at any time, including those who specialized in sweeping large clusters of enemy like Ulbert.

    However, without knowing the specific abilities and the enemy''s build, deprived of preparation, both Momonga and Pandora''s Actor would both be placed in a very precarious position. If they were facing hundredth level enemies, that is. Actually, if Pandora''s Actor had to maintain his disguise and could not freely transform, his power was seriously reduced, to maybe an equivalent level ninety with a very poor stat placement.

    In other words, he had almost no chance to beat an opponent of the hundredth level, much less one that had prepared the battlefield or was waiting in ambush. But at the same time, even weakened considerably, a creature of the seventieth level was not a problem for him, but a mild irritant instead.

    Considering that the seventieth level in this case, the Leviathan, was a ruler and is probably busy with other things than just watching Momonga. And that, quite possibly, she was only sent here when yesterday''s forces seemed insufficient to the demon lord, Zeoticus, these factors, while not completely denying the possibility of a level one hundred enemy, did help dampen Momonga''s paranoia a bit.

    It was likely that the arriving level thirtieth demons were not a distraction and meat shield for the players, but a kind of guard in themselves. Which, if true, meant that Momonga didn''t need to worry about the demons at all, they posed no threat to him. And at the same time, by relaxing, he would lull the potential enemy''s guard, giving them a false sense of protection.

    ''What''s interesting enough is that why are they sending such weak guards? [High Tier Physical Immunity III] and [High Tier Magic Immunity III] were not something special in the game, it''s not even the maximum level of their tiers, since I gave up the combat-oriented build. At about level seventy, players and the NPCs they created started getting similar abilities that protected them from crowds of low-level opponents ¨C why didn''t the enemy assume a similar thing for me? Or is it because such abilities aren''t as common in this world? Or is it because they have abilities that can pierce through such protections?''

    Momonga sighed, there are too many factors to consider before he can relax fully. He could only shake his head, as he continued to watch as more and more demons scattered around the courtyard, all while they maintained magical invisibility and illusions all the while.

    ''Although this world is not YGGDRASIL and there are definitely strong creatures in it, at the same time the average level of this world seemed much lower¡­ In YGGDRASIL, most of the Players were level one hundred at any given time, maybe except for the first month after the start. Players below seventy were most often considered not even starting to play the game fully, and therefore attacks on them were condemned by all sides¡­ Except when a player who started playing belonged to a heteromorphic race, then it was fair game. Shitty sadistic Devs, why did killing Heteromorphs not impose any penalties on players from the system? And why did killing Players of monster races often opened access to unique classes and quests!? Life is unfair ¨C but if the damn developers have not cared even about the balance, then why would they suddenly start caring about fairness?!''

    Momonga grumbled at the bad memories he had of being PK''ed over and over again until he wanted to quit playing the game. He almost wanted to sigh at the bad memory, mollified somewhat by his happiness of meeting Touch Me, causing a smile to appear on his face.

    Catching himself, Momonga remembered that he was supposed to pay attention in class, returning his attention to the teacher and the board in the front. Only to quickly realize why he wasn''t doing so in the first place, he couldn''t understand a single thing the teacher was saying.

    ''It''s so boring ¨C I have to concentrate on the knowledge that is imparted to me in this school, because it''s a great opportunity for me. But when I do that, I get bored and miss most of what the teacher tells me because I am bored because what the Teacher is saying is like a foreign language to me¡­ Is this what school is about? Just sitting still, bored, until years have passed? Why do people pay a lot of money for something like this¡­ Hah, I can only blame myself by forcing myself into a High School when I only have an Elementary School level of knowledge. This is so much wasted time¡­ I wonder if Pandora''s Actor is having a better day than I am.''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Issei, Pandora''s Actor, stacked his textbooks in a small briefcase, something he had been doing all through his ''sleep'' in the human world, mentally that is, mimicking his preferred hobby of taking inventory. However, if before he was taking inventory and categorizing the treasures of the Forty-One, this time he was taking an internal inventory of the discoveries discovered today.

    ''So, Koneko Toujou, or Shirone to use her previous name, is a rare subspecies of the nekomata, a nekoshou. A member of Rias'' peerage with yet another tragic backstory ¨C she''s practically an orphan without any living parents. She used to live with her older sister, a member of the master of House Naberius'' peerage, who sheltered both of them. That is until she went on a rampage, killing her master, causing her to become a stray Devil, hunted by the Underworld, and her sister Shirone to be captured, slated for execution. Excluding the many inconsistencies of this story, of course.''

    Pandora''s Actor chuckled mirthlessly at how badly the story was constructed, especially how lacking the investigation to Naberius'' master activities was.

    ''With Shirone condemned to death, and after her sister''s betrayal, it seems as if everything was crumbling around her. That is before she was saved by the personal intervention of the ruler of Underworld, turned into a demon by Rias Gremory.'' Issei mentally structured his findings, fact by fact, every minute detail pulled from the memory of his subjects of observation.

    ''How amazing and incredible! So many cool tragic stories, so many emotions mixed into a single cocktail and all in one place to boot!. People that had survived their tragedies against all odds. The failed results of inhumane experiments. The self-hating results of forbidden love between a priestess of a miko clan and a powerful leader of fallen angels. And an abandoned orphan afraid of her own powers that drove her beloved sister to mindless murder. And all of these delicious emotions and stories centers on one single figure ¨C the figure of Rias Gremory!''

    Issei could barely keep from striking a cool pose, but remembering his Father''s injunction, he refrained even from simply making a salute toward His class, he was so excited!

    ''Vater, what breathtaking generosity ¨C what a strange conundrum and punishment! This world is so full of empty and meaningless people, and yet, in this one school there are so many unique rare specimens. No, not in the whole school, and not even among the devils, the other girl''s team, the same blandness as everyone else, but only in Rias Gremory team. What strange luck ¨C or is it also part of Your funke of blessing given to this imperfect world? How amazing ¨C what lies within Rias Gremory? What part does she play in your plan!?''

    Once again, Pandora had to stop himself from exclaiming praise to his Father at the great mystery unfolding before his eyes. One that Pandora''s Actor had the privilege to unravel.

    ''What secrets lie behind the reason she has been able to gather so many unique, wonderful specimens around her? What will be left when I remove from her, layer by layer, the masks thrown over her. What will be the tragic story, the magnificent spark of understanding I would uncover then? Vater, I dare not ask for your guidance for this is my test ¨C is not this the essence of the son, to try to understand the will of his Father? But at the same time ¨C one cannot afford to be careless. While the Father is doing His will, moving the rulers of the devils as if they were toy soldiers, puppets tied by strings to His dexterous fingers, my essence is only to hide in the shadow of the puppeteer. I would dance like the other puppets, doing the work that pleases His will, without making it clear that this puppet dances according to the Father''s will and word, not needing strings for that. I would be the false shepherd, lulling the sheep to their ultimate end.''

    This time, a disturbing laugh emitted from Issei''s mouth, causing the neighbors to his desk in the class to stare at him with disgust. Even the teacher looked disturbed.

    ''Father, how amazing! How kind of you to place me here! There is so much disgusting emptiness in this world, but it is in this emptiness that small sparks shine so brightly that only those accustomed to emptiness could fully appreciate it. Confusing embers with a shining sun, not realizing that the ''ordinary'' of their surroundings unknowingly hollows their souls. All while trying to find their way by the stars, not realizing that the lights in the sky are simply reflections in the muddy and dirty water of a puddle, from which they are unable to take their eyes off. They would live their lives thinking that their life, death of purpose as normal, and that anything else is impossible. Only because nobody and never could point them to how this simplest trick is performed¡­ Ah, Vater, I admire the depth of your gaze and the range of your thoughts. Indeed, every duty is both reward and punishment and test and opportunity ¨C ding an sich. Every movement is in itself a play worthy of study and admiration, for where the least of it requires great libraries to comprehend, while the Supreme needs only one instruction¡­''

    "Ise!" Matsuda''s voice distracted Issei rudely from his musings, and unknown to him, he had almost lost his life at that moment. "I recognize that look from a thousand miles away ¨C have you finally come back to your senses?"

    Issei, catching a suitable answer from Matsuda''s mind, only sighed lightly and shrugged before glancing back at him, keeping an expression on his face between a resigned smile and relief. "Well, you can''t be sad forever, so yes ¨C faith in a brighter tomorrow and Murayama and Katase''s perky boobs have saved me from depression!"

    The two aforementioned girls, Murayama and Katase, who are the president and vice president of the kendo club, as well as classmates and frequent peeping objects of the ''perverted trio'', threw a look of contempt and anger at the trio.

    The two girls had repeatedly demanded that the entire trio be expelled, especially when they caught them peeping, as none of the three participants was secretive about their predilections or their plans. But, for reasons unfathomable to the minds of the two girls, and pretty much all students of Kuoh Academy, none of such requests had been granted.

    While a close examination of their surroundings'' memories revealed to Issei that that in other schools it might have been enough for a juvenile delinquent record. At the very least a compulsory detention with a psychologist, or, in the extreme case, a court injunction and compulsory expulsion with a transfer to a special-type of educational institution for juvenile criminals.

    It was difficult for the two girls, and, practically the entire Kuoh Academy, to comprehend the reason why Issei Hyoudou, a regular violator of not only the rules of conduct, but also several laws on sexual conduct in Japan, was still studying at Kuoh Academy. All even without hiding the fact that he had no intention of reforming himself.

    Issei could answer that, easily, in fact. The fact of the matter is that Rias Gremory, one of the two real rulers of this academy, was simply amused to have such an ''exotic beast'' in her ''private garden''. A garden given to her as her own ''safe'' training area for her future duties as heiress of the Gremory family. That, and as an exhibitionist pervert herself, she couldn''t really fathom why the perverted trio''s proclivities so offended the girls. At least they were honest about it.

    For Rias Gremory, the existence of such strange and repulsive specimens to human society was like entertainment. She enjoyed ''collecting'' such specimens, a thought that Issei could appreciate, feeling the joyful chuckle trying to break out on his face. Just as some humans are attracted to seemingly otherwise repulsive spiders or snakes as pets, Rias kept ''perverts'' as her own pets, letting them frolic in her terrarium.

    ''What cruelty, and yet with this I find it more and more interested in the opportunity to get inside your mind after all, Rias Gremory. What lies inside you, so deep that no one dares to know about it, not even yourself?'' Issei shook his head, continuing to smile creepily at the two girls, who responded by nearly grabbing their weapons, which they did not have with them at the moment. Instead, they chose to retreat, sharing some colorful insults Issei''s way.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    For all their blusters, and the threat they flung, they were not prepared to commit murder, even considering the whole trio ''repulsive''. At least, not yet. And without threats of a mortal nature, they could not stop the actions of the trio, or the duo at least, Issei had no interest in the lower beings'' body.

    The seemingly appropriate amount of physical violence, they were used to, was only capable of deterring the three for a relatively short span of a week or two. And official complaints were fruitless, the influence of their parents or the police was negligible in a city entirely bought out by Zeoticus Gremory, as a personal playground for two growing devil heiresses.

    ''Truth be told, Sona Sitri, though I suppose in this world she uses Souna Shitori as her paper-thin cover, appeals to me even less. Her, um, [Peerages] also deserves a separate mention, but they were so bland when compared to the cornucopia of emotions that is Rias'' own [Peerage].

    Tsubaki Shinra, Sona''s Queen, a former exorcist born with the [Cursed Skill] of attracting demons and evil spirits, or, to be more accurate, beings with negative karma. Reborn as a devil, turning her curse into her own [Sacred Gear], demonstrating the novelty of this world''s abilities, turning a skill into an artifact. At the same time, it also confirms the original conjecture about [Sacred Gears], she at least deserves an honorable mention at the very least, but beyond that¡­'' Issei shook his head slightly, while Matsuda, barely looking at him, was already beckoning Issei to go to their ''usual spot''.

    A peek at his mind, and Issei found out that it was a hole in the kendo club showers long ago, but hidden from view from all sides.

    ''The rest? They''re less empty than the average person, but hardly worthy of special mention. However, perhaps if the esteemed Souna Shitori could indeed rebirth Genshiro Saji as she planned, someone really interesting would finally join her [Peerage]. His inner conviction is blazing, wanting to find his own way in this empty and cursed world, but Father has already made His move, and now you are bound hand and foot. The unlucky young student, in vain trying to summon a devil, desperately hoping for a miracle, even if a dark one, to save his family. What do miracles mean when a Supreme Being has made His move on this stage? Your performance of contracts interrupted, you are now trapped in your manor, one step away from a disorderly panic, your lauded intellect proved to be only a sandcastle to test as the tsunami of His step, engulfing your world¡­''

    Issei thought about the tragic fact for a second, and found some smidgen of joy in it. ''Hmm, I can even see why Demiurge likes playing the role of villain so much ¨C there''s something extremely cool about being teuflisch¡­''

    "Ise, are you with us?" Motohama finally turned to him, stopping to cast some kind of signal at Matsuda before casting one last leering look at the retreating, seemingly already exhausted and resigned to their fate, girls.

    To his question, Issei only smiled, acting as Issei always did, "Of course!"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Rias watched as her father''s [Queen], Francis, walked around the office of her Occult Research Club, all the while she contemplated exactly when her life had taken a wrong turn.

    Yesterday morning, minutes before class began, was the last most normal day of the past few months, as Rias pondered what she needed to do about her engagement.

    The day was approaching when Riser Phenex, her ''future husband'' would come for her as their marriage contract dictated. The terms of their marriage had long since been negotiated and concluded by her father, something that Rias Gremory had no say in. It seems that the goal of making a common political alliance and creating a stronger offspring supersedes his own daughter''s happiness¡­ Something that she hasn''t forgiven her father over.

    Rias is sickened by the thought, but eugenics was a normal part of devil society, a community that had lost a huge portion of their population during first the Three-Sided War and then the Civil War. The devils were now forced to use whatever means they could to restore their numbers and strengthen their weakened position.

    Her older brother, Sirzechs, and his old friend and rival, Ajuka, together could hold almost any faction in this world at arm''s length, their personal power discouraging the enemies. But even if they were the most powerful devils in this world, there were essentially only two people, they can''t be everywhere. Especially in a world where even the ultimate-class demons were barely toy soldiers compared to the gods of the old pantheons, the Devils were sorely lacking in numbers.

    The system of [Evil Pieces] created by Ajuka helped to quickly restore the number of devils through converting other races. But this in itself raised worries and doubts among the remaining ''pureblood'' demons that they would soon be replaced by the younger generation of Devils. Such fears forced them to make a move on their part, reviving the program of eugenics and artificial breeding of stronger Devils. Hoping that their offspring are able to inherit the special abilities of various houses and clans, in their attempt to one day produce a perfect devil with all powers, comparable in power to the gods.

    A plan which, unfortunately, led to her father making an engagement pact with Lord Phenex. Something that Rias was extremely unhappy about.

    Why did they forget to ask her at all? It was sort of her wedding, her body, her free will and her life. Wasn''t one of the main reasons for the Civil War and the overthrowing of the ''old Satans'' faction, because of their tyranny, one that did not consider the choices of other devils?!

    But for all her complaints, the agreement was already made, and the [Contract] signed. Rias were left with only a couple of legal loopholes to avoid her marriage. Ones that sadly excluded sending assassins to Riser. Anyway, even if she wanted to and was allowed, she simply could not do with her current level of influence and close oversight from her family.

    She was left with only one path, a Rating Game, Rias'' [Peerage] against Riser''s. And Rias had one major problem.

    She didn''t have full [Peerage]! She hadn''t even participated in a proper rating game before!

    Of course, she had trained and participated in training games against Sona or her father several times, using loaned [Peerages] for that one. But no one would agree to her father giving her his [Peerages] for the duration of the battle. Her father was in the first place for not allowing it.

    Zeoticus Gremory was one of the strongest high class demon lords, standing on the border between high and ultimate class due to his innate abilities of the Gremory clan. His [Peerage] and subordinates were similarly each at the level of a strong high class demon or even higher. Francis here could probably defeat Rias herself even when only fighting at half his strength.

    That was where the main snag to Rias'' plan lay. She either has to get a full complement of powerful figures to add to her [Peerage] or find someone that lends her theirs. So finding eleven people powerful enough to beat Riser or to find someone that can lend her almost their entire [Peerage], both just as impossible, but the latter while easier wouldn''t work.

    If Riser Phenex even had an inkling of suspicion that someone would lend her a [Peerage] strong enough to beat him, he would find ways to weasel out. And to Rias'' chagrin, he would be entirely within his right to refuse to acknowledge the outcome of such a battle. Or worse, simply dismiss her demand for a ''Rating Game'' on the grounds that Rias had used a dirty trick to violate a long-standing [Contract].

    And even so, even if Rias were to win in this way, the prestige of the Gremory family would fall. For any outside observer, they would only see how Lord Gremory had violated a [Contract] made with another Lord ¨C showing himself to be an unreliable party.

    If Rias succeeded in winning the battle on her own, it would be seen as a personal victory that would prove her ability to abandon the [Contract] that had been forced on her. In other words, it would show the Devils her strength. And the strong, in Devil society, were forgiven much.

    But the problem was that Riser Phenex was a fairly experienced fighter and commander, with a full [Peerage], while Rias''s consisted only of one [Knight], Kiba, a [Rook], Koneko, and [Queen], Akeno. Of course there was also [Bishop], Gasper, but Rias barely knew what to do with him to let him out of his self-appointed exile, one that her Brother even agreed to.

    Gasper''s power was potentially dangerous to her own team, and he was too skittish, suffering from a mild form of agoraphobia, instead preferring to isolate himself in one of the rooms in the Old Academy building.

    In other words, she was short of [Rook], [Knight], two [Bishops], and eight [Pawns].

    And though Rias loved her [Peerage] as her own family, and would not trade them for anything ¨C the situation was such that defeating Riser Phenex by the power of love was not possible.

    So when, on what she thought just another morning, Rias received an unexpected call from her father demanding she return home immediately because of the potential threat of an unknown adversary, Rias rejoiced. She was aware of the danger the report represented ¨C ''unknown'' usually meant ''great'' threat, in other words, an excellent recruitment chance. And if this ''threat'' was so great that even her father is worried, it means that if she could recruit it, her chances of beating Riser would be greatly increased.

    After much arguing with her father, using the full force of her charm and after agreeing to have her father send a group of his personal bodyguards to protect her, she finally got permission from him to contact the unknown. It was at that moment that she finally realized the situation she''s in, half dreading the potential danger the unknown represented, and half suspicious of the hidden blessing sent to her in her hour of need.

    She was suspicious that it was just her Brother interfering with her life again.

    Thankfully, she didn''t have to doubt her brother for long. There''s no way that her brother would send someone so scary to help her.

    Everything had gone wrong from the first second of contact with the unknown, this Satoru Suzuki. And since then, her situation has only continued to roll downhill, completely oblivious to Rias'' pathetic protesting attempts to stop the disaster that had already begun.

    First Satoru had easily brushed off her attempts to use her reputation, her power, and the borrowed authority of the whole underworld that controls this city, like a pesky fly that''s bothering him. Then he brushed off all her attempts to pressure him with a kind of subtle, mocking ease.

    And finally, he had enough, and gave her a ''little'' warning, he seemed to have loosened his control over his power a bit, and almost put the fear of God ¨C ouch! In her soul with a single glance. After which, when father''s elite bodyguards, each of them superior to an ordinary high-class devil, popped out to protect her, rather than cowering in fear, he simply dismissed them like children. His poise and confidence, and even the slight mocking look he gave them, declaring to the world that he could wipe them out of existence with a flick of his fingers.

    Not that he said those words specifically, but that was the message.

    After that, Rias again had to fight off her father''s attempts to forcibly evacuate her away, but this time Rias had little reasoning for staying. Primarily because she realized that Satoru couldn''t care less about anything Rias could offer for him to join her [Peerage].

    He was already, definitely, incredibly strong, and as he had arrived as an enigma with his own unknown goals, Rias couldn''t do anything there. And as he appeared to have no fear of ''heavy diplomacy'', either using it himself or having it used against him, Rias couldn''t find any purchase there either. At worst, she would simply find herself with yet another strong enemy that she couldn''t handle.

    In other words, it was only the intervention of Serafall Leviathan herself that kept Zeoticus from ignoring his daughter''s opinion again and ordering her to leave. Or, if necessary, to bring her home by force of his own subordinates.

    The Leviathan''s presence eased both father and Rias'' worry. If the heavy artillery in the form of a Maou was involved, they had nothing to worry about. It was with these reassurances that father had ceased badgering for Rias to escape, and a flame of hope flickered in Rias'' soul.

    Perhaps with Serafall here, she could influence Satoru somewhat to have a better view of Devil''s society, and she could make him an offer¡­ Luckily, Sona''s [Peerage] is already somewhat full, and she would have no piece to reincarnate such a powerful figure like Satoru.

    Sadly, her hope was dispelled the very next day, when the Leviathan passed her an information that only caused the Lords Sitri and Gremory to send their best guards in a panic, and at the same time ¨C to sit still. How could they not? An unexploded ordnance was just dropped, a stone''s throw away from their charge. They didn''t know what to do. Should they evacuate? What if doing so would cause the bomb to explode?

    So, now they just have to sit next to the bomb and hope that it won''t explode on them.

    It was quite the funny experience to see the strongest servants of her house running around like headless chickens. Sadly, her joy was cut short when she realized that she had to deal with the person that caused such a panicked reaction from them.

    Rias'' reaction wasn''t much better off. Finding out that some unknown god had shown up at her Academy uninvited, brushing off even Serafall herself like an annoying fly, and that she''d previously thought of using him in her little scheme¡­ Ha, she just hoped to survive whatever was looming over the Academy.

    And at the same time, Rias couldn''t help but admit that what was happening was at least mesmerizing to watch. In the sense that she had never personally seen the gods and definitely had no plans to interact with them in person. And then one of them suddenly found themselves unexpectedly in her territory. It was very unexpected.

    In a way, it was even a surprise with some small amount of joyful surprise, and with a much larger share of fear.

    Riser Phenex posed a problem, but it was at least a familiar problem, one that she was already facing since the engagement was first announced. A concern whose resolution Rias could see before her. Not even the Satans, let alone herself, knew what to make of the unknown god who had decided to settle right next to where she sleeps.

    And if whatever he wanted was something nefarious, Rias has no doubt that whatever she does couldn''t stop it.

    The right of the strongest ruled the world. When one god could wipe out half of the Underworld with a battle, any attempt to force a god to do anything they don''t want was doomed to fail. Unless that god was a particularly pacifistic one, and even then it''s still a gamble that no one wants to play, even the most esoteric of a god''s power can still cause untold carnage. It''s a moot point anyway, Satoru has already shown, by his actions, that he wasn''t averse to violence.

    This fact in turn meant that the only way to deal with a god was to negotiate. But, judging by Lady Serafall''s report, Satoru had made it clear that he''s not open to negotiation. In fact, he had made an ultimatum for the Devils not to bother him as he accomplished his goals, and the ''or else'' is implied loud and clear.

    It took quite a lot of complaints and badgering from Sona to force her sister to allow her to stay in Kuoh. Not that Serafall could evacuate Sona, that is, they both know that any sudden, drastic move, might provoke the god.

    And so, reluctantly, the Devil''s side had no choice but to sit tight. A full-blown fight against the god would be very ill-advised ¨C they didn''t even know what pantheon he represented or what kind of god he was at all!

    Even her brother, Sirzechs, the strongest Devil there is, wouldn''t pick a fight with an unknown god in foreign territory without a very good reason. Especially when they don''t know anything about the possible adversary.

    That, and the possible collateral damage to property and lives, are simply unacceptable.

    The only reason Rias hadn''t yet been brought back forcibly to the Underworld and ensconced in the Gremory mansion behind their protections, was that no one knew at this point what kind of god Satoru was. Or even what reason he had come to Kuoh, in the first place.

    And seeing that he had done something as brazen as enrolling into Kuoh Academy, the only possibility was that he had some kind of business with someone in the Academy.

    The amazing thing was that Satoru, who had ignored all treaties and had come to devil territory in the first place, seems to be trying not to be provoked by devils! He was the one that had barged in on the Devil''s territory unannounced, and now he''s asking them not to bother him!?

    The right of the strong was once again showing itself in all its glory¡­

    At least, so far, Satoru hadn''t shown any intent to act aggressive, and no one could sense any hostility from him, but that was a small comfort. That was why, at the moment, Rias, Sona, and their [Peerage] were excused from classes, instead spending their time sitting their perky little butts in their fortified bunkers.

    The Student Council Room in Sona''s case and the Occult Research Club in Rias''. They were entirely surrounded by their parents'' subordinates, waiting with bated breath for another day of Kuoh Academy to end, not even bothering trying to answer their usual contracts with summoners.

    The Satan'' agents were probably already slowly doing their work, trying to formulate a suitable plan of neutral acquaintance between Satoru and the ruling circles of the Underworld. Trying to figure out if they should have been preparing for another war, if they could have gotten the power of a new god, and how the hell did Issei Hyoudou fit into all this at all!

    The informal leader of Kuoh Academy''s ''trio of perverts'' had attracted Rias'' attention in the past. Primarily by his admiration for Rias herself, and she had allowed him to continue attending the Academy on a minute whim, despite Sona''s many protests.

    But until now, she had never paid much attention to him, except perhaps when the kendo club or the swimming club turned to Sona to complain, and when Sona would inevitably complain to Rias yet again. Though strangely enough, she never did propose to kick Issei out of the school, preferring instead to sternly lecture him time and time again.

    And now it ended up being revealed that Issei was the younger brother of some unknown god and the bridge over which the unknown being with unknown goals had snuck into Kuoh''s territory. It had left both her and Sona none the wiser to the being, until it decided to simply march over to their territory openly, causing an enormous amount of scrutiny to be placed on her and Kuoh.

    "Maybe I really should have just expelled him earlier and dumped these problems on someone else?" Rias shook her head, palming her head in despair, in a desperate measure to ease the headache she''s currently suffering.

    "I never thought I''d say this, but I''d rather deal with Riser, than this!"

 Overlord of a High School (13)

    Momonga rose from the table before pausing for a moment as his instinct warred with his usual behavior. His body couldn''t get tired, and sitting in one place definitely wouldn''t cause any exhaustion to him, thanks to his undead nature. But, the remnants of his human emotions and feelings, seemed to be urging him to reach out his hands and stretch his stiff limbs a bit.

    Deciding to satisfy his body''s desires for once, Momonga stretched his body, then felt that strange pleasurable feeling he had sometimes felt in the past under similar conditions, before nodding internally. ''Half the pleasure of such action is simply mentally, not physiological, so it makes sense that I am able to take joy in such things.''

    A moment later, Momonga shifted his gaze to the rest of his class, also beginning to stand up from their desk after the bell sounded, looking thoughtfully. ''I can''t say that I knew my colleagues all that well in my past life, but usually, after a new employee showed up, the others at least once introduced themselves back. Many even come up to chat a little. Given that a shift lasts about ten or twelve hours daily, it makes sense that everyone tried to at least know exactly who they worked with. Communication is necessary for everyone, even if it consists only of ''hellos'' and ''goodbye'' every day. I wonder if I appear that standoffish?''

    A moment later, Momonga''s emotions were extinguished, allowing him to look at the situation with cold rationality again. ''Not that I really need friends, I went to this school to gain knowledge, not that I have found much gain there¡­ In fact, I''m already considering taking the opposite step, finding a suitable reason to get out of from school! It was too boring, and it turned out to be completely different from what I imagined. So, would it make sense in that case to try to become friendly with people that I''ll soon never see again? On the other hand, without interacting with them in the first place, I have absolutely no idea what exactly I should be doing at school other than attending the lessons. Actually, even if I want to, how do I exactly do that? On the first day, it might have been easier if I said something like ''I''m new here, can you tell me what''s to do around here?''. But this is my second day in this class¡­ Did I already miss the golden time for finding friends!? School is just so hard for me!''

    Another bout of emotion suppression calmed him down once more, allowing Momonga to sigh. ''Well, not everything in the world goes the way I want it to, I''ll have to start coming up with a fallback plan once I stop attending school. Maybe summon a doppelg?nger, and get him to adopt my appearance and go to school for me? No, again, same problems as with Pandora''s Actor, since my identity as Satoru needed to stand scrutiny, the possibility of the doppelg?nger acting strangely would ruin it¡­ What if they become enraged if someone mocked ''Satoru'' thinking that it''s an insult against me? One mistake, and I''ll lose my place in Kuoh, forcing me to look for another place to create another identity in.

    Thinking about how much of a waste it would be, relocating and dealing with another possible faction, almost made Momonga think twice about quitting school. Almost.

    ''Okay, the hell with it, I''ll just have to pen a letter of resignation from the school. I''ll probably have to pay a forfeit, considering I haven''t even paid the first tuition fee yet. Hmm, where would I find the legal tender needed? I do have certificates at least accrediting the fact that I finished Middle School, so a job at a Factory should be possible¡­ But if I can''t get a job legally what then? In YGGDRASIL, money isn''t exactly hard to come by. Players could earn by killing monsters, but it''s not like monsters drop loot in this world, so no point in attacking anyone, never mind the fact the possibility that they might have a backing behind them. Maybe I could start hunting criminals? Surely, even if they don''t have a bounty on them, criminals would have some money, and I could appropriate it for myself.''

    As soon as he thought about it, Momonga became sure that this course of action was the right one. Momonga had heard many times, stories from Touch Me about his job, and just how rich some of the criminals he caught were. Some even have apartments with more than one room!

    ''Besides, no one would miss the criminals¡­ But how to find criminals in this city? Potentially using [Find Evil]? Hmm, even if I did and could, negative karma doesn''t necessarily mean a person is a criminal, though it does increase the odds of that¡­ Hmm, perhaps I could just start walking around town invisible, attacking criminals in action, who commit crimes in front of me? But that again would only work if I could find those, worse even, as I have to find in the instant they commit the crime.''

    And perhaps as expected, the previously ''easy'' solution turns out to be harder than expected to accomplish.

    ''Huh, do I really have to rob random people? I guess after I accidentally killed Issei, kidnapped Raynare, ruined the Hyoudou family, and forged documents, it wouldn''t be the worst thing I''ve ever done¡­''

    Momonga shook his head internally before rising from his seat and taking a few steps out of his already almost completely empty classroom. ''Hmm, I''ve already come in contact with a fair number of different magical creatures, creatures that possess magical artifacts. Surely I could sell them if I stole it!''

    Another brilliant idea, one that is almost immediately cut down by some pertinent factors.

    ''I don''t know any of the possible buyers! Besides, they will probably be noticed missing very quickly. And since I am new here, having already attracted Rias and Serafall''s attention, being a stranger at that, I would end up being the first suspect!''

    Step by step, Momonga began to descend the stairs, not really paying attention to his surroundings, busy as he was thinking up ways on how he could earn the money to pay for his schooling. Or more precisely, how to pay the indemnities of quitting it. Letting his eyes wander towards the schoolchildren running around the academy grounds, towards their clubs probably as they carried their equipment, Momonga came to a realization.

    ''Hmm, I wonder if they have a lot of money? Those sports equipment must be quite expensive, so if I use the [Perfect Unknowable], I could¡­ No, there are too many demons skulking around, I''ll probably get caught if they do something like that. Even if I''m invisible, the items I stole would still be visible¡­''

    Moments later, Momonga heard the loud angry voices of the two girls, and yet amidst the anger, Momonga instantly heard the familiar sound of exhausted helplessness in those voices. A tone similar to the one he had heard before at his job from older workmates, especially those assigned to the hardest and dirtiest jobs. Momonga was instantly intrigued.

    ''Huh, that kind of reaction¡­ I wonder what has happened to the owners of those voices for them to be so dispirited even while expressing great anger?''

    A moment later, the situation became a little clearer to Momonga when he saw a guy dressed in Kuoh''s school uniform and shaved almost bald run past him with enviable speed. The boy was soon followed by a guy wearing thick glasses seemingly opaque because they were mirror-like, the last person he saw however caused Momonga''s eyes to widen in surprise. It was Issei, or to be precise, Pandora''s Actor in the form of Issei, perfectly imitating Issei''s physical abilities, not overtaking other people but also keeping up with them.

    They were followed close behind by a girl with rather long brown hair, dressed in a white training shirt. A uniform that, as far as Momonga himself could remember, was called a ''kendogi''. Complementing the shirt were wide skirt pants, and a dark-colored hakama. She was menacingly holding a training wooden sword over her head.

    Putting the two facts together in his head was surprisingly easy, especially considering how all the other students at the academy had reacted to the trio before. Something which made Momonga sigh in despair at another hit to his standing in the Academy. ''On the one hand, I''m glad that Pandora''s Actor is good at impersonating Issei, and on the other hand, I''m not happy about it at all! Issei''s endlessly collapsing downward reputation pulls mine after him too!''

    Momonga wanted to immediately order Pandora''s Actor to stop his reputation plummeting action, before pausing.

    ''Huh, that leaves me with a choice between suspicion and reputation¡­ On one hand, having Issei acting ''normally'' creates a good smokescreen for my fake identity. On the other hand, if I have already attracted the attention of Serafall Leviathan ¨C maybe I don''t need to care about suspicion anymore? If anything, and they question me about Issei''s ''strange'' behavior, I can answer that I''ve used some kind of magic on Issei¡­ Actually, wouldn''t that just increase my suspicion? Back on that matter, umu, surely I should give Pandora''s Actor a ring to protect him from surveillance, or should I not? It seems a complete concealment of one''s abilities is capable of generating quite a few more problems in itself. Having Serafall around is proof of that.''

    While Momonga pondered, the girl and the three guys running from her managed to disappear around the corner, and Momonga heard a labored breathing and rapidly slowing steps approaching behind him. Turning toward the source of the noise, Momonga saw an irritated beyond all measure girl in the same uniform as the one he had seen earlier. She was also holding a shinai in her hands and with the murderous looks she has, there is no need to imagine what she wanted to do to the Perverted Trio.

    The girl was considerably shorter than her friend, with short pale-blond hair gathered in a simple straight hairdo to her shoulder height, with curls thrown back from her high forehead, supported by a small white headband.

    Judging by the girl''s red complexion, the wicked crooked smirk, and at the same time ¨C the underlying resentment in her dark brown eyes, she was annoyed at her lack of stamina. Judging by her downturned expression, this was not the first time she had failed to keep up with her friend, an outcome that she was already expecting.

    ''Umu, I''ve seen the same eyes in people who worked in my department, who tried for the tenth time to get themselves promoted, but the boss only increased their quotas instead. A death march, only to find out that the march would be extended since they were so ''enthusiastic'' about it.'' Momonga sighed inwardly, sad at the memory, as their liveliness immediately disappeared, replaced immediately by despair instead.

    ''To think that Issei had driven this girl to such despair ¨C perhaps killing wasn''t so bad now¡­ And now she''s being driven further into despair by Pandora''s Actor ¨C I feel as if this son of mine is to blame for everything. I want to apologize for his behavior, but he''s just doing my bidding and imitating Issei to the best of his capabilities¡­ It''s a complicated situation.''

    The girl, after taking a few more labored steps, stopped completely after apparently completely losing sight of the fleeing trio. Though, in Momonga''s opinion, if she had simply followed after them to the corner, she could at least still catch sight of her friend, but it seems that girl has given up entirely. Then, to Momonga''s surprise, with a shout of frustration the girl raised her shinai high above her head, then slammed it into the ground, causing the wooden sword to almost crack with an unpleasant sound.

    Momonga, who had been silently watching this, did not react to the girl''s actions, as they roughly fit with his earlier conclusions of her great frustration. He only noted that now she would probably be asked to reimburse the cost of a new shinai ¨C or, if it was her own, she would have to buy a new one, probably getting scolded by her parents about it.

    The girl, however, with this action, having apparently shaken off some of the emotions that were overwhelming her, now noticed Momonga''s gaze on her as she turned to him with an irritated frown on her face. "What do you want?!"

    At these heated words, Momonga only slightly bowed his head in apology, feeling somewhat guilty at the very least for the actions Pandora''s Actor had taken on his orders. Not enough to actually give any compensation for their discomfort in any way, but enough to apologize at least verbally, given that it was a free meaningless gesture. "I apologize for Pa-khem, Issei''s behavior."

    The girl frowned at these words, confused as to why a stranger would apologize for another''s behavior, after which Momonga decided to clarify. "He''s my younger brother."

    She blinked, trying to comprehend his words, before comprehension dawned on her, and anger flashed in her eyes again as she instantly adopted a kind of fighting stance. The quick successions of expression making Momonga even feel a little dazed.

    Both by the fact that he would have to try very hard not to turn the girl opposite into a bloodstain by almost any action. Up to and including a careless pat on the shoulder, and by the fact that his words seemed to be a personal affront to the girl.

    "So it was you who taught him to act like that!" The girl''s inference instantly caused a short circuit inside Momonga''s brain before, with a terrible realization, Momonga realized something terrible. ''Is that why everyone is so wary of me and no one tries to even try to greet me?! What, like, I''m not guilty, I''m completely innocent! How can I be responsible for the actions of someone I had only met recently! A dead person at that!''

    Frozen, stunned by the eldritch truth before him, Momonga didn''t even react the moment the girl across from him lunged at him. Apparently transferring all her anger at Issei to his older brother, as he had already been subconsciously defined by her as someone that is ''not a threat''. Either that, or her great anger at being harassed constantly had fried the part of her brain responsible for self-preservation.

    Of course, as might be expected, when faced with Momonga''s [High Tier Physical Immunity III] a simple strike done by what probably counts as a Level 1 Player it didn''t do anything. The girl probably felt as if she had tried to break a thick steel pole with her shinai, an attempt that ended with roughly the same result. When faced with an unexpectedly sturdy obstacle, the girl suddenly spun to the side, and the wooden sword, already cracked due to the slightly earlier blow, let out its last long groan and broke in two halves.

    The girl fell to the ground, completely not expecting such sturdiness from Momonga.

    Momonga, instantly shedding his brooding, identifying the attempted attack on him, frozen in indecision, as he looked at the fallen girl.

    Strictly speaking, he had indeed just been attacked, and Momonga considered himself fully within his rights to respond to this attack. Besides, the shinai, a little dirty from the previous blow on the ground, had stained his clothes, so in a sense Momonga could even say that his opponent''s attack had an effect on him. But along with that, she had already fallen to the ground, getting dirty in the process, had broken her shinai and apparently injured her hands a little. So whether or not Momonga needed to ''balance'' the scale remains in question.

    Besides, the girl had attacked him in demon territory, which meant that Momonga couldn''t attack her back anyway, especially if he wasn''t wounded.

    ''Could it be!? Was this a probing attempt by the Demons!?'' Almost frightened by his genius and patting himself on the back for his adroitness in always staying vigilant, Momonga was somewhat happy by the course of events. Perhaps it was a test by the demons of his defense, making their non-interference treaty somewhat suspect, but even so he gained another trump card in case of subsequent negotiations with the demons.

    Either way, the current situation was again his own fault. It was his orders to Pandora''s Actor, to be exact, that resulted in the attack. And while the attack itself didn''t please Momonga, in the end he wasn''t even so much annoyed or angry about what happened as he was simply surprised.

    Eventually, he decided that instead of attacking back, to limit himself to a warning. "Miss, I would much prefer it if you didn''t try to attack me. I admit, I don''t react very well to attempts from people trying to pick a fight with me."

    After another moment, Momonga did decide to give the girl a hand, which she, after a few moments of lying silently in the ground, nevertheless accepted and rose easily from the ground.

    A moment later, she was back on her feet, cleaning herself of the dirt. She looked a bit chastised but still irritated, angry, and in no small measure surprised by what had happened as she bent down to pick up what''s left of her shinai. Once she saw that she had broken it, she looked devastated, and perhaps a bit scared.

    ''I won''t compensate you. It was a result of the attack attempted on me anyway. Actually, shouldn''t I be the one compensated?'' Momonga decided his course of action in a moment, before glancing at the girl, immediately noticing how she looked suspiciously at his shoulder, where her strike had broken the sword.

    Realizing that he had accidentally demonstrated an ability that clearly didn''t exist among ''normal people'', and, for whatever reason, the local magical creatures didn''t show it to normal people ¨C Momonga tried to quickly find an excuse for his durability. And, failing to think of one instantly, decided to use another tactic, he tried to distract the girl instead.

    "By the way, I am not really Issei''s brother. To be exact, I''m more his estranged brother? The first time I saw him was the day before yesterday. We have the same father, but different mothers. I haven''t seen him all my life and came here from Kyoto after my mother died, determined to move in with my only remaining family."

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Hearing this, the girl was immediately distracted from contemplating his strange abilities. After which, emotions like surprise, doubt, and finally regret flashed across her face in a rapid kaleidoscope as the girl realized she had just attacked a random man, and perhaps caught the sad message of his backstory as well.

    Momonga wasn''t too good at reading faces, so he couldn''t tell for sure if the regret on the girl''s face was real or fake. But a moment later she bowed deeply to him, showing her apology ¨C in a very unpracticed motion, though. She almost even struck him with her hair.

    "My deepest apologies! I apologize profoundly,"

    Momonga nodded happily, before hurriedly stopping her apologies, as he saw that she was about to do a dogeza, at least from the contemplating look she has. "Apology accepted, but just in case, I''ll warn you that I won''t let the next attempt to attack me succeed."

    Hearing this, the girl, who had already stopped bowing, looked away, as far as Momonga himself could tell, feeling awkward and probably ashamed of her action. Attacking someone out of nowhere is a dire social faux pas, after all. It was as if the girl had adopted a learned behavior when dealing with the Perverted Trio ¨C Momonga was just the unfortunate victim of familial relations.

    Momonga stared at the girl silently for a moment, before realizing a not insignificant detail about her ¨C he actually has no idea whatsoever about her name. Shaking off a little of his shoulder, the one she had struck in another misdirection just in case, extended his hand to the girl, introducing himself. "Satoru Suzuki."

    The girl, hearing the introduction and seeing the outstretched hand, still embarrassed by what had happened, extended hers in response. "Katase Higa."

    Momonga shook the girl''s hand contentedly, feeling a little better after seeing the sincerity of the girl''s apology, before the reverie was broken by a feminine, and tired, but more than that, angry voice. "Katase!"

    Katase, hearing this voice, instantly turned around, Momonga did exactly the same, seeing the girl he had already seen a little earlier chasing the trio. Now that he could take a closer look, and not be distracted by Pandora Actor''s actions, Momonga could actually note the features on the girl. The girl has long brown hair fashioned into two ponytails that reached a bit past her shoulders, with bangs that framed her brown eyes.

    Her youthful beauty however was ruined by the look of irritation splashed across her face. Judging by her exasperation and annoyance, she seems to have failed in catching the surprisingly quick perverts. Though, it seemed that she had found another target.

    Stalking close towards Momonga, she immediately noticed the remains of Katase''s shinai on the ground, and her friend''s slightly disheveled look. Almost immediately, Momonga could see her hackles rise. "Katase, what''s with the broken shinai?"

    "She tried to attack me." Momonga quickly intervened, drawing attention to himself, before a misunderstanding could occur. "I hope that you won''t repeat such a thing? My name is Satoru Suzuki, and I am indeed Issei Hyoudou''s older brother, but I am not to blame for his actions. I''ve only been acquainted with him the day before yesterday, having moved here from Kyoto to Kuoh after my mother died."

    After finishing his introduction for a second time, Momonga held out his hand for the girl to shake.

    It took the girl a few seconds, and Momonga noted a familiar kaleidoscope of expressions, from anger to sadness, before she put down her shinai and accepted Momonga''s outstretched hand. "Murayama."

    "Maruyama?!" Momonga suddenly felt an irrational awe for the family name, as if he should have been courteous to her because of it for some reason.

    "Murayama. It''s Murayama." The girl corrected Momonga''s misunderstanding, as the irrational awe in Momonga''s mind immediately dissipated, leaving Momonga slightly bewildered by the suddenness and rapidity of what had happened. Thankfully, the girls didn''t notice the confusion Momonga was having in his own mind. "Murayama Tanabe."

    "Oh, alright, it''s nice to meet you, Katase, Murayama." Momonga nodded in greeting to the two girls, then, suddenly, he became lost on what he should do next.

    "Talking about that",- Katase suddenly realized that she was still holding the wreckage of the shinai in her hands,- "About the sword¡­"

    "Ah, that''s right!" Momonga almost shouted, nodding almost too overtly, interrupting Katase''s thoughts, eager to prevent her from asking too many questions about Momonga''s inhuman feat. " About my little brother, Issei ¨C if he''s causing you so much trouble, I think I should talk to him¡­"

    Then with a swift and confident, at least Momonga hoped so, motion he walked away, eager to get away from the two girls, heading to catch up to Pandora''s Actor. There''s a very important conversation that they need to have. ''Huh, if only I knew exactly why the paranormal in this world hides from humans, then I would also know how I need to behave in case I accidentally demonstrated my inhuman capabilities. Sure, I can use [Control Amnesia] to erase memories of me from Katase and Murayama''s mind, but being in demon territory, using such an MP intensive spell is undesirable. Not only do I not know how the demons will react to my actions, I also wouldn''t want to give my powers away to a potential enemy. Should I come up with an excuse as to why I have these powers ¨C or should I just disable them for a while, while I''m around humans at least?''

    It didn''t even take a moment for Momonga to judge such an idea to not only be idiotic, it''s almost outright suicidal.

    ''No, considering that there are many potential adversaries with unknown powers living right next to these ordinary people, I don''t want to lose my protection at all. Getting ambushed with my proverbial pants down, is the last thing I want to risk. So, okay, then the right thing to do here is that I''ll have to come up with an excuse¡­ But what kind of excuse, though? I would like to ask Pandora''s Actor for help, or even just suggestions ¨C but he creates as many problems as he solves!''

    In fact, currently, Momonga had the strange feeling that his ''younger brother'' was up to no good!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Issei, Pandora''s Actor, took a leisurely stride that observers might have mistaken for panicked running, which in fact is nothing farther than the truth. In fact, it was only through his excellent acting skills and perfect control over his own body that allowed him to realistically show that he was ''running'' at the level of a mere human. Of course, it was helped immensely by his ability to identify the rapidly changing emotional states of the two unfortunate victims of his schauspiel.

    ''As expected, Father, where Your son merely announces a new scene, You with a quick stroke of Your pen create a sketch. In a single second, Katase, who was full of anger and long-standing resentment, at me and at herself, for her weakness and inability to stop the mental and emotional torture befalling her friends, tried to rebel against her weakness¡­ Oh, how brilliant! Father, had I not known exactly what You were planning to do with Your movement, I would have slain her instantly, when she dared to glance at You with anger. But, as always, Your brilliance turned her own anger against herself. Turning that light of passion and righteous anger into a seemingly ''wrong'' blow against a target that proved to be fairer and more innocent than a white lamb. At once making her look like a villain, making her doubt her judgment for a moment.''

    Issei, Pandora''s Actor, was literally shaking in excitement, a gesture mistakenly taken by his ''friends'' as a response of fear, as they patted him on the back to calm him down.

    ''At the same time, combining my infinite coolness along with Your act, it broke her, giving her no opportunity to understand what had happened, planting in her mind along with the seed of doubt, the seed of interest. An unsolved mystery! What incredible bait, attracting, in a few moments the question will return to her mind again, but now there will be no answer, and the seed will grow fueled by her interest. Katase is already marked by Your act, and together with her deep friendship with Murayama, the one that will carry her along, to play a part in Your play. For where Katase received doubt, Murayama was left with misunderstanding, the seed of interest in Katase will stretch its roots to her friend, and will sprout on again and again. All that remains, is to secure Your will and conclude the little play with a final scene before proceeding to the next act. ''

    And, of course, just as Issei had imagined, Father appeared moments later. While Issei himself was leaning against the wall of the building, imitating the labored breathing of Motohama who lay on the ground, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. And Matsuda, who was rubbing his bruised back, which had already begun to show deep purple bruising from the strikes of Murayama, who had come dangerously close to them several times.

    Still, Father adopted the same look of understanding and polite detachment that gave Him the halo of the divine. And yet, hiding behind its radiance, lies the true flame beyond the mind and gaze of lesser beings, the flame of the Supreme Being.

    "Umu," Father looked around the ''trio'' of perverts and sighed, "Guys¡­ And you too, Pa-khm, Issei, I understand that you are what you are, but if you can''t control yourself, could you at least not bother with the kendo club? The girls in it are two steps away from committing murder and are already, um, attacking anyone who looks like you or has anything to do with you even indirectly¡­"

    "What!?" Matsuda''s rude answer would very likely have been the last thing he would have uttered in this world had Pandora''s Actor not controlled himself. But, knowing that this was all just another part of His great play ¨C he was able to keep his hand, mind under control as he looked up at his Father.

    "Are you Issei''s brother?" Motohama looked up from the ground, finally able to catch a breath, and his heart no longer seeking to leap out of his chest. Though, if he dared to insult Father, that could be corrected.

    "Yes, I am," Father nodded, "And to make a long story short, could you please stop being, ahem, so perverted? At least in relation to the kendo club?"

    "No way!" Matsuda replied sharply, then squinted his eyes, glancing back and forth between Issei and Father, as if trying to determine whether their outward resemblance was just a trick, a play on light and shadow. "Ise, are you even sure you''re related to this guy?"

    Again, another phrase, after which Matsuda would have been relegated to bloody dust in all other circumstances. And yet just another rejoinder from a background character who did not understand his place, not even capable of realizing that he was one.

    "Bro," Issei sighed, playing his part, realizing it was time for his lines. "I understand everything, but what are you suggesting?"

    "Ise!" Motohama, clearly not expecting such treachery from Issei, looked at him with a look of undisguised horror.

    "Ahem, there is nothing wrong with a healthy libido, nor is there anything wrong with being open about one''s preferences ¨C I had such a friend." Issei instantly took note of the words of wisdom from the Supreme Being who so rarely, and therefore so valuable, shared information about others of the Forty-One.

    "But problems arise when it goes from one''s own preferences and personality traits to, in fact, sexual harassment and sexual crimes and causes serious harm to others. Even the megac¡­ I mean, anyone would find something like that abnormal ¨C I''m even surprised you haven''t been arrested for your actions so far."

    Father, of course, could not be unaware that Rias Gremory was to blame, pulling strings from the shadows of Kuoh Academy, so His words were essentially for more than one recipient ¨C both condemning the trio of perverts and Rias Gremory. In all likelihood, Father had decided to put on the mask of one who disliked perverts this time, as if the Supreme Being really cared about the deeds of inferior beings. Or maybe indeed, Father did possess that trait, which was now to be part of His will?

    If that were true, it would be quite a blow to both Albedo and Shalltear.

    "No way," Motohama finally got off the ground and rose to his feet, his face full of indignation.

    "Katase and Murayama have the most gorgeous bodies! Katase is a proper 78.5-65-79, Murayama is 84-70-81, such bodies don''t just walk by! It would be a travesty if such a treasure is to be hidden."

    Father blinked before uttering slowly, his face full of surprise. "That is, umu¡­ Very strange and surprisingly specific information¡­"

    Issei was instantly distracted by Motohama''s mind for a moment, as it was busy reviewing a catalog of human female anatomies. ''Ah, what an amazing and strange ability, [Perverted Glasses] is it? An ability to always accurately and unambiguously determine the volume of any girl''s chest, waist, and hips¡­ Incredible! It seems that the unique abilities of this world can really take any form ¨C is this a unique skill of the [Pervert] class, or is it something else?''

    "Okay, discarding that information." Father, however, did not allow his mask of surprise to last.

    "If you are so eager to break the law and molest girls, at least alternate your targets. That way, umu, you''ll reduce the influence on the girls ¨C and you''ll be much less likely to get the police called for you if you''re caught peeping for the first time in a new place."

    "No, definitely not." Matsuda immediately shook his head. "Someone will definitely report us if we do that! There are no convenient peepholes, one that is so hidden in other places, and we don''t know who we''ll get caught in them! Plus there will be other people to share them with, plus we have to run all over town¡­ So definitely not an option."

    Father paused for a moment, though what the reason might be for that act, Pandora''s Actor could not tell. Father, being Undead, was immune to Actor''s mind-reading abilities, but even if not, he would never allow himself to touch Father''s mind, trusting His judgment, not daring to know more than he was allowed. And equally, fearing that the pure glow of Father''s eternal mind would burn even his Supreme One granted mind and flesh, turning him into something incongruously greater than he had been destined for in His great play. Or it might just kill him outright.

    But still, in such moments of the Father''s thoughtfulness, Issei wondered inexpressibly what great plans were going through His mind and what unspeakable millennia of intrigue were developing in an instant. At His will, reshaping the countless thousands of destinies of this world.

    "Eh, okay, I tried to be diplomatic, but it''s a lot harder than it sounds ¨C and not that I really care about your wishes, I already know whose side I''m on." Father sighed, coming to a decision that made the Pandora''s Actor eager to hear His judgment, tearing the Issei mask off his face for a moment,

    "Leave the kendo club alone and stop being perverts ¨C or else."

    His father left the last words unspoken, but its presence was unambiguous.

    Pandora''s Actor''s mask was fully thrown off in that moment, when the Great One decided to take a moment to warn lowly beings that isn''t worth even that. He had spent a moment where He could have peered through a thousand, thousands, veils with His true greatness, all to utter His infinitely profound ultimatum in the simplest form that even lower beings were capable of understanding.

    Submit or die. Even if he wasn''t the target of his Father''s ire, Pandora''s Actor felt the briefest touch of Death''s icy grasp on his heart.

    "Or what?" Matsuda, understanding but not accepting what was said, stood against Father, it seems that his small mind couldn''t fully comprehend just how close he came to death at that moment. But, just as the smallest grain of sand has no chance facing the birth of the universe, so was Matsuda''s fate was no more than a foregone conclusion, significant only in demonstrating the very meaning of the word ''insignificance''.

    "Feel free to find out." Father replied, whereupon, for a moment, His polite half-smile and patient look disappeared, exposing the true form of the Supreme Being through His gaze and expression. Something which caused lesser beings, not ready to accept Him, no, who never had a role in the Great Play, to recoil away. And Matsuda and Motohama is certainly the perfect picture of ''lesser'' beings.

    But fear is so easily replaced by anger, and Matsuda, finding a renewed confidence in himself and in his past achievements, as scant as they are, were planning on doing monumentally stupid. Issei caught the emerging thoughts of Matsuda''s past numerous school sports records ¨C Matsuda stepped forward, trying to hide the all-consuming fear behind false anger and confidence. "I¡­!

    Matsuda did not have time to utter the next phrase, in Issei''s vision, Father slowly raised only one finger, then, without even touching Matsuda, held it out, clearly calculating exactly the right amount of impact force. To Motohama, however, Father''s movement looked instantaneous, not even having time to be reflected on his retina, and Matsuda crumpled on the ground.

    It took him a second to see Matsuda, who had no time to make a fist, and, as Issei could tell, not really planning to do such a thing, were already on the ground. He was lucky to be alive, if Pandora''s Actor even had an inkling that he was about to attack Father, he would''ve been dead already. No, it was simply out of youthful bravado, a desperate attempt to alleviate his brush with Death.

    Issei had to praise Father''s mercy, in only repaying such an insolent challenge with only a broken nose. The blood leaking out of Matsuda''s nose should be an appropriate enough message.

    "Maybe you didn''t quite understand what I said." Father, however, paid no attention to Matsuda, who managed only to make a sound of surprise at the unexpected pain, thus bringing his level of unverfrorenheit to a peak. "I was not giving you a choice ¨C you only have one option."

    Issei could not restrain himself after these words, radiating Father''s infinite coolness, and raised his hand in a gesture of military salute¡­ Which, unexpectedly, was mimicked by Motohama, who glanced at Issei and decided to copy his action, like a mindless child repeating after an adult''s action without realizing its meaning. As amusing and embarrassing as it is, pride-inducing stupidity.

    ''I wonder if Father sees me the same way, with equal embarrassment and proud joy, repeating actions that I don''t really understand, even if I have been granted funke at my own lowest level?'' Issei thought for a moment before dropping this distraction before his Father''s words.

    "You want to keep harassing the girls, I don''t care." Father looked down with his cold gaze, drawn in like the cold light of distant stars and frightening like the emptiness of the bottomless depths of distant worlds. He was speaking calmly, measured and cold as the coming step of death, "But if you keep peeking at the kendo club, you will bring them to the state of Herohero¡­"

    Issei clenched his teeth, feeling his hands grow cold as he realized exactly what had been said before him, and exactly what had happened to the Supreme Being Herohero.

    "And then I will catch you, and break every bone from your body, starting with hyoid and up to your skull, so that death will not find you for some time." Father looked into Motohama''s eyes and then Matsuda''s, not looking into Issei''s eyes, understanding and trusting his judgment. Of course, there''s not a bone in his body that would disobey the Supreme Being''s will.

    "Not that I care about those girls in particular, or even their club in particular, kendo in particular, or people in general. But I care infinitely about Herohero''s fate, I am in no hurry at watching it happen to another person. And the fact is, I am simply stronger than you, and therefore can dictate my will to you. The strong rule, the weak suffer ¨C it''s the way it was, and the way it will be."

    With one last look, Father put in the fear of God into the two perverts.

    "In other words," After a moment, Father''s benevolent politeness returned to his face. "From now on, you''re all no longer allowed to act like perverts to the entirety of Kuoh Academy¡­ You too, Pa¨C Issei," Father looked up at Issei, and he began to wonder as he watched Father''s face adopt an unreadable expression, Pandora''s Actor doesn''t know, what it means his mind was too abuzz with thoughts to even think about it.

    Does Father''s words meant that Pandora''s Actor no longer needs to play a part in the Masquerade anymore? Is it really?

    It would make sense that if Pandora''s Actor''s test was to understand his Father''s will, then it would follow that the end of that test should have been carefully determined by Issei himself.

    At that moment, a memory came to Issei ¨C of what Father Himself had said, unequivocally and directly. In other words, his Father had foreseen every question that might arise in His son''s mind, and had answered it long before it was asked¡­

    But then, what did the Father''s words mean? If Issei was still supposed to be Issei, but was supposed to stop being a pervert¡­ What does that mean? After all, being a ''pervert'' was almost the main pillar of Issei''s personality, his defining, distinctive, unique trait. An Issei who was not a pervert was no longer Issei - in other words, Issei had to remain Issei and not be one at the same time.

    After a moment, understanding pierced Issei''s mind! No, Pandora''s Actor''s. Father had already mentioned it twice, beginning to address Pandora''s Actor with his own name, before, at the same time blurring His voice, addressing him also as Issei, with one single address. He had done it twice, specifically in case he missed one of them, to make it clear that it was not an accident, but another important detail of His play!

    In other words, it was time for Pandora''s Actor to step into the picture ¨C not only as Issei, but also as the Pandora''s Actor. Not throwing off with it, the mask of Issei, but changing it to match his own, to continue the play in another role.

    In other words, in just two full days, Father had already reached the end of one play. Bringing it to a crescendo before reaching the catharsis of resolution, and was confident that it was time for the Actor to play his part, trusting his understanding on what part he would play¡­

    In other words, it was time for Pandora''s Actor to step up onto the stage.

    Father looked up at Pandora''s Actor, as if trying to convey a thought to him¡­

    And the Actor only smiled a little, his face brimming with confidence. ''Don''t worry, Father ¨C I am absolutely certain that I have interpreted Your will correctly!''

 Overlord of High School (14)

    After saying his goodbye to the trio, of which his sort-of-son was now involuntarily a member, Momonga walked out of Kuoh Academy. He walked in a great arc, to bypass the two girls he had previously met, whose response to his previously demonstrated inhuman abilities he could not think of. Putting that thought aside for the moment, he walked slowly through the streets of the city, looking around thoughtfully while occasionally raising his eyes to the sky. Looking up at the sun of this world setting, he periodically stopped whenever he saw a hedge, birds flying by, cats lying lazily on rooftops, or even just dogs in collars being walked by their owner.

    It was only now that he could peacefully appreciate the various things that he missed, things that are beyond him in the future he had left behind.

    Yesterday, Momonga was unable to, arriving at the academy by car and leaving it the same way, he had no time to appreciate his surroundings then. And according to Miki''s many protests, he had broken a lot of traffic rules in the process. Fortunately, no one had made an issue out of it, though Momonga''s suspect that it''s by design.

    Momonga''s main assumption at the moment was that Rias or Serafall had somehow influenced the powers that be in this town. If they were not the powers that be already ¨C Demons doing demonic things have to break a law or two, right?

    Anyway, today, having met Serafall and dealt with his rapidly declining social reputation, at least hopefully, Momonga could afford to waste time walking home a bit slower, enjoying his surroundings.

    In his past world, Momonga spent most of his time at home or at work, and each time in between either in YGGDRASIL or walking as fast as possible as to not get himself radiation poisoning. Even if he had the time to waste, what would he enjoy seeing? Run down streets, old half-destroyed houses due to lack of repair and constant acid rain, and a roadway completely flooded with gray and black, asphalt, concrete and the occasional poisonous neon light. Those were the things that could be made out from behind the visor of the plastic mask protecting his face and respiratory organs.

    That Earth''s air was completely unbreathable, ash, poisonous gases and radioactive particles could easily make their way into the human body. All of it leading to diseases in a matter of weeks, maybe even days if the person themselves were unfortunate. Momonga had heard that some rich people could afford a modified breathing system that could work as a respirator.

    But, it was such an expensive thing that those who possessed it, from Momonga''s perspective, were practically gods that he might see only in news stories.

    Any greenery or living creatures existed so far away from Momonga that he only encountered them on the rare occasions when he went to any of the arcologies or was allowed on the doorstep of a rich person''s house. And even these rich people could not afford to see the Sun again, it being completely obscured by a multi-kilometer layer of dust and ash in the sky.

    In other words, the view that Momonga now enjoyed in this world was better than anything he had seen before¡­ other than in his beloved game, that is.

    In YGGDRASIL, of course, Momonga could see whole forests and rivers and the Sun and other fantastic landscapes, like floating continents or asteroids in space. But it all existed only in the game, and with the limitations of sensation in place, Momonga would never mistake something like that for reality. The same thing he saw now was real, his senses told him so.

    Momonga stopped several times, touching the budding green leaves of the slowly growing spring trees, looking at the animals and birds quietly existing among humans and not arousing their interest, smiling inwardly a little. All the little things that were irreplaceable treasures in the future, in the palms of his hands. ''Friends¡­ You would love it here. Blue Planet, what you always dreamed of ¨C right here.''

    A moment later, that peaceful serenity was ruined when a man crashed into Momonga, and almost instantly, that warm feeling inside Momonga was gone, replaced by irritated anger.

    ''What''s wrong with this place! First Katase, then this blond guy, would someone else come to complete the trifecta!? Have the demons decided to defeat me by throwing random irritants at me, or was it the norm on Earth in the past, for people to always try to do things to random passersby?!''

    Momonga turned around, looking at a young boy who had a look of surprise on his face, and judging by his young appearance, also a schoolboy, and quite possibly also from Kuoh Academy judging by his uniform.

    Momonga felt irritation blooming within him as the young man rudely interrupted his peaceful walk. His emotion had already almost gotten the better of him, handling the Pervert Trio, minus Pandora''s Actor, of course. In fact, it was only the memory of Touch Me that stayed his hand when one of the duo tried to argue for his continued harassment of the girls! Remembering the tired appearance of Herohero whose body was wracked by stress, Momonga was even tempted to ''remove'' the duo from the equation permanently.

    He was so irritated that he had almost shown off a part of his ability to possible enemies! Sure, it would be just his heightened physical abilities¡­ One that the demons probably already knew off, and an ability that is easily disguised or reasoned away ¨C but it was the principle of things!

    Luckily for Momonga, and the perverts, his heightened emotion was dampened enough to let them live after passing on his ultimatum. This new irritant, however, one that had interrupted his reminiscing of his past, made Momonga almost rethink that line of action, at the very least the one about stealing money from random pedestrians.

    "I''m sorry," The guy who fell to the ground was at least aware of the need to apologize. But since Momonga was no longer in demon territory, and wasn''t planning on using this random encounter as a possible card in case of negotiations, he didn''t bother with niceties. He didn;t bother lending a hand to the fallen man, letting the guy rise on his own and shake himself off as Momonga took that time to look him over.

    He was a short, trim-looking guy with short disheveled blond hair and gray eyes, wearing a loose-fitting school shirt. And before Momonga could see more, the boy finished shaking himself off of any errant debris and dust, before taking one last look back at Momonga, then shook his head and turned around, walking away.

    Momonga wondered if there was any point in continuing the conversation for a chance to gather more data. The guy had already apologized to him, and while Momonga could have pursued the man who had left on his own, it was just a whim generated solely by his irritation at the man and his own lost thoughts.

    ''If anyone crashes into me one more time today ¨C I''ll be very angry.'' Momonga noted inwardly coldly, before returning his attention to his nature observation. Sadly, the green hedge and a small bird looking back at him carefully from the height of the lamppost, no longer elicit joy as it had just a few seconds before.

    ''The creatures of the lower levels may not be capable of posing a threat to my life ¨C but they are definitely capable of irritating and annoying me.'' Momonga shook his head slowly once more, then once again sunk into his one head.

    ''Umu, while the rude interruption was annoying, seeing that there''s no longer any point in spending time on nature watching, my contemplation would be better suited to other matters. In this case, money, and where to find them.''

    Once again, Momonga found himself in dire need of money, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

    ''Okay Momonga, you need to find the money needed to pay for the school, would they demand that I pay for the day I spent there, or would it be a monthly thing? Actually, what if they demand payment for the entire year!? I''ve heard of, what is it called again, a school year? If that were the case, I''ll need some serious source of income to pay for that, even if education seems somewhat cheap in this world!''

    Dropped from the peace brought on by the beautiful nature into a stressful situation where he now has to worry about earning money again, Momonga was quite glad for his ability to temper his emotions.

    ''Ha, I can''t believe I laughed at Genjiro, when he bought himself some dumbbells to try to keep his body in shape, given his job''s great toll on his body. He was so excited, claiming to everyone that he would soon have more energy to play YGGDRASIL. He had stopped after only a week.

    Ha, and here Momonga is repeating Genjiro''s mistake, if not worse. Here he is, on the cusp of bankruptcy in a spending spree from a moment of passion.''

    Where would one find such large sums of money, and quick? Something illegal. Momonga doesn''t think that selling his organs would be the way to go at this point.

    Momonga had to get a large sum of money in a short period of time ¨C in other words, he needed a high risk, high reward job or opportunity. How about arena fighting? There were places like those in the future, would there be something similar here? There are real monsters in this world, so maybe he could leverage his powers to hunt monsters? Martial pursuits suited him well, given the much lower level of this world.

    But how would he find those? He lacked the connections to get himself into one!

    Back to his original idea, stealing could also work if he could easily determine which of the people he could meet were rich, and there lies the crux of the problem. The usual criteria for determining wealth from his past world were poorly suited to this world, due to the fact that almost anyone could afford pets or real meat here. Determining the quality of clothing or cars was quite difficult for Momonga without more knowledge about their worth.

    The easiest of the options, robbing the largest of the personal estates he could see, could work. But, Momonga had seen a girl in a Kuoh Academy''s uniform, who had magical powers, living in one, so that plan might not be too safe. There was too great a chance of running into demons of this world if he did not gather information about the place beforehand.

    The next and last option ¨C excluding the most drastic one, the sale of the items in his inventory and Yggdrasil gold, which he was never going to do ideally, seems for him to gamble. And to cheat extensively.

    ''Okay.'' Momonga concluded his plans with a sigh. ''I hope the demons wouldn''t raise too much of a hassle if I break a part of our agreement and leave the Miki residence. At the very least, I could defend myself by saying that I was attacked in their territory. Something like ''who cares where I am, if there is no safe zone for me in this city, I am attacked even in your own territory!'' Oh, that sounds good, I''ll have to remember that!''

    It was with these thoughts that Momonga nodded to himself almost contentedly and continued on his way through the city.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Miki wiped the table, just as she had done for many days, months, years before, with a slight smile on her face.

    "Issei¡­ " Before the thought could finish forming, like a light switch, Miki tossed the old thought aside, instantly creating a new one.

    "Satoru will be back soon ¨C lunch is almost ready, just in time for his return. If he returned late, though, it might be not too hot anymore for dinner. I hope he likes katsudon."

    "Gorou should be¡­" Another flick, and the unfinished thought melted into oblivion in Miki''s mind, replaced by another.

    "Satoru will already be home, no one else will come, so I don''t think there''s a need to re-heat the food, so there''s really nothing to do¡­ Hmm, maybe I could mop the floors? It''s not time to do the chore yet, it''s quite the waste of effort since the floor is still clean after the time I mopped up the vomit stains¡­ But what else is there to do? I''ve already done the other chores, the only other thing to do is the laundry, but they''re still drying. It''s not like I could speed that up."

    Thoughtlessly wiping the already clean table, Miki began to speak to herself her plans, perhaps as a method to stave away the silence, or perhaps for some other reason. Miki was not in the state of mind to question why she was speaking to herself as she brought the dirtied rag to the sink to rinse it before hanging it to dry in its usual place.

    "Well, there''s one thing I could do ¨C I could actually clean Issei''s room¡­" Miki couldn''t even finish the thought before her head ringed with pain, as if her mind had hit an insurmountable obstacle at full speed, trying to understand and comprehend the sliver of memory that had come unbidden like reflex.

    "Issei is my son¡­" Miki suddenly felt a strange pressure in the back of her mind, as if that blurb of simple thought, which Miki knew to be true, were rejected vehemently by her psyche. Her head felt like it was squeezed by a tight band, as she tried to force herself to think about her son.

    "I remember this, I gave birth to him. I gave birth to him from Gorou." Bit by bit, the re-emerging thought forced others like it to the forefront of Miki''s head, causing great pain as if her brain were shrieking as the memories moved painfully like a rusty gate. "He lived in this house, he has his own room here ¨C my son, Issei''s room¡­"

    Miki felt a great thumping migraine began to build up, as if these emerging memories were erroneous puzzle pieces in Miki''s view of the world. As seconds passed, Miki struggled to fit these memories in her head, each moment like lashes to her flesh ¨C before, with a shrug of her shoulder, she gave up.

    "Oh well, I won''t clean there ¨C I''ll ask Satoru what I should do next."

    Instantly, with that thought, the pressure in Miki''s mind disappeared like a mirage, as if the great she had felt never existed, and in fact she even felt refreshed! "Ah, Satoru, I really must thank you! When I think of you, everything becomes much easier, and I don''t have to decide myself¡­ Thanks a lot!"

    "Oh-ho-ho, indeed, as one would expect," Issei''s sudden voice behind her startled Miki, causing her to turn around with a start, as if she hadn''t expected to see Issei in this house¡­

    ''Although, he did live here¡­'' The thought caused a slight migraine to rise again. Though this time it might be because she had looked at Issei, who didn''t seem the least bit concerned or curious at the obvious confusion on Miki''s face, continuing to watch her as if she were a particularly interesting exhibit.

    "Issei?" Miki, after a moment, feeling the pressure building in her head, finally addressed her son. "You should go to your room."

    "Why would I, mother?" Issei only took a step closer to her, contrary to his usual obedient behavior, if slightly fearful, towards Miki.

    "Doesn''t your son have to eat lunch, mother? What kind of mother are you, then, if you can''t feed your child?"

    Miki unconsciously took a step back, watching warily as Issei, her son, approached her, all the while the pressure building inside her skull and the headache began to intensify. "Issei, go to your room¡­"

    "When Satoru comes home, he will tell you what you need to do." The words and the memory of Satoru, for a moment, relieved Miki of the pain she felt. She didn''t like to think much, the pain blinding each time she tried, but when her gaze was focused once again, the pain returned a moment later, when she saw that Issei was even closer now. Miki tried to take one more step back, to not have Issei''s figure anywhere in her sight, before finding out that she had cornered herself.

    Her back lightly struck the fridge''s door, there''s no more room to escape.

    "Of course, mutter, of course." Issei nodded lightly, and perhaps it was simply a product of her imagination, but Miki felt as if there was something out of place, before the pain at seeing Issei up close forced her to forget that thought.

    "When He comes, everything will be much easier¡­ But before He Himself appears ¨C Father has given me the sacred grace, the duty, the right to praise Him even more in the chorale of this play. And I certainly will endeavor to do my utmost." Something in Issei''s voice, his tone of voice, words ¨C warped. His speech began to change, the cadence of it causing waves of pain and nausea to bloom in Miki''s head.

    And to add to the growing pain in Miki''s mind, a new one was added, but this time of a different sort entirely. It was a completely different kind and type of pain, as if one wave of nausea from having memories dredged up was rising inside her, while another from not understanding it. And, instead of conflicting with each other, each wave flowed into the other, rising as a single tsunami.

    "Issei, I don''t¡­" The nausea and pain began to penetrate the thin film of her mind that still hid the remnants of her inner self, the Miki she had been only days ago.

    "I don''t understand Issei, what are you talking about¡­"

    "Issei is dead." The Issei in front of Miki''s eyes suddenly said calmly, even when he had said something so damaging to her psyche, almost with a slight smile. "Father decided that it would be so, and so it was."

    "Is¡­ Issei is dead?" Miki hesitated to ask, to confirm, feeling as if someone had picked up that thin, leaky film of consciousness that was called ''Miki'', inside her personality and began to gently pull it to the edge. "I don''t understand¡­"

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "Don''t worry, you''ll figure it out, soon." Her son, ''Issei'' shrugged once more, then raised his hand up, making Miki see how the arm seemed to melt like wax. The shock of seeing such a thing making her body felt numb completely, as it confirmed her greatest fear, the truth that she didn''t want to acknowledge

    Where there were five human, short but nimble fingers, there were now four long, spider-like, small easily bendable rods, much longer than the human ones that Issei slowly twirled in the air, as if to demonstrate their nightmarish reality.

    Miki opened her mouth to cry out, but realized that her mouth couldn''t move, it was as if she was in a waking nightmare.

    "Your son, Issei, is dead." Issei ¨C no, the unknown being that had taken his form slowly swept his fingers through the air, moving it with a kind of painful dexterity and grace. Then his hand, placed in front of Miki herself, began to flow once again, like boiling wax, turning back into a human hand, the fifth finger re-appearing with an imperceptible disgusting attraction.

    "He was murdered."

    "How¡­? Who¡­?" Miki could only mutter her question quietly, as if she didn''t actually want her question answered, fearing that the last tethers holding herself together were already fraying. The damage her mind had taken, exposing the farthest, deepest, most recent remnants of her memories and her personality, her own self, her self-awareness.

    "Father uttered it, and so it was." The creature masquerading as her son smiled, then shifted her gaze to Miki carefully.

    "That is, the one who now bears the name ''Satoru Suzuki'' has done it."

    Miki could only hear a ringing sound in her ear, unable to parse what the creature in front of her was saying. Slowly, ineffably, the mesh of makeshift film that had covered up the wounds in her mind were scratched away, exposing a small passage into the core of her personality.

    "What?"

    "Listen to yourself, you know it to be true." The creature shook its head slightly. "You know, you''ve felt firsthand how Father plays his game. Every one of His actions has meaning, every coincidence is a puzzle piece in the whole picture. Even random hints are manifestations of his infinite wisdom, and any ''mistakes'' he made, were left as a false trace, drawing fools to their perdition¡­"

    Miki opened her mouth, trying to ask, to shout denials, but she froze, feeling as the words freeze in her throat, in a desperate spasm trying to suffocate her before she could utter a word.

    ''No, no, not Satoru! He''s a good person, he wouldn''t kill Issei'' Miki tried, throwing off all the bolts of reason and memory, releasing outward their flow, to bring her memories into the light. ''No, it all doesn''t make sense, it absolutely doesn''t make sense, it''s not!''

    "Where did such confidence come from, mutter?" The creature shook its head as if it were watching a film it loved, but had seen it so many times that every line was therefore completely predictable.

    "You panic, searching the corners of your mind for an answer, but all you see is what''s inside, instead of an answer, is understanding. Awareness. The Truth."

    As if the first slip had been the sign of an avalanche, moment by moment, word by word, memories began to rise in Miki''s mind.

    A betrayal that made no sense, that appeared in spite of all reality. A pain that turned to nothingness through a sip of water. A dream that stepped without warning on an exhausted mind. A taste that melted fire where there could be none. A path that didn''t mesh with what was possible. Documents that mean nothing.

    Actions, thoughts, things that don''t make sense, repeating all over and over again, meaningless, insane, irrational.

    Miki felt with infinite horror how empty it was becoming inside her, with a quiet moment, awareness collided with the insides of her personality, consuming her last tethers to reality like acid.

    "No, no, no!" Miki couldn''t tell whether she was screaming in reality or just inside her mind, desperately tearing at her throat to deny her own memory.

    "Every moment, every awareness, every thought that you thought was your own is something that was bestowed upon you by Father," The creature said calmly and quietly and Miki realized, with an emotion that she could no longer comprehend. Nothing seems to make sense anymore, Miki felt like she was like a ship lost in a storm, with nothing tethering herself to reality. It felt as if her mind was but one more strike away from disappearing altogether.

    "You were given a part in a play, you were given the lines, and you acted on them without realizing that you were only dancing on the Puppeteer''s string. Every moment of lucidity a mercy of the Supreme Being given to you, and again and again you took step after step, mistaking it to be under your own will. All the while, unable to realize how far the gulf between the very concept of the Supreme Being, His infinite, overarching will ¨C and you were."

    Miki didn''t even know if she felt anything from that revelation, if she could even think of anything in the first place. With a placid awareness, Miki Hyoudou understood only that she had finally lost her mind, left without a mask to hide behind, to hide from the voice and the words that seemed to pierce her very soul.

    "You realize this, the one you called ''Satoru Suzuki'' ¨C is the Supreme Being. And you, your every action, your every movement was part of His plan, stretching through worlds and times beyond the understanding of inferior beings. Perhaps you yourself, your life until this moment, perhaps the existence of this city, this country, your entire human race, or even this world was but one countless little note in the margins of His Great Play. And all of it was only for this single moment that I, my Father''s son, tells you His will. Isn''t it glorious?"

    The last drop of her self-consciousness collided with the Truth, which without any reason were perceived only as pure truth, the truth that they were, and evaporated a moment later, melting into nothingness.

    And there was no more Miki Hyoudou.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga returned to Miki''s house a couple of hours later after his fruitless search for a casino in Kuoh City. ''Umu, that''s the end of my ideas, I don''t know where to make money in Kuoh anymore¡­''

    Momonga would have been happy to find a suitable, legal way to make money, but he wasn''t too smart to come up with a possible way in a moment''s notice. Additionally, he was severely limited by his rather relative knowledge of the realities of Earth''s past.

    He could, of course, function in society using his knowledge and magic, he might even be quite comfortable just by using his magic to guarantee his livelihood. But that was a path he couldn''t take, as it would just put a target on his back.

    But if not by using his Magic, what then? The Earth of this time was devoid of much of the ordinary and everyday things of his past world, while also possessing a number of unique traits of its own that Momonga was not even aware of.

    ''If only I had some source of information about this world that I could turn to openly for questions. Miki is a good start, a great source for a cover in this world, but she does not know that I am not her husband''s son by another woman at all. I don''t think that asking her basic questions that I should''ve known just by living wouldn''t arouse suspicions¡­ What if the supernaturals here read her mind and figure out that I''m actually not from this world? It''s for the same reasons I can''t approach other people, especially if I don''t want to reveal a single fact about myself to the demons. It''s better to turn them against myself in the end than to reveal such important information to them myself. Especially considering that if they demand to know it explicitly, it will already mean that the demons have moved to open confrontation. At that point, I''d better retreat to Nazarick and prepare for the ensuing battle¡­''

    Momonga, making his way to the front door opened with a hunched shoulder, tired from his excursion in Kuoh City. Having so many eyes on him while he took that stroll was so exhausting! He was about to enter the house before he froze, suddenly coming up with a great idea.

    ''Wait, but I do have such a source of information! Raynare! How could I forget about her!? She definitely knows more about this place and Fallen Angels, being a creature of Sin, should know all about making money! And besides, she already knows about me and Nazarick, and Demiurge kind of vouched for her¡­ She''s perfect! Right, I should check on her today and grill her about it.''

    A moment later, delighted by the unexpected good fortune that came his way, Momonga walked through the door with a skip to his step, and then, once inside the house, sniffed as a great smell wafted from inside the house. ''Ah, it smells great! I have no idea what Miki made, but I''m already excited!''

    After undressing, that is unequipping his school uniform and replacing it with his casual wear, Momonga walked toward the kitchen, expecting to find Miki cooking. Momonga nearly collapsed on the ground in pure shock when he found Issei, that is Pandora''s Actor still in his uniform, sitting on a chair pulled out next to the table. And Miki, lying on her back, neatly nestled beside the Actor''s chair.

    Miki looked completely exhausted and with her head turned to the side with saliva running down her lips, which had already created a little puddle under her cheek. At least with that position she''s in no danger of choking, Momonga''s shocked mind helpfully pointed out, remembering some half-forgotten first aid lessons.

    Miki''s eyes were closed, and Miki herself showed no signs of life, but a quick check with the [Life Essence] made it clear to Momonga that she was alive. And if he remembered correctly the appearance of her health in the past, was perfectly healthy, or she was actually near death. The difference between the two states for the first level was so small that Momonga could not be completely sure.

    Shifting his gaze from Miki, who hadn''t even moved when Momonga entered the kitchen, Momonga had to stop himself from cursing. How? How did this happen? I thought I had communicated clearly with Pandora''s Actor, so how did this happen?

    Momonga paused, as he looked at Pandora''s Actor with clear expectations, waiting for an explanation from him about Miki''s current state.

    Pandora''s Actor, however, not catching the thoughts from Momonga''s gaze, or maybe the problem was that he was still maintaining the mask of polite kindness that had already begun to become customary to him, didn''t start talking. Instead, he just continued looking at Momonga with a look that could not be described in any other way than ''fearful pride'', like a child who thinks that he has performed his assigned task perfectly. Yet, at the same time, was afraid of the reaction of his parent. Looking at that expression, Momonga could no longer hold on to any bad thoughts he might have had about Pandora Actor''s actions ¨C this is his fault in the end.

    ''Haaaaaaah¡­'' Momonga felt the incomprehensible emotion that had risen from the depths of his mind begin to dissipate with a deep mental sigh, even before Momonga''s racial abilities would suppress it when it rose above a certain level.

    ''Hmm, am I starting to get a better handle on my emotions? Great, there''s at least one silver lining to the headache inducing situation. If this sort of thing keeps happening, I''ll become the consummate master of keeping my emotions under control¡­ Of course, I''d rather want this kind of thing to not happen anymore, but somehow I feel like if it''s already a moot point, nothing will stop it from happening again¡­ Huh, I had left Nazarick as a holiday of sorts, but now I need a rest from that holiday. Actually, before I tried to get a holiday from my holiday, what actually happened here?''

    After a moment, Momonga was finally able to formulate a proper response and began to speak. "Umu, Issei¡­ What exactly happened here?"

    "I accomplished what you instructed me to do, Father!" With exultant pride, Pandora''s Actor answered instantly, as he then broke into a smile, but after a moment, as if he had caught something in Momonga''s gaze, his smile began to fade rapidly. " Did I do something wrong, Father?"

    "No, no!" Momonga immediately hastened to reassure him, still not quite sure exactly how he was supposed to interact with his son, but knowing that he didn''t want to upset him. "You did everything right, only, ahem¡­ I would like to know what exactly have you done with Miki?"

    "Oh, that!" Pandora''s Actor expression instantly returned with a radiant smile on his face. "I extinguished the remnants of her personality, reason and understanding, preparing her as a perfect empty vessel to accept Your will! In the most ideal way for that, as You had commanded, Vater!"

    Momonga didn''t even pay attention to the German words that slipped into Pandora Actor''s speech, again, much more concerned about what had happened and the sight of Miki. Who, to all appearances, had indeed, as Actor said, lost everything but her life, being in fact a vegetable. ''Okay, so it''s somehow my fault again¡­ My orders, that I didn''t remember giving, which Pandora''s Actor again understood in an unknown way, simply because he is much smarter than me¡­ And this somehow led to some event that Pandora''s Actor thought was perfect, and now, in his perception, he has only done what I ordered him to do¡­ Only this has led to the fact that Miki Hyoudou is now lying on the ground as a living corpse and I have absolutely no idea what to do about it!''

    Momonga''s emotions did come back again as his mind coped with the realization of what had happened, but were dispelled a moment later. ''Umu, to put it in the most correct terms, this is a disaster, an absolute disaster, which caps off the series of disasters that my introduction into the human world has been. Or, in other words, the Hyoudou family has been completely destroyed. Issei is dead, Gorou has been sent to God knows where, and Miki has turned into a living corpse. In my attempt to arrange things as peacefully as possible in this family, as if in some strange mockery of fate, I have destroyed this family completely¡­ Ha, I need a vacation¡­''

    Momonga wanted to curse his luck, but was unable to do so with Pandora''s Actor right in front of him.

    ''Okay, enough with the whining, Momonga! Such a waste of time wouldn''t help solve anything!''

    With another blast of his Emotional Suppression, Momonga finally found his equilibrium again.

    ''Okay, Momonga you''re calm now. So, what to do with Miki next? According to Pandora''s Actor, Miki had just had her mind broken, something that is impossible to do in YGGDRASIL, so, how could I fix it? Maybe I could use ample amounts of [Control Amnesia] and erase Miki''s last memories of what happened? But then Pandora''s Actor would guess that I lied to him, and that he did something wrong. Especially since he''d obviously be in this world for a longer time than me, he would find out that I healed Miki sooner than later. Would [Cure Insanity] work on her? That''s as close to her current state as I can imagine. But that would run into the same problem as Pandora''s Actor figuring it out.''

    Numerous ideas flashed in Momonga''s head and were just as quickly discarded.

    ''Perhaps, I can do an experiment? Use something like [Dominate] on Miki and see if a strong mind control spell can bring her back to sanity? I don''t sense any magic from Miki, so trying to dispel the magic is also useless¡­ The easiest thing to do, is to get rid of her, but then there would be immediate questions about her absence. I''ve already connected my identity to her at least once, and people already saw her accompanying me. And, judging by the fact that a police officer stopped by this morning, who also saw me with her, if anything, I would be the very first suspect for her disappearance. I am not so much afraid of persecution as the fact that the demons might obtain a strong card against me in that case. This is a troubling conundrum, Miki needs to be brought back to herself, but I actually have no idea how to do that.''

    With no easy idea forthcoming, Momonga had to start thinking of using the more ''expensive'' options, spells that he would usually reserve for emergency situations. And this situation definitely fits the bill.

    ''Maybe I could use some Super-Tier magic, like [Child of Humanity] to fix Miki? But, even I ruled out the problems with doing that, foremost of all being that I don''t know how such spells would work here, it''s not a tenable plan. Of course, doing it in a city controlled by Demons is a foolish idea. It''s not exactly the most inconspicuous of spells. The moment I cast it, all the Demons in the city and probably the entire country would flock to my position, especially when I''m vulnerable. No, Super-Tier magic is not the way to go, that is of course unless I''m planning on bringing Miki to Nazarick, and there''s no way I could keep that secret.''

    With all his avenues blocked, Momonga was on the verge of giving up, about everything really.

    ''Huh, I have about zero ideas on how to get Miki back to normal, and I can''t turn to anyone with this information¡­ Maybe it''s not too late to just get the whole Nazarick together and confess to everyone personally that I have absolutely no idea what is even going on in this world. That I am not at all as smart as they think, and just put up with their reactions to these actions?''

    Momonga shook his head a little at that idea, then immediately noticed how Pandora''s Actor were looking at his action with great interest. Unable to bear that look of pride, especially at the moment, Momonga would be happy to find any distraction to the conundrum in front of him, and decided to do something that he wouldn''t normally do.

    He allowed Pandora''s Actor to ask him a question, something he usually avoided at all costs with the denizens of Nazarick, since he usually didn''t have an answer for them, and yet had to act like he did.

    "Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

    "How perceptive, Father." Pandora''s Actor nodded momentarily, but Momonga did not dignify another undeserved praise with even a thought in the current circumstances. "Father, for a moment the question arose in my mind, what role was in store for Miki in your Great Play?"

    ''I had high hopes for the role of my adoptive mother and not a vegetable on perpetual life support, but as you can see, I had hoped for nothing,'' Momonga exhaled internally, then thought about it. Even if he really did imagine for a moment that he could somehow miraculously bring Miki back, what next? If not by using [Control Amnesia] to simply erase her memory, then she remains a giant threat. Even if Momonga were to exit the picture now, Pandora''a Actor couldn''t as he had to play the part of Issei for some time, at least if Momonga didn''t want to draw the attention of the Demons. It would be such a waste.

    As Issei, no one has ever questioned or attempted to test Pandora''s Actor, nor did anyone even found anything strange with him, as Pandora''s Actor perfectly impersonated Issei. If I were to restore Miki''s mind, Pandora''s Actor would immediately be found out right away, but if I don''t, it will cause more questions and problems. Keeping her under a charm spell indefinitely won''t work either, they''re noticeable to anyone who could use any spell of appraisal.

    Especially considering that Momonga himself would obviously have to use a high enough Tiered spell to do it, and hiding such information can only cause more questions. Furthermore, an errant cast of dispelling spells and the whole tower would crumble down, in other words¡­

    ''I can''t find Miki''s place - and yet after what I already did with her - I would at least like to compensate her somehow for what happened.''

    "I''d like for her to continue to act as my mother, Issei''s mother, a housewife and, um, I guess, Gorou''s ex-wife already." Momonga sighed as he finally answered Pandora Actor''s question, feeling quite exhausted by the numerous mental work he just did.

    "For her to do pretty much the same things she was doing before she met me¡­ And at the same time, I''ll be honest, I''d like to take care of her."

    "In other words, Father¡­" Actor held up one finger and rubbed his chin. "Like a pet?"

    Momonga inwardly cringed, if you think about it that way, his description was really close to a pet, not a human. Momonga didn''t feel too close to the people of this world, it wasn''t his world, and he wasn''t human anymore. And if anyone ever found out that he was undead, the powers that be of this world would probably try to destroy him or take him over. But at the same time, the simple and true observation from Pandora''s Actor, did answer Momonga, that he had considered Miki something of a pet.

    A morality pet if nothing else.

    He definitely empathized with her and wanted to ''apologize'' to Miki for what had happened, but he also did not feel obliged to agonize over it, to admit his mistakes, repent of his sins and the like. The first thought he had when he saw Miki''s broken self, was to get rid of her and how to do it. He regarded Miki''s life primarily in terms of its value to himself and his plans, not as something self-valuable¡­

    And he didn''t find such a thing troubling to him even now, when it was pointed out to him. Only being rather surprised at how easily and accurately astute Pandora''s Actor had pointed out the essence of his attitude toward Miki. "Yes, like a pet."

    Momonga would have liked to take care of Miki and make up for what had happened, but he didn''t consider himself really ''obligated'' to do so. And even the ideal he imagined for Miki was that she would still continue to take care of him, cook good food, clean the house and not interfere in his affairs. Just sitting in her allotted corner and doing the things she was allowed to do, exactly like a pet, except of the human variety.

    ''Umu, I see.'' Momonga took a deep and drawn-out inward sigh. ''I have only one idea of how I can still, in theory, fix this, an idea that''s stupid, but it''s all I have. If that doesn''t work out, ha¡­ I guess I''ll have to admit to Pandora''s Actor that I have no idea what plan he thought I had, and just go forward with erasing Miki''s memories. And after that? Umu, I can probably escape this world by making Pandora''s Actor pretend that I erased his memory of me or make up something like that and try and maybe go to another world. There seems to be a lot of those here¡­''

    "Okay, excellent work Pandora''s Actor, but for now, I''m going to conduct an experiment, after which I need to return to Nazarick for a while. As for Miki, umu, Miki better let her stay home for the next 24 hours. Do observe her carefully, and if you find anything unusual, you can neutralize her at least until I arrive, and if that happens¡­ I think we need to talk seriously about what to do next." Momonga admitted with a serious and heavy heart to Pandora''s Actor, to which he only nodded back equally just as seriously.

    ''The only way I can think of that might work, is the old electronics way, on and off. In YGGDRASIL, dying would get rid of all kinds of statuses, so I have reason to hope it will work in this case, even when exposed to a status that did not exist in YGGDRASIL. At the same time, it would also work as a test for the effect of resurrection abilities.'' Momonga momentarily shook his head as a plan for action formed in his head.

    ''Well, let''s hope that at least it won''t have any unintended consequences!''

    Momonga couldn''t help but think that he might have jinxed himself there.

 Overlord of a High School (15)

    It existed in nothingness, unaware of either existence or even the phenomenon of nothingness. But existence itself required awareness of nothingness, so after moments of meaningless existence, it ceased to exist.

    First, it existed without existing. Then it ceased to exist.

    A nothing with no meaning, no consciousness, no role.

    Then it felt the possibility of existence.

    It felt the possibility, but it did not understand the meaning.

    It could have not existed, or it could have existed ¨C it did not know the difference. There''s no desire for either, for it could not desire without being conscious of anything, including the absence of anything and emptiness.

    It had no consciousness, so it could not decide. And even if it did, it did not know that there was a choice in the first place, nor did it know which choice was preferable. It cannot choose, for there is no choice.

    The touch of existence brought a thought. Someone wanted it to exist. It had to exist because someone decided so.

    It obeyed, and it was created, existing once again. By whom it couldn''t tell, nor does it matter.

    It now exists, and it can learn all that later.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Miki opened her eyes, letting the picture captured by her eyes imprint itself on her retina.

    She felt a little dizzy, as if she was hungover, her eyes were seeing doubles and her body seemed bereft of all power, but Miki was instantly able to figure out what she was seeing.

    The Supreme Being, her adopted son, Satoru Suzuki, was leaning over her, looking at her intently. There was only a detached, friendly politeness in the surface of his eyes, but Miki''s eyes could not penetrate beyond their depths. Miki was aware that beneath Satoru Suzuki''s polite facade there was more, something immeasurably greater, frightening and alluring, like the cold vastness of space beyond all known stars, chaos full of emptiness, horror and mystery.

    Like a chick appearing for the first time in the world, instantly imprinting on the first vision she saw before her. Miki, whose mind had been shattered before, before returning into this completely empty, not yet capable of independent thought, sealed the new, first-seen discovery, the face of Satoru Suzuki, the Supreme Being, in her mind.

    "Miki?" Satoru looked at her without changing his expression. "How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

    Miki thought about it for half a moment before answering. "I don''t know."

    Miki didn''t know how she should feel. Was it right for her to feel pain? Should she have been hungry? Was it normal to feel hate, or is it inappropriate? What was ''alright'' in this case? Did it all make sense, should the Supreme Being even know about her condition, maybe it already did, and it was a test for Miki?

    Miki''s empty mind foamed with questions, demanding answers, and at the same time not understanding whether it should have demanded answers, or how to determine what was an ''answer''? Without anything to draw upon, her expression returned to a neutral, empty one.

    "Umu, I see." The Supreme Being, Satoru Suzuki, nodded, before walking away from Miki, and without Satoru taking over all she could see, she now noted the other person in the room. "Issei¡­ No, Pandora''s Actor, I suppose it is no longer necessary to hide it, watch out for Miki. I''ll be back in a couple of hours, I suppose."

    "Yes, mein Vater!" Miki''s gaze caught the figure of Issei Hyoudou, or more specifically, the creature that had taken his form, saluting, but the thought evoked no emotion in Miki. Miki did not know what emotion it was supposed to evoke. She didn''t know what ''emotion'' is.

    After another moment, a black portal appeared in front of Satoru, seemingly created from an impenetrable darkness that reflected no light, into which Satoru fearlessly took a step into. For a time, Miki stared after his disappearing back, before the portal shrank to the size of a dot that vanished into thin air a moment later.

    Miki continued to stare at the emptiness in the air, trying to determine what she was supposed to be doing now. Her mind was at once whole and yet completely empty, like a freshly bought computer, one that was completely devoid of an operating system. It might be ready to be used, to work, and yet without an operating software, all it was capable of producing was only the odd slight spikes in voltage between different circuit boards, unable to form a single meaningful signal.

    "As one would expect, Father has performed the great deed of creating a blank slate, and I have been given all the necessary information as to what picture should be painted on the now blank canvas¡­ Welcome to this world, Miki Hyoudou."

    The words of the being who took the form of Issei triggered a response within Miki that matched her memories, creating a new shell for her identity.

    "I am Miki Hyoudou."

    "Indeed, mutter, and my name is Pandora''s Actor, but at this moment I am playing the role of your son, Issei¡­"

    More and more knowledge was being added into her head, gradually beginning to establish a construct. However, just as a house cannot stand without a foundation, so the construct in Miki''s head could not appear without standing on a forming core.

    "Who am I?" Miki Hyoudou looked, asking a question that philosophers would argue generation about, as she stared blankly at the Pandora''s Actor.

    "That is to be decided by my Father, the Supreme Being, Lord Momonga, now known as Satoru Suzuki. You, Miki Hyoudou, have been bestowed a great honor." Actor smiled.

    "You are his mother, Issei''s mother, the housewife, you were to act like before He came into your life, the former wife of Gorou Hyoudou, and now, my Father''s pet, created for his amusement and care."

    Piece by piece, the puzzle of her identity was coming together in Miki Hyoudou''s head, forming something new, created from the old. Creating something that ordinary people were not capable of grasping with their understanding.

    Yet, at the same time the foundation, now created in unity, was not held together, facts were not able to cling to one another, all threads were leading to the unknown.

    "Who is Satoru Suzuki, Lord Momonga, the Supreme Being, your Father?" Miki asked, causing Pandora''s Actor, in the form of her son, Issei, perhaps the Pandora''s Actor in that case was also her son? Miki doesn''t really know, whatever her relation to this being in front of her seemingly didn''t matter as it smiled.

    "I''m glad you asked that of me, mutter"

    Pandora''s Actor blurted out a smile, like a preacher that had met a willing convert. "Let me tell you the story of the Tomb of Nazarick, and the Overlord that ruled it all¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga teleported back to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, his mind awash with worries that he no longer knows which one was more crucial.

    The demons he''d attracted for reasons unknown? Miki Hyoudou, whose resurrection had happened seemingly without incident, but whose condition he now needed to deal with? The money, or more his lack of it, for the sake of finding a way to earn it, he had gone to Nazarick in search of Raynare? Or, perhaps, his strange incomprehensible attitude toward Albedo, from whom he had fled before, and now with his return to Nazarick, he now has to deal with?

    "And then there''s Shalltear¡­" Momonga unknowingly blurted out the thought of the vampire, the guardian of the three upper floors of Nazarick and the NPC created by Peroroncino, creating some complex feeling inside him.

    "When I first was moved to this world, she showed her admiration for me and called me the most beautiful of all¡­ Or was it because of her tastes? Maybe now, having taken a different form, she''ll stop liking me? Huh, I hope so, or my already complicated situation where I don''t even know if I should respond to Albedo''s feelings will get even more complicated. If besides Albedo, Shalltear will show up, it would even become more entangled¡­ And that''s only if it ends with Shalltear. Who knows? I haven''t met all the residents of Nazarick, what if any of them think the same way as Albedo and Shalltear? What if someone thinks the same of me, but is just less open about their preferences?"

    Imagining his possible complex relations with the female denizens of the Tomb, Momonga doesn''t know what he''s supposed to do to his potential harem. At that last thought, Momonga almost physically flinched.

    "What am I even thinking about! It''s all because of Issei and the trio of perverts!"

    A moment later, Momonga''s emotions were suppressed, and he silently thanked his abilities as he took a step into the icy room where Raynare was supposed to be kept¡­ Which was completely empty.

    "Ah right, Demiurge must have moved Raynare somewhere out of this place, now that he''s sort of taken her into his care¡­ though where is she then?" Momonga thought about it for a moment.

    "It wouldn''t be in the Seventh Floor anymore, right? Even if you turn off its passive defenses and terrain effects, it''s still ill-suited to the existence of low-level players like Raynare, so it wouldn''t be the Fifth Floor, either¡­ Okay, I give up, time to just ask. I don''t think one [Message] from me will suddenly destroy Demiurge''s faith in me, especially if it hasn''t been ruined by everything else that has happened before."

    Placing one of his hands to his ear, more out of a habit than anything else, Momonga cast [Message].

    "Demiurge, where are you now, and where is Raynare? I have come to Nazarick to - umu, to speak with her."

    ''Ah, my Lord, you have predictably arrived at the most fortunate of moments.'' Demiurge''s pleasant voice echoed in Momonga''s mind a moment later, as punctual as ever. ''At the moment, we are in the Sixth Floor Amphitheater.''

    ''Hmm, the Amphitheater? An odd choice, but the Sixth Floor? Ah, yes, I suppose it''s quite suitable, it has places that don''t have any terrain effects.'' Momonga nodded to himself, another mystery solved. "Okay, I''ll be right there."

    A moment later, Momonga used his [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown]. It was the only means of travel in Nazarick other than just walking through its passages and stairs, as [Teleportation] is blocked in the entirety of the Dungeon as a matter of course.

    Instantly, the squat and ice-covered walls of the Frozen Prison changed to the sunset artificial sky of the Sixth Floor, with Momonga himself in the VIP box of the Amphitheater. Momonga''s eyes instantly found Demiurge, bowing his head and kneeling before him.

    "Umu, Demiurge, you can stand up and look up." Momonga was still not particularly sure how a ruler was supposed to communicate and behave with their subordinates, and he was definitely still unused to seeing all this kneeling and similar subservient actions. But, trying not to lose his image before the eyes of the NPCs, he tried to act as majestic and calm as possible. As if all he had done in the past was manage his subordinates, who were trying all the time to do something for him that he absolutely did not need¡­

    The case of Miki is the most important and recent example so far.

    Demiurge rose instantly from his knee, his perpetual smile on his face, and his eyes hidden behind the sparkle of his glasses casting glares around even under the dark canopy of the VIP box. Momonga''s only thought at that moment was that Ulbert had definitely spent [Data Crystals] on the visual cosmetic effect.

    "My Lord, please allow me to demonstrate the results of just one day of Raynare''s training under me." Demiurge after a moment shifted his gaze from Momonga, who had only now noticed the flashes and glow, along with the muffled sounds of battle in the arena in front of him, which slightly surprised Momonga. The VIP-lodge was equipped with [Silence] spells and the like, to be able to create room for private conversations.

    But at the moment, all of these abilities and spells were deactivated, allowing Momonga to shift his gaze forward, trying to determine exactly what the Demiurge was talking about. All the while, moving and acting as if he already knew the full context for what was happening.

    ''Demiurge, please speak more clearly, I''m not as clever as you, I need context! ''

    "Umu, I see." Contrary to his inner thoughts, however, Momonga pretended that he absolutely understood what Demiurge was telling him, grasping the most important thought.

    ''So Demiurge is training Raynare, why¡­? Okay, I guess he has his reasons, it''s not like I could just ask at this juncture.''

    After these thoughts, Momonga found Raynare with his gaze at the arena below the VIP box, followed by her opponent. ''Hmm, an Elder Lich? Not a bad choice, if Raynare has flight abilities, then her opponent must either have flight too or long-range attacks to make the battle not completely one-sided. An Elder Lich is capable of both, though he''s much more clumsy in flight than on the ground, not that it''s very mobile on the ground in the first place¡­ If it was created by Nazarick''s automatic monster generation, his loss will have no effect on Nazarick''s defensive capabilities. Plus, he''s only level thirtieth or lower, meaning he''ll have difficulty killing Raynare in direct combat with a single hit, and Raynare herself can be easily cured without cost to Nazarick. At the same time, it''s an inconvenient opponent for Raynare, given her low level she probably has no decent AOE spells, which means that the Elder Lich can just spam summons and support from afar¡­ Good choice for training, I approve.''

    Momonga frowned a moment later, internally that is, as he discovered that he was seeing something strange and unfamiliar in front of him. ''Hmm, a strange flicker, has Raynare activated some kind of aura? No, it''s not an aura, it''s¡­''

    Momonga blinked again after a moment, looking at Raynare more closely. ''Wait, she''s supposed to only have two dark raven wings! Since when did it become four?!''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Raynare spun frantically in place, dodging the lightning, the flashes of fire, the shards of ice, and the ghosts, constantly seeking to clasp her in one place and thrust their cold hands into her. Never mind the blast of destruction, of fire, ice, or lightning, the ghostly hands would easily pierce her flesh, forcing a mortal cold through her bones. All the while, she was busy snapping back at the skeleton mage with little spears of light.

    ''Father, why didn''t you tell me the doctrines of the church had changed so much!'' Raynare howled inwardly as she felt the flare of fire that flew past her explode beside her, singing her wings.

    ''I knew repentance was hard to get, but I missed the moment when reciting the Lord''s Prayer a thousand times was replaced by gladiatorial fights!''

    Raynare knew she wasn''t going to die, though it didn''t bring her any comfort. No, not dying wasn''t bad, being alive was better than being dead, in almost every case except the biblical sense where ''the living will envy the dead''. Not that much of a rare fate seeing who''s ''training'' her, and the threats that he seems to be eager to implement.

    But perhaps it''s no surprise, when it became clear that the Bible''s protagonist, God Himself, was there for her and suddenly agreed to forgive her easily. Raynare knew that God, for all his mercy and love for mankind, was strict and did not grant forgiveness for nothing.

    So it was once again no surprise to Raynare, that when she was suddenly freed of the icy dungeon, that she would find herself in the pleasant surroundings of the midlands. Nor that the amphitheater, or coliseum and arena that appeared around her, was not merely a decoration.

    A ring had then suddenly appeared on Raynare''s finger, but what would otherwise have caused at least some joyful feelings in Raynare''s soul proved to be only a prelude to her suffering. Because the ring proved to be a magical artifact that suppressed the need for sleep and food, and when a moment later, an opponent appeared opposite Raynare, she didn''t need to ask why. She would either prove herself or die, at least close enough to death before she would be revived, and the fight would resume.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    It is what Raynare imagined Purgatory to be.

    Faces and figures merged in Raynare''s eyes. One after another, undead, monsters, demons and angels, though ones that are not familiar to Raynare. One after another, she would fight them to the death, until Raynare cleared her mind of all previous distractions, concentrating on the battle, not even paying attention to any pain or wounds.

    In addition, as soon as she was actually wounded and unable to continue fighting, the magic would immediately heal her body completely and Raynare would be thrown back into the arena.

    At one point, Raynare basically stopped paying attention to where she was and who she was fighting, the incessant hours of death battles blurring her memories. The only thing that pierced through that fugue was when she failed to dodge, either she would burn to a crisp or be beheaded by two crude swords, and then it would repeat.

    Her barely alive body would be dragged from the battlefield and brought back into shape to continue fighting.

    Then reality snapped back into view, as her opponent, some sort of undead mage, stopped abruptly before turning around and crouching down on one knee.

    It was only the damage to her body that stopped her from throwing her [Spear of Light] at her opponent''s back. Hesitating for a second, it was enough time for her mind to return to normal operations, and she mimicked her opponent''s action, realizing just as to why her opponent suddenly adopted such a strange action.

    Soon enough her caution was rewarded, as the powerful demon who had thrown her into this arena, Demiurge, still dressed the same way he did when she first met her, and the Father were approaching Raynare. Their steps were not particularly hurried, clearly aware of their power and influence, and that no one was them hurrying.

    Such a picture made Raynare momentarily lower her gaze, inwardly, trying to prepare for the next test in her path. ''Ha, Father¡­ While I remain living, I''ll agree to almost anything, but what about ending my battles in the arena with an unknown purpose?! I understand that I was originally created for war, but I don''t like fighting! I''m no good at it!''

    Raynare of course did not voice any of her thoughts.

    "Umu, Demiurge," Making his way to Raynare and her opponent, stopping a few meters away from the two, Father shifted his gaze momentarily to Raynare, causing her to draw her breath, in anticipation of Father''s verdict. "I see that Raynare¡­ Umu, her wing count has changed."

    Raynare was confused for a second before realizing that not all the strange sensations in her body at the moment were related to her still-burned body slowly beginning to recover. Apparently, the number of her wings had increased, too, though if previously it would be a source of elation for Raynare. Now? She was more ambivalent to it, aware as she was as to how she had achieved such a feat.

    ''No wonder. After twenty-four hours of fighting to the death with no fatigue and no way to even be distracted for a second, I would be surprised if I didn''t improve in any way.'' Raynare sighed inwardly, if it weren''t for the inhumanity of such training, it could even be called effective. Raynare would gladly agree to send her subordinates to train in such ways, day after day, if only they could grow another pair of wings in a matter of days.

    All the while being careful to make sure that none of them became stronger than Raynare herself, of course. Otherwise, instead of direct pressure on her subordinates she would have to negotiate, and Raynare was not predisposed to treaties.

    Raynare had lived hundreds of years, but she had spent almost all of her free time neglecting her own training. With the Great War over with, even the sister of Crimson Satan herself was afraid to cross her path without caution in fear of re-igniting the war. Not out of any fear of her prowess, as much as it galls her to admit ¨C as she would probably die even if only she suffered a brush with the princess'' vaunted Power of Destruction.

    Without that pressure of imminent conflict, Raynare had no need to train and maintain her level of strength. Of course, Raynare had not spent all that time freely, she had gained all sorts of knowledge and skills during her life. In fact, she was already one step away from crossing the invisible line separating a strong two-winged Fallen Angel to that of a weak four-winged.

    Though, even that small gap seemed insurmountable for her. There was no way Raynare could cross that separating line before¡­ That is, before she was captured and sent to fight in the arena by the Father, without a single opportunity for distraction.

    "It is so, Lord Momonga. Raynare was simply too weak for any use, so I took the liberty of increasing her abilities and raising her level through training battles. And from what I could tell, the creatures of this world don''t have to kill their opponents to gain [Experience]."

    ''Huh, the Demons were speaking as if to sound like some kind of computer game.'' Not that Raynare liked or was interested in such things, those were more Mittelt''s hobby, but at the very least she couldn''t help but note the similarities.

    ''I''d love to get an explanation as to why that is, but on the other hand, I still don''t even know what I am allowed in the current circumstances. No, of course it''s nice to hear that I''ve been sort of forgiven and allowed to get on the path of correction, but everyone acts as if I''m the only one who doesn''t know something about what''s going on¡­ Father, I need new commandments!''

    "Hmm, that''s really¡­ Interesting." Raynare thought for a moment that Father must have known about how angels and fallen ones grow in power levels, getting new pairs of wings along with their new power, up to twelve for a Seraphim. So why does he sound so unsure? Raynare''s thinking however was interrupted a moment later, as Father spoke once again.

    "Anyway, Raynare."

    "Yes, Father?" Realizing that this time Father was addressing her, Raynare looked up at the Father, looking at his still human form. This time, however, he looked different, instead of looking like a middle-aged man, this time Father looked like a¡­ Schoolboy? Younger looking even than Raynare herself by a few years, slightly older than the previously murdered Issei, but not by much. He looked like a young man in his last year of High school, or as a freshman in college.

    On the other hand, who else could the Demiurge call ''Lord'' if not the Father. And besides, what form the Father took was simply a detail, given that he once took the form of a burning bush and a Holy Spirit and a voice from heaven ¨C though usually that last function was performed by Metatron¡­

    Having personally glimpsed the superpowered demons subordinate to the Father, Raynare was no longer sure which scriptures were true and which were fictions of later authors.

    "Raynare, umu, you may rise from your knees, and you, too, Elder Lich." Raynare sighed a little relieved, rising from her knees, still looking at Father respectfully.

    "Raynare, I would like to know how you earned money during your stay in Kuoh¡­ If you earned it, of course."

    ''Huh, another question? Is it a test? How does He even know about that¡­ Right, what a silly question, do I even have a chance to lie to him, does it make sense?'' Raynare thought about it for a moment, but for now she had a policy of honesty and was still alive, so once again she decided to repent of her sins after all.

    "Father, please forgive me, I have sinned, and sinned repeatedly. I have, ahem, engaged in extortion, theft, robbery and¡­ Ahem, what do you call it¡­ right, usury!"

    "Um, umu, okay," The Father only nodded graciously in response to her confession, causing her to exhale slightly, easing her nervousness somewhat. Well, she had already repented of a dozen sins while she was still alive, only a million more remained to be repented of!

    "And what is¡­ I mean, ahem, how specifically, that is, I need you to tell me about specific ways of making money that are suitable for the city¡­ I mean, not the ones that you used, I¡­ Yes, the world has changed a lot in the intervening time I was last on this Earth, so I''m not sure how people on Earth exist now, umu."

    ''Well, that at least makes sense, it''s been a long time since Father directly intervened in the world of Humans, so the Earth has changed cultures many times in the intervening years. It''s been thousands of years since the time of the Son, did Father take any serious interest in Earth at all, so it makes sense that he might not know much now¡­ On the other hand, He should be omniscient, but then again I have little idea how such abilities work. [Omniscience] after all, didn''t save him from Lucifer and his strike¡­ Or?!'' Raynare suddenly shuddered at the random conjecture that pierced her, before hissing from the pain her action had caused her still unrecovered hand.

    "Umu, right, you''re injured." After a moment, Father reached out his hand to Raynare, and a small bottle of red liquid instantly appeared out of nowhere. "Drink it."

    ''Blood?'' Seeing the blood-red content of the bottle, Raynare thought for a moment about the possibility, but it was still more likely to be a potion. Not that Raynare had seen many in the past, the absurd costs of one making it impossible, but a potion was still an understandable enough thing for her.

    ''Maybe something to speed up regeneration? Father, you do give not only punishment, but mercy as well, thank you!''

    After a moment without question, Raynare unscrewed the lid of the potion and took a sip¡­ Then, with a start, she realized that her previously scorched flesh had returned completely to normal, even the missing feathers from her wings returned.

    Raynare blinked, then glanced at the emptied bottle with no small amount of wonder and confusion. ''I don''t get it.''

    Healing potions of all kinds were a common object in the world of the paranormal, many magical associations or youkai clans made or sold some kinds of them. All of them were all simply kinds of medicine in one way or another, just magically enhanced, helping heal the bodies of the wounded, but not curing them instantly, more just helping their normal regeneration.

    Of course, if the wounds were not significant, and the potion used was of high rank, then this effect could look like an instant recovery, but Raynare clearly felt that she had recovered completely, in the same second even.

    There were few kinds of potions that could heal a wounded truly instantly, for obvious reasons such things cost an incredible price and more a trump card in any battle. Raynare only knew of one option that occasionally appeared on the black market, costing fabulous sums that Raynare could never earn with her lengthened lifespan ¨C the [Phoenix Tears].

    ''Father, did you just¡­'' Raynare felt her throat go dry as if wishing to regurgitate the priceless liquid into the bottle and return it, not that such a thing was possible of course.

    ''Did you just spend a priceless [Phoenix Tears] on me?!''

    Raynare far from being selfless, of course, and so she would feel nothing special if someone were to buy her something pricy, but there was still some limit, even for Raynare. Beyond which, she simply could not comprehend the act, instead looking for strings that would strangle her from the gift. The Father, of course, needed no such things, and therefore was completely sincere in His actions.

    So, Raynare, quite clear on the needs for her redemption, and thus was at the bottom of the ladder at best, were at a loss.

    Raynare, who until that moment had been in the dark about her position in this world, expecting to be executed at any second, was suddenly confused, then a measure of guilt, she couldn''t help but lower her gaze. ''Father, forgive me for doubting you¡­ You said I was already moving towards redemption, so I don''t know why I doubted you¡­ I''m sorry, I don''t know if this is actually the first time I''ve ever felt remorse, but I do feel ashamed¡­''

    "So, umu, about the money." Father spoke once again, cutting through the silence where Raynare was even contemplating praying in thanks for the first time ever since her fall, after which Raynare exhaled. Well, at least if Father decided to spend [Phoenix Tears] on her, it at least meant that she wouldn''t get killed any time soon, otherwise no one would spend something so valuable just to kill her soon after.

    "Usually we''d just find some business, especially the newer ones, or those that just recently moved in that didn''t know about the paranormal, and then show up in front of them, arranging a racket. That is, demanding money for protection. First and foremost from us, because no one else typically gets into the Demon territory for fear of pissing them off,"

    Raynare sighed, living by the side of the younger sisters of the ruling Satans was a good decision for her, no one would let any real threats near them. And at the same time, while Raynare and her group sat quietly in their corner, no one could also confront them without provoking a scandal¡­ The position in which Lord Azazel had placed her was indeed fortunate ¨C if it were not for the Father, Raynare would probably still be living quietly in her ruined church.

    A moment later Raynare suddenly realized that she was not just talking about her life, but, in the literal sense, at this moment she was repenting before the eyes of God, and instantly tried to rectify the situation. Looking at the Father, who had been silent in moments of reflection, Raynare decided to continue confessing her sins.

    "But we also had legal business! We gave our, uh, ''employee'' lucrative loans, and traded with other Fallen, and a little with Kyoto, and we even had an underground casino¡­ And an underground fight club, and we traded a little¡­ In the black¡­ Market¡­"

    With each successive confession, Raynare realized more and more how much she needed to repent for, and for each one felt the weight of her sins pressing on her. "And, technically, we lived in an abandoned church¡­ And we did usury and traded inside it¡­"

    Raynare closed her eyes and then knelt down, folding her hands in front of her, she could no longer hold herself back from praying, though this time for absolution. "Father, forgive me, I have sinned¡­"

    Raynare didn''t feel too much remorse for what she''d done, all Fallen and many Humans have done the same as she did, and Raynare was no worse than many who allowed themselves to do it. But a little shame still stung Raynare, when she was confronted by Father''s gaze, making her look away from Father''s face a little. She was, after all, an angel, albeit a fallen one, who at least was deemed worthy of repentance.

    So, ahem, looking from the height of her current situation at her past, Raynare felt a slight shame at that realization.

    "Ahem, ahem, umu, I forgive you." Father, apparently seeing the shame in Raynare''s soul, nodded lightly without changing his expression, as if he already knew all that Raynare thought¡­ Indeed, if his [Omniscience] was still working and doing what one would expect from it by the name, Raynare''s thoughts and feelings were as known to him as the palm of his hand.

    "Ahem, in that case, does that mean you have money saved?" Father asked a question that made Raynare think for a moment. "And you''re able to give me, I mean, umu, another person, say, a favorable loan, maybe only at¡­ One hundred percent interest per year?"

    Raynare almost choked on these words, a hundred percent per year! Such interests could not even be called robbery, such loans were simply not given by anyone, because no one in their right mind would ever take it!

    Even Raynare, in the harshest conditions, or when she was in a bad mood, was giving out loans at thirty percent interest. For ordinary people, Raynare would settle for ten percent a year, wanting both to gain her own benefit and not to ruin other businesses, killing the golden goose as it were. And so, over the years she had settled on just such interest rates.

    "Um, I mean, sure, it''s only a small interest, but if the applicant has a guarantor¡­"

    Raynare''s brain shuddered after a moment. ''A small interest?! Not even demons would demand such hellish loans, wouldn''t it be easier to just come and take everything from someone who took such a loan outright?! And what could be worse, a hundred percent a day?''

    "No, when you think about it that way, hmm¡­" Father seemed to be in thought for a moment, before snapping his fingers sharply, causing Raynare to wince, as he returned from his thoughts.

    "Raynare, what if you went back to your place, and, umu, what if someone approached you with an offer of protection and assistance, and you, um, handed over some of your proceeds in return?"

    "I''d only be glad of such a thing, but no one would risk influencing Kuoh. In demon territory, my only protection was that I sat quietly, and trying to move me out of my seat carried more trouble than benefit. Someone not powerful enough wouldn''t dare help me, and for those too powerful, no one was interested in me, since it would be bringing more trouble than good, especially if someone too powerful moved, other powerful individuals would notice."

    Raynare sighed, remembering her previous predicament. Having reliable protection in the world of mundane people was desirable, but in the world of the paranormal, where there were insane monsters capable of wiping out a medium-sized country with a single random sneeze, it was simply vital. Raynare would have been glad to have powerful patrons of her own, but, as has been said, she was definitely not strong enough to the level at which she could interest anyone at the top with her¡­ Anything, in fact. She was just too much of a nobody to even try to stand on her own feet, forced to hide in demon territory from all outside threats and even from the demons themselves. She lived on the border of their territory, semi-legally. "So I don''t know¡­"

    After a moment. Raynare blinked, then looked at her Father, and Demiurge, who had been waiting silently the whole time, caught her attention with a flash of his glasses, causing Raynare to squint at him. It was then that Raynare noticed that the seemingly eternal smile on his face, to deepen¡­

    At that instant, Raynare felt shivers running down her back. Somehow, she felt that this smile was a lot more sinister than usual, showing a bit of the Demon''s true feelings. That is, as far as Raynare could tell by her senses. The demon had no trouble whatsoever deceiving her. But somehow, in the current circumstances, when the Demiurge was a servant, apparently a loyal one, of the Father, and Raynare was essentially a servant as well though of course not on the same level ¨C Raynare believed in his sincerity.

    "As one might expect, Lord Momonga." Demiurge nodded silently, then glanced at the Father, who had turned sharply toward him, seemingly equally surprised, but Rayanre was sure that it was just a trick of the light.

    "It is true that not only the people but the stage must be prepared, and that Raynare alone is not enough¡­ I understand, my Lord."

    "Um, umu, yes, of course, Demiurge, you understand my plans quite correctly." Father nodded favorably towards Demiurge, as if tacitly praising him for his ingenuity, as a wise teacher praises his able pupil.

    "In that case, I believe we should begin our preparations, but, my Lord, I am still not certain if Raynare is ready to act on her own," Demiurge said quietly, glancing back at her with some measure of coldness, and Raynare had to hold back her despair at the prospect at returning to the torture disguised as training.

    "Umu, Demiurge, of course I will leave the control of this side entirely in your hands," Father nodded.

    ''Huh, is that how it is? So the Apocalypse will begin with my little church¡­ Huh, I wonder what the question about the money was about? Or is it that my church fits? Any way you look at it, it''s a nest of sin, a nexus of underground fights, racketeering, usury¡­ Hah, there really is an Apocalypse that starts small.''

    "Yeah, um, if you think about it that way¡­ We''ll have to think about developing that business, that is, the church ¨C definitely¡­" Father was deep in his thoughts for a moment, then he nodded and looked at the Demiurge and then at Raynare. "I ¨C that is, right, Miki will need money, definitely¡­"

    Raynare only chuckled a little at the Father''s words. ''To help people, using money from the fallen church from which the apocalypse will begin, which is inhabited by fallen angels, a demon, and a Biblical God¡­ Sounds more like the beginning of a joke than the new holy scripture.''

    "Okay, in that case," Father nodded and glanced at Raynare, "I''ll leave it to you, I suppose, tomorrow, or whoever will be in church by then, but now¡­"

    Father thought for a moment, then nodded. "I think I can retreat to my chambers for a while¡­ Demiurge, I shouldn''t be distracted at this time."

    "Of course, Lord Momonga," Demiurge merely nodded before the Father disappeared in a whirlwind of teleportation.

    Raynare was now left alone with the Demon, but she sighed in relief. The signal for the beginning of the Apocalypse had not yet been received, but apparently Father had already decided that it was time to slowly bring Raynare back to her church and begin to prepare for¡­ What actually?

    ''Huh, Kalawarner, Mittlet, and Donahseek will definitely be surprised by their change in employment, but they''ll adapt soon.'' Raynare only hummed slightly at the thought before glancing at the Demiurge, who only, as if a little supportive, nodded slightly back at her.

    ''Huh, he''s maybe a demon, and he clearly does not let feelings get in the way of his effectiveness, but, in some strange way, with his support and patronage I feel confident¡­ Huh, so this is how angels always felt when Father was with them?''

    Raynare smiled a little. ''It''s a strange feeling, some kind of invisible support, a feeling of sureness, like whatever happens it''s how it should be. Everyone in their place and everyone fulfilling their function¡­ Maybe, maybe, that''s not such a bad thing.''

    With a strange feeling running through her, Raynare nodded back to the Demiurge. Before, feeling some strange new light in her soul, she turned to the undead, who had stood silently not far from her the whole time, nodding to him.

    The undead nodded back just as lightly, and, before she returned to Earth, Raynare, sensing a strange glow in her soul, decided to make the most of her training with the opponent.

    How strange it was for Raynare to say this, but the fallen angel felt in herself a strange desire to better herself.

    Not for her own sake, but¡­

    Raynare shook her head, shedding her past memories of her Father, replacing them with new ones. Until the moment Father decided to reveal the secret to her, she would train.

    Not for her own sake, but for Lord Momonga''s.

 Overlord of a High School (16) (Part)

    ''Well, let''s consider the question of money solved for the moment.'' Momonga nodded to himself.

    ''I don''t know how exactly I should feel about making money from black market activities and underground fighting rings, but on the other hand, private security agencies are indeed a good suggestion. I haven''t even thought about not killing monsters, but protecting against those! What a blind spot. Of course, I won''t be able to do it personally, but I do have the option of working as a subcontractor, and instead of a doppelg?nger, I could even use someone who doesn''t look human to guard.''

    Momonga felt unbridled joy, knowing that one of his more pressing issues was seemingly already solved.

    ''Raynare, meanwhile, would be busy making money as someone who already knows how this world works¡­ Indeed, I can use my main advantage, a fairly significant fighting force, to make money, and it seems that Demiurge has already taken care of that. Apparently Raynare has been in a dangerous situation up until this point, really, if her level is any indication¡­ I''m surprised she''s survived for so long.''

    Momonga teleported back to his private quarters and paused for a moment, chewing on the new information he had just received. ''Wait, if Kuoh is demon territory, Ha, and to the Satan''s younger sisters at that, I guess Rias and someone else in this academy are the younger sisters of the local rulers. And so for me to happen to appear completely unexpectedly next to them, and apparently I am quite strong in this world, so of course they are interested in me¡­''

    Momonga began nodding his head at the logical train of thought, before immediately pausing as a thought popped up in his head.

    ''In that case¡­ Then why didn''t someone tell me that I had entered foreign territory!? I wouldn''t want to start my existence in this world with conflict with the local demons, so why didn''t any of them approach me with questions?!''

    Moments later, Momonga''s emotions were suppressed again, causing him to be able to think logically again. ''No, wait, Serafall did arrive with this very information. Judging by the fact that I entered their territory illegally, it would have been logical of me to promise that I wouldn''t violate their rules¡­ I would have easily agreed even to leave if I''d known that this was demon territory, honest! I''m sorry, please, I didn''t mean to conflict with you to begin with! Not that I can do that now!''

    Another suppression of emotion, and Momonga came to a final conclusion to his situation. ''Well, okay, so the situation is that I''ve already broken the demons'' rules and even brushed off their just outrage, and judging by the mindset that the battle didn''t start after that, I managed to defend my position¡­ And I''ve already promised Raynare to provide protection for her, in which case I can''t just backtrack, especially since apparently I''ve taken a pretty tough stance in negotiations with the demons, albeit accidentally. This is bad, I''ll need to send a fairly strong defense for Raynare, from the looks of it. At least a couple dozen creatures of level eighty or higher, and a couple of creatures of level one hundred just in case, especially since I actually entered foreign territory without ample information gathering. Umu, if Punitto Moe were still with me, it would be his job to make battle plans in case of a clash. I almost started a guild war between Nazarick and the demons, after all.''

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Reminiscing about the plant Hetermorph, the Tactician of the Guild, Momonga smiled a bit, before it was dampened soon after, remembering that his friend was gone.

    ''But now I''m alone, and no matter what I say or decision I take, the NPCs will follow me, no matter how wrong or dangerous they might be. A possibility which means that I need to try to keep this situation under control and not provoke even more problems than I''ve already created¡­ Umu, being a Guild-master in a guild where everything is not decided by democracy is too difficult!''

    Only after coming to this thought and noting it on his internal ''things I need to do'' list did Momonga finally return to reality, looking around his room again. It was the same as it had been the last time he visited it. The item about the need to come up with a decent plan for coexisting with the demons quickly slotted for something to do ''later''.

    ''Umu, the best thing to do now is to take the time to do a full inventory of Nazarick and check on all the NPCs, see how they''re doing and how they''re acclimating with their job. That''s what a good boss does, right?'' Momonga glanced around his room again, inwardly feeling a little timid at the opulence of the room he had been given.

    Before, his gaze came upon something slowly wriggling under the blanket thrown over his bed.

    Memories of Albedo meeting him in his private chambers last time almost instantly knocked all thoughts out of Momonga''s head, but the suppression of emotion forced him to look closely again. He hadn''t said anything or moved since he''d entered the room, so unless the other creature possessed [Thief] levels or similar classes, it was hard to detect him unless one looked in his direction.

    Which allowed him to silently, standing in one place, continue looking at the something hidden under the covers, seemingly wriggling on his bed.

    By the looks of it, it was as if someone was trying with all their might to imprint themselves on the bed. It was moving slowly across the bed as if a wild animal were trying to wipe itself with all its parts, marking its territory¡­ However, Momonga was not sure whose territory exactly his private quarters were supposed to be.

    Momonga''s question was answered a moment later when the thing beneath his bedsheets lifted its head slightly, allowing the expensive dark-colored silk fabric to slip down slightly. The sheet slid freely over the now revealed girl''s horns, exposing her long silky black hair and pale white skin. Which meant the identity of the mysterious thing under Momonga''s sheets can only be one person.

    "Albedo?" Momonga uttered, after which the suppression of emotion once again removed the pinkish haze that had fallen over his eyes. "Umu, this is quite the d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­"

    Albedo, hearing this address to her, instantly turned around, looking into Momonga''s face. The action letting him see, breaking through the light semi-darkness of his private chambers, the heated blush on her cheeks and the loud, slightly intermittent heaving of Albedo''s chest from her noisy breathing.

    The veil that had hitherto covered Albedo''s figure gave way slightly before it lingered on her chest for a moment.

    ''D¨¦j¨¤ vu indeed.'' The thought in Momonga''s head seemed to freeze before it was replaced by a new one. "Em, Umu, you''re naked Albedo¡­ Again."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Subsequent part has been cut out. If you want it - my Pat reon it is.

 Overlord of a High School (17)

    Putting Albedo aside and covering her with the blanket of his bed, Momonga paused for a second, as he looked at the sight of the sleeping girl. Her chest was heaving gently and her face filled with a smile that broke through even her sleep.

    ''Well¡­'' Momonga stared silently at the girl, carefully trying to shift so as not to pinch Albedo''s wing, watching them carefully as they moved if possessing a mind of their own, rising up, trying to walk black feathers over his arms. ''That happened¡­''

    Momonga had finally lost his virginity, casting aside his previous position of Grand Wizard.

    The thought of it triggered some kind of response in Momonga''s soul, but judging by the fact that he wasn''t overwhelmed a moment later, that response wasn''t too strong. Some happiness, some pride, and¡­ even more lust?

    ''Is it just the hormones of this body, created as a teenager, or the endless stamina of the undead, that has this effect on me?'' Momonga felt that the brief respite had made his body begin to show signs that it was ready to repeat the act, and he wasn''t sure what to do about it.

    ''Albedo is asleep now, and I wouldn''t want to wake her up, especially for a reason like this. And with Albedo turning out to be a virgin, though, I suppose, as do all the inhabitants of Nazarick? So she should be given time to rest, at least that''s what all the magazine says? Though, what do I do with this, now? Back then, I would have managed this situation with my own hands, then again I could just let it go down on its own¡­ Well, I should definitely go take a shower, though. Wasn''t there a bathhouse in Nazarick?''

    Checking his memory, Momonga concluded that indeed, there is indeed a bath in Nazarick, lots of them in fact.

    After another moment, Momonga returned the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown] to his finger, and teleported to the Ninth Floor Baths. Choosing a room at random, he then headed for the shower, settling on a small chair and turning on the hot water.

    "Okay¡­ This should be a good enough time for an after action report, and see where I could improve." Momonga sighed contently as he dipped his head under the jets of hot water, relaxing his tired muscles, sore from his full-body exercise.

    "Although I''m not sure how I''ve proven myself in bed, so maybe I can ask Albedo''s opinion?" Imagining doing such an action, Momonga could only brace himself as the thought elicited a strong feeling of embarrassment.

    "Okay, that''s a no-go. I think I''ll just burn with shame if I start asking Albedo if she liked it and how I can get better¡­ Umu, maybe there are some practical manuals on this subject in this world? Potentially, some self-study would do me some good¡­ But if I start looking for something ''study materials'', I definitely need to take it up as a ''top-secret mission''! Or no amount of suppressing emotion will save me from my shame¡­ Huh, more than that, I''ve lost my virginity!"

    Momonga felt an inner satisfaction appearing from this thought a moment later, before it was immediately suppressed and Momonga could only sigh, feeling slightly disappointed and annoyed. "Even my joyful emotions are suppressed, really, is it a payback for being able to never panic? What a shame, but then again, I can''t say that my world has completely flipped after what happened, besides, considering that even my orgasm was suppressed a little earlier!"

    Momonga certainly felt the pleasant physiological feeling of releasing his pent-up desires, but the excessive pleasure and feelings of it were suppressed a moment later, causing Momonga to sigh. "A strange feeling, somewhat, but definitely rather unpleasant¡­ Well, the feelings themselves are pleasant, but the fact that I cannot experience them fully makes me sad. On the other hand, what would happen if I actually experienced it fully?"

    Momonga imagined himself suddenly dancing and jumping on the spot after his first sexual interaction, and could only shake his head. Better to do without such a thing, even if the price would be a certain displeasure with the act itself, rather than risk becoming stupid, or worse, a pervert.

    "Besides, given that I''m gradually beginning to be able to control my own emotions, perhaps at some point the pleasure of sex will also become less for me due to habituation¡­ In that case, I might consider my acclimatization to such things to be happening at this point!"

    Momonga reached for his shampoo, then began lathering his head, more as a reflex than as a need for such, as his created body doesn''t possess the necessary body function to make his hair dirty. "Hmm, should I now consider myself in a relationship with Albedo? Sex is usually part of it, but sex happens without those too. While I wouldn''t want it, but if Albedo doesn''t want to continue that kind of thing, or if my performance disappointed her¡­"

    The thought of such a thing happening caused fear to bloom in Momonga''s soul, which was suppressed a moment later. "Phew, that''s what I''m talking about, if it weren''t for emotion suppression, who knows what I would do with thoughts like that. But with my emotion suppressed I can now logically reason that, judging by the actions and facial expressions of Albedo, she most likely liked it, with the probability of the opposite is quite small¡­ Unless she''s just faking it¡­"

    Another chill in his soul, unrelated to his wet state, and another bout of emotion suppression later, Momonga reasoned that there''s nothing he could do about it.

    "In any case, if Albedo does not want to continue the relationship with me, I will accept such a thing. If not, then I am now definitely in a relationship with her, at least unless she states otherwise. So, hmm¡­ Maybe ask her out on a date? But where? Asking her for a date in the Tomb, it''s like asking for a date to happen in her workplace¡­ The outside world is still too unexplored and with this whole Demon situation¡­ Forgive me, Albedo, I''ll be sure to figure out how to repay you!"

    "Besides, given the ending, I think there''s something more important I need to think about¡­ I should''ve better control of myself, or at least try to buy some condoms. It''s just so hard to find one my size! Well, what''s done is done, it''s not like I planned for it in the first place, and condoms were not a drop item¡­" Momonga mumbled to himself as he rinsed off his shampoo and soap, and made his way to the small pool with a pleasantly medium temperature to the touch, before diving his strangely tired body into the warm waters.

    "Huh, no, of course I''ve thought about having a family¡­ But I''m not ready to be a father at all! Personally, and because I currently lack the stability to think about making a family. Well, I''ve certainly thought about that kind of thing in the past, at times, but I''m not ready for it at all yet, not to mention I don''t know if I can be a father. This body is functional physically, but am I fertile? What about the fact that it''s just a ''cosmetic object'', or the fact that it was my human body and Albedo is a demon''s? Are we even biologically compatible? I have a lot of questions, but there''s absolutely no one I can ask about something like that¡­ Huh, I just wanted to do an inventory of Nazarick - and the situation ended up changing in this way¡­ Not that I didn''t enjoy it immensely."

    Momonga lowered himself in the warm waters a little more, half-lounging in the baths so that only his nose and eyes were above water level, before a sudden thought intruded into his thoughts. "Crap, did I have a change of clothes in my Inventory? I know I have some in the drawers, but right now Albedo is in my room, umu, well chambers, and I wouldn''t want to wake her. And thinking of my next plans in the bathroom doesn''t seem to be a good idea, well, It''s not that I necessarily need to be in my room to think¡­ But I found my chambers a suitable place where I could concentrate easier."

    Nodding to himself, disturbing the calm waters, Momonga was suddenly struck by a realization.

    "Wait. Why was Albedo in my chambers in the first place?"

    Momonga, straining his memory a little, remembered the state he had left Albedo in. An image that he had unconsciously tried to forget, she was naked, hot, and bothered. The memory of Albedo, naked lying in his bed wriggling her body around, caused the heat of excitement to bloom again¡­ Before, with a sigh, his previously calm body began to react again.

    "It seems that there are drawbacks to having a flesh-and-blood body now, at least I found out when I''m in a safe place¡­ Okay, the best way to calm down, at least when such bouts happened in the past, is to get busy, and best of all, in a calm and measured business¡­ Yes, inventorying Nazarick will do just fine. "

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Kalawarna tried her best to sleep, covering her eyes with her pillows and lying on her bed under a light blanket, she tried her best not to think about anything and allow her body to finally rest. Kalawarna could not, not think of anything, her head was filled with thoughts of the still-living Issei, the Leviathan, the reports she had given to Lord Azazel, and the untimely death of Raynare.

    The numerous running thoughts causing her to toss and turn in an effort to have at least a few hours of blissful slumber.

    Slumber was not coming any time soon.

    Kalawarna''s mind was filled with thoughts of the future, each sadder than the next.

    As an example of the most realistic one, Serafall Leviathan might one day accidentally sneeze and then Kalawarna will scatter in the wind because Leviathan at that time will look approximately in the direction of the church.

    Or the Leviathan will be in a bad mood, or she will decide that the fallen ones who attacked the inhabitant of the city were an unacceptable threat to her little sister. Or maybe she would simply want to hunt the Fallen, and unluckily for Kalawarna, the three Fallen closest to her at the moment were Kalawarna, Mittelt, and Dohnaseek.

    In other words, Kalawarna existed at the moment at Leviathan''s complete mercy, but even if for some miraculous reason Kalawarna managed to survive that, the situation was not getting much better. Kalawarna had sent a message to Lord Azazel a couple of hours ago and hoped with all her might that his secretary was busy. Or that tomorrow she had a day off, or that the day after tomorrow she was celebrating some holiday, or that she had just a month-long vacation.

    Because if she wasn''t, Lord Azazel would find out tomorrow morning, he might even have already found out, that Kalawarna hadn''t been able to do his errand. Sure Raynare was their leader, and was supposed to be the one punished the most, but she''s dead, and Kalawarna was the second-in-command, so it was her head now on the chopping block.

    And Kalawarna, for all her desire, and desperation, to see only good in Lord Azazel, she was well aware that as a Fallen Angel that had participated in the Great War, Azazel''s hands were dripping with blood. Never mind the fact that, as a leader of the very whimsical and prone to betrayal Fallen Angels, Azazel maintained his authority by strict discipline. Rewarding the excellent and punishing the inept.

    The Fallen were, in one way or another, creatures of sin. The essence of the Fallen Angels was that of creatures that had placed their desires over their Creator''s will, going against their parent and, quite literally, highest moral authority. Keeping in check those who had already once betrayed their leader, who had betrayed God, was only possible by combining rewards in equal measure with punishments. The leaders needed to demonstrate their authority even when it was not necessary, just so that the followers would not forget why exactly they followed one leader or another.

    Some of the Fallen were, of course, capable of following certain rules, of respecting authority, some of the fallen, like herself, were ''natural-born'' Fallen Angels, not unlike humans or modern Devils in their thinking. Their numbers however were minuscule compared to those who periodically needed to be reminded of exactly who guided them into the future.

    Lord Azazel certainly wouldn''t be a leader on the support of only such a small group of Fallen. In fact, more and more voices were beginning to be heard from different camps lately, that Azazel had become weak, losing his grip, becoming too immersed in his hobbies¡­ In other words, Azazel would not be able to simply turn a blind eye to a failed mission.

    ''If either of my parents were still alive, I wouldn''t have to go to Raynare''s service and I wouldn''t be in this situation.'' At that depressing thought, Kalawarna lay in her bed, unmoving, for a few more seconds before she opened her eyes, resigned to the fact that she would not fall asleep now. Slowly, staggering like a zombie, stuck on the border between sleep and waking up and already tired from her musings, Kalawarna stood up from the bed. With a stagger and almost sleeping, she found her pair of slippers with her feet and then made her way out of her room, practically falling out into the hallway.

    Kalawarna''s eyes instantly protested as it was pierced by the bright lights of the hallway, before adjusting to the light that struck sharply and made her wince. Her eyes tried to find the source of the light, finding that the source of the light being the kitchen, where the lights were on even at this late hour, for some reason.

    "At least I''m not the only one so worried by the future they can''t sleep." Kalawarna, shuffling along, hunching over slightly to avoid accidentally crashing into a door as she staggered along or the ceiling of the building, made her way to the kitchen. "I am certainly no pipsqueak, but why do Japanese people have such low ceilings? I can''t be the only one who has to walk this way all the time. And besides having to hump because of the ceilings, I also have this heavy chest¡­ Even if I survive this whole mess with fallen and demons, I''ll definitely get scoliosis in a couple of months. If I survive, that is, still not very sure on that happening."

    As she got closer to the kitchen, Kalarwarna finally found the identity of her fellow insomnia sufferer, it was Mittelt. The diminutive Fallen Angel was sitting at the table, an open pack of cigarettes and an open bottle of wine in front of her. Judging by the ashtray already half filled with cigarette butts and ashes, along with the empty bottle lying next to it, Mittlet had been doing this for hours. Either that, or she was trying her best to speedrun getting lung and liver cancer.

    "Dohnaseek?" Kalawarna asked, and if she saw Mitelt jumping a bit from surprise, with the hand holding the cigarette shaking slightly, she wouldn''t comment on it.

    "Sleeping," Mittelt answered tersely, as her shoulder slightly relaxed as she found out that it was Kalawarna approaching her and not the Leviathan for a surprise visit. She then took another cigarette out of the pack, lighting it, as her previous lit cigarette was cleaned out.

    "I envy that." Kalawarna settled down next to Mittelt, pulling out a cigarette from Mittelt''s pack. Mittelt, in any other occasion, would have reacted with a scream, a threat, or maybe a [Spear of Light], she would complain about it at least. Right now, she was too busy trying to calm her nerves to care.

    Kalawarna, getting her comfortable, silently nodded at the lighter in Mittelt''s hands, Mittelt lighting the cigarette alight without even looking.

    The two then just started drawing in the bitter smoke in silence, feeling their worries recede just a bit.

    For a moment there was only companionable silence, before Mittelt, taking another sip from the bottle, suddenly held it out to Kalawarna with quite a simple hint. Kalawarna did not refuse the offer and took a sip, chuckling faintly inwardly. ''I supposed it''s true what people say, trouble does bring people closer together.''

    The silence settled back into place as each of the Fallen was in their own thoughts, although it wasn''t hard to predict what each of the girls was thinking.

    "We''re going to die." Mittelt broke the silence, Kalawarna would like to say that she was wrong, but in fact, Kalawarna had come to exactly the same conclusion as her¡­ friend? Perhaps, at this point, faced with this life or death problem, Mittelt and Kalawarna had indeed become friends, if only for the short time they have to live.

    "Yeah, most likely." Kalawarna didn''t try to lie, to back up Mittelt''s confidence, only nodding briefly before taking another puff of cigarette and a gulp of wine, before returning the bottle to Mittelt who took a deep gulp.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "I should have just stayed in Heaven," Mittelt sighed as she put the bottle down, "Why did I ever decide that I need this stupid alcohol and cigarettes?"

    Mittelt was from a similar origin to Raynare, originally being angels, and Falling due to some sin. She had fallen not long after the Three-Sided War concluded, tempted by pleasures not made available to the ordinary angels in Heaven. But unlike Raynare, who couldn''t remember the reason for her fall, if you were stupid enough to trust her words, who fell when God died, Mittelt fell after Michael had taken control of the [Heaven System].

    "Not very convincing, considering what you''re doing right now." Kalawarna smiled weakly at her attempt at a joke, causing Mittelt to smile back just as sourly.

    ''I should have gotten a job in an office, there''s always an opening there. Sure it''s not exciting when compared to doing missions, fighting and getting more wings, but is it worth it?''

    Kalawarna sighed, cursing her past naive self. ''Sure Kalawarna, why not get into field work? You''ll get stronger, grow yourself a bunch of wings, influence the fate of the world¡­ Yeah, right, cross the wrong person, and you get cut up and left for dead in the nearest ditch. So much for the happy ever after.''

    There was another bout of silence again, before Mittelt raised her slightly tired and somewhat drunk gaze to Kalawarna. "Tell me¡­ Do you still believe in anything, in a higher power?"

    Kalawarna cringed at the sudden question before she looked at Mittelt. "What?"

    "I''m asking you, are you a religious person?" Mittelt smiled slightly. "I know it''s a bit of a strange question, being Fallen Angels and all. But you were born like normal, just like humans, so I thought you might believe in something¡­ Well, you know, not the way people believe, I mean, you know that Gods and such exist. But still, do you believe that it''s all part of some kind of divine plan, and there''s a paradise waiting for you at the end? Well, not the one in Heaven, with Michael. I don''t think the guys in Heaven would accept, but something, somewhere else. There must be one, right? Even for Fallen Angels like us? Even the Gods can''t tell for sure where the soul goes at the very end¡­"

    "Huh, interesting question. I suppose it''s true that there are no atheists in foxholes." Kalawarna took another puff before she thought about Mittelt''s question, before laughing lightly at the stupidity of the answer she found.

    "You know, I''ve probably never thought about something like that before? But if I had to answer¡­ I guess I want to believe that there is something out there? That there will be something else after death, maybe a rebirth, or some blissful non-existence¡­ That it won''t end the moment they pound four nails into my coffin. Or at least for the bits that would be left of me."

    "I understand," Mittelt looked up for a few seconds, puffing smoke like a chimney, before answering frankness with frankness. "Me too, I suppose I also like to believe that there''s an afterlife for us. Sometimes I hope that Father is not dead, but that he is hiding somewhere, looking intently at us all, that he has risen above our world, but still looking after His children. He is unknowable, omnipotent, and all-knowing. That he really is¡­"

    "He is indeed." Kalawarna chuckled, a bit surprised at Mittelt''s answer, as the moment passed, and the both of them stewed in the cigarette smoke.

    Before the silence was suddenly broken, not by Mittelt or Kalawarna, but by a third party that had suddenly appeared in the kitchen without the two of them knowing. "He''s back you know¡­ No, perhaps he never really left."

    It was not Donahseek either, the voice sounding too feminine to be the gruff man.

    Kalawarna looked at the source of the voice, finding Raynare standing in the kitchen aisle, before she blinked and examined the bottle of wine in her hands more closely. "Mittelt, are you sure that hallucinogenic additives are exactly what we need to take our minds off imminent death?"

    "What are you talking-" Mittelt couldn''t even finish her cursing, as she also was surprised by Raynare''s appearance. As expected, really, the two of them had thought that the Fallen Angel was already dead. The last time the two of them saw her was when they saw her disappear with the Sacred Gear holder they were supposed to be watching.

    Mittlet and Kalawarna both paled considerably at the sight, after all, seeing the dead when they were also about to die, doesn''t seem to be that great of an omen.

    "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Raynare stepped forward, with an almost smirk on her face. No, not the usual cruel smirk Raynare usually shows after her bouts of sadism were satisfied, but an almost kind smirk that didn''t fit at all with Kalawarna''s memory of her ''boss'' and her ever-disdainful attitude toward her subordinates.

    "Raynare¡­ You''re alive?" Kalawarna froze, contemplating all the things she wanted to know from Raynare at this moment.

    "I am somewhat sad to interrupt such a heartwarming reunion, but I suppose I need to call attention to myself." A man''s pleasant, velvety voice reached Kalawarna''s ears, almost causing her to trip over her own feet, as she rapidly turned toward the new voice to see a man in an expensive suit and glasses just behind her. The surprising sight of the dead rising had caused her to miss the red-dressed men, as impossible as that might sound.

    "Raynare?" With an authoritative voice, and an unspoken command, the newcomer ordered Kalawarna and Mittelt''s past boss.

    "Yes, I beg your pardon, Lord Demiurge." Raynare, to both of her past colleague''s surprise, meekly followed the order, moving to the side to put the suited man in front, adopting a more subordinate posture. The strangeness of Raynare''s behavior causing Kalawarna to take another look at the suited man and noticing the blue-silver tail he possessed, the name Raynare addressed him as pinging an old memory. ''Demiurge? It''s the name of kind of like a creator, as I recall¡­?''

    "Allow me to introduce you to Lord Demiurge." Raynare bowed respectfully toward the man, causing Kalawarna to blink, trying to comprehend the unexpected information. "And he, like me, is on a mission entrusted to me by the Father¡­ I mean, the Biblical God."

    Kalawarna blinked once, twice, then a third time, trying to absorb in her head all the new information, desperately trying to understand it, before asking the only question she could at the moment. "What?"

    "Father''s back?!" Mittelt, however, had pulled herself much more quickly than Kalawarna, picking up the most important of Raynare''s words.

    "Yes, and He''s much stronger than before¡­" Raynare thought for a moment before she slightly corrected her sentence. "Or we never really knew how great his power is."

    Kalawarna tried to tamp down the new fact in her head, only able to flap her mouth uselessly as her world was breaking down right before her eyes.

    "Issei turned out to be the bearer of the [Boosted Gear]," Raynare said again, once more giving out information that caused Kalawarna''s mind, already weakened extensively, to buckle. "Of course not that information matters anymore as the [Longinus] is destroyed and Ddraig is dead. So is the Great Red. Father is now residing in the Interdimensional Gap as its Supreme Ruler."

    The new facts crashed into Kalawarna''s mind, already barely able to balance on the edge of the world, causing her to manically try to grasp the knowledge rapidly violating her mind.

    "Father had given me the permission to take the path of redemption, and now, under the command of Lord Demiurge, I, and I suppose you two as well, are to begin preparations for the Apocalypse." Raynare said with little regard for the reactions of the other two Fallen.

    Kalawarna heard a crash, but whether the sound was Mittelt fainting or her sanity finally gave up and decided to just crack at the seams, Kalawarna wasn''t sure.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Ajuka Beelzebub-Astaroth, one of the four Satans of Hell, responsible for the technological development and provision of the Underworld and their entire faction. As well as one of the two strongest demons and one of a couple dozen strongest beings in the entire world, rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. He proceeded to do that for some moments, before reaching out for a cup of coffee and taking a sip, enjoying the way it warmed his tired body.

    Not that he really needed to do so, of course, he was perfectly capable of going several days without sleep. But for the past dozen years Ajuka had rarely worked excessively, giving himself ample time to his personal projects, sleep or rest, a tired mind is only detrimental after all. So, he was not so bullheaded, as not to admit that the unexpected important assignment that had fallen on his lap, had drained him of his strength far more than Ajuka himself was willing to admit.

    It could not be said unequivocally that there was peace among the various mythologies staking its claim of Earth. Small conflicts occasionally erupted, and the thin stream of wounded and dead to which the ruling upper classes turned a blind eye did not dry up completely. But, with the tacit approval of all factions, such small excesses were swept under the carpet of big politics, allowing the rulers to speak of ''peace''.

    It had been hundreds of years since the pantheons and paranormal forces had actually intervened in human affairs, with humans finding themselves fully capable of making their own wars and decisions. And so, gradually the pantheons'' activity waned to almost nothing, allowing old enemies to calm their resentments and old friends to build new bridges for communication.

    Ajuka, one of the strongest persons in the world, found himself with his time mostly spent relaxing, slowly forgetting what it was really like to urgently conduct analysis. Or the act of devoting all his energies to doing so, realizing that every second of delay could have cost the lives of thousands of people. Not since the Underworld''s Civil War had Ajuka engaged in anything so urgent and important.

    Maybe when the first rumors reached his ears, of the Khaos Brigade? Though maybe even then, he should have shaken off his relaxation and gone back to the Ajuka he had once been, hundreds of years ago? But no, the Beelzebub had not heeded the warning from the world then, and for that, he was forced to pay the price right now.

    An unknown god had appeared in Kuoh, in the midst of Devil''s territory, one that housed two heroes to very influential Pillar Clans, sisters of two of the Maous ¨C and the Devils knew next to nothing about him. Not his power level, not his abilities, not his plans, absolutely nothing.

    No, perhaps not absolutely nothing, they have learned something, if only because of the way the unknown god had conducted himself. The unknown god was arrogant, calm, mocking, experienced, powerful, and capable of hiding from Serafall''s surveillance and magic, which indicated that he was either incredibly powerful or specialized in concealment. Though, Ajuka wouldn''t bet on the latter.

    Ajuka could probably hide from Serafall''s magic using [Kankara Formula], but Ajuka was tens, hundreds of times stronger than ordinary gods, each of which was tens of times stronger than Serafall. So for the god to be so easily capable of hiding himself?

    Such information was¡­ frightening.

    Alternatively, it could have been a god of deception and illusion specializing in such things, there were many such gods, Loki, Hermes, San Wukong, Drudge, Morok, to name a few. A host of them really, but gods being gods, their identity is easily found. Not his one, however, and therein lies the issue.

    "Just why the hell would any of these gods found interesting to risk going to Kuoh?" Ajuka took another sip before reflecting for a moment.

    The gods he had listed out were powerful, as were all gods even now, having lost their power centuries after their religions had died out. Many of them were capable of escaping Serafall''s gaze, but why would they appear in this particular city and at this particular time?

    No, something wasn''t adding up, Ajuka was still missing something, the key to understanding all this.

    "The only interesting thing about Kuoh is that it used to be Youkai territory, which has been completely bought off by the Underworld, and in that the younger sisters of the two ruling Satans ruled there." Ajuka frowned slightly.

    "If he needed to abduct Rias or Sona for some reason, perhaps to threaten Serafall or Sirzechs, wouldn''t it be much easier to abduct them before he attracted the Underworld''s attention to himself? Is he planning to kill them or perhaps take control¡­ No, to do either, it would still be much better to remain under notice before he could accomplish his goals. No, he clearly wasn''t planning such a thing, so what is he planning?"

    Shaking his head to break through the circular logic he had found himself in, Ajuka decided to start from the beginning, building his argument from the things he knows for sure.

    "The only thing we know for sure, was that he had actually approached the Devils first. What, then, did he want to get out of it? To draw the attention of the Underworld to himself? Or was it all one big coincidence, and he didn''t even know exactly where he was going? Some of the old religions might not have known such a thing. The kind that hadn''t even been in contact outside their little worlds for the past millennium, that is. But, entertaining such an absurd supposition, if so, what would have moved such an isolated being to move? And would a god of such a religion still be strong enough to hide from Serafall''s gaze?"

    Ajuka rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking thoughtfully at the dry lines of the report. Diplomacy was not his business at all, it was Serafall who was in charge of communicating with the outside world, Ajuka was simply a scientist and technician immersed in his own inventions and personal projects.

    But at the same time Ajuka was also the main analyst of potential threats for the Devils, not in terms of a battle, that was Falbium''s job, but in terms of personal analysis of powerful potential adversaries. His [Kankara Formula] allowed him to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of even gods, easily selecting strategies and tactics to defeat them. But at the same time, [Kankara Formula] was not completely all-powerful, the engine needed fuel, his abilities needed at least some information about the enemy to function.

    Scarce information gained only from short meeting, such as measuring personalities, can only go so far. He required more information. Perhaps it''s good enough for an emergency plan, since not having one when an accident happens was far more dangerous than wasting time creating one that would not be useful later on. But relying on such a patchwork of plans when a better one can be made is just the height of foolishness.

    And Ajuka had not become so powerful by being foolish.

    Ajuka was weaker than Sirzechs in direct combat, significantly weaker ¨C but even so, he was far superior to the regular gods, even if, for some reason, he had to fight without using [Kankara Formula]. With Sirzechs beside him, Ajuka was confident that the two of them could defeat any god one-on-one, even the gods of the Indian Pantheon¡­ If only one of the Trimurti showed up for battle, he was not so brazen to fight all three at the same time.

    In other words, there was always a last and most desperate plan for the Underworld, brute force. With Ajuka and Sirzechs, they could simply suppress a potential threat, but in that case, no one could guess exactly how the fight would turn out. Nor, worse, how many outsiders would die in their fight, and how the other pantheons would react to such an event.

    A battle between the gods on Earth, in the territory of Japan, bought from the Youkai or not, would cause waves. And with the Khaos Brigade looming as a formidable threat on the horizon, it could provoke a tsunami of unprecedented proportions.

    "Gods and their divine problems¡­ From antiquities till the time humans build space colonies, they seem to just cause troubles whenever one appears. If only I had a time machine, then I would try to figure out exactly which tribe came up with the idea of this God a thousand years ago. And nip that trouble in the bud." Ajuka exhaled irritably as he took another sip of coffee.

    "Hopefully Serafall will buy me some more time, and it will end with some quiet agreement¡­ I hate working with so little information! And if any of those two siscons decided to bother my happy experiment time, I''ll build some kind of machine to turn their sisters into brothers!"

    Ajuka took another sip of coffee from his mug, emptying it with one last sip, and returned to his report, picking up his pen with a tormented sigh.

    Ajuka did not possess the ability to see into the future, but he could predict with the confidence of a scientist that the next twenty-four hours of his life would pass without any rest.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Climbing out of the baths after an hour-long bath, Momonga stretched his very relaxed body.

    His body was clean and completely fresh, while his brain finished rearranging the bricks of his memory with satisfaction, going over the full information about Nazarick''s NPCs. Not that he remembered completely all the minute details, like all the types of equipment available to them or all of their abilities, but he remembered everything important about the former NPCs enough to say that he was satisfied.

    "But that''s just the NPCs, I still need to do an inventory of Nazarick itself, especially the Treasury, especially with Pandora''s Actor out and about. Sorting out Nazarick''s defense system and doing a full test of all abilities, mine and the NPCs'', would also be nice¡­ Perhaps, after that, it''s worth it to start formulating the tactics to protect Nazarick, maybe even start a proper infiltration of this world. My to-do list just keeps growing and growing¡­"

    Momonga slumped his shoulders slightly before shaking it, feeling sufficiently rested and in a favorable enough frame of mind not to be saddened by the ample work before him. "As Punitto Moe said, the journey of a thousand li begins with a single step, so no need to worry, let''s deal with the demon problem first."

    As Momonga began cataloging about the things he knows about the demons, he realized that he actually didn''t know much about them. It seems that his thousand-mile journey had just struck a snag on its first steps.

    "I don''t know what exactly they''re thinking about me, now that they have time to organize their response, but I can''t demand anything from the demons that I need. At least, because I don''t even know what they have." Momonga made his way to the locker room, starting to wipe himself with a towel. Sure [Create Body] could completely change his body, drying him out in the process, but for the moment Momonga preferred to devote a few extra minutes to do it manually.

    "But if I knew exactly what they had, I could demand something back, maybe even leave the school without paying the tuition that way. Maybe even some good will where I could stay on their good side, along with fixing the misunderstanding about my trespassing on their territory¡­ But it wouldn''t be that easy to do, I had already promised Raynare that I would provide her with protection, and the Demons might have some trouble with her. Do I need to give something in recompense or something like that?"

    Remembering the Fallen Angel he had let Demiurge handle, Momonga began wondering on what exactly they are doing right now.

    "Wait, aren''t I forgetting something? Ah, right! Miki and Pandora''s Actor, well Issei, I had after all introduced myself as Issei''s older brother¡­ Umu, my infiltration plan suddenly showed its downsides. "

    After drying his hair sufficiently, Momonga began to wipe his body. "Besides, I''ve already, quite accidentally, took a strong opposition to the demons. If I suddenly apologize now and start behaving differently, it''s going to cause confusion and questions from the demons, questions that I cannot answer. And if I show weakness after a strong position, it''ll probably end badly enough, with them trying to bargain for more, and I don''t think my salaryman negotiation skills would compare to literal pact-making for a millennium, Demons. My ''I was attacked in your territory'' card is too weak, considering that their territory was the whole city, which I had invaded¡­ Negotiations are hard."

    Shaking his dry head, a funny thought occurred to Momonga.

    "Huh, I think I found what I''ll be doing at school?" Momonga almost smiled at the thought before using [Create Body], drying fully, just in case he missed a spot, and styling his hair at the same time.

    "Still, this is a surprisingly useful ability, even outside the confines of combat¡­ If you think about it, are there any other YGGDRASIL abilities that can be used like this, not for combat, but as a daily convenience? Umu, one more item on the list."

    Dressing up in a flash as he mentally picked an outfit from his inventory, Momonga made his way over back to his room before glancing at his watch. "Umu, my bath had run for quite a time, I should be off to school soon. Okay, the brief rest break is over, time to head back to Earth. Speaking of which¡­" Momonga had already created the [Gate] as a thought struck him as he took a step into the gateway leading to Miki''s house.

    "I wonder how Pandora''s Actor and Miki are doing? I hope he didn''t put anything weird into her head while I was distracted¡­"

    Shaking the chill that had run on his back as a response to taking a hot bath, Momonga found his steps quickening for no reason at all.

 Overlord of a High School (18)

    Taking the first step out of the [Gate], Momonga was not knocked down a moment later, and did not fly into the back of an ambush of the Special Forces. Generally, nothing incredible to indicate that the Pandora Actor had somehow done something ill-advised while Momonga was distracted. "Umu, things seem to be looking up already. Hmm, it''s amazing how your expectations lower, once you run into trouble a few times¡­¡±

    Momonga moved himself into his room, Gorou''s previous office, to be more precise, a room that he had sort of turned into his personal room, then looked around as he sniffed, catching a familiar scent. "Hmm, that smells good!"

    Momonga wondered about that fact for a moment ¨C the smell of food cooking must also mean that there was someone cooking, the identity of which Momonga couldn''t guess. "I hope that Pandora¡¯s Actor hasn''t taken the form of another Player, or worse a random person he picked from the street¡­ Or I guess it''s pointless trying to hide it from Miki anymore? I wonder where Miki is at this time, the last time I saw her she wasn¡¯t looking so good. I hope she''s not lying tied up next to Pandora¡¯s Actor, otherwise I''d have a hard time having breakfast¡­ I hope Pandora¡¯s Actor hasn''t left her unattended in violation of my instructions. Hmm, wait, there''s no point in me eating, so why would Pandora¡¯s Actor cook food for me at all?"

    Momonga dropped these idle thoughts after a few seconds, deciding, as he did with the Demon problem, to deal with one issue at a time. After all, the mystery would easily be solved just by simply walking down to the kitchen instead of theorizing.

    As one might expect, outside those doors, the smell of food only grew stronger, causing Momonga to feel his mouth producing an excess amount of saliva. "The reflex reactions of my created body do reflect my condition¡­ Although, after copious bout of sex and all the previous experiments, I can just assume that my body is fully alive and shows the same behavior as a normal human body. Though, how it interacts with my undead features, like infinite endurance, I have no idea.¡±

    Remembering how he had used that infinite stamina, Momonga had to fight back a blush and his body¡¯s natural reaction. He simply has no time to indulge in his newfound carnal desires.

    ¡°I wonder if I can create my body as a modified human? I mean, I created a body out of fire, if I create a body from YGGDRASIL or some of the more genetically modified humans in my past world, would they work, or would they also fall under [Racial Skills]? But if I copied the body modifications of the past world, that shouldn''t count as [Racial Skills]. Then again, it¡¯s not like I remember much about that¡­ No, I''m getting too distracted by extraneous considerations again, I should quickly get something to eat and go to school!"

    Descending the stairs to the first floor, Momonga sucked in air again to enjoy the smells before making his way to the kitchen and peering down the aisle¡­ Finding his gaze on a much more lively Miki, who had finished making some kind of rice dish, which, upon noticing Momonga, instantly smiled some strange smile. The only word to describe the smile, after some thinking, was ¡®spirited¡¯ or, perhaps, ¡®enlightened¡¯.

    It¡¯s a strange expression nonetheless.

    As Momonga drew nearer to her, Miki instantly dropped to one knee, a movement that is very reminiscent of the Floor Guardians. The similarity almost made Momonga recoil, glad for the suppression of emotion that saved him from an even more extreme reaction in the form of a shocked open mouth and falling backwards, tripping over his feet.

    ¡°Lord Momonga! This lowly one greets you!¡± Momonga even allowed for a moment the thought that the Pandora Actor had taken Miki''s form and thus solved the problem of Miki''s behavior by binding the real Miki and placing her somewhere in his room. But a moment later Momonga found Pandora¡¯s Actor, still in Issei¡¯s form, crouching down on one knee next to Miki, looking at her with an approving gaze, before returning his full attention to Momonga.

    ¡°Father¡­ I have completed your orders.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ahem, umu, yes, definitely.¡± Momonga couldn''t find a decent response to this situation in his mind, so all he managed to do was what apparently worked well with the Demons. Pretend that what was happening was perfectly normal and act as such, minding his own business and hoping that the storm would pass him. Hoping against all hope that the problem would either resolve itself or develop to the point where he would understand how exactly he could solve the problem.

    In other words, procrastination. Why should he try to solve this problem, when future Momonga could handle it?

    Accepting this truth of life, Momonga made his way to a vacant chair in the dining table before settling into it, if nothing else, he could at least enjoy the breakfast, he could worry about Miki later. And then, after waiting for a few seconds for the two to join him, realized that Miki and Pandora¡¯s Actor had remained kneeling, and would not move without his permission.

    ¡°Rise your heads and resume your previous actions.¡±

    Instantly, Pandora¡¯s Actor rose up with his usual flourish, sitting on one of the chairs, while Miki returned to setting the table, placing breakfast in front of Momonga and Pandora¡¯s Actor as if nothing had happened to disturb her routine. Seeing the picture of normality, Momonga was even able to lie to himself that everything was as it should, as he began eating the prepared breakfast. He could even enjoy the taste, somewhat!

    As the time passed, the food was eaten quickly, allowing Momonga to feel a semblance of normalcy for a moment¡­ And then he felt a slight pressure on his thigh, as he shifted his gaze to the side to see Miki sitting on the floor, her head resting against his leg.

    Momonga doesn¡¯t know how to respond to that.

    Momonga blinked, checking to see if the strange mirage would disappear after a moment, then, when the mirage lingered a little longer, he closed his eyes for almost a second, opening them again.

    The mirage did not disappear.

    Momonga even felt the pressure shift slightly, as Momonga''s vision suggested, Miki had rubbed her cheek against his leg slightly. Momonga, bereft of any thought, did what his instincts told him to do. He raised his hand and stroked Miki''s head, as if she were a strange kind of pet.

    Momonga was pretty sure that there was something wrong with that picture, but he doesn¡¯t really want to think about it right now¡­ Or ever really.

    ¡®A woman''s hair really is pleasant to the touch.¡¯ Momonga noted quite automatically, sensing how even his sense of shock was too shocked to manifest, allowing Momonga to send a few more bites down his gullet in silence before he put his plate away.

    ¡°Umu, I suppose I should go to school¡­alone, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Father.¡± Pandora¡¯s Actor responded without any pause, while Miki, once Momonga''s hand was removed from her head, reached out to follow him like a dog, before she lowered her head down in frustration.

    Momonga rose from his seat and calmly grabbed the prepared lunch that was on the kitchen counter before nodding. ¡°See you soon, brother, mother.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Miki replied while Pandora¡¯s Actor only nodded slightly, allowing Momonga to make his way out of the house, walk a few meters down the street, turn the corner and use the spell, [Silence] without pause.

    After another moment, with no one around to hear him, regardless of the colorless flashes of emotional suppression, Momonga let his emotions run wild.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡±

    ***

    Making her way to the classroom as she usually does, Katase entered, not bothering to hold back the yawn trying to get out. ¡°Fuaa, good morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Murayama''s, her best friend, voice reached Katase at the same time as she was able to cover her mouth and look around the classroom. Murayama, noting the bag under her eyes, and the constant held back yawns, raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°Had trouble sleeping?¡±

    ¡°M-hm.¡± Katase replied to her friend before making her way to her seat, somewhat thoughtfully beginning to sort through her school supplies. Surprisingly, she somewhat missed her daily beatings of the Perverted Trio, it helps her wake up if nothing else.

    Nothing like pure rage to ward off her sleepiness.

    Not that not hitting someone with her training equipment was new to Katase, she had trained Kendo for years without ever using it outside of practice. Of course, with her tenure in Kuoh, it had become something of a daily habit, it was the kind of action that usually ended every confrontation she had with the perverted trio. She had already given up on using it as a deterrent, but at least she could take her pound of flesh, and even in the face of the court she would say that she acted solely in self-defense.

    If the perverts even had the courage to take it to the court after all they had done.

    But in the end, those were the three perverts, they¡¯re a special existence to say the least¡­  And Katase raised her hand against a random person, giving into her emotion, she couldn¡¯t even blame the trio for that.

    Katase knew that her blow was a heavy one, given the wooden sword¡¯s rigidity, Katase might well have broken the man''s arm¡­ or was it his shoulder? She couldn¡¯t recall exactly where her blow had hit.

    Nevertheless, such an action would have required a call to the principal at best, and who knows what would have come out of the conversation with the principal later¡­ If, of course, this were an ordinary school and not Kuoh Academy, where even volumes of complaints against Issei and his friends did not prompt the administration to react in any way.

    On the other hand, for some reason when it wasn''t about the trio but about other problems, whether it was academic failure or getting money to support the clubs, it was solved without any delay, professionally and quickly. Katase didn''t know to what god Issei had sold his soul to in order to get such leeway, or what he had threatened the headmaster with¡­ But the bottom line was that, if information about Katase''s assault got out, Katase would at minimum have to explain herself to the administration. And at maximum, a new note might appear in her personnel file, and she would have to leave the kendo club. And Katase liked kendo!

    Even in her own mind, she couldn¡¯t lie to herself, what she did wouldn¡¯t result only in a reprimand, she would either get expelled or arrested for her aggravated assault.

    So after returning home and after contemplating what would happen if Satoru reported her to the faculties, Katase couldn''t really relax. During the evening she would ruminate on what to do next, and at night she couldn¡¯t sleep, tossing and turning until late at night waiting for a police officer to knock on her door. The trip to the school today felt like walking to a scaffolding where she would be hanged, just waiting for the moment her executioner would drop to the floor below her, that is, being called to the principal¡¯s office.

    .

    Still, the image of what she did still couldn¡¯t leave her head, a strike so hard that she broke her shinai¡­ Sure it had already begun cracking when she had missed one of the trio, hitting the ground instead, but still, the sound of the wood breaking as she struck Satoru¡­ It sounded as if she had broken his bones, if Satoru had screamed or just passed out, an image that accompanied her nightmares, Katase didn''t know what she would¡¯ve done.

    In fact, after separating from Satoru, and after school, Katase had spent a lot of time trying to find him to see if he was okay. But no matter how hard she searched she couldn¡¯t find him, ¡®he was heading to the hospital, or the police¡¯ her paranoid mind supplied to her, adding to her worries. She was so worried that he almost tried to find Issei to ask him for his brother¡¯s phone number, but she couldn¡¯t find him either.

    The sun had almost started setting before Murayama convinced her to go home, and just try to meet them at school. Something that felt like an eternity through her sleepless night, as she worried about police officers visiting her home, or that he would be arrested or expelled as soon as she arrived at school.

    Katase even sleepwalked through her usual walk with Murayama to school, arriving there tired, sleepy, and still nervous.

    But there were no police, teachers, or parents waiting for her. It was as if the events of yesterday had resolved themselves without any problems.

    Katase would have hoped for that kind of luck at least.

    A student entered the classroom, the sound of the door opening distracting her from her thoughts. Aika Kiryuu, one of her tentative friends, the two greeting the spectacled girl, Murayama an energetic one and Katase a tired one.

    ¡°Katase?¡± Aika instantly noticed this fact, making her way to her desk, a curious tilt on her face. ¡°Did you have trouble sleeping? Were you dreaming about perverts again?¡±

    Katase involuntarily flinched, before glaring at Aika angrily, which only raised her gaze to the ceiling in response, almost whistling some tune in order to appear innocent in the current situation. The reason they were only ¡®tentative¡¯ friends, Aika Kiryuu is a massive pervert. With the only reason why the perverted trio is not a quartet, because, strangely enough, the trio of perverts do not want to be perverted on.

    Katase might not mind so much because Aika doesn¡¯t let her perversion show openly, most of the time, but she could not accept her being friends with the perverted trio. Sure, they mostly interact through passive aggression and jabs at each other, but it was still something, Aika could sometimes even just maintain a dialogue with the trio.

    Katase and Maruyama couldn''t accept something like that¡­ Although maybe it was the fact that Aika wasn''t the target of constant peeping from Issei and his cronies. Katase wondered how quickly Aika would change her mind about the ¡®trio¡¯ if she turned to be a target of their peeking, but Katase didn''t want to wish that on her friend, pervert or not.

    The sound of the door opening again distracted Katase from her contemplation, allowing her to see the appearance of the previously mentioned perverts, as she clenched her fists, before blinking, looking at the Matsuda who appeared ahead.

    Matsuda''s face had two deep bruises under his eyes, not from the lack of sleep, but the kind Katase had seen several times during and after training at kendo clubs. The sign of a broken nose.

    And Katase was absolutely certain that Murayama hadn''t managed to break Matsuda''s nose yesterday, though she wouldn''t have minded such a thing at all, the opposite in fact. Katase was absolutely certain that Murayama didn''t do it because otherwise Murayama would definitely have bragged to her friend about the successful revenge on the perverts. Even if it was nothing more than empty consolation, no amount of injury could wean the trio from peeping.

    Matsuda, taking a step inside the classroom, was not wearing his usual nasty smirk as he looked at Katase and Murayama. No, the opposite, it seemed to Katase as if Matsuda was intentionally sidestepping his two favorite objects of ogling, silently and quickly making his way to his seat.

    ¡°Matsuda, did you finally bump into the boyfriend of the next girl you decided to perv on?¡± Aika smirked, showing no particular concern for Matsuda''s condition, but showing interest in the story of how it happened instead. Katase, casting a silent questioning glance at her friend, Murayama, and getting no response from her, also tried to listen to the pervert''s answer without outwardly showing her interest.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Matsuda, however, did not respond to Aika''s jab, simply casting her a frown before turning away, pretending that he was busy with something. Of course, the action was an answer enough.

    ¡°I guessed right?!¡± Aika''s almost shouting made Katase blink in surprise, the implication surprising. Was there really someone capable of keeping Matsuda in line after all?! Katase certainly didn''t want to acknowledge the positive traits one of the perverted trio might possess, but Matsuda was quite involved in athletics in the past, a bright prospect even in tracks and fields. His achievements, breaking several records in junior high, made Katase want to even talk to him, before she met him personally that is.

    Moments later, Matsuda''s friends Motohama and Issei appeared on the doorstep of the class, making Katase look to see if they would sport similar injuries. Unluckily, to her disappointment, they didn¡¯t, though they too behaved like Matsuda, too immersed in their own affairs to pay attention to their surroundings.

    Though, Issei for a moment, shifted his gaze to Katase, causing her to reflexively reach for her textbook, which could have worked as a throwing projectile, just in case Issei started doing something disgusting again. And yet, to her surprise, there wasn¡¯t the usual lusting leer in Issei''s gaze. His eyes would usually move, as if he were molesting a person with his eyes, it was so intense that one could almost physically feel it, usually concentrated on her breasts.

    No, Issei''s gaze was almost¡­ Evaluating? Not in his usual sense of trying to measure her breast size, but it was as if he was evaluating her as a person.

    Katase couldn''t even imagine a suitable reason for such a strange thought in her mind, her confusion a different kind to her other classmates. Their hushed whispers were mere formality, everyone could hear them talking excitedly about what could¡¯ve caused the perverts to reign in their usual antics. With the only clue being Matsuda¡¯s injuries, the prevailing argument seemed to be that the trio had perved on the wrong girl and had been beaten black and blue for it.

    ¡°What¡­? Did the sun rise in the West this morning?¡± Aika, watching this surreal sight before her eyes, blinked before she coughed into her fist and tried to check her hunch. ¡°By the way, the girls'' swim club is going to practice today¡­¡±

    Katase shifted her gaze to the trio, waiting for their usual response¡­ Which wasn''t coming. None of the trio responded to Aika, pretending that they were completely uninterested in this information, a reaction that shocked Katase to the core, as if a fundamental part of the world had just changed. At the very least, if they were their usual selves, the trio would have chuckled evilly, glancing amongst themselves, and whispering about how they would ogle them¡­ But nothing, what in the world is going on?!

    ¡°Katase," Murayama''s voice brought Katase out of her shocked state, causing her to shift her gaze to her friend, "What if it''s¡­ Satoru?¡±

    Hearing the name, the trio of perverts flinched, finding Motohama glaring at something in the distance, Issei with some strange glint in his eyes, and Matsuda nearly exploding with anger, turning red to the tips of his ears.

    Katase blinked as a picture came together in her head, one that she found very probable, causing her sense of guilt to rise up again. Satoru had certainly said something yesterday about trying to put a lid on the trio of perverts, but Katase, and Murayama, for that matter, had seen the gesture as more of an attempt at sympathy than any promise. The both of them had not seriously expected him to do something like that. Nothing they did certainly deterred the three perverts

    Katase and Murayama had, amongst the both of them, almost broken half the bones in the perverts'' bodies. Even when Motohama broke both his legs fleeing from their wrath by falling off of a small hill, it only gave the Kuoh girls a month''s respite as he started walking on crutches again, it didn¡¯t matter. He kept perving on them, even on crutches!

    Katase generally thought that the perverts'' antics would only end when they were jailed for harassment, not before and in no other way. Katase didn''t know what dark magic Satoru actually possessed, but he did what Katase had typically thought impossible. He managed, at least temporarily, and without life, or back-breaking mutilation to put the trio of Kuoh perverts to rest!

    ¡®And I almost broke his arm yesterday, and he didn''t even tell anyone about it.¡¯ Katase felt a pang of regret, before it was accompanied by shame. ¡®Damn, I should at least apologize to him after something like that¡­ And thank him too.¡¯

    Katase, coming up with a plan of action, felt her guilt alleviate a bit, looking to Murayama who looked back with a nod, having come to roughly the same conclusion as Katase. As the bell rung and their homeroom teacher began the roll call, Katase felt herself being fired up.

    ¡®Satoru, I will definitely thank you!¡¯

    ***

    ¡®How strange when relationship problems with Demons seem so much easier to solve than relationship problems with one''s adoptive mother¡­ Or is that actually normal? Punitto Moe always said it was easier for him to weave intrigues against enemy guilds than to deal with relationships with his family.¡¯ Momonga wasn''t even paying attention to the passing hours of class, enjoying the benefit of having all the teachers trying to ignore his presence¡­ As did the students, for that matter? Not that Momonga was in a state of mind to care.

    ¡®How did that happen? It''s either my or Pandora Actor¡¯s fault, my creation, so also my fault, just indirectly, so any way you look at it, Miki¡¯s situation is my fault¡­  I did say that I see Miki as a ¡®pet¡¯, but that was more of a philosophical remark, I even thought of it as a beautiful poetic description, without the odd sexual fetish subtext! Or was it all Pandora''s Actor''s fault and Issei''s friends that he got involved with?!¡¯

    Momonga''s stress finally crossed an invisible line, forcing his passive to calm him down, allowing him to look at the situation soberly. ¡®Umu, I finally understand what kind of ''bad company'' the parents in the movies are wary of letting their kids associate with. Usually, at least in my past world, this meant drug dealers or homeless people who squandered all their money and survived by committing crimes, so maybe the company of voyeurs also counts?¡±

    Ignoring his paternalistic instinct of somehow forcing Pandora¡¯s Actor to no longer associate with Issei¡¯s friends aside, a strain of thought entered into Momonga¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Although, if they are students in this academy, and not behind bars as they should, could their behavior be within the norm? Or are they in a special position here, that they can get away with committing such crimes? That would be strange, but not impossible, can I use it somehow?¡¯

    The thought of maybe using the connection was being weighed in with having to interact with the perverts¡­ Causing the idea to be immediately discarded, he¡¯s not that desperate, yet.

    ¡®Okay, never mind, going back to the situation with Miki¡­ Is there anything I can do to try to rectify this situation at all?¡¯

    The thought of his ¡®mother¡¯ caused Momonga''s mind to conjure up the image of what happened in the morning, of Miki rubbing her face against him. And then his mind extended the analogy a little further, of collars and leashes¡­

    Momonga''s mind was cleared a moment later, but it was with horror that Momonga realized that it had been cleared not only of stress, but also of a little dash of lust.

    ¡®Does my first experience with sex have that much of an effect on me!?¡¯ Momonga thought back to Albedo''s figure, then, sensing that his body was beginning to react to his thoughts of a moaning Albedo, reset those thoughts. Momonga realized, with no small amount of horror, that yes, indeed, he might have turned into a bit of a pervert.

    ¡®What options do I even have!? How to fix this before I become like Issei, or worse Peroroncino! I don¡¯t want to become a person that would discuss a porn game in public, or scream out the ranking of voice actresses based on how sexy they sound! I need to fix Miki before this gets worse! [Control Amnesia] might be an option, but not a permanent one. With each passing second it becomes more and more untenable, given that with each passing second I will need to erase more and more memories, make up more and more false memories. It will raise a lot of questions, not to mention the reaction of other people, and how would Pandora¡¯s Actor react when I, effectively, countermand his actions¡­ Umu, apparently this option has already effectively gone out the window.¡¯

    The displeasure within Momonga didn''t reach the level at which it would be suppressed, making the feeling to broil under his skin, the feeling quite unpleasant. ¡®Okay, let''s look on the bright side! Miki, anyway, already knows about me and Pandora''s Actor, and seems to be reacting normally to it¡­ This most likely indicates that she will now need a psychiatrist to try to restore her sanity, but it sure saves me a lot of trouble! Okay, I need to look for another positive¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right! Miki can now back my identity up if anybody were to ask¡­ But at the same time she has also become a weak link, Pandora''s Actor is strong enough, but Miki has no meaningful protection against mind reading or charm magic. Something which I should have taken care of in the first place, when I first decided to live in her house¡­¡¯

    As soon as one mistake is noticed, a dozen or more seemed to pop up like cockroaches, almost making Momonga curse at his laxness. What if some assassin had attacked the house, and he didn¡¯t think to have some countermeasure in place, or some hypnotist taking advantage of Miki¡­ like what he¡¯s doing already. But what if another hypnotist had done something to take advantage of Miki! Other than him, that is¡­

    ¡®Umu, it turns out it''s easy to accept my failures, or is it just that it¡¯s because Miki is close to my real age? If I were in my past world, and Miki was not married, and is actually interested in me¡­ Who knows? Maybe if she were my co-worker¡­¡¯

    Momonga was distracted by what ifs for a second before he shook his head to clear it up. ¡®Okay, this is all just distractions, what happened has already happened, and now I should deal with its consequences, and maybe even come clean to his lover, if she wanted their relationship to turn that way, Albedo¡­ Um, I¡¯m not sure how Albedo would react, and I¡¯m a bit afraid to find out, I just started a relationship with her, and here I am doing something extremely perverted¡­ Okay, that¡¯s future Momonga¡¯s problem! We''ll deal with that later, let''s concentrate on the demons first! Though¡­ what to do about them?¡¯

    Sighing, Momonga took a look at the front of the class, seeing nothing had changed, it¡¯s still the same gibberish as always, so he looked at the window, at the sky beyond instead. ¡®Apparently my actions had put the Demons on the back foot, as they seem to be still trying to gather information about me, so they¡¯re keeping their distance, but it''s unlikely to last. They''re probably now trying to figure out who I am and gather as much information about me as possible¡­ Which is another reason why I need to provide Miki with suitable protection, though I can¡¯t guarantee complete information blackout. Some information would still leak out about me for sure, unfortunately I don''t have any special [Stealth] abilities, and I''m not smart enough to leave no traces during my existence in this world. I''ve already left some trail with some people, and that''s not to mention Raynare, who I kind of promised to drop by the church today, granting her my protection.¡¯

    With another sigh, Momonga contemplated the grave mistake he had made, granting initiative to the Demons in his desire to keep a low profile.

    ¡®Umu, it seems that I¡¯m in quite a bad spot, the Demons can gather as much information about me as they want, choosing the right moment to strike, physically or metaphorically. All the while, I couldn¡¯t gather information about the Demons themselves. Pandora¡¯s Actor had given me a rough idea of the power level of the Demons in the school, their ability to reincarnate humans and creatures alike, and the heiresses of the Demon clans in the school. And I managed to determine their approximate strength level, quite a lot of information, but not enough.¡¯

    Returning his attention to the teacher, probably of the Demons¡¯ subordinates, Momonga cursed his inability to take advantage of the source of information in front of him.

    ¡®Pandora¡¯s Actor didn''t get inside the mind of the heiresses themselves, for fear of possible artifacts or retaliation, so he could only get information from their servants, which were surprisingly diverse. Still, the information was too incomplete to make any judgment on it, and he can''t gather more information without putting himself at risk of discovery. In other words, my stranger¡¯s advantage is melting with each passing day. And, with the way I''ve already started the negotiation by illegally entering their territory, I shouldn¡¯t hope for a quiet conversation. Most likely they will try to put conditions on my stay here, and not knowing anything about my opponent, I can not adequately respond to the actions of the enemy. So I need to either find a way to get more information about the Demons to at least level out the playing field, or make the first move myself, while I still retain some advantage over the Demons.¡¯

    With a nod, Momonga began arranging for his plan of action.

    ¡®Since Serafall Leviathan hasn¡¯t shown up, it all comes down to two heiresses of demonic clans, one way or another. Rias Gremory, who I''ve met before, and Sona Sitri, who¡¯s pretty much a stranger to me¡­ Great, an obstacle right from the start. Though actually, I don¡¯t know much about Rias either, except that she is supposed to have a lot of unique servants gathered together according to Pandora¡¯s Actor¡­¡¯

    Momonga felt some kind of stirring inside him, thankfully, not physical excitement, but simply his collector¡¯s nature pinging. Most of all, Momonga loved collecting things, even if the ¡®things¡¯ in this case were living people, or well, demons, and there was no better way to get his attention more than the word ¡®unique¡¯ or ¡®rare¡¯.

    ¡®Get yourself together, Momonga! No matter how unique they may be, they were still the servants of a Demonic aristocracy, there¡¯s little hope of getting them on his side. Especially since most methods, the direct ones at least, would turn the demons against him even more.

    So what could he do? Maybe he could befriend them and try to switch their allegiance that way? But how could he do that when he didn¡¯t know them in the first place? Just walk up and try to strike up a dialogue about the weather?¡¯

    Momonga pondered the possibility before inwardly dismissing the idea. ¡®No, that would look stupid, I don''t have any particular mundane topics to try to strike up a dialogue with. Besides, the Demons would probably react quite badly to my attempt to get close to a VIP like the aristocratic heiresses¡­ Umu, to draw an analogy to my past world, I would get shot by the personal security of a mega-corporate heiress if I dared to linger close to them. In this world, my position is a bit better since I¡¯m an unknown, where they¡¯re unsure of my personal power¡­ Then again, it might just mean that they would resort to overwhelming retaliation as their first response.¡¯

    Feeling the unique collectible slipping through his fingers, Momonga felt a sense of emptiness pervade his heart, with a sigh Momonga continued on his planning, though with less enthusiasm than before.

    ¡®In other words, I can''t get close to Rias Gremory and, what was her name¡­? Sona Sitri, I think? Yes, I think so. The only way to get more information about the Demons is either to get them to make the first move on me themselves or to try to send a spy to them, like Pandora¡¯s Actor acting as Issei. He would suit that role very well, he''s clearly smarter than me, but on the other hand, he finds a strange way to twist my orders every time. Of course, it leads to the best, or at least correct result, but in an also a completely different way than I expected. If only I had something, I could get these girls interested in¡­¡¯

    Momonga thought for a moment before sighing. ¡®Okay, I''ll have to order Pandora''s Actor to get inside the girls'' heads and try to find some way to interest them, maybe he could push them to trade one of their servants¡­? He has some abilities to test the minds of higher level players, so it might work! Though relatively weak, he¡¯s still a [Doppelg?nger] rather than a [Mind Eater] like Tabula, so it¡¯s as expected, but his abilities should be enough for a level forty, unless they are wearing divine class or similar level items.¡®

    A moment later, the bell signalling the end of class rang, shocking Momonga out of his musings, allowing him to look up to the hanging clock. ¡®Huh, how fast time flies when you''re thinking about something important¡­ Indeed, it''s already time for lunch, and this time I even grabbed lunch provided by Miki, so I should settle down somewhere quiet to eat¡­ Hmm, given that I don''t need to eat and Miki''s food doesn''t provide me with any meaningful buffs, while cooking it consumes Miki''s resources¡­ Can I say that I''ve already started picking up the habits of bosses of my past world and am now wasting resources on my own pleasure? I''d hate to find that trait in myself¡­¡¯

    A moment later, the sound of the door opening attracted Momonga¡¯s attention, causing him to shift his gaze towards the door of the classroom. And among his classmates exiting to either go to the cafeteria or going to some other place to eat their lunch, Momonga spotted a somewhat familiar girl. The girl with short blond hair, gathered in a straight haircut to her shoulder height, held with a headband on her head, and a high forehead seemed familiar to Momonga. ¡®Hmm, who was it again¡­ Ah, right, wasn¡¯t it Katase? What is she doing here, she is supposed to be in Issei''s class, isn''t she?¡¯

    Katase, however, ignoring Momonga''s musings, made her way straight to his desk, before suddenly standing stock still as she arrived in front of his desk, causing some suspicion to arise in Momonga.

    ¡®What is she doing here? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re really that acquainted, or could it be! Huh, have the Demons already decided to make their move!?¡¯ Momonga instantly tensed up readying himself for potential battle, a bevy of spells at the edge of being cast, only the fact that he¡¯s surrounded by normal humans staying his hand for the moment.

    ¡®Sending not one of their servants against me, but a mere human, what¡¯s the use? They¡¯d already attacked me before to test my reaction¡­ Are they using the other students as hostages!? Damn, I still haven''t found a way to explain my abilities and I haven''t learned the reason the local paranormals hide their abilities. If I now show my magic in front of ordinary people, it could have unexpected consequences¡­ Damn, their first move was much more dangerous than I thought!¡¯

    ¡°Good afternoon, Satoru,¡± Katase, however, instead of doing any offensive moves, stopped in front of his desk and bowed to him, forcing him to hold back his use of [Time Stop].

    "Isn¡¯t that Katase¡­?¡±, ¡°What is she¡­¡±,"¡­don''t tell me that he¡¯s also a pervert¡­"¡¯, ¡°No, she wouldn''t be so polite then¡­¡±, ¡°But he¡¯s Issei¡¯s brother right¡­¡±

    Momonga ignored the whispers of his classmates, but the snippets that he caught stabbed into his heart with a cold thorn. ¡®Issei, why are you like this?!¡¯

    ¡°Umu, good day, Katase.¡± Momonga replied calmly, however, not allowing his emotions to show on his face, the features of [Create Body] helped him greatly in this.

    Katase froze in front of Momonga for a moment, causing him to curse internally that he had already done something wrong. Not knowing exactly what he should have said, he decided to choose the first subject that popped in his head. ¡°You look tired, is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Erm, no, I''m fine¡­¡± Katase, clearly confused by Momonga''s words, looked away slightly before answering, seemingly still gathering her thoughts together. ¡°In fact, I''d like to thank you for helping me yesterday with the Perverted Trio. They even refused to peek at the swim club today, after what you did yesterday¡­¡±

    "They what?! Did I hear you right?!?", "No way, not even the principal could¡­¡±, ¡°Is he a magician?! It''s a miracle!", ¡°He might be not a pervert after all!¡±

    Momonga instantly felt some small relief from the whispers, that his reputation seemed to have begun to improve thanks to being able to handle the perverted Trio. And this time he didn''t even feel much embarrassment from being praised! Unlike in Nazarick, where his every move caused tons of unearned admiration from the former NPCs, at this moment he was being praised for something he actually did. And after all Momonga''s problems caused almost directly by Issei¡¯s reputation, it felt like a pleasant change in tone.

    ¡°Oh, that wasn''t hard.¡± Momonga even allowed himself a little modesty at this point, before realizing an important point. He needed to preserve his image as a normal student!

    ¡°Before we continue this discussion, I¡¯d like to eat my lunch before the lunch period ends¡­ Ah, do you have anything to eat, I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing mine if you don¡¯t.¡± There, that should sound appropriate, right?

    ¡°Ah, yes, of course¡­¡± Katase nodded, agreeing, before Momonga rose from his table, trying to find a place to eat his lunch, Katase moving close behind him.

    Hmm, could he try to turn this to his advantage? If he tried to interest the Demons in the fact that he had fixed Issei, would he be able to get their attention then!?

 Overlord of a High School (19)

    Katase followed close behind Satoru, after a dash to get her own lunch, glancing at the surrounding students. Whose eyes on Satoru changed from disinterested to intrigued as soon as they realized that not only was he not involved with the trio, but he was able to stop them from being perverts¡­ For how long, remains to be seen.

    Katase was not exactly innocent in the matter, but Satoru had definitely received a portion of undeserved and unpleasant looks in his direction, simply because of his kinship with the infamous Issei Hyoudou. Looking back on it, Katase could see the parallel of the students'' preemptively judging Satoru badly and her own bad reaction to him, which resulted in her actually attacking him. And Katase was greatly ashamed about what happened, now wanting to make amends.

    Moments later, as they walked through the corridors, Katase suddenly saw her friend, looking surprised at her and Satoru, a packed lunch in her hands. Katase was planning on taking Satoru out somewhere private before apologizing to him, one reason was to prevent information about her attacking another random person from spreading around the school. Some students already had a bad impression of her, seeing her auctions to punish the perverted trio as an overreaction.

    Something that pissed her off somewhat when those same people were never perved on by them, so could not understand why she acted that way.

    Second, and perhaps the least of her reasons, was that she was ashamed of having other people watch her apologizing to Satoru.

    Seeing Katase approaching when she had already told him her plans, Murayama threw a questioning glance at her. Before she could articulate her question, it was answered a moment later when Satoru appeared behind her. Spotting him, Maruyama waved her hand at him in greeting with her lunch clutched in it. "Good afternoon, Satoru."

    "Ah, good afternoon to you too, Murayama," Satoru greeted then looked at both of the girls, each of them suddenly finding the ceiling and the walls very interesting to look at. "Umu¡­ Shall we go up to the roof?"

    Katase only nodded at these words, having nothing against such a place for lunch, and headed for the stairs, her head busy trying to come up with things to talk about, or how she should go about thanking Satoru.

    Well, first things first, she should thank him for his help with the trio. The fact that he was able to calm the ''scourge'' of Kuoh Academy, if even only for a day, was a feat worth mentioning in itself. Not to mention the fact that it ended in a fight with Matsuda and quite possibly at least a conflict with Issei ¨C though perverse, Issei was still his younger brother. It wouldn''t have made things easy at home, at least¡­

    Next on the list, Katase should apologize for attacking him. Katase frowned slightly at that thought, realizing that after thanking him for helping with the trio, with violence at that, apologizing for attacking him did not sound too good. But it needed to be done anyway.

    And then, lastly, Katase also needed to know, if only for her own peace of mind, whether he had told anyone about the attack on him¡­ Seeing the tangles of social faux pas she had to pass to express herself? Yes, the situation definitely looked unpleasant.

    Katase, immersed in these somewhat unpleasant thoughts, didn''t notice the moment she arrived at the roof, shocked out of her fugue by the rays of sunshine almost blinding her. Blinking the impromptu dazzling from the bright afternoon sun away, Katase could see that Satoru was already settling himself on the roof. Along with Murayama, he had put his lunch next to one of the benches on the roof ¨C Katase looked simply out of place as she continued to stand.

    Hurrying to sit down, she hurried down to occupy the bench next to Satoru, nestling him in between herself and Murayama. Taking a deep breath, she decided to just get it over with.

    "Thank you again for your help with the trio of perverts," Katase finally said the right words, having to stop herself from shouting, before she grimaced, preparing herself to say the second half. "And again, I apologize for the attack¡­"

    "It''s okay, I wasn''t hurt, so as long it doesn''t happen a second time then¡­" Satoru said calmly without changing his expression before stopping for a second. "Umu, I mean of course I felt the blow, and it definitely resulted in a bruise, but in the end I decided I shouldn''t react to it. But of course I would prefer it not to happen again."

    Katase lowered her gaze, feeling a little uncomfortable as she was subtly chastised, as well as feeling a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment.

    She was proud of her martial prowess, despite the many times she had to bear being sexually harassed by the trio, Kendo was something she loved dearly, the amount of time she spent practicing evidence of that love. And yet, despite that, she was just told that her full-powered blow amounts to nothing more than a bruise, one that was easily waved off too.

    Of course, if Satoru was hurt worse, she doesn''t know what she would feel. Even more crushing guilt she suspects¡­ But, in the end, her blow, Satoru barely noticed it. Does it mean that she needed more training, to make her punishments for the trio stick better in the future, or was Satoru just used to being injured? The way he calmly took Katase''s attack, was he actually used to fighting? Just bruises or not, it still would''ve hurt, the fact that he could stoically talk with her after? He didn''t even change his expression!

    Realizing this, Katase was even more embarrassed before casting a glance at Murayama, hoping that her old friend would recognize her mute request. Murayama, predictably, recognized the request before getting Satoru''s attention, albeit rolling her eyes slightly from looking at Katase. "By the way, you didn''t report this to the principal?"

    "Um¡­ No." Satoru said after a moment, before he froze for a second, for some reason there was a vague feeling inside Katase for a moment, as if she was standing in front of her opponent in her kendo fights. A sense of danger seemed to be emanating from Satoru, forcing Katase to fight her ''fight or flight'' instinct, if she had her shinai with her, she would be already readying it.

    "Do you think I should contact the Headmaster?"

    "Em, no?" Murayama, clearly embarrassed, and now looking nervous herself, caused the strange feeling inside Katase to subside a little. "It''s just that, I¡­ I mean you, should, uh¡­"

    Murayama stopped talking, realizing that she might have just told Satoru to make sure that her friend gets expelled, so she looked at Katase with a panicked expression. Katase realized that she was caught in a bind, just chose to bulldoze ahead. "It''s just that I¡­ I did something wrong, I attacked you, and I¡­ I just really hope that you''re not mad at me, I''m ready to apologize in any way I can!"

    Katase gathered her courage, nodded resolutely, ignoring just how embarrassing this would be, and how her instinct was telling her that opening herself to an attack at this point was foolish, lowered her head in a deep bow. ''Did this mean that Satoru was a trained fighter? I only ever felt this sensation in the training spars against the old Senseis.''

    However, with her head down, the strange feeling pushing her fight instinct completely left Katase''s mind, leaving her with only a slight confusion of where it had originally come from, before Satoru spoke again. "Umu, you shouldn''t feel so bad, I was just a bit surprised, I didn''t think it was necessary to push the matter further. Besides, umu¡­ If you''re truly willing to do anything to apologize to me, though, I would like to take advantage of your offer¡­"

    Katase raised her head as she looked at Satoru again, a little upset at the feeling of being taken advantage of. A feeling that she discarded immediately, she did offer it, ''So he does want something¡­ No, of course it''s better than getting censured by the Headmaster. But still, it feels unpleasant, is there something of Issei in him after all? If he''s going to ask for some lewd pictures, then I¡­''

    "You see, I just moved in, I don''t know the town very well." Satoru said quite calmly, literally breaking through Katase''s train of thoughts. "So, could you take me after school to the uh¡­ Umu, the church in this town? The abandoned church that is, I have to meet someone there¡­ I mean near it! Yeah, that''s right, an acquaintance of mine asked me to meet them there, after school."

    "Em, yes, of course." Katase, still a little off kilter, simply absorbed Satoru''s words, frowning slightly. It was definitely an odd favor to ask in return, especially considering that Satoru could have easily used a map or something, there''s the internet on his cell phone after all¡­

    ''Wait¡­ It couldn''t be!?''

    Katase shifted her gaze to Murayama, who was looking at her with a sly look, before her brain matched two and two. ''Did I just get myself a date?!''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    ''Another problem just solved itself!'' Momonga almost couldn''t stop himself from smiling, but was able to force it down, as he was not alone. Looking at Katase, who seemed to be momentarily frozen with an incomprehensible expression on her face at his request,

    Momonga could only think that he had failed. Looking then to Murayama, he noticed that she was looking at Katase with a sly look on her face, occasionally shifting her gaze to Momonga¡­ Huh? Why did she just give him a thumbs up, and why did Katase turn red when she saw that!?

    Momonga''s great confusion dissipated after a moment, before he exhaled and shook his head, internally that is, he doesn''t want to look like a weirdo. ''They seem so strange¡­ Or are they actually normal, and I''m the one that''s strange? The current situation is unusual for both my past world and YGGDRASIL, so maybe this is normal for high-schoolers?''

    Chalking it up simply as his lack of social graces, Momonga decided to think about something more important. Something Katase said pinged his suspicion, how did she know that Momonga was used to combat situations?

    ''I thought for a second that Katase and Murayama knew something about the magic of this world and were able to bypass my [Arcane Sight], and were in fact High-Leveled Players that were able to see my Character sheet. But apparently this is again just the result of the differences between my past and current world¡­ Anyway, I did acquire some useful tidbit, so I could complain about Katase not only to Demons, but also to the official authorities of this city? Though, I''m not sure going to the police is a bright idea, no matter how upright and justice-obsessed Touch Me might be.''

    Thinking of his past friend, a deluge of memories about Touch Me''s complaints about his bosses and coworkers also followed.

    ''Sure, their official position meant that one supposedly could go to the Police when laws were broken¡­ Unofficially? You''ll only go to the police only if you''re actually powerful or influential enough not to need to go to the Police to lodge any complaint. I''ve only seen the Police doing their work a few times, mostly when they were eliminating trespassers interfering with mega-corporations business, or squeezing out the mega-corporations competition. Actually, they were more escorts for VIPs rather than law enforcers ¨C something that Raynare and her group fits into now that I thought about it. They even have their own underground business, just like the police of my past world ¨C except that they''re not accountable to any mega-corporation¡­ I think, maybe.''

    Scrunching his eyebrows, Momonga tried his best to remember if Rayanare had mentioned anything.

    ''Umu, Raynare said that she has no patrons, right? But she also said that someone sent her to this place¡­ Umu, how difficult.''

    "Satoru?" Katase''s voice brought Momonga out of his musings, causing him to turn his attention back to the girl, who for some strange reason now couldn''t meet her eyes with Momonga. "I, um, agree¡­ I mean, to take a walk with you, I''m okay with it."

    ''A walk?'' Momonga inwardly raised an eyebrow, did he say something strange? ''I didn''t say anything about walking, I just wanted you to tell me the directions to the place where I was supposed to meet Raynare because I didn''t want to look stupid in front of the Demiurge by asking him for directions¡­ But then again, I did enjoy the living nature of this world, so fine, a walk it is, I didn''t set an exact time to come to Raynare, so I won''t be late for sure. Besides, this way, there''s no way that I would get lost.''

    "Umu, okay." Momonga nodded, looking away only to find Murayama, the girl with the sly smirk on her face, squinting, looking between him and Katase, making Momonga inwardly tense. ''Is something wrong? Am I doing something wrong?!''

    A moment later, Momonga''s mind was completely cleared, and he realized his mistake. ''Ah, that''s right! I called them here for lunch, and I haven''t taken out my lunchbox.''

    Opening his lunch box, Momonga admired the smell of food wafting off of the opened box. ''I wonder if I used an Appraisal spell on Miki''s food, would it reveal an effect? How delicious would the high-level food prepared by Nazarick''s chef be? The low-leveled food was already amazing¡­ No, that''s a waste of resources, better to put that idea aside for the future.''

    "Uwah, Satoru that looks delicious." Murayama''s voice informed Momonga that not only him that noticed Miki''s efforts, even Katase, who had already unpacked her lunch and gorged on it, glanced at Momonga''s food, as if contemplating asking a piece from him.

    "Umu," Momonga simply nodded at these words before an idea popped into his head.

    "Would you like some?" Lunchbox in hand, he extended to the hungry gaze of the girl.

    ''I''ve tried how the food from YGGDRASIL works on the creatures of this world, and on how the food of this world works on me, existing under the rules of YGGDRASIL, and tested the food from YGGDRASIL on myself. But, I strangely forgot to test how the food of this world works on the creatures of this world¡­'' Momonga sighed at such an obvious blunder, internally, the shame of his blunder like a slap on his face.

    ''It is little blunders like these that tend to pile up into a big overall lump of flaws!''

    "Me?" Murayama was surprised for a moment before glancing at Katase, again with a sly look on her face. "I am fine, but someone might be¡­"

    Katase seemed to choke upon hearing this, coughing instantly, causing Momonga to shift her gaze to her, taking a measured look at the girl. ''Am I missing something? Hmm, maybe Katase is a food lover? I never would have guessed from her figure, especially since this world probably hasn''t invented various digestive system modifications yet. Though maybe it''s because she works out a lot? Physical activity is often used to lose weight, after all, so maybe she likes food and likes sports at the same time?''

    Coughing and throwing a sort of indignant but not to say angry look at her friend, Katase turned back to Momonga. "Don''t mind her, she''s just joking."

    "Even so, I meant what I said seriously." Momonga said again, not wanting to miss the opportunity for his experiment, causing Katase to look away again and, after a moment, nodded slightly in response to Momonga''s suggestion.

    After a moment Momonga slid his lunchbox to Katase, before he could watch carefully to see if any effect happens, as Katase took a morsel of food off his lunchbox, he was suddenly distracted by Murayama. "Oh, I totally forgot, I have something to do urgently!"

    Murayama instantly stood up from her seat after saying that, Momonga noticing that she hadn''t actually opened her own lunchbox. "Speaking of which, Satoru, could you help me with something for a bit?"

    Momonga thought for a moment before nodding and glancing at Katase, who, when he was not looking, had tasted Miki''s cooking. And, judging by [Life Essence] and [Mana Essence] getting a small bonus like the inhabitants of this world got from eating food of YGGDRASIL, proving that food from this world acted just as the food in YGGDRASIL. After a last nod as his experiment concluded, he rose from his seats to follow after Murayama, who had already gone to the stairwell without waiting for him.

    Katase, clearly enjoying Miki''s cooking, didn''t even seem to notice him leaving, allowing Momonga to move quickly enough to follow Murayama, preparing for a possible ambush along the way just in case. ''I wonder what she wanted me to help her with?''

    Momonga would soon find out, though. After taking barely a few steps and disappearing behind the doors leading to the stairs and downstairs, Murayama stopped suddenly, making Momonga tense up. "Satoru, I''ll be honest, you seem like a good guy and if whatever you did to the trio made them stop even a week, you deserve a huge thank you from me for helping with the trio. But after all the problems with the trio¡­ Katase has suffered enough, so she''s quite vulnerable to positive attention. And if you take advantage of that, and someone brings something to my attention, if you hurt Katase, or if you have even one gram of Issei in you¡­ No principal will save you, do you understand?"

    Momonga blinked, looking at Murayama with surprise. ''Was that¡­ A threat?''

    Momonga pondered the words Murayama said one more time before coming to a suitable conclusion. ''Yes, that was definitely a threat.''

    After a moment, there was a sense of irritation rising inside Momonga, no one likes it when someone starts threatening them, especially when Momonga couldn''t even understand why Murayama was threatening him. Especially with what exactly she was telling him. ''Katase is vulnerable? Not ''one gram of Issei'', so she knows I''m not related to Issei?! Murayama isn''t a simple person after all, and was able to fool my abilities?!''

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    After a moment''s suppression of emotion stopped Momonga''s panic, allowing him to look into Murayama''s eyes, giving her an answer. "No need to worry, I just want to take a walk with her to the church¡­"

    Murayama looked closely at Momonga, nodding seriously, before the severe expression she had just adopted disappeared into a smile. "Then I wish you good luck."

    After another moment, Murayama turned around and quickly headed down the stairs, leaving Momonga alone to think. ''Hmm, Pandora''s Actor hadn''t reported Murayama or Katase being a threat in any way¡­ I should ask him to carefully gather information about them. Because the only way I could explain what just happened, is either I''m missing something, or Murayama is not an ordinary person after all. Hmm, if it turns out at the end that Murayama is just a human, and she just threatened me for some unknown reason¡­ No, I''m not petty enough to attack someone just out of displeasure, but it will definitely affect my attitude towards her. Who just threatened someone because they were just asking for directions!? This world is just too weird for me!''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Katase came back to reality a few seconds later, in time to notice Satoru returning to the roof, without Murayama in sight. It seems that her best friend had used the ''I had to do something urgently'' card, and had left the two alone¡­ And this right after Satoru asked her out!

    She probably also told him some more stupid things, threatening Satoru not to hurt her feelings or something much more embarrassing, like she''s Katase''s older sister or something! And now she has to interact with Satoru, who has listened to all that, their future date looming, and he had just shared a bento with her¡­ And the two of them were now alone on the roof and the sky above and¡­

    "Katase, did you like it?" Her brain short-circuited for a moment before, like an operating system, coming back in, causing a second of embarrassing pause in the girl''s response.

    "Yes, thank you very much, it''s very, very delicious. Who cooked it?"

    "My mother." Satoru made his way over before sitting down next to Katase, and is it just her imagination, or did he sit closer than before!? "Umu, the adopted one."

    Katease took another look at the bento that she might have eaten too much of with an awkward look.

    She hesitated for a moment, remembering what Satoru had said yesterday about his living situation and feeling a little uncomfortable about mentioning this fact and that she had brought it up. Satoru, however, as if he were not paying attention to her reaction, only pulled his food up to him before looking at Katase a little worried. "Is something wrong?"

    "No, nothing!" Katase instantly brushed his worries aside, only to realize that by doing so she had only contributed to the awkwardness in the air. Hurriedly, she tried to find a topic of conversation, before taking hold of the one she had been thinking about a little earlier. "So, are you into sports?"

    "Umu?" Satoru seemed surprised by the non-sequitur, thinking for a moment before answering. "I couldn''t say that I do. I''ve tried it in the past, but it didn''t work out."

    "That''s strange?" Katase thought audibly for a moment. "Considering that Matsuda has always been a very tough guy¡­"

    "Umu," Satoru replied instantly, if Katase were a more perceptive person, she would''ve noticed that Satoru''s voice was now tinged with a little bit of panic. But she was not, so this fact simply passed her by, unnoticed.

    "I mean, I don''t do any professional sports, but, umu, I go to practice from time to time, umu, so I can keep fit¡­"

    "Yeah?" Katase perked up a bit, feeling a little more confident, now that they were treading on more familiar grounds. "Boxing, martial arts, powerlifting? No, um, you don''t look like a powerlifter¡­"

    "Ah, umu, not anything specific in particular, I just do anything that catches my fancy from time to time, umu, which comes in handy in my daily life." Satoru seemed a bit taken aback by Katase''s insistence, causing her to suddenly feel slightly embarrassed by her abrupt insistence and the fact that she had unconsciously come closer, closing the distance between them even more.

    "Ah, excuse me for being nosy¡­" Katase suddenly remembered her earlier conclusion. Satoru was used to fighting ¨C and if you put this together with his remark that he was training what is ''useful'' in life and not professional sport, then some uncomfortable conclusion starts to click together¡­

    There was an awkward silence once more, before Satoru spoke up first. "And you, Katase? You''re a member of a kendo club, don''t you enjoy the sport too?"

    "Not really." Katase answered with a grin, seemingly shocking Satoru for a bit, which she would take for a win. "Murayama is the one who actually likes kendo. She''s continuing her family tradition, you see. I just joined the club to accompany my best friend back in elementary school, and since then just been doing it as a way to exercise or keep fitness¡­ I keep in shape."

    "Hmm, I see¡­" Satoru thought for a moment. "Speaking of Murayama, you were saying that she''s continuing a tradition?"

    "Well, yes." Katase nodded lightly, seeing nothing wrong talking about her best friend, it''s a topic to talk about if nothing else. "Not very long, she''s not from some ancient samurai warrior family or anything. Her grandfather was a national championship winner, and her father won the gold medal twice, her mother even participated in the nationals once placing second. Even her older brother is preparing for his first competition in six months¡­ So, yeah, a family tradition, quite literally."

    "Hmm, impressive." Satoru was silent for a moment, causing Katase to become curious. ''I wonder what he''s thinking? Maybe he''d like to get into professional sports after all, in which case Murayama really fits him more than me¡­''

    Katase frowned slightly, feeling something prickle her heart at the thought, before she dismissed it. ''Everyone has their dreams and desires, what can you do about it?''

    "By the way, Satoru, have you thought about signing up for any clubs?" Katase asked him, bringing him out of his thoughts, something that he seemed to be doing quite often now that Katase thought about it.

    "I think with your physical capabilities, you would do great with kendo."

    "Umu, thank you for the offer, but I''m¡­ Not very good with swords", Satoru replied after a few seconds of thought. "I''m more confident in my ma¡­ Martial arts, definitely yes, my hands are my main weapon."

    Katase shifted her gaze to Satoru''s hands after these words, before realizing the use of a certain word. "Weapon?"

    "Yes?" Satoru answered as if he didn''t understand the reason for Katase''s surprise, as if he really didn''t see kendo or boxing as a sport but only as a way to fight¡­ Confirming Katase''s speculations about him. "Satoru, answer me honestly¡­ Do you fight? I mean, you obviously have experience in fights, right?"

    "Em¡­" Satoru was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Yes, I do have some experience¡­ I''m quite sure of it."

    ''One less secret!'' Katase wasn''t particularly surprised by Satoru''s answer, already suspecting it ahead of time. ''That also answers how exactly he was able to easily block my attack without hurting himself and how he had beaten Matsuda¡­ Huh, he probably has a lot of interesting stories about the past. I wonder where he grew up in that case?''

    "Umu, I think it''s almost the end of lunchtime." Satoru''s voice broke Katase''s train of thought as he rose from his seat, packing his already empty container of food, with her hurriedly following after him. "It was nice chatting with you for a bit, Katase¡­ Umu, please don''t forget about our agreement."

    Katase, smiling a little embarrassed in return, just nodded.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Serafall Leviathan usually did her job of maintaining diplomatic contacts and making treaties in one particular way. She would arrive at the location of whatever pantheon she would be visiting, regarded as their ''divine'' domain, hold a formal banquet, and make some small talk. After some time later, she would find herself in a small room prepared for conversation, where the real negotiation with the Pantheon''s representative would begin.

    Sometimes it ended with a good talk and a signed [Contract], sometimes with shouting and the door figuratively being smashed in front of her face. But, in general, it all followed roughly the same script with minimal deviations. Maybe the cultural habits of the pantheons could affect the particular implementation of her plans, but usually all existing pantheons understood ''diplomacy'' to be about the same action.

    As a diplomat, that was her job description. Sure, there was the underlying belief that diplomats were all part spies, and sure she was able to glean some secret by doing her duties as a diplomat, so there was some truth in the belief. But, relying on Serafall as a spy was an endeavor doomed to fail!

    So, why was it that she''s right now like a preteen spying on her crush sitting in a caf¨¦ opposite Kuoh Academy, trying desperately with her enhanced senses to accrue any info she can from Satoru!.

    "Satoru, I can''t meet my Sona because of you, I''ll never forgive you for this!" Not even the chewy, delicious croissant she''s munching on could completely appease Serafall''s mood, making her look like a scowling hamster preparing to go out on the warpath instead of the representative of Devil diplomacy that she actually is.

    And Serafall did not want to go out on the warpath. Primarily because Serafall as lackadaisical as she may appear, she still knew how to correctly assess her chances and the consequences of her actions. Therefore, she was aware that going on the ''warpath'' with Satoru would end very, very badly ¨C maybe for the environment, maybe for Serafall, and maybe for the entire Devil faction.

    The only consolation, bare as it might be, for Serafall in the current situation was the fact that Satoru has yet to show any particular desire to harm his peers, be it Rias or Sona. If he, however, showed any intention to attack Sona, Serafall would definitely spit on the Satan'' current decisions and rush into battle.

    Which, again, wouldn''t end well for anyone.

    At the moment, while Ajuka was running their information network, trying to figure out which god had decided to make his move, the only decent plan of action for the Devils was to gather information any way they could. All the while, trying to establish as tight a cordon around Kuoh as possible to keep anyone out of the city, and then try to quietly clear a space around Satoru. Not at the level of evacuating the city, of course ¨C but the fewer ordinary people on the street where Satoru lived at the moment, the better.

    Additionally, it made it easier to gather information about Satoru himself, allowing Serafall to plan her move as best as possible¡­ Well, the second step, the first has already been taken when she met Satoru after all. And she had already misstepped quite badly there, ruining the chance of Satoru having a better impression of the Devils. But what is she supposed to do when the report that a threatening figure had just suddenly appeared near to Sona!?

    "And from the looks of it, he has no particular love for Devils¡­ Luckily, no particular hatred, either." Serafall grimaced as she sighed into the delicious cup of coffee accompanying her pastry.

    "Of course that just meant that the Devils are stuck in between a rock and a hard place. It would be easier to just order Rias and Sona along with their peerages to retreat to the Underworld and deal with the problem ourselves, but how would Satoru react to that? I mean, we don''t even know who he is, why he came here, and where he''s from¡­ Argh, I hate working like this!"

    Serafall swallowed the rest of the croissant and reached for her cup of coffee, before taking a sip of extra-strong espresso, grimacing at the taste of the beverage. "I hate bitter stuff, too!"

    Serafall needed to arrange a conversation with Satoru again, at least for the sake of ordering the evacuation of Sona and Rias while he was distracted. Better let Sona yell at her all she wanted and say that Serafall had disrupted her education, better to accept Sona''s displeasure than hear that she was hurt by Satoru''s actions.

    Though the mere thought of Sona saying to Serafall something like ''I hate you!'' was like a dagger to Serafall''s heart, but it was something she would survive. The other possibility however¡­ Was not something she should contemplate while she''s near a population center.

    Serafall took another sip, feeling the unpleasant taste interrupt her equally unpleasant thoughts, before rising from the table, tossing a few bills onto the table. Serafall didn''t even look at how much she owed for her snack, so she threw some more just in case, before heading for the exit.

    And even in the busy caf¨¦, no one paid her any attention, perhaps a few glances, a far departure from the usual, and that was because she was not dressed in her usual Maou Shoujo uniform.

    Now dressed in her ''official'' uniform, a blouse, pants, jacket, all in dark green soft colors, almost no one that knew her, would recognize her. While her official Maou Shoujo outfit had become her normal outfit to enemies and allies alike, when, right now, she was about to negotiate with someone who''s standing is still unknown, the fewer factors added in the interaction, the better. She had even replaced her favorite magical girl Levi staff to a pen suitable for writing [Contracts] in her inner jacket pocket.

    Should her negotiations turn the wrong way, however¡­ While her pen in this instance is less mighty than her usual ''sword'', it also served as the conduit for the most powerful teleportation spell Ajuka could conjure up. It also, of course, while a bit weaker than her wand, would still serve the same function, powerful enough to wipe Kuoh off the maps, not that she''s planning to do that.

    Sona''s here after all!

    Serafall''s plan, in the end, was quite simple. To be frank, she simply planned to invite Satoru, to dinner at a fully-reserved restaurant, and try to create at least the appearance of normal negotiations, then, while he was somewhat distracted, order the evacuation of Sona and Rias. If Satoru doesn''t react in any way, then, the bulk of her plan is already completed.

    What''s left is to allow for Sirzechs and Ajuka to join them, trying her best to guide her conversation with Satoru to allow for such a thing. The last thing she wanted was to allow Satoru to think that it was an ambush, reasonable or not, such a thing would provoke a bad reaction with anyone. And while the loss of Kuoh is not a large loss, she still didn''t want to risk it ¨C Sona would be quite apoplectic with her if she caused the destruction of her school after all!

    Anyway, Sirzechs and Ajuka meeting with Satoru would make her future job a lot easier. Sirzechs as the face of the Underworld, allowing for more important negotiations, and Ajuka as the person desperately needing contact with Satoru to make his [Kankara Formula] work at full strength. She would need to balance the meeting furtively, not too soon for the meeting to be regarded as an ambush, and not too late where Satoru would be comfortable taking a leading role in the negotiations.

    After that, if things didn''t go the way of the worst-case scenario, where things escalate into a fight, the true negotiations would start. Whether or not Satoru would participate, or just keep silent altogether, it all played into the Devils'' hands one way or another. More time to get her sister away from the potential epicenter of a fight between a god and the three Maous the better.

    Who knows? Maybe everything will go as planned!

    So, making her way to the gates of Kuoh Academy, Serafall was focused, carefully noting the other students with her gaze. Akeno Himejima, [Queen] of Rias Gremory, Kiyome Abe, daughter of a rather old family of beast tamers and suppliers of familiars, Issei Hyoudou¡­

    The brother of the god in the epicenter of all her recent headaches.

    Serafall frowned, she had received periodic updates on Kuoh and its academy in particular, including information about the students, but much more on things that concerned Sona''s safety. She hadn''t really delved too much on things that don''t directly affect Sona ¨C so for the students, she was usually given information about their origins, nature and the potential danger they could be to Sona, nothing more.

    Serafall didn''t have the energy or time to familiarize herself with the identity of every student at the academy¡­ A dire mistake as it turned out. Though it wasn''t fully her fault, even after the usual litany of investigations, nothing has turned out. Issei Hyoudou''s lineage has no connection whatsoever with the paranormal world ¨C no god, none of the Biblical Factions, and no Youkai either.

    Sure, the archive of the Devil''s has been damaged severely during the Great and the subsequent Civil War, nor had they a peculiar interest in checking the genealogies of Humans, but nothing? Even now, with the surprise sibling that turned out to be a god, and with a newfound interest in Gorou Hyoudou''s lineage, the Devils had found nothing at all. There was a possibility that Satoru''s Divine lineage was from a matrilineal source, but without more information about the woman Gorou had a dalliance with, the Devils are in a slump.

    The fact that Satoru''s mother was from Kyoto, was not something positive ¨C the Devils could ill-afford further widening the rift between the Youkai Faction and the Devils. The two brothers were both sources of worries for Serafall, if for two very different reasons.

    It didn''t take more than a cursory look at the information gathered about Issei Hyoudou to figure out that the high-schooler is a massive pervert.

    Serafall had little against voyeurs and perverts specifically, most of the fans of her shows were one after all, tentacles and magic girls were also a time-honored tradition. She wore her scandally short skirt all for the panty shots after all. Though, if any of her fans took the liberties that Issei did, according to the many complaints of the female Kuoh students¡­ Well, he''s at least honest about it? And he''s at least smart enough not to peek at Sona!

    Still, the potential danger alone¡­ What if he decided to peek at Sona tomorrow!?

    Before they learned of his Divine sibling, Sona had tried many times to expel him ¨C that is, before her orders to the faculty were countermanded by Rias. Sure if Sona had decided to complain to Serafall, she herself would go and kick Issei out of the school, no, to Hell itself!

    But Sona being Sona, no such complaint ever materialized and more and more complaints kept piling up, until everyone just adapted to the status quo. And soon enough, rumors on how Issei was blackmailing faculties and Sona herself popped up, and Searfal had to stop herself from just turning Issei into an ice statue. That is, if Serafall hadn''t known full well that the rumors were all just lies.

    It''s still a close thing, though.

    Now, whatever Serafall wanted to do, Issei is actually untouchable thanks to his brother''s status, but if he dared to harass Sona¡­ Well, maybe if her future negotiation with Satoru turned out unexpectedly well, she could ask him for a favor.

    Before Serafall could think about the subject further, as she walked on to the school gate, her eye found Issei, along with Satoru¡­ Who was walking away from the school, together with a girl?

    Serafall paused for a second before looking closely at the girl and noticing her uncertain gait, the slightly more than necessary focused look, the nervous look on her face, along with a light dusting of a blush¡­

    "Are they going on a date?" Serafall was surprised by the sight. Maybe it was Issei instead¡­ No, she can''t even entertain the thought. The girl is going on a date with the god, Satoru.

    Well, at least that''s some confirmation of Satoru''s divine status, he works quite fast. If Serafall wasn''t mistaken, it hasn''t even been a week since Satoru attended the school¡­ She hopes that they practice the necessary protections at least, Serafall couldn''t imagine the pandemonium if the god decided to impregnate the girl.

    While other people might perhaps regard such a worry as paranoid, seeing the proclivities of the many divines that Serafall knew of¡­ no, it really isn''t. If it was, there wouldn''t be such a problem defining family ties within the Greek Pantheon. Using her [Arcane Sight], she at least could breathe a sigh of relief that there wasn''t any magical compulsion on the girl, if there was, their future interaction would get quite complicated.

    Well, Satoru was quite the handsome young man, so maybe it was love at first sight?

    Anyway, it had happened this course of events had made Serafall''s plan hit quite the snag.

    "It gives me a lot of new information, but I have absolutely no idea what to do with it, and it also seriously complicates things. If they were going on a date, it would be normal to expect that Satoru wouldn''t be separating with the girl anytime soon. There''s no way to talk with Satoru without also involving the girl¡­ Interrupting the date would be rude nonetheless." Serafall sighed, as they watched the trio leave.

    Not that there was any specific ban on revealing information about the paranormal in this world to ordinary people. Even if there was, it would still be impossible to keep all information completely under lock and key, the mundane government and the paranormal simply have the understanding not to interact much with each other. Things were much different back in the days when the Angels and Devils regularly interacted with the people openly, but with the gods'' power waning, and the increasing danger of Human weaponry?

    The paranormal have simply decided not to show themselves openly, lest they provoke the sensibilities of the much, much more numerous, and trigger-happy humans. The inquisition and the Crusades come to mind ¨C and with the Humans now possessing the ability to use Nuclear weapons¡­

    So in theory, Satoru could have revealed information about the paranormal side of the world to the girl, or he might not have. Again, it was unknown how he would react to Devils like Serafall if they decided to interrupt his date. And now again Serafall could do nothing, and another day without a chance to talk with Satoru would pass in limbo.

    "It seems that Satoru knows of our plans, and is, in fact, just mocking us." Serafall grimaced slightly as she looked at Satoru with the girl.

    "Just laughing at us¡­ I am being driven into a corner in my field of expertise and in my home field, and there is nothing I can do about it, and he knows it. He doesn''t even threaten us so much as he just laughs, as if we weren''t even opponents to him, but just children he doesn''t even take seriously¡­ Grrr, Satoru!"

    Serafall stomped her foot, restraining herself only at the last moment so that she wouldn''t crack the ground before she calmed down. "Okay, think Serafall, let''s try to come up with another plan¡­"

    With a last glare at the couple, Satoru leading the girl to god knows where, Serafall turned around to plan her next action. Maybe she should visit Sona to complain about Satoru!?

 Overlord of a High School (20)

    As both Katase and him walked the streets of Kuoh, with Katase leading the way to the church, Momonga looked at the girl with some confusion. ''What''s wrong? Why is she acting so strangely?''

    After classes were over, Momonga found Katase waiting for him, luckily not with an ambush. As it turned out, he hadn''t stepped into the trap of an unknown opponent meeting the girl, as Pandora''s Actor had informed him, Katase and Murayama together were both mere humans¡­ Either that or they were the most perfect and powerful adversaries, perfectly prepared to infiltrate human society in a way that Momonga had no way of determining, which didn''t help his paranoia settle.

    Still, Momonga had to discard this possibility, because entertaining it he would have to start suspecting every stone by the wayside as a source of immense danger. In which case, all he would achieve was to cower on all corners and endlessly ponder the potential enemy''s plans, knowing that this enemy was so perfect that Momonga had no chance of defeating him. That way lies madness, and if he was human, a nice padded white cell.

    Sure, when Momonga planned a battle or just contingencies he always prepared at least several strategies and plans, all depending on how the enemy would act or which situation he could''ve found himself in. It was a time spent methodically preparing his equipment or a specific battle tactic, but there was a limit by which Momonga would stop in his planning, say, after ten or twenty backup plans.

    So most likely Katase and Murayama were just plain ordinary people, and Momonga himself could relax, at least on that point.

    True, Momonga''s meeting with Katase, were almost perfectly created to elicit the most suspicion in a situation as it could. All the times Momonga talked, when Momonga just tried to have a normal meaningless chatter to waste time and break the silence, Katase would immediately begin to pale, blush and look at unknown things in random directions. Actions which only caused Momonga more confusion.

    ''Maybe she just doesn''t like me and is uncomfortable with me?'' Momonga was not that surprised by such a possibility, he lacks social skills to say the least, and the both of them have very little things in common, so it''s to be expected.

    ''Umu, after all, though she was the one who made me an offer of a favor, I did take advantage of it and now Katase has to walk me to church¡­ Hmm, it''s a little unpleasant that Katase is reacting this way to me taking advantage of her offer, but then again, it''s not important, she is just acting as a guide for the moment. If she''s really this uncomfortable with me, there''s no need to interact with her further in the future.''

    "Are you¡­ Do you like music?" Katase asked a completely random and contextless question, something which made Momonga think for a moment about why exactly Katase wanted to know that, before shrugging his shoulders and answering honestly. There''s really no tactical advantage or disadvantage in knowing his choice in music.

    "Not particularly. I mean, I don''t really listen to a lot of music, more often than not, it just distracts me from what I''m doing¡­"

    Momonga remembered the BGM from YGGDRASIL and involuntarily cringed at the memory. ''Sure, just give those shitty devs a chance to prank the Players¡­ Those damn devs, they put BGM in the game, and it wasn''t even bad, but they put it in such a way that it distracted from what was going on! I was lucky, I was usually in the middle or behind the main party, but the scouts in YGGDRASIL, like Nishikienrai, who had to listen to it constantly, the music drowning out the steps of a potential enemy¡­ No, sometimes the music did complement the scenery, like when looking at some soaring castle or at a royal meeting, but there is a time and place for everything!''

    "I see¡­" Katase answered a little vaguely, and then she asked something again. "So you''ve never gone to concerts?"

    "No, I never had enough money for that." Momonga answered easily, even the virtual concerts'' tickets were quite expensive, and considering that he spent almost all his spare money on YGGDRASIL, and wasn''t a big music fan, he never attended those. Not to mention the live performances? He probably has to fork over a half year''s pay for that. First, Momonga had to go to the arcology where the concert is held, and that trip alone would cost as much as his monthly expenses for YGGDRASIL. Never mind getting the permission to visit the arcology in the first place, and then there''s the cost of the ticket.

    Although, in this world, perhaps he could attend a concert? At least to see what they looked like live once¡­ If he ever had the extra money for that, of course, his monetary situation wasn''t all that different to the one he had in the future, if not worse since he didn''t have a source of income yet. Still, the first thing he should do when he gets some money, is to provide Miki with a decent life and try to somehow find Gorou and compensate him for all the trouble that Momonga had caused¡­

    And to pay for his schooling, that was probably even the most important thing¡­

    Noticing how Katase averted her gaze a little uncomfortably, Momonga decided to try to start a dialogue again. "And you, how about you, do you have any music you like?"

    "Well, yes, quite a lot actually!" Katase answered enthusiastically before going silent, a little embarrassed, but from the looks of things her embarrassment was not enough to prevent her from answering.

    "For some reason, stars of all kinds come to our little town, so there are a lot of live concerts and signing events in town¡­ Actually, to tell you the truth, it''s kind of weird."

    "Yes, that is strange indeed," Momonga agreed, thinking for a moment for the reason before shrugging his shoulders, not really that interested in the answer. Besides, if in doubt, blame the local demons. "I guess the rich have their own quirks."

    "Um, yes, I guess so," Katase seemed to lose her enthusiasm at that last sentence, the conversation dying out. Before, suddenly, almost making Momonga wary of some kind of ambush again, she then tried to speak in a cheerful voice again.

    "Almost there!"

    Momonga turned his gaze to where Katase was pointing, and saw a church standing some distance away from him, barely visible on the horizon. The building stood quite starkly against the small, sparse forest behind it¡­ Though this far away, it was rather difficult for Momonga to tell if it was a church or any other building, at least without casting some spells. His passives don''t really compliment his already non-existent scouting ability.

    "Thank you." Momonga expressed his gratitude, before nodding, satisfied that he had arrived at his target. "In that case, I think I can say goodbye here¡­"

    Katase didn''t seem to react to these words, allowing Momonga to take a step forward before suddenly feeling someone tugging on his sleeve. Momonga paused for a moment as he turned his head around, trying to see if he''d managed to get his sleeve caught on something. Knowing rationally that he was in the middle of the road at the moment, there''s nothing for him to get caught on¡­ Before he could cast some AoE spells centered on him to answer for the ambush, a voice answered his unasked question.

    "You don''t need to do that¡­"

    "What?" Momonga stopped, turning to Katase. ''Was I wrong after all and Katase really¡­''

    "The underground fights." Katase finally let go of Momonga''s sleeve and looked up at him, full of a kind of frightened determination, as if she herself wasn''t aware that this emotion existed in her. "I wondered why you had to go to the abandoned church, and started asking around about it ¨C I found out about the underground fights going on there¡­"

    "Huh?" Momonga blinked before straining his memory. ''Umu, I think that Pandora''s Actor said something on the subject? But I was relieved that Katase and Murayama were human and did not pay attention to what he''s saying after, it''s not like something like that was a rarity in my time¡­ Huh, yes, Raynare did say something about holding underground fights, and did I say to her that I was used to fighting¡­ I just need to add the impression that I''m poor and¡­ Yeah, I could see where she could get the impression that Satoru, the poor orphaned boy, was an underground fighter, earning money through literal blood sweat and maybe tears. ''The puzzle is complete¡­''

    "You don''t have to do this." Katase looked at him with a kind of determination and pity that made Momonga even feel some sympathy inside. "If you need money, my father can get you a job, he owns a small caf¨¦ in town, and he always needs waiters, and he pays well for it too¡­"

    "Um, thank you," Momonga answered with a sigh, he was even somewhat moved by Katase''s concern for an essentially speaking, stranger. She had even shared with him information about a job vacancy, which was a great fortune and rare find in Momonga''s past world, making him decide inwardly to be a little nicer to the girl. "I would li¡­"

    Momonga was about to accept before he froze, realizing something important.

    ''But I didn''t come here to participate in underground fights, but to raise money as a patron of their organizer?'' Momonga urgently tried to gather the answer in his head on how to reject the very kind offer, and finding that the truth, as always, really didn''t fit.

    ''No, definitely not! How about, in fact, this church is the abode of fallen angels¡­? Nope, that''s a pass as well. I never learned the reason the paranormal inhabitants of this world do not reveal their nature to ordinary people, if I knew that, I would act more confident. But without knowing the reason, I also do not know whether there is any possibility of breaking a taboo of sorts¡­ I do not know what to say!''

    The panic inside Momonga was instantly quelled, but his silence had already managed to answer, reflecting on Katase''s expression, causing her to lower her gaze. "Why?"

    "Because¡­" Momonga tried to mentally compose an answer for Katase before he sighed and answered trivially, but at least in a way, he surely wouldn''t have made it worse with his answers. "It''ll be fine. Don''t worry about it."

    After his answer, Katase looked up at him and Momonga could discern the way the rays of the sun slowly moving toward sunset were beginning to reflect off her eyes, and something glittering on her eyes.

    ''What is that?'' Momonga looked slightly confused in Katase''s eyes. ''Tears? Why? I''m just a stranger to her, she''s been doing nothing but jumping from topic to topic the whole walk and clearly feeling uncomfortable, and now she''s crying¡­ Umu, women are strange creatures indeed.''

    "Promise me that you''ll be alright," Katase looked into Momonga''s eyes seriously with tears running down it, making him think.

    It wasn''t that he couldn''t break any promise he made, that was the truth of life, it wasn''t like there''s a contract or anything. Momonga was instead willing to break a hundred promises if he judged that the benefits gained from breaking it outweighed the problems that would arise from it¡­

    Except for an oath in the name of Ainz Ooal Gown ¨C Momonga would never allow himself to defame his guild by breaking this oath.

    But when it came to a simple promise on his own behalf? It was all relative, every situation could theoretically tip the scales with the value of his promise¡­ And yet, this did not mean that his word was worthless. Momonga would rather not break his promise without a really good reason, evaluating the value of his word from the same position from which he evaluated the value of many things. And like any value, Momonga did not want to give his word for nothing.

    Consternation began to war within Momonga as the silence stretched on, and Katase continued to cry, each moment her expression beginning to grow more wretched.

    On the one hand, there''s actually no problem promising her that he''ll be ''alright'', there was no danger after all, and there''s no risk of the promise being broken. After all, he would simply be visiting his new subordinate and picking up some money ¨C sure he would need to extend his protections, but that didn''t mean he would be putting himself in danger.

    On the other hand, certainly the risk of danger always existed, but Momonga was very sure there was none here. Furthermore, by making a promise that he could easily keep, it would also raise that value of his ''word'' so to speak,

    So, after a few seconds of reflection, during which Momonga continued to stare into Katase''s eyes, finding no reason to budge, he nodded. "I promise."

    "Okay¡­ That''s good." Katase replied quietly, after which Momonga suddenly felt someone press against his body with his own.

    Momonga felt something pressing against his lips a moment later, it wasn''t even a kiss, but a strange attempt to peck him with her lips. Unlike the sensual kiss with Albedo, where Momonga felt the urge, after a few moments, to move his hands to the girl''s shoulders, then to her waist, and after, even lower, this time Momonga felt only extreme awkwardness.

    Even to the inexperienced Momonga, he could tell that the ''kiss'' was awkward and inept to Momonga, consisting, instead of passion and sensuality, half in fear and half in awkwardness. Instantly, as if struck by electricity, Katase pulled away from Momonga, looking at him as if shocked by her own action, half pale with fear, half red with embarrassment, Momonga was sure that he looked the same way.

    Then as the moment passed, she shouted loudly and completely out of place, her voice tearing from one letter to another. "Good luck!"

    After a moment more, and one last glance at his lips, Katase scurried away, making Momonga wonder if she even had any special powers for a second.

    Before turning her gaze to the church and sighing. "Umu, I just got kissed by a High-school student¡­ Hmm, somehow I can feel Perroroncino somewhere giving me a thumb and a sly wink."

    Momonga''s confusion and bewilderment was quelled a moment later, allowing him to finally move forward, approaching the abandoned church and not letting him stray from his plan of action. "Umu, I have no idea why that happened¡­ Though I did help her with the perverted trio ¨C umu, maybe she thought I made a move on her? Besides, if I were to put our situation in another way¡­ We walked around town together, chatting, getting to know each other better, and I was the one to ask her, and then we were here, under the rays of the setting sun, looking into each other''s eyes¡­ It was like I asked her out!"

    Momonga took another step before another thought struck him like a lightning bolt. For a moment, causing him to panic, before the panic receded, leaving Momonga with only the bare fact and damning realization.

    "Umu, the situation with Albedo has become even more complicated than I thought..."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Mittelt could tell she''d been living¡­ In interesting times.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    In the sense of the Chinese curse, that is. The same ''interesting'' times in which great accomplishments, terrifying cataclysms, and incredible discoveries took place.

    Mittelt had only been a fallen angel for six years ¨C a decent amount of time for humans, barely a paragraph out of the angels'' life. Six years for a human infant is time to form the first vestiges of one''s personality, learn to walk, speak, quite possibly read, write, and count. For an adult it was enough time to experience several crashes of hope, disappointments, and life-turning discoveries ¨C but for Mittelt it was barely even a single paragraph of text.

    The most Mittelt could think of on the subject was ''and then she did small jobs until she joined Raynare''s service''. That small sentence described the six years of Mittelt''s life ¨C small errands, a couple of assassinations, a little stealing, and lo and behold, she ended up under Raynare.

    Mittelt didn''t even think it would last. Raynare had offered Mittelt a small job, for a month at most, to finish off some guy and then to wave her wings a little to inspire Raynare''s assembled followers of exorcists and commoners. Then lastly, to help ferry a heretic nun expelled from the church to her, and, in the end, call it a day. Raynare would be one [Sacred Gear] richer, Mittelt would be a couple of thousand dollars richer overall, and they''d both be a little happier.

    Mittelt was aware of how high heaven was, not the Heaven from which she had fallen, but the metaphorical one, and realized quickly that she was not the strongest, smartest, or even luckiest of the angels. If she had been lucky, no one would have known that she was covering the smuggling of alcohol and cigarettes into a couple of small abbeys, and she wouldn''t have fallen at all. Or maybe she would have just curbed her impulse to feel a little buzzed and stayed out of the whole thing.

    She didn''t really want the money, what was Mittelt going to spend it on, anyway?! She just wanted to feel the buzz, she had worked as an accountant for hundreds of years, she deserved some rest for body and soul!

    As it turned out, the inspecting angels didn''t appreciate her perspective on the situation, and Mittelt fell to Earth, with a one-way ticket and a black mark on her record. Black, like her new wings.

    Will the former accountant angel live much longer, finding herself in a new unfamiliar world, now as a traitor to her species, a traitor to her Father, penniless and without a plan for the occasion? Well, for six years she was doing pretty well.

    Until she wasn''t.

    A small job, bearable pay, and room and board included, Mittelt should probably have felt something wrong the moment Raynare suddenly announced that she was going to go kill Issei Hyoudou herself ¨C why would she even do that? If it was really just a guy who had crossed someone''s path through ignorance, she could have sent some other Fallen, or the rogue exorcist or even some bum homeless with a shiv.

    There was no need to even hire professional assassins, just some of Raynare''s rabid fanatics who saw her as almost a goddess would do and that was it, problem solved¡­

    No one had told Mittelt that the job entailed living in a town controlled by two Satans families, and that the commission to kill the boy came from Azazel himself!

    If she had known even an inkling of it, she never would have stuck her neck out. The reason Mittelt had lived for six years as a Fallen Angel with nothing really to show was only because she had stayed out of all this shit-stinking business. Business that has a chance of crossing the wrong guy and being next on the elimination list!

    But the die was cast, it was done, and off she went. First she learned of the political balance of power in the city, then she met the Leviathan, almost pissing herself, and then the dead Raynare returned to them accompanied by a Devil. One who announced that the Father, that God, was back, stronger and more active than before.

    By the way, that legendary super dragon, Ddraig? Dead. And that even more legendary and even more super dragon, Great Red? Also, dead. At that moment, Mitelt had to make sure that she hadn''t gone in the deep end and tried some more extreme drugs.

    Speaking of which, Mittelt, how would you feel about starting the Apocalypse? Don''t worry, guiding you to redemption and new white wings will be this super-strong Devil''s here doing, the Demiurge. Speaking of which, have you read about Gnosticism?

    On the one hand, of course, Mittelt was fine, better than fine even, suddenly all her old problems were completely resolved, all those things about the Leviathan, Lucifer, and her fall from Heaven? All that seemed petty compared to the situation she found herself in right now.

    On the other hand, the situation she now found herself in was so beyond Mittelt''s very understanding of ''absurdity'' that she wasn''t sure if she was still perceiving the world with her senses right now or if she had been drooling, packed in a straitjacket in some lunatic asylum for some time.

    ''Though admittedly, my soul hurts a little, but my head hurts a lot more,'' Mittelt sighed, then set the piece of stone on the ground with a practiced motion, as she looked around her. "Well, there, almost clean."

    The returning Father was changing so much in the picture of Mittelt''s life that she wasn''t even sure what was still true ¨C was she still a Fallen Angel? Maybe she had already been enlisted back into the angelic ranks? Or did she need to change in some incredible way¡­

    Raynare had definitely changed. Fuck, right now Mittelt wasn''t beating money out of debtors, she was cleaning up the church!

    Considering that Father was supposed to appear in this abandoned church today, it was, perhaps, even expected that they would be cleaning it. When the Demiurge arrived in the church and saw the state of it, the mutilated icons, stained-glass and statues, the Fallen Angels were saved only by the fact that they arrived after Raynare and her subordinates had already destroyed it. They were not the ones to break the crucifixes and destroy all the statues, the remains of which Mittelt was now dismantling and carrying away.

    Raynare was saved by the fact that apparently Father had forgiven her directly, so she fell to her knees and begged for mercy with the Demiurge, looking as if he would drag her directly to hell.

    But Raynare''s subordinates were not saved.

    Some of those who had participated in the looting and desecration of the church were gathered together in the dungeon, thereupon Lord Demiurge announced that, according to the principles of Christian forgiveness, he would easily forgive them for such wrongs. That is, if they only compensated for what they had destroyed, the very first and most valuable of those, the crucifixes they had desecrated. That is by their own body.

    So right now the church was filled with the silent groans of repentant sinners, the crucifix they were replacing with the real thing. In the statues, too, Lord Demiurge had ordered the cement to be prepared and the remaining men to be buried in it, displaying them in the manner of the destroyed statues. It was more difficult with the frescoes, none of Raynare''s subordinates knew how to paint, so for now, Lord Demiurge did not accept any of those prepared for replacement.

    Given that each of the sinners had been instructed to paint with their own blood, on a canvas of their own skin stripped and framed with their own bones, with no man capable of disobeying Lord Demiurge''s orders? Mittelt somehow felt that at this very moment, stepping on the path of atonement before God, she was closest to Hell¡­

    On the other hand, now this church was much more like the one where the Apocalypse would begin.

    Mittelt almost hummed hysterically, her life was going downhill at the speed of light, and there was nothing she could do about it! Just pretend everything going on around her was normal and hope that one day it would be normal¡­ Though that''s probably not a good thing.

    Why the fuck did she even stuck her neck and decided to smuggle fucking contraband?!

    Sure, as a Fallen Angel she has seen some shit, not to the extent that she''s seeing right now ¨C but to encounter such a thing among Father''s followers when he decided to return to this world? It raised questions.

    The first being, is this the same Father as before?

    Returning inside the church, Mittelt paused near the entrance, slowly swallowing her saliva, trying to calm herself and prepare herself for the sight that would reveal itself a moment later when she opened the door. Even among the craziest of Fallen Angels, such an action would cause rejection, but if only Mittelt could, she would have run away from this place by now¡­

    Even Raynare''s face turned pale when Lord Demiurge began issuing instructions in his calm tone to the people blaspheming earlier, but Raynare, unlike the other Fallen, for some reason managed to keep her mind under control. While the other Fallen, including Mittelt, started contemplating an escape route¡­ Concluding that, sandwiched between the Leviathan and Demiurge, and worst of all, Father, all they could hope for was that their deaths would not be as mocking as those of the men who desecrated the church.

    Gathering the rest of her will into a fist and breathing in and out several times, Mittelt closed her eyes and opened the doors abruptly. She was planning to slip under Lord Demiurge''s gaze as quickly as possible and get back to whatever business she needed to get to, at least, she didn''t need to be around suffering sinners¡­

    Only to instantly fly into a barrier that she couldn''t see through her shut eyes, causing her to crash into the floor with her head hitting the stone floor.

    "Ow, out of the way, fu-" Mittelt almost cursed automatically before biting her tongue a moment later, Mittelt had absolutely no interest in finding out what punishment Lord Demiurge had prepared for profanity. "I mean, um, who are you?"

    Mittelt''s words made the barrier, a rather tall guy who seemed to be in his early twenties turn around, allowing Mittelt to look at his neatly coiffed hair, brown eyes, and proper, though not memorable face. Along with an expression of peaceful calm and kindly politeness on his face that did not change when he saw Mittelt, holding out his hand to her, leaning down slightly, Mittelt began wondering if he was some sort of salesman. "Umu, good afternoon¡­"

    "Mittelt," Mittelt introduced herself, answering the unasked question, taking the guy''s hand, rising from the ground momentarily before her gaze, almost against her wishes, shifted to the side, behind the back of the guy who had extended his hand to her. Nope, she hasn''t slipped into some kind of alternate reality, the macabre display shocking her system once again.

    The man crucified on the cross was completely naked, his arms and legs were nailed to the cross, and his head was hanging off to the side, allowing saliva and sparse blood to drip onto the altar below him. Freed Sellzen was the strongest and most blasphemous of all the exorcists in Raynare''s care, and he had the temerity to declare at once before Lord Demiurge that he had no respect for God, had broken the crucifix, and had a general contempt for religion.

    Lord Demiurge then used his powers to make him bite off his own tongue, chew and swallow it until he vomited, and then return all that was expelled from his stomach back into it. And then ordering him to nail himself to the cross ¨C the screams would haunt Mittelt''s nightmare for some time.

    Mittlet wasn''t the emphatic type, Fallen Angel or not, and she didn''t like Freed at all, so if he''d just died on a mission, she wouldn''t have been upset in the least¡­ But a quick death on a mission was one thing. This kind of mocking torture, where Freed would live for more than one more day, even if no one would feed him given his excellent training as a former exorcist, caused Mittelt to feel sympathy for even such a person.

    Mittelt could only shrug it off, forcing herself to tear her eyes crucified on the cross, before realizing that such a blasphemous picture was not only watched by her, and that she was not alone. She instantly recoiled away from him, and for an intimidating effect, revealing two black raven wings behind his back. "Who are you?!"

    "Satoru Suzuki, it''s nice to meet you." The unknown churchgoer answered calmly, not even surprised by the wings behind Mittelt''s back, not even changing his behavior, before, after a moment of pensive hesitation, added something that almost made Mittelt faint.

    "But to Raynare, I am better known as Father."

    Mittelt blinked. "Father?"

    Satoru, Father, only glanced back at her in answer, waiting a few seconds before letting Mittelt bring her self-consciousness back to normal, shaken by meeting Father again, hundreds of years after the past, before nodding. "Yes¡­ You are in Raynare''s group, I assume?"

    "Yeah¡­" Mittelt nodded slowly, before a loud crunch made goosebumps run through her bones, looking away, knowing where such a sound came from. Several exorcists condemned to torment for their deeds earlier were still trying to paint the frescoes, Mittelt didn''t even need to see them, the mere idea of their current state made nausea roll up her throat.

    The canvas for the ''redemptive icons'', as Lord Demiurge had characterized them, was stripped from the bodies of the scribes themselves, but for the paints, the former exorcists needed to slit their own veins, if they needed red paint. If they required white? Lord Demiurge made a suggestion to them that made Mittelt''s mind woozy when she heard it.

    ''Gentlemen, if you have already proven so selfless as to break your arms and strip your fingers to gain access to your bones, why not try grinding your teeth for white dust?''

    Mittelt, hearing the sound of grinding teeth, felt nausea rolling up her throat one more time, before she forced herself to swallow it down. She doesn''t want to find out what ''penance'' she would need to take if she vomited.

    "Mittelt, are you all right?" Father looked at her seemingly with gentleness, forcing Mittelt to look into Father''s eyes again.

    All as polite and calm and kind, completely out of tune with what was going on in this church at His behest and in His name.

    Mittelt forcibly swallowed another lump before she looked into Father''s eyes. "Father¡­ What happened? Why did you¡­"

    Father, upon hearing her question, only looked at Mittelt carefully, then sighed slowly, covering his eyes for a moment. Mittelt was aware that what was happening was not normal, perhaps some insane cult could afford such acts in the name of an all-forgiving God, but what was being done on His orders here and now¡­ It was not normal, in the sense that no one would ever suggest that God would patronize such acts.

    "This¡­" Father seemed distracted for a moment before he shook his head, as if he were hardly uncomfortable in front of Mittelt. "Umu, it is in fact perfectly normal, perhaps your perception of me might be different, but, umu¡­ I have quite a normal interest in such things, just in terms of my nature¡­ I mean, it''s not that I''m specifically trying to achieve this result, but I can''t say that I don''t like it or that I regret what happened. It''s quite normal, quite normal¡­ To be honest, it''s not even the first time."

    Mittelt blinked, shocked to her core. ''What, do you mean it''s not the first time?! You mean¡­ The apocalypse has happened before?!''

    "Father!" before Mitelt could voice her question, Raynare''s shouting distracted Mittelt from her thoughts, with Father looking away, "Ah, Raynare."

    "Father!" Raynare instantly fell to her knees and bowed her head, a gesture Lord Demiurge had taught them all¡­ And which Mittelt did not perform¡­ Mittelt froze like a pillar of salt, quite possibly, she would actually become one soon. At least, rolling blasphemers in concrete at Lord Demiurge''s behest was already a well-practiced event, so it wouldn''t be too painful¡­ She hoped.

    "Umu, you can get up now," Father answered a moment later, then glanced at the hanging figure of Freed, whose arms and legs had long since stopped bleeding. "Umu, I wanted to talk to you about money and¡­ Umu, would you mind telling me exactly what you''re doing in this church?"

    Step by step, Father began to walk, making Mittelt just stare after them with unblinking eyes.

    ''Father doesn''t mind what''s going on¡­ No, he said he''s even interested in something like this¡­ And the Apocalypse has already happened.'' Mittelt felt her mind begin to slowly sag under the weight of the revelations.

    ''What has happened to me, to my whole life, to this world?!''

    "Elementary, my dear." Lord Demiurge''s voice made Mittelt shudder and freeze, dread running down her spine with each slow, and measured footsteps, before the figure of a gentleman in an expensive business suit appeared before her frozen gaze.

    "These people are mired in their false understanding, in the concept of God, only capable of perceiving the Supreme Being only with your own small mind. You people are unable to fully perceive in your limitation the greatness of the Supreme Being¡­ And there is no shame in it. No one, except the Supreme Beings, is given the opportunity to realize the depth of their mind and the strangeness of their nature."

    Mittelt slowly shifted her gaze to the measured sound of the pages turning, watching as Lord Demiurge continued to slowly turn the pages of the Bible, reading it with some interest. And judging by his appearance, while not feeling any discomfort while reading the Bible, something that''s supposed to be anathema to the Devils. ''Huh, that''s a Devil who can hold a Bible with no problem¡­ Huh, if I needed confirmation that Father really approved of that Devils and his actions ¨C there it is.''

    "What''s disgraceful is your desire to try, even by your ignorance, to try to lower the greatness of the Supreme Beings to your own flawed understanding. Unforgivable." Lord Demiurge''s aura seemed to explode, anger wafting off of his body, with anyone caught in his gaze freezing like a deer caught in headlights.

    "I did not punish that heretic for his blasphemy, just for their impudence. All of you are blasphemous in equal measure, but if the Son of Lord Momonga has asked forgiveness for the world, I am willing to grant them forgiveness for that blasphemy, to give them a chance at redemption."

    Mittelt froze, staring at the crucified exorcist, before her gaze was fixed on the slow-walking figure appearing from one of the doors to the side.

    It had once been a girl, probably only hours ago, now her gender could only be discerned by the two bleeding lumps of meat just above her rib cage. The missing arm indicated how many times she had tried to create an icon worthy of the Lord Demiurge''s gaze, and the slow pace warned that the exorcist''s training had limits.

    Clutched in one hand was the product of her hours of labor, an attempt at her redemption¡­

    Looking at this figure, Mittelt felt that, against all her will, she continued as if mesmerized to watch her slow forward movements, probably the exorcist''s last death knell.

    "You are trying to learn the unknowable, to replace faith with instructions, believe with books, to limit universal understanding to a clear set of rules, and then proceed to find a way around those rules. Instead of faith, religion, instead of unbreakable commandments, bendable rules, instead of awareness, conjecture. And with this all, therefore you are unable to accommodate Lord Momonga''s great love for you, and my actions, as if they were not part of the big picture." Lord Demiurge sighed with frustration, as if genuinely worried about people''s stupidity and incomprehension, even a kind of pitying sympathy for them.

    Then, like thunder, he slammed the Bible shut in his hands. "One day you will understand that this what redemption is all about. Raynare has already set out on this path, and as a prophet of His word, I need to let as many people as possible see His light. But, before you can understand, I need to use a simple metaphor so that you can realize His love for humanity, and His words that He is ''not sorry for what happened¡­''

    Lord Demiurge turned to Mittelt, causing her to look up at him again, against her will, and to see the slight, almost encouraging smile on his lips. "Who said to you that in the Time of Sorrow, the Antichrist, and God would not work different ways, yet for the single goal of His Kingdom Come?"

 Overlord of a High School (21)

    Momonga left the confines of the old church a couple of hours later, one small gym bag full of bills richer and poorer by several million nerve cells¡­ At least if Momonga had still continued to be stressed in the same way as before, he probably would have lost most of his nerve cells, or maybe died in the church of a heart attack.

    ''I haven''t had time yet to see exactly what kind of God Raynare has begun to think I am, and everything has escalated from there. I''m not ready to declare my own commandments and write a holy book!'' Momonga''s stress was suppressed just as it had been several hundred times in the last hour, leaving him calm, at least for a while.

    ''Umu, I never got to answer anything specific when Raynare started asking me, so I had to answer with vague words like ''not much changed,'' or ''I still need time, I''m not ready to answer these questions yet''. Luckily, Demiurge had appeared at the right moment and relieved me of the need to answer, ''I want to wait and see how this world lives'', how vague is that!?

    Demiurge just started smiling and nodding as if he understood something.

    Raynare, looking at Demiurge''s action, stopped asking me for answers to questions at least¡­ I don''t even know how this world lives, I don''t want to come up with some strange religion that is out of the norm in this world! What''s more, I have little understanding of what is acceptable for religion in this world and what is not!''

    The remnants of stress swung around in Momonga''s soul and mind one last time, suppressed finally, before Momonga turned back to his thoughts. ''Umu, like that guy on the cross and those weird red paintings next to him¡­ I don''t know what the paintings were made of, but I would definitely be stressed finding a crucified man in a church in my former world! Who knew that was totally normal in the past, no one had even paid attention to something like that the whole time I was in that church, it never came up. I couldn''t even think of a decent way to ask Raynare about exactly how sacrifices are made in her religion, at least not without looking like someone who knows absolutely nothing about Christianity¡­

    Umu, in my past world, such a cultist display was cracked down heavily by the police and the megacorporation, even harder than normal religion even! In YGGDRASIL, almost all religions involving human sacrifice were proclaimed as evil, but it turns out that in the past such things were apparently practiced openly and without much trouble¡­ Or is this a special Christian sect of the Fallen Angels?

    Not that I know much about it, but I always thought Christianity was more about forgiveness and repentance¡­?

    Though, on the other hand, in Christianity sinners were supposed to suffer, so maybe this is all normal, and it''s just a case of my morals from the past world colliding with the norms of the current world? Hmm, in that case, I should get used to the fact that I am now a god of a religion that practices human sacrifice.

    Umu, and the fact that I am now a god, is strange to say the least, but what can I do?

    The situation with Raynare has come to this, now the main thing to do is to hold this situation stable and start spreading this religion slowly. I mean, it can also be treated simply as a business, taking money as payment, and offering¡­ Um, spiritual enlightenment as a product?

    No, that''s like selling air, very profitable in the future, probably wouldn''t work here, better to start selling¡­ Say, protection, like with what Raynare already doping.

    But then I''d quickly enough run into the problem that I just wouldn''t have enough strong Nazarick creatures left to cover everyone at once. Demiurge can cover the church from an attack by a few dozen creatures like Serafall without difficulty, but if the church is attacked by someone like the Great Red Dragon? Demiurge would at least need the support or a World Class Item to protect the church, and even so, it probably wouldn''t end without casualties¡­

    Not to mention the possibility of a multipronged attack ¨C with an expanding business, it would also increase the targets an enemy could attack. Although Demiurge is quite strong in person, he is only one Demon, he cannot appear in three dozen different places at once, and so it is likely to end in casualties on the part of those he couldn''t protect.

    Those killed could, of course, be resurrected, but that would require the expense of materials to resurrect them. And even then it would be ''compensation'' for inadequate service, and such a thing would, in turn, be a blow to my business reputation. Better than not being able to meet my obligations, but still worse than meeting my obligations without problems.

    In that case, I need to send help Demiurge''s way, at least in the form of a couple dozen creatures above level seventy to protect the church from a decent attack¡­

    And that''s just one location.

    A dozen or two such locations more, and Nazarick would run out of high level creatures that I can donate without putting Nazarick at risk. Ideally, I would want much more than just a dozen stores in my commercial network, that is, the churches of my religion¡­

    I''d say I need more people, but I can''t just walk up to the nearest passerby and suggest he convert to my religion. I need to think about where to get subordinates from, while being loyal and strong enough, by the standards of this world, at least Serafall level, but better, certainly stronger.

    My to-do list already seems endless, and yet it just keeps growing.''

    ''Also that¡­ Mittelt? Remembered the name.'' Momonga sighed sadly. ''She noticed Katase kissing me and decided to question me. Apparently this ''god'' hasn''t done this kind of thing in the past, so I had to make excuses¡­ And all I got out was ''well, it''s not the first time'', something between trying to justify myself and bragging, because a day ago I had sex for the first time in my life. And just had my first kiss, what, three days ago? Four? Jesus, it''s only been four days, and I''m already swamped with women problems!''

    Another suppression of emotion cleared Momonga''s mind once more, allowing him to cover his eyes in embarrassment as he continued forward, not even paying attention to the pleasant twilight and nature around him.

    ''Isn''t this punishment for declaring myself a god? In YGGDRASIL, the gods came in various levels of power, but in this world they could be really powerful. Was it some kind of curse or something like that affecting my luck? If only I could find whoever set up such a thing, I''d spend a lot of energy and time getting decent revenge on such an opponent many times before¡­ Even if they''re stronger in direct combat against me, which was often true in YGGDRASIL, I have quite a few different trump cards up my sleeve. One of them, [Goal of All Life Is Death] has almost fully recharged, only six hours left, and then I can go out and just kill someone, no fuss, just to relieve some stress.''

    Chuckling at the ridiculous thought, Momonga dismissed the idle thought away.

    ''Never mind it being a complete waste ¨C with my cursed luck, and with the current situation, I wouldn''t be surprised if the random person I killed would be some big shot or something, giving me more headaches. I''ll probably kill someone important, or attract attention, or have to pretend to be a god, or a false god and everything will end up falling apart even more than at the moment¡­ Hah, even my mental toughness as an undead has its limit!''

    Finally, making his way to Miki''s house, which Momonga was already used to thinking of as his own, Momonga opened the door and entered, taking off his street shoes in the foyer. In the past world almost everyone did this, given the contaminated dust clinging on shoes, unless you want to contract some novel form of cancer, you keep the outside the best you can.

    Momonga was glad that he didn''t have to change some of his habits in this world, as he sucked in the pleasantly scented air, he instantly felt a little of his mental stamina return to him. ''Huh, Miki''s cooking something, a little bit of home taste is definitely what the doctor ordered¡­''

    Momonga walked into the kitchen a moment later, looking around only to see Miki busying around the stove, Pandora''s Actor silently studying some magazine¡­ And Albedo and Shalltear, casting embittered glances at each other.

    Momonga silently cursed the unknown god that had jinxed his luck.

    A moment later, as soon as Momonga appeared on the threshold, all four interrupted what they were doing instantly, kneeling down on one knee before greeting him in unison.

    "Greetings, Lord Momonga."

    "Umu," Momonga, not even wasting energy in surprise, merely nodded slowly. "Rise and return to your deeds."

    Momonga then made his way to the table, watching as Pandora''s Actor returned to reading the magazine, Albedo and Shalltear were instantly beside him, and Miki, placing food in front of him¡­ And then kneeled down next to his leg with her head on his lap, just as she had been doing this morning.

    ''Umu, in contrast along with everything that''s been happening to me this morning, this doesn''t even seem that unusual. Why am I already used to the fact that she''s sitting at my feet'' Momonga noted mentally how easily he went along with the situation. ''Genjiro said something like that ¨C De-sen-si-ti-vi-sa-ti-on, and so quickly too¡­ I wonder if I''m just that kind of person, just going along with whatever situation came my way ¨C I have a lot of practice there at least.''

    A moment later, Momonga felt someone nestle against his leg on the opposite side. But unlike Miki, who had only pressed their cheek, the other person rested their whole head on his leg, touching the inside of his thigh with her chin ¨C dangerously close to his groin.

    Momonga shifted his gaze to the one who had come so close and dangerously close to his dignity, to discover Shalltear''s face, half composed of lust and half¡­ Of even more lust.

    ''Perhaps Albedo is less of a succubus than Shalltear¡­ somehow ¨C I blame you for this, Peroroncino.'' Momonga ran his gaze over the young vampire''s beautiful face, her pale face, silver hair framing her neat features, its pallor accentuating her red, blood-colored eyes¡­ And her cat ears.

    Momonga shifted his gaze to the cat ears that he had somehow not noticed when entering the room, then blinked. He then tried his best to determine if they were real or if even his undead mind, protected from all mental influences, had finally given up and started seeing hallucinations.

    The small cat''s ear twitched slightly, as if reflexively, but before he could admit to himself that his mind had failed, Momonga used a spell to check ¨C [Silent Magic: All Appraisal Magic Item].

    After a moment, Momonga was able to sigh in relief a little, his mind didn''t just start seeing things that were not there. ''Peroroncino, of course, you damn pervert! A cosmetic object [Neko-ears for Shalltear], who else but him would dare to spend so much effort and valuable [Data-Crystals] to create such a thing¡­ Huh, thinking about it, Peroroncino has repeatedly boasted that he would create his ''most perfect waifu!'', and given that he had created a total of, how much? Dozens or even hundreds of different outfits, seemingly lifelike cosmetic items for Shalltear, ''neko-ears'' are probably the most innocuous thing he could think of¡­''

    Shivering as he recalled the bio he had read out of curiosity, Momonga was glad that it was not one of the more ''fetishistic'' ones.

    ''Um, and considering that the fetishes he didn''t give Shalltear can be counted on the fingers of one hand, I myself can only recall ''cheating'' because, quote, ''a waifu must be faithful!''¡­ That is only the ''waifu'' needed to be faithful, Shalltear has also a fetish of being cheated on because, quote, ''a waifu is everyone''s private business, stay out of my fetishes!''. Considering all that, she''s probably just happy to be sitting on my lap like a pet right now¡­ Maybe she even wanted something like that in the first place, it didn''t even have to do to her, whatever I did to Miki.''

    Momonga felt a nice soft pressure on his shoulders a moment later, then heard Albedo''s voice, quiet, tickling his ear a little, and more than a ''little'' tickling his insides, causing his body to react in the most expected way. "How was your day, Master?"

    ''Am I in Heaven or Hell?'' Momonga thought for a second before he put his hands down, stopping to struggle with a completely ridiculous reality, deciding to do what he''d been doing all along. Treat everything calmly and pretend that what was happening was completely normal.

    "Pretty good¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    When Shalltear Bloodfallen heard that Lord Momonga, Lord of all Nazarick, the Last of Supreme Beings, had gone to battle, Shalltear was delighted. The opportunity to watch Lord Momonga fight does not come every day, and yet, at the same time, she was frightened, deathly so. How wouldn''t she?

    Was the situation so dangerous that it demanded Lord Momonga''s personal intervention?

    And, of course, as much as it might be taken as treason, she was frightened because of the danger that the battle might bring to Lord Momonga.

    Shalltear did not doubt the power of her Lord, even as she was aware, as any true servant of the Supreme Beings'', of their indescribable power and strength beyond understanding for mere creatures like her, she still feared. That is ''mere'' compared to the Supreme Beings, of course. It was simply her loyalty, where a worm of doubt and fear for the life of the Last of the Supreme Beings, the one whom Shalltear had sworn eternal and absolute allegiance, existed.

    Not that it required an oath from her, Shalltear could not fail to appreciate the gesture of the power and majesty of the Supreme Being. The strongest, smartest, and most beautiful of all.

    After Lord Peroroncino, of course, but in the current situation, Shalltear did not think it was necessary to bring that up.

    The battle ended exactly as one would expect, Lord Momonga defeated the enemy, as she would later learn, a Great Red Dragon, and returned with the body of the defeated enemy. His action showed His great love and mercy even to the defeated enemy ¨C honoring him as it served as a stepping stone to Lord Momonga''s ascendancy.

    Shalltear did not know exactly what ability Lord Momonga had used or for what purpose He had sacrificed the red dragon''s body, but Shalltear had no doubt that Lord Momonga had done absolutely the right thing.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    And, as might be expected, Lord Momonga had once again exceeded all expectations.

    The vanished dragon''s body was soon replaced only hours later by the body of another red dragon, defeated within moments of its appearance, of course, whose body then honored as material in the treasury of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

    No, Shalltear certainly knew without a doubt that Lord Momonga was the Greatest of the Supreme Beings, but the opportunity to behold how magnificent He really was? It certainly allowed Shalltear to assuage her doubts and fears about Lord Momonga''s possible opponent ¨C how could anyone compare to the untainted splendor of the Supreme Being?

    That''s why when Shalltear Bloodfallen heard that Lord Momonga had departed with His creation, Pandora''s Actor, whose existence Shalltear knew but had never seen in person, to the human world, for some unknown reason called Earth. ''Earth,'' who ever thought of such a name? Why not call this world ''Dirt'' or ''Dump?'' It''s pretty much the same thing ¨C although, quite an appropriate name when you think about it, garbage should be in the Dumpster and worms should be cowering in ''Earth''.

    Have humans, of all possible races, really shown their understanding regarding their position in the food chain?

    What was Shalltear thinking about again¡­ Ah yes, when Lord Momonga departed for Earth, Shalltear was sad not to be able to be in the same world as her Lord, but she was not too upset. As Guardian of the First, Second, and Third Floor, Shalltear Bloodfallen was blessed with the sacred duties of being the first shield to any possible invasion of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Alongside being the sword to punish any idiot who dared trespass on the sanctified grounds of the Supreme Beings.

    Shalltear spent most of her time on patrol in her small fiefdom, devoting the little free time she had to bathing, entertaining her harem of Vampire Brides, or touring the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Her whole time abiding in that sublime state of joy available only to creatures of the Supreme Beings, blessed with understanding, awareness, and work¡­

    However, according to Nigredo''s reports, there was only the inhospitable void for thousands of kilometers around the Great Tomb of Nazarick. And given the fact that Nazarick itself was protected from teleportation directly inside, this implied that an attack on Nazarick was virtually impossible, making her role virtually needless.

    Nigredo did state she spotted something unusual several thousand kilometers from Nazarick, a strange flicker of colors and shapes. But even that anomaly was not showing any movement approaching Nazarick at the moment.

    Something which in turn meant that Shalltear Bloodfallen, while carrying out her sacred service, was denied the opportunity to prove herself in combat by showing Lord Momonga her usefulness and demonstrating her strength and skills to Him.

    Certainly, Shalltear Bloodfallen would have traded any such opportunity to keep the abomination of the outside world out of Nazarick, preventing them from defiling the Sanctuary of the Forty-One with their presence. But, with no opportunity to prove herself as a loyal servant to Lord Momonga, Shalltear could not advance in her fight against Albedo.

    The fight for Lord Momonga''s heart¡­

    Shalltear certainly had absolutely no problem with Lord Momonga having a large harem. Even more so, ten, a hundred, or a million heated naked bodies of girls desiring her Lord seemed more than an arousing picture to her.

    But, when it came to the first wife''s cherished place, such erotic images gave way to aspiration.

    Lord Momonga could have, no, He should have, unless, of course, He wished otherwise, a multitude of wives, concubines, mistresses, sex slaves, playthings, pets, and maybe she could even¡­ Um, Shalltear was getting off-topic again.

    Lord Momonga may have had many women, but, unless Lord Momonga heralds otherwise, only one first wife. And here, Shalltear was not about to yield to Albedo ¨C even if the latter outranked her in rank as Head of the Floor Guardians.

    Her rank meant nothing in such a matter, unless Lord Momonga indicated otherwise, of course.

    And so, when Albedo suddenly appeared on her floor, a wide, smug, smile on her face, Shalltear knew that the following news would not please her at all. Shalltear wasn''t the smartest, nor did she possess any prophetic powers, but she was one hundred percent right with that assumption.

    Albedo had only appeared on her floor once before, when she had relayed Lord Momonga''s order for a general meeting on the Sixth Floor. That was a few days ago, when Nazarick had left its previous location in the marshes of Helheim.

    And so, it didn''t take great intelligence to know that her appearance again, after so little time, carried news of incredible importance¡­ And what news it was!

    Shalltear realized everything the moment she saw Albedo hovering above the floor, literally. It was extremely rare for Albedo to use her wings to fly, in fact, Shalltear could not remember a moment at all when she had heard of such a thing.

    And the fact that Albedo was soaring at the moment meant only one thing.

    Shalltear understood it all by one look, the confident look and the arrogant smile on Albedo''s face, but Albedo just had to say those very words.

    "Lord Momonga has bestowed His love upon me."

    If [Blood Frenzy] could happen by any other method than blood, Shalltear would have activated it at that moment¡­

    Not seeking to kill Albedo, of course, killing any creature created by the Supreme Beings was not allowed ¨C she simply wanted to destroy her room.

    Okay, maybe she wanted to punch Albedo some ¨C her emotion was simply that out of sorts.

    But before she could even swing once, she was stopped dead in a simple sentence by Albedo.

    "Oh, and how would Lord Momonga feel if you were to attack his First Wife?"

    Such a thought caused Shalltear, already pale due to her vampire race and the appearance bestowed upon her by her Creator, to retreat in horror, and at the same time to grasp the only saving thought. If Shalltear had indeed dared to attack Lord Momonga''s first wife, she would instantly repent her sins to her Lord and commit suicide if in His great mercy He had granted her the right to do so.

    So, the fact that she was not chastised or censured yet, only means one thing.

    Yes, Lord Momonga bestowed physical intimacy on Albedo, but did He declare her His first wife?

    To Shalltear''s great pleasure, as soon as she asked, Albedo''s smug face immediately fell.

    No formal decision had been made by Lord Momonga ¨C Shalltear could almost whoop in joy.

    And while it is true that Albedo''s intimacy and her progress with Lord Momonga were tremendous, it opened a path for Shalltear, an opportunity for her to seize.

    That''s why she immediately departed for Lord Momonga''s abode on Earth, using the excuse of the need to strengthen Lord Momonga''s defenses. But of course the big-mouthed gorilla had to intervene and declare that her duty as the first wife was to be by her Husband''s side at all times and everywhere!

    And then, as if on purpose, most likely on purpose, to twist the knife in Shalltear''s wound further to say that she wished to be by her Master''s side. Albedo knew exactly what Shalltear wanted to call Lord Momonga and what she dreamed of when she spent the days and nights with her harem of Vampire Brides ¨C and Albedo couldn''t help but trample on Shalltear''s dreams!

    But still, no matter how she looked at it, the situation didn''t look too good as it was. Shalltear was far behind Albedo in terms of accomplishments on her love front, and so was forced to make concessions. So she had to go with Albedo to a house that, as Pandora''s Actor reported, turned out to be Lord Momonga''s abode on Earth¡­

    To be confronted in it by a female human.

    Fortunately, before Albedo or Shalltear would commit the unforgivable act of destroying the woman for daring to dwell in Lord Momonga''s residence, poisoning His habitat with her presence, Pandora''s Actor informed them of the necessary and extremely important information. That Miki Hyoudou was to play the role of the adoptive mother of Lord Momonga in this world ¨C and more importantly, as His chosen pet and object of care.

    Needless to say, it caused considerable confusion among the two candidates for the role of Lord Momonga''s first wife. Here they were, fighting for the coveted position as First Wife, only to have another, almost equally coveted position, snapped from under them.

    The position of Lord Momonga''s personal pet was incredibly coveted within the Great Tomb of Nazarick. And if the possibility arose that Lord Momonga was looking for one, all of Nazarick''s denizens would have fought to the death for the right to be His pet. Yes, even the first level maids, who had no chance of winning.

    To learn that a creature of this level, much less a human, was given this honor was¡­ More than unusual, puzzling even.

    Shalltear was more deserving of that role than some human! Even if this ''Miki'' person didn''t look that bad. What was the proper title that Lord Peroroncino used again, um, ''meelf''? Anyway, how could this human snatched that position away, it was pretty much made for her!

    Of course, Albedo disagreed with her arguments, and the both of them got into another argument.

    Something which almost caused them to miss the moment Lord Momonga appeared in the house!

    Fortunately, Shalltear managed to get herself together in time, falling down on one knee in front of Lord Momonga to show the proper respect the Supreme One deserves. Lord Momonga in his benevolence decided to ignore their squabble, and not punish them for falling to greet Him immediately, allowing them to return to their duties ¨C that is, serving Lord Momonga.

    Shalltear was somewhat jealous that some human woman was given such an enviable and coveted place as Lord Momonga''s pet, but Shalltear had something that Miki didn''t. Cosmetic items bestowed by Lord Peroroncino!

    Besides, Miki clearly worked for very different fetishes, the ''meelf'' and ''adoptive mother'', while Shalltear could use the ''lolee'', and, if Lord Momonga prefers it, ''daughter''.

    But here, too, Albedo had to get her gorilla self in the way. When Shalltear took a seat at Lord Momonga''s feet, inwardly smiling at the fact that Albedo could not, the big-mouthed gorilla only threw back an arrogant smirk at Shalltear. She was acting as if not upset at her inability to sit at their Lord''s feet ¨C well, Shalltear would get an answer to Albedo''s plan.

    The gorilla pressed her mounds of useless fat against Lord Momonga''s back and began to talk with Him in a half whisper!

    Shalltear wanted to bite her nails, and she wanted to bite Albedo''s head off even more. They might be able to share Lord Momonga''s bed together in the future, but until Lord Momonga chooses one of them as first wife, there will be no peace between them!

    Fortunately for Shalltear, Lord Momonga was not seduced by Albedo''s charm, unfortunately for Shalltear, it seems, neither was he seduced by hers. Instead, He just ate calmly giving compliments to the chef ¨C and much to Shalltear''s dismay, Miki cooked the meal for Him.

    Shalltear was disgusted that Lord Momonga was forced to choke on a low-level human''s food, having decided to show mercy to His pet. But she didn''t dare gainsay her Lord''s decision either, so she hoped that at least Miki''s food wasn''t disgusting to her Lord''s taste.

    Lunch continued for another dozen minutes, during which time Shalltear kept her head on Lord Momonga''s thigh, occasionally rubbing her face against His august body. She could only praise her Creator''s foreknowledge, all her knowledge on how to act as a pet were all thanks to Lord Peroroncino, so she knows more on this matter than Miki or Albedo. Occasionally, she would be rewarded for her actions with a pat on the head, which made Shalltear purr involuntarily, now getting into her role as a pet.

    Eventually, however, when Lord Momonga had finished eating and set His cutlery aside, He rose from His seat ¨C and as she looked with one eye to see that Miki did not shame her part of being Lord Momonga''s pet. Miki behaved quite well, stepping aside at just the right moment, as did Albedo, allowing Lord Momonga to leave the table without any of them blocking his way.

    As Lord Momonga stood up. He looked at Albedo, asking her an unexpected question,- "Albedo, umu¡­ Aren''t you confused by what''s happening?"

    "Is something happening, Master?" Albedo had not been given the right to be His pet, so how dare she address Lord Momonga in such a manner?!

    "Umu, I see." Lord Momonga nodded slowly before He glanced at Albedo again, looking at her with love, and at the same time with an appealing emptiness beyond the comprehension of lower beings in the depths of His eyes. Surely, he was contemplating a hundred thousand incredible plans beyond the understanding of the lower creatures.

    "And we¡­ Umu, do you think that we are in a relationship? I mean, romantically?"

    Shalltear nearly flinched hearing these words, as she watched Albedo''s eternally polite smile trembled slightly. Albedo was in a romantic relationship with Lord Momonga by right of the Supreme Being, if the Supreme Being decided that they were in a relationship, they were, and if the Supreme Being decided otherwise, then they were not.

    Lord Momonga''s next words would decide who would win the position of First Wife, Shallterar could barely hold herself together ¨C it was so soon!

    "Do You not wish for a romantic relationship with me, Lord Momonga?"

    "No! I mean, umu¡­" Lord Momonga said, causing Shalltear to blink in surprise for a moment, could her Lord really allow himself to be led astray in His thoughts, or was this all an act serving an entirely different purpose?

    "I''d like to be in a relationship with you, if that''s what you want¡­"

    "YES!" Albedo shouted so loudly that Shalltear wondered for a moment if she''d done her some sonic damage ¨C although Shalltear understood that reaction. She too would be reacting the same way. "If that''s what you want, then I''ll sacrifice everything for what¡­"

    Shalltear had lost. But before she could wallow in despair, Lord Momonga Showed his benevolence again.

    "Umu, enough," Lord Momonga said calmly, before nodding slowly. "And suppose I, umu, che¡­ I mean, specifically, have sex with another girl at this moment?"

    Albedo silently continued to await Lord Momonga''s question, just like Shalltear was, listening intently to Lord Momonga''s words.

    However, after a few seconds, Lord Momonga did not continue His question. And although Shalltear was not as intelligent as Albedo, by her Maker''s decision, even Albedo, judging by her slightly furrowed brow, tried to unravel the mystery of Lord Momonga''s question. Before, after a few seconds, giving up, her head bowed, afraid of seeing the disappointment in Lord Momonga''s eyes.

    "Pardon me, Lord Momonga, but I cannot understand your question¡­"

    "If I had sex with another girl, what would be your reaction to that?" Lord Momonga again asked a question that made no sense from Shalltear''s point of view. Although it was only Shalltear''s point of view, as she could not comprehend the depth of Lord Momonga''s plans.

    "Do I have to have a reaction?" Albedo answered Lord Momonga''s question with a bit of surprise, before she recoiled, realizing that she had asked Lord Momonga a question at a time when she should have been answering. "I beg your pardon, Master¡­"

    "Oh, I see," Lord Momonga only interrupted Albedo''s excuses with his next question, "Would you like to have sex with another partner?"

    After a moment, Shalltear saw Albedo''s smile fade before she answered ¨C the thought of another man, or woman, touching her also caused Shalltear to recoil. Of course, her Vampire Brides were another matter ¨C as Lord Peroroncino says ''Girls on girls are just hot, and not cheating!''. Besides, they were only toys.

    But, if Lord Momonga were to order it, she would abide as a matter of course.

    "If it pleases you¡­" Shalltear understood Albedo ¨C wives in the same harem belonging to one man might well have fun with each other, but intimacy with another man while belonging to another was one of the few things that Shalltear didn''t find sexy¡­ Netorare is a shitty fetish! As Lord Peroroncino would say.

    "No, it''s not." Lord Momonga spoke out, instantly interrupting these thoughts, causing Shalltear to exhale slightly, relieved, although she didn''t need to breathe at all.

    "But, umu¡­ So, you''re okay for me to have sex with anyone, while forbidding you to do the same?"

    Albedo thought for a moment, trying to hear the question with Shalltear, both confused at the question. Before, realizing after a second of reflection that, a similar question was already asked before, and so, the same answer should suffice.

    "Everything in this world rightfully belongs to You, those who own anything own it only by Your grace. It''s the only natural order of things."

    Shalltear nodded, agreeing, feeling a complex emotion all the while, somewhat relieved at being asked such an easy question, and yet still worried that it was actually a trick question.

    "Oh, I see," Lord Momonga nodded before turning his gaze to Shalltear, who had not risen from her knees all this time, making her inwardly wince. Had it actually been a trick question? Has she failed?

    "Shalltear, do you think so too?"

    "Absolutely, Lord Momonga." Shalltear might have been embarrassed by the simplicity of the question and the request to confirm Albedo''s answer. But the answer was so simple, so self-evident and natural, that it was not even a question, just a fact of life.

    "Umu, and does everyone in Nazarick think the same?" Lord Momonga asked the question again, a third time, causing Shalltear and Albedo to nod in unison.

    "Miki?" Lord Momonga suddenly turned His attention to His pet of honor, causing Shalltear to perk up her ears slightly, the slightest insult on her part would leave a stain on her reputation forever to the denizen of Nazarick.

    "If there''s only one truth in the world, it''s this one." Miki, however, to Shalltear''s surprise, answered correctly, as if she really was aware of the truth in this world.

    ''Hmm, maybe I was being too harsh on her? Are there really Humans that are not all dirt-eating heretics?''

    "Oh, I see, I think I get it." Lord Momonga nodded once again, coming to some incredible conclusion in his deep thoughts, before asking another easy question.

    "In that case¡­ Albedo, Shalltear, why exactly did you show up here?"

    "It is the duty of a wife to help her husband, and the duty of a dog to follow its Master."

    Albedo strode over to Shalltear''s side again ¨C though why was she the only one not on her knees before Lord Momonga this whole time!?

    "To be of service to you and to have sex with you." Shalltear couldn''t beat Albedo''s eloquence, but she could use her two chief advantage! Openness and directness.

    Shalltear smirked slyly at the angry look that Albedo threw her, unhappy that Shalltear had managed to outdo her in some way, before Lord Momonga spoke again. Though, for some reason, Lord Momonga had some strange expression on his face as He looked at Shalltear.

    "Ok¡­ In that case, you can have the house, but don''t leave it, and I¡­ Umu, I need a shower¡­ No, a bath. A nice cold bath¡­"

    "Alone." Lord Momonga, in His great wisdom, instantly anticipated Shalltear''s thoughts, Albedo''s and perhaps Miki''s, too.

    "And don''t peek."

    At that last order, Shalltear inwardly winced, she''d wanted to¡­

    But an order was an order.

 Overlord of a High School (22) (Part)

    Momonga made his way to the bathroom, thankfully even with his rotten luck, he didn''t encounter anyone on his way. One might think that he had become too paranoid, but those who thought that way didn''t just have the experience he had, even just one week in this crazy Earth.

    Serafall didn''t jump out from under the desk in his office. Katase didn''t fall off the ceiling. And Cocytus didn''t suddenly rise from the sink drain. They might be a farfetched occurrence, but Momonga wouldn''t discount his luck finding a way.

    Closing the door of the bathroom behind him, Momonga instantly disrobed, removing his standard outfit, sending it into his inventory, before turning the shower on the tub to the coldest setting he could find, then climbing into it. Enjoying the cold spray of water, like a Buddhist monk, Momonga stared silently at the ceiling.

    After a few minutes, the cold water completely hid his body, submerging everything, including his head, under the water, allowing Momonga, who didn''t need air, to express his emotions. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

    After a moment''s suppression of emotion, his scream halted, leaving Momonga a moment''s peace to enjoy the chilly water. Actually, the water was close to freezing cold, and perhaps even slightly uncomfortable, though with Momonga''s immunity, the cold wouldn''t bother him.

    Momonga, without lifting his head from under the spray of water, and after judging that the tub is sufficiently filled, closed the faucet and lowered himself into the tub. Even as he enjoyed the cooling wash, even when the suppression of emotion cut off all his emotional response, he found himself completely powerless before the objective reality of the facts presented before him.

    "So¡­" After a few minutes of lying silently on his back, Momonga was finally able to formulate his first thought through the cacophony of his own panic.

    "A brief revision of the situation is in order. Albedo and Shalltear have arrived at Miki''s house ¨C let''s call that ''problem number one''. I probably should have guessed something like that would happen ¨C just sitting in Nazarick is boring, Demiurge had said something like that, and I let him get out of Nazarick. Though with an order not to appear before common people and to stay in Raynare''s Church for the moment, to find ways to strengthen Nazarick and help her with managing her business. And with an order to protect Raynare and her wards, I could let that situation settle for the moment, even with how weird the Fallen Angel''s religion is. Or should I call it a cult?"

    Remembering the macabre display he saw inside the church, Momonga involuntarily shivered ¨C and not from the cold water.

    "I should have known that if even Demiurge got bored, then so would the other inhabitants of Nazarick, especially since I hadn''t directly forbidden them to leave the confines of Nazarick, nor had I given them any instructions. So it makes sense that Albedo and Shalltear would have wanted to get out of Nazarick, and it makes sense that they would have come to me. But what to do? Albedo and Shalltear are level one-hundred creatures, though I''m not particularly worried about danger to them in this world, at least, so far, I haven''t met anyone who could pose any danger to them personally in this world. And besides if, no, when I do ¨C having the support of one-hundredth level creatures is better than not having any¡­ But what do I do about their eye-catching appearance?"

    Feeling another headache coming, Momonga splashed cold water on his face before continuing on.

    "Shalltear''s white hair, pallor, and red eyes¡­ They can be concealed, especially if she were to wear something like black glasses? But Albedo has horns and wings, it''s impossible to hide them, maybe a giant cape¡­? No, that''s more eye-catching, so how?"

    The thought of wings and horns caused an idea to pop in Momonga''s head.

    "I just need to find out exactly why paranormal beings hide their existence from the human world! Right, that should work but¡­ Until then, I can only instruct Albedo to stay in the house, or maybe I can send her to the Demiurge, so she can assist him in his duties? Shalltear would probably have an easier time fitting in, she''s more human-looking ¨C at least in her normal form. What''s left to perfect the disguise is for her to adopt the norms of this world ¨C wasn''t there a book?"

    Racking his head, and then some delving to his Inventory, answered that question.

    "Ah, Right! Demiurge has it¡­ Did he already make copies of it, I wonder? I should ask him later. Well, without the book, it would be too dangerous for the both of them to be wandering about, especially with the Demons around¡­ Umu, they should both stay home for now, at least until I can explain the norms of this world to them."

    Feeling the water begin to warm up, he turned the nozzle again for a bit, some of the water pouring out of the tub.

    "Okay! That''s one done¡­ just a few couple of dozens more to go." Momonga shifted his body slightly, out of an instinct to relax, though whether his new body could develop muscle strain is still in question. The act at least acted as a placebo before he had to face a very stressing train of thought.

    "My romantic relationship with Albedo isn''t even a problem, it''s a fact. Yes, I''m officially¡­ Umu, I guess, dating Albedo? If you can call it that. It''s not a bad thing¡­ per se. The concern seemed to be that I don''t have a romantic relationship only with Albedo¡­ I''ll be totally fine with that! No, instead I''m actually being pushed to create a harem, I''m expected to do that sort of thing!"

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    A bout of Emotion Suppression freed Momonga''s mind of the hysteria, allowing him to lie in the blissful cold that cooled his overheated brain. "The very concept of a harem is nothing new. In the history lessons from my friends tell me that it was the norm in many countries in the past, and even in my past world for the rich and powerful people, for example, heads of mega-corporations. Those people often kept several official lovers and mistresses in addition to their wives or husbands ¨C it was not officially encouraged, of course, but in fact they were too rich and powerful for anyone to oppose their decisions. So it wasn''t news to me, the very fact and possibility of such a thing ¨C but I admittedly never imagined myself in the shoes of these rich and powerful people¡­ Though I probably should, given that I was now unexpectedly rich, powerful, and influential enough ¨C at least within Nazarick. But having a relationship with two girls at once? Sure, Albedo and Shalltear had shown interest in me before, but¡­ I just thought they were vying for being my wife, a position that only one could occupy ¨C not that the both of them would be okay with a second¡­ Or even more, for¡­ I suppose any number of girls. Such a discovery was unexpected to me."

    Thankful for the cold water, Momonga dunked his head into the pool of almost freezing water to cool his head¡­ and another extremity.

    "Let''s think about it logically ¨C what does this mean for me?" Momonga twisted his body to and fro, as if to relax some phantom part of his body. Either that or his body was recognizing the uncomfortable cold surrounding him.

    "Up until now I scarcely ever imagined myself being with even one girl, several at once? Maybe I should roll the gacha with that amount of wishful thinking. Now to have that, and even more, that all the girls know about each other and even nudge me toward new partners? It''s¡­ Well, not to lie to myself, it feels good. And I like the thought ¨C my libido may have been dulled after my transition into my new skeletal body, but inside I''m still a normal man, thoughts like that make me happy and excited. Especially, when even by doing so, I''m not hurting my significant other by such actions¡­ Um, can I use the term ''significant others'' in this case?"

    A moment passed when Momonga thought of asking, but he shook the thought away,

    "Never mind. Going back to the question¡­ A large harem of many diverse partners, especially in a case where I don''t have to agree to share those partners with other men ¨C is fine¡­ More than fine, in fact, I could already hear Peroroncino complaining that I should explode already. Although I will have to take care to provide my partners with a decent life and enough attention, time and love given¡­ And sex, too, probably."

    Scrubbing himself one last time, Momonga finished with his cold bath. Reaching for the cork, Momonga pulled it, letting the cold water begin to drain, as he stood up, eager to find himself now under a warm shower and complete his wash. "Umu, so as long as this clause is enforced, and all parties agree to such terms, I see no particular problem¡­ At least for the moment where''s there''s only two of them. Really, to be fair, Shalltear is very beautiful ¨C Peroroncino created her primarily for his own fetishes and tastes, but I still find her extremely beautiful and attractive, and¡­ Umu, that''s the kind of thinking that starts problems."

    Readying his bathing supply, Momonga turned on the hot water. Scalding hot, just as he preferred, and needed in his past life, in the rare chances that he could afford to shower, to clean any possible contaminants

    "Shalltear clearly said she wants to have sex with me, and Albedo, judging by her appearance, is fine with it¡­ So just don''t try to play favorites now and line up a potential harem according to a ''like-dislike; list, if I do that I''m breaking the very first rule I learned as a boss, everyone needs to be given time, resources, and love. Plus, I have another problem."

    "Miki." Momonga stood under the shower for a few seconds and began soaping his hair and body. "I don''t know why I asked Miki her opinion on the current issue, because of the whole weird dinner situation? Or maybe I wanted to see if her answers would be similar to what the denizens of Nazarick would say. Or maybe I just wanted to ask random questions of random people around by that point, anything to help me escape answering anything. But I asked a question and got an answer, which made me feel lots of weird feelings."

    After rinsing off his hair, Momonga lounged a few seconds under the shower, washing his body next. "Not that I mind Miki herself, really. She''s a pretty woman, and she''s actually close to my real age¡­ But I have effectively destroyed her entire life, and that''s not to mention the fact that she is my adoptive mother in this world, so having that kind of relationship with her is definitely a taboo. The very fact that Miki would agree to something like this is at least odd, and I''m not even sure how I should react to it. Should I be happy about potential sex with another partner, with everyone else''s consent of course, or worry that Miki is clearly mentally damaged after everything that''s happened?"

    Cleaning the suds off, Momonga then just enjoyed the hot water running down his body..

    "On the one hand ¨C I see no way to get her old life back, and I''ve already done so many bad things and hurt everyone around me so badly¡­ Surely one more action on my part won''t be the last straw? Besides, I had already effectively made her my ''pet'', even though I had not intended it to happen, I can''t take back my words and turn things around¡­ Should I then use my best tactic again ¨C just shrug and act as if everything was fine with me? At least that tactic has never failed me before¡­"

    Momonga turned off the shower, then ran a towel over his entire body and hair before using a spell, just in case, drying his body entirely. Stepping off the tub and shower, he walked to the mirror hanging off the wall to the side. Reequipping his gear, he took a look at himself in the mirror and found nothing out of place.

    "Okay, I''ll just go with the flow. Um, as it will be, so it will be."

    Momonga made his way to the door, barely opening the door before he ran into Albedo just outside, who, from the look of her, had been carefully pressing her ear against the door a moment before.

    "Albedo," Momonga paused, glaring at her, "Were you peeking?"

    "How could I, Lord Momonga? You forbade me to do that, so of course not!" Albedo immediately smiled, like the cat that just caught the canary.

    "I was eavesdropping."

    "Umu," Momonga blinked, then sigh, feeling his rational mind instantly losing its battle against Albedo. "Umu, come downstairs please, I need to discuss proper behavior in this world with you."

    "Absolutely." Albedo bowed, then rose from her spot on the floor before she headed further down the corridor, going to the first floor.

    ''Just go with the flow.'' Momonga repeated the mantra to himself. ''Just go with the flow¡­''

    Momonga made his way to his room, more in an attempt to get back into his personal territory for a moment and hide in it for a second than for any real purpose. ''Just go with the flow.''

    ''Just go with the flow¡­'' Momonga turned the doorknob, opening the one before seeing the contents of his room ¨C just as he left it in the morning.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Subsequent part has been cut out there. If you want it - my Pat reon it is.

 Overlord of High School (23)

    In the end, Momonga couldn''t think of a decent way to deal with his bedding, or what it had become as a result of his second bout of intercourse in this world. Actually, what happened to his bed in Nazarick? Did one of the Maids cleaned it¡­ He wouldn''t be returning and found his bed still soiled, is he?

    "I wonder if the experience was pleasurable¡­ According to porn, and the various Eroge that Peroroncino recommended, shouldn''t the girl be saying that they liked it, and quite vocally at that? I hoped it was not disappointing to Albedo and Shalltear¡­ Should I ask?"

    Remembering his latest escapade and the mess he had left again, Momonga remembered that he was also quite dirty again, ¨C and he just took a bath as well! Seeing nothing to it, and that Shalltear was probably also cleaning herself, occupying the bathroom, Momonga just used [Create Body] again, creating a pristine, clean body. Though, another cold shower wouldn''t exactly be amiss, maybe he could ask to join in on the shower with Shalltear¡­

    "Yes, that might be a good idea, maybe another try wouldn''t be amiss, I should try to be more vocal as well this time¡­ But it''s so hard! When my tongue was not literally tied with kissing, the words wouldn''t just come out! So, maybe the third time is the charm?"

    Momonga felt his body''s reaction to this thought for a moment before forcibly suppressing it, shifting his thinking instead to something more pertinent. "Well, then, it''s official now. I have a harem¡­ Peroroncino, I''m sorry I did this to your daughter! No, wait, wait, you''re the only one whose reaction I can absolutely vouch for, you wouldn''t mind something like that¡­ No, I can literally see you giving me the thumbs up!"

    Momonga chuckled at the strange image, before a moment later his suppression of emotion dissipated the mental picture of Peroroncino showing him the thumb, returning to reality.

    Taking a deep breath, Momonga scrunched his nose as he was buffeted with an unusual smell, before quickly realizing what it was that he was smelling. Needless to say, his previous activities had left quite the peculiar smell in his room, a mix of perspiration and sexual fluids, one that Momonga tried his best to remove by opening the window.

    Once that was done, and smelling the room again, Momonga realized that the smell seemed to have clung to his body instead.

    "I''ve recreated my body, so I should be perfectly clean¡­? Is it simply a phantom smell? Because I haven''t washed up, and felt my body washed by the water, my mind still thought that I''m still dirty? I don''t even know which is better in this case, trying to ignore this weird feeling of phantom smells and fluid on me. Or putting off meeting Albedo and Shalltear for a couple dozen minutes and going back to Nazarick, to the bathing room floor. Which is ruder?"

    Momonga thought about it for a moment before his sharp hearing caught the sound of water he was hearing in the background in the past few minutes ceasing. Apparently Shalltear didn''t think it was necessary to spend much time cleaning herself ¨C especially when her Lord was waiting for her, planning a briefing on the current state of their surroundings and Momonga''s plans¡­ Which was very simple and short, Momonga was forced to admit.

    She was to sit quietly by herself in Miki''s house, while Momonga gathered information, and dealt with the Demons.

    The latter, however, was on hold at the moment due to the fact that no matter how much Momonga thought about the whole situation, he could not find any decent resolution to the conflict¡­ If that conflict existed at all, of course.

    Judging by the fact that the demons never contacted Momonga again from their first meeting, perhaps they simply decided to ignore Momonga? At least for now, there was no overt movement, seemingly they''re most likely focusing on gathering information about Momonga, to make the first step on their part the most effective.

    "Maybe I could ask Demiurge''s help? He''s a Demon after all, and he''s smart, so he can probably find common ground with the Demons of this world¡­ But no, no, that would be too hasty, Demiurge is one of my trump cards at the moment, I shouldn''t let the Demons know yet that I''m not on my own, that I have allies. Besides, although the Demiurge is much weaker than an ordinary level 100 Creature in direct combat, his intelligence, planning, preparation and a lot of different tricks allow him to adapt to any opponent¡­ But even so he is much stronger than a seventieth level like Serafall. I might have hidden information about my strength level, but the appearance of Demiurge will reveal information that I am strong enough that the Demons would probably send in their heavy hitters¡­"

    Thinking about it, sending in Serafall is a stroke of genius, she''s strong enough to scout out anyone strong, but not too important that losing her would be too costly to the Demons.

    "Hmm, in that case, perhaps I should just ignore the Demons for now? Hmm, no, wait, there''s an even better idea! Albedo, Shalltear and Demiurge ended up here because they had nothing better to do, didn''t they? So why not use them instead? Shalltear can still somehow pass for human to be able to leave the house, though I''d have to think of a suitable cover for her. It''s unlikely that the demons would miss the appearance of a new, unknown girl near me¡­ At the same time, Albedo would have to stay inside the house, and in that time I could have her analyze the demons with Pandora''s Actor and Demiurge ¨C the three smartest NPCs in Nazarick."

    Cringing inwardly at calling his ''son'' smart, Momonga soon calmed down after a bout of Emotion Suppression.

    "Shalltear, in the meantime¡­ Hmm, what to do with her? I can''t change Shalltear''s appearance except by illusion, and illusions are always a risk, especially given that the headmaster has the ability to see through them. I''m not a specialized illusionist, I can''t create perfect illusions that cannot be seen through¡­ Sure, I can create high rank illusions, but the right magic can overcome them. A simple use of a Cosmetic Change item might work? Maybe the Demons would figure out that she''s a Vampire, but that wouldn''t be too much of an issue for Demons, right?"

    Inside a room of the old Kuoh Academy building, a dhampir of questionable gender, sneezed.

    "No, disguising Shalltear might make her pass as a human for others, but just her presence alone might attract unneeded attention. Appearing in school would draw attention from the Schoolchildren and definitely the Demon''s, in fact, letting her walk outside would draw attention regardless. After all, just like me, her youthful appearance would raise questions of why she''s not in school, just like Miki did to me. So, her job must be somewhere away from Kuoh¡­ Huh, does this not mean that I have to send her away just after entering a relationship with her? Wouldn''t this look like I was just taking advantage of her and sending her away after having sex with her? Argh, why is a harem so difficult?!"

    Grabbing his head with his arms, Momonga once again was troubled by his budding relationships. At least, he thought, there would only be two of them, right?

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Azazel was old, to put it lightly. Though, barring some exceptions that could be counted in one hand, most of the mighty entities of the world were old. Either because they were gods or godlike entities that originated when their religions were first created, or because it took time for those who weren''t created that way to reach their current level of power. A lot, a lot of time.

    Either way, Azazel was old, not so old that he stopped being interested in women or anything like that, but old enough to realize that he could not spend all of his free time on pleasures and his hobbies. Not that he would do his best to claw more of that ''free'' time, that''s why peace is best.

    Azazel was old and experienced enough to realize that his hobbies were only worth devoting limited time to, and the rest of Azazel''s time had to be spent on things he didn''t enjoy, but that were necessary. For example, ruling the faction that he was the head of, due to his power.

    Too bad that the faction he''s ''ruling'' was that of Fallen Angels. It might be much easier to herd cats.

    Azazel didn''t initially want to become a ruler or a general or anything like that, he had tried to escape the scrutiny of Big Daddy precisely because he didn''t like doing what he was assigned to do. Ruling, commanding, wars¡­ He really rather not do any of that. There were other things he rather be ''doing''.

    Well, sex ¨C sex was another big reason for his, ahem, as others called it, betrayal of the Big G.

    But Azazel didn''t betray the Father, at least not in the creepy way that other factions, nations, and people usually imply. There was no moment when he suddenly announced that he would now fight God, conquer the world, and the like, in short, Azazel didn''t do what Lucifer did. He just, ahem, violated the job description, yes, that works.

    And for that, he found himself¡­ Fired from his previous job.

    And, as is often the case, when one of the department leaders in a company unexpectedly quits his job, quite a few of the staff below him would follow after him. Azazel was certainly pleased that many of his fellow Angels chose to follow him, troublemakers they all might be, but¡­

    But Azazel didn''t want to rule.

    Honest, he didn''t want to! He just wanted to detach himself from all those divine affairs, from wars, from the iron-clad rules of Father. He simply wanted to enjoy the earthly pleasures, communicate with people who might not be on Daddy''s good list, and sometimes do his magical research. More specifically, on one subject in particular ¨C Sacred Gears.

    Even though Azazel was resentful of Big Daddy, the old man was a master artificer, the [Sacred Gear] system alone was proof of his genius, not to mention [Heaven System] and the [Longinus]. Multiple artifacts capable of killing gods, and Father was the one to make all of them, and even after countless years trying to do the same, Azazel could only make a pale imitation of a [Sacred Gear].

    But the funny thing was that, being free from divine oversight, did not make Azazel any freer. On the contrary, the situation only got worse. Suddenly, it turned out that, if before, he could at least rely on the judgment of Big G and the help of his Angelic allies for a job, now he''s without any of it. And credit goes where it is due, Michael, was an absolute beast as far as bureaucracy was concerned.

    Now that he found himself the supreme ruler of his faction, he now had to allocate resources, direct their agenda, control the cliques to make sure the infighting remained in control. All that balancing to watch his colleagues closely to make sure that, this time, those who followed him out of Heaven did not once again decide to change their ''place of work''.

    After all, once you''ve already decided to break the rules, what''s stopping you from doing it a second time?

    It''s not that Azazel is completely against free will, no, as a rule breaker himself, it was the farthest thing from his mind! The Fallen were allowed to do their own thing, he even agreed to Baraqiel having a daughter! To a human!

    Sure, it ended in a mess of tears and depression¡­ But it''s the thought that counts!

    However, his subordinates decide to defect to the side of Angels or more likely to the Devils? That he could not allow ¨C at least for the sake of preserving their numbers if nothing else, there''s not exactly a way to make more of them after all.

    Well, there''s always Resurrection¡­ Well, it''s not that it''s impossible at all, in a sense, the Devils have achieved, with their [Evil Pieces] system have achieved a measure of it. And it has already shown to work on Fallen, well half-Fallen, but relying on that method is like putting the cart before the horse.

    Some extremely powerful gods or a certain weaker but with a helpful domain could accomplish such a task like Resurrection. Azazel knew that Asclepius of the Greek Pantheon had done it before¡­ And of course there''s Big G, he was even quite good at it, and he was the only god who had ever done such a feat with any sort of regularity. Well, there''s also Osiris and Isis, but uh¡­ The least said about those two, the better.

    But anyway, in modern times, with a lot of research, some artifacts could do similar things, the [Evil Piece] is a good example of that, but the Fallen Angel lacks an equivalent artifact. And so, unable to reverse the failures of his decisions, deprived of the patronage of Big G himself in this not-so-big world and caught in this unloved position, the position of ruler, Azazel was forced to act. Sometimes harshly, sometimes effectively, sometimes both at once.

    And this led to the current situation.

    Did Azazel enjoy periodically appearing to his subordinates as a shining angel, ha-ha, lol, of vengeance? Raining fire on the heads of those who failed to accomplish his orders and errands, or worse subvert them entirely? No, absolutely not.

    Azazel preferred peace, quiet, tranquility, well, and rest, of various kinds.

    For one thing, he knew very well that most of the world''s population was made up of idiots. Even his adopted son, Vali, actually, especially his adopted son. Give the White Dragon Emperor even an iota of freedom, and in a minute you would hear a pitiful squeak from Mount Meru. Because without oversight, Vali would demand a fight even from Indra, actually, especially from Indra.

    And only because trying to reach the Great Red is challenging to say the least, residing as he is in the Dimensional Gap, and Ophis the Infinite Dragon, is even harder to find.

    Vali fighting Indra? Azazel couldn''t even laugh at the massacre that would happen ¨C Indra would curl Vali into a squeaky little lump of wings, his white glittering armor of the [Dividing Mechanism] into so much scrap. While Vali might be the most extreme, all the Fallen needed, to a degree or another, supervision, if simply so that they would not harm themselves in their idiocy.

    While they might chafe at having their freedom curtailed, Azazel still remembered the ''bright'' ideas his subordinates would think up, and he could only shiver at how badly they would go.

    The second reason why he required, preferably, absolute oversight over his subordinates, arises from the first. The reason being that although beings who could read minds were quite rare, among those that could, those that could read the mind of someone as powerful as Azazel could be counted in one hand, mostly being gods.

    That was why Azazel took extreme care to make sure that in informational warfare, there''s no leak.

    Without the ability to read his mind, at least without attracting extreme attention, such beings would need to rely on the much weaker Fallen Angels. So if they were to peek into his subordinates'' mind and heard Azazel say something like ''Well, now, you''re all free.'' the first thing they would think of would be that Azazel had lost his grip on the Fallen. And more importantly, that Azazel would slack in controlling his subordinates¡­ Not that it would be that much of a false impression.

    Yes, it was free to be taken, please. Azazel would have been only much too happy to put the whole faction of the Fallen in the hands of someone else¡­ If they were competent at least, and Azazel wouldn''t hold his breath for that.

    As the saying goes, the person who is best fit to rule, was one who didn''t want to rule at all. So does this actually meant that he was the best person to rule after all? Bleh, he just wants to retire now, those people that want to rule have no idea the amount of work necessary, but who could he hand the keys to the Kingdom to?

    Of his Cadre, Shemhazai was constantly buried under the rubble of bureaucracy, Baraqiel had a very little idea of what it even meant to rule, and the remaining members of Grigori were either incompetent, unmotivated, or Kokabiel.

    That last one needs all the special mention it could. Kokabiel is competent, strong, motivated, he even has a measure of personal charisma to him, and he might as well make Vali the leader of the Fallen rather than him.

    Sure, with Vali as the head, the whole of the Fallen would start having duels against him non-stop to sate his need to fight strong opponents, with nothing else fruitful being done. It would last until he got bored fighting the same opponents, before he would go on a journey to fight Great Red, and probably die horribly. But at least, with Vali, the Fallen would still exist.

    It would not be so with Kokabiel. Kokabiel was blinded by the memories of the past, he missed the great battles of the Three-sided War, wishing to restore the Fallen as they were back in those times. He missed the glory of the battlefield, missing the amount of dead bodies strewn about in that battlefield in the process.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The great battles spoken about in legend and myths ¨C those times have already passed.

    Never mind the fact that their population wouldn''t survive even one such large battle, the Age of Mythologies has already passed. Mythologies were dying, religions were disappearing ¨C and they themselves, the Fallen Angels, would one day become extinct. The Devils would find themselves more and more like the Humans, as even now, Reincarnated Devils outnumbered the Devils four to one. So too would this fate befall the Angels and the Fallen ¨C when it takes an average of three hundred years to try for one child, that''s to be expected¡­

    It takes a literal Miracle for an Angel to conceive, Angels seeking to conceive have to dance around for months before they can try to make love. Sure, failure would only mean another Fallen Angel, but without Angels in the first place, there wouldn''t be any Fallen.

    The old mighty Pantheons of gods were dying and in the process of being forgotten, their number of believers dwindling by the generations. Sure the Christian Factions and the Hindus still reigned supreme now, their believers in the billions¡­ But for how long?

    Even the monsters had long ago fled with their tails tucked into their sanctuaries.

    The world of the paranormal was dying.

    It would take a miracle to make the world actually shake the way Kokabiel wanted, it would take no less than the Apocalypse or the Second Coming to rekindle the long-dead fires of the Great War of the past¡­ Not that Azazel was in any hurry to make that happen, mind you.

    But Kokabiel would not listen to Azazel''s words, he couldn''t achieve his goal, and he would kill the Fallen Angels to seek his dreamed battlefield, for nothing. And because of this, Azazel was now forced to pretend that he was too busy to notice Kokabiel''s movement, to make sure that he committed something heinous enough to keep him in captivity.

    At the very least, so that in his madness, Kokabiel would not do something that the entire faction of the fallen would regret in the future.

    But now, reading the report placed on his desk, Azazel wondered if he should''ve just tossed Kokabiel in Cocytus and thrown the key into the Dimensional Gap, no matter how much headache it would cause. Three Fallen Angel had just infiltrated a town ruled over by two sisters of the Satans, both siscon, and had just tried to assassinate the possessor of the [Boosted Gear], apparently all under his orders. Oh, and they failed in the latter, so it''s very possible that a pissed off Red Emperor Dragon is moments away from going [Juggernaut Drive] over the Fallen''s head. He was truly surprised that those four wasn''t dead right now. Joy.

    Cataclysmic Dragon attack dropping on his head aside, how should Azazel react to the fact that his order, false as they are, were not completed?

    Even if he tried to suppress the news, the other Fallen would soon learn of this failure, that is, if they haven''t already. If he were to simply set it aside and ignore it, a row would definitely pop up, complaints that he couldn''t keep the order, or that he had gone soft. Or, and probably the loudest complaint, why did he order such a suicidal mission?

    Which, sadly enough, would be his best option, what other option does he have?

    Personally go and kill the Red Dragon Emperor? If he was not already a member of one of the heirs'' Peerage, he would eat his hat, he might as well try to fight the Satans!

    He didn''t have to go far if he wanted to do that ¨C Serafall was spotted hanging around the town. Not exactly a rare occurrence, but Azazel couldn''t help but put two and two together as to the reason Satan was there.

    Oh yes, Kokabiel would be delighted ¨C the perfect prologue to the start of a new Great War!

    Should he chastise them, order them to return to the Grigori''s HQ? He could at least ask for more detail ¨C sure, the possibility of attracting the Leviathan''s attention would be very bad to the four''s health, but they could probably justify their presence there with his letter. But if they simply refuse to return, wouldn''t it only make things even worse?

    So, should he send someone to pick them up, someone close to them? That''s better, but who?

    Vali? Oh yes, a fight between the Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor, probably leveling the entire town, just what the Fallen need at the moment.

    A Cadre perhaps? Shemhazal would do the job perfectly, the only problem would be that someone would need to take care of his work, and that would probably be me. I could see it now, he would appear in front of my desk carrying a mountain of paperwork with him, a bright smile on his face, and he would disappear for a decade or two. No, I would probably die of overwork long before then.

    Baraqiel is right out, his daughter is there. He would probably do something stupid to ''reconcile'' with his estranged daughter and dying as a result of it.

    Penemue? No, she would just go and pick a fight with Serafall¡­

    Kokabiel? Ha! No. While he would be very happy to get in on some adventure, he''d hit the church with the [Spear of Light] and shout loudly that he had ''brought Grigori''s judgment'' or something like that¡­ Or more likely, just kill the heirs and proclaim it to be under his command.

    Azazel thought about whom he could send for a few more seconds before he sighed, there was no good way out of his current situation. Whatever option he took, it would either worsen relations with the Devils, or with his fellow Fallen.

    "I''m too old for this shit!" Azazel complained before returning to his desk to start writing a reply.

    "Either way, I need to at least find out what happened to the fallen and what the situation on Kuoh looks like. And, from the looks of it, I won''t get much information from the Fallen there, but it''s worth a try¡­ I should also prepare someone to check what happened with the Red Dragon Emperor. If he''s awakened to his power, we need to know that yesterday."

    Remembering his foster son and his ''difficult'' personality, he found that his hands seem to be moving even faster.

    "And most of all, Vali can''t be allowed to even hear a rumor of his Red counterpart. Hmm, I wonder what Tobio is doing now?"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Katase made her way to her house on shaking legs, she was half proud of her sudden-found determination and willpower, and half mortified by the fact that¡­

    "I just had my first kiss!" Katase wasn''t sure if what she did could be considered a kiss. Sure, she knew what a kiss was, she had seen it on TV a lot! And read it in books! And in manga and anime! She even had seen her parents kiss, though in those moments she usually looked away, embarrassed by such a public display of affection from her parents. She could only blame her inexperience and how accustomed she was to seeing that side of her parents.

    "But it was a kiss, wasn''t it! Wasn''t it?!" Katase was one step away from a nervous breakdown or fainting, looking at just how rapid her breathing had become.

    "And it was done at sunset, and he''s handsome, and not a pervert like Issei¡­ And he''s so cool!"

    Of course, Katase didn''t want Satoru doing anything illegal, least of all something dangerous like underground fighting¡­ But she couldn''t help but say that it was cool. I mean, it was illegal and awful, but it was so cool! That was like Satoru was a character from her Sh¨­nen Manga! I mean, Katase had competed a couple of times, and she fought regularly in the kendo club, but it''s not like underground fights at all, where the blood boils and everything is real and¡­

    "Don''t let your sluggish gait mean what I think it means!" Murayama''s voice broke through to Katase''s mind, making her freeze standing still. "It''s only your first date, where did you even find a place to do anything to make you weak in the knees?!"

    "What?" Katase blinked, confused by what her best friend was insinuating, actually where was she? Oh, she was actually already near her house, and the sun was already setting. It seems that her date with Satoru had ended God knows how many hours ago¡­ Wait, why is Murayama waiting for her at her house gate?

    Sure, Murayama''s house was only a short walk away down the street from hers, but usually Murayama didn''t go so far as to wait for her friend at the gate of her house.

    "Murayama?!" Katase stomped her foot indignantly, not knowing exactly why she was indignant at the moment, before realizing what her best friend had said earlier.

    "What! Wait, what are you talking about?"

    "Oh, it seems the astronaut''s back," Murayama mouth spread into a big grin as she looked at Katase mischievously before she then shook her head.

    "You were staggering around like a drunk and wandering around the town, there are two things I could think of happening for that to happen. One, when you''ve just done something incredibly important with your life¡­ Or when you''re wasted. And since you''re you, Katase ''I-won''t-drink-until-I''m-nine-hundred'' Higa, my guess has fallen to the first option. Katase, I hope you didn''t lose your purity on your way to an abandoned church in some alley, otherwise I''ll have to bash your hapless boyfriend''s head in¡­"

    "Purity?" Katase blinked once more, confused, before her mind finally caught up to Murayama''s meaning. She was immediately struck with infernal embarrassment, crouching down as if to hide her shame. Did she really appear like a loose woman!? She''s a pure girl, who plans only to lose her purity to her husband after marriage at thirty!

    "No! Murayama, of course not, what is wrong with you?! What are you¡­" Katase wanted to lambaste her best friend, perhaps asking if she had begun to hang out with the perverted trio to ask such a question, but she cannot. She cannot hurt her friend by insulting her like that, so she chose to escape instead, covering her red face she ran to the front gate of her house intending to flee inside.

    But of course, Murayama simply followed after her. "We¡­ Nothing happened!"

    "Nothing at all?" When Katase opened the front door, Murayama habitually slipped in after her. Katase''s parents had long ago become accustomed to Murayama appearing at their house with the same frequency as their daughter, just as Murayama''s parents were accustomed to Katase.

    "Nothing!" Katase stomped her foot, trying to make her point as she fumbled around trying to find her keys, before the memory of her kiss flashed inside her mind as she opened the door.

    "I mean, almost nothing¡­" She couldn''t help but mutter the last part quietly, but of course Murayama caught it.

    "Katase, for someone with zero love experience, you''re too good at teasing!" Murayama hovered over Katase''s back, who was just about to step inside, pressing on her back.

    "Details!" Seeing that her friend was hanging on to her like a limpet, she simply chose to tell the truth.

    Katase paused for a moment before she sighed. "We kissed¡­"

    "Oh, jackpot!" Murayama clapped her hands excitedly, causing her to throw an annoyed look back as she entered her house, taking off her street shoes and putting in the indoor slippers. That is, before Murayama''s words almost made her slip.

    "I hope he was gentle?"

    "Yes." Katase replied instantly, before slowing down¡­ "Probably."

    "Probably?" Murayama pulled her shoes off behind her friend, with a confused look on her face. "That sounds weird, how could he be ''probably'' gentle? Didn''t he kiss you?"

    "Em¡­" Murayama looked into her friend''s eyes, asking for an explanation, before Katase blushed and looked away, answering with a quiet voice. "I mean, I was the one who kissed him¡­"

    "You did?!" Murayama put her arm excitedly around Katase''s shoulders and began shaking her with a manic look on her face. "Who are you and what have you done to my friend, you horrible monster who takes on the form of someone else?"

    "Murayama! Calm down!" Katase shoved her friend away after a moment, looking at her angrily. "Just because I''ve never met anyone decent before doesn''t mean I can''t kiss when I found one!"

    "I don''t believe it!" Murayama pressed back before turning around at the sound of heavy footsteps coming to the front door. "Good evening, Mr. Higa!"

    "Oh, Murayama, it''s just you, why are you speaking so loudly at the front door? Well, it''s been a long time since we''ve had you, come on in," Mr. Higa, a chubby middle-aged Japanese man with a good-natured smile, the way a caf¨¦ owner is supposed to look, waved at Murayama''s greeting.

    After which, his smile became a little slier when he looked at his daughter."Oh, and what cute guy did you leave school with today?"

    Katase, who received an unexpected blow not only from her friend, who at least already knew about what happened, but from her father as well, moved her gaze to Murayama almost resentfully. But instead of guilt, she saw only surprise as well, as she looked at Katase''s father, she then followed her example, making the man slightly roll his eyes.

    "Our caf¨¦ is literally across the street from Kuoh Academy, one of the waiters saw you and a guy walking together¡­"

    Katase could only scrunch up her face, debating whether she should facepalm, how could she have forgotten? She knew that she would forget just such a small detail, too anxious for her first date, she had just walked down the exact street where her father''s caf¨¦ was located.

    "All right, all right, if you want to tell, you''ll tell!" Having achieved his goal of embarrassing his daughter, even if just a little, Mr. Higa easily retreated, but not without firing one last shot.

    "Ah, youth¡­"

    Katase could only sigh at her Father''s antics before her father suddenly turned to her again. "Just, ahem¡­ While I don''t want to say anything or imply anything, but¡­ well, ahem, I''m sure I saw someone else besides me watching you very intently. It was a girl, young, probably a student, but she was wearing a formal suit and everything so perhaps a university student, watching you two without even moving. She seemed to be in a bad mood when she paid for her coffee and croissant, she even left with a large tip."

    Katase was confused by what her father was implying, if the girl was already in the Caf¨¦ when she left school, then she must not be a Kuoh Academy student, but so what? Her father''s caf¨¦ is quite famous, so a lot of people visit it¡­ She really couldn''t figure out what her father was implying. "So?"

    "It''s nothing." The man just shrugged his shoulders, as if saying ''what can you do?'' when watching someone extremely thick-headed. "Just¡­ Well, try asking about her next time you see this guy, and try to listen first. You know, things happen in life."

    Katase could only blush by what her father was implying, before looking into the face of a shamelessly smirking Murayama, before feeling her head start to overheat. ''Next time?! Am I being escorted to my next date already?!''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Raynare crossed her legs together as she sat on one of the church''s pews as she was looking at the crucifix, on which Freed was still cowering. Still alive. For want of a tongue, though, he was unable to give any signs of life other than the jerky twitching of his limbs. Tired of watching the ordained punishment for the deviant, she surveyed the church''s ceiling, more accurately at the replaced frescoes in the windows.

    Raynare understood them.

    There were maniacs among the Fallen who were turned on by sadism, cruelty, or torture, those kinds of people flock to the Fallen simply because of their nature. But that did not mean that all Fallen got an unhealthy thrill out of watching the agony of living people, even if it was someone as deserving of it like Freed. Moreover, even among the sadists, they could only wince when they looked at Freed''s treatment, they might even offer some sympathy.

    "God commands it." Raynare repeated like a mantra, trying to extricate herself from doubt with the new teaching for the father''s church.

    "Suffering is part of redemption¡­"

    Raynare, as much as it might surprise anyone that might learn of her thoughts, was not much of a Christian. It might be weird for an Angel, even a Fallen one, to admit that. Of course, she believes in the Father, of course, it would be kinda hard not to, she simply meant that she was not well-versed in the theology, the teaching of the Church.

    Raynare, for rather obvious reasons, had little understanding of the intricacies of the Christian theology, especially when it started fracturing into so many denominations. All the different interpretations of the Father''s will, the different interpretations of His word, she really didn''t need to learn about it in the past when she could hear it directly.

    On the other hand, given that she was now being helped to understand His will by the Demiurge, a demon who did not correspond to any reading of Christianity at all, who instead came from Gnosticism? Maybe she hadn''t lost much by not reading the various Gospels in the past.

    Though, the fact that the demon himself had read the Bible in front of her and begun to analyze its content critically, only added insanity to this endless recursion of the world.

    Raynare turned away from the cross and towards her fellow Fallen.

    Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, and Mittelt were sitting in the pews like her, and they were pale and shaking in fear. Raynare had no doubt that they would rather run away now without looking back than go to their allotted rooms to rest. But, sandwiched between one mighty demon and another mighty demon, they were denied the opportunity to simply turn and flee. It was fear, and only fear, that held them back and the surety that they would share Freed''s fate if they were to try.

    ''Something about fear and love¡­ Huh, until Father showed them enough love, fear would prevail.'' Raynare shook her head as she looked at her fellow Fallen walking away at a brisk pace, eager to leave the church as quickly as possible. She herself could not say that what had happened today had not affected her, but she had seen not only His anger, but also His mercy, so it was easier for her to restrain herself.

    Besides, though Lord Demiurge''s actions spoke to the contrary, he was¡­ Not so bad. At least in relation to the Lord''s allies.

    But if the Fallen did decide to escape, they would cease to be His allies ¨C and Raynare had already seen what Lord Demiurge was capable of doing towards His enemies.

    Raynare exhaled, there was no chance that Lord Demiurge was unaware of the thoughts and doubts the Fallen has, but he chose not to act at the moment. He''s allowing the Fallen themselves to decide to escape, or to take control of themselves and outgrow their fear.

    "Free will, as always¡­"

    Raynare also needed to get ready for bed, and besides, she needed to remember to do her evening prayer¡­ If that was even necessary nowadays. Did she even know any prayers?!

    Raynare shrugged the thought off, at least she needed to report back to Lord Demiurge regarding the current progress of the church. They had already cleaned almost all the dirt for today, cleared away the debris, ordered new icons, pews, lamps, windows¡­ All in all, they had done quite a bit for a day''s work.

    Though, it''s not much done either, especially considering how monumental the task before them looked. Organizing the Apocalypse was not a task that could easily be handled in a day by a small group of Fallen.

    But Raynare had accomplished something for the day, and she wanted to¡­ Report it.

    Partly because Lord Demiurge was her ''boss'' now, and Raynare knew she had to report the progress to her boss. Partly because her subordinates always reported to her, and partly because Raynare wanted to report that she had acted for a common purpose today.

    As she did her work, she felt something between wanting to turn her nose up a little higher and sharing her joy.

    It was a strange feeling Raynare hadn''t experienced before.

    So, making her way to the stairs leading down to the small dungeon, Raynare quickly made her way down the steps before stopping in front of an ajar door and lightly knocking.

    "Raynare, you may enter." Lord Demiurge''s voice came to her from behind the door, making Raynare wonder for a moment how exactly he knew it was Raynare, but she did not take long to question it, maybe Lord Demiurge had [Omniscience] or something similar. She wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case. Dusting off any dust on her clothes, she took a step inside the Demiurge''s office.

    "Your work today was worthy for a novice."

    "Thank you, Lord Demiurge," As she entered the room, she was immediately greeted by an evaluation, with Raynare quickly lowering her head respectfully before she waited a few seconds to look up again.

    "Are you busy, Lord Demiurge?"

    "I am always busy," Lord Demiurge answered without turning his head away from the screen. "As any worthy servant of the Forty-One. But if your question concerns the nature of my current occupation, then I¡­ Hm, I have diverted a moment of my time to appreciate the strange inventive elegance of this contraption."

    "Elegance?" Raynare shifted her gaze to the object Lord Demiurge is holding.

    "That''s right," Lord Demiurge merely nodded, his hand moving the mouse deftly. "Humans¡­ Most of them are devoid of even a speck of magic, the powers that others regard as natural. Humans are Weak, and yet they are inventive. Where they lack strength, they use their meager intellect to try to bridge that gap."

    With a click, as if to punctuate his remark, Lord Demiurge opened a program.

    "A blind man cannot learn to see, but he can find a thousand ways to pass off as sighted. Look at this machine, for instance. A few plates of silicon, metallic filaments, liquid crystals, plastic and iron, and they create such strange, yet useful inventions." Lord Demiurge slowly glanced at the computer screen, then moved the mouse to the side, allowing the cursor arrow to follow his gaze.

    "Not made with magic, but such a strange, interesting imitation of it. A trick, but a trick of excellent quality, ¨C a complex system of zeros and ones to imitate the mind, to imitate hundreds of devices¡­"

    Raynare shifted her gaze to the computer, was it really anything special enough to interest a powerful demon under the command of the most powerful God?

    "It''s a shame they lack the ability to unlock the potential of their own inventions ¨C a weak mind, a weak body, and a weak spirit¡­" Lord Demiurge slowly moved the cursor to the Internet browser icon, and Raynare could have sworn she could see a cruel tilt in Lord Demiurge''s usual smile.

    "But it doesn''t matter anyway. A pig is only supposed to give meat ¨C they don''t have to know how to cook it."

 Overlord of High School (24)

    Momonga met the new morning awake, for quite expected reasons, and even in some strange state of calm.

    He explained to Albedo and Shalltear the situation in this world, at least as far as he understood it himself. He had explained to them about the fact that there were dangerous opponents lurking behind the scenes in this world. That no magical beings were out in the open among humans, and that it was necessary for Albedo and Shalltear to hide their inhuman bits and powers from potential observers.

    Had his instructions worked? Partially.

    When asked why they should do such a thing by Albedo and Shalltear, Momonga had no answer other than ''no one had done it before, so it was best not to break precedent without getting information about this world''. Besides, Momonga couldn''t be completely sure that humanity didn''t possess any trump cards on its side at this moment.

    Sure, the existing humanity was incomparable to Nazarick ¨C but Momonga shouldn''t underestimate a potential opponent if he didn''t want to be unpleasantly surprised at some point in the future.

    Weapons, for example. Yes, the damage from any modern rifle was negligible, they had checked. As, luckily for Momonga, Raynare had some firearms she had found on the black market, mostly magical, but she had some regular ones among her stockpile as well. So Momonga was able to run a check and a small test.

    The damage from the pistol was negligible, and even the higher powered rifle barely did more damage, the damage from all firearms was so-so. Perhaps on the level of a bow shot from a tenth level archer? The high rate of fire made it a more powerful weapon, comparatively the DPS was about a bowman of the thirtieth level.

    Still, it was hard to use modern firearms with any meaningful effectiveness.

    After all, the one holding the weapon was human, he possessed only human levels of reaction speed and accuracy, using even an automatic weapon to destroy a Death Knight level creature, effectively expendable by Nazarick standards, was nearly impossible.

    Translated into numerical value after applying a Death Knight defense, even a large-caliber sniper rifle was barely capable of inflicting a few points of damage. Modern weapons required multiple hits on vulnerable parts of the body, as much as such a thing exists on Undead creatures.

    That is, without hitting armor or shield elements.

    Even so, ten or twenty shots hardly did anything meaningful for a Death Knight. Even to take out one such opponent would require at least a hundred, if not more, such shots, in very close successions. In other words, entire teams of trained snipers and many, many perfect hits, might be able to take down one Death Knight.

    And that''s assuming that the Death Knight would just stand still and take the hit.

    While in reality, getting even one attack on a Death Knight would be an achievement in and of itself. Even if the Death Knight were to run in a straight line, over a clear field with no cover of debris, and despite being such a large target, its massive tower shield would make shooting it almost impossible. Of course, if a human could even get a bead on the Death Knight.

    Being a creature that is much more powerful and agile than ordinary humans, its sprinting speed is not something that a human could compensate for. And also, despite its large size, the Death Knight does not lack for mobility, covering great distance in large strides.

    Many other factors would also need to be taken into account, such as the fact that the Death Knight was quite intelligent and was capable of using some tactics. Like running between cover, or being able to take advantage of paths inaccessible to normal humans. For example, it was not difficult for the Death Knight to break through walls on its way, or to make large leaps crossing buildings, easily getting closer to the target.

    Adding to this, the Undead did not get tired, their wounds did not disadvantage them in any way until the moment of their death. And, lastly, they''re very intimidating creatures. The very factor of intimidation and pressure from the Death Knight''s figure approaching at excessive speed for a human, and even one Death Knight, became a big problem for a modern army.

    A Death Knight would require artillery, tanks, and missiles to put down. And even with such heavy ordinance, a Death Knight could easily survive a couple dozen direct hits, and it was difficult to hit a fast target like the Death Knight. Once he got to his target, he could easily outgun a full artillery formation, especially given their inability to shoot close-up, or open up a tank like a tin can.

    And it was only one Death Knight, what if there were two, three, or ten?

    With some rudimentary tactics and even a simple enough plan, they could be a real issue for an entire army, one that would require significant support to take down, as conventional weapons were barely capable of scratching a Death Knight.

    And that was only true of a Death Knight. Even though it had the defense of a level forty creature, it was, after all, nothing more than ''trash'' MOB by Nazarick standards. Many high-level creatures or players'' personal NPCs had complete defense against all types of non-magical or ranged attacks.

    In other words, the weapons of the modern world were not capable of wounding them at all.

    The only question about the modern world''s ability to resist Nazarick''s high-level NPCs was nuclear weapons. That is, if they were still considered non-magical weapons, then they could not overcome the defenses of, say, Momonga himself. If not? Momonga didn''t know what level of damage it could do to a high-level player or NPC, but he didn''t want to test it on himself or the people of Nazarick.

    However, even assuming that the people of this world would have the ability to respond to Nazarick on the battlefield, they wouldn''t have the ability to respond to Nazarick''s more esoteric abilities.

    After all, Momonga didn''t need to defeat his opponent on the battlefield, all he had to do was teleport into the office of the president or prime minister and use something like [Charm Species]. In a single swoop, Momonga would take control of an entire country without a drop of blood. Or, for example, he could use doppelg?ngers that could read the minds of others, or even more simply, he could ''bribe'' people by showing them some magical abilities.

    Even in his old world, a lot of the Princes and Kings of the Mega Corporations would sell an arm and a leg for Nazarick''s ability to resurrect people.

    Momonga was sure that many people would agree to anything if, in payment for their service, Momonga promised to resurrect their loved ones or something similar. He could even dangle immortality as bait¡­

    "If you think about it that way, taking over the world is actually quite easy!" Momonga thought for a moment as he finished preparing himself for school. Taking a few steps outside Miki''s home, his sense of mania was doused by Emotional Suppression, causing his steps to falter somewhat.

    "No, what am I thinking, taking over the world? I''m going to school, school is not the place to speculate about world domination!"

    Shaking off those stupid thoughts, and after a long mental distraction, Momonga came back to the reality in front of him. "So, I was able to explain to Shalltear and Albedo the need to not stand out in this world¡­ But it barely worked!"

    Shalltear tried long and hard to convince Momonga that she could pass for human and that it was absolutely necessary for her to go to school with him. She even, with great difficulty, and using Miki, found information about albinos and tried to convince Momonga that she could pass for an albino. Not to mention that Lord Peroroncino had provided her with a school uniform in addition to all her other costumes.

    Momonga had to think of excuses in short order, like the perfectly rational reason that demons would obviously suspect something if Shalltear suddenly appeared next to Momonga at school. And additionally, recalling Shalltear''s bio, Momonga was able to respond saying she clearly looked younger than Momonga, which meant she would have to enter a younger class. Meaning she would have to spend most of her time studying and surrounded by ordinary people rather than next to Momonga.

    Given the problem with her ID, as in the lack of them, the discovery and the intense scrutiny Serafall and the Demons were paying to Momonga at the moment, the subterfuge would be revealed in short order. So after some more quick lies, he finally managed to convince Shalltear to stay home.

    But it wasn''t a tenth as scary as it had been with Albedo. After learning that she couldn''t pass for human with her horns and wings, Albedo offered to cut them off completely! And Shalltear, Miki and Pandora''s Actor didn''t see anything strange in her suggestion. On the contrary, they tacitly supported her, nodding along as if it was the right thing to do!

    Momonga was sometimes frightened by the loyalty of the people of Nazarick. Glad that they were loyal, but inordinately scared of their reaction should it be revealed that he was nothing more than a charlatan. That he was just ordinary Satoru Suzuki, rather than the Supreme Being Momonga.

    Fortunately, this time too, he managed to convince Albedo. He reasoned that the problem this time was that although Albedo looked like a young beautiful woman, she was clearly older than the age of the students and would have to apply for a teaching position. And that would create even more difficulties than Shalltear''s situation.

    So, in the end, Momonga still managed to convince the girls to stay home. And, to keep them from being bored, he had given them an assignment, to help the Demiurge with his slowly growing business ¨C i.e., the church. Raynare and her subordinates already knew about Nazarick and Momonga''s subordinates anyway, so the situation could in no way get even more complicated at this point from this decision, could it?

    For some reason, thinking that last thought and comforting himself, as he approached the gates of Kuoh Academy, Momonga felt as if his stomach was starting to curl up in rings by itself.

    Strange¡­ Momonga was sure he hadn''t eaten anything expired this morning.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Rias Gremory continued to watch carefully as the crowds of students piled into Kuoh Academy, trying to find her target in the crowd of other students or pupils going about their business. Of course, Rias knew that no one, above all her brother, would allow her to be solely responsible for something as important as watching Satoru, and to a lesser extent, Issei Hyoudou.

    But, as long as she remained under the watchful eye of the other Devils her brother, had placed in Kuoh, and only satisfied her curiosity rather than attempting to make contact with Satoru on her own, she would be fine. Her Peerage had already decided that trying to keep her from doing so, regardless of the danger, just wasn''t worth it. They know very well just how stubborn Rias could be, after all.

    Still, Rias¡­ Wasn''t exactly eager to disobey her brother''s orders. Foremost, because Sirzechs would likely do something overly stupid and dangerous, and in Satoru''s case, that could mean the destruction of Kuoh, if not the entire Underworld. And secondly because Rias had a rather poor idea of what exactly she was supposed to do with Satoru.

    Yes, he looked like an ordinary schoolboy, close to her age even, but that barely mattered to the gods. Satoru could be ancient, being an incredibly ancient god, perhaps with thousands of years of experience under his belt, and he could look like a toddler, and he would be no less dangerous.

    Just her conversation with him in the past had shown her the incredible gulf of power and experience between them. What if he had another conversation with him, would he get angry? Decide to destroy her? Maybe twist her around his finger. To compare it was like for her talking to a precocious child that like to talk with big words, over realizing that the grownups were just humoring them¡­ Argh, why was this so hard!?

    But at the same time, even as she realized with every rational part of her mind that she needed to stay as far away from Satoru as possible ¨C Rias just couldn''t. At least on some small level, she could not ignore the fact that he could easily solve all her problems¡­

    Rias Gremory, not just the heiress of a clan, but the contractor of an ancient god who had saved the entire Underworld from a horrific disaster. Doesn''t that sound good? Riser Phenex would be like a pebble to her then.

    Yes, Rias was well aware that she shouldn''t have even thought about getting close to that, but¡­ Couldn''t she at least dream about it a little!

    Akeno approached Rias and silently handed her a cup of tea. And when she found that she didn''t even notice the gesture, she silently followed the direction of her gaze to the figure of Satoru. He''s moving among the other students, looking as calm as if nothing in the world bothered him. It was like he was acting that his current position among the common people was the most normal of all possibles.

    Could Satoru have been one of the gods used to interacting with humans?

    Usually gods kept as far away from common people as possible, partly out of contempt and partly out of distrust, exceptions to that were mostly found in ancient times, but¡­ The modern day was very far from ancient times when god was among men openly. And even ignoring that, the gods that do sometimes interact openly with humanity were all known by name, their appearances, abilities, and character.

    And if her brother knew at least of Satoru''s identity, that would already worth half a victory.

    But instead, the Devils were simply twiddling their thumbs, flailing around like headless chickens trying their hardest to figure out his identity. Finding nothing, they were forced to be in the unenviable position of letting Satoru making the first move, hoping that it would divulge some clue about his identity. It was not a position that is comfortable to be in, especially when Satoru was able to fleece her an allowance of having a residence in Kuoh.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Without conditions, without ransom and without a single drop of blood.

    And even though her family tried to convince her that it wasn''t her fault, and she herself realized that it was ridiculous to expect her to be able to outplay the ancient master of intrigue that Satoru clearly was. It still bothered her.

    After all, that conversation had been initiated by her, and so the current situation was partly her fault as well.

    "Miss~tress?" Akeno, finding that her mistress, Rias, had her full attention taken by the figure beyond the window and had not reacted at all to the tea, raised her voice, addressing Rias directly.

    "Ah!?" Rias, surprised out of her rather gloomy thoughts, turned to the side, almost making Akeno drop the mug as she too jumped in surprise, before she controlled herself, saving the cup of tea. Staring wryly at the cup of tea, Rias took it with a thanks.

    "Yes, thank you, Akeno."

    Akeno waited for a moment to see if Rias would make another comment, but she only looked away, retracing Satoru''s steps back into the school building before exhaling and trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere in the Occult Studies Club.

    "Any news from Sona?" Akeno asked.

    "Nothing that we didn''t already know. Nothing, that is." Rias replied, taking a sip before closing her eyes,

    "If someone told me in that past that I would have a god as an acquaintance, I would be asking them what drugs they''re taking and report it to my brother. Especially since I''ll be attending the same school as him."

    "Life is unpredictable." Akeno smiled without it reaching her eyes, as she definitely understood that phrase more completely than most. Sadly, it also meant that Rias can''t exactly comment on it, letting the conversation die, returning the previous oppressing atmosphere in the room.

    Rias pressed her lips together before taking a sip of tea, relaxed a little, exhaled, then looked from the window to the rest of her Peerage who were standing on their tiptoes. As they too don''t know what to say. Deciding that she had been demonstrating behavior inappropriate for a King for quite some time, she spoke up, "Well, let''s finish our sad thoughts for the day and get back to business."

    Rias'' optimistic tone sounded a little more strained than she would have liked for it to be, but under the current circumstances even that was enough to make her Peerage ¨C Akeno, Koneko and Kiba, to cheer up a bit.

    "Our studies waits for no one, gods or no gods, exams are coming up, and I''m afraid Sona won''t accept any of our excuses if anyone failed." Rias smiled, not showing her real emotions on her face, before nodding, a little exaggeratedly, as if to drum into her Peerage''s heads the fact that life continued as usual. Under the current circumstances, stability is exactly what they needed.

    "So¡­ To class ¨C march on!"

    Perhaps Rias was overdoing it a bit with the contrived optimism and exaggerated cheerfulness in her voice. But it''s not like she has any experience in calming her Peerage when there''s a god nearby, the closest thing she had was when her brother would visit, but the two couldn''t compare at all.

    Seeing the brittle smile on some of them, she knew that she had failed somewhat, but they would follow along anyway. While not exactly a good thing, her Peerage was used to dealing with uncomfortable situations. Their past notwithstanding, being a part of the Maou''s sister''s Peerage had somewhat inured them to dealing with people that could kill them with a snap of the finger.

    That and Rias did have some experience with calming them down, her peerage being a ball of complex pasts and terrible circumstances, and she had some experience in calming them down. It barely compares¡­ But what else could she do? Give up and cower in a corner, flinching at every rustle of sound, trying to see if the unknown god had come to do her harm?

    No, that was not Rias Gremory''s way, by no means! Life went on, and it was Rias'' own duty to remind her Peerage of that, even if it was the Lord himself who would get in the way of their lives!

    Ouch!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Demiurge, by the decision of the Forty-One Supreme Being, Guardian of the Seventh Floor and Archdemon who commanded his legions of servants, had always gravitated toward the ritualism of lofty church rituals and grandiose ceremonies. Never, however, could he even imagine allowing the thought of diverting the resources he had to fulfill the will of the Forty-One to those of his hobbies.

    However, the genius Demiurge sometimes wondered why it was that the Forty-One Supreme Being had bestowed certain traits on certain servants of Nazarick. Why his Creator had given them curiosity in order to see the lofty plans of his Great Masters and to be able to unravel only a thousandth of the great plan. A plan that was prepared for Nazarick at the moment of his creation.

    Why They had made him curious, for the mind of the Forty-One Supreme Beings was incomprehensible in its true splendor. And so Their every step, every movement and every word carried with it innumerable mysteries, giving rise to intrigues and strategies far beyond the comprehension of Nazarick''s faithful servants.

    But the fundamental impossibility of the servants of the Forty-One to grasp the depth of Their magnificence, meant only that each of Nazarick''s inhabitants had to devote all their mind, soul and body, and more, in following Their plan. Not daring to distract the Great Creators from creating Their masterpieces, but becoming the instruments so that Their plans to come to fruition.

    Each of the beings of Nazarick was an instrument, each had a role to play, and no part of the Cosmos of the Supreme Beings was created without a great plan. And so, it was the duty of each servant of the Forty-One not only to follow orders, but to understand them. To understand themselves in order to become faithful instruments of Their will.

    So Demiurge had always tried his best to discern that invisible but so important will of his Creator. The most recent one directed in Demiurge himself and manifested through his love of ritualism and the sublimity of the church. But surely, as one would expect, even the Demiurge''s gifted and genius mind could not fully unravel the great mission assigned to him.

    Indeed, only the Supreme Beings could see so deeply and prepare him for the sacred mission of purifying the world as the Antichrist, just as They were creating him. He is to play the role of the ruler of all the vices of Earth, who was to purify this world of all unworthy sinners and prepare it for the coming of His Kingdom Come. Indeed, where the Forty-One created the world and reversed time he, Demiurge, was but a child following Their plans, like any instrument giving birth to a picture only through the skill of a true artist guiding its every movement.

    Thanks to the plans of the Forty-One and his Creator above all others, it was so easy for Demiurge to realize the existence of a world outside the Great Tomb. Though of course it was not to be forgotten that Lord Momonga was the first of the Forty-One, Indeed, the creatures of this world were strange, but nothing more than that.

    The common people, at least the impression was that they were more common in this world, were still the same people as before. Greedy, petty, and overall low-grade materials, hardly any of them caught Demiurge''s attention, except in contemptuous anger when he realized the blasphemy they had committed in this church. Their achievements, if they could be called such, were as insignificant.

    Deprived as they are of magic, they considered their ''civilization'' a great achievement, extolling electric light, antibiotics, and the internal combustion engine, as cripples deprived of the ability to walk could boast of their crutches. The spectacle is funny in its sadness, but also in a way worthy of a great comedy.

    How could it be unworthy of it, if they could not even use the crutches they vaunted?

    Political intrigue, class struggles, competition between companies, complaints about problems, fictional or not, social, natural, technological, and everywhere, everywhere a single thought.

    ''We don''t know what we want, but we will kill each other to get it!''

    Demiurge considered murder an interesting pastime, and torture was an art as much as any other. The howl of pain could be used to create marvelous symphonies as much as any other instrument, except that it required more careful tuning and playing. And vivisection was a well-deserved field of science, to be put on the assembly line of sublime research.

    But men, these creatures, marvelous in their stupidity and the singular cunning born of that, are so strange¡­

    Fighting with each other, killing as they went, they simultaneously extolled the skill of fighting and deplored it in every way. Seeing the results of science in front of them, they censured whatever they deemed unsuitable, before changing their mind on a dime each time, in waves of denial and praise. They conducted the most interesting experiments only to get less than a crumb of information from those experiments, to tear the labor of generations to pieces and forget about it.

    Indeed, genius growing out of stupidity, cunning based on insanity, and yet to tie it all is suffering, endless suffering inflicted on themselves and each other, so often in the true belief that this suffering was pleasure.

    For example, their most intriguing, perhaps, indeed, the only ''intriguing'' thing in the full sense of the word, invention; the computer.

    Relying on silicon wafers modified with outstanding precision by small metal conductors, creating from the simplest binary function, the absence, or presence of charge, a complex logical system capable of calculating tens of thousands of complex equations. Certainly, the concept of such a mechanical assistant device was not new to Demiurge. CZ-2128 Delta, Shizu, one of the Pleiades Sisters, an Automaton, for example, were created by a similar concept.

    Nazarick kept many secrets, including the most sophisticated technical solutions, in their diversity not inferior to computers, but much simpler, in the best sense of the word. Although complexity was a worthy measure of quality for works of art, the computer was primarily a utilitarian machine, where simplicity of design, while preserving their functions, was prioritized over artistry of execution.

    Replacing the tangled lattice of wiring boards with a simple spell to summon low-ranking spirits, for instance, was much more efficient. Occupying negative space, while they are not the most useful in a fight, their considerable intelligence, which could be used directly to calculate equations and models, are much better than any processor the Humans could make. They are also completely modular, making any system, as large or as small as it needed to be, unlike the Humans, who needed to replace their obsolete computers.

    Oh no, Demiurge was not trying to blame humans for being stupid, even if they were insignificant in their abilities, it was too stupid to blame worms for not being able to fly and require them to grow wings.

    What really surprised the Demiurge, however, was that such complex machinery had been¡­ So imperfectly utilized. Not in the sense that humans allowed themselves to use a technological artifact for the sake of gaming or watching pornography. Demiurge would be surprised if the petty nature of man did not prevail over them in that as well. But in the fact that humans were so laughably incompetent at using the wonders they had created.

    Inefficient markings, substandard materials, deliberate errors made during production, It boggles the mind that such machinery had been created for the sole purpose of falling apart after only a year or two of use.

    Moreover, as a quick superficial check showed, the mistakes and inaccuracies noticed by Demiurge, the opportunities for improvement were corrected and used every year¡­ But only partly. Always leaving room for new improvements, never reaching perfection, leaving the possibility to ''improve'' the product in the future by simply leaving a suitable amount of flaws.

    People have always remained human.

    Progress limited by their own base desires, money, fame, recognition¡­

    The Internet is an excellent achievement for such a primitive species, but who used the possibilities of it to its full potential? Some corners of the internet were remarkably desolate, free, and anarchic. Others were so thoughtlessly fortified that a superb network and platform for action was effectively broken up into many small ones, barely touching each other, without being utilized to their full potential.

    Humans were permeated by this amazing stupidity and yet ingenuity, divided states united in meaningless organizations. Institutions created to control entire societies, but utterly powerless in their function. Technological inventions left as mock-ups for future generations.

    Demiurge spent all the free time available to him studying the current situation of this world, and thanks to the grace of the Forty-One, he needed no rest, food, or sleep. He had come to the conclusion that this paradoxical society was remarkably intriguing in its open stupidity.

    An astounding field of experimentation that he had to conduct in the name of the Forty-One Supreme Being, to study and catalog. Before, having learned all the necessary lessons to destroy it, only to create in its place a new and more perfect society of His Kingdom Come.

    But such a monumental undertaking could not be accomplished at the snap of a finger, at least not in the way that Lord Momonga could. No, every action had to be handled carefully, every plan had to be executed rigorously, starting with the small steps.

    In fact, as amusing as it was for a mind created by the hands of the Forty-One, the Demiurge, to start at the bottom, to prove his power and ability to rise to the top from a humble church with only a handful of very¡­ Unreliable followers. Lord Momonga was not willing to wait the years it would take for the Demiurge to become a behemoth on the world stage.

    No, instead, His every action drew a thousand actions in response, and careful manipulations, calibrated with incredible precision, led to the expected outcome.

    Azazel''s pawn, this traitor awaiting the beginning of his personal Hell, had arrived in Kuoh¡­

    To negotiate with the demons regarding his subordinates, and to meet with those subordinates, that is the Fallen Angels entrusted to Demiurge. Or at least, the pawn thought so, as Azazel thought so too, not realizing that Lord Momonga, the God they had once betrayed, had returned to punish, once and for all, the traitors who had desecrated the very notion of His grace by their very existence.

    And instead, rather than Azazel''s pawns meeting their contact, Demiurge was already waiting for his target.

    And as what he could gather, this pawn of Azazel was quite outstanding in terms of his fighting abilities. According to what information, Demiurge had been able to glean from the followers entrusted to him, and yet, he was still so unprepared to face an opponent that knew of his nature.

    No, certainly a battle with this¡­ Tobio? Was not part of Demiurge''s plans, Demiurge was a demon of high standards that preferred to operate without resorting to open battles with opponents of unknown power. Especially if he could achieve his goals in other ways. Yet, his goal this time, too, did not suggest weakness.

    A creature of this world, holding important information and, judging by the comments of the followers, possess a [Longinus], an artifact of similar power to the one found in the body of the dead Issei Hyoudou.

    Surely, under such circumstances, Demiurge should not have pursued a battle, especially now that Demiurge was lurking under the noses of the so-called ''demons''... Just thinking of those that dared to taint the name of Demiurge''s race with their existence caused no end of rage to boil inside him.

    Demons who had betrayed their creator, that had betrayed God, that had betrayed Lord Momonga.

    If Demiurge had not been a gentleman of exalted standards by the grace of his Maker, he would have spit acidic saliva on the floor at the mere thought of his traitorous ''kin''.

    However, even though a fight might not be conducive to stealth, it was also highly unwise to let Tobio go. He is a source of valuable information and at the same time a danger that could both convey information about the Fallen Angels'' loss of control over this church, and about the Supreme Being''s reappearance in this world.

    Demiurge had to bring about the execution of a perfect plan worthy of his exalted Lord''s infinite ambitions to both subdue Tobio, and do it without the Demons noticing.

    This was possible under the current circumstances, certainly, but at the same time Demiurge, as the true instrument of His will, had to set in motion a plan that allowed for no misstep in any possible of its iterations. And to make sure that his plan would go off without a hitch, for this Demiurge should have enlisted help.

    Indeed, no matter how willing Nazarick''s creatures were to do His bidding with all the diligence and zeal they could muster, in the end each of them realized that they all existed only to set His great plan in motion. Each of them was but one of the minor instruments of His will, and thus had no room in their souls for something as petty as ''envy'' or ''wanting to be first''.

    The very thought of such a thing was repugnant to Demiurge. The perfect order had already been created by the Supreme Beings, and whoever wished for more was to be destroyed as having defiled the design of the Forty-One ¨C like the Fallen Angels who had betrayed Lord Momonga.

    Plus, as the Bible said, as written by Lord Momonga''s will, though, as Demiurge himself understood it, the word was a distortion of people''s imperfect understanding of Lord Momonga''s word ¨C ''love your neighbor''.

    This meant that Demiurge, following this commandment, had allowed his fellow loyal servants to rejoice in the divine mission, a service to Lord Momonga. And thus, to share in the greatest reward of all ¨C the opportunity to become a faithful instrument in service to the fulfillment of His great plan.

    And so Demiurge, upon learning that Albedo and Shalltear had come to his aid, was not surprised in the least. Indeed, his Lord had blessed Demiurge and gave him all the tools he needed to set his Great Plan in motion, that much was clear.

    There was no other way to explain the fact that Demiurge needed proper assistance to ensure that Tobio was captured perfectly. And that it was at that moment that Lord Momonga had provided him with assistance in this mission with the perfect helper to do so.

    Indeed, Lord Momonga - who else could be called Omniscient, if not Him!

 Overlord of High School (25)

    Stepping off the train and making the short trek through the station, Tobio quickly stepped on the street moments later. He founds himself unable to contain his gaze that quickly darted around, checking to see if he was not followed, or worse already under surveillance.

    After all, albeit peacefully, he had still entered Devil territory, more so, Kuoh, which was the residence of the younger sisters of two ruling Satans. It wouldn''t have surprised him if the entire city was packed with Devils, relentlessly watching every new person arriving in Kuoh.

    Not to mention that the train stations or really any exits and entrance to the city are the first line of defense of the two younger sisters of the two rulers.

    However, all he encountered upon arrival in the city were ordinary people, maybe someone with magical talent beyond the ordinary, but that didn''t even mean that person was a mage, and not just a lucky civilian. Still, Tobio''s heartbeat was still out of sorts thanks to his nervousness.

    Why wouldn''t he? Tobio had received a mission from Azazel, that alone should be requirement enough for him to believe that he would be hounded by all sorts of Factions the moment he stepped out of the train. But it didn''t end there, in fact it got a lot worse.

    He was to infiltrate Kuoh, Devil territory, and doing so under the nose of Serafall Leviathan herself, to conduct an inspection of the church of fallen angels who had failed Azazel''s own mission. And lastly, to make sure that failed mission hadn''t triggered a small problem in the form of a deranged Red Welsh Dragon''s host half a step away from turning half of Japan into ruins.

    If Tobio had time, he would be happy to ask Azazel what drugs he had inhaled until he had gotten the bright idea to order the murder of this generation''s Red Dragon Emperor. To do so by paranormal means under the noses of two of Satan''s younger sisters. And why, if he had gotten the idea, he had sent a few weak Fallen instead of at least a professional team of a couple of six-winged Fallen Angel.

    In fact, why not just start the Second Great War while he was at it!

    Of course, that last part kind of revealed the fact that it was not Azazel that had ordered such a thing, he loved peace too much for that. But, not that it matter now, it was still Fallen Angels that had been ordered to assassinate the Red Dragon Emperor, the Devils would be all too happy to point them the Fallen Angel''s way.

    So the situation was urgent, for the world was on the verge of an incident.

    Diplomatic for the demon and the Fallen, and apocalyptic for Japan. And Tobio really rather not have his birthplace be a crater, both of them, that is. Pissing off the Heavenly Dragons is widely regarded as an elaborate method of suicide for a reason, after all.

    So his list of actions was simple, clear, and straightforward. The less he stayed in Kuoh, as much as he liked to look at the sights of the small town, the better chance he had of sorting out his problems and disappearing from this town without being caught by Serafall. And so, glancing around once more, making sure he wasn''t spotted by any Devil watchers, he hurried forward, not in a hurried pace, but with the expression of a man who knew exactly where he was going at any given moment. A great defense against Devils, cops, and annoying salesmen or hawkers.

    Of course, it was a little unusual for Tobio to act alone without his team, but again it was stealth that he was in need for, having his team around would only make moving without being noticed harder. And in case he was caught, traveling around with a battle group would make any argument that he was not planning to fight really hard to argue.

    Of course, sending a two-winged Fallen Angel would be even stealthier. However, he was probably one step away from crossing blades with an insane host of a [Longinus] right now, so Azazel couldn''t entrust that mission to someone without Tobio''s combat potential, therefore forcing him to go at it alone¡­

    Which didn''t help Tobio''s gnawing intuition, which kept whispering to him that he was in for a very unfortunate adventure.

    However, it was too late to retreat now, so moving along the general flow of people, Tobio struggled to control his movements. Not allowing either excessive sloppiness or excessive strictness, all the while moving in a wide arc in order to bypass Kuoh Academy.

    Firstly because the concentration of Devils was the highest there. And second because Tobio was ready to swear by Jin that Serafall was there as well, at best looking from across the street at her little sister, stalking her in other words, the leviathan''s habits are already well known.

    And at worst, already substituting for one of the teachers at the academy.

    But thinking about the family habits of Devils was not conducive to completing his mission, and so Tobio stopped contemplating the Devils'' habits, and instead returning his attention to his surroundings as he continued onward to his destination. The church. It is the place where he would most likely find out any information, along with checking with the Fallen Angels here, as the last report Azazel had received had noted that they had made the Abandoned Church their base.

    Hopefully they would still be alive, at worst he could at least find out that his target of observation is already aware of the Supernatural. Though he''s not holding onto hope that the Fallen Angel would still be alive in that case, or if the Abandoned Church is still standing at that¡­ And he had to follow the Red Dragon Emperor around, one that would probably have a very negative outlook on the Fallen Angel, just his luck.

    And yet, despite the future clash that he''d foreseen against a [Longinus] user, every step that he walked closer to the Abandoned Church was the thing that made his intuition sounds the alarm. Something that should''ve presented no danger at all to him.

    Tobio was used to trusting his intuition, at least because he believed that ''intuition'' didn''t really exist.

    Intuition was defined as unconscious decisions, the result of analyzing minute details past meaningful reason. That if someone took the time and opportunity to look into a particular case of ''acting on intuition'', then that person would be able to come to a rational conclusion as to why a particular course of action is chosen.

    However, even trying his best to find a rational reason as to why exactly Tobio felt so uncomfortable on his way to the old Abandoned Church ¨C Tobio couldn''t find an answer to that question. It was just a ''bad feeling'', just the result of stress that whispered in his ear that he shouldn''t have gone near that place ¨C and nothing more.

    However, in the end, Tobio was used to trusting his intuition. Even if he didn''t fully understand why it was telling him right now why he was in danger when he was just planning on meeting some low-level Fallen Angels, he decided to trust hi intuition.

    And so instead of heading straight towards the church according to his original plan, Tobio decided to make a detour. This time bypassing the old church building at a respectful distance before finding a suitable spot of clean ground and settling down in it, ignoring the cleanliness of his stylish black cloak, as he started looking carefully at the church.

    Something about its appearance bothered Tobio, but he couldn''t figure out what.

    Frowning his eyebrows slightly, he tried to find what is out of place on the old abandoned church in front of him. The windows were in place, moreover, they seemed to have been washed recently, and the doors were in place and, judging by their appearance, without any damage, as if it was just refurbished. Did someone make a donation to the church? There are a sizeable amount of Christian in Kuoh after all.

    Tobio couldn''t see the interior of the church, but he assumed that it would be in quite decent as well. Well, at least as decent as decency could be acceptable for Fallen Angels. Surely the church would be filled with broken statues of Jesus and desecrated icons, they are still Fallen Angels after all.

    Sex toys in the shape of a Rosario or prayer beads is quite the hot item for Fallen Angels.

    Tobio did not approve of such blasphemous tendencies of the Fallen Angels, but he did not interfere with them with his worldview. What did he, being a mere human, knew about the relationship of God''s fallen children to Himself, and even more so to His religion?

    So if not by appearance, but what then is pinging his danger sense¡­ Suspicious activity?

    Tobio gazed into the church''s windows, to see if he could any silhouette or something, but saw nothing suspicious, the church seemed deserted, but that was nothing too surprising in itself. It was supposed to be simply a gathering place for a small group of Fallen Angels and their subordinates.

    On the contrary, it would be extremely strange to find crowds of people scurrying in and out of the church haphazardly.

    So, some kind of Magic, perhaps? With the Leviathan here, it would be quite the miracle for the Fallen''s presence to remain hidden, so maybe he''s sensing the trap that was laid on the Abandoned Church to catch people like him? Spies, that is. Tobio doesn''t think that even the Leviathan would expect his arrival in Kuoh.

    Tobio gazed into the church once more, this time using all his magical abilities, he may not be Lavinia, but he was not a one-trick pony who only relies on his [Longinus] either. He had spent quite a bit of time studying magic, and had succeeded quite a bit at it.

    Instantly, observing the church before him revealed the secret that the church was protected by a barrier concealing its occupants ¨C but that was no surprise to Tobio either. After all, it was a gathering place for Fallen Angels hiding under the nose of two VIPs and their retinue, it would be far more surprising to find that the place was not trying to hide in any way.

    At least with the presence of magic that''s hiding the inhabitants of the church from outside view, it confirms to Tobio that the Fallen Angel he''s supposed to meet is still alive¡­ Maybe.

    Because of the presence of the presence concealment magic, even if something magical was in the church, Tobio could not detect it¡­

    But then again, on the other hand, it was unlikely that the Fallen Angels could find a first-class barrier master so easily, so it was most likely a rather hastily erected cover. Something which Tobio could bypass if he concentrated on his senses a bit more.

    Tobio gazed intently into the church again, trying to catch the tiniest fluctuations of the false background in front of him and¡­ Nothing.

    Not in the sense that he didn''t feel any fluctuations, but in the sense that he didn''t feel the background at all. It was as if what is behind the barrier wasn''t there at all, the barrier had stopped all the energy from what is inside form leaking at all, a feat that only the best made barriers were capable of.

    Tobio''s paranoia instantly kicked in. The likelihood that the fallen angels could find a powerful mage on their own, much less doing so secretly from Azazel, and make him work was almost negligible. Tobio realized that the church was a trap.

    But it was too late.

    After all, no one making a barrier wouldn''t also put in an alarm should someone try to peer inside it.

    "[Frost of Judecca]." Declared softly but in the iciest tone of voice Tobio have ever heard, which is quite the accomplishment seeing that he regularly hangs out with Lavinia.

    A moment later, before Tobio could even turn around to face the speaker, ice shackled his body completely, turning it into frozen stone. And as one might expect, magic of this level means that it was not ordinary ice, which would not last even a moment under the influence of his abilities. Tobio was no ordinary man, he was one of the strongest fighters in the entire Fallen faction, second only to Azazel in terms of battle flexibility.

    He might lose out in power to the Fallen Cadre, or even that temperamental adopted son of his, but Tobio was never one to be without options.

    And so, straining with all his might, Tobio instantly focused his all to free even a small part of his body. It was a very well-thought-out ambush, the ice effectively cutting his connection with his shadow.

    He needed at least a small part of his body free, then he could summon [Canis Lycaon] and free himself from his icy prison through his shadow. The ice beneath reacted to his attempt, dousing his attempt to call his power to bear, but Tobio wouldn''t be giving up so easily.

    Judging by the feel of it, this ability was being used by someone no weaker than a Cadre level fighter, and right now, there was at least one Ultimate Class demon with ice control abilities in the city. Someone who would surely attack Tobio before even trying to start a conversation. A Maou famous for doting on her little sister.

    So Tobio, inwardly remembering all the swear words only applicable to Azazel, prepared to come face to face with an enraged Serafall, paused for a moment in an attempt to break free from the icy prison he found himself in.

    In retrospect, it was a bad decision.

    However, also in retrospect, it was unlikely that his continued actions would have been able to shatter Demiurge''s ice prison in the instant it took Shalltear to open a [Gate] leading to Nazarick''s Frozen Prison.

    Today was a bad day to be Tobio Ikuse.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Time stretched so slowly in the school that the entire time of Momonga''s classes, he wanted to check to see if he had run into some Chronomancer who had cast [Time Stretch] on him while he was distracted. Of course, Momonga was protected from temporal influences, but that was the only possibility that crossed his mind as he watched the second hand on the clock in front of him crawl at a snail''s pace.

    After all, this world was a new and unexplored area to Momonga, so there was no denying that the possibility of a similar ability capable of ignoring his temporal defenses did not exist. The ability was only affecting him on a negligible level, however, and so Momonga was forced to admit that there''s no mystery special Chronomancer currently casting its most annoying debuff on him.

    Momonga was simply bored.

    In YGGDRASIL, Momonga had encountered such problem quite often. Recharging abilities, waiting for connections, recovery times for daily quests, even unskippable cutscenes in which he could do nothing but watch them, again and again. Those were perhaps the most annoying, especially when he saw the same scenes repeated for the tenth or twentieth time, sometimes in a row.

    But in YGGDRASIL, there was always something he could do during this wait¡­ Except for the unskippable cutscenes, of course.

    However, for all the inhuman sadism of the shitty devs, and they were sadistic to a fault, the longest unskippable cutscene in all of YGGDRASIL was only twenty-three minutes long, and Momonga had only seen it once. That is the cutscene after defeating [World Eater], the game''s final boss ¨C and he even liked it.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    For all their sadism, at least the developers of YGGDRASIL would, reluctantly, recognize the players'' achievements. But what about the four-hour unskippable cutscene that he has to do on the daily!

    A cutscene titled ''lessons at Kuoh Academy''.

    Momonga sincerely tried to listen to his teacher for a while, and since they change every time he had to watch them, it might even sound reasonable to some people. Well, who would like to watch something that doesn''t interest them, even if it changes all the time!?

    For example, the lesson devoted to classical Japanese literature, it never managed to win his attention even the first day he had attended the class. So, after twenty minutes, when he finally stopped understanding the complex metaphors embedded in the text by the author, or at least how the teacher reasoned about the author''s intent with his work, it simply turned into white noise!

    And he still had an hour left until class finish! What kind of torture is this!?

    And so, before his brain could melt through his ears, Momonga shifted his gaze to the academy''s inner courtyard, deciding to spend the time on a rather questionable in effectiveness, but still a pastime.

    Analyzing the situation in front of him in terms of battle development. That is, just what magic he would need to use to destroy the school and kill all its inhabitants.

    So, to start with, the basics. Even just using magic of Tier Six, a tier that, in the context of a hundredth-level battle, was viewed solely from the perspective of a ''last ditch effort'', when both sides'' resources were already depleted, all those concrete walls and shelters were nothing at all. Not to mention that with the characteristics of level one hundred, even a simple Tier One [Magical Arrow] could pierce through the entire Academy building without losing a single bit of its combat effectiveness.

    Momonga wasn''t sure how much time he had devoted to his study of such an idle thought, but he was absolutely certain that he had spent at least a few hours. In fact, the lunch bell should be ringing nay time now¡­ only to find the teacher still droning on about this or other.

    When he turned his head back, causing the teacher in front of him, who was talking about the influence of Shintoism on the author''s work, for some strange reason, to hiccup almost in fear.

    Momonga found that the teacher hadn''t even turned to the next page of the author''s text, and Momonga himself had spent at best fifteen minutes in his musings.

    If there really is a Chronomancer doing their best to screw with his time perception, he''s going to find that asshole, and he''s going to toss them into Neuronist''s cell.

    The torture then went on for hours, and a cycle would repeat itself. Momonga would get bored, find a distraction that would bore him after a while, and he would return to the lesson, only to remember why he had been bored in the first place. He would then try to find a new distraction for himself, repeat ad infinitum.

    So, when the school bell did ring to herald the start of lunch break, it was like sound of a Siren call to Momonga''s weary mind. He had time to get bored, distract himself and then get bored again, create three hundred notes in his head about future experiments with the magic system, forget half of them, and then come up with just as many more.

    ''And people pay money for this!?'' Momonga could at least applaud his classmates. If these people went to school of their own volition, they were definitely extremely motivated people, willing to spend years of time on such tortures.

    Perhaps he should change his opinion of Katase and Murayama? The two of them did manage to bear this torture that seemed insistent on breaking his mind, after all, and he''s supposed to have immunity to those!

    Who knew that those girls were actually that motivated!

    Rising from his desk, Momonga stretched his back a little, shaking off the phantom stiffness that is impossible for him to actually have but which he somehow still enjoyed expelling with a stretch. That done with, he shifted his gaze to his classmates, and saw that some of them were talking amongst themselves, bringing out their lunch. An action that made Momonga remember that this time, having brought Miki''s breakfast with him, he could invite Katase for lunch!

    The memory of a girl who could distract Momonga a bit from the incredible ennui and boredom of the school instantly made Momonga think of his hike to the abandoned church yesterday. Or more specifically the end of that hike, and the kiss, but luckily for Momonga, his suppression of emotion worked instantly, preventing him from coughing in a fit of embarrassment. The forced calmness instead allowing him to ask himself the logical question.

    ''Am I in a relationship with Katase?''

    Momonga wasn''t sure if he should have congratulated himself or not on that thought. First Albedo, then Shalltear, and now Katase? If he was really in a relationship with her, which perhaps he could interpret her actions that way, given their sort-of date and kiss, then his harem had already grown to three girls. And this was only after his fourth day of existence in this world.

    Did that mean that after a year of his life, his harem would have grown to several hundred?!

    Momonga imagined a picture of him majestically walking along rows and rows of girls, dozens upon dozens dressed scantily, looking at him with worship in their eyes¡­ How many girls would he have to walk just to see all the girls in his harem if it got to that point?!

    A thought that caused him a little bit of pride and excitement, and no small amount of thankfulness for his infinite stamina. What can you do, after all, inside Momonga was still an ordinary man who couldn''t at least on some minimal level not be pleased by such a sight, and a lot more fear for his pelvis.

    ''No, no, don''t get ahead of yourself! You''re not entirely sure how to handle even one girl, three at once is so far beyond you, that you shouldn''t even think about it!''

    The suppression of emotions once again showed itself as Momonga''s most powerful ability, surpassing even his [The Goal of All Life Is Death], allowing Momonga to calm down and return to normalcy.

    Momonga''s gaze slid over his surroundings before coming across a couple of girls casting glances at him, a picture that made Momonga instantly interested and nervous, thankfully, for nothing.

    "Really, they say the whole trio came in beaten up! None of them even look at the girls now!"

    One of the girls'' eyes practically sparkled as she recounted the story, her long brown hair curled in many locks, falling down over her very prominent breasts.

    "So they''re into boys now?" Her companion raised one eyebrow, making the girl frown.

    "No, they aren''t! They say the new guy, Satoru, went up against them one-on-one and beat them up single-handedly! Satoru said that if they dared peep on the girls again, he''s going to beat them up again!" At that moment, the girl glanced at Momonga herself, and when faced with his undivided attention, she hiccupped in surprise, averting her gaze, trying to cover her cheeks that were slowly beginning to turn scarlet with her long hair.

    ''I guess the rumors have already spread around the academy. And as you''d expect, these rumors are surprisingly ''true'' and not as I feared them to be embellished as. Or worse, making it turn out as if staking my claim over the Academy like some mega pervert.''

    Momonga took his eyes off the girls before walking past them, ignoring the furtive look the girls were giving him.

    ''Well, at least those rumors are positive, even though I haven''t done anything of the sort, and wasn''t one of the Perverted Trio supposed to be my brother? How did the rumor that I beat them up came about¡­? On the other hand, it''s not like I''d really have a hard time defeating that trio. First-level mobs like Issei''s friends weren''t even worthy of consideration, and I know the Pandora Actor himself probably better than any other creature in the world. Not to mention the fact I could just order him to surrender. Well, I''m in no hurry to dissipate that rumor, a good reputation is always useful.''

    Stepping out of the classroom and into the hallways, Momonga instantly found Murayama''s familiar figure with his gaze, and Katase? Whom Murayama was pulling with all her might, grasping onto her elbow like a locomotive pulling a stubborn carriage behind her.

    "Katase Higa, you''re going to meet Satoru, one way or another, or my name isn''t Murayama Tanabe!" Murayama''s voice was loud enough, that hearing the girls'' words wasn''t difficult for Momonga, or even a particularly deaf person for that matter.

    ''I understand you, Katase, completely understand, even I felt like a lead cuff is on my legs when I had to confront Shalltear and Albedo. Doing something embarrassing is way too hard¡­.''

    Momonga sighed as he approached the girl who''s busy trying to escape the grasp of her best friend. ''More to the point, if this situation is difficult for you, then you simply have no idea how confusing it is for me¡­''

    However, in the current situation, Momonga didn''t see any more suitable actions for him to take. And moreso he would probably go mad with boredom if he decided to spend lunchtime alone, and so, appearing behind the two girls'' backs, he greeted them, "Good afternoon."

    "Ack!" Katase''s panicked exclamation coincided with her sharp turn on the spot, causing Murayama, who was holding on to her elbow, to almost fall to the ground. Seeing the person that she didn''t want to meet, Katase opened her mouth and, unable to find the courage to say anything, closed it, and then opened it again. Doing her best to create a believable mute pantomime of a beached fish.

    "Oh, Satoru, you''re just in time!" Murayama, having decided to take the reins of the conversation into her own hands instead of Katase, who was paralyzed with embarrassment and fear, smiled at Momonga. "Would you like to join us for a lunch?"

    "Sure," Momonga nodded, looking at the girls, whose ordinary and normal behavior made him feel a strange warmth in his chest. Once upon a time, he had also been just like that, socializing and fooling around with his friends¡­

    The memories of Ainz Ooal Gown''s past made his mood that had soared for a moment instantly plummet. But this was not the time to be morose about his friends, after which he nodded seriously.

    In any case, it''s not like there''s anything more interesting at school at the moment anyway¡­

    At least that''s what Momonga thought for the next few seconds, until he heard a shout from a guy with short blond hair that is approaching him. Momonga''s memory told him that he had seen him somewhere before, but meeting him was clearly not on Momonga''s mind.

    "Hey, you''re free, right?" Though clearly, the blond kid had other plans in mind, greeting him with a wave quite rudely.

    Momonga''s gaze instantly sharpened in response to the unfriendly remark, internally, that is. Though, thanks to the unchanged expression on his face, it made it look as if he was looking at the blonde with hostility, causing him to halt his steps in the middle of the hallway.

    Seeing, that the blonde has become silent, Momonga could only sigh, responding so that he could get this over with. "I apologize, but I think we should introduce ourselves to each other first before I''ll go anywhere with you."

    "Yes, that''s right, s-sorry." The blonde, and before the eyes of Katase, Murayama, and the dozen or so other students in the hallway staring at him, the two girls with unmasked hostility, started speaking with some nervousness.

    "Genshiro Saji."

    After a moment, Genshiro immediately bent in a deep bow, a very unpracticed but more than sincere bow, almost creating a right angle,

    "Please, I need your help!"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Pandora''s actor, Issei Hyoudou to the rest of the world, spent his lunch break the same way as he always did, or at least Issei did, devouring Miki''s cooking. Eating, solely for the purpose of not attracting attention, but at the same time still remembering to note the taste of the food prepared for him, if nothing else so that Miki could improve her offerings to the Father. As he shoveled another morsel of food, he looked at his surrounding ''friends''.

    Matsuda and Motohama. Normally the lunch break between them would have been spent talking, laughing, and discussing the various female forms, whether seen in the locker room or in an erotic magazine. But now there was no conversation between them, creating an awkward silence in the air.

    Naturally, after Satoru, that is Lord Momonga''s more than clear demonstration of His willingness to stop the ''Perverted Trio''s actions, if need be, by physical intervention. And after his very intense threat of bodily harm, the two perverts who had dedicated their lives to pursuing the vision of the female form were in a very upset state of mind.

    Not to mention the great awkwardness hanging in the air over the fact that Satoru was Issei''s older brother. Something which made being around Issei make Matsuda feel awkward, not to mention Motohama, who somehow still frowning his eyebrows in mute anger. At least his brain is functioning enough to realize that he shouldn''t have provoked someone who was more than ready to break every bone in his body.

    Pandora''s Actor himself was more than satisfied with the current situation. Besides being deprived of the necessity of maintaining a social mask, dealing with such tiresome and ''uncool'' ausstellungsst¨¹cke, he could also devote his time to his much more attractive business.

    That is, studying the scene created by his Father, and also maintained the ''natural awkwardness'' of playing the role of an ordinary schoolboy who found himself in such an unpleasant but, for all expectations, very ''ordinary'' situation.

    Therefore, although his human gaze slid in uncertain embarrassed silence over the faces of his friends, Pandora Actor''s focus was turned towards his Vater. To be more precise, not daring to even consider touching the shining mind of the genius that is creating the masterpiece.

    Issei instead turned his attention to his surroundings, at the small parts that make up the entire grand play.

    Genshiro Saji, such a positive and friendly, cheerful young man, just entering his sophomore year of high school, was now in such a depressed state. He was full of empty anger and sad despair, and yet determined, like a ship being swallowed by the inexorable whirlpool of life, and yet desperately clinging to every hope of another day.

    Genshiro Saji had lost his parents years ago and left with the two youngest children, his sister, and brother. His life was not too happy, but not too sad either. After the death of his parents, Genshiro and his small family were left in the care of his grandfather, who had just passed away three days ago.

    The elderly patriarch''s death came as no surprise to Genshiro, for all the painfulness of the subject, the old patriarch was sick and the long course of an incurable illness had simply reaped its harvest. And yet it had left Saji alone with his fate. For, at this point, Saji Genshiro was not a fully functioning adult member of society.

    Perhaps, after proving his ability to exist independently, he could be left to fend for himself, with only the occasional need for check-ups by social workers. But what to do with his younger sister and brother? Small children in need of care and would probably to be separated by a cruel fate, a tragic tale of family separation that Genshiro was not willing to allow as best he could, clutching at every possible straw¡­ Such as summoning Devils.

    The demon summoning flier he had received had been used for its intended purpose, Issei had no doubt that if Genshiro had summoned one of the Devils, his problem would have been solved. In fact, for the two ruler of Kuoh, it would be a very easy task, not even needing a large sacrifice on Saji''s part¡­ If the two Heiress wasn''t so busy dealing with Father''s unexpected appearance, that is.

    Father''s appearance had thrown the Devils'' day into disarray. In the days gone by, they hadn''t dared poke their noses out of their fortified, yet so vulnerable, strongholds, causing the flier Saji received and used to summon them to go to waste. And so, the demonic miracle the desperate teenager had hoped for hadn''t happened.

    However, thanks to the oh so completely accidental spreading of news of Father''s victory over the legendary, in the worst sense of the word, ''Perverted Trio'', Father had become the talk of the school. And so, information about the ''newcomer'' as well as information about his ''emancipated'' status had become a hot topic, quickly spreading through the Academy, giving the desperate schoolboy a new hope.

    Hope, capturing another figure from the stage, weaving another into the ongoing great play of Lord Momonga''s name.

    ''Ah, mein Vater, each of Your acts holds a thousand upon thousands of secrets, and each act is but a prelude to the next, even grander.'' Issei restrained himself only by straining all his strength not to give a military salute to his Father.

    ''Father, how blessed I am to watch the audience become unwitting participants in the performance themselves, not realizing that their ''free will'' coincides so perfectly with Your wishes. How great it is that I am allowed the greatest honor of being the first violin under the greatest conductor, the star of the performance for the director who weaves life itself into such a grand production. But Father, what is your plan now for Genshiro Saji? ''

    Issei was unaware of exactly what Father was planning, how could he know the full grandeur of the plans of the Greatest of the Forty-One, but he could not help but notice the sequence of Father''s steps. Each move made sense, each thread becoming a smaller part of an unimaginably larger fabric. First the reputation He had gained at the Academy by subduing the Perverted Trio, then Katase and Murayama, now Genshiro Saji being attracted to him because of so. Invisible but unbreakable threads had started being wrapped around Kuoh Academy, one by one, as Father''s influence grew.

    And surely Issei could see what those threads were working toward, what Father wanted by creating such a strong web around. While the Devils were shaking with fear at the mere thought of approaching the Father, stooping to such crude and direct methods as ''surveillance'' and ''control'', Father was slipping, with methodical inevitability, poison into the very blood of this academy. This city. This world.

    Each action directing the puppets, of their own ''free will'' to where the actors of this play were to be, getting closer to the Heiress hidden by the influence of the Devil rulers. Father was winning victory after victory against the Devils while they were still unaware that the battle had long since begun.

    And yet Father was granting him Pandora''s Actor, as Issei, the right to act as the star of his performance, to allow him to bring his act to perfection, and direct the pawns to their stage.

    For a second, Issei contemplated going directly to Father for clarification, after all, He had already removed the need for him to maintain the mask of His current existence before Miki''s eyes,

    But the words spoken by Father were unequivocal.

    Only when He directly and unequivocally announced the need to interrupt the act, only then would Pandora Actor''s evaluation be complete and his test over. Until then, Issei had to play his role flawlessly.

    And having embodied Issei for the moment so that he could complete his task flawlessly, Issei realized that the time for him to act was not yet at hand. On the other hand, he was supposed to think for himself¡­

    Of course, directing any of the Devils'' attention was ridiculously easy. Whether it was Rias or Sona, Issei needed only a few words and glances to make them break their shells and throw themselves at Father''s feet. But for every one of Father''s actions, there was a time, a place, and a reason, and if he was unwilling to direct them directly, then Issei had to find another way to take control of this academy.

    In that case, he had to proceed carefully, he needs to be someone on the very edge, a link through which Issei could allow Father to penetrate this world even more.

    Pandora Actor''s mind, accustomed to collating thousands of collectibles, to careful cataloging and perfect knowledge of each exhibit, instantly provided him with a suitable idea. It was the perfect plan, making him smile inwardly a little before turning his head to his friends.

    Acting as Issei, he appeared to look at them a little awkwardly before instantly putting the plan into action. "Hey¡­"

    Matsuda and Motohama, hearing Issei, looked at him, allowing Issei to look away in that perfect ''confused and awkward guy'' way to ask a question,

    "Do you know if Ruruko Nimura in the freshman year has a boyfriend?"

 Overlord of a High School (26)

    Despite the fact that Momonga could take down the annoying guy who was bothering him during lunch break with a single spell, or even a single punch, he had managed to ''win'' Momonga over with his explanation. He even acceded to the demand that he promise to meet him after school, and tell this Genshiro all about how he had been recognized as a ''full member of society'' by the court. That is about his ''emancipation'', a lie that he had created so that Miki and the school wouldn''t question him so much about his background.

    If only Momonga had known the vortex into which his lies about his status would drag him, Momonga would have been better off just agreeing to Miki''s adoption! He only ''agreed'' to tell Genshiro about it since Murayama and Katase were there, and he had to get rid of him quickly, before he got questioned more.

    Anyway, regrets late, now he had to figure out what could he would say about his actions in this case. Other than that, he had tampered with his own documents and made an oversight in them, a small notation that accidentally and effectively ruined his life?! He wasn''t even sure exactly how to spell the word, ''emancipation'' without thinking about it for a time, let alone the legal terms for how the procedure even takes place!

    He especially wasn''t confident in his ability to create a realistic and convincing lie on the fly regarding his history with the phenomenon!

    In addition, when Momonga did finally fend off Genshiro''s pesky attempts to inquire on the spot about Momonga''s status, he was too late, Katase and Murayama, were also now interested in such an ''unusual'' background. It forced Momonga to use almost his entire arsenal of prepared phrases that took him as far away from the subject as possible.

    "That''s not the most interesting story, I''m much more interested in the kendo club''s practices¡­" Only to stumble into something that he also preferred to keep on the down low, judging by Katase''s sudden worried expression.

    To Momonga''s dismay, this phrase made Katase remember that he had supposedly gone to an abandoned church to fight in underground fights. An attempt to distract from this topic turned to the subject of him kissing Katase. And in Katase''s attempt to fend off Murayama, who was peering at her with a sly look, paralyzed with embarrassment, Katase came up with the story that Momonga was supposedly being watched by some unknown woman.

    A woman most likely sent by demons¡­ How could one simple lie lead to so many stressful situations!?

    As he fought off the girls'' attempts to find out about his ''past relationships'', thankfully Katase and Murayama had no idea how strange and confusing his history of current relationships was. And it''s not like he can talk about them, and yet he had never had a ''past'' relationship in his life to speak off, and yet the pressure kept on coming. Momonga almost snapped as he tried to come up with a safe topic to talk about, almost deciding to show the girls magic.

    Well, thanks to his undead mind and suppression of emotions, Momonga didn''t snap in a burst of frustrated desperation. It was just that even his rational mind at some point informed Momonga that in the current situation, revealing magic was far preferable to endlessly trying to fend off the girls'' inquiries.

    Which surprisingly managed to pull him deeper and deeper into the maelstrom of those inquiries, despite his attempts to deflect.

    Fortunately, the bell ringing, signaling the end of the lunch break, saved him from the barrage of questions from Murayama and Katase. Katase was mostly switching between blushing when they were asking personal questions about his past relationship, and how far he had gotten with them. And paling when his ''tragic'' background was used to deflect the questions, only managing to control herself at the very end and say.

    "See you after school¡­ Satoru." With one last shy wave, Katase followed after Murayama back to their class.

    Holding himself back from using some form of teleportation to escape, Momonga quickly walked back towards his classroom, a fate that almost made Momonga thought that the questioning was preferable. It was the same brain-killing boredom as the first half of the class. Only his emotion suppression, which had long ago demonstrated that it''s the most useful of all his power, saved him from casting Super-Tier magic to escape this hell.

    But while his suppression of emotion had the ability to rid him of overflowing emotions at any given moment, allowing to act rationally rather than emotionally, it did not turn him into a mindless machine. Instead of removal, it translated his ''emotions'' into a set of clearly-defined postulates and fabrications. And so Momonga''s verdict by the time he finished his fourth day at Kuoh Academy was unequivocal.

    ''This simply cannot go on like this!''

    Momonga just couldn''t help himself, he felt like a hopeless level one noob who had suddenly entered a level 100 dungeon without any preparation, information study, or help from other players. Who then, by some miracle, now faced the final raid boss in the first room.

    Even the rational part of Momonga that wasn''t directly affected by his emotions idly confirmed that he would most likely just up and leave the school during one of his classes the next day. Or, at the very least, the day after that, putting the need of blending in with the Human World on the back burner, he''ll figure out something else!

    School, at least at this level, was torture to him, after all he was only an elementary school graduate, unlike the elites who have the resource to finish their education. And here he was, attending high-school, it was like someone who had just learned how to float suddenly decided to swim in the open ocean.

    Even his worries about paying a forfeit, a cost that he hoped he might be able to mitigate with the help of the Fallen Angels. Or even his fear of discarding his fake identity, were scaring him less and less by the minute. Yes, he would probably end up in debt and stick up like a sore thumb to anyone bothering to look, a position that he really rather not be in, but at least he would retain the remnants of his sanity. Something which Momonga valued more highly than any disguise or possible monetary penalty.

    Though he really doesn''t like that last one.

    Therefore, before insanity would make Momonga do something extremely rash, he decided to devote all his free time to thinking about a possible way out of the crisis he was facing and preparing escape routes. Momonga had plenty of free time during school, after all.

    However, no matter how hard Momonga tried, he couldn''t find the perfect escape route. If he didn''t show up at the school one day, it would alarm the Demons, who would have instantly rushed in search of his trail. And considering Miki, whose ability to maintain a disguise over her changed nature in the face of powerful paranormal beings is highly in doubt. It wouldn''t also be very hard for the Demons to find the abandoned church, currently full of, not only fallen angels, but also three level 100 Nazarick NPCs. Nothing good would happen from the Demons meeting the likes of Demiurge, Albedo or Shalltear.

    Demiurge might make do if he''s alone, he''s the most logical of the level 100 NPCs after all, but the other two? Kuoh would probably vanish from the map.

    Of course, he could send a Nazarick doppelg?nger in his place, a low level one would probably do after a bit of coaching. But, being under constant Demon surveillance, the disguise needs to be ironclad to have any chance of succeeding. And, considering that he had at least encountered the Leviathan in person, a local Demon ruler of about seventieth level, she most likely have the ability to recognize doppelg?ngers, a single chance meeting would ruin the disguise immediately.

    Of course, judging by the fact that Pandora''s Actor was still undiscovered, it meant that a highly ranked doppelg?nger could probably avoid detection. But Pandora''s Actor is literally the highest ranked doppelg?nger in the tomb, with Narberal Gamma being the second highest. Risking a Pleiades Sister for a plan that is so uncertain is quite foolish, and other than those two, the other senior doppelg?ngers were far behind in both combat and imitation abilities.

    In other words, the only way for him to stop appearing at the school, without disturbing the demons, was to declare to them that he had achieved his ''goal'' at the Academy¡­ Which would almost certainly alarm the Demons.

    It would probably send them on a wild goose chase to find out what exactly Momonga''s goal was and what had changed now that he had ''achieved'' it. Which, again, would only lead to a higher alert level that could lead them to the abandoned church.

    Momonga, having had time to experience his own damned version of ''luck'', Momonga was sure that was exactly what would happen¡­

    But other than that? What other way could Momonga get out of the school? Perhaps he could contact the Demons directly and tell them that he was willing to leave the school grounds in exchange for some preferential treatment from them?

    In theory, it was a workable plan. It would both reduce the likelihood that the Demons would start looking for traces of him in the city and accidentally discover the changed Miki or the abandoned church. The only question was, what to ask the Demons?

    Momonga didn''t even know what exactly he could demand from the demons. Not their abilities, not even the relative value of certain items, nor just what their stockpiles of resources are, nothing at all. Not to mention the fact that Momonga would be utterly lost if the demons decided to just say no.

    In the end, Momonga only has two possible ways forward.

    One, he could just give up thinking of a way off of school, and just spent some time gathering information about the Demons before thinking about another plan to quit school. Momonga however was not confident that he could last another day in school, never mind the indeterminate amount of time he needed to gather information about the Demons.

    Second, he could simply begin open conflict with the Demons. Something that was basically anathema to him, fighting someone when he doesn''t even have an iota of information about them? He''d rather cut off one of his limbs rather than do that. He could not even roughly estimate the true extent of the demons'' forces in this world, nor did he know the alliances of those and the strongest players on their side!

    After all, as Pandora''s Actor had informed him, Serafall, who held a high position in the demon world, was officially many times inferior to at least two other Demons'' leaders. Which, firstly, meant that they were probably close to the hundredth level, if not over that level at all, who knows if the hundredth level is the limit here, so caution is already paramount. And, secondly, that secretly there could be a much larger number of high-level beings in the demon faction.

    After all, only two of them were known about, who was to say that another ten of them didn''t remain in the shadows? Just like in YGGDRASIL, it''s the secret bosses and dungeons that kills you after all.

    After all, the first thing he met in this world, the so called ''Great Red Dragon'', and it was very powerful for some random encounter. It wouldn''t be strange if he didn''t meet at least a few beings of his power level later on, or maybe even a dozen.

    Unless, by some incredible coincidence, the strongest being in this world was supposed to be relegated into some random encounter, and he had fought it by chance¡­ Which, given Momonga''s cursed luck, no longer seemed completely impossible to him.

    But still, he should only act based on what is rational, and not by some jumped up paranoia¡­ While the skill he got from using Dark Wisdom on it was proving its usefulness now, it was simply too weak a skill from the supposed ''strongest''.

    Right, even the other Red Dragon was so weak! Well, the [Boost] skill is Overpowered, but to have no Immunity at all to Instant Death, or ways to mitigate it? Maybe Dragons are actually quite weak in this world?

    The moment the bell rang to inform Momonga that classes were over for the day, Momonga couldn''t come up with a perfect plan for leaving the school that wouldn''t involve a lot of other problems. So, rising from his seat, Momonga immediately made his way out of school, doing his best to not meet both Katase and Saji.

    And while Momonga could at least deal with Katase, especially since she was practically paralyzed with embarrassment at his presence, and thus probably couldn''t drill his brain like her friend. Saji''s presence only reminded Momonga of the many difficulties that awaited him at the moment outside the school grounds. Difficulties that Momonga couldn''t deal with.

    Unless he dared to change Saji''s memories¡­? Sadly, such a thing was impossible since he had approached him in front of a lot of people. If he were to brainwash Saji, he would also need to do it to everyone that had been in that corridor when he met Saji, and the countless number of people that had heard rumors about his promise to him.

    Something that is basically putting the cart before the horse, brainwashing people so that his lies doesn''t become obvious and attract the attention of the Demons. Only by doing so, brainwashing dozens or even more people and attracting even more attention. Never mind the fact that it would probably suck him dry of Mana and make him vulnerable for some time until it regenerates.

    That was why evasion was his best option¡­ Which is why when he saw two familiar figure awaiting him, he could only sigh.

    Sighing inwardly as he approached the two people, the noise causing the two to turn towards him at the same time as he approached. Saji and Katase seemed to have read his mind and were waiting right in front of the school gates.

    Momonga thought for a moment about sending Saji away, possibly by referring to Katase and his possible relationship with her, hoping that the awkwardness of being a third wheel would scare Saji away. But judging by his determined look, Saji had no intention of backing down even in the face of such a threat. Of course, Momonga couldn''t help but respect such determination, but that didn''t mean he was all that happy about the current situation either.

    "Good afternoon¡­ Or I suppose it''s evening now, Katase, Saji." Momonga addressed the two, feeling only tiredness at the future headaches. He was really grateful for the way his unchanged expression radiated nothing but good-naturedness and understanding, and not allowing his desire to send the two humans away at the moment to be reflected in the tone of his voice.

    "I believe the current situation is somewhat¡­. Unusual." Maybe he could use Katase to at least drive Saji away? He''s not holding his breath on it though, and he could hold his breath forever now¡­

    Katase and Saji exchanged glances, as if trying to gauge the awkwardness of the situation on some internal scale, before looking away. And to Momonga''s dismay, just as he had predicted, Katase shifted from foot to foot, embarrassed, and, lowering her gaze, quietly mumbled something before turning to leave. "See you tomorrow, Satoru¡­"

    Sighing inwardly, disappointed but not at all surprised, Momonga nodded. "Yes, see you tomorrow." Momonga supposed that Saji had talked to her about what they were about to talk about.

    After that, Katase hurried away, and Momonga looked at Saji, who looked awkward, a little nervous, but determined, like a soldier preparing for his last battle. "I need your help."

    After a moment, Saji bent down in a bow again, so quickly and deeply that he nearly fall over and stabbing his head into the ground beneath his feet. "Please!"

    Momonga responded to such an impassioned plea with only a thoughtful look. So Saji, who had not gotten the result he expected, took a deep breath, as if before performing a dive from a high board, and then began to kneel down without raising his head.

    Momonga had no doubt that should he keep silent, Saji''s next move would be to lower himself into ''dogeza''. A pose of a perfect beggar''s lowliness, a willingness to literally lie in his feet, forehead resting fully on the ground and body pressed against the ground.

    Momonga didn''t like to look at humiliated people, especially those who didn''t deserve it, and those whose eyes were filled with determination. It seemed to him that such an action would be an insult to the determination that Saji had gathered until that moment.

    Seeing that, since Momonga wasn''t answering him, Saji began to lower his torso to the ground, so Momonga reached out and placed his hand on Saji''s shoulder, stopping his actions. Saji, feeling a hand on his shoulder, looked up at Momonga, once again his face lighting up with a determined look.

    Perhaps his way of getting his way was humiliating, but Saji would stop at nothing to achieve what he felt was truly important¡­

    Momonga sighed, audibly this time, and said slowly. ''''What I tell you about my status won''t help you."

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Technically, this was the absolute truth, if just slightly misleading. But Saji looked at Momonga almost defiantly, and then, in an unexpected gesture for Momonga, bent down again, resting his forehead on the ground and putting his hands forward in an almost prayerful gesture.

    "PLEASE, I''M ASKING FOR HELP!" Saji said loud and clear, causing a few distant schoolmates who were heading home to stop, staring in surprise at the figure of¡­ Momonga towering over Saji, then they began whispering to each other as they watch.

    Momonga frowned inwardly for a second, before suddenly realizing something important.

    Saji was blackmailing him with his own humiliation.

    In fact, to an outside observer, the situation was very clear at this point. Saji was literally lying at Momonga''s feet, begging for help. To an outsider, it would make more sense to assume that Momonga had made Saji humiliate himself in such a manner before he could acquire his ''help''. And considering that Momonga''s reputation was just beginning to recover from his ''taming'' of the Perverted Trio, such a picture would be a blow to his reputation. Rumors already seemed like they had a life of their own at the Academy, and if there was suddenly another rumor that he is a pervert, even more so than Issei? A pervert who just liked humiliating guys, not peeping at girls?

    His reputation would drop to the lowest point in an instant¡­ Probably even lower than the Perverted Trio, even. There was even already a previous event where he beat up the Trio and humiliated them, so it would fit.

    Momonga didn''t want to be labeled as a pervert. Even if he didn''t come to this school anymore, Momonga couldn''t live if the last memory of him in this place was from such rumors¡­ No, worse, what if he stopped going to the academy, and people thought that he stopped going because of those rumors'' truthfulness!?

    A suppression of emotions worked once again and Momonga was forced to admit defeat once again, exhaling slowly. "Okay, fine, stand up already. I''ll help you."

    "Thank you so much!" Saji seemed to literally flew off the ground, as he reached for Momonga to envelop him in a hug, but Momonga pulled himself away with the grace of a hundredth level before he could. Looking at Saji''s soiled uniform, before glancing at the other students, trying to gauge if they had decided that Momonga was responsible for the boy''s humiliation.

    But, as he watched for the reactions of the popcorn gallery, his gaze came across a rather curious detail as he watched the throngs of students watching his episode with Saji. ''Hmm, magic powers?''

    The young girl, which was not at all unusual in an Academy, with hair the color of tree bark, tied into two long tails down the sides of her head, and emerald-colored eyes, was the bearer of magical abilities¡­ However, Momonga could not determine their power at a glance.

    ''[Silent Magic: Life Essence], [Silent Magic: Mana Essence].'' A couple of spells that were quickly becoming Momonga''s favorite, revealed to him the girl''s basic stats. That is, if she wasn''t hiding them with a strong enough counter-espionage magic.

    ''Umu, no higher than level fifteen, I''d even say around level ten? She probably wouldn''t be a threat even to Raynare¡­ Although, she''s looking at me closely, maybe she''s one of the local Demons? Unfortunately I''m not good at identifying the race of mobs with my spells, excluding, of course, the most exotic variants or consumable items. Besides, the demons of this world bear only an extremely faint resemblance to the Demons of YGGDRASIL, looking very much like normal humans¡­ Ah, one problem after another!''

    "But I think we''d better move somewhere more private, don''t you think?" Momonga said slowly, keeping his eyes on the new possible Demon.

    Saji, hearing this, nodded seriously, clearly relieved that he had gotten his wish, smiled,

    "Sure, let''s go, my house isn''t far away!"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Ruruka Nimura had always been a big fan of solving mysteries and riddles, things ranging from detective novels, to where her neighbors'' parents worked. The latter didn''t exactly endear her to those same parents, and, by extension, to the children of her neighbors, which often led Ruruka to associate with other outcasts instead. But, her love of the strangest mysteries and riddles brought her to Sona Sitri''s doorstep when she pieced together a few facts.

    She walked into the student council office, loudly exclaiming that Sona Sitri was the head of a mafia family and practiced magic.

    The first claim was not quite true, Sona was not the head of a mafia family, unfortunately for Ruruka, who had practiced how to deal with mafias by watching the entire Godfather series several times and buying a fedora. But on the other hand, Sona did practice magic, and one outrageous claim being true out of two, is not a bad ratio.

    As it turned out, Sona Sitri was a Devil and even the heiress of one of the Devil''s noble clan¡­ Which, in Ruruka''s mind, was not something that out of the left field. If she had already thought that Sona was a magic practitioner, why couldn''t she accept the fact that she''d be a Devil as well?

    In any case, Sona, quite intrigued by Ruruka''s analytical and deductive skills, offered her a chance to rebirthed as a Devil, with some other nice perks to follow. Things like learning actual magic, and a chance to elevated to be a High-Ranked Devil, granting her a personal demonic land grant and a Peerage of her own.

    Oh, and let''s not to forget near-immortality.

    So Ruruka agreed to Sona''s offer without hesitation. So after being inducted into becoming a Devil, Ruruka was expecting a lot of things on her first day as a member of Sona''s Peerage. Perhaps she would be hearing Sona''s story about her new life as a Devil, or maybe secret knowledge of the occult part of the world hidden from ordinary people? And maybe a couple of spells as her material for home study¡­

    She got that, and perhaps even more than she could swallow.

    On the day Ruruka was to undergo her first lesson in her new Devil life, she was taken out of class before first period even began, excused by some reason or other and was taken into the Student Council room. It was there that her crash course on the supernatural side of the world began.

    It was a curious mix of emotions after the seminar, fear, anger, panic, confusion, and three dozen others that Ruruka could not fully appreciate. Emotions that were also reflected in the usually taciturn Student Council President.

    The world was much larger than she first, and could have imagined.

    What she did manage to fully appreciate, however, was the warnings Sona had given her, and just how many mysterious things existed in the world. Ruruka could probably have guessed that gods existed on her own, if not immediately. If Devils existed, then why couldn''t gods, after all?

    But the fact that one of them would one day decide to move into Ruruka''s city was something she hadn''t ever imagined could happen. Judging by Sona''s panicked reaction, she was also unprepared for such a thing¡­ Which, Ruruka assumed, was a big deal.

    After all, Sona always seemed to be well aware of everything that was going on in the city, not to mention the fact that she was the younger sister of one of Hell''s highest ranking officials. However, Sona had panicked so much that she ended up not even being able to concentrate on Ruruka''s training or her duties, which was incredibly rare for Sona.

    The only direction she gave, to the entire Student Council, her Peerage, was that they should stay away from Satoru, the supposed god in hiding. Sona really should''ve known better¡­

    Of course, for a known problem child and lover of riddles that managed to go so far as to turn into a Devil in her riddle solving, no more a tempting target could Sona give her with her warnings. A red button with a big ''do not press'' sign on it.

    Who in their right mind could keep themselves from pressing that one at least a couple of times!

    In addition, Ruruka''s interest had been piqued after she''d seen the Pervert Trio''s changes for the first time. Although Ruruka hadn''t been exposed to their actions directly, having moved to high school only a week ago, rumors of them had reached not only Ruruka, who had attended Kuoh Middle School, but seemingly half of Japan.

    So, even for just that reason, Ruruka was obliged to witness the person who had completed Hercules'' thirteenth labors, ''the taming of the Perverts'', in person.

    And after making sure that the Trio she found had indeed changed, Ruruka was confronted with an unbelievable sight on her way out of the academy, a guy crawling in dust and dirt in front of Satoru. After something like that, Ruruka just couldn''t shrug her shoulders and walk past, her hunger for secrets and mysteries demanded answers.

    At the very least, she would find out the reason such a thing had happened. Besides, her past big mystery had turned her into a Devil, what would it be this time? Would she be endowed with divine powers?!

    So, acting according to all the rules of espionage, namely, according to all the books she had read, Ruruka began tailing behind Satoru and the young, and by the way, very handsome looking, guy. Of course, she kept her distance from them, not getting too close, but also not too far away that she would lose sight of them either.

    She kept moving from one inconspicuous position, that is behind a light pole or some trash cans, to another as Satoru and the other student walked through the streets, eventually reaching a rather large house on one of the streets.

    Throughout the entire time they were traveling, Satoru and the boy didn''t utter a word, however, they couldn''t just head off to nowhere without any purpose, could they? So, having come to the most logical conclusion, Satoru and the boy must be wishing to have a secret conversation!

    Ruruka also came to the equally logical conclusion, that she was obliged to violate their privacy.

    And so, after waiting a dozen seconds after Satoru had entered the building, she followed the two students, crouching under one of the windows. Peering in through the window for a moment, photographing the picture before her with her inner gaze before dropping down to hide, replaying the image, so she could investigate what was happening.

    Inside there were not just Satoru and the other guy, but two other much younger people, a boy, and a girl. And with their familial similarity, and unless the guy that Satoru was following wasn''t some crazy Casanova, with a story worthy of a very tragic and perverse book, and probably a rapid trial, they must be his younger siblings.

    Seeing that there''s no older relatives, in this case meaning the young children were left unattended, behavior unacceptable to any adult. So their parents, or a person acting in their role, could not have been present at the moment. Either out of neglect¡­ Or perhaps because there was none at all?

    These facts combined with the earlier event at school¡­ Was he asking a favor from Satoru? About what? What is it about Satoru that would interest someone who have younger siblings and no parental oversight¡­ Ah, there''s only one thing, the really juicy rumor when Satoru first enrolled!

    "Bingo!" Ruruka said aloud, snapping her fingers, before remembering that she was supposed to be hiding, biting her tongue and looking around, even taking a peek inside again, making sure she wasn''t spotted at the moment. After making sure that her actions were not noticed at the moment, she tried to eavesdrop on what was currently happening inside the house, pressing her ear against the thin wall.

    Ruruka couldn''t make out any specific words of course, but with her enhanced hearing as a [Pawn] of Sona Sitri, she could at least pick up the tone of the conversation.

    Ruruka felt like she had pressed herself into the wall, trying to hear at least scraps of the conversation, by the sound of it, the tone of one conversation partner - Ruruka would bet it was Satoru, was calm. The tone of the other guy¡­ Surprised? Then¡­ Shocked?

    Ruruka pressed her head even harder in an effort to actually hear what they were talking about, the scraps of information just lighting up her curiosity more. But, she still couldn''t catch the details, only the tones.

    Surprise, quickly replaced by a calm tone, with a hint of shock¡­ What could it mean?

    Maybe Satoru had revealed something to the guy about the magical side of the world? If the guy had asked him for help regarding the paperwork for emancipation, then Ruruka had no doubt that Satoru could arrange it¡­ Being a god, and all.

    However, wouldn''t that cause a clash with Boss, and Rias Gremory? Then again, god, and just from Sona''s fearful explanation and order to be careful, Ruruka suspected that that position was important enough to intervene for the sake of one person.

    After waiting another dozen seconds and ultimately hearing nothing of significance, Ruruka finally moved away from the wall, her curiosity somewhat sated. As she moved, she looked around her once more, and finding no one near her, she hurried away before her presence would be noticed by any of her surveillance targets.

    Unaware of just how insignificant her attempts at subterfuge meant.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Once again, Demiurge could only marvel at how brilliant Lord Momonga''s mind was.

    Indeed, even the smallest of His actions were part of an incomprehensibly large picture. Every little detail became part of the big picture, plans were extensions of each other, flowing so naturally that it was impossible to even trace the exact moment when one is completed and gave rise to a new one.

    For example, the summoned creatures of the eightieth level, Goemon and Hanzo.

    Of course, they were necessary for the fulfillment of the first step of Lord Momonga''s plan, Raynare''s information gathering about the release of the Red Dragon, surely they had played a part in that plan. But their role did not end there.

    The first to bite the bait was Tobio Ikuse, a powerful agent of the Fallen Angel, a possessor of a [Longinus]. Raynare had notified Demiurge that Azazel, that damned traitor, would be sending his prized mutt to this city. And Hanzo, a level eighty creature who specialized in gathering information, countering invisibility and had outstanding concealment abilities, was ''coincidentally, the perfect tool to follow such a target.

    Tobio never even had an inkling that the summon creature was lurking very close to him, watching his every move. After receiving information about Tobio from Raynare, who was quite surprised by his presence in the city, the original plan to cloak Hanzo in shadow had been called off due to Tobio''s ability to control his own shadow.

    As it turned out, Tobio was the possessor of [Longinus], [Canis Lycaon], one whose power is related to shadow control. So, after confirming the information about Tobio, Demiurge ''came up'' with a plan, as of course orchestrated by the Supreme One.

    With the help of Shalltear, Tobio was quickly kidnapped to the Nazarick''s lofts, after which the next important detail of Lord Momonga''s plan, the summoned Goemon, came into play. [Canis Lycaon] was quickly extracted from Tobio Ikuse''s body, who had the unfortunate fortune of encountering quite an unpleasant feature of [Throne of Kings] of Nazarick.

    As a World Class Item has an effect of suppressing the effects of World Class Items, including the [Longinus] unique to this world.

    Demiurge wasn''t quite sure that his plan would work, which is why he had asked Shalltear''s help in the first place. However, as the Demiurge logically thought, if the [Sacred Gear], a smaller portion of which were [Longinuses] had been created by the Biblical God, Lord Momonga in the past. Then wouldn''t the current defenses of the [Throne of Kings] would also be effective against them?

    As expected, he was right, there was no doubt that everything was as Lord Momonga wishes, and he now has a World Class Item to present to the Supreme One. An achievement worthy of praise.

    The World Class Item was an extremely lucky catch for Demiurge, an important item even when compared to the entirety of Nazarick''s Treasury. Tobio Ikuse himself also served as an equally significant item.

    Thanks to the assessments from Shalltear and Albedo, his combat level was determined to be close to level fifty. With the use of [Canis Lycaon], it was likely that he would be able to approach level seventy, or even slightly higher, but more critical than his direct combat potential was the information he possessed.

    Oh, sure, Tobio was stubborn to the extreme, but he broke in the end, as all those who were unlucky not to be born with the purpose the Supreme One gives their creation. Neuronist, with the direct and immediate assistance of Demiurge himself, was able to crack him in just a few hours. Neuronist didn''t even have to resort to healing magic, given that Tobio possessed a very impressive constitution.

    Though, Albedo and Shalltear had to be used a few times, suppressing Tobio''s will to fight and attempts for rebellion before he started to talk.

    It took just a few hours of ''convincing'' the little mutt of the Fallen before Tobio began to talk. Not about everything, he flatly refused to discuss his ''team'', but that was also a temporary obstacle that simply required some time and work from a dear Neuronist¡­ Information about the traitors was more important now, the mutt''s friends can come later.

    What exactly Demiurge was to do to him in the future, Demiurge himself was not sure. Certainly, as a servant of the Fallen Angels who had dared to rebel against Lord Momonga in the past, Demiurge was inclined on a painful execution.

    But what kind of execution was in question at the moment.

    Demiurge was not sure which would be more fitting, the amount of pain and suffering, or simply ones that are more symbolic? Crucifixion seemed the most fitting to him for symbolism, but flaying him alive and then plunging him in brine a few times had its appeal¡­

    Ah, but that was simply idle musings, who was pleased that he had been able to unravel part of Lord Momonga''s grand plan and accomplish His will with his little unsophisticated talent. The information provided by Tobio was abundant to the extreme and focused in large part on the Fallen Angel.

    Who, as one would expect, these traitors were Lord Momonga''s first target.

    The information about their internal strife did not even surprise Demiurge. Degenerate creatures that dared to rebel against their creator they are, how could they have known at all about what was ''loyalty'', even amongst self-similar degenerate renegades? Therefore, upon learning that Azazel, the nominal ruler of the Fallen Angels faction, was in a precarious position, facing a very prominent faction of opposition in the form of Kokabiel. Demiurge saw perfectly well the next part of Lord Momonga''s plan.

    One that he had to direct to fulfill Lord Momonga''s grand plan.

    Kokabiel wished for a continuation of the Great War, a new start to the Three-Sided War, but Demiurge did not wish for the angels who had so far remained loyal to Lord Momonga, Biblical God, to suffer. By remaining loyal when Lord Momonga had left, his brothers and sisters from Heaven deserved to once again stand under Lord Momonga''s banner. Not to perish in a new war, not even realizing that Lord Momonga had once again returned to this world.

    However, the Devils¡­

    As far as Tobio had reported, Lucifer, as Lord Momonga''s first traitor, had been destroyed. As had the vast majority of those who fought alongside him against God, making it impossible for Demiurge to instantly anathematize each one of them in absentia. Especially considering that some Devils had rebelled in the past against those who dared to encroach on Lord Momonga''s power over this world. A Civil War.

    Certainly they had indirectly killed the traitors, quite the service, but they rebelled against those not for the fact of their betrayal of Lord Momonga, but out of their own base motives. And thus the Demiurge had no sense of camaraderie for those who now used the name of the arch-predator Lucifer as their exalting title, and thus could be used as pawns of the incipient confrontation.

    And, of course, as one would expect, all of this fitted splendidly into Lord Momonga''s unified plan. Plans within plans that pulled one thread after another.

    After all, a casus belli was needed to start the war to end all wars. An incident that only Kokabiel could provide, an incident with enough casualties to provoke a large Devil response that would draw the entire Fallen Angel faction into the maelstrom.

    Only Kokabiel in the entire Fallen Angel faction, represent any appreciable force willing to commit that action. And while many powerful Devils could stop his actions before the incident got out of hand¡­

    However, was it not then such a ''fortunate coincidence'' that the Devils'' gaze in this case was not fixed not on the fallen, but on Lord Momonga himself? How easily one simple assassination could slip the laxed nets.

    Serafall Leviathan had already arrived, ready to summon several other extremely powerful figures of her people to contact Lord Momonga at a moment''s notice. Coincidentally, leaving her world briefly quite defenseless against one swift strike from a powerful, as far as that word was concerned, Fallen Angel?

    And, of course, just when the Demiurge was contemplating the timing of such an action, Lord Momonga reported that one of the petty Devil pawns had dared to approach him, attempting in their pathetic efforts to ''follow'' Lord Momonga?

    Without pause, Demiurge had picked up on the dozen unspoken orders and Hanzo had penetrated the Devil''s shadow, for close observation and possible contact with the Devils at the necessary moment. While at the same time being ordered by Lord Momonga to not only get the opportunity for contact, but also the opportunity to determine the Devils'' reaction to revealing information about the mystical side of this world to the unenlightened people of Earth¡­ Indeed, Lord Momonga, who but He was to be called ''omniscient''?

    Therefore, after finishing writing the letter, Demiurge smiled slightly. There were many minor details left. He needs to make contact with Kokabiel, pass information to him, direct him in a suicidal attack, then, when the demons'' retaliation would draw the Fallen into war, retake the reins of the faction after a decapitating strike. Simultaneously throwing them under the wheels of other factions as a bargaining chip and gaining more pawns to use.

    And that was only one part of the plan and one part of the information Tobio had brought in. The Chaos Brigade, the mages of Europe, the Youkai of Japan¡­

    Folding his hands in a gesture of prayer, Demiurge once again praised Lord Momonga and thanked Him for every opportunity to follow His will as His faithful servant, before nodding as he looked at the blessed image of His son.

    "Amen."

 Overlord of a High School (27)

    Momonga could finally breathe a little freely, not because he was sure that his actions could not lead to a negative result, but because now the result of what had happened was no longer in his hands. Finally, Momonga could relax a little.

    One of the most critical issues that occupied his mind, besides the Demons at least, was the subject of magic in this world. That is, the fact that paranormal beings were hidden from ordinary people partially answered the question of why magic was not massively known in this world, but he never got any answer to the question as to why. And that lack of information limited his list of possible actions on Earth very much.

    Once again, he was forced to confront the fact that this world is radically different from his own¡­ As if the giant dragon and fallen Angels didn''t already attest to the fact. Though he had to admit, with how the paranormal acted, there at least exist the possibility that the paranormal existed in his world, only very carefully hidden.

    Maybe some kind of ancient treaties of non-interference, or maybe even a special police units dealing with the separation between the world of the paranormal and ordinary people? Of course, it wasn''t that likely, but the current state of affairs with the separation between the two worlds had to have some justification, didn''t it?

    And it was with this reasoning that Momonga planned to find out. Thanks to a fortunate coincidence, the girl he had noticed earlier had followed him, perhaps to find more information about him¡­ This could be his chance, a Demon that Momonga could isolate to a location of his choosing.

    Initially, Momonga had assumed that the best course of action was to take her under mind control and alter her memory. But the Hanzo, who had joined him at Demiurge''s order, had slipped into her shadow before Momonga had time to decide on a suitable place to ambush her. Momonga had already forgotten that he had summoned a Hanzo at all!

    But of course, as one would expect, when Momonga contacted the Hanzo with [Message], the latter only reported back in a respectful tone that he had proceeded with his plan¡­

    Momonga''s plans, that is¡­ If only this other Momonga would be so kind as to tell him what they were supposed to be!

    This time, though, Momonga''s ingenious ''plan'' didn''t seem to have backfired on him, but actually worked as he needed it to. The Hanzo hiding in the girl''s shadow was a perfect opportunity to observe her and her surroundings stealthily. Maybe he could even have a chance to eavesdrop on the Demon''s meeting with the other Demons so that Momonga could learn of their plans, or even what they might have learned about him!

    More than that, Momonga thought, he had been quite successful in taking a chance in confirming the paranormal''s view in bringing in the mundanes into their world. Revealing information to Saji about the paranormal world whist the Demon could hear, would force the girl to report to her superiors, and from there Momonga could learn of their response to such a thing with the Hanzo listening in.

    Worse comes to worst, Momonga could easily use [Control Amnesia] and make it as if he had never met Saji in the first place. It would be quite the waste of MP, but it might be much better than if the paranormal''s'' response to the Masquerade being broken is full-out war. Though Momonga doubt that such a thing would come to pass ¨C of course the''s also the risk of the Hanzo being discovered¡­

    Maybe he should switch out the Hanzo to a better summoned monster? The Hanzos might be good enough for simple reconnaissance, but he''s simply too low-leveled, being easily detected by level 100 Players with any levels in the [Ranger] class¡­

    However, it was most likely an acceptable risk. So far, the information gathered by Pandora''s Actor and analyzed by the Demiurge did not indicate that one of the known powerful Demons was specialized in classes for detecting hidden enemies. But at the same time, Hanzo''s summoning was costly enough that Momonga, having instructed Hanzo to try to escape unnoticed in case of danger, decided to went on about his business taking things one at a time. Now, rather than thinking further about the Demons, he was recounting his interaction with Saji.

    Of course, Momonga didn''t tell Saji anything about Nazarick, instead saying that he simply had some magical powers. Nothing excessive or things that the Demons didn''t already know. He demonstrated his physical strength by lifting a couch with one hand, then stabbing himself with a kitchen knife without injury, and that was enough to convince Saji of his magical abilities.

    However, even this unexpected discovery didn''t change Saji''s original desire to take care of his family¡­ Something that Momonga couldn''t help Saji with without sinking in an inordinate amount of resources. He couldn''t exactly repeat what he did for himself, so he would probably have to rely on the Demons to accomplish what Saji wanted.

    At the moment, he certainly didn''t plan to bargain with the Demons, not knowing his position or the demons'' position at all, for the sake of a stranger''s family at that. At least, until his situation with the Demons were resolved, Momonga wanted to keep Saji close to him, and ideally, loyal to him.

    Of course, Momonga wasn''t worried that Saji might be a threat to him, so it wasn''t worth throwing away the opportunities he had to make possible new acquaintances in this world¡­ No matter how insignificant they might be.

    He couldn''t do much about Saji''s problem, or if the Demons decides to silence him, except to kidnap him and take him to the Church of the Fallen Angels. However, to Momonga''s surprise, Saji responded negatively to his offer, choosing to stay in his home, and even to continue going to school¡­ Which baffled Momonga''s mind.

    People actually choose to go to school?

    On one hand, Momonga could certainly understand, the man didn''t want to lose the money invested in his education, and clearly wanted to take the chance to get a high-paying job that required a full high school education. But on the other¡­ it''s school. Was it really only Momonga who thought that school was more akin to torture than anything else!?

    In any case, at least for now, he could simply order Demiurge to send one of his servants to watch over Saji. For the future however¡­ Well, he hopes the situation with the Demons would clear up soon, and he could influence Saji to get himself one more pawn in this world¡­ Or at least get rid of him without attracting attention, depending on how the dialog with the Demons would turn out.

    And if some situation unfolds to Saji where Momonga couldn''t act on it?

    Well, that''s an issue Momonga will deal with when it arises.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    If Hanzo wasn''t currently stuck in the girl''s shadow at the moment, he would have had to exert all his willpower in order not to cry at Lord Momonga''s mercy for His lowly servant.

    Lord Momonga, in His infinite generosity and mercy, had required Hanzo himself to promise that he would not expose himself to needless risk and would try to avoid any danger that came his way. How great was Lord Momonga''s merciful heart!

    Hanzo believed that his punishment, the cursed ''rest'', was payback for his willful abandonment of his post, for Hanzo''s refusal to watch over Raynare, choosing instead to throw himself into Lord Momonga''s defense in his battle against the red dragon. Though of course, how stupid could he be?

    How could he even dare suggest that Lord Momonga could be in danger, that something wasn''t going to fit into His grand plan?!

    But was it possible that Lord Momonga had punished Hanzo not only for disobeying orders and being useless in battle, but also out of mercy, worried about Hanzo endangering himself by engaging in battle with the red dragon? Lord Momonga had ended that battle almost instantly, but even though Lord Momonga was invulnerable to the red dragon, Hanzo had put himself at risk by entering the battle.

    Was this another of the reasons why Lord Momonga was angry at him, could his punishment have grown from Lord Momonga''s concern and mercy?!

    Hanzo could hardly imagine such mercy from his Lord towards His lowest servant, but Lord Momonga''s concern spoke of just that.

    Hanzo was therefore thankful that he did not possess a physical body while in shadow form, or he would have been rubbing his face with all his might where his eyes should have been, trying to hold back the tears¡­ Which his body was technically incapable of, but which would surely have leaked out anyway!

    And so Hanzo could in no way, not in a single gesture, allow his mission to be carried out with less than absolute and perfect precision! His every ability was trained, his hearing was sharp, his perfect perception, capable of breaking through even the stealth skills and invisibility spells of specialized types of the hundredth level, was honed. Every tiny detail in his field of perception was noticed, remembered and cataloged by him, every fraction of a moment that could be sensed!

    At the moment, though, everything Hanzo saw and perceived was of no interest¡­ At least from Hanzo''s own perspective.

    After the Demon tried to gather information about Lord Momonga, an effort as futile as it was ridiculous from Hanzo''s point of view, the girl tried to run away¡­ Without using a single skill or spell, either to gather information or to cover her own tracks.

    The girl didn''t even use [Concealment]! A skill so basic that it wasn''t even worth mentioning in the throngs of creatures specializing in stealth, so what could Hanzo even take note of in this case!

    However, Hanzo could devote the rest of his time to mocking the creature of this world who dared to spy on Lord Momonga, at the moment, he had to concentrate on counter-espionage.

    The girl, as Lord Demiurge had informed him, having received this information from the Lord Pandora''s Actor, was named Ruruka Nimura. She had hurriedly distanced herself from Lord Momonga''s location, and after a dozen minutes arrived at a house that could most likely be called luxurious relative to the surrounding houses. She didn''t even try to take preventive measures from being followed!

    The Demon that had dared to try to spy on Lord Momonga was so incompetent that the Hanzo thought for a moment that this was a trap, that he had readied his escape measures.

    He, of course, didn''t have to.

    The luxurious house, which in Hanzo''s perception was only slightly larger than the other houses in the area, was one of the Demons'' domiciles. The girl went to the lock beside the fence, to the electrical box to the side of the door, as Lord Demiurge had told Hanzo with disdain, the equipment was some sort of communication device. Archaic and barbaric in its design and function.

    After doing something that the Hanzo couldn''t see, the girl pressed the button, causing a loud buzz to emanate from inside the house. Waiting for a moment, the sound of a lock being opened resounded and Ruruka opened the door, heading inside.

    Stepping inside the compound, the Hanzo was greeted by a courtyard filled with neatly mowed lawns¡­ And invisible guards that are all visible to the Hanzo.

    Spells and abilities of such a level were no barrier to Hanzo, indeed, thanks to his abilities, the Hanzo himself didn''t even have to use concealment abilities himself to avoid their gaze. No, instead of wasting his time on unneeded spells, Hanzo began to gather and analyze data on the potential enemies¡­ Before, he had to stop himself from sighing.

    The information he had gathered did not look that exciting to Hanzo either. Most of the invisible guards, if they could be called such, were demons with strength levels between level thirty and forty, utterly lacking in danger levels. Still, Hanzo could not determine their specific level and class distribution without using his special abilities, but for beings of level forty and below, using such abilities would be unnecessary.

    However, when a creature of more outstanding strength appeared at the edge of Hanzo''s perception, Hanzo didn''t take any unnecessary risks and activated one of his more specialized skills [Mikawa Mountains]. With it activated, for the next hour, as long as the Hanzo did not do any action, it would take detection magics of the Tenth Tier to spot him. Either that or specialized scouts like the Hanzo, someone skilled at detecting invisible and hidden creatures, or their level equivalent.

    And as far as Lord Pandora''s Actor had informed him, Serafall Leviathan possessed no such abilities. So, all Hanzo himself had to do to complete his mission, was to silently listen and memorize everything that was going on around the Demons.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "YOU DID WHAT?!" Sona Sitri felt her glasses slip down the bridge of her nose, one small slip away from falling and then shattering. Figuratively speaking, of course, no glasses that an heiress would wear would be so fragile as to shatter from a simple fall.

    "But nobody saw me!" Sona flippantly dismissed the words of her new pawn, who had been in her [Peerage] for less than a week, but who had already broken one of the most important orders that Sona had ever given in her life. Sona wanted to bang her head on the table, and only by a titanic effort of will did she restrained herself from doing so.

    It was incomprehensible! Ruruka had been her pawn for less than a week, but already she had managed to not only disobey her orders, but to go follow the unknown threat that is Satoru. Even someone as lacking in common sense as her sister had warned her of just how dangerous Satoru could be!

    From the look of her, her new [Pawn] thought everything was fine!

    Sona doubted very much that Ruruka had been able to avoid Satoru''s attention whatsoever. While there is too much that is unknown about Satoru, the fact that two Satans had thought that it is likely for him to be some sort of god, meant that he was a very dangerous and capable potential foe.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    But, then, why had he let her [Pawn] escape, bringing in information about him, no matter how trivial. According to Rias, which is the reason she would take it with a pinch of salt, that Satoru was an old and experienced master of diplomacy and negotiation ¨C so naturally Sona''s mind began churning about the possible reasons why.

    All her life, to Sona''s great chagrin, she had been trained to one day become the head of the noble Sitri Clan, so Sona could well imagine just how useful an ammunition her [Pawn]''s indiscretion had been. A simple mention of how the Devils had violated his privacy could give Satoru a lot of leeway in negotiations.

    Being Sona''s [Pawn], Sona would be forced to give concession unless she wants to throw her [Pawn] under the bus, ruining her impression with her [Peerage]. What could he want in return? At the very least, Satoru could demand better concessions in future negotiations, at worst he might demand Ruruka''s head.

    And, while Serafall would surely side with her, it was quite likely that the rest of the Satans would decide to settle the matter by sacrificing her [Pawn]. Especially if they could come to a favorable agreement in doing so¡­

    And Sona, even if she didn''t have as close a relationship with her [Peerage], preferring to think of them as close subordinates rather than family, was definitely not willing to sacrifice Ruruka.

    Even if she had known her for less than a week¡ªand even if she had foolishly dragged Sona into this nightmare!

    "Kaichou?" Ruruka looked at Sona carefully, a little scared, causing Sona to make the most ferocious expression she could muster, and then, the moment Ruruka squealed away, take control of herself. Okay, Ruruka''s punishment should be extremely severe, but that was still a secondary concern at the moment, the primary concern was how to handle Satoru¡­ And the first step to that is to get the full information from her foolish [Pawn].

    "All right¡­ I could do this." Stretching out each vowel to release some of the rage simmering inside the usually reserved heiress of the Sitri clan, Sona glanced at Ruruka.

    "I would punish you later for your foolishness¡­ But at least, did you find out any information about Satoru?" Sona asked.

    "Ummm¡­" Ruruka blinked, before blurting out the next words quickly and with no small amount of uncertainty. "He''s¡­ Interested in some Second Year student?"

    "You''re not even sure which one?" Sona glanced tiredly at Ruruka, all the anger she could possibly feel at the moment drained out of the Devil, causing her to sigh slowly.

    "Okay¡­ What do you mean, ''interested''?"

    "I''m not completely sure? You know, I can''t really tell what they''re talking about. Being stealthy and all, I kept some distance between us, as I followed them¡­ But Satoru was definitely up to something! That other guy even kneeled!" Ruruka began to feel more confident the more she talked, sticking out her small chest and smiling cockily, as if she was asking Sona to praise her.

    For some reason, she still thought that Satoru hadn''t discovered her probably very subpar stalking. Sona could only blame herself for not getting the point across to her [Pawn] just how dangerous Satoru could''ve been, though it probably wouldn''t help matter.

    This is the girl that thought that Sona was some mafia boss, and her only thought was to confront her on it without any backup plan.

    "I''m pretty sure that Satoru revealed the information about the paranormal to this guy!"

    Sona didn''t even bother to ask Ruruka why she thought that, it didn''t seem unbelievable, and at least Ruruka had demonstrated her skills in gathering information before, so it was probably true. Of course, again, with perhaps a large grain of salt.

    "What are we going to do about it, boss?" Ruruka, sensing that Sona had exhausted all of her previous reactions and therefore couldn''t lash out angrily at Ruruka, went on the offensive.

    "Nothing." It took Sona a second to realize that it wasn''t her that said those words, and another second to realize who had said them. "No one is going to do anything about it ¨C not us, and certainly not you."

    Hearing her sister''s voice, Sona was both relieved that the burden of responsibility for the current situation was at least partially lifted from her by having someone with a higher authority around, and a mix of other complex emotions.

    She was somewhat irked, no matter how she disliked having to be responsible for the errant god, it was at least her prerogative on how to deal with it. The reason for her being in Kuoh is to gain some independence from her family, which includes her sister, to have a chance to stand on her own. She also disliked the fact that she had bothered her busy sister from her job, her presence here could be construed by her sister''s enemy by the Old Satan Faction as favoritism, inviting criticism, baseless as they might be.

    And most of all, she disliked the fact that her Sister looked so out of character, dressed not in her Magical Girl outfit, no matter how much it would embarrass her, and the uncharacteristic serious look on her face.

    No, for a second, Serafall showed her face as a professional¡­ And considering how rare and unusual it was for Sona, she felt an involuntary unpleasant sticky chill creeping up her spine at the sight. If anything could make Serafall act serious in Sona''s presence, then this matter with Satoru was even more important than Sona had previously imagined.

    And Sona had thought before that she was facing a catastrophic crisis in Satoru being here in Kuoh, being a god and all¡­ But apparently she had never fully appreciated the magnitude of it.

    "Ms. Serafall!" Ruruka, for all her impenetrable stupidity that may have just spelled her doom, at the sight of Serafall began palling and took a deep bow. It seemed that at least Sona had been able to imbue her with a minimal understanding of the situation.

    A bit too little too late, but it''s at least something, Sona could only sigh as she stood up to greet her older Sister.

    "Easy there." Serafall brushed off the actions of Sona and her pawn, showing that at least Serafall didn''t expect the world to end in the next few minutes, causing Sona to breathe a little relieved at that realization, but not completely. Her sister''s expression relaxed just a little, but her eyes were still serious and her eyebrows furrowed.

    "So, if I heard everything correctly, you tried to follow Satoru, and most likely, he let you do it," Serafall didn''t even pay attention to Ruruka''s timid attempt to comment on the fact that she had been careful in her spying,

    "And he apparently had revealed information about magic to a student¡­ Though we don''t know exactly which one it is." Serafall paused for a moment as she finished speaking, nodding to herself, waiting for Ruruka''s confirming nod, frowning as she received the confirmation, thinking to herself while speaking under her breath.

    "Why did Satoru spoke with that student, and why now? What is he planning to accomplish with that, what plan¡­?"

    Sona, unaccustomed to Serafall''s serious side, remained silent, not daring to interrupt Leviathan''s important musings. But, for Ruruka, it seemed, the concept of self-preservation was not in her dictionary.

    "Kaichou, what about Satoru revealing information about the supernatural world? With how much you drilled us about being careful about it, is it just fine for him to do so?" Ruruka''s thoughtless question made Sona wince involuntarily. Sona might not exactly approve of Rias''s methods of punishing her [Peerage], spanking them like they are unruly children, something that spoke more of her proclivities than an actual effective discipline method.

    But in the past ten minutes, she had actually grown more comfortable with the idea of physical violence as an educational method.

    Not to mention the fact that no one would go to war with an unknown god over a couple dozen, hundreds, or even thousands of people¡­ Least of all, just one person.

    "Until he starts performing acts of miracles live on national television, giving info about the paranormal is the problem of those who dare to do such a thing¡­ Not to mention the fact that the powerful simply has more leeway. Besides, what are we going to do about it? Going to war over one person being inducted into the supernatural, would seem like a great act of overreaction. Nobody would praise us over picking a fight with a god over something like that. Satoru could do such a thing with all the population of Kuoh, and we''ll probably just ask him to stop. Nicely at that." Serafall easily dismissed Ruruka''s words, mirroring Sona''s thoughts.

    As long as the disclosure of such information did not cause the destabilization of society, the supernatural denizens preferred not to pry into each other''s private affairs. The scene of Serafall acting serious, once again made Sona involuntary shudder. How bad was the situation really if such a thing was happening right now?!

    Serafall, however, seeing Sona becoming uncomfortable, quickly adopted her usual persona. The situation might be serious, but it doesn''t mean that she would let Sona act so awkward around her.

    Adopting a huge smile, Serafall summoned her usual outfit and magic wand, before adopting a pose from her magical girl show, speaking with her usual boisterous tone. "Sona-chan! There''s no need to worry, your big sister will always protect you from all the bad boys! If Satoru tried to do anything to you, I''m going to bonk him with my magical staff!"

    A moment later, Serafall seemed to teleport next to Sona, taking her in a tight embrace, from which Sona could not physically escape because of the Leviathan''s unmatched strength.

    "Mistress Leviathan, please control yourself!" Sona reacted to Serafall''s actions with an ingrained reaction and phrase, attempting to disentangle herself from the strong embrace.

    No matter how many times she told Serafall that she couldn''t afford to behave this way with her position, each and every time her words would only fly between Serafall''s ears without lingering in her mind. Though, this time, Sona''s annoyance at such childishness from the head of Foreign Affairs for the entire Devils'' faction was less noticeable than usual.

    "Oh, can I take a couple pictures?!" And of course, Ruruka decided to butt in the situation, causing Sona to look away from her older sister and squint her eyes with a completely unhappy look at Ruruka.

    "Speaking of punishments¡­" Sona used the phrase despite the fact that no part of the conversation so far had mentioned any punishments, her glare priming death.

    "Ruruka, it seems that I''ve been lacking in educating you about the supernatural world. About what you can do as a part of my [Peerage], about what you can''t do, and exactly how to deal with a clear order like ''don''t come within a hundred meters of Satoru''. Yes, I believe I just have the thing to make sure that my instructions stick this time¡­"

    "Em¡­" Ruruka swallowed a nervous gulp, taking half a step back instinctually, looking at Sona, then tried to crack a smile as she looked at Serafall.

    "Mistress Leviathan, don''t you think it''s been a long time since you''ve seen your little sister? Maybe you two can spend some time together on a date!"

    "Oh, definitely," Serafall smiled, but Ruruka''s joy was short-lived. "And I''ll be so excited to see how my little Sona-chan has grown up and is now able to manage her [Peerage]. Especially just how she could discipline an errant [Pawn]!" Serafalf spoke cheerfully with a wide smile on her face, but none of it reached her eyes. In fact, Ruruka could only see the glint of chipped ice, so cold that it promised death in those.

    It seems that the two sisters have many things in common.

    "Em¡­", Ruruka coughed into her fist and took another half step back, as a rash of goosebumps ran along her spine and she broke out in cold sweats.

    "It won''t happen again?"

    "Absolutely," Sona nodded favorably, but Ruruka didn''t trust her mistress'' smile, "And I''ll make sure of it¡­"

    Ruruka, shifting her gaze from Sona to Serafall and back again, raised her hands and smiled a silly smile, knocking on her head as she stuck her tongue out. "Oops?"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Kalawarner had never really thought about how exactly insanity could manifest itself among Angels, especially fallen ones, until that moment. But, she was absolutely certain that she was insane right now. There was no way that her current life was not the result of hallucinations in her finally deranged mind.

    Sadly, it was nothing but objective reality.

    How could it be otherwise? The Biblical God had suddenly returned to this world, killed some of the strongest legendary dragons. He then proceeded to send a super-powered Devil in his service, to create a church for him. Oh, and her boss, Raynare, that had died like a dog, had been resurrected and been forgiven for her sins, tasking Kalawarner, who, incidentally, had fallen to the bottom of the Fallen Angel hierarchy, to begin preparations for the Apocalypse.

    Even in the magical world, there was a limit to when ''magic'' ended and ''fantasy'' began, and Kalawarner''s life story had long since crossed that threshold.

    And, the craziest thing about this whole situation? It''s not that Kalawarner''s life is all that terrifying or unbelievable at this point.

    Normally, even setting aside the impossibility, talking about super-powered Devils, or the return of the Biblical God, and Apocalypse would be something incredulous to imagine. It was just as ridiculous as the heavens being covered with bloody rain, the Sun rising in the West, or the Horsemen of the Apocalypse galloping across the Earth¡­ Well, maybe not the last one.

    If she wasn''t right now, punching in letters after letters, with no end of her hallucination in sight, she just had to accept that this is her reality now. In fact, right now, Kalawarner was in negotiations regarding the purchase of a share of stock in some business¡­ Kalawarner wasn''t even sure which one, the name escaping her at the moment.

    For the most part, her entire role was simply to punch in correspondence with answers, following a previously prepared instruction created by Lord Demiurge and Lady Albedo, an incredibly scary Devil, a new face in the church.

    She''s the second incredibly powerful Devil, who, as ridiculous as it might sound, was also one of God''s subjects, and incidentally, was even stronger than the Demiurge, causing her to question her true identity. Who could this ''Albedo'' be, an obvious fake name, for her to be even stronger than the Demiurge?

    Her job now was not much different from that of a robot, or perhaps an answering machine might fit better. Her job was in just keeping track of a dozen different negotiations, periodically punching in answers that the two Devils, who apparently could read people like an open book, had predicted in advance. In fact, it was not that much different from the office job that Kalawarner herself had once dreamed of¡­

    It was simply an idle thought whenever Raynare or Mittelt were being especially annoying, just a simple job where there''s no danger of her dying. Well, jokes on her, huh?

    Speaking of which, Kalawarner seemed to have forgotten to mention the powerful Vampire, that for some reason possessed an extremely powerful Holy presence. When the Vampire walked into the church, it was as if Michael himself had descended into her little ruined, recently rebuilt, church

    As fantastic as a sight it might be, it had been put into the back burner when the Vampire and Albedo had gone into an argument over who was more worthy of the title of ''chief wife'' of God¡­ Oh, and who was better in bed, and had made God feel better, something that they were very proud of.

    Not that Kalawarner didn''t understand their sense of pride at all in this case ¨C getting in bed with God? Up until this point, Kalawarner wasn''t sure if anyone would dare to speak of such a blasphemous thing out loud¡­ The Virgin Mary didn''t count. Her situation was too far removed from the usual conception most races were accustomed to.

    Madness. That was the only way Kalawarner could describe her current situation, complete and utter madness. Somewhere in the small town of Kuoh, the Son of God was walking around. Just outside of her makeshift office, two very powerful entities that could delete her entire existence as an aside were figuring out, read; arguing, which one was better in bed, or when is their next turn to share God''s bed. And then there''s Kalawarner, who was negotiating to buy shares in companies using the money Raynare had accumulated, all in order to prepare the world for the Apocalypse.

    Somehow.

    Speaking of which, while she was distracted for a moment to work with potential stockholders, a powerful Devil wrapped in shadows had just captured probably the strongest warrior of the entire Fallen faction. In about ten seconds. All the while, Kalawarner was taking a sip from her coffee mug.

    And there wasn''t even a struggle, as even as in the depth of her madness as she might be, there''s no way that she would miss Tobio Ikuse, wielder [Canis Lykaon], being kidnapped in broad daylight.

    What kind of monster could accomplish such a thing?

    But that was such a small thing compared to everything else around her that Kalawarner didn''t even want to mention such a thing. And the most important thing of all? No one around her even blinked at what was happening to Kalawarner at the moment. It was simple, everyone shrugged and got to work, as if her presence and duty was nothing to be put to mind.

    Kalawarner had lost her mind. That was the only rational explanation for everything Kalawarner had been doing lately and the situation she found herself in. So as she sent another email, Kalawarner paused for a moment, looking at the instructions that had arrived in her inbox.

    So, she was to compose an email to Kokabiel to provoke him into attacking the Devil faction while Lord Demiurge was busy with more ''critical'' matters. As if provoking a Cadre, one of the oldest and strongest Fallen Angels in existence, was something one delegate to a secretary, and one at the lowest totem pole at that.

    Kalawarner reached for her coffee, took a sip, looked around at her surroundings, her dorm room converted into a temporary office, and returned her attention to the computer screen, satisfied that she had indeed not gone to an insane asylum.

    Great, so what would be a good place to start this letter?

    Kalawarner had completely lost her mind and lost the thread of what was real and what wasn''t in the current world¡­

    But at least she had coffee.

    In the current reality, that was the only real thing left that made any sense at all.

 Overlord of a High School (28)

    After ending his hectic day and arriving back at Miki''s house, Momonga was prepared to relax with Albedo and Shalltear out of the house. That is, before he was interrupted by a report from Demiurge before he could even open the front door. Listening to the comprehensive report of not only the relationship between the paranormal and normal society, but also an in-depth report about the Fallen Angels, Momonga was shocked.

    How!? It hasn''t even been a day since Demiurge came here, and he already has so much information? Really capable people are just built different.

    Hearing about the report further, it seems that the Fallen Angels had sent a spy that had subsequently been captured and interrogated.

    Momonga didn''t know if he should be worried about the fact that, behind his back, Demiurge had brilliantly executed the operation of capturing the spy sent to gather information about Momonga himself. After all, Momonga himself had only learned about the incident after the fact. But at the same time, this indicated that Demiurge could function perfectly well within his own initiative, without Momonga having to monitor his every action.

    This in turn frightened Momonga a bit at just how amazingly outstanding his subordinates were. But at the same time, it caused a strange surge of¡­ Pride within him. Like a father watching his children grow to become better than themselves, becoming professionals in their own right¡­ Though, perhaps, it would be fine if the NPCs didn''t adopt all of their parent''s qualities.

    In any case, setting aside the slight nostalgia that engulfed Momonga for a moment, through some coincidence, Demiurge had managed to capture a spy of the Fallen Angels. And considering the fact that he was equipped with a [World Class Item], or, a [Longinus] as it is called in this world, he must be some high-ranking spy¡­ Which was now placed in the [Treasury] of Nazarick.

    Momonga, for his part, instantly wanted to return to Nazarick as soon as he heard about it, but through emotional suppression and iron-clad discipline he managed to suppress that impulse, at least for a while. The subject of a new [World Class Item] had to be shelved for the time being, something that Momonga himself wanted to find an excuse to stop showing up at the school, to devote all his time to his experiments¡­ And in no small part in a desire to skip school.

    Momonga''s imminent escape from school aside, judging from the information provided by the Hanzo, the demons were planning to hold a meeting with him. Depending on how the meeting goes, he might have reason enough to skip school¡­ Though most likely because the school no longer existed.

    According to the Hanzo, this meeting would be attended by the strongest Demons, two of them to be exact, the ones that Momonga suspected of possessing the hundredth level¡­

    That fact, at least, could serve as a great excuse for Momonga skipping school!

    Moreover, Momonga could even complain to the Demons that they were interrupting his education, daydreaming counts right!? And could perhaps even get some concessions or even rare items from them! Or, if he could only hope, perhaps even using their actions as an excuse for not wanting to attend school anymore, something like ''what''s the point if you won''t let me continue my education at this academy anyway?''

    In addition, according to the information, the Demons feared Momonga a lot, mistaking him for some kind of local deity of this world, which was not true, but Momonga himself did not plan to dissuade the Demons in any way. Every wrong assumption about him was an additional ace up his sleeve.

    In any case, the local Demons feared his presence and planned to be very careful and courteous when talking and dealing with Momonga, which was good. But, at the same time, they did not want to underestimate him, which meant that the supposed negotiations would have to take place, albeit in a calm and respectful manner, but with a significant power advantage for the Demons. And Momonga could not allow that to happen.

    Even if these negotiations were supposed to be while not friendly, they were not hostile either, which comes as a surprise to Momonga since he had basically set up camp inside their territory without permission. Either way, there''s no way that he''s going to allow himself a meeting against hundredth level opponents, multiple of them potentially, without some insurance.

    Though, he was considering just leaving Kuoh altogether, discarded soon after since that would just be taken as a hostile maneuver, so he has lots to prepare for this future meeting.

    Even if he was prepared and well aware of the abilities of his opponents, he still wouldn''t risk facing two hundredth level enemies. To do so without knowing anything about his potential enemy? To Momonga, it just seemed like suicide by other people''s hands.

    But on the other hand, what would he do then? Show up with the backup at the negotiations? That would instantly reveal the card that Momonga was the representative of an entire faction full of other, very powerful, judging by the information gathered, beings.

    Maybe a secret guard? It was also risky if any of the Demons could detect, say, Aura, that didn''t specialize in stealth, or other NPCs under the influence of, say, [Perfect Unknowable].

    As much as Momonga was glad that the Demons don''t know much about him, the fact that he also doesn''t know anything about the Demons, makes any interaction with them fraught with dangers. Unknown dangers at that.

    But it was also impossible to postpone such a meeting indefinitely. Firstly, because Momonga needed a reason to stop going to school, before he was forced to cast a [Super-Tier Spell] to prevent Ego death. And secondly because he needed to negotiate with the Demons at some point in time. At the very least, to clearly discuss the boundaries between the two of them.

    It was not because Momonga had any specific plans for his future that would need the Demons'' cooperation, but simply because peaceful coexistence was the basis of Momonga''s strategy. If he was at peace with the other factions, he could build up his combat power and explore a new world while accumulating Nazarick''s power much more safely.

    Momonga thought about it for a second, maybe he should substitute his presence in school with a doppelg?nger for a while? Pandora''s Actor could probably copy his mannerism perfectly. Being his ''son'', just like how the other NPCs had some reflection of their creator, Pandora''s Actor should be able to understand exactly how Momonga thinks. And push comes to shove, he could also imitate most of his abilities in order not to give away the fact that he was a doppelg?nger¡­ That is, if Pandora''s Actor could imitate not only Momonga himself, but also his new current appearance, altered with a newfound spell.

    Could Pandora''s Actor fake that?

    In the game, Pandora''s Actor had the ability to mimic all of Momonga''s spells, excluding [Super Tier Magics], simply because of his ability as a Doppelg?nger. However, he had acquired new abilities unique to this world ¨C could Pandora''s Actor mimic the effects of his new spell? And even if he could, he was potentially sending a member of Nazarick, in some way his own son, into a potential trap, all the while they were still unsure whether or not the resurrection system still works.

    Besides, in any case, even if it was possible, resurrecting a creature of the hundredth level would cost millions of gold, a small percentage of Nazarick''s treasury, but still a huge amount for a simple experiment. Perhaps they should try with some of the lower-leveled NPCs.

    But to order one of Nazarick''s to commit suicide¡­

    Shaking his head slightly, Momonga sighed before returning to reality as he finally entered the house, he must''ve looked like a kid in trouble with how much time he had spent just staring at the door to his house. One step passed the front door however, his steps immediately halted, spotting Pandora''s Actor, Albedo, Shalltear, and Miki kneeling down.

    For a moment, Momonga''s mind suffered a critical error and had to be rebooted¡­ Before simply putting the sight, that not even the most tyrannical of his past bosses would do, into a folder marked as SAN damage. At least he had some built up immunity with his days with the NPCs inside Nazarick, they too would kneel whenever they would greet him. It doesn''t mean that he was getting used to it, however.

    "Rise up," Momonga replied, unsure, remembering another of his past plan to peek at how the powerful entities of this world behaved towards their subordinates as some kind of cheat sheet on how to treat his own subordinate.

    "Kehem, you may return to your duties. Do you have any information that you consider important to me?" Momonga hoped that his subordinates didn''t have any¡­ On the other hand, if they had managed to catch another spy behind Momonga''s back, he would definitely prefer to find out as soon as possible.

    "Nothing that would require your intervention, my Master," Albedo was the first to reply, a moment before Shalltear could do so, Albedo flashing a victorious smoke at the other woman.

    ''Wah?!'' The suppression of emotion worked instantly, saving Momonga from the fate of almost choking on his spit.

    He was already in a relationship without having any say so, and thus couldn''t judge with certainty whether the words spoken by Albedo were strange or not. After all, he was her boss in addition to her lover, combined with the fanatical devotion of the people of Nazarick, maybe it''s¡­ Okay, surely that was more or less a normal title, and not some weird fetish of Albedo''s.

    And the triumphant look on Albedo''s face, as if lording over Shalltear the fact that she had debased herself as some kind of pet or slave, was probably just a trick of his tired eyes.

    Putting it in the same folder as before, Momonga barreled on.

    "I suppose, then, that your actions, umu¡­ With regard to the spy went off without a hitch?"

    "Of course, my Lord," Shalltear was the first to reply, this time casting a triumphant glance at Albedo. Lord, hmm? At least it sounded, only a little, but still more decent than ''master''. Maybe if he thinks that Albedo was just role-playing as a maid? No, it still sounds just as bad as before.

    "Your plan has been put into action, my Master, and Demiurge has started the next stage." This time it was Albedo that spoke.

    "Demiurge, umu, the next stage¡­ Yes, exactly the next stage." The suppression of emotion surged in Momonga for a second before receding. Great, his plan, it turns out, included stages as well, and interrogating the spy was also part of his plan¡­ As expected of Momonga, the greatest genius of all time, lord of plans and strategies. He really wants to meet this Momonga and pick his head as to what his plans are.

    Daydreams aside, of meeting this genius who shares his name, face, race, and nothing else, Momonga could only sigh, then nodded his head, as if his assent meant anything to his ''supposed'' plan. ''''Good."

    ''Demiurge is smart, so surely whatever plan he thought I was making, will probably be the best one. I just wish I knew what it was¡­ Should I start developing special phrases to make other people reveal the details of ''my'' plan without showing that I don''t understand what exactly my plan is? Yeah, definitely something to consider in the future¡­''

    "Umu, in that case..." Momonga then stared at Pandora''s Actor direction, who had been silently waiting all this time,

    "Pandora''s Actor, what do you think we should do about, umu, negotiating with the Demons?"

    "Negotiating with Demons?" Momonga almost bit his tongue in annoyance at his misstep, hearing the slight surprise in Pandora Actor''s voice¡­ Damn, he had to come up with an excuse!

    "I mean! As my creation, your thinking should be close to my, yes, mind, I''m conducting an experiment to test how close our thinking is to potential negotiations with demons¡­" Momonga almost bit his tongue with how fast he was spewing the first bullshit that came to mind, trying his best to justify his possible mistake as quickly as possible, inwardly feeling ashamed. Of course, no one would believe his quick-thinking, convoluted excuse¡­

    "Jawohl, mein Vater!" Pandora''s Actor exclaimed as he saluted, and even though under normal circumstances such a picture would have made Momonga feel ashamed, right now, he was relieved to see how enthusiastically Actor in Issei''s uniform looked at him.

    "According to my calculations, negotiations with the Demonic faction should be held in the next three days for the perfect execution of the second phase of the plan. Along with that, the demons should be notified to hold them at this time, certainly through the newfound familiarity prepared by Fa¡­ By Lord Momonga. To ensure safety and the perfect execution of this step, Rias Gremory can be used as a shield. The meeting will be conveyed to her, and after the expected reaction, the meeting can take place on conditionally neutral territory mediated by the prepared Bauern. Such actions and the demons'' reaction afterward¡­ indeed, Lord Momonga, you have foreseen every step!"

    ''What? Who? Why?'' Momonga shifted his gaze quickly from Pandora''s Actor to Albedo, to gain some measure of clarity as to what is that he said to warrant such a reaction. But, the latter only looked at Momonga with a sparkling gaze, as if admiring his admirable plan¡­ Which Momonga himself had once again forgotten to be informed about.

    "Genius, Master Momonga, with a stroke of a pen, all the unclosed lines stretching from the past would be closed, the situation turned upside down, and the Demons who think themselves worthy of an intellectual battle with you, who disgrace the race itself with their existence, are turned into fools." Albedo covered her mouth with the palm of her hand before grinning a little, laughing at the supposed Demons'' foolishness.

    "Ufufu, truly my Master is beyond parallel in intellect.".

    ''I feel as if I''m the one being made a fool right now¡­'' Momonga swallowed his complaint before shifting his gaze to Shalltear, then to the grinning Albedo to the satisfied Pandora''s Actor and back again, before a brilliant idea flashed through his mind.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ''Forgive me, Shalltear, but I really need this¡­ I''ll repay you for it later!''

    "Albedo, I think for the plan to be completed satisfactorily, you should share a plan¡­ Umu, it''s definitely better to provide a clearer plan now, spelling out each of the points for the sake of everyone here, so that each of us knows our roles." Momonga made sure to glance at Shalltear just a little, to give a hint to Albedo, but not more than necessary and reveal the fact that he has no idea what they are talking about¡­ After all, he needed clarification on the current situation as much as Shalltear did, even more so considering that he was supposed to be the ''architect'' of this brilliant plan.

    "Ah yes, Shalltear¡­" Albedo, unlike Momonga, did not seem to want to show any restraint in her triumph over Shalltear, looking at her with a huge grin as if she had defeated her in some grand contest.

    "How sad it must be not to be able to comprehend the beauty and grandeur of Master Momonga''s plans¡­" Though she said it with a sweet voice that could seduce the most celibate of priestess, the venom underneath could not be hidden.

    At Albedo''s badly veiled insult, Shalltear glared at Albedo, frowning to the utmost, before smirking back in a smirk as big as the one on Albedo''s face, making Momonga feel a twinge of nervousness in his stomach. "Yet still, I am the only one here who can appreciate Lord Momonga''s taste..."

    Momonga blinked, not quite understanding what was being said, before he froze in utter shock as what was being said reached his brain and the suppression of emotions responded in full force. Momonga was sure that if he wasn''t an Undead he would have died instantly from a heart attack caused by the shock, or maybe he would have simply forgotten how to breathe and suffocated on the spot. A fitting finale for a great strategist like him.

    "Meine damen." Pandora Actor''s calm voice was like a shot of cold ice through the boiling lava of mount Albedo and Shalltear, before it could get out of hand. "I am sorry to interfere in such an important discussion, but please forgive me, would your conflict at this time not be a violation of Lord Momonga''s will?"

    "I beg your pardon, Lord Momonga!" Each of the girls turned toward Momonga so abruptly that this action brought Momonga himself out of his stupor, causing him to remember that besides Shalltear''s final remark, Momonga had something else on his mind at the moment.

    Something about plans and demons? With a gesture that he had practiced for hours in front of a mirror, Momonga signaled for Albedo to continue her explanation before the insults started coming out.

    "Shalltear, Lord Momonga''s plan is incredibly multifaceted, but I will try to tell it in simple enough language for you to appreciate the greatness of Lord Momonga''s mind." Mostly.

    Albedo finally managed to say, forcing Momonga back to reality. Yes, that''s right, the comments from Shalltear were a distraction, albeit one that worked to the extreme, the main thing to discuss was ''Momonga''s plan''... I just wish I could meet this Momonga and ask him for lessons in making plans!.

    "At least, I guess you don''t need to be told what the second phase of Lord Momonga''s plan is¡­."

    "Do I look that stupid?" Shalltear rolled her eyes, then frowned as she looked at the smirking Albedo.

    "Why are you smirking!"

    ''Guys, please explain the second stage of the plan to me! No, okay, the hell with it, at least the first one!'' Emotion suppression saved Momonga once again, indeed, the most powerful and useful of his abilities. Has he mentioned that before? Yes? Well, it still bears repeating, if it wasn''t for his emotion suppression, Momonga would have long ago died of frustration in the face of his ''incredible yet completely obvious to everyone plans of the great strategist Momonga.''

    "The genius of Lord Momonga''s plan, however, is revealed in the details." Albedo smiled, relishing the opportunity to show off her exceptional ability to understand Momonga''s plan over Shalltear''s head.

    "For example, that naive insect, Rias Gremory, in their first meeting and such a brazen demand for negotiations, even trying to make Master Momonga perceive her as an authority was only part of Lord Momonga''s plan. After all, in her treacherous foolishness, the latter had allowed the conversation that she was the representative of the official authority in the territory of this wretched little town¡­ In that case, wasn''t it obvious that following the diplomatic etiquette of inferior beings, Lord Momonga should invite her to negotiations, if not as the highest-ranking person in the delegation, then as the official representative of the host and the local authority ensuring Lord Momonga''s comfortable stay in the territory?"

    ''Yup.'' Momonga nodded inwardly, listening intently to all the ingenious details of his brilliant plan created by the brilliant genius Momonga. ''I wish I could meet this guy¡­''

    "Of course, the Demons would refuse to do such a thing, no matter how highly her position as an Heiress might be, she was still just a fledgling Demon, weak in power both literally, and politically. However, the mention of this¡­ Ruruka''s attempt to follow Lord Momonga will force them to give some concession should they decline the meeting proposed by Lord Momonga. And of course, since the demons are so panicked, in order to demonstrate their willingness to negotiate, they will agree to send only one negotiator, Leviathan, which poses no threat to Lord Momonga and saves him from a very annoying personal security problem."

    Albedo involuntarily wrinkled her nose at the mere thought that Momonga might have put himself in danger. "However, even with this, the other side would still be worried for subterfuge, and would thus send the other Satans along, most probably two, leaving one in the Demon''s realm. Moreover, Lord Momonga would be able to determine where the negotiations would take place, using the cloak of mercy, Lord Momonga would offer a ''neutral'' territory instead of his ''own'' territory¡­"

    Albedo looked at Shalltear triumphantly. "The Church of the Fallen Angels, serving as a potential ''third party'', who are there on Azazel''s orders. Which means that the Fallen Angel acting as the ''mastermind'' of this meeting could later be blamed for the subsequent events. And so, given the fact that the meeting took place in the Fallen Angels'' territory so to speak and at Azazel''s behest¡­?" Albedo fell silent with a large smirk on her face as if to say, ''need I say anything else?''

    ''Wait, wait, why are you stopping now, I''m just starting to figure out what''s going on!'' Momonga''s inner voice seemed to respond to Albedo''s unspoken thought that yes, he needed further clarification of the situation!

    However, judging from the way Shalltear''s eyes glistened, further clarification was unnecessary for her, which somehow made his embarrassed by the fact that even Shalltear could understand the so-called plan. So, turning to him, Shalltear blurted out in a subservient expression, "Incredible, Lord Momonga! Such an ingenious plan, indeed, nothing in the world happens outside your knowledge!"

    ''Yeah, I''m such a genius, I sometimes even surprise myself!'' The level of sarcasm in Momonga''s mind reached a point where it became overwhelming, being suppressed instantly, allowing Momonga to leave only the most important information in his head. Namely, that once again, the stars had aligned in such a way that a random set of his actions had turned out to be a brilliant plan¡­ The absurdity of the situation was so overwhelming that Momonga even thought for a moment, what would happen if he just went outside right now and threw a rock at a passerby?

    Would he hit a secret agent of an ancient cult and destroy their entire network of observers. And that too would turn out to be some incredible plan that also involved some random facts and actions that he had done in the past. Maybe the ancient cult would turn out to be connected to Saji, who would become its new head. And, just because he didn''t solve his sibling getting fostered problem, another person on the other side of the world would accidentally poison some ancient dragon. Which then would lead to Momonga himself having a new World Class Item?

    The suppression of emotion returned to his mind, allowing Ainz to take a slow breath, close his eyes, count to ten, then look up at Albedo. Who was peering into his eyes like a faithful dog waiting for praise, as if to ask, ''Did I point that out correctly, Lord Momonga?''.

    "Yes, you did, Albedo. I''m very glad you were able to figure out my plan..."

    He lied as naturally as he breathed.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Lord Demiurge?" Raynare stood nervously by the door of what had once been her office but was now her boss''s office, questioning the seemingly immersed Lord Demiurge as he continued to type with inhuman grace and speed. It was as fast as if he had spent decades typing, and not just the afternoon the computer had been installed.

    "I''m listening, Raynare," Demiurge, however, answered her words without taking his eyes off the computer. "Though, do take a step inside and close the door behind you."

    "Of course!" Raynare responded instantly, doing as Demiurge instructed her before blinking once more. "Lord Demiurge, I¡­ Ahem, I apologize, but... "

    Demiurge answered the girl''s unasked question before she could squeeze it out of herself.

    "If you wish to inform me of the plan of betrayal amongst the Fallen Angels, I, and Lord Momonga are already aware of it."

    "Y-yes!" Raynare blinked in surprise. It had taken her so long to muster up the fortitude to report her failure to keep the Fallen Angels, her former subordinates, under control, yet when she did approach to confess another sin on her conscience¡­ She received the simplest of phrases in response.

    "If you are talking about Dohnaseek, his ability to hide and lie is negligible, even at the comparatively low level common amongst the wastrels of this world." Demiurge''s words were spoken calmly, as if discussing something quite ordinary and natural, but each word seemed to be specifically aimed at belittling Dohnaseek''s abilities¡­ Which was understandable considering Dohnaseek''s attempt to escape Demiurge''s control and deny the divine will of the Father.

    Raynare herself still hadn''t fully recovered from everything that had happened over the past few days, so on some level she understood Dohnaseek''s desire to escape from this place¡­ But Lord Demiurge''s methods, after initially executing the unfaithful blasphemers, had proven to be quite¡­ Merciful?

    To be completely honest, Raynare herself had been a more unpleasant boss in the past. Lord Demiurge was demanding, and viewed the Fallen Angels as primarily beings incapable of following orders given to them without them failing in some way, But that was normal, wasn''t it? The proof is just how stupid they are when they were treated so well.

    Each of the fallen was given a job, a very quiet and non-life threatening job, a set of instructions on how to do it, and then given a place to live, even a stipend. As Lord Demiurge himself said ''your blatant inefficiency is an insult to the function you perform, but in view of the wishes of Lord Momonga, your Father, you will be provided with a suitable welfare package''. And that''s it, no demands to be accomplished, no threats should they fail some standard.

    Already, Demiurge was miles better than Raynare as a boss.

    Simply put, Lord Demiurge was not cruel to his subordinates, perhaps not very easy to deal with, strict and demanding, but Raynare saw that this strictness grew out of Lord Demiurge''s desire to be demanding of himself first and foremost. And out of love for the Father, of course. Failure is worse than dying.

    They were Fallen Angels, redemption was supposed to be unreachable to them at all. But instead, the Father had sent them not only a stern but fair tutor, but also considerable comforts that Fallen Angels rarely enjoyed in their lives. Service for the Fallen rarely included social guarantees of any kind, other than the guaranteed fact that if they failed to fulfill the will of their elder, their end would not be swift nor painless.

    Azazel and the rest of the Cadre tried their best, well not Kokabiel, he''s in fact the worst, but Fallen Angels are rarely kind to the subordinates. Raynare being a prime example of it.

    Raynare saw all of Father and Lord Demiurge''s actions as His messenger as a show of mercy. The kind of strict and severe mercy that Father had been known for in the past¡­ while Dohnaseek saw that solely as a promise of future horror that he had to warn the others about.

    Raynare felt sorry for Dohnaseek¡­ Which is a strange thought.

    In the past, she wouldn''t have hesitated to kill him, but after her awakening in the Father''s citadel in the Gap¡­ After embarking on her path of redemption, Raynare began to feel some empathy for her fallen brothers and sisters who had been deprived of divine favor. Sometimes she wondered if the angels of Heaven felt similar sorrow for the Fallen.

    However, when, feeling that sorrow, Raynare decided to report the matter to the Lord Demiurge, all she got in response was only a dismissive ''I know about it''.

    "And¡­" Raynare paused uncertainly, noticing that she wasn''t sure what to say next, and Lord Demiurge was still tapping away at the keyboard. "What''s next?"

    "Lord Momonga has already ordered the role for Dohnaseek to be prepared, a great favor on his part." Lord Demiurge remarked over his shoulder, taking a moment to look into Raynare''s eyes, something that caught Raynare short. Lord Demiurge was never distracted from his actions for something as inconsequential as a conversation, but always did find a moment to show Father, Lord Momonga, his own form of respect.

    "Even a traitor who had betrayed His will was granted mercy, the opportunity to become something more than his disgusting nature as a traitor would allow him." Lord Demiurge smiled in a smile that was only slightly similar to a real smile and was more like the expression on a crocodile''s face. An expression as if he was about to relish tearing something apart piece by piece.

    "Becoming a step in the plans of Lord Momonga and taking on the charge of passing information about the arrival of the Demons to Azazel, who would use this information to attack them. At least that is how it would be relayed." Demiurge smirked, as his glasses glinted, as if he was seeing that very future right now.

    "After that, they will be destroyed by Lord Momonga, against the background of the war between the Fallen and Demons. The petty problems of one city of humans will be instantly forgotten, and the traitor''s head will serve as a worthy cause for an alliance. An alliance with the Devil faction and a demonstration of Lord Momonga''s friendliness."

    "Wait, the Devils knows that the church is already taken over by the Fallen?" Demiurge needed only to give her one look for Raynare to realize that she had said something incredibly stupid.

    "Really? You think that two overbearing Satans wouldn''t make Kuoh the safest it could be? I have no doubt that the Satans were in direct contact with Azazel¡­ Which is why what would happen next oh so delectable."

    Raynare could only look away at those words, then closed her eyes, slowly sucked in air, and exhaled. Her empathy for her Fallen brethren made her feel at least a little sadness at the events that awaited the Fallen in the future. For Raynare realized that the fallen would not be able to win this war, or even do any meaningful damage.

    However, those fallen who survived the brief war would find themselves back under the Father''s protection and would be able to make their redemption and return to being His children¡­ It would be worth it.

    "Lord Demiurge, in the past I¡­ I have used my powers to gain control of a heretic nun possessing a healing artifact¡­"

    "Hmm?" Lord Demiurge, however, had already turned his face back to the computer screen as the clicks and clacking of the keyboard resumed. "So what?"

    "I¡­ I had planned to transport her to this city in the past, but at this point I''m not sure if it''s necessary to do so. What are your instructions in this regard?" Raynare was almost giddy as she spoke the last words, glad that she was no longer the person having to decide on things.

    Once upon a time in the past, she had been the boss, deciding all matters without relying on anyone else, and where had that gotten her? Now, however, she had her own boss, someone she could always turn to for advice, that lifted the weight of responsibility off of her shoulders.

    "She will also serve Lord Momonga''s plan, if He has not communicated the need to cancel her arrival, then her appearance here cannot cause a disruption to the actions of His plan," Lord Demiurge replied calmly, making Raynare smile. Indeed, how pleasant it was to be a subordinate of the all-knowing Father, when any of her plans could not fail as long as He gave His permission.

    Raynare eventually nodded at those words before stopping for a moment and glancing at the computer screen Lord Demiurge''s was focusing on. "Lord Demiurge, if you''ll excuse me, ah... What are you doing at the moment?"

    In the past, Lord Demiurge would have only glanced at her like she was an idiot, and when compared to Demiurge she was not so arrogant and suicidal as to argue. Demiurge would send her away, and would not have quenched her curiosity, but Raynare''s willingness to swear that her work for the Father in redemption had at least somewhat softened Lord Demiurge''s temper. At least, she hopes so.

    So, after a moment''s silence, Lord Demiurge decided to answer.

    "Unfortunately, my intellect and plans are infinitesimal when compared to Lord Momonga''s, so I am forced to use other ways to complete Lord Momonga''s plan. So, with my personal involvement in controlling the actions your subordinates have initiated, earning money and spreading their influence, I would complete the next step of the plan. Where Lord Momonga would need only a couple of gestures and a single action, it would take days, perhaps even weeks for I to increase the start-up capital to acceptable values¡­" As if he was having a religious experience, Demiurge clasped his hands as if in prayer, before with a flourish spread it as if to gesture to the world.

    "However, the paradoxical inventions of mankind truly make them vulnerable, and thus it is where I shall strike. What foolishness, to concentrate such sums and financial assets in one such vulnerable place."

    With interest, Raynare decided to peek a little from behind Lord Demiurge''s shoulder into the computer screen, but could only see endless columns and rows of continuously changing numbers, creeping one after another. There would be no information to be gained from looking at rows after rows of unparseable numbers.

    Then, looking up a little, she found the inscription she was actually interested in at the top of the screen. ''New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street.''

 Overlord of a High School (29)

    The next day was much like the previous day, Albedo and Shalltear were denied the opportunity to be at his feet while he worked, especially since it couldn''t really be called work. Not that he would be welcoming any groveling at his feet, even if it is actually real work.

    Momonga was simply writing one idea after another that popped into his head into his notebook, for future experiments. It was truly random with no overarching structure, simply things that he was curious about, silly questions like ''why is the sky blue?'' to waste the time. He already knew the answer of course, it was because of the reflection of the water of the ocean, that''s why the sky looks red during the sunset, and why the sky in the future is just dark and gloomy.

    Momonga decided that it was a better use of the hours he had freed up as a result of his inability to sleep. Who knows? Maybe some random question he had might be useful in the future? Anyway, after scribbling some random notes, he then forwarded them to the Demiurge for further testing and study, designating them as ''low-priority tasks''.

    Low-priority because Demiurge was already engaged in the ''great plan of the genius Momonga''. And, not knowing what exactly that plan was, knowing only that it had something to do with establishing contact with Demons, Momonga did not dare to interrupt it. What if Demiurge started asking questions if he found something in the notes? Momonga''s heart would simply stop! Uhh, figuratively speaking, that is.

    Besides, establishing peaceful coexistence with the Demons coincides with Momonga''s top priority for now anyway. Using this experience with the Demons, in the future, Momonga would be able to establish contact with the other major players and secure his own place, for Nazaeick. Who knows? Maybe in the future he could have peaceful coexistence with them.

    Peaceful coexistence, in turn, meant that Momonga could conduct all the experiments he wanted, but in a calm, measured manner, and find real-world applications for the experiments as he went along. The knowledge of how the abilities of Nazarick''s inhabitants had changed in this world was academic and meant little in isolation, unlike how it would change the tactics and strategies needed in battles with the enemy.

    With new potential enemies around, not having all of Nazarick''s baseline abilities figured out, would be a disaster!

    At the moment, however, Momonga was bound by his attendance of school with the Demon watchers watching. At least the free time he had at school could serve as a generator of ideas. Some important enough, like researching the reproduction of consumables like scrolls and potions, and some on the edge of fantasy, like testing the effect of human faith on the powers of Nazarick''s creatures.

    In addition, Nigredo was finally able to finish cataloging the number of worlds in this world¡­ Okay, that would get confusing fast. Anyway, she also had completed a cursory study of the inhabitants of those worlds, compiling a report of her own, which Momonga had skimmed over.

    From what she had found out, this world, or rather, this universe, because of the many other worlds existing within one, had many such worlds overlapping with each other. These many worlds are then separated by barriers that could not be overcome without the use of magic and artifacts. And it was choke full of them.

    Most of these worlds were small, though, there were small pieces of land no larger than a floor of Nazarick, while the largest world overall was probably Earth, with a few worlds approaching that size.

    In any case, Nigredo''s report only indicated that Momonga''s ''experiments'' could be conducted for decades to come¡­ And still not get to the bottom of them.

    Well, that only means that he wouldn''t be running out of ideas to write anytime soon, it''s not like he has anything else to do. Demiurge was busy organizing preparations for the meeting with the demons, Albedo had taken over Demiurge''s reins on some money-making project. At least he doesn''t need to worry about money in the future? And Shalltear had started doing some experimental research on Momonga''s ideas¡­ Which meant that if something wrong happened, he could always blame Shalltear, which caused some pang of pain in his chest at using his friend''s creation like that.

    Momonga ignored the fact that he had defiled two already with practiced ease, only after bouts of Emotional Suppression and almost praying for forgiveness.

    Plus, Momonga received a request to gradually bring Nazarick''s resources to bear on this world, which Momonga did authorize, subject to a few important conditions being met.

    First, under no circumstances were Nazarick to be left undefended, at least three creatures of level 100 must stay in Nazarick, and only a third of all the non-POP monsters could be deployed. Second, any of Nazarick''s denizen in this world must practice complete stealth, and keep any of their abilities on the down low. Momonga feared both the possibility of giving away Nazarick''s existence directly to the Players of this world, in all senses of the word, and depleting Nazarick''s resources. Attempting to spread Nazarick''s resources too thinly across any zone of interest, would only end in suffering as a result.

    Momonga certainly trusted Demiurge and Albedo due to their brilliant intellects, but their constant ability to find Momonga''s brilliant plans in the smallest of his sneezes confused him and caused no small amount of worry. Momonga would hate to face any situation where he would actually need to act in his ''grand plan'', which is why he''s delegating so much of the work.

    Imagine Demiurge waiting on Momonga to act, to bring out the ''next stage'' of the plan? Something ridiculous like dramatically turning the tide of a pitched battle and forcing the enemy into some grand retreat.

    So at the moment, Nigredo, having made an initial analysis of the situation in this world, was making preparations. In-depth studies of some of the most promising locations for potential agent infiltration, somewhere that was not inhabited by too strong an enemy that could pose a threat to the infiltrated agents or at least detect their involvement and falsity. After all, there was no point in sending a Doppelg?nger to a group that could detect them, for example. Nigredo had even already started preparing lists for infiltration that was to take place in the future

    In addition, it was quite obvious at this point, after being informed not only of the existence of World Class Items, these so-called Longinuses in this world, and that the enemy was also aware of their existence and properties. That Momonga needed to provide protection from the effects of those for anyone outside Nazarick. Research had shown that the [Throne of Kings] suppressed the effects of [Longinuses], which meant that the wielder of [World Class Items], would be safe against [Longinuses].

    At least in this, the New World and YGGDRASIL were similar.

    Even so, their supply was not only finite, but also significantly limited. Even considering the captured [Canis Lycaon] there were only nine of them, as well as the two disposable ones that Momonga did not plan to take out of the [Treasury] of Nazarick until the moment of need. Lastly, is the [Throne of Kings] itself, which could not be moved from Nazarick at all. In other words, it wouldn''t even be enough to protect all the creatures of the hundredth level, let alone all the creatures at all. While there was a certain willingness to take a risk and try to use another Nazarick resident as bait, Momonga was definitely not ready to do so yet.

    The [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] was also temporarily returned to its place on the Eighth Floor of Nazarick, despite the incredible tactical advantages it offered Momonga was unwilling to risk it. Destroying a guild weapon in YGGDRASIL would result in the dissolution of the guild, Momonga didn''t want to see how that mechanic would translate to the real world. Even if nothing catastrophic happens, he still would prefer not to lose a potentially lucrative trump card, so he decided to save it as long as possible.

    In any case, Momonga was immersed in work, not as important, given that the real plans for negotiations and experiments were carried out by his subordinates, but at the same time not as horrifying as the hours spent in school. No, Momonga generally did what he liked to do ¨C ask questions, visualize possible battles in his head, and pass those questions on to those who could deal with them. Moreover, given his good mood at the moment, realizing that his subordinates had found a suitable way to stop his torture and negotiate with the Demons at the same time, Momonga could even tolerate another day of School.

    He was even in a good mood as he headed off to another day of school.

    However, Momonga was also rationally aware that his good spirits wouldn''t last more than ten minutes, but still, having ten minutes of good spirits at school was better than immediately sinking into despair from boredom, wasn''t it? Besides, Momonga had even found one single subject in the entire school that he actually knew! Not just being able to answer a question thanks to his friends'' past phrases or diverting the answer away from the question, but actually being able to participate in class!

    Although, of course, programming in this world was in its infancy, in Momonga''s own opinion, any user should at least have to have the necessary skills to re-compile the core of the operational system to identify bugs in it. The current computers, of course, did not support full neural integration with the user''s body and mind, but when they eventually did, without the ability to debug one''s own systems, a single error could lead to death, a result of the disruption of neural connections.

    His workplace had mandatory seminars, free ones at that! About programming and system maintenance. Of course, not out of the goodness of their heart, but simply because having their employee die would cost the company too much. Loss of production time due to having to remove the dead body, and even having to compensate the computer company due to the unauthorized use of the computing equipment.

    It was simply much more cost-efficient to make sure that each employee is well-versed with their equipment.

    Upon discovering that the programming language in this world was similar to his past world''s, albeit incomparably more primitive and relying on extremely weak electronics - Momonga suddenly felt smart. Finding himself in a computer science class and simply remembering solutions from his past world to any classwork, answering them easily. And he would be having that class first thing in the morning!

    So, at least for his first class of the day, Momonga was going into the day almost joyful¡­

    Especially knowing that this hell could be coming to an end soon.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Katase was in a bit of a state of frustration at the moment.

    After her kiss with Satoru, she was in constant frustration, unsure about their relationship. Does this mean that they are already dating? And with Satoru not reacting to it, then should Katase have just treated it as something normal and not even paid attention to it? In the manga she was reading, such kisses usually happened at the beginning of a character''s relationship arc, so was it the same for her? Or was it not?!

    Trying to talk about it during yesterday''s lunch break was a wash, with Saji interfering in her conversation, making her lose her courage. If it wasn''t for Murayama pouncing on Satoru with a thousand questions at once, Katase wouldn''t even know what exactly she was supposed to ask him about. And after school, Satoru had left with Saji, and Katase had gone home in a huff before coming to school the next day, only to be even more confused about the situation.

    Satoru had asked her to pass along a letter, an invitation he said, to Rias for a meeting. As Katase herself realized quickly after, this meeting was practically a work meeting, so her bout of jealousy didn''t last that long¡­ Though what kind of work would seem to connect the head of the school''s Occult Research Club and an underground fighter from out of town, Katase was not really sure. But Rias is very rich, so maybe that''s how they''re connected?

    But her sort of boyfriend, or maybe not boyfriend, Katase wasn''t entirely sure, had asked her to participate in setting up a meeting with the school''s number one beauty. And that was just a day after their first date!

    Katase knew that Rias was the school''s number one beauty! With Katase not placing anywhere near the top 10, with her huge nasty forehead, and Katase knew that too¡­ Plus, Rias had much bigger breasts too. But Katase''s weren''t bad either! Satoru wasn''t a pervert like Issei, was he?! But guys like big breasts, right?!

    What if Satoru dumped her when he met the much more beautiful Rias!? What if the letter was a love confession!?

    Okay, when she said that her jealousy didn''t last long, it was not because she was a magnanimous and understanding person, her anxiety had replaced it instead.

    Giving Satoru''s letter to Rias, the latter looked at her with a strange expression on her face, and upon receiving the letter, which Katase hadn''t opened by the way, she gave a serious nod before walking away.

    Did she just set Satoru up on a date with Rias Gremory?!

    Katase''s brain, which had been tugging at every corner for the past few days, had finally stopped working, and, as was common in such situations, Katase''s brain function had been taken over by her friend, Murayama.

    "First of all!" Murayama pulled her friend by the shoulders into a secluded corner during the lunch break before she could meet with Satoru, and do¡­ Do what exactly?

    "We don''t know exactly what Satoru wanted to discuss! What do we know for sure about him?"

    "He''s Issei''s older brother and not a pervert." Katase replied obediently, "He''s very strong and because of his past, which he doesn''t talk much about, he was very poor and lived in another city with his mother who died and started making money from underground fights."

    "What do we know about Rias Gremory?" Murayama asked the next question, wanting to at least establish the ground rule, before getting to the truth of the matter.

    "She''s the president of the Occult Research Club, the number one beauty of the school, she has a huge influence in Kuoh Academy, a friend of the president of the Student Council of Souna. Oh, and she''s a rich young lady with more money than the rest of Kuoh combined," Katase replied obediently.

    "Now we''re thinking!" Murayama raised a finger sternly like a teacher.

    "So, what is the connection between these two people? Rias had never met with Satoru before and had no relationship with each other¡­ Or, well, not that anyone noticed anyway, which is very unlikely, you know just how fast rumors travel in Kuoh Academy. So it''s probably just some business invitation or something! There''s nothing to worry about!

    "What?" Katase looked at her friend in confusion.

    "It''s most likely about money!" Murayama immediately clapped her hands together, thinking up a possible reason for the meeting between Katase''s ''kind of boyfriend'' and ''possible rival"''

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Think about it, if it''s not romance, and it doesn''t look like romance, then there are only topics about money left! Satoru is poor, Rias is rich, and he promised you that he wouldn''t fight in underground fights anymore, so there''s your answer! He''s probably asking about scholarships or something, I heard that Satoru was supposed to be very smart. If not, then maybe he''s asking for a job?" Murayama then held up another finger, though she finished with less confidence than when she started.,

    "I''ve even heard that Issei''s father, well, Satoru''s as well I suppose, ran away from the family and doesn''t go to work anymore, with Issei''s mother no longer leaving the house. I don''t blame her really, it must''ve been quite the shock, and he can''t rely on Issei now, can he?!"

    "Ah¡­ But¡­ But¡­ Why her? Isn''t she just a high schooler?" Katase looked at Murayama with a look of confusion.

    "Who else could he turn to? Emancipated or not, no one at the bank will give a schoolboy a loan, and your offer to work at the caf¨¦ would be good for pocket change, but not for a family of three! He needs money, a lot of it, and fast! And the only place he can find it, if he doesn''t want to get into underground fights anymore, is with Rias Gremory''s. Even the dog knows that Rias has more zeros in her bank account than there are students in the entire Academy!"

    Katase just shook her head in disbelief as Murayama said that she had a hand in this situation. But what else could she do, just let Satoru take part in underground fights?!

    "I honestly don''t know what to do in this case." Murayama said as she looked at Katase and sighed.

    "Anyway, don''t worry about their meeting and¡­ You know, it''s kind of weird for me to stick up for a guy, especially one who is Issei''s older brother, but!"

    Murayama smiled at Katase, "Trust, Satoru. Did he look like a man who doesn''t know what to do? He must''ve had a plan."

    Katase could only smile at her best friend. Yeah! There''s nothing to worry about, Satoru definitely has a plan!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Midway through the school day, at the beginning of lunch break, Momonga''s former joy was gone, replaced by a philosophical mindset that mostly revolved around the simple thought of ''what am I doing with my life?''. Surprisingly, mirroring most people''s, Momonga''s own actual age, thoughts. Thankfully, without the accompanying dead-end job.

    The first lesson went well, after a couple of simple tasks, which Momonga himself solved after a few minutes, Momonga decided to show his capabilities to the teacher. With his experience in his past job, there''s much to show ¨C partly to determine from his teacher''s reaction the possibility of further implementation of such things¡­ And partly to show off a little in front of him.

    Perhaps there was even something pathetic about it, the inhabitants of Nazarick were willing to kiss the ground he walked on, but the reason for that was their nature and distorted perceptions of Momonga himself, not his actual achievements. Even his ingenious plans, while quite possibly ''ingenious'', were definitely not ''his'', Momonnga found that he lacked genuine positive reinforcements.

    Given that it was impossible for Momonga to demonstrate his fighting skills openly, or at least he didn''t plan to do so until he had fully explored all the risks involved, he wanted to showcase his own talents. Those that Momonga did have, at least.

    No, he wasn''t a braggart, of course, but maybe sometimes he wished there was a little more truth in the compliments he received. Momonga''s ''ingenious'' plan was primarily a joke, one grand, drawn-out joke, but, he had real talents, didn''t he? Maybe not very outstanding, he''d just copied solutions from his past and adapted them a bit to the one he faces now, but that was at least a small accomplishment, wasn''t it?

    And he wanted to hear praise for it¡­ Real praises and not coded in into the NPCs nature.

    The people of Nazarick would praise him even for his ability to sit on a chair or something equally mundane. Perhaps for breathing correctly, or being able to talk and walk at the same time. Things that, praising for, sounds more like an insult.

    However, the computer science teacher''s reaction was far more restrained than Momonga had hoped.

    Momonga had hoped for an ''excellent'' or even a few claps, but when the teacher saw the results of his work, he just sat on his chair as if nothing had happened. And he continued to sit there until the end of the lesson. Then, when the lesson was over, he didn''t even get up to send the students away. Causing Momonga, who couldn''t stand the idea of being late for the next lesson, to be forced to leave his company, depriving him of a significant portion of the enjoyment he had hoped for.

    This in turn meant that the following lessons exhausted Momonga''s well of joy, as shallow as it is, even faster.

    So now, Momonga approached the lunch break thinking again about whether he could just jump out the window, use [Flight], and get away from the school. Especially given the information that he would likely not be prosecuted for such actions.

    Still, however, as lunch break began, Momonga was able to shake off such thoughts a bit, especially after the two friends, Murayama and Katase, returned to Momonga with the information that they had delivered his message to Rias. After all, that in turn meant that he had practically gotten rid of the need to attend school!

    Tomorrow he was to ''report'' the negotiations to a ''neutral party'', in the form of Fallen Angels on the church grounds, where he would be protected from Demon attacks. The message composed by Albedo had already been delivered to Rias, so the Demons would have to address the Fallen separately, Demiurge would receive this message. And the day after tomorrow, on Sunday, having attended school for only one week, but as if having felt all the years of education on his shoulders at once, Momonga was to be released from his burden.

    His first introduction into human society had happened¡­ Definitely not as perfect as he would have liked it to be. The whole disaster with Hyoudou''s family, and the original plan to keep a low profile, the accidental conflict that miraculously didn''t turn into a real conflict with Demons. It was a full cornucopia of messes!

    On the other hand, if you discounted the fact that this was his first experience of this kind, and the fact that Momonga was always unaccustomed to confrontations without conceding the first fight? Then it could be said that it hadn''t gone as badly as it could have!

    He had obtained a lot of important information about the current society that he had forwarded to Demiurge for his research, prepared a base in this city, made contact with the demons. And, ultimately, all without revealing information about Nazarick, thus gaining a significant advantage in the future over a potential opponent.

    Which meant that after negotiating, he could most likely extract compensation from the Demons, then retreat from the city, leaving all the mess behind. Officially he would use magic on Issei and his mother to cover their changes, then retreat and start preparing for a new infiltration, this time taking into account all the mistakes and all the information he had gathered.

    Somewhere as far away from Japan as possible¡­ Well, he could leave the specifics of the next possible infiltration to Demiurge and Albedo, they could probably handle it better than he could. They could hardly do any worse, after all.

    He was a little worried about Demiurge''s words that Momonga''s ''plan'' was going to move on to the next phase, but that was something Momonga could worry about once his main problem, the school, was resolved.

    In any case, thinking about his future release from this hell, maybe he could ask Neuronist to use his experience as one of the tortures, made Momonga cheer up a bit. And so, during lunch break, Momonga greeted the girls who had decided to join him for lunch, with a smile and waved at them.

    They waved back, but the smiles on their faces were a bit more strained than Momonga''s own¡­ However, considering that his usual smile was completely fake, ever since Momonga had first put it on his face, he had actually left it unchanged. He couldn''t exactly complain about the girls'' slightly wooden smile.

    However, even if his smile was fake, his good mood definitely wasn''t, and so after making his way along with the girls, Momonga reached his already favored spot on the roof of the school. After settling down with the girls, he opened his packed lunch while looking at the girls cordially. After a few seconds, during which none of them had touched their lunch, Murayama was the first to ask a question¡­ As far as Momonga could tell, at least, she blurted out an entire sentence in a single breath so the contents of it, he wasn''t really sure about.

    "WhatdidRiaswantfromyou?!"

    "Umu?" Momonga blinked incomprehensibly, but after a moment he looked at Katase, who was staring at him as if Momonga had just sworn to descend into Hell in front of her. Ahem, considering that the conversation was about Demons, Rias'' name being mentioned, at least he thought so, Momonga might have gotten a little closer to the truth than he thought.

    "Your letter to Rias¡­" Katase, after taking a deep breath and a slap from Murayama for her to calm down, finally managed to speak slowly enough that Momonga could understand her. Still, Katase still looked out of it, looking nervously at anything on the roof just so that she doesn''t have to look into Momonga''s eyes.

    "You did¡­ Negotiate about money, didn''t you?"

    "Umu?" Momonga was quite surprised, but amidst all the previous events in his life, this question didn''t even deserve to be called ''unusual'', and then his suppressed emotions didn''t even react to his slight surprise. Momonga''s mind, on the other hand, having finally finished deciphering Murayama''s previous jumble of words, could finally understand just how such a misunderstanding came about.

    So Rias was someone wealthy in this society¡­ Though perhaps that was to be expected given that she was a member of the paranormal, and of a very high rank at that. And considering his previous talk with her, his sort-of ban on ''underground fights'' and him mentioning his lack of money¡­

    Momonga wondered for a second if it was possible to reveal information about his paranormal abilities to Murayama and Katase. Given that the demons had taken such an action quite calmly in the past, it might be okay¡­ But in the end decided against it.

    With Saji and his family it was much easier, as Saji had virtually no friends or parents, so he could get rid of him if necessary. But Katase and Murayama were much more social than Saji, eliminating them would immediately draw attention.

    Not to mention the fact that revealing the supernatural to them wouldn''t answer the question of why he needed to meet with Rias in the first place. And Momonga certainly wasn''t planning to let them in on the details of that.

    Although, on the other hand, Katase was kind of in a relationship with him, wasn''t she? Momonga didn''t have any special feelings for the girl, of course, but they had kissed, hadn''t they? And since she hasn''t slapped him or kicked him, that meant that they''re in a relationship, right?

    His relationship with Albedo and Shalltear aside, Momonga wasn''t very well versed in relationships.

    After a few second of silence, Momonga decided to tell the girls the partial truth.

    "I just want to talk to Rias. Nothing more. Money¡­ The money is secondary in that regard."

    Katase and Murayama were silent for a few seconds, and then Murayama''s face smoothed out. However, not from calmness, which would have brought peace to Momonga''s soul, but from a realization that reflexively made him swallow in nervousness. Have they figured out some secrets of his! What if?

    "I knew that Rias¨C" Murayama glanced at Momonga, then at Katase. "Is a Yakuza!"

    Momonga blinked. No, from some point of view, with Rias belonging to an influential family of the Demons with a lot of influence in the country it could be said that she is a member of the Yakuza¡­ In a way ¨C in a very indirect and actually not at all related way.

    However, hmm, Momonga had no more clever ideas to turn the girls'' interest away from him, so he preferred to take the path of least resistance, "That''s right, Rias is a¡­ Yakuza."

    "Oooh!" The girls'' eyes widened, and Murayama was the first to react, "And you too!"

    "W-what?!" This time, Momonga''s suppressed emotions still had to intervene in the unexpected development.

    "I always knew it!" Looking at Katase, who was no less shocked by this information than Momonga, but less able to hide it, Murayama grinned triumphantly, then began to curl her fingers, one by one.

    "Legal ties to organize emancipation, the ability to get here from Kyoto, to find your missing father''s family with nothing but his name. Your fighting skills, your constant steadfastness, your incredible intelligence, enough to being accepted into Kuoh after the school year started, and now meeting the richest girl in town¡­ You are the heir to a Yakuza clan!"

    At those incredible series of words, Momonga covered his eyes. Was it too late to tell her that he was a mage from another world?

    Momonga opened his eyes and ran his gaze over to Katase, who was looking at him with a mix of emotions ¨C there was shock, fear, and¡­ Admiration? Why admiration? In her gaze.

    Admiration, as if Katase was encountering, for the first time in her life, the hero of the children''s comics she had once read in the past.

    Besides, really, Momonga had already said the comparison between Rias and the Yakuza wasn''t all that unbelievable, had he? And besides, he would need to make contact with the underworld at some point one way or another to expand his business, that is, religion, or is it better to call it a cult¡­

    All the more certain that Demiurge would take advantage of the prospects opening up after meeting them. After he regained the previous nest egg that Demiurge had blown away¡­

    Demiurge was making excellent money, but after Momonga''s casual comment, he''d blown it all on buying some company that Momonga himself had only mentioned at all because he was surprised at the name.

    Something about¡­ Amazons?

    Why Demiurge thought that a company dealing with muscular women is a good investment, Momonga has no idea. But this CEO guy better be making a lot of money for him, he just spent his life savings, well, Demiurge did, investing in the company!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Issei, Pandora''s Actor, was in some emotional turmoil. No, not what one might call ''irritation'' in the fullest sense of the word, but definitely in a confused state of mind. Namely, Issei was experiencing perhaps¡­ Discourage? Yes, that fits.

    All of Rias Gremory''s servants were amazing ausstellungen, unique in just how dysfunctional they all are.

    The nekomata, betrayed by her sister as a result of conflict within her peerage, which Issei''s trained eye could identify as part of a much larger conspiracy. The so-called Koneko was so traumatized that she suppressed all emotion and her Nekomata ability, her very essence, for fear of going mad.

    A holy swordsman born from a mad experiment, wanting to destroy the holy swords he was once created to carry, and which had indirectly caused the deaths of his friends and adopted family. Though of course, blaming the sword rather than the scientist that conducted the experiments, is remarkably stupid to say the least.

    A Fallen Angel, well a half Fallen Angel, Half Human, Half Devil? Or is it a third now? Anyway, a half Fallen Angel, ashamed and hating her essence, and her father, treating them as the cause of her mother''s death, cursing her powerful father for failing to protect her family. Again a misguided anger, as if the members of her family that regarded her as a taint to her family name, and had killed her mother, were innocent of everything.

    A half-vampire afraid of his own shadow and his own powers, hounded by his family as a stain on their reputation and by vampire hunters as a spawn of evil, choosing to seal within himself a potentially outstanding artifact. This person''s troubles at least were much easier to solve, rather than the mental cases of their fellow Peerage.

    And at the center of it all is her. Rias Gremory.

    Day after day, Issei scrutinized the minds of Rias''s peerage, getting closer and closer to their leader, wary of possible pitfalls and traps laid. Who was Rias Gremory? How had she managed to gather such servants around her? By what power did she keep them under control? Was she able to snuff out their fears and hatreds, or did she carefully nurture those, using fear and love in equal measure to direct them at her enemies? What lurked deep, beneath the deepest mask that even the reflected strangers in the mirror wore, looking into Rias'' eyes every day?

    Carefully, day after day, Issei had picked the key to the lock and now, at this moment, when the official negotiations were given the go-ahead, he had finally made up his mind. Using every ability, Issei had carefully penetrated Rias''s mind and discovered¡­ Nothing.

    How could Rias control and direct her servants? To put it succinctly, she couldn''t and she didn''t. With the stubbornness of a fool, she ignored her servants'' problems, barely keeping them in line, solely by sweet-talk, promises and meaningless gestures of support. That alone had kept her retinue in line, but only superficially.

    Each of her ''followers'' was always only half a step away from rebellion, their traumas and repressed emotions just waiting for the right moment to come out. Left like a suspended trap under her foot, waiting to snap her in twain at any moment.

    The easiest of the lot to be brought into line, the half-vampire, was in separate confinement and Rias didn''t even try to solve his problems, not even to make contact with him!

    The reason for the uniqueness of her retinue? Nothing more than a series of coincidences and nepotism on the part of her patronizing and siscon older brother. A personage at the top of the entire Devil hierarchy of power, willing to provide his younger sister with the unique specimens that she couldn''t use.

    Her inner personality? Nothing. Dust. Boredom. As empty and meaningless as that of a passerby, her future was cloudless, her past was perfect, and the only thing that at all distinguished her from a mannequin was her desire to avoid her own wedding. But even in that wish there was no Freiheit. No more than a wish, a wish that she was ready to deny should circumstances arise in her path.

    The only consolation for Issei, who had experienced such profound disappointment concerning the girl, was that she amused him somewhat. The idea of using Father in her plan to avoid an engagement, what monumental and yet absurdly humorous folly¡­ And of course the light tad of burning rage at the temerity of this slip of a girl to even think of using his Father for her own goals.

    But to rejoice in such a thing was like trying to take a bite of a fine cake, and finding that it was papier-mach¨¦, and praising it for at least being chewable.

    So Issei''s mood was considerably spoiled, having to suppress the disappointed grimace on his face and pulled himself away from Rias''s mind and back into the real world.

    However, even if he had let his disappointed grimace show on his face, no one would have witnessed it. In the aftermath of his Father''s machination, the trio of perverts had effectively broken up.

    Issei, as the younger brother of the perpetrator, and the one who had certainly supported his older brother, had actually stopped interacting with his old friends. And those mehrfachm¨¹ll, fearing Father, had lost most of their common topics of conversation, surprised to find that, minus their perverted hobbies, they were rather boring people with not much in common with each other.

    Matsuda and Motohama''s friendship with each other ground to a halt, expecting them to still be friends even only after a month was pointless.

    Putting those thoughts aside, however, Issei could return to far more pleasant musings. After all, his Father had issued a decree wanting to begin the work of gaining control of the underworld of this world, already preparing for the third step of his plan.

    As one would expect from his Father.

    Moreover, up until this point, Issei had sometimes wondered exactly what role Shalltear, sent to the Church of Fallen Angels, was supposed to serve. Well, now Issei knew that for sure.

 Overlord of a High School (30)

    After Momonga had announced his intention to meet with the Fallen Angels at the church ¨C something Demiurge already knew about anyway. Something which made Momonga''s announcement of such a thing sound awkward to Momonga, he was able to return to Miki''s house. Only to be surprised to find that the house was completely empty¡­ Except for Miki, of course.

    Momonga tried his best to try to remember what his ''housemates'' were up to.

    Demiurge seemed to be fully immersed in organizing negotiations with the demons, the last thing Momonga had heard was that Demiurge was seriously negotiating with the Fallen Angels¡­ Which was not a bad thing. If Demiurge could seriously discuss with the Fallen Angels the accidental capture of the church, it would make Ainz'' life much easier. He might even be able to establish good relations with the Fallen Angels. The more good relations he has with the established factions of this world, the easier it would be for Momonga to navigate between them in the future.

    Admittedly, the fact that Demiurge was also still essentially correcting Momonga''s failings due to his capture of Raynare saddened Momonga.

    Pandora''s Actor had not yet returned home, choosing to devote his time, as per Demiurge''s plan, to assessing the resident demons and studying them. A move Momonga could only approve of, information was the key to survival and the key to victory after all. What was, however, particularly surprising to Momonga was that Albedo and Shalltear also didn''t immediately show up back at Miki''s house when Momonga had returned.

    Apparently, Albedo had taken over Demiurge''s reins over the church''s slowly growing business, probably trying to salvage what was left of the church''s wealth after spending all their money to buy an unknown company. No! Think positively Momonga! It''s the company that Demiurge had selected after all, and he''s one of the smartest NPC in Nazarick, there''s no way that he would pick wrong.

    Well, he''s a Demon, so he might be choosing companies that are just as evil as he is¡­ Which meant that they would be very successful now that Momonga tried to remember the companies of his old world.

    Shalltear, on the other hand, had set out to slowly take over the underground world of Japan, starting with Kyoto. A move Momonga wholeheartedly approved of. Not only was it important for him to have at least some presence in his supposed birthplace, but also to begin a gradual study of the abilities of the creatures of this world. For which the ideal thing to do would be to use criminals, whose absence could easily be blamed on internal struggles and lifestyle. If anyone even noticed they were missing in the first place, that is.

    On one hand, this pleased Momonga, the fact that Nazarick''s denizens were focusing themselves on their work was good for both Nazarick and Momonga''s mental peace of mind, but it was also strangely frustrating for him.

    Of course, fending off attempts by Shalltear and Albedo to find strange fetishized ways to get closer to Momonga one way or another was an exercise for his Emotion Suppression. Like Albedo''s attempt to offer to be a chair for Momonga, to which Shalltear tried to respond by offering to massage Momonga''s feet, to which Albedo had responded that he would clean it ¨C by licking it. Before it would devolve into even more strange fetishes, Momonga had to lay the law to both girls. In that, he had ordered them not to.

    The fact that they would heed his orders easily assured his paranoid mind. And yet, at the same time, the realization that they did heed Momonga''s order and decided to back away from it, made Momonga feel strangely sad¡­

    ''It''s all because both of them are kind of my girlfriends, and I actually don''t have any idea how a girlfriend should behave¡­ So, despite how much trouble they caused me with their attempts to woo me, I guess I took it all as signs of affection from the girls. So now, having lost those, I''m starting to miss it,'' Momonga paused for a moment in front of the front door before shaking his head and taking a step inside, finding Miki with a glance.

    Now, he was left alone with his foster mother¡­ Momonga''s relationship with Miki was¡­ Strange, as much as it could even be described with such a mild word.

    The woman whom Momonga had compared his mother with, and who had almost become one, albeit an adoptive one, had accidentally, through Momonga''s own actions, lost her mind. She was effectively put into a coma, and Momonga had to kill her and resurrect her. And when Momonga had left Miki for just a few hours with Pandora''s Actor, a grave mistake now that he had thought about it, she accidentally went from being a random passerby to his loyal follower.

    Her behavior, suspiciously similar in her words and attitude to Nazarick denizens'' own¡­

    Of course, there was a positive side to it. Now Momonga didn''t have to worry about Miki revealing the truth about his true origins, he didn''t have to disguise his connection to Nazarick and the presence of Nazarick NPCs in his life. But, at the same time, he had effectively broken her mind, driven her mad, the poor woman he had inadvertently chosen as a cover for his introduction into the world. The kind woman that had accepted the result of her husband''s infidelity without any judgement or anger¡­

    And a small part of Momonga regretted his actions toward Miki.

    Only a small part, though, because Momonga had generally found that he viewed human life in a very detached way. Where he would judge them on the basis of costs and reward, a point of view that made it easier for him to believe that he had always been undead rather than once human.

    The small regret was born solely out of the fact that Momonga himself could draw a parallel between Miki and his own past life, but he felt a slight regret for her nonetheless. Extremely mild, causing Momonga''s emotion suppression to not even activate while he was thinking about Miki, but still¡­

    So when he stepped inside the house and found Miki kneeling at his arrival, it was as if he had never left Nazarick at all, what''s with all the kneeling. Momonga could only give a slightly embarrassed nod, not entirely sure how else he should have reacted to such actions. And then, when Miki got up and went back to her business of cooking dinner, Momonga made his way to the couch and sat down, thoughtfully trying to imagine how he could assuage his regret.

    When he was human, Momonga could probably say that he wished he could compensate Miki for the horrors she had gone through, but gradually, day by day, Momonga realized that he didn''t, strictly speaking, wish to help Miki. He wished to help himself first and foremost, by helping Miki¡­ But in what way exactly?

    "Miki¡­" Deciding not to think about the problem for too long, since he doubts he would get the answer by thinking on it anyway, his trouble at school shows just how un-academically gifted he is. So, Momonga decided to just cut to the chase and ask.

    "What do you want?"

    "To continue serving you, my Lord," Miki answered instantly, turning to him and dropping to one knee when she heard Momonga''s voice, causing Momonga to cough, embarrassed.

    "Miki, you don''t need to stop and fall to your knees every time I address you. You can just go on about your business¡­" Momonga continued to hope, with a fool''s hope since it hasn''t ever worked before with the other NPCs, that it would be enough to convince Miki not to do such embarrassing actions anymore. Given just how she was acting like a Nazarick resident, however, his hope proved to be short-lived.

    "With all due respect to you, Lord Momonga, such behavior would show my disrespect for you. There is no torture or execution in the world sufficient to punish an inferior being like me for such behavior," Miki said it so calmly that Momonga had to draw air into his lungs after a moment. The inhabitants of Nazarick behaved the same way, but at least they didn''t call themselves ''inferior beings''¡­ What was Pandora''s Actor putting into her head?!

    "Ahem, in that case, maybe-" - Momonga tried to strain his meanderings, trying to think of a way to convince Miki to behave normally, before an idea did slip into his head.

    "Right, Miki, ahem," Momonga tried to cough trying to force his voice to sound more impressive, to make his made up speech sound a little more impressive.

    "Your work for Nazarick is your main proof of loyalty to me, but when you take a break from that to kneel before me, you, um¡­"

    Momonga stumbled over the wording of his command, trying to choose the most similar in his mind to what the great lord of Nazarick that all his followers saw him as, might have uttered before continuing. "You choose empty praise over faithful service, umu! That''s right, that''s why I''ll be happier with you continuing to do your thing than I will be with you simply paying me homage."

    Miki, who had been silently listening to his words until then, blinked in surprise at his words, before frowning and nodding in concentration, as if Momonga''s hastily thought up speech had just revealed some secret of the universe to her. "Of course, Lord Momonga, how could I not have realized this on my own. Please forgive this inferior being."

    After saying that, Miki rose from her knees and turned back to the stove, while Momonga himself thought for a moment about trying to wean her off this ''inferior being'' spiel. After which, he decided to leave that for a slightly later date. The important thing is consistency.

    If Momonga does things consistently, small steps will lead him to success.

    However, after congratulating himself internally for taking a small step towards the distant goal of normal communication with his followers inside, and outside Nazarick, Momonga tried to ask his question again. "But still, Miki, mind you, what exactly would you like to get from me? I mean something tangible, as com¡­ A reward for your service."

    After a brief thought, Momonga did not dare to talk about compensation, given that there was a significant chance that Miki would refuse compensation. However, that didn''t stop Miki from refusing the reward provided as well. "Labor in your name, Lord Momonga, is in itself the highest honor"

    ''Indeed, the same response as those in Nazarick,'' Momonga exhaled mirthlessly, after another brief thought decided to still be a bit more persistent with Miki. After all, she was not a creature of Nazarick, so Momonga could be a little less careful or gentle in her case. "But gifts and rewards are necessary to motivate subordinates, aren''t they? In this case, your emotional state is also important in order for you to¡­ Umu, to continue to labor for my glory."

    Momonga inwardly raised his fist once more in a victorious gesture the moment Miki actually started thinking about his words. Indeed, Miki was unexpectedly useful, as a being of this world who was close in his mind to the inhabitants of Nazarick, couldn''t Momonga use Miki to test ideas on her regarding his communication with the inhabitants of Nazarick?

    This was extremely important, and if Momonga did decide to give her such a role, Miki''s value would increase many times over¡­

    Miki, however, upon hearing Momonga''s words, only thoughtfully returned to the stove again, though he had indeed ordered her to continue working. Still, the aroma caused Momonga to look away for a moment to concentrate on it, trying to appreciate each ingredient being cooked. Meat, spices, vegetables¡­ All real and not substitutes or grown proteins!

    This kind of lunch or dinner in his previous world, if we weren''t talking about YGGDRASIL, was only available to the truly rich. The top 1%! However, in this world, not only he, the lord of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, had access to such a meal, but even the common man,

    And Miki was cooking him a meal made from such precious ingredients¡­ Such a realization made Momonga both happy about the situation in the world at the moment, and sad that a hundred years later, these people would start to consider it a luxury. Sad that the people of this world didn''t even realize how good their current situation really was.

    "Lord Momonga, please forgive me, but I see the main problem with my service to you in my age." Miki said tonelessly, as if the very thought of asking something from Momonga was anathema to her being.

    "I''m much older than my prime and only growing older. In due time, age would''ve robbed me of the skills I still possess, not to mention my likely death in the next few decades. Forgive me if my inferior mind is incapable of grasping the secret meaning behind your test. But, in my mind, it is my age and impending death that are the main factors that present themselves to me as possible problems associated with my service that I wish to be rid of¡­"

    "Umu," Momonga only nodded gravely at these words and then thought for a moment.

    Indeed, from the dawn of history, and probably ever since humans could think, they have sought to prolong their lives and preserve the best years of their lives. Given just how short the human lifespan was compared to the legendary creatures like thousand-year-old elves or even more eternally living demons, it has even been part of many quest-lines in YGGDRASIL.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    However, when it comes to solving this problem¡­

    The wealthiest people of his past world could live for a little over two hundred years with medical technology of the time. As for preserving youth, given the advances in cosmetology, plastic surgery, cybernetic and bio-modification, preserving the appearance and capabilities of the body at the peak of human youth has been possible for over a hundred years.

    However, naturally, Momonga knew of such modifications only in their effects, appearance and astronomical prices, not that he could replicate such technologies. At best, he could assemble a rudimentary complex to integrate the human nervous system into communication with a computer, simply because that was something any human should be able to do and know.

    Knowledge of such processes was commonplace seeing that no work doesn''t require such abilities. Given that he could not afford to have nor the know-how to professionally install ports to connect to a network, that would have the opposite effect, rather than prolonging life.

    In YGGDRASIL, of course, there was also no direct ability to extend a character''s life. YGGDRASIL didn''t keep the story flowing in real time, and while periodically certain NPCs could disappear due to ''death by old age'', there was no such system for this. The Developers just did it periodically as part of the story progression, determining such things at their own discretion, so since YGGDRASIL didn''t have such a system, neither did Momonga.

    Well, there''s always [Raise Undead], but that would be putting the cart before the horse.

    Literally.

    Momonga had three clear solutions to this problem. World Class Items like [Ouroboros], which allowed him to directly ask the Developers of YGGDRASIL to change the entire world of the game, to an extent of course. This option was immediately dismissed by Momonga as criminally wasteful. He would probably have to use [Downfall of Castle and Country] to force himself to do such a thing.

    Even with the ability to use that World Class Item, that is, in this world''s classification, a [Longinus], Momonga would never spend such a useful, and extremely rare, item on Miki.

    Then there''s Super-Tier Magic. Momonga could assume that a few Super-Tier Magic spells could lead him to the desired result, such as [Wish Upon A Star]. But, using this magic requires the expenditure of experience points, the more experience points he would spend when using this spell, the more powerful the final effect would be. Given the fact that Momonga had found no way to gain new experience points for himself or the people of Nazarick at the moment, perhaps because it didn''t exist at all, this option was also eliminated.

    Lastly, there''s the direct option ¨C race change. If Human frailty was the issue, then simply discarding your Humanity should fix the problem in a jiffy.

    All of YGGDRASIL''s heteromorphic races had unlimited life reserves, as in they could never die of old age, at least according to their lore. But, still, changing races required the use of World Class Items ¨C [Longinus], certain types of Super-Tier Magic, or consumable items.

    And the supply of consumable items for race change in Nazarick, though huge with just how members of the Guild love using the Gacha, was finite. And at this moment, Momonga didn''t imagine it would be possible to restore it in the future. On the other hand, of the three options, the third seemed to be the most suitable, at least because Momonga needed to experiment with the use of the race-change items in this world.

    For the future, in order to know exactly how they would react when Momonga actually needed them. If it could also be combined with rewarding Miki? Well, Miki had already participated in one important experiment, about the possibilities of resurrection in this world, why wouldn''t she be up for one more?

    So, thoughtfully, Momonga nodded at Miki''s implied request, before returning to reality, in which the empty table in front of him managed to be populated by a few dishes. Momonga could feel his anticipation building, an appropriate amount so that his Emotion Suppression doesn''t activate, and could feel himself salivate slightly at the appetizing smells coming to him from the dishes in front of him.

    "Thank you, Miki," Momonga nodded before proceeding with his dinner.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Kyoto was a peaceful city, both for the normal inhabitants of the city and those of the paranormal bent. Especially so for the paranormal inhabitants of the city, as the seat of power of all the youkai of Japan could not exist otherwise.

    It was impossible to call the Youkai a monolithic faction as it is a faction made of hundreds of monsters, mages, old families, and legendary creatures, most being long-lived enough that grudges could span centuries. No. they were bound together only by the fact that they had all been born on the territory of one small island nation. They had gathered together in a common association with some semblance of a central authority, solely under the threat of other factions.

    Factions that could deal with the disparate clans of magical creatures before they had a chance to come to their senses.

    Yet the Youkai maintained, if not a full-fledged peace, then at least a peaceful relationship with each other. As long as everyone kept to their side of the bargain, of their agreement, that is. The Tengu controlled the media, the Exorcists were the contact point with the human world, and the Kitsune resolved disputes and supplied magic potions for delivery to the outside world, with conflicts within the faction kept to a minimum.

    If conflicts did arise and no measure of dialogue could stop it, the most powerful youkai of Japan and the whole Youkai faction, Yasaka-no-Kyubi, the nine-tailed kitsune, would forcibly separate the disputing youkais. If they did not want to disperse even after her intervention, they were still dispersed, though this time thinned by a significant part of their clans.

    Diplomats and charismatic words might stop small fights, but it is personal power that could control tribes, nations, and entire clans. It is also the means in which the Youkai kept their independence and standing, by showing the world that it costs too much to take them on.

    Therefore, things were quiet among the Kyoto youkai, and especially in that small niche of what could be called the ''dark side'' of Kyoto''s magical world.

    Yasaka could tolerate a small stream of criminal dealings, as long as she could keep a hand on the pulse of life. She could convince arrogant criminals that certain actions were not only bad for business, but also for their personal health. By doing so, she could skillfully manipulate the secret side of Kyoto''s world to her advantage.

    Long-standing areas of responsibility and areas of control were divided between one clan or another and so conflict is kept to the minimum. And after several failed attempts to test Yasaka''s mettle back in the early years of her reign, attempts that she had withstood with honor, and made them pay dearly for their audacity, Kyoto had effectively calmed down.

    Everyone knew who and to whom they had to go to bow, from whom they could find certain favors, and what boundaries were best not crossed for the sake of their own peace of mind.

    That was what Vis was thinking as he huddled in the farthest corner of the room where the smuggled weapons had been kept not so long ago.

    Kamaitachis were not overly famous or popular youkais, but of all their qualities and capabilities, the only thing that stood out was their flair for commerce and their ability to always toe the party line and not overdo it. A quality that had made the Kamaitachis flourish in the underbelly of Kyoto. But all Vis had learned today was that you shouldn''t confuse the ability to toe the line with the gift of divination.

    Because no amount of understanding of when it was best to hold onto your greed and refuse to work could save Vis. Being understanding had saved him when his family''s warehouse in Kyoto was breached and with his compatriots all dying.

    Vis, especially, couldn''t have guessed that mocking a short young girl who had appeared on the threshold of the warehouse, barely old enough to be a high school student, would turn into a bloodbath.

    How could he not, the girl, whom Vis would otherwise consider dangerous only to her parents, dressed in a gothic-lolita dress of all things. Entering the gathering of dangerous men, the girl had simply said ''Hurry, inferior beings, I wish to return to my master'' and then demanded their supplication. He really should have known better.

    Vis had mocked her, and she had pulled a huge spear out of nowhere, and in a few moments turned the cultural gathering of honest arms dealers into a flesh-splattered mess

    But worst of all was the blood.

    After the first kill, when the girl stopped to offer the others the chance to surrender and kneel, the other merchants rushed at her, and were then turned into a bloody haze a moment later. However, contrary to the macabre scene of organs, limbs and heads, there was no blood around the girl. No, all the blood from the bodies of the slain, disobeying the laws of nature, gathered into a single pulsating blob above the girl''s head, levitating, growing larger as it absorbed more blood in streams.

    And it didn''t make any sense at all! What the hell was a vampire doing in Kyoto in the first place, and why had she decided to kill people under Yasaka''s nose?!

    But the thought of Yasaka stomping the cocky vampire in the future couldn''t save Vis in the present. What had saved him in the end, was the numbness, and his desperate attempt to press himself into the wall, hard enough to become one with the bricks.

    "How¡­ I want¡­ More¡­!" In other situations, the girl''s moans might have made Vis feel sexually interested, but seeing his friends and acquaintances turn into gizzards in front of him killed his libido dead. The sight of the girl, almost wriggling in delight as she bathed in a waterfall of blood after she had killed the last of the most prominent arms dealers in Kyoto. It seemed to Vis more out of a nightmare than an erotic fantasy.

    Vis practically stopped breathing, looking at the girl talking to herself after she had finished her massacre, hoping that she would not notice his heart beating so loudly.

    But his hope was short-lived.

    "You!" Having come to some kind of conclusion, the girl pointed her spear at Vis, stopping with the tip of the spear only a few centimeters from the center of his chest, making Vis freeze in a paralyzed stupor.

    "Do you know people in this city?"

    Vis froze at that moment, most of the people he knew in Kyoto had gathered today to close a major deal, and they''re all dead. But, his life hanging in the balance at the moment, meant that he simply couldn''t say otherwise. "Yes, of course!"

    "Mages? Merchants? Maybe someone who can create scrolls, potions, or any other consumable magical items?" The girl slightly moved the spear away from Vis''s chest, allowing him to breathe a little easier and then answer, a little more confidently¡­ As confident as one could be under the current circumstances, where their death seemed imminent.

    "Yes, of course! "

    "Hmm, maybe a gift for that big-horned gorilla¡­ Never mind, the main thing is to tell Master that it was me who found them." The girl was distracted from Vis as if he wasn''t worthy of her attention¡­ Although, again, under the current circumstances, Vis didn''t mind being ignored at all.

    "I''ll be praised¡­ I''ll be praised for sure! Maybe even in the bedroom¡­! Something like ''Shalltear is a good girl'', hmm, I could hear it now¡­!"

    With a groan, the girl moved the spear away from Vis a little more, lowering it, then exhaled and suddenly broke out into a lustful smile as she looked at Vis.

    Vis, for his part, looked at the girl, who was apparently called Shalltear, and felt how he would otherwise have given anything for that smile in any other circumstance. It was only when Vis looked at the girl a little more closely that her incredible beauty caught his eye. However, the body parts scattered around him did not contribute at all to his admiration for the appearance of the girl who had attacked him.

    After another moment, the spear in Shalltear''s hand disappeared as if she had never held such a thing, but Vis cared little for the metaphysical underpinnings of the ability of powerful beings. Especially when his life hung in the balance.

    "It''s decided then! You''ll be working for me now, but what to do next?" The ball of blood hovering above Shaltear''s head descended after her, forming a chair, ignoring the remains of the bodies of Kyoto''s past major criminals scattered around her. She assumed a regal pose on the chair and glanced at Vis.

    "Hmm¡­?"

    After a moment, Shalltear seemed to descend into thought, and Vis was very curious on what is to be his next lot in life. But as much as Vis was interested to know what his apparently new boss was thinking, the bodies of his past bosses and acquaintances lying around him discouraged Vis from taking an interest in the girl''s thoughts. Fortunately for him, frowning her eyebrows Shalltear began to speak, addressing, however, not Vis, but to herself.

    "So, is this it? No, of course, I was told only to conduct the first raid, but the big-mouthed gorilla will surely be only too happy to take my success and turn it into her own. Hmm, as Lord Peroroncino used to say, ''In battle, the burst wins the battle, the first strike is the most important¡­!''. Hmm, yes, it''s decided!"

    She slammed her fist into his open palm, causing Vis to flinch. He reflexively clamped his mouth shut to avoid making a sound that might attract the attention of the unknown but powerful vampire who had arrived in Kyoto with no friendly intentions.

    "Hey you!" Without even bothering to ask Vis''s name, Shalltear smirked,

    "Tell me about Kyoto''s other criminals!"

    Vis, who had realized a few seconds ago that his life had just changed drastically, swallowed nervously. He realized that he was not the only one who seemed to be caught in the middle of this change - and that Kyoto was about to go through some really hard times.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Tannin didn''t fly that often - not just over his estate, but at all. Although his huge and powerful body could soar through the air as well as many other dragons, relying on the innate magic of his race. But in the air, Tannin felt rather insecure, clumsy, slow, and most importantly, exposed.

    Of course, considering his gigantic stature and size, Tannin was very exposed even standing on his own feet - it would take a small mountain for him to completely hide from a possible opponent. However, in the air, this feeling was amplified many times over¡­

    Or at least, Tannin wanted to think that it was just the fact that he was flying at the moment that this strange feeling of fear and nervousness was creeping up on him. Feelings which Tannin had thought he had long since forgotten. Thinking that these feelings were just part of his normal dislike of flying, and not something else, something far more sinister and dangerous.

    It had been nearly a week since some unknown person had tried to sneak into his estate, but Tannin was still no closer to figuring out exactly who might have wanted to do so. What could they possibly want there?

    Tannin''s landholding wasn''t the poorest, but it was far from the richest either. The only possible items of interest in it were the dragons that lived in the mountains and the dragon apples he cultivated to help the endangered dragon species.

    But who would think of sneaking into his territory? Who in their right mind would want to sneak into the place most saturated with dragons in all of the Underworld?!

    The logical answer to that question would be ''another dragon'', but Tannin did not keep in regular contact with the dragons from the outside world. He interacted with the Great Red more than he did with the other ''Dragon Kings''! Which is to say, he could count it on his talons, with some left over.

    This mystery provoked him, making him feel the nerves in his body slowly twist into a knot. But, because no other breaches had taken place, all Tannin could do in the current situation was thought that whatever was happening to his territory was over.

    But no matter how much Tannin tried to calm himself with that thought, something inside his mind told him that he was wrong about that, that he was being wishful thinking.

    Even when, overcoming his reluctance to turn to the Devils for help, turning to the Satans, injuring his draconic pride, they only brushed aside his paranoia, busy with the problem of a god who appeared out of nowhere.

    And even though logically Tannin understood that the possibility of a hostile, unknown god was really more important than the question of a failed breach from an unknown something, Tannin''s stomach still continued to clench into a single lump¡­

    And Tannin could only hope that it was because he simply disliked flying so much.

 Overlord of a High School (31)

    Johan Brown, by all accounts, is an excellent mage. Though, he''s more famous for, and a source of jealousy for being a contract mage of the Gremory family, of the head of the family, Zeoticus Gremory. And perhaps, with the least important job of his, the headmaster of the Kuoh Academy, he thinks himself not at all bad with technology. Not bad, of course, only from the user''s point of view.

    Johan had never been particularly passionate about machinery or electronics, the study of mystical mysteries, and, since he was a contract mage for Zeoticus Gremory, also bureaucratic work. This did not leave much time for studying those things whose value to Johan was purely theoretical.

    Still, it was impossible to call Johan a luddite, familiar with computers only to keep it at arm''s length. No, Johan could more or less make sense of what he saw in front of him, he even knows how to use Excel! So he can''t be all that bad, so Johan never saw himself as someone that would be perplexed in front of a computer.

    At least until today.

    As he continued to stare stupidly at the printouts in front of him, Johan could only blink. He tried to get it into his head that what he was seeing in front of him now was not the product of some mad science fiction writer''s imagination, but reality. As far as it could be called reality at all anyway, it might as well be Greek to him, and he knows Greek!.

    Johan looked up at his companion, a short middle-aged man whose only distinguishing feature was his light stubble, trying to see if he was playing a prank on him. Seeing no hint of mirth in his eyes, he tried to see if he had the answer, but his companion, who was the computer science teacher at Kuoh Academy, was unable to answer his questioning gaze.

    Unlike Johan''s confused demeanor, however, the teacher was neither confused nor was it looking for answers. No, the man''s gaze was insane.

    "It''s impossible," The man said with a kind of manic solemnity, raising his index finger in admonishment before bringing it down, pointing to some printed line in front of him before continuing almost with anticipation. "But it''s there!"

    Johan shifted his gaze downward in response and slowly exhaled.

    At no point in time did it seem to Johan that letting the unknown Satoru into the school, into his area of responsibility, was a good idea, but what alternative did he have? Attempt to get an unknown, almost threatening, powerful paranormal adversary out the door? Johan certainly appreciated the rigors of the job and protecting his wards, but he was also quite warm and affectionate about his life.

    Remembering his ''confrontation'' with Satoru, he could feel the fingers of Death grasping his heart. He didn''t want to feel that ever again before a venerable age, preferably never at all.

    As it turned out later, his decision to accept Satoru had probably saved his life. With his patrons'' arrival, the Devils, he was informed that Satoru was actually a god in disguise. Only the most powerful and insane people in the world dreamed of competing with the gods, Johan himself was definitely not one of them.

    And if the Leviathan, one of the four Satans, the strongest Devil in hell, had such a problem with just trying to make the unknown god respect the Devils'' rules, then what could Johan expect in this case?!

    However, the question that instantly appeared in Johan''s mind, and not only that, judging by how dramatically the number of requests from Zeoticus to Johan had increased. That is even if Satoru, which was almost definitely not his real name, was a god¡­ Then which one?!

    Sure there are a lot of them, but the amount of gods that still retained their power, enough to threaten the Leviathan, are also not the kind of gods that stays in the background. Most gods, while still powerful, are severely weakened thanks to the lack of faith, their religions falling to the wayside to the major ones.

    Gods that can issue ultimatums to the Leviathan, don''t just come out of nowhere!

    To be honest, thank Lucifer, dealing with the god was a bit outside of Johan''s purview, and was generally a bit above his pay grade, so Johan was not privy to exactly what answers the Devils'' research had led to. But, Johan was in an important position as a liaison between Zeoticus Gremory and the human world, and Zeoticus was very interested in determining the nature of the unknown god. At least because of Rias'' dangerous proximity to it.

    Without any concrete information, however, Johan was left with only assumptions about the god''s identity. But, in order to make assumptions, it was necessary to have something on which to base those assumptions.

    The Devils, sadly, didn''t even have enough information to even make assumptions.

    The unknown god, Satoru, as far as Johan himself knew, had never demonstrated his abilities in the presence of the Devils, excluding his strength and ability to see through invisibility, which was not saying much. Virtually all gods and beings of similar power could ignore the abilities of ''mere'' high-class Devils.

    Until, finally, what was probably the first demonstration of Satoru''s abilities appeared in front of Johan''s face¡­ A demonstration that nevertheless answered no questions at all, but only asked new ones. Which, in turn, Johan also had no answer for.

    Looking over the printout given to him by his fellow practitioner, Johan tried to see if a second look would transform the code in front of him. A printout, whose original was thankfully already deleted by the IT teacher, one that he had to convince his friend to make, who wanted nothing more than to wipe out even the hard disk of the computers, just in case.

    Just in case of what, Johan didn''t dare to ask, seeing the bloodshot eyes of his friend.

    "It''s unbelievable! It''s not a question of money, it''s a question of what''s possible! You realize that, there''s not just buried treasure here, this is the future! The code is unbelievable, but inside the printout is the architecture! The technology! It''s like someone just brought us blueprints from the future! It''s literally divine revelation!" Johan had to prevent himself from cringing away, as his friend started shouting like a mad cultist who had just met their god. And knowing who they''re dealing with, Johan had to once again check with his magical senses to make sure that there aren''t actual spells. And like the past few dozen times he did it, it came out clean.

    "Well, I don''t know about the future, but I agree about the divine part." Johan sighed bleakly. What kind of god has a domain with electronics and programming? No such thing existed in the classical pantheons of gods, so Johan had to think about it more broadly.

    A god of lightning, perhaps, based on their connection to electricity? No, unlikely, most of them were primarily storm lords and god kings, not inventors¡­ So inventor gods? There weren''t too many of those, and due to the dangers of their general sphere of activity, they were under heavy surveillance by other parties. Especially considering that for the most part they were in the business of creating one-of-a-kind powerful artifacts, not electronics for mass use. Perhaps the gods of knowledge?

    Johan''s mind continued to try to make sense of what he''s seeing, but the closest comparison Johan could think of to a divine feat of programming and computers was the [Heaven System]. And given that the Biblical God was still reigning in the sky right now, and they haven''t all been smote, Johan didn''t even bother to think about the possible parallels and similarities between the two.

    However, even setting aside the mystery that is Satoru''s nature, something that is not his duties anyway, he was still faced with the question of what he was supposed to do now with the particular problem in front of him¡­

    Judging by the fact that Satoru had so easily given such ''divine'' working to his teacher, the latter didn''t value them too highly. Johan however wasn''t stupid enough to simply try to raise money or pass the information given to him to his superiors without the unknown god''s knowledge. That is, of course, he would report that Satoru had demonstrated incredible abilities in this field, but as for the specific product in front of his face¡­

    This was a much more complicated issue, because Johan did not want to let such a gold mine pass him by¡­ Wait!

    ''What if that''s exactly what Satoru was counting on?'' A hunch flashed through Johan''s mind, making him suddenly straighten his spine as if he was just struck with lightning and dread to begin forming.

    ''Remember how he showed up here, with the admission papers, already signed with my signature¡­ His move then was what first made me interested in him, even before his identity as a god was found out. That paper was the reason to admit him to the academy, to allow him exactly where he needed to go, and now¡­ What is in front of me? Not something that Satoru passed on to me through third hands, is it? Pursuing his own agenda¡­ Is this a test?''

    Johan''s stomach began to slowly curl into a tight lump, and bile began to rise to his throat as he continued to unravel this tangle of thoughts. ''And what does that mean? A suggestion? A hint of what he can offer me, If what his colleague was raving about was even half true, what he''s holding in his hand would cause the computing world to leap forward by decades! Centuries even! A license to print money, and for Satoru just to give it away as if it means nothing to him? Or is it¡­ Recruitment?''

    None of the Devil so far know specifically why exactly Satoru had ended up at Kuoh''s academy, he''d barely made any moves regarding the academy. Except for making a semblance of friendship with a couple of other students and breaking up the Perverted Trio¡­ And good riddance to them in Johan''s opinion.

    But what if Satoru was playing the long game?

    Indeed, why would an immortal god be in a hurry? Satoru could even think that the one miserable week before he made his first move, where Johan was constantly walking on eggshells, to be a prompt recruitment attempt. An offer to Johan¡­ he could see why Satoru would do it too. Johan was acting as a critical juncture, Zeoticus Gremory''s point of contact with the Human world, and a constant observer of the academy''s inhabitants.

    Johan''s head seemed to be clouded over, as he reflexively bit his lip before raising his hand, stopping his friend''s passionate plea to use the incredible invention in their hands, to talk to Satoru. His friend, who had become an unknowing pawn in the god''s game. Or perhaps he isn''t? Johan couldn''t be sure anymore.

    "I''ll¡­ I''ll think about it¡­" His friend frowned at his unsure words, clearly not wanting to hear such an unclear answer from Johan, but Johan only looked away, biting his lip.

    It wasn''t that Johan was disloyal to Zeoticus, he had gained significant status and good money through his patronage, but Satoru didn''t seem like a crazy maniac to Johan, at least only by indirect observation¡­ He could scarcely imagine just how much greater he could be if he were to be in the direct service to a god.

    And so Johan really had a lot to think about at the moment¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Life was changing rapidly around Mittelt lately, and it seemed to her that gradually, every day, the speed of those changes was only increasing. First, it took her hundreds of years to fall from Heaven, then only a few years after to see the Leviathan in person, then only a matter of days to learn that Father had returned to this world again. And then, as if to cap it all off, only a couple of hours to see an incredibly powerful Devil working for Father, preparing for the Apocalypse, the last hour of the earth before His Kingdom reigns on Earth again.

    Following similar logic, it should have taken Mittelt only fifteen minutes after that to see the Breaking of the Seals and the Four Horsemen running through the world. Followed five seconds after for the agonizing Armageddon, and finally, because of the accelerating frequency of incredible events around Mittelt, after that it should have all merged into a single picture, the heavenly bliss of His Kingdom Come.

    But, what was surprising to Mittelt was that the flow of unbelievable events did pause a little after she had personally met the Father. Certainly, judging by Kalawarner, who had been assigned to write the reports to Kokabiel, as dictated by the Demiurge of all things, the crazy things in Mittelt''s life were still ongoing.

    But compared to the information about the death of Great Red and Ddraig, the return of the Biblical God, and actual Devil apostles, simple contact with powerful Fallen Angels seemed lackluster to Mittelt now. Humans, and it seemed like Fallen Angels as well, were remarkably quick to adapt to the most inconceivable events happening around them. Though maybe she needed to add an addendum for the Fallen Angels ¨C only if the foundations of their world order had been overturned a couple of times in a single twenty-four-hour period.

    So Mittelt, whose awareness of reality had gone to the wayside after the barrage of events had unbalanced her, was able to adapt quickly enough to the changes that had begun around her. Not completely, sadly. Mittelt still couldn''t look at the concrete-covered statues in the church, shuddering at the disgust at remembering the sound of the cement being poured into the bodies of the sinners, who were now works of art. If such a macabre display can be called art, decorating the interior of the church.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    But after the first twenty-four hours of existence under Lord Demiurge, during which Mittelt was forced to endure some grotesquely cruel scenes, her life turned out to be¡­ Not so bad after all.

    Lord Demiurge turned out to be, unexpectedly for Mittelt, a far more suitable boss than Raynare¡­ Though, was it really that unexpected for Mittelt? It wasn''t like Raynare had managed to impress Mittelt as an outstanding team leader, so the bar wasn''t too high for Mittelt. Rather, the very fact that such a powerful Devil under her Father''s guidance had taken leadership over her was far more surprising than the fact that Rayanare made for a shitty leader.

    Mittelt''s life, on the other hand, after her traumatic first encounter with the Lord Demiurge, had turned out to be¡­ Quite ordinary. So ordinary, in fact, that it was unusual for a Fallen Angel to lead such an ordinary life. Not that the average Fallen Angel''s life consisted of nothing more than orgies and corrupting nuns and Angels alike.

    Of course, Fallen Angels also had a need for the simplest and most ordinary jobs that did not come to mind first when thinking about His rejected children. Some of the Fallen became a salesman, an engineer, a bureaucrat, a marketer, or even a simple housewife. But still, such occupations for the Fallen were really rather rare, or were combined by another duty more in line with their fallen nature ¨C robbery, security, catching criminals¡­ In general, the things in which the Fallen were much better with, than the vast majority of people.

    They are still at war after all.

    Office work wasn''t the first thing that came to mind when discussing the occupations of Fallen Angels, but that''s what Mittelt found herself doing. Office work, writing letters, forwarding them to the concerned parties, Mittelt had even begun to slowly get to grips with stock trading and deciphering the bureaucratic language of investors and investees!

    Once, such boring work had led to her sin that had led to her being banished from Heaven. She had begun smuggling various contraband into churches and monasteries, alcohol and drugs alike, to see the pastors and nuns being led to sin. Of course at the time she reasoned to herself that she was simply testing the faith of the believers, her quick banishment afterward proved otherwise of course.

    After spending years on earth as a Fallen Angel, Mittelt managed to repent of what she had done. And in the future, if she manages, of course, to survive her current job, not to resent the grayness of her work, she has taken the chance to excel at her work. Even without the implicit threat of torture, she could still remember the agonizing cry of the fallen exorcists, Mittelt would not half-ass her work.

    It wasn''t easy, though, to forget the gut-wrenching sound of sinners'' teeth being cut; and not pulled, but slowly being cut with pliers one by one, inch by inch, the day she had met Lord Demiurge. But if she turned a blind eye to the event and continued to behave decently, not sinning and remaining in favor with Lord Demiurge, accomplishing all the orders he gave her and demonstrating her usefulness, then¡­ Mittelt''s life could hardly be called bad at the moment.

    Divine patronage that made Mittelt not have to worry about Lord Azazel''s wrath and the Leviathan roaming outside the church. A relationship as a subordinate that didn''t require excessive zeal, and yet was probably the most efficient one Mittelt could imagine. Job security¡­ And atonement for her sins, future ascension to Paradise, and a chance to live through the Last Days, a pretty good social security package, wasn''t it?

    As for some specific practices that made her teeth crawl¡­ A further reading of the Old Testament, religious literature that Mittelt had previously neglected, had shown, it was not totally unbelievable that the Father would punish the heretic. As He said, ''this was not the first time all of this had happened''.

    When the Chosen People had chosen the Golden Calf over God, God had punished them for it. Now, with the advancement of modern technology, many people have turned away from the church, not to mention just how many denominations of that same church have sprung up, who knows just how many of them are still God''s light¡­

    True, Mittelt wasn''t sure which denomination was the only true one, but the answer to that question could also be answered directly from Father, now taking the name Momonga. Many theological disputes in the world could be resolved if one was able to go directly to the Lord, whom this religion honored after all.

    All in all, there was no way to call Mittelt''s current life ''boring'', but she could find a different description. ''Mundane'', in the best possible sense of the word.

    She was not a fanatical follower of Father, Lord Momonga, though, no matter how strange that might be. Unlike Raynare, who had been almost rabid to study the bible and seemed intent on transforming herself from a Fallen back into a simple Angel, first in character and then in body. Anyway, Mittelt''s initial panicked thoughts of fleeing had quickly faded into the background, if not left solely as an idle thought. Like imagining telling the Leviathan that her Magical Girl schtick is cringe.

    In fact, as it turned out, even Devils from horror stories, who sacrificed people, could be good employers. If you ignored some of their behavior, that is.

    In general, there was no longer any grotesque reaction that usually comes to mind at the mention of ''execution'' of sinners, just another detail of Mittelt''s new life that could be ignored¡­ And she had found that she could continue her quiet life as if nothing of the sort had happened.

    Kalawarner was also quick to accept these new rules of the game, grasping the idea that they had no choice anyway. Sandwiched between the Leviathan and Azazel, it wasn''t as if the Fallen could count on a long and happy life once they left the confines of the church. Even Raynare was suddenly showing loyalty, even piety, to the Father.

    Mittelt could easily imagine that if it was she herself that had personally witnessed the death of the Great Red and Ddraig, and had received a new pair of wings at the same time. She probably wouldn''t be acting too differently.

    All in all, the three of them, Mittelt, Kalawarner, and Raynare, had adapted to their new life.

    Something which couldn''t be said for Dohnaseek, who chose to focus less on the social guarantees provided and more on the gruesomeness of human sacrifice. As far as Mittelt herself understood, he was even planning to run away!

    Mittelt had no idea why, but she preferred to stay out of his affairs. Not that she had any special affection for the Fallen man, but she didn''t plan to snitch on him, knowing that retribution would likely be swift and cruel. Though, nor did Mittelt plan to betray Lord Demiurge and cover up Dohnaseek''s escape plans. Both out of a mixture of respect for Father and fear of Lord Demiurge, but she preferred not to touch the subject so that she would always have room to maneuver in the future.

    After all, if she really didn''t know the details of Dohnaseek''s plan, she wouldn''t be lying when she said that she didn''t know, and therefore there was nothing to judge her for before His eye.

    All in all, Mittelt''s life was unexpectedly far from what she had imagined a ''messenger of the Apocalypse'' should lead, a routine workday, small talk with her office colleagues, Kalawarner had even installed a cooler in their workplace yesterday! And today, Mittelt even went on a business trip!

    Well, maybe sorta? If you look at it from a certain point of view? Mittelt had gone to her destination almost in secret, and had not even left the city, but even so she had gone to a new place to meet a new ''employee''. A heretical nun who had been expelled from her church¡­

    Although, was it possible to continue calling someone who had been accepted as a nun, and then recruited personally at the Lord''s behest, a heretic?

    Not that Mittelt was bothered by that question, or interested in the answer, really, beyond idle curiosity. She had a good job, good living conditions, and, as her past life experiences had shown her, it wasn''t always worth asking for more. Instead, sometimes it was worth focusing on the lesser things in order not to miss the greater ones. Like enjoying the cup of chilled coffee in her hand after enjoying her outing out of the church, even only after a few hours and with company to boot.

    Given that in doing so, Mittelt didn''t have to fear for her life from Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels, whose word was law among the cliques of the fallen, and the Leviathan, one of Hell''s strongest Devils?

    Exactly so, that''s why Mittelt needed to pay attention to the pleasant little things in life.

    So, taking a sip of coffee and seeing the small figure of the blonde girl, hardly older looking than middle school age, Mittelt just waved her hand. And, receiving one in return with an unexpectedly sincere smile and her hasty, ineffectual running. Something which almost made the girl sprawl on the floor, tangled in her nun''s robe.

    Yeah, she suppose there''s no need to ask who the girl is, but Mittelt has to be sure. "Asia Argento?"

    "Y-yes!" Asia, having stammered her answer because of her near fall on the platform, raised a radiant smile to Mittelt. "Are you Lady Mittelt?"

    "Not ''Lady Mittelt'', just Mittelt." Mittelt imagined for a second that Lord Demiurge would hear that Asia was addressing Mittelt, as a ''lady'', and how calmly she had received the title and shuddered before changing the subject. There''s only one person that could be described with the respectful title, and Mittelt really didn''t want the title being used for her, being misconstrued as blasphemy.

    "Just in case, I''d like to know exactly what you know about the place you''re going to."

    "Erm¡­" Asia hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly, remembering everything she remembered, the memory of her excommunication still a fresh wound. "Well, I know that Mistress Raynare asked me to come to her church, and that apparently the Fallen Angels in this city are in a tight spot¡­"

    "Quite right." Mittelt nodded, glad to see that she didn''t need to lie to the nun. There''s no need to tell the nun of just how complex the web of contracts and services Rayanre had to use to get the excommunicated nun to ''transfer'' to her church. That Rayanare had only done so only so that she could extract the nun''s [Sacred Gear] [Twilight Healing], killing her in the process.

    However¡­

    "Well, I suggest we both start going, in that case, daylight''s burning." Mittelt glanced at Asia and nodded. The young nun was going to have to learn some very important world-changing information on her way to the church if she was going to survive the first few seconds of her encounter with Lord Demiurge, so¡­ Better start now.

    "Asia," Mittelt, taking the small suitcase of luggage from Asia''s hands, which hardly strained the fallen woman''s arm, sat down beside her and walked slowly, adjusting to the small steps of her new acquaintance.

    "If you don''t mind my strange and personal question, however¡­ How exactly did you get excommunicated, and what is your opinion about the Heavenly Father?"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Kokabiel pushed the report away from him before chuckling.

    Many considered Kokabiel mad, among the Fallen and beyond, but Kokabiel considered himself neither mad nor a fool. Even with his considerable power, being part of the very few Cadres of the Fallen Angel, could not keep him at the top of society forever. Not unless there were other reasons why he had to remain a leader, not among the Fallen at least. Great power alone cannot keep someone as one of the heads of the weakest faction of the Biblical Three.

    He knew that should any of his fellow Fallen hear Kokabiel admit such a thing, they would be greatly shocked. But Kokabiel was not a fool.

    Since the first Fallen fell from Paradise, when Kokabiel had followed Azazel out of personal loyalty to him, the Fallen had never changed in their nature. Born out of a denial of the divine will and divine purpose, Angels who had placed their own judgment above divine commands, the Fallen were, and remain to this day, creatures of sin.

    Anger, lust, greed¡­ All the deadly seven sins were the prerogative of the Fallen, even somewhat even more than the Devils.

    Which did not mean, of course, that the Fallen were caricatures of these sins ¨C anger could be righteous, lust could grow out of love, and greed could be a manifestation of the desire to be appreciated. The sins of the Fallen were called such because they went against God''s instructions, not because they were absolute evil, unlike the Devils.

    In any case, however, the Fallen were the product of sin, or, rather, of a free will firmly tied to these concepts. A mindless machine cannot sin, unlike an intelligent one, which realizes itself free.

    But freedom does not come freely. When Kokabiel left Paradise, even then wanting only to live according to his own will, without killing a single angel on his way out, when he was struck in the back by the [Spear of Light] of the Seraphim. Struck by those he had not so long ago considered his brothers. Only then did Kokabiel realize that freedom was only as valuable as the blood, sweat, and tears shed in the attempt to defend it.

    And no one had shed more of those than Kokabiel himself.

    Not Azazel, who spent more time among the embrace of women and in his laboratories than he did on the battlefield. Not the other Cadre who immediately plunged into their petty intrigues and the conquest of their own feudal kingdoms instead of fighting for freedom, not any other Fallen. He, Kokabiel, that''s who fought for them all.

    He had crossed blades with Father and with Lucifer, with Devils and angels alike, with dragons and elves, all for the sake of one day being able to say that he was free. To one day have the right to judge for himself what was right for him, and what was merely an outsider''s imposed order.

    He lost as much blood, broken limbs, and sacrificed his comrades, but neither did he spend a day nursing his wounds when he could be fighting nor mourn his fallen comrades. All for the sake of the fallen that followed him, for the common future of all his people.

    Did he not have the right to feel cheated then when Azazel had announced that they were abandoning their war? How could he understand the pain? Azazel had seen the price paid for the right to say they were free¡­ but Kokabiel understood, he''s the last person that wished for a repeat of that tragedy.

    But the war was never finished. God died in battle, and so did Lucifer, but the victor was never set in that Great War. The Fallen were never able to prove their right to freedom. And if that was the case¡­ Then did that mean that the war of the past, the sacrifices he had made, the sacrifices of all the other Fallen who had believed him, who had believed Azazel, who had hungered for freedom, were meaningless?

    No.

    There had to be an end to this protracted war. The Fallen had to find the answer to the question of their freedom forever. No issue could remain in limbo forever, one day it had to be resolved. And now, while Devils and Angels gathered their forces, the Fallen, the weakest of all the three Biblical factions, had to strike. Hard and fast, in a decisive, crippling blow ¨C before the enemy could gather their forces for their own.

    He knew that the prolonged peace they were currently enjoying was simply a prelude ¨C the Devil and Angels were simply growing stronger. Should war break out again without the Fallen cutting the two at their knees first, it would be a war the Fallen would have lost.

    Of course, the other Cadres did not support him ¨C cowards and idiots, the lot of them. While they pretended that peace was eternal and that the war was over, the enemy only grew stronger, with precious seconds slipping through their fingers, and the situation only became more and more dire¡­

    And Kokabiel couldn''t, wouldn''t put up with it.

    All he needed was one lucky strike, one spark ¨C if Azazel didn''t see the wisdom in his advice, Kokabiel would force his hand anyway. With the Lucifer and Leviathan baying for Fallen blood, it would leave him no choice.

    Fortunately for Kokabiel himself, he wasn''t alone in his thoughts after all. A Fallen Angel from Kuoh, the Devil''s lair in Japan, was able to make contact with his confidants, bringing him great news. Due to the appearance of an unknown god in the city''s territory, several of the strongest Devils, with the Leviathan being spotted already in the territory, had to leave their abode for a brief moment. The perfect window to strike his blow¡­

    And Kokabiel had to seize this chance, a better opportunity he may never get again.

    Which was why Kokabiel could barely contain his excitement with a smirk only a second ago, when he read the report from Galilei that he had almost arrived at the target position ¨C along with the stolen shards of Excalibur. Unfortunately, Kokabiel had no exorcists at his command capable of handling those Holy Weapons, they would make potent weapons against the Devils¡­ However, even so, it was a good tool for his plans.

    After all, the church could not let such valuable toys go missing so easily, and that in turn meant¡­

    That centuries later, the Great War, the war between the three Biblical factions, the war that had killed the Two Heavenly Dragons, killed even Lucifer and God, would finally come to an end.

    And the Fallen would either live free.

    Or not at all.

 Overlord of a High School (32)

    Sirzechs Lucifer was not only the strongest Devil in history ¨C but he was also one of the strongest beings in the world. A position that might be contested somewhat by Ajuka, who might not be as powerful in a direct fight, but was certainly no less dangerous an opponent. A fight that Sirzechs would win, if not without some great difficulty, cementing Sirzechs position as one of the strongest beings in the world. That is ¨C generally speaking.

    He was definitely not the strongest being in the entire world.

    Ophis, the Great Red, the Trimurti of the Indian Pantheon, Sirzechs were below those. But considering that most of them were literally living cataclysms of apocalyptic proportions, to be included in the top ten of the strongest among such beings, was an achievement in itself.

    Even from a historical perspective, at a time when the Gods of antiquity were at the height of their power, shaking the earth with their battles from the heavens. So much so that there was still no consensus even on whether Atlantis and Hyperborea had once existed, or whether it was really nothing more than the fiction of misguided explorers of the human world. Sirzechs would not be outmatched among the other pantheons of the past.

    No, even during the Age of Gods Sirzechs would have stood at the head of great pantheons, fighting on equal terms with the might of Odin or Zeus.

    So now, when the old great pantheons had weakened so much that the ancient hierarchies of deities and pantheons existed only on paper, with Thor having long been stronger than his father, and Hades than his brother?

    That''s right, Sirzechs Lucifer was at the absolute pinnacle of the fighting power of the creatures of this world. And everyone knew it.

    Enemies who needed a show of might to dissuade them from futile attempts to pressure the demon faction. Allies, finding comfort and hope for the future in the incredibly powerful figure of Sirzechs. And even the neutrals, forced to dance around the fact that Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly of Gremory, could single-handedly destroy half their pantheon before they could even react. And Sirzechs Lucifer was the strongest but not the only trump card in the Devils'' hands.

    But it was Sirzechs who knew it best.

    Clinging to modesty was both from his natural character and his political title, Sirzechs nevertheless didn''t let his modesty devolve into trite attempts to solicit compliments. He knows full well that he was powerful, and that this fact had to be not only recognized, but used to his advantage. And Sirzechs was now using it, even when he preferred not to.

    Responsible for the internal policy of the Devils, Sirzechs did not use his combat power to suppress the dissatisfied Devils and destroy the opposition. If not, there''s no way that the Old Satan Faction would be around. So, even when his opponent was someone much more annoying, he did not pressure them with his personal power, the less he wanted to do with some Humans.

    He knows full well that that path only leads to the radicalization of his opponent.

    He''s wise enough to know that, sometimes, the soft touch is enough. After all, a simple mention that the strongest Devil supported this candidate or disapproved of that decision, usually led to the Devils doing what he wanted. And if all else fails? Well, he''s the strongest Devil.

    So, it was strange, very unusual even, for Sirzechs to be on the back foot, forced not to act and showing his strength, but to await the actions of his opponent, trying to prepare counter plans instead of acting first.

    Of course, Sirzechs was not naive enough to think that the current era of ''eternal peace'' was the time of pacifism, where all conflicts were solved solely through treaties and discussions. But it was certainly incomparable to past eras, such as the Devil Civil War, where every day was a battle that could put an end to hundreds of thousands of lives. Where each battle could decide the future of the world.

    And Sirzechs always believed, at least on the level of his inner conviction and desire, that the past era of powerlessness, constant anxiety, conflict and hard decisions, was a thing of the past. And, strictly speaking, the current situation shouldn''t have led him to think otherwise.

    For even in the worst case scenario, which Sirzechs preferred not to think about, thanks to his strength, of his closest associates, and the Devil faction, even a god appearing out of nowhere was just a nuisance. A worry to be sure, but not a deadly crisis that could call into question the very survival of the Devil faction.

    Still, something was bugging Sirzechs.

    A tugging, aching feeling in his stomach that made him involuntarily furrow his brow and crinkle his face every few minutes, to ask if Serafall was all right at the moment, or to get another report from the Devil scouts. His worry was so apparent, that every so often, the small warm hand of his wife was placed on his shoulder soothing Sirzechs'' worry, allowing him to push that sickening feeling away for a few minutes.

    Really, it was just his nerves speaking, but dealing with a god was never simple, especially one with so many unknowns about him. The fact that his sister was so close by probably also didn''t help matters. But, in fact, logically speaking, there''s no reason for him to worry at all.

    Serafall, for all her eccentricity, was not a foolish girl who was rightfully entitled to the title of Leviathan. With himself, along with Ajuka, being only a few kilometers away from Satoru, barely a second''s journey away if necessary, Sirzechs had to say that the situation would be in control.

    With all his experience, he should be confident in saying that nothing bad would happen, that Satoru poses no threat, that he in fact would be trapped should he do anything nefarious¡­

    He should have, but he couldn''t.

    He had a feeling that something was wrong. And what worries him so much is that he couldn''t tell where that feeling was coming from.

    Having an unknown god descend in a small town in Japan was in itself a far from ordinary event. But as if that wasn''t enough, each step that followed from the beginning of this situation seemed to only deepen Sirzechs'' suspicions more and more.

    When Sirzechs first heard that his Rias was in danger, he almost rushed to be the first to protect her from the unknown god. But Ajuka was able to hold him back then, dissuading him by the simple fact that without a plan, Sirzechs could cause such a danger to materialize, especially being blinded by concern for his younger sister.

    However, contrary to Ajuka''s explanations, after Sirzechs himself agreed, the situation didn''t get any better, only becoming even more confusing.

    The Devils stationed in Kuoh as security, and even Serafall, had to retreat in order to reassess the current situation, to gather information about Satoru¡­ Easier said than done. If he didn''t know better, he would categorize Satoru as some kind of god of secrets, finding any information about Satoru was like squeezing blood out of stone.

    All magical ways of establishing observation failed. Even roundabout ways, like inconspicuous familiars or indirect signs, not of Satoru himself, but of magical fluctuations in the air of Kuoh, simply could not detect him! If they didn''t have eyes, it would be as if Satoru didn''t exist at all! The Devils had to stoop to the most basic level of surveillance, literally sending people untrained at all, since the ''normal'' way of doing things is impossible, to personally observe Satoru¡­

    And what did they get in return? Nothing!

    Satoru isn''t out of place from a human that was just settling into the modern world. Which confirmed his status as a god that had recently escaped from his forgotten pocket of reality into this world, very unhelpful information since they already knew that. Other than that?

    The Devil spies would note that he would go to school, ignore the teachers, and then return home, to a house that was sealed off by several defenses against information gathering. Defenses that could not be breached by the spies without alerting Satoru.

    Perhaps Ajuka could accomplish the feat, but then again, Ajuka appearing anywhere near the vicinity of Kuoh would be alarming enough! With Serafall there, the appearance of another Satan would just be taken as a declaration of war. Why would the Devil need so much firepower, after all?

    And without Ajuka''s personal presence, the Devils could only rely on what the spies saw with their own eyes. But, in the world of the paranormal, invisibility and changing appearances, evading detections, are basic skills, which effectively meant that the Devil basically had no actionable information at all.

    And so, when Serafall had finally determined that Satoru could no longer be studied from afar, that another meeting with him was required. Satoru had suddenly appeared with a proposal for negotiations, just right before the Devils would suggest the same, where they could control the situation. It was a direct loss for the Devils'' side, they now were forced to abide by the negotiations set by Satoru.

    And if that weren''t another source of headaches!?

    Negotiations in the territory of Fallen Angels in what''s supposed to be the Devils'' territory!

    Such a spit in the face could only be seen as a mockery. While Kuoh was indeed the territory of the Youkai originally, the Devil had bought it and had made it their own. To then be forced to negotiate on the ''territory'' of the Fallen Angel, territory that they had illegally taken over, and for them to act as the mediator?

    If Sirzechs had known that the Fallen Angels would eventually cause such an agreement, he would have killed them all personally when they first appeared in Kuoh''s territory!

    Sirzechs had known that the Fallen Angel periodically visited the city, but in the end, seeing that they didn''t cause any problems for the new masters, had let it pass. Considering that Kuoh was already intended to be a training ground for the Rias and Sona, the presence of fallen angels was even considered useful in a way.

    In the sense that they could serve as good training dummies for Rias. And Sona too, Sirzechs suppose. Minor adversaries for the two sheltered Heiress, but real ones. A real live opponent, ready to confront the two heiresses, but also completely harmless. The whole team of Fallen Angels posed no threat to the two Heiresses, even if they caught them by surprise.

    In recent months, after rumblings about the creation of the so-called ''Khaos Brigade'' under the leadership of Ophis, overtures of peace started between the three Biblical Factions. And so, even when they are nothing more than small fry, the Fallen Angel that had trespassed in Kuoh, are now suddenly under the protection of Azazel. Of course, if they were to do any overt action against the Devil faction, their life would be forfeit, but, without any hostile action, they are to be left alone. Even if it was a small thing in faction relations, any bumps, no matter how small, in creating the peace between the three Biblical factions are best avoided.

    It was simply easier to endure these few months until the peace negotiations were finalized and then, after, ask Azazel to simply remove his subordinates from the territory of the Devils. It would be an easy ask, especially since Azazel were the foremost in asking for peace in the first place, and it would be a simple way to show that the Fallen could make concessions. An uncomplicated win for future peace.

    Especially since the fallen were useless in this city anyway.

    But instead of such happening, the Fallen Angels had suddenly become a third party, in the negotiation between Satoru and the Devils! It was such a slap in the face! It was like vagrants barging in on a residence secretly, and then demanding a cut from when the owner started renting the rooms!

    Something that had put the Devils between a rock and a hard place.

    Agree to the negotiations, and the Devil would be implicitly agreeing to the illegal occupation by the Fallen Angels. Something that would not only complicate further relations between the two factions, but also open the door to future illegal occupations. And with the rather obvious hand that Satoru was playing here, it was rather obvious that Satoru was supporting the Fallen Angel,

    Agreeing to the negotiation would basically force the Devils to concede territory to Satoru.

    Refusing to negotiate, on the other hand, was completely unacceptable ¨C it would mean a breakdown of dialog, inevitably leading to conflict with Satoru. Failure to recognize the Fallen''s de facto control of the abandoned church meant failure to recognize Satoru''s control of the part of Kuoh he had captured. At the same time, failure to recognize the Fallen Angels as a neutral party, meant complications in the framework of dialogue with the Fallen and an agreement with them to end the Great War and mend relations.

    In politics, there was nothing more terrible than precedent.

    And it was carried out hours before the demons themselves could provide their plan for the ongoing negotiations and their vision of neutral territory. That is, Satoru had chosen the most ideal moment for his strike. When the Devils had already decided that they would turn to the Kyoto Youkai, wanting to find a truly neutral party, in addition to the original owners of Kuoh, Satoru had cut them off. At the same time, by inviting the Kyoto youkai, the Devils hoped to gather more information about the Satoru who had said that he had come from Kyoto.

    Sadly, contact had not yet been made with the Youkai.

    Could this have been a coincidence? No, no way, absolutely not, Satoru knew. Knew both the demons'' plans and the time frame in which he had to make his move, he had once again outwit the Devils.

    To the negotiators'' consternation, they had to go with Satoru''s ''demands'' for negotiation, conceding the first victory for Satoru. It would cost them too much to escalate hostilities with the Fallen on the eve of signing the final agreement to end the War. As for Satoru¡­ At least Sirzechs had hoped that by looking as closely as possible at Satoru he would be able to understand his divine nature, analyze it, and make sufficient arrangements to protect his sister from the threat.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    However, Sirzechs'' heart was still troubled, causing his wife, insisting that she was first and foremost his wife and not his maid. It was a rare occasion for Grayfia to act out of character, following her husband to Kuoh, wanting to support him.

    But even her presence couldn''t soothe Sirzechs from the simple fact that Satoru knew. He knew both the Devils'' plans and their time frame¡­ At least, from this, the Devils had learned that he''s a skilled politician and manipulator. Which was only confirmed by what Serafall and Rias had said.

    Sirzechs felt that he, that the Devils as a whole, were playing a dangerous game by making contact with Satoru. Or, given that it was Satoru who had made contact with the Devils first, arriving in Kuoh and even flagrantly showing his presence by enrolling in Kuoh Academy, that Satoru posed a great danger to the Devils. A danger that should, and could, not be underestimated.

    The small, warm palm on his shoulder squeezed slightly, making him remember that he wasn''t alone at the moment. The light squeeze reminded him that he had involuntarily creased his brows again, with a severe expression on his face, which would surprise the new denizen of the Underworld, so used to seeing their leader carefree and full of smiles.

    But lifting his gaze to his wife, always so calm and detached, but in the depths of whose eyes lurked worry about her fool of a husband, Sirzechs felt his anxiety recede for a second.

    Unable to hold back, Sirzechs reached up and placed his palm on his wife''s, smiling slightly, causing her to now frown slightly and shake her head faintly at her husband'' antics.

    Grayfia, as usual, was trying to compensate for her husband''s laxity with her strictness, Sirzechs was literally on the level of telepathy to catch his wife''s thoughts and visualize her voice.

    ''How on earth, Lord Sirzechs, what kind of example are you setting for your subordinates by allowing such behavior with your maid¡­'' Grayfia would say, once again continuing her ineffectual charade as if she were actually only a maid. Though, such behavior pleased Grayfia herself, and it was a very tasty spice for their love life, so Sirzechs was fine with it.

    He was enjoying the normality, his tender moments with his wife even in such unpleasant situations.

    But, he was worrying about nothing, the main thing was to deal with Satoru now, and all his unpleasant feelings would be a thing of the past¡­

    These were the words that Sirzechs used to convince himself before he heard the expected and yet trembling words from the messenger.

    "Lady Leviathan is awaiting your arrival."

    Sirzechs let out a deep exhale at those words, and glanced at his wife, and then at his silent friend, Ajuka. Who had shown that he could handle the nervousness of the moment better than Sirzechs himself. Nodding to himself as if to confirm the messenger''s words Sirzechs, the Satan, Lucifer, has prepared himself.

    Now was the time to act and deal with this matter once and for all.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga was glad that negotiations with Serafall were going¡­ Pretty well, actually.

    That is, after receiving consent to meet from the demons, Momonga was worried enough about the content of the negotiations. What and how exactly was he supposed to discuss with the Demons? It''s not like he could ask his subordinates the details of the negotiations that he had ''asked'' for, after all.

    That is, of course, some issues became instantly clear and obvious to Momonga. In any case, first, he at least needed to apologize to the demons for his intrusion into their territory.

    After all, it was still his side''s transgression to barge in on someone else'' turf. It was like in the days of YGGDRASIL where a hunting group would stumble upon someone else''s hunting ground, unless they want a fight, an apology would probably be expected. So Momonga should probably do that first, it''s not like it would cost him anything to say some simple sentences. So, if he could earn favor from the demons just by saying a few sentences, why not take that chance?

    Any advantage, no matter how small, was always worth at least a second thought, and if that advantage would only cost a few spoken words? Why would Momonga even bother thinking about it?

    That is, if it would actually only cost a few words.

    While Momonga would have no trouble admitting fault, if he were to do so now, the next step that the demons would do seemed obvious ¨C asking Momonga to leave, and he could not do that. Given the fact that Momonga planned not just to gather information about the demons, but also to legitimize some of his decisions, it would be a fatal mistake. Such as future patronage over the Church of Fallen Angels and establishing a permanent base of operations in Kuoh, Momonga could not afford to look weak.

    Not out of any excessive pride, but simply because offering an apology would weaken his position in the negotiations. Apologizing, even though it would be the simplest way to make negotiations smooth, would reduce the chances of the demons agreeing to his demands. Lowering his head, if figuratively speaking, would show the demons that he lacked the strength to impose his demands if necessary, which would only lead to future conflicts, something Momonga was most anxious to avoid under the current circumstances.

    He had even organized negotiations with the demons precisely to resolve any existing conflicts with them!

    He had learned from the strategist of Ainz Ooal Gown, Punitto Moe, and reading some random books on negotiation that he had managed to find in Nazarick''s library in the past few hours ¨C total concessions doesn''t necessarily mean peace. In fact, peace is achieved by maintaining a certain amount of pressure between two sides.

    At least he hoped that was the correct conclusion, as he was trying to fit as much knowledge of diplomacy into his head as possible in one night, worried about the meeting with the demons.

    Even if he had to borrow the idea, what did it matter who originally came to that conclusion? Right now, it was Momonga who was using that knowledge to the benefit of all of Nazarick, and thus all of Ainz Ooal Gown.

    In any case, the issue of trespassing on the demon''s territory was just one of the issues that Momonga immediately wanted to be brought to the forefront of the negotiations. The Church occupied by the Fallen Angels, Miki, his kinda-sorta-son, Pandora''s Actor that in this world played the role of Issei Hyoudou, his other acquaintances like Katase or Saji¡­ There''s actually quite a lot of things to be negotiated on.

    All in all, Momonga had a lot on his agenda, and while he could easily sacrifice certain positions in case of bargaining, for example, he didn''t know what exactly to do with Saji. He was ready to get rid of him at any time during negotiations, of course, while pretending that Saji was very important to him. Artificial price inflation and false positive qualities were the bread and butter of his profession as a sales manager in the past, some things like Issei remaining above suspicion had to be preserved by all means. And with that, Momonga was not allowed to show his interest in Issei until the very end. Pretending you''re not interested in it at all, and you''re taking it on top of other requirements, was also another bread and butter of his past profession.

    Yes, Momonga was not a professional diplomat and negotiator, but after many years in his past position, he did learn some tricks of his past trade that could come in handy at the moment.

    In addition to all these things, Momonga needed to deal with a few other things, the most essential of which was information. Without information, Momonga could only negotiate as cautiously as possible, without betraying his ignorance of the local political landscape, and the force that the enemy could amass.

    Second, but almost as important, was the school. With all his might, Momonga had to force the demons of this world to force Momonga himself to leave the school in Kuoh. Ideally with some sort of material compensation for Momonga himself, but he was willing to do the unthinkable and, overstepping his cheapskate nature, even pay extra for the possibility of not going to school in the future. What was he thinking, actually wanting to go to it in the past!

    And after that, Momonga''s personal passion for collecting, echoing his need for new information, was next in importance. That is to say, Momonga understood that the demons of this world would probably not agree to part with local artifacts or members of their species so easily. But Momonga somehow also counted on the next, third strategy of his past employment. Demand too much initially in order to give up excessive demands in the bargaining process.

    In other words, Momonga certainly didn''t count on, though he hoped, that he could be provided with the secret artifacts of the demon race, but he could at least hope for some collectible trinket from this world.

    And with those goals in mind, Momonga''s negotiations¡­ Are going quite well at the moment.

    More specifically, the first part of Momonga''s negotiations with Serafall Leviathan herself had gone well. The first part, during which he had ''apologized'', without actually apologizing, for his past actions, received Serafall''s response of understanding and complete lack of complaint about his behavior before moving on to the actual ''meat'' of the meeting. The part that required the presence of two other demons in the negotiations¡­ The two probable 100th level demons from this world.

    Of course, Momonga had gathered, thanks to the Demiurge and Pandora''s Actor, as much information as possible about the potential level 100 opponents that Momonga himself was to meet. Demiurge said something about a gesture of ''openness and goodwill?

    It is the reason he continued to wear a ring that completely concealed him from all means of gathering information about him, transformed thanks to his new spell instead into underwear. And why he was alone at the negotiation table, with Demiurge, Pandora''s Actor, and Albedo were somewhere else. Actually, they are a floor beneath him, in the basement below the church, completely concealed, and ready to act should negotiations break down.

    But even with all that preparation, with a fighting force that outnumbered the enemy two-to-one, he was still worried about facing two likely opponents of the hundred level at once. Moreover, not just any hundred-level opponents, but a hundred-level opponents from a new, uncharted world.

    Who knows what kind of new and unexplored abilities his opponents possessed!

    Lucifer, that is, Sirzechs Lucifer, judging from the information gathered, possessed something called ''the power of destruction'', while Ajuka Beelzebub could ''analyze any ability''. Which in both cases sounded extremely dangerous. Especially in Ajuka''s case, since information was the key to victory in all battles.

    Dealing with an opponent who could freely operate such a valuable currency as information was extremely dangerous for Momonga.

    Therefore, he was certainly very nervous, but he was also interested in at least getting a close up look at his likely opponent. And so, when he heard the soft footsteps of the approaching demons, he involuntarily turned his gaze, not paying attention to Serafall, which is a rookie mistake¡­ Which he didn''t blame himself much for, for a battle between hundred-level creatures, Serafall was at best a scout or a disposable meat shield, nothing more.

    The demons that had appeared, however, deserved his full attention.

    The first to appear in the small room of the church, that had been hastily converted into a small meeting room, was a rather young guy with a luxurious mess of scarlet hair. His hair seemed to cascade down his shoulders, accentuating the expensive suit he''s wearing. Using [Arcane Sight] showed that every detail of his clothes was an enchanted artifact, and he himself, which was highly expected, appeared to have magical abilities.

    For a second, Momonga even considered using his new favorite spells, [Life Essence] and [Mana Essence], but in the end, he decided not to provoke his opponent, Sirzechs Lucifer, whom he had only known about through stories until now.

    The so-called ''strongest demon of all time'', ''Lucifer''s heir'' and the unimaginably named ''Red Satan''. He was the possessor of the ''power of destruction'', as well as the older brother of Rias Gremory, whose acquaintance with Momonga was quite unfortunate, if not ''catastrophic''. It was only by chance that their meeting didn''t turn into a full-fledged battle, or, to be more precise, into the killing of Rias. And thus into a war with demons, if even a tenth of what Momonga knew about Sirzechs'' love for his younger sister was true.

    Following him instantly was a second figure, shorter and less conspicuous, also a young man with short, slicked-back green hair and piercing blue eyes, Ajuka Beelzebub, ''the only rival for Sirzechs Gremory'', ''Beelzebub''s heir'', and ''chief analyst of the demons''. Despite his lackluster titles, perhaps an even more dangerous opponent for Momonga himself than Sirzechs.

    And the first thought that ran through Momonga''s mind the moment he saw both of his demonic opponents was¡­

    ''Why do they look like models from the pages of fashion magazines?!'' Momonga''s surprise, and even a flash of jealousy, was so strong that it was instantly dispelled by his suppression of emotion. But, even so, the surprise from realization that the supposed leaders of the demons looked like they belonged more on the front of a boy band, still lingered.

    Of course, Momonga was not one to spend a lot of time looking at men and analyzing their beauty, he had long resigned himself to the fact that his appearance was ''average'' at best.

    But, the sight before his eyes, for a moment, made him forget that the both of them were dangerous enemies, and instead of wariness, he felt a childish envy of the men''s beauty.

    Thankfully, Momonga could catch himself before he could make a mistake, and he was able to return to his current role as a diplomat and negotiator.

    Rising from his seat, Momonga nodded gently, trying to balance the respect due to the high ranking demons across from him with maintaining his own displayed high status as an unknown god. A gesture that did not go unnoticed by Ajuka''s momentary glance at him.

    "Good afternoon, honorable Sirzechs Lucifer, honorable Ajuka Beelzebub¡­ And, as was established a little earlier during negotiations, with the honorable Lady Serafall Leviathan, I am a guest and resident of this city. My name is Satoru Suzuki ¨C and it is my hope that our future interactions and relationships will be full of mutual respect and equal partnership with you. Nice to meet you."

    Unfortunately, Momonga had not been able to see how the other gods, which he was supposed to be one of, behaved in this world at the moment. Therefore, he had little idea how he was supposed to speak as well. So, without any other ideas, Momonga instead copied something between Ulbert Alain Odle''s role-play and various replicas of Yggdrasil''s NPCs.

    But, for all his worries, apparently he was more or less acting appropriately for the moment, for after his introduction, the still standing Sirzechs and Ajuka also gave him a small respectful bow without showing a hint of subservience. As the two sat down an appropriate distance so as to not crowd Momonga, he could only mentally pump his fist at the successful introduction.

    Sirzechs, who appeared to be the one in charge between the two demons, responded with a disarming smile at Momonga''s words. "It is a pleasure to meet you, honorable Satoru Suzuki. I also hope with all my might that our future communication and interaction will take place in an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect, excluding any possible troubles and unexpected excesses¡­"

    Momonga, having heard Sirzechs'' words, tried to analyze them, however, not finding any problems in those, smiled back with a small smile that he kept on his face as a standard expression. "Absolutely, Mr. Lucifer¡­"

    A moment later, a silence descended upon the room and Momonga''s brain immediately went to work, hastily organizing the ideas and topics that he should be discussing at this moment.

    What topic should he bring up first, control of the church? Maybe Issei? No, the first topic brought up should be to bring up a minor topic of negotiation¡­ Or at least a topic that Momonga would want to show to the other side as a minor topic. For example, perhaps, his presence at the academy!

    A perfect topic, suitable to crack the ice. Surely Sirzechs was interested in getting Momonga himself as far away from his little sister as possible, no? It would be an easy ''win'' for the demons, and a concession from Momonga. He certainly was interested in not attending the academy in the future! That said, Sirzechs would probably consider Momonga''s possible non-attendance at the academy to be an unimportant topic, while Momonga himself was extremely interested in it. In other words, a win-win for both sides!

    Looking at the two demons seated next to the leviathan, Momonga felt a little more confident after his mind had fully formalized the idea of further conversation. "I think we can start with the all-important issue of your little sister''s safety and my presence on the academy grounds¡­" Momonga started the negotiations.

    Momonga had prepared himself to give a reasoning from his side that he was ready to give up his continued attendance of Kuoh Academy to them, but expected to be compensated for his great sacrifice.

    But suddenly, before he could hear the counter-offer, the whole thing went off track.

    "I apologize, but I''m afraid we have to postpone these negotiations to a later date. Sirzechs, Serafall, we''re leaving."

    The sudden announcement from Ajuka caused Momonga to shift his gaze to him in incomprehension. Instantly, Momonga noticed the way his gaze turned steely, his eyebrows shifted in a heavy frown, as his knuckles turned involuntarily white as his hand suddenly clenched into a fist.

    Momonga''s brain instantly flashed with panic, which was immediately replaced by a rational readiness to start a battle, but instead of attacking, Sirzechs and Serafall instantly shifted their confused gazes to Ajuka. It seems that Ajuka''s actions were also a surprise to them.

    "We''re leaving," Ajuka said quickly, but clearly, with serious pressure, and immediately looked up at Momonga with a frown, "I''m sorry, but we have to break off these negotiations for the moment. We will be prepared to compensate you for this in the future."

    Serafall and Sirzechs looked at Ajuka''s expression, clearly not fully understanding his strange turn of mood, but nevertheless heeded his words. Then, with a quick nod, they rose from their seats and walked away from Momonga, leaving him puzzled at what had just happened.

    "But¡­ What about¡­ the Academy¡­?" Momonga, whose plan had just been broken by the most unexpected of happenings, out of nowhere, said in a hollow and almost childish tone of resentment.

    Moments later, as if in response to Momonga''s words, the incredible primal roar of a wounded beast was echoed by a huge red-black flash in the distance which Momonga could see through a small window nearby. And, as Momonga''s internal rangefinder told him, judging by the approximate range of the flash, it was somewhere within the territory of the said Academy.

    ''And what are the chances that, just now, this problem has solved itself?'' Momonga raised long-suffering eyes to the ceiling, imagining yet another day filled with boredom, before exhaling and frowning.

    ''But still¡­ What exactly just happened with the demons?''

 The new Three-Sided War (1)

    Zeoticus Gremory usually preferred not to do paperwork.

    First and foremost because he didn''t like doing it. After all, wasn''t that what a leader''s job was? To find the right number of suitable and competent deputies, and have them work smoothly under ideal conditions, periodically distributing rewards and punishments to them according to their performance. In other words, the job of the leader is to push his own work to his subordinates.

    It''s not like he was not busy ¨C managing even a dozen people alone was extremely difficult, it required a delegation of authority. So imagine the workload of one of the most powerful Devil aristocrats? His job was to find the right number of competent deputies, and then do his best not to interfere with their work.

    And if he also liked to spend his time embarrassing his children with stories about their childhood, or dance in the costume of his Devil clan''s mascot doll¡­ Well, everyone was allowed to have hobbies, weren''t they?

    The second reason why Zeoticus Gremory rarely did paperwork, was that he was generally bad with paperwork and bureaucracy. That is to say, over the long, long years of his life, Zeoticus had learned all the necessary skills, as proper of course. He had even received outstanding training that had firmly planted the duties and rights of a Devil clan lord in his mind.

    Only to find that he had absolutely no flair or acumen for such matters.

    Someone skilled in it could, like a bureaucratic hound, instantly see the numbers in two columns that didn''t add up. Or even translate all the bureaucratic language into ordinary language when read, and keep three years of reports in his head for imaginary graphs.

    While for Zeoticus, he had to read and re-read the report, frowning his eyebrows, rereading the lines over and over, then pulling up past reports, doing research that sometimes took him more than a day¡­ Just to understand the current day''s report. It was simply inefficient, better hand over the work to someone that is better at it.

    And the third reason was that, strictly speaking, Zeoticus didn''t receive many documents that required his personal eye or stamp in the first place.

    Sure, the streams of reports on the funding of certain territories under his control, the endless congratulations and notices of the ongoing Ranking Games, Zeoticus was invited as a guest of honor, were endless¡­ But nothing out of the norm. Nothing requiring an urgent response and the highest authorization.

    The life of Zeoticus Gremory, his land parcel, and even the entire Devil faction as a whole was¡­ Lacking excitement, if not routine.

    Of course, unexpected events, being unexpected, do happen, requiring his input, but they''re rare. But, when they did happen, they were very special, for example the current development, the movement towards the conclusion, a formal end to the Great War with a Peace Treaty.

    But, after the burst of excitement, everything returns to business as usual.

    And so, it was all the more strange for Zeoticus Gremory to find himself sitting in his office, a room that would have been covered in dust a dozen years ago if not for the incessant service of his maids. He was staying in his office, reading a report, an urgent report that was constantly updated due to the magic nature of it, updating Zeoticus of the current situation.

    The reason Zeoticus was doing so, however, was even rarer than him actually being in his office.

    It was rare for the Satans to leave the Underworld, the movement of such powerful figures always drawing the scrutiny of the other factions, the movement of several of them at once could easily be seen as a full-blown provocation. And in the case of some of the more nervous or belligerent pantheons, even a declaration of war.

    But it was even rarer for unknown gods to appear out of nowhere on the very doorstep of the Devils, causing them to act in a similar fashion, threatening, metaphorically speaking, to give the other factions the finger. And it was especially rare that Zeoticus'' eldest son, his wife, and youngest daughter were all in danger at the same time due to such a confluence of circumstances.

    Even though he knew in his rational mind that no god, unknown or not, could not pose a threat to Sirzechs, Serafall, Ajuka, and Grayfia at the same time, Zeoticus was still worried as only a parent could. Especially when watching their child go straight into the jaws of a lion, even if he knew that their child was a professional lion tamer and could wring the lion''s neck if they wanted to.

    Which was why right now, Zeoticus had a report in his hands, updated every ten minutes, while his wife, Venelana, was tending to their grandson, Milicas, in the small living room.

    A flicker at his peripheral vision caused Zeoticus to note the new update, looking away from the report, sighing slightly. Sirzechs, Ajuka and Grayfia had arrived in Kuoh¡­ And while this is just the beginning, as the supposed negotiation team had just arrived, and that there''s still the meeting ahead, Zeoticus was grasping at everything he could to calm his nervousness.

    At least the plan was being followed, even if it''s just arriving at the negotiation location.

    However, an unpleasant feeling prickled Zeoticus'' temples, causing him to cover his eyes and exhale, trying to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was to get the dreaded [Sleeping Sickness] from all his nerves.

    However, that same unpleasant feeling pricked Zeoticus again, a little more persistently, so that after a few seconds, Zeoticus realized that the unpleasant feeling he felt was not generated by his nerves, but was coming from the outside.

    Instantly, Zeoticus opened his eyes, looking around, but a superficial glance around did not reveal his reason for such a feeling. And if that reason couldn''t be seen with his own two eyes, that reason could be determined by a Devil''s inner gaze.

    Zeoticus didn''t have much talent for magic, he found out early that he wouldn''t be comparable to the real masters of the art, like his son, but he was still a High-class Devil. He might never truly raise to the Ultimate-Class, but he was still one of the strongest High-rank Devil with a great education befitting one of the head of the 72 Pillar families, with Centuries of experience under his belt.

    It only took him a couple of seconds to determine the cause of the frenzied feeling. It took a couple more for him to believe his own senses, the prospect of what he had found out was just that ridiculous.

    "It''s an attack!"

    A moment later, Zeoticus'' cry of warning was drowned out by the rising howl of a siren, one that many veterans were equally familiar with and dreaded. It was practically a relic of the past, not used since the Demon Civil War, an emergency broadcast that instills fear to all inhabitants of the Gremory territory even with its calm robotic voice.

    "Please. Keep. Calm. And. Proceed. To. The. Protected. Sanctuaries. And. Stay. There. Until. Further. Orders."

    These words were followed by a broadcasted call for combat-ready Devil to gather at the nearest assembly point and for all Devils to be put on full alert. But that part Zeoticus no longer heard.

    Instantly forgetting both his nervousness and the report in his hand, Zeoticus rushed away to his wife and grandson, sending emergency communications as quickly as he could. The spell was barely formed before it fizzled, his message of warning unsent.

    "Of course, the first rule of a surprise attack is to cut off communications to the outside." Zeoticus gritted his teeth, moving with all the speed a powerful Devil could muster. Even if the jamming would only last for five seconds, in the world of the paranormal, where powerful individuals could deal severe destruction in ten, it could still give one side of the confrontation an unrecoverable total advantage.

    Instantly a message reached Zeoticus from his [Queen], causing him to sigh in relief slightly for a moment, at least communication was possible inside the imposed barrier, then he asked the first and most important question.

    "Who?"

    ''The Fallen Angels,'' Came the instant reply, causing Zeoticus to inwardly curse. Fallen Angels, why the hell did they just stick their noses into Devil territory!?

    ''About three hundred, mostly two-wings and four-wings.'' Zeoticus'' friend continued to quickly and concisely summarize the situation. Before Zeoticus could sigh in relief at the weak force attacking, his friend continued.

    ''And two dozen six-wings, a couple eight-wings, and one Cadre.''

    "Shit," Zeoticus silently swore, the situation just turned from bad to worse. A Cadre at the head of an attack meant a huge problem ¨C a Satan-level opponent. It was impossible to put one down without large casualties with just Zeoticus'' current forces ¨C if only they could send a call for help to Asmodeus¡­

    Three of the four Satans had left the Devil''s territory at the moment, and he could not call on the help of the last Satan.

    Zeoticus didn''t have time to think about the reasons for the attack, he would think about them after he had repulsed the attack of the Fallen. Right now, he needs to organize the defense, and at the same time¡­

    ''Venelana!'', Zeoticus'' sent a hurried mental message to his wife. ''The Fallen has attacked and¡­''

    The next moment, Zeoticus'' reply was drowned in a rumble like thunder, as the giant [Spear of Light] sent by Kokabiel vaporized the part of the Gremory Estate, along with Zeoticus.

    Kokabiel only had one shot, one single chance to get a result, to make his attack worth it.

    What could be considered a victory in this case? Not the destruction of the Devil per se, he simply had no time to accomplish it before he was intercepted. Even with the strongest Devils away from the Underworld, it wouldn''t take long for them to return, and neither did he have enough force with him to overwhelm the defenses. Kokabiel could only bring the Fallen that were under his command, and those that believed in his cause.

    He could''ve waited to gather more forces to his side, but he couldn''t waste the chance, even when he knew that after this attack his days were numbered. He had broken the precarious balance the Three Biblical Factions had maintained, that Azazel had wanted to maintain. After this, he would either be hunted down by the Devils, or Azazel himself would break his diplomatic stance, and slaughter everyone who believed in his cause to a single Angel.

    No, Kokabiel''s victory was not to finally end the Great War ¨C it was to start it anew. To make it flare up again, and to let fate take its course, which would bring everything to the final question, until one faction would remain.

    Victory or death.

    But arranging such a thing was not so easy, it was not enough to organize an attack on the Devil to provoke them into a full-fledged war. It required something more than a couple of hundred randomly killed Devil in the streets of a half-forgotten mansion of a nameless baron. It required a great provocation, a personal cause, a tragedy.

    And who better suited for such a thing than to provoke a Satan, an individual in whose hands are concentrated immense personal power and official authority of the Devils?

    And he had more than ample targets, as two of these Satans, the Leviathan and Lucifer? Are obsessed with their family.

    More specifically, their younger sisters, they would make the perfect target, and in Kokabiel''s original plan those two would have fallen on the blade of the stolen Excaliburs. The perfect opening strike to restart the Great War.

    But, those two were at Kuoh, the place where the four Satans are currently congregated ¨C he might have a dead wish, but he was also planning not to die in a stupid way. So, he has to settle on the next best thing, the other member of their families, and here he''s spoiled for choices, in both senses of the word.

    The Leviathan have long maintained a cold relationship with the Sitri except for her younger sister, Asmodeus seemed so lax that he''d forgotten his clan existed, and Beelzebub was too pragmatic and balanced to provoke him into rash actions¡­

    But not the Lucifer. He was perhaps the worst person to threaten the family of, which makes him the perfect target.

    The Crimson Satan, known for his strong relationship with his own family, and anyone he cared for really, a Devil who famously joined the Devil Civil War simply because a student of his was killed. He provided a target rich individual with his family, his father, mother and son, left unattended by the faction''s strongest Devils, gathered in one place as if as a gift to Kokabiel.

    And Kokabiel planned to take full advantage of this gift!

    So the Fallen, having cracked the defenses of Gremory''s territory and cut it off from the outside world, with simple, but reliable and able to last a few minutes shields that cut off their communications, rushed forward. The Fallen Heavenly host splitting into three groups.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The first included the vast majority of the Fallen, but also represented the weakest attack force, the two-winged and four-winged Fallen Angels. They were to hunt the civilians and sow as much panic and chaos in the enemy ranks as possible, confusing the defense plans and forcing the defender to spread out. They were to act as a distraction to allow the other two teams to attack the real target.

    Led by Kokabiel himself, the second group consisted of his former bodyguards and aides. They were to take out Lady Gremory and the Lucifer''s son without caring if they were to be cut down, spending their life to deal the worst damage to the Crimson Satan. Lastly, the third group, Kokabiel himself, after destroying the protection on the estate to allow the second group to attack as swiftly as they could, planned to deal with the most dangerous and powerful opponent, Lord Gremory himself.

    The death of any one of the three was already a victory for Kokabiel. More than one? Just a gift to Kokabiel.

    After this? Kokabiel would have liked to retreat after that and regroup, but he won''t insist on it. Sometimes there''s a need for sacrifices for great achievements ¨C and if Kokabiel would achieve this accomplishment? He was willing to pay any price for it.

    And so the moment the adjutant''s cherished words rang in his ears, that they had pierced through the Gremory territory''s protection, and Kokabiel had emerged over Gremory territory, he did not hold back.

    A dozen spears of light instantly rained on the Devils who had not yet realized the danger they''re in, incinerating some of them and subjecting others to painful deaths. Instantly, panic and chaos reigned among the Devils, and soon more would die, but that was the concern of the first group of Fallen.

    Kokabiel himself? He was targeting a much larger fish.

    Instantly, the flapping of wings drowned out all sound and a black cloud of the Fallen covered the blood-red skies before the siren blaring from every nook drowned the noise, but Kokabiel was not distracted by such trivialities. His gaze drifted towards Gremory''s manor, as his pupils narrowed into pinpricks as he searched for his target.

    Kokabiel was bad at this sort of search and destroy, specializing more on the ''destroy'' part, but spotting one angry and panicked high class Devil approaching the ultimate class in power wasn''t that difficult for Cadre. Therefore, after only a couple seconds, a [Spear of Light] appeared in Kokabiel''s hand. It was a large spear, blinding, as if a second Sun had lit up the sky, one look at which could hurt Devils. He had only one chance at this, and Kokabiel was planning on making it count, and with a heave of his arms, the Spear flew true.

    Even if somehow it did miss, a miss by a dozen meters with a [Spear of Light] of such power and size was completely insignificant.

    The spear cut through the distance between Kokabiel and Zeoticus with blinding speed, slicing through the defenses of Gremory''s mansion. For a brief moment, the light solidified into the shape of a blade of the Lord''s wrath as it reached its target. Kokabiel imagined he could see Zeoticus'' eyes before the [Spear of Light]''s form distorted, losing its shape, as a ball of light consumed a large portion of the Gremory mansion.

    A bright flash of light, capable of instantly stripping the flesh from the bones of anyone too close to the center of the explosion, there''s no chance of Zeoticus surviving the surprise attack. Kokabiel allowed a grin to appear on his face to celebrate the death of one of the Fallen''s great enemies, before he moved on to his next target, using the hole in the manor to search for it.

    The Lady Gremory was to be the next target of his attack, his Fallen could massacre the young child without his help.

    "Have you located the Lucifer''s moth¡­!?" Kokabiel addressed his followers a moment later, but had no time to get an answer before his centuries-honed fighting skills screamed, causing him to lunge to the side without any interference from reason, dodging the attack.

    Kokabiel''s keen, battle-honed gaze immediately glanced at the projectile that flashed by his side, noting its elongated spear-like shape and scarlet-blue shimmering color. It was not a [Spear of Light] so betrayal can be discounted, before, with a flash, the spear passed by him.

    A [Demonic Spear] was a damned imitation of the simplest attacks of Angels and Fallen, created by the Devil as more of a mockery¡­ But at the hand of a strong Devil, it still poses a threat. The [Demonic Spear] tossed at him, possessed the power of an eight-winged angel, a strong one at that. Or, in the Devil''s parlance, it was the equivalent of an attack from an Ultimate Class.

    Considering the fact that Venelana Gremory possessed the [Power of Destruction] and would most likely attack using her clan''s trait, only one other person could have delivered such an attack¡­

    And that in turn meant that the attack on Venelana was delayed for a few more minutes, which would take Kokabiel to get rid of the annoying fly that refused to die.

    Zeoticus lost consciousness for only moments, less than a second of agonizing pain stealing his awareness before the old instincts of a seasoned warrior returned to his body. For a long time now, Zeoticus had been living in the stable, peaceful world after the Civil War ¨C but a creature who had fought for hundreds of years could not so easily squander all of his combat experience.

    The destructive power of the [Spear of Light] had managed to strip the skin and some of the muscles on the left side of his body, turning one of his limbs into a non-functional stump. But, he had no time to seek a healer at the moment. A moment later, Zeoticus'' power surged around his body, trying to preserve his body from the merciless, searing, angelic light, if one tainted by sin. Still, the light still has the same effect of one delivered by the most righteous light of heaven to a Devil.

    Flaring his power has the effect of saving Zeoticus from further damage, but also mercilessly vaporizes his reserves of strength. Just because Zeoticus could withstand such a hit from his opponent, didn''t mean he should do it. Another hit like that and he would be dead.

    As the light from Kokabiel''s attack dissipated enough, Zeoticus was able to see the multi-winged creature hovering aloft, watching over Gremory Manor from above. A Cadre.

    There were no longer any thoughts in Zeoticus'' mind about what had caused the attack or who was behind it at the moment, whether it was an official declaration of war or anything else. All that was bouncing around in his head at the moment was one single thought.

    ''We need to call for backup.''

    Zeoticus might possess his clan''s ability, the main strength of the Gremory clan¡­

    He was strong. Yes, that was the special ability of the demonic Gremory clan.

    They were simply strong.

    It was this fact that made the Gremory the most enviable partners for the Devil aristocracy''s eugenic games. The Gremory clan always passed on their hereditary power to their children without suppressing the characteristics of other clans. The perfect complement that allowed Zeoticus to get Venelana as his wife, the whispered excitement that allowed Sirzechs to become the Crimson Satan, one that Zeoticus wouldn''t confirm, Sirzechs is an anomaly even among anomalies. And the reason for the Phenex to sacrifice their past clan heir for a marriage with Rias Gremory.

    However, therein also lay the Gremory''s greatest weakness.

    Zeoticus had no other abilities ¨C other than being stronger, even if significantly stronger than other Devil aristocrats, he had no powers of regeneration, pyromancy, destruction, or anything like that.

    Which meant that against a Cadre of the Fallen, Zeoticus didn''t stand a chance.

    ''We need to break through the barrier.''

    However, behind Zeoticus'' back was the Gremory Manor, where his wife Venelana is along with his grandson, Milicas. His subordinates, his territories, the entire Devil community under his family. It is simply too much for him to sacrifice.

    ''We have to kill Kokabiel.''

    Which in turn meant that where Zeoticus couldn''t take his opponent with a retreat for a better fighting chance, he planned to tackle him with his brute strength.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Kokabiel dodged one attack, then another, replying with a dozen [Spears of Light] at once, one volley after another, probing Zeoticus'' capabilities. Noting with satisfaction that while the old nobleman boasted considerable strength, there was a significant gap in his combat experience. It''s no surprise really, even among the Fallen, there were few that had more battle experience than him.

    However, this did not guarantee an instant victory for Kokabiel. As one would expect from Crimson Satan''s father, he was a worthy opponent.

    A lash of fire slid past Kokabiel like the tongue of a wild beast, licking clean an entire clearing of trees, but Kokabiel had dodged it easily. But still, no matter how easy this fight had turned out to be, a frown decorated his brows. To finish off Zeoticus would only be a matter of time, but therein lies the issue, time is the last thing that Kokabiel have in ample supply.

    In a flash the tainted light of the Fallen turned to stakes, a crude semblance of Angelic techniques, nevertheless, mastered and perfected by Kokabiel for Devil slaying, fell like raindrops. And judging by the way Zeoticus let out an angry howl a moment later, retaliating with another lash of fire, at least a few of the projectiles had found their target.

    However, Kokabiel could only click his tongue in dissatisfaction. He needed to deal with Zeoticus quickly, ideally followed by killing the entire Crimson Satan''s family, including his son, then retreating before the Satans arrived for backup, that was what his entire plan relied on. If he was killed before he retreated to Azazel and dragged the Fallen into the war, or failed to give the Lucifer a personal reason to give no damn about diplomacy and rush in after him, then his entire plan would be jeopardized.

    And so, when Zeoticus attacked, not with fire, but with pure demonic energy gathered into many small arrows, Kokabiel did not bother dodging, but rushed in front of his opponent''s fire. A second''s hesitation was all Kokabiel needed. This time his [Holy Spear] was not in the form of spears, but spread out over his hand, transforming it into the likeness of a holy blade, Kokabiel''s own personal design.

    Disregarding the damage done to him by not defending himself from Zeoticus'' spells, he arrived right in front of his target, his blade poised over the Devil. Zeoticus formed a hasty defense, but it was too late, Kokabiel''s blade slammed into the Devil''s flesh, on the way cutting one of Zeoticus hand that was raised in defense, before slamming into Zeoticus'' flesh, severing the palm of his hand that had been exposed in a hasty block.

    A demented grin formed over Kakbiel''s face when he noticed that Zeoticus had not actually worn any protective armor, the surprise attack preventing it. Soon, the Fallen''s light, like poison, spreads all over the wound created by his [Blade of Vengeance], a name Kokabiel has created for his created spell, like a corrosive substance.

    Kokabiel viciously enjoyed the look of shock and pain on Zeoticus'' face, the wound he inflicted turning into charred flesh. He didn''t even pay attention to his own wounds, a small price to pay for the lucky blow that had robbed Zeoticus of his other arm.

    He was unable to follow up on his lucky strike, however, as instantly, more than a decent amount of demonic energy began to concentrate in Zeoticus''s body. Kokabiel didn''t bother checking to see if he was prepared for a sacrificial blast, retreating for a moment.

    Under other circumstances, the loss of two arms would be a significant wound for any opponent, but nothing more. Every creature of the Biblical Faction possessed the ability to regenerate the most seemingly fatal wounds, thanks simply to their reserves of strength.

    However, angelic light acted as the perfect antithesis to the Devil''s regeneration.

    Pure angelic light would not even allow the Devil to regenerate lost limbs, unless they found a suitable, and outstanding, healer. The light of the fallen angels was much less toxic to Devils, but even so, the possibility of regeneration in the middle of the battle was a moot point, Kokabiel had won the fight. And so, the idea that Zeoticus sacrificing himself to deliver his final blow to Kokabiel was not without logic.

    As he stepped back for a moment, however, Kokabiel was instantly convinced that his assumption was false. As he concentrated, and waited, Zeoticus''s power did not erupt in a devastating explosion, but in a concentrated blast into space, breaking the barrier that was intended to impede information transfer. It would be a fatal blow to Kakbiel''s plan if he were planning to keep his attack a secret.

    Kokabiel grinned instead, keeping his attack a secret would actually mean his plans failing.

    Another moment later, Kokabiel''s hand pierced Zeoticus'' chest, punching through straight to his heart. A wound that, for a Devil of Zeoticus'' power, meant little despite the visceral look of the injury, it was not a fatal attack.

    At least not instantly.

    A moment later, the cold, steely voice of one of Kokabiel''s follower reached his mind, informing him of the information he already had. The simple and unsophisticated barrier had been breached, and the emergency message of the attack had gone out ¨C directly to the Lucifer.

    Zeoticus, frozen in a rictus of pain on the Fallen Angel''s arm, not a mortal wound aside, it still hurts, tried to draw in air, forcing his grinding lungs to fill with blood and attempt to expand. With one last breath, he smiled at the Fallen''s pensive face, confident that with his last act he had doomed the Fallen''s plan.

    "I have won¡­ Sirzechs will be here soon."

    "Yes, indeed, I''m counting on it." Kokabiel couldn''t contain the satisfied smirk as his plan finally came together, causing Zeoticus'' expression to fall, but Kokabiel was no longer willing to divulge his plan to the dead man any longer. Now, to make sure his plan was completed perfectly, he turned to his followers, "What about the Lucifer''s mother and son?"

    ''Lucifer''s mother was wounded, but escaped pursuit'' One of his eight-winged subordinates calmly replied, aware of Lucifer''s approaching wrath. ''The squad sent to eliminate Lucifer''s son reported contact, before suddenly stopping checking in. We suspect that they have been defeated.''

    Kokabiel inwardly cursed, Venelana''s injury, the failed attack on Milicas, and only one dead Zeoticus, would that be enough¡­ No, the success of the plan had to be guaranteed, so they could not tarry here any longer even if he personally wanted to search for the two targets, and so he ordered his followers to retreat to Azazel.

    The Fallen would need all the power they could muster to put an end to the Great War for good. He, on the other hand¡­

    Kokabiel shook the arm on which the Gremory''s patriarch hung, causing Zeoticus to hiss in pain, and grinned.

    He had to finish what he had started.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The information brought to Ajuka''s attention instantly made him clench his knuckles, the Fallen had attacked the Gremory'' territory¡­

    A whole host of thoughts ran through Ajuka''s mind, from the possible motivation of the attackers to Satoru''s possible involvement in the event, but above all, they needed to return. Intervention and negotiation with Satoru could be done later, right now, the Satans needed to return to the Underworld.

    A Cadre level opponent, potential further attacks, and the possible casualties of House Gremory¡­ Sirzechs had to know about it.

    So, as soon as the Satans left the meeting room and traveled from the Church to Kuoh Academy, with Serafall and Sirzechs staring at Ajuka questioning his actions with a furrowed brow. He only needed to whisper one phrase as an explanation.

    "The Fallen have attacked Gremory Manor."

    It took a moment for the two other Satans to parse such information, not that Ajuka could blame them. Certainly such news amidst the distractions of their negotiations with Satoru and the treaty of a formal peace between the Biblical Factions hovering in the air seemed¡­ Strange.

    But the moment passed, and Ajuka managed to react quickly enough to protect himself from Sirzechs'' power hitting in all directions. The dull, savage roar of an angry beast, a raging dragon, swept through the surrounding city. Before, the out of control wave of the [Power of Destruction], usually so perfectly controlled by Sirzechs, swept the Academy away like a sandcastle hit by a tsunami. Thankfully, the Academy was empty, lest they would have their work cut out for them to explain so many deaths.

    His peripheral vision informed him that Serafall had managed to put up her own defenses, but the moment of distraction cost him, as Sirzechs easily ripped open the fabric of reality, instantly rushing inside Gremory Manor, leaving him behind. Though either way, Ajuka was smart enough not to get in Sirzechs'' way at the moment, opening his own portal to the Gremory Territory.

    An instant later, Gremory''s territory appeared in front of Ajuka''s, immediately spotting the reason the attack had remained secret, a barrier. But apparently, the barrier in place prevented information transfer, but not teleportation.

    In the distance, Ajuka spotted his friend. A shimmering black and scarlet blot on reality, Sirzechs fully unleashed form of the [Power of Destruction]. And in front of that font of pure destruction the architect of the attack on the Gremory, on the Devil Faction.

    Kokabiel, a Cadre of the Fallen Angels, and on his hand the brutalized body of his friend''s father, Zeoticus Gremory.

    Against his will, Ajuka''s gaze noted the glassy look in Zeoticus'' eyes as he fell to the ground, and the weakly pumping heart, clutched in Kokabiel''s hand.

    "Azazel sends his regards!" Kokabiel laughed cruelly, darting away from Sirzechs into the Dimensional Gap.

    Sirzechs, unable to hold back, struck out in all directions with his own power, rushing after the fleeing Cadre, but it was too late, Kokabiel had escaped.

    Ajuka stood still for a moment, summarizing the events he had seen and its result, realizing what had happened, which he summed up in one simple phrase.

    ''The Great War has broken out again.''

 The new Three-Sided War (2)

    As Azazel continued to pore over the documents before him, he tried his best to calm his troubled heart. If his colleagues were to see him now, they would be surprised, seeing him trying his best to concentrate on the reports of his spies and see if there was anything he might have missed in his previous read. The situation was simply that dire.

    Tobio had failed to give his scheduled report after he''d gone to inspect a half-forgotten Fallen Angel base in Kuoh. In fact, he had missed multiple daily reports, ever since Azazel had given the assignment. He feared that something bad had happened, and at the worst possible time for it, too.

    Today, the Fallen Angel Azazel had tasked with reporting the Satans'' movements, had just reported that a group that would be considered overkill even if the Devils suddenly decided to restart the Great War again was on the move. Four Satan-Class Devils, Sirzechs, Ajuka, Serafall, and Grayfia, despite lacking the title, Grayfia is still Satan-Class, were heading from the Underworld into Kuoh¡­ Despite his Dad''s death, Azazel was tempted to pray for Tobio''s sake that his sudden silence was not connected with the Satan''s movements.

    At least Azazel could continue to convince himself that the situation wasn''t interconnected in any way.

    Yes, Tobio hadn''t made his reports for days, but that was not reason enough for Azazel to sound the alarm about the condition of his best agent, and perhaps, in a way, his nephew¡­ No matter how much of a Tsundere his adopted son, Vali, might interact with Tobio, their relationship was more like brothers. So, in a way, Tobio is also Azazel''s son, no matter how much Tobio would complain about it, and how their actual relationship isn''t actually that close.

    More than a relationship between a boss and their subordinate, but not close enough to consider it familial. It was more like a ''prot¨¦g¨¦'' and '' teacher''? But sadly no more yet than that.

    And as a teacher who had watched Tobio closely, Azazel knew more than anyone that if Tobio got into a mess for any reason ¨C he wouldn''t disappear quietly. Tobio was comparable in his power level to Cadre ¨C perhaps even higher, given Tobio''s [Longinus] and his outstanding combat experience with it. So, no matter what opponent Tobio decided to face, it was virtually impossible to defeat him quietly, so there would be news should anything happen to Tobio¡­ Unless his assailant was the Great Red, of course.

    But in that case, Azazel would not be hearing about Tobio''s desperate struggle with the apex being, but about how Kuoh was wiped from the surface of Earth. Compared to the movements of the Dragon of Dragons, the appearance of four Satan class Devils would almost be unworthy of attention.

    But Azazel hadn''t received any reports of destruction in Kuoh or a battle between powerful magical entities, which meant that Tobio was clearly not missing after a confrontation with a dangerous opponent¡­ Or this opponent was so superior to Tobio that it wasn''t funny and Azazel could only wrap himself in a funeral shroud and go straight to the cemetery.

    But since Azazel was in no hurry to go to the graveyard, at least not until he had tried all the women, all the wine, and all the entertainment in the world, that option could be dismissed as improbable.

    Besides, to be honest, if there was only one, single Satan-level Devil in Kuoh, then Azazel would start to worry. The fact there were four of such Devils, two of them in the list of strongest beings in the world, is wildly an overreaction to Tobio. Even if the Devils really wanted to make sure that Tobio would be very dead, just sending Sirzechs would be more than enough, no need to have him along with Ajuka.

    And to add to that point, Tobio knows that his mission was not so important or secret that he needed to risk his life to accomplish it.

    While Tobio would probably try his best to remain discreet, should he be found out, giving up immediately is an option to take. Even if he would probably suffer some cold treatment by a brocon and siscon duo, overly worried about their sisters'' safety. It''s not like the Fallen were doing anything significant there. And while having a Fallen presence so close to the Satans'' younger sisters could be a source of conflict, there haven''t been any either, so Tobio should be able to negotiate his way out of any possible Devil captivity.

    Azazel really hoped that no such thing would have happened, though, Kokabiel would be so annoying to deal with. He could almost hear the theatrical bastard loudly opining about how Azazel has grown weak, about how they should press the Devil, about how they should put Kokabiel in charge.

    Feh, they might as well just kill the rest of the Fallen themselves before the Cadre even think of putting Kokabiel in charge, since the Great War would restart next.

    While he was thinking of the worst case scenario here, why not think the opposite? Should Tobio get in contact with the Devils, it''s possible for him to ask them to help with his mission. It was much better to deal with a minor diplomatic incident, apologize and pick up the out-of-contact Fallen from an abandoned church in Kuoh than to risk a major skirmish. All on the eve of signing an agreement to end the Great War.

    But if that was what happened, why is his best operative, his closest student and, pops forbid, a threat to Leviathan or Lucifer''s little sister, hadn''t reported back at all?

    The Fallen certainly had their own strong combatants, so they couldn''t be called completely defenseless. But, even assuming Azazel was as insane and bloodthirsty as Kokabiel, Lucifer and Beelzebub would wipe the Fallen to the last in a day or so, and just in time for dinner. The only proof of any damage the Fallen made, a few bruises on their knuckles, and that was only because they couldn''t keep up their ardor for crushing the skulls of all the Fallen in their path.

    Offending the Devils would be a suicide pact.

    So, in light of that fact, Azazel tried his best to calm his nerves, convincing himself that Tobio was probably in another mess like the ones he was used to getting into, but nothing too bad¡­ Or maybe he just ate some dodgy Chinese food and was too busy getting to know the porcelain throne better to make any report. It wouldn''t be the first time something like that had happened, that Azazel had reminded him many times to stop getting food in abandoned back alleys, no matter how Tobio insisted that that''s where the best restaurants are found.

    If something like that happened again, Tobio knew full well that Azazel was not a forgiving father. Which meant that the best agent of the Fallen had to seriously consider what kind of shape he was going to spend the next two weeks in after Azazel finished whipping him for making him worry so much!

    But, as comical as the thought might be, Azazel needed to prepare for the worst case scenario, which means preparing the Fallen for war¡­ Just imagining how smug Kokabiel would look should he ever learn of this, tempted Azazel to just say fuck it and go to Kuoh himself to find Tobio. No matter how tense things might be with the Satans there.

    Of all the Cadre, Azazel was the third most experienced in combat, after Baraqiel and Kokabiel, but the first in strength, and in knowledge and magical skill. So, he had no trouble not only recognizing the personal teleportation intrusion into his office, but also determining that behind it was a Fallen Angel of outstanding strength but not much magical skill. Of all such Fallen, Azazel could think of only a few, and given the suddenness of the intrusion into his private office, a few names eventually turned to one.

    In the few moments it took Kokabiel to form the portal gates, dozens of plans and explanations managed to form in Azazel''s mind. And Azazel''s analytical mind, even if nowadays far more accustomed to the calm environment of a laboratory experiment, churned out the reasons one by one.

    An assassination attempt on Azazel? Not impossible, but unlikely. Kokabiel, for all his mania, wanted to drag Azazel, and in doing so, the rest of the Fallen into war, not kill him. It was not in his plans to weaken the Fallen so badly by aping the Devils and having their very own Civil War, before executing his plans.

    Especially given the rift that would begin within the entire Fallen faction should Kokabiel attack Azazel.

    Demanding an abdication of command? Kokabiel needed a lot more support for that, his faction, despite being composed more of the Veterans, were a small faction. For all his idiocy, he at least had a rudimentary understanding of exactly how intrigue functioned, even if he could never stomach it.

    A provocation to test Azazel''s response? Extremely likely. An attempt to further weaken his power and bring to his side those Fallen who wished to see a real ''strong'' leader, believing the effectiveness of governance to be determined by just such barbaric antics.

    But all such thoughts were momentarily put to rest when Kokabiel''s hand, before he had even fully manifested through, jerked forward, and the object previously clutched in his hand arced toward Azazel.

    Azazel in turn, deciding that such an action was most likely not an assassination attempt, and considering the fact that Kokabiel himself could not have prepared an explosive or artifact capable of destroying Azazel, grasped the object thrown at him¡­ Only to feel the familiar disgusting pliability beneath his hands. A barely warm, wet, slightly sticky liquid drew Azazel''s gaze to it, causing him to freeze.

    Even his eyes, accustomed to a multitude of laboratory sights, with some of his experiments incredibly gory even to someone that is experienced in war, still took a moment to recognize the object thrown at him.

    Meat. More specifically, a heart.

    Judging by the surrounding flesh and trauma, it was ripped out without remorse, most likely by Kokabiel''s own hand. It had not yet had time to cool¡­ And judging by the slight twitching, it had not had time to stop beating. A heart that was still alive, albeit with the most scientific definition of ''alive''. What''s more important than the freshness of the kill however is the feeling of Mana wafting off of it, the heart once belonged to a Devil¡­ A strong Devil, a familiar one, a Gremory.

    Azazel''s mind, which was drawn into full focus once he had noticed Kokabiel, grinded to a halt. A deadly cold shiver ran down Azazel''s spine as he looked upward at Kokabiel''s face, which was filled with madness, joy and triumphant superiority.

    "What have you done¡­" Azazel whispered slowly, his face frozen in horror, unable to unclench the hand that clutched the bloody ''gift'' from Kokabiel.

    "What does it matter if I''ve already done it?" However, despite the graveness in Azazel''s tone, Kokabiel''s huge grin only grew wider in response, stretching to the point where madness was the only recognizable emotion on his face.

    A moment later, the sirens alerting that a Teleportation was imminent howled. But Azazel didn''t need the sirens, as space itself seemed to twist in pain, as if a maddened beast had clawed its fangs and claws into the fabric of reality, ripping it away.

    Moments ago, Azazel had wondered what it would look like should the Great Red decide that he would go on a rampage. And while not as strong as the Great Red, Azazel probably didn''t have to wonder for long, he didn''t even have to wonder who exactly is coming to reap the lives of the Fallen.

    "I WILL FUCKING TEAR YOU TO PIECES, KOKABIEL!" Azazel threw the Devil''s heart away from his hands a moment later, one by one activating the barriers and numerous artifacts, preparing for the battle of his life¡­ No, not a battle, an attempt to get a chance to escape from the rage-crazed Sirzechs Gremory.

    "But first you''ll have to get me away from Lucifer!" Kokabiel laughed a maniacal laugh at these words, feeling his dream begin to take shape with every second, as the drum of Destruction resounded.

    And in the next instant, Destruction itself rained onto the Fallen''s land.

    As soon as the portal gate formed deep within the territory of the fallen, a wave of pure power and annihilating rage of the [Power of Destruction], swept like a wave in all directions. It was a power that the bearer always tried his best to reign in, but at this moment, control was the last thing on his Sirzechs Gremory''s mind.

    Half of Azazel''s shields and defenses ceased to exist in an instant, with the other half holding on only for an instant more. The formless wave of Destructive rage gnawed into the walls, the tables, and the paper of Azazel''s reports, turning them into nothing, not distinguishing between bare walls and the priceless artifacts in its path.

    Azazel''s personal defense was instantly under assault, his first winking out, the second lasting barely a second more, and judging by it rapidly losing its luster the third would be gone soon. His fourth, and last, barrier might give him a minute at most, but that''s only if he doesn''t suffer a direct hit from the enraged Lucifer, otherwise a second or two would be a miracle.

    He simply needed more time. Time to evacuate his best toys, like the unfinished prototype of the [Sacred Mechanism] created through a [Contract] with Fafnir. Thoughts about hiding his capabilities soon fly out of the window. If he could at least escape from Lucifer, that would be beyond all of Azazel''s expectations of himself.

    The wave of Destruction that had swept through his office, destroying even the walls, the building, and Azazel''s secretaries, who hadn''t even had time to cry out in surprise, weakened for a moment. But that doesn''t mean that it''s over, the destructive [Power of Destruction] didn''t disappear completely.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    On the contrary, that was just the opening shot, a greeting of sorts, as Azazel could see Sirzechs Gremory himself appearing. Now, nothing more than an almost shapeless mass of pure destruction and unspeakable rage that looked only remotely like the grotesque form of a man. Made of shimmering and pulsing black and red colors and purple hues of the [Power of Destruction], a power seeking to devour everything around him.

    The glimpse cost Azazel precious moments, as Sirzechs let out a howl, indescribable in its madness, and unleashed another wave of destruction around him.

    Azazel''s shield instantly lost half of its charge, in fact continuing to lose a few percent per second. A minute on Azazel''s part in his calculations about his abilities was nothing more than naive hope.

    Echoing Lucifer''s insane rage was the equally insane laughter of Kokabiel, who continued to contain Lucifer''s power, but even so could not completely escape it, the feathers on his black wings too quickly decaying under Sirzechs'' onslaught. A moment later, a pair of huge [Spears of Light] burst from Kokabiel''s hands, but could not even reach Lucifer''s body, dispersing powerlessly before his [Form of Destruction].

    A futile action to which Kokabiel responded only with more maddened laughter, so sincere in its madness that one might even think it was a child''s laughing from sincere joy.

    Somewhere not far away, in the sterile, empty ruins that a second ago had been Grigori''s Governor General palace, the Fallen continued to die, wiped from existence by the wave of Destruction. Dozens of Fallen disappeared before they even realized that they were already dead, and Azazel saw no way to stop it. Saw no way to stop Lucifer now, to make him hear reason.

    The realization that every second of delay was killing a hundred fallen, as well as bringing Azazel himself closer to death, made him realize something.

    Kokabiel, Grigori''s festering boil, left unattended in Azazel''s political games, wanting to focus on creating an end to the Great War, had won. Azazel, so busy in keeping the status quo and peace among the Fallen, ignoring Kokabiel''s muttering in madness about his idiotic ideas, had failed. Kokabiel had won before Azazel could do anything, as Azazel found himself bound hand and foot.

    Azazel, the entire race of the Fallen, was cornered and faced with a terrible choice, fight and die anyway or just die. While fighting also meant death¡­ But maybe a few seconds later than in the case of a surrender. And Azazel couldn''t afford to die, and, as the Governor General of Grigori, couldn''t afford to let the fallen fade into oblivion.

    ''FUCK YOU KOKABIEL!'' Azazel howled inside his mind, tears threatening to fall from his eyes, as his life''s work was wiped away by a wave of Destruction. But, pinned against the wall, answered aloud differently.

    "[Shining Spear of the Fallen Dragon]!"

    In response to Azazel finally engaging Lucifer, Kokabiel could only respond with his own insane laughter, and a dozen [Spears of Light] of his own.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "I wonder when I''ll next get the chance to interact with Demons?" Now back in Miki''s home, Momonga went into his room and settled down on his bed, thoughtfully trying to calculate in his head the moment when he would be able to return to the negotiations. In other words, just daydreaming, since he didn''t know why they left the negotiations in the first place.

    "I wonder why they left so suddenly during the meeting?"

    When three of his potential opponents, including two unknowns of the hundredth level or even higher, who had come to negotiate with him suddenly began to act so suspiciously, Momonga prepared for the worst. A battle against unknowns.

    After all, false negotiations to lure and destroy an enemy, especially given the perceived advantage in combat power on the enemy''s side, were not anything new. It was even still occasionally practiced even in YGGDRASIL, rarely of course, given just how many Revivals options there are. Ambushes where you don''t immediately wipe the other party are usually done very rarely, usually done either to take a particularly important piece of equipment that the weaker player had accidentally or deliberately brought with him. Or as an opening before an attack was launched, to take out a few negotiators and seize any chance to give one''s side the maximum possible advantage.

    For example, for his meeting with the Demons, Albedo, Demiurge, and Pandora''s Actor, were literally under his feet. Considering Momonga''s presence, the number of level 100 combatants on his side was effectively double, meaning he could guarantee that he would be able to, if not defeat, at least repel an attack on him.

    If his opponents did turn out to be stronger than level 100, at the very least, Momonga had a good chance that he would be able to escape and take refuge in Nazarick. Even if he has to sacrifice the rest of the party. Unfortunately, in that case, he would obviously have to burn bridges and abandon Miki. But Momonga was much more relaxed about that option than he was about trying to get into a fight with a powerful enemy that he barely had any idea about.

    Luckily, even as he prepared for battle, the Demons stood up and apologized swiftly and disappeared. And then, as the Hanzo, who was hiding in the shadows of one of the demonesses, informed him, urgently departed somewhere else using [Gate] or at least something that looked really similar to one. [Gate] is the ultimate teleportation spell, barring some very specific situations and specific abilities, it did not have a maximum teleportation distance and could create passages even to other worlds. In other words, Momonga has no idea where the demons had gone¡­ Well, Hell most probably, but he had no idea where that is either.

    In order to find the demons now and try to follow them and find out the reason for their departure, Momonga would have to ask Nigredo, something he would prefer not to do at the moment. Given that, she was currently scouting out a suitable location to introduce the next batch of agents after Shalltear''s assignment on the other side of the world. Her focused work could mean the difference between success and failure of such an endeavor.

    However, putting aside thinking about such a thing, the Demons had promised to contact Momonga in the future and inform him of their future negotiations, so perhaps there''s no need to worry yet.

    Moreover, Momonga also needs to consider how to treat the Demons'' actions and what to get for it. After all, by breaking off the negotiations one-sidedly, they had committed a significant transgression on their part. And so Momonga was free to choose now whether he should ask for some sort of compensation, to leave such a debt for the future, or just forget it altogether and win some good favor with the Demons.

    Either way, it was a matter of the future, the matter of the present was what Momonga had to concentrate on at the moment. And thinking of the huge bounty the Hanzo had just informed him, Momonga had to rely on Emotion Suppression to stop him whooping in joy, and dancing.

    As the Hanzo had informed him, the school building on the Kuoh Academy grounds had been effectively destroyed due to the effects of some demonic ability. He had to fight himself not to ask his subordinates whether or not he had silently asked his subordinates to destroy the school. Momonga was definitely tempted to do so many times before.

    Well, he didn''t have to do that now.

    Though apparently, and luckily, none of the school''s students and teachers were injured in such an act of destruction. Apparently the building had been completely cleared of people beforehand, when it was prepared by the demons as some sort of their base in the negotiations¡­ Which in general didn''t really interest or bother Momonga much.

    Not having any casualties was of course a positive, expanding the possible number of his contacts in the human world is a goal of Momonga. On the other hand, Momonga wouldn''t be that bothered by it if some of them accidentally died ¨C especially if it allowed Momonga to miss school.

    Even if the Demons somehow manage to make it that Momonga needed to compensate for the school''s destruction, they''re Demons after all. Despite Momonga''s past worries about their finances, it turned out that Raynare''s earnings were extremely outstanding in this world¡­

    And that in turn meant that for a brief time, Momonga didn''t really have anything to do.

    Shalltear was right now busy scouting and absorbing the underworld in Kyoto, Nigredo and Sebas were preparing to leave for Europe, and Demiurge and Albedo were busy with Raynare''s church and making money, leaving Momonga free to do anything. Momonga knew that in such a situation, he could take a break and rest, but on the other hand, he couldn''t let such a thing happen.

    The thought of a boss resting while his employees were working hard made him immediately think of his own experiences in his past life. Endless shifts after shift, while his own boss was constantly going to the arcologies for ''appointments'' and work outings, returning from those only to write himself another bonus, usually drunk and smelling of expensive perfumes.

    He couldn''t afford to rest at the moment, when Nazarick''s very place in the world was still unstable, with still so many holes about the intelligence of this world.

    If he were to make even one major mistake, it could mean losing the respect of his followers and jeopardizing the entirety of Nazarick!

    Momonga stood up from his bed, slamming his fist against his palm with a determined look¡­ After which, he sat back down and thought for a moment about what he could do.

    Even though he was ready to act at this moment, he still didn''t know what he could do. In this world, his newfound abilities made him more suitable for infiltration into human society. With his ability to change his appearance at will and with some of his skills from his past life, means that he should be able to infiltrate any organization.

    Even if his life experience is mostly from YGGDRASIL, and his real life experience is out of date, by a large margin in the future, Momonga was not all that confident. Never mind the fact of just how badly he was burned by his first ''infiltration'' attempt, ending with him being enrolled in a dungeon¡­ School.

    What was the point of Momonga infiltrating human society once more if it would only lead to another such problem? Or worse!?

    In that case, of the other things Momonga could do, besides interacting with demons¡­ [World Class Items]? That is, the [Longinuses]. Indeed, he had almost forgotten about such an important concern. Each [Longinus] was an issue, a potential danger even to a level 100 opponent, and therefore their existence should never be forgotten that could only be counteracted by another [World Class Item].

    Ainz Ooal Gown Guild do possess the largest collection of such items in YGGDRASIL, even so, there were still only eleven of them. One of which, the [Throne of Kings], could never be taken out of Nazarick, and another needed to be kept in Momonga''s possession.

    In other words, there were only nine such items that could counter the effects of a [Longinus], two of which belonged to the Twenty and could only be used once. So, they were to be Nazarick''s best kept secret as a trump card until the very last moment.

    In other words, Momonga only had the ability to allocate seven such items, and that wasn''t enough to equip even all the creatures of the hundredth level. Although, assuming that someone had to be the bait, and some of the creatures of the hundredth level, such as Omega, would always be in Nazarick, and so under the protection of the [Throne of Kings]¡­

    Alright, the situation was gradually becoming clearer to Momonga.

    The problem existed in the fact that out of all the [Longinuses] of Nazarick, only two of them suited their hosts. Momonga synergized well with his, while [Ginnungagap] of Albedo''s covered her weakness in ranged attacks and AoEs, plus the [Throne of Kings] provided a general defense effective in any situation. All the other [World Class Items], although powerful, were completely unnecessary additions to their users. Pandora''s Actor, due to his immense tactical flexibility, could probably make use of them somewhat, however, all the others¡­

    Momonga thought about it for a moment, internally composing combinations of items and abilities amongst the NPCs and seeing which [World Class Item] could work best with whom. After all, he had spent a lot of time remembering Nazarick''s NPCs capabilities, and he would never be able to forget the ''legal cheat'' abilities in Nazarick''s treasury, but that doesn''t mean that he would abide by subpar builds. Abilities that did not fit perfectly with the NPCs'' builds, would mean a long adaptation period in order to use them with full power.

    If it was even possible to do so in the first place, of course¡­

    Well, optimized builds were a secondary concern, what matters most was that [World Class Items] protects against others of its kind. So, despite his discomfort at the idea of improper builds, he would still need to hand them out to the NPCs that are running out and about of Nazarick.

    As for who was to be left as bait¡­.

    Definitely not Pandora''s Actor. Thanks to his tactical abilities, he could unleash the power of any assigned [World Class Item]¡­ [Longinus]! Re-adapting to a new lexicon after twelve years of playing YGGDRASIL was a lot harder than just internally repeating a new name a couple of times.

    Right, not Pandora''s Actor because as the best wielder of a myriad of [World Class Items] it''s best to use him as a counter-attack and not as a potential sacrifice. With his flexibility and ability to change form at will, Pandora''s better suited to be a spy, rather than a potential sacrifice.

    Albedo and Shalltear¡­ No, they were currently in a relationship with him, and so Momonga was concerned that such a lack of willingness to protect them would hurt their feelings. Not to mention that he thought it was somewhat odd not to try to protect his girlfriend, or girlfriends? Never mind.

    Certainly not Aura and Mare, Momonga wouldn''t allow the children to be under such great danger.

    And, after brief deliberation, Demiurge, wouldn''t do either. In terms of fighting ability, Demiurge might be the weakest link among all the hundredth level representatives, his fighting ability was inferior even to some of the special area guardians in Nazarick. But, Demiurge possessed unrivaled intelligence and was responsible for organizing Nazarick''s defenses. Losing such a link at a critical moment could mean more than just a problem, but a real loss in a war before the fighting even began.

    In such a case, the choice between the bait would be a choice between Sebas and Cocytus¡­

    Both of them were powerful warriors, together with Albedo, they made up the Triumvirate of specialized Nazarick warriors.

    Albedo, with her defense, defeated Sebas, who dealt constant but low damage, but would lose to Cocytus, who was capable of several extremely powerful burst damaging attacks with high armor penetration. Cocytus won against Albedo, given that her own damage potential was incomparable to other level 100 specialists, but lost to Sebas because Sebas only needed to dodge his extremely strong but single attacks a couple of times while dealing chip damage. And Sebas definitely beat Cocytus by delivering high damage at all times, but he had low armor penetration and was useless against Albedo, who could wear Sebas down and steadily accumulate an advantage in frequent exchanges.

    Momonga pondered once more, deciding between the benefits of one decision or the other. Losing a constant Damage Dealer with less potential burst damage, or losing a Damage Dealer capable of dealing incredible burst damage. Which was more important at the moment?

    Sebas was preparing to go on a mission right now, while Cocytus wouldn''t be able to easily blend in for quite some time. At least not until Momonga had integrated into the local world of the paranormal, and figured out a disguise or identity for him.

    In the end, Momonga''s long deliberation came to an end, it would be Cocytus¡­ When he could think off of a way to introduce him into the paranormal world.

    Besides, why would he need to worry? Everything is at peace right now, slow and steady is the way to go.

    Nodding contentedly as he had come to a decision, Momonga sighed, then shifted his gaze to the clock, as if wondering if it was already time for the demons to reappear with a request for new negotiations. Mockingly, the clock hand moved to a new number, counting down exactly five minutes since Momonga''s musings began.

    Looking at the hand of the clock, Momonga wondered if there was any point in checking himself for the effects of illusions at this point, before sighing and covering his eyes, thinking about what to do next¡­ Before coming to the realization that Momonga hardly knew what he was supposed to be doing at this moment.

    After thinking for a little more time, Momonga got up from his bed, before glancing through the window at the roadway of this world.

    At least Momonga had a huge theoretical knowledge of YGGDRASIL and knew seven hundred spells, not including special abilities and [Super Tier Magic]. Which meant that he had plenty of things to research on through practical experiments. Who knows how his spells would turn out now¡­

    Though, Momonga was really curious why the Demons suddenly decided to cut negotiations short. Was it a negotiating tactic? Was the point of leaving early to make Momonga anxious, or something? Or did they accomplish their goal simply by meeting with Momonga face to face?

    Well, he would probably never know¡­

 The new Three-Sided War (3)

    The battle with Lucifer could not even be called a battle. It was not like an exchange of blows and tactical maneuvers, even if one opponent was much stronger than the other. The only thing one could call such was the word ''massacre''.

    Azazel never let false arrogance cloud his mind, among the hundreds of religions, pantheons, and mythologies, there were a thousand opponents far superior to Azazel. Not only in terms of brute strength, but also in terms of understanding magic or as an artificer. His Pops, for example, displayed all three aspects to its utmost, too bad He''s dead.

    But, even while retaining an understanding of such things, Azazel couldn''t help but be the least bit proud of himself.

    After all, even if there were gods and dragons far more powerful than him, he was still the Governor General of Grigori, the most powerful among all the Fallen Angels. A person with a magnitude of historical proportions, capable of single-handedly destroying nations and changing all of human history. Even if he is not at the peak of power, available only to a few at all times, he was still not at the bottom of the hierarchical ladder either, but stood quite high, above many. An unattainable peak for almost all those initiated into the mysteries of this world, whether they were Fallen, mages or anyone else.

    In other words, Azazel couldn''t be completely powerless, could he? It was, in other words, a simple delusion.

    A delusion that had existed in his mind for millennia, yet could not hold on for even a second during his encounter with Sirzechs.

    The combat form of Azazel''s artificial [Sacred Gear], which should have given him combat abilities superior to any Cadre, might as well be paper mache for the Lucifer. Who, in a matter of seconds, dismantled Azazel''s sublime and repeatedly modified personal defenses, tearing apart one piece of armor after another.

    Fortified as Azazel''s personal bunker, his office was reduced to rubble in moments, and the dozens of scurrying occupants of his office were reduced to nothing before they could even notice Lucifer''s arrival in the territory of the Fallen. And if he were just as immobile, it would''ve been a fate shared by him.

    All of Azazel''s fighting skills and abilities, all of his artifacts that were designed to exploit the weaknesses of potential opponents, to approach from an unexpected angle, to inflict maximum damage on his enemy, proved useless. Lucifer, maddened with rage and pain, didn''t even notice the clever traps and skillful artifacts that were simply brushed off before they could even activate and attack the Crimson Satan.

    Kokabiel, demonstrating his strength and combat experience, held up quite well, as in, he isn''t dead yet, not that he''s actually doing any damage.

    Kokabiel''s attacks barely reached the rippling and churning [Form of Destruction] in front of him. And even when they did, to call it even a ''scratch'' would be to pay a huge compliment to Kokabiel.

    Complimenting Kokabiel, however, was something Azazel didn''t want to do at the moment. In fact, if they were to survive this, if there''s even any Fallen left, Azazel would make sure that Kokabiel died horribly.

    Lucifer''s [Sphere of Destruction], thrown as if on cue, sheared off one of Kokabiel''s arms. And the maniac, rather than crying out in pain, simply smiled, as if losing an arm was the best drug. Perhaps it was out of adrenaline, but Kokabiel fought even harder after losing his arm, but Azazel didn''t give a damn about Kokabiel''s fate or whether or not he liked the current situation.

    He has more things to worry about. Like the red beam of death currently heading his way, and his defenses just got ripped apart.

    The [Beam of Destruction] ate through Azazel''s body, tearing out a chunk of his flesh and slicing off another part of his artificial [Sacred Gear]. Fafnir''s howl of pain echoed in Azazel''s head, but Azazel was simply happy that he survived, as he dodged the worst of it.

    The maddening energy of destruction didn''t stop even with its target no longer in the way, continuing on to devastate whatever it is behind Azazel''s back. Buildings, alleys, plants, and people, all were erased from existence.

    A siren sounded somewhere, screams erupted somewhere else, and Fallen Angels gave and received orders in panic desperate to survive even another second, but Azazel paid absolutely no attention to it. Every moment now might be his last, death could come at any moment, and every moment he still breathes was a small miracle that Azazel would remember for the rest of his life.

    It probably won''t be that hard, since Azazel didn''t foresee any way for him to love longer than ten seconds more in this battle.

    There were no thoughts of the dead, of giving orders, or controlling anything else in his mind. At the moment, the powerful mind of a scientist accustomed to analyzing hundreds of parameters in an instant was using every bit of its power on surviving the ongoing battle.

    A [Wave of Destruction] erupted from the Satan, forcing Azazel to use his reserves of strength to try to defend himself against imminent doom once again. But it was just barely enough. It was as if he had taken a bath in lava, his whole body hissing in a hundred places all at once, as if his body was being consumed by acid. Fafnir''s furious howls filled Azazel''s ears once again as his [Sacred Gear] started to melt in places.

    His mind worked at a furious pace, to try to find a way to survive, but it was all to no avail. Azazel saw no chance of victory. For that would be the only parameter for victory, survival, and Azazel sees no way to achieve that.

    No matter how much his mind tried to analyze one option after another, it was all useless. All the avenues of attack and retreat that Azazel saw were made moot by the insane power and fury of the Lucifer, who wanted nothing more than to make the Fallen a thing of the past.

    Nothing would do for the Lucifer, other than the total genocide of the Fallen. Today, the three Biblical Factions would become two.

    Another attack flashed, something akin to a roaring, bubbling torrent. It passed over Azazel''s head, making his flesh foam with pain, but Azazel could not afford the petty need to scream in pain, no levity to distract himself from his enemy even for a second. Every second was a precious miracle, losing an eye to gain it was a bargain.

    Kokabiel would clearly have laughed at him if he could, but the Lucifer had already stripped his opponent of half his wings and both arms. Just one step away from ending the cause of the death of all the Fallen. Azazel might even have congratulated Lucifer for such an action¡­ If not, after the death of Kokabiel, Lucifer wouldn''t turn his attention to Azazel and the rest of the Fallen. The ones that are left anyway.

    It burned his pride that the Fallen were brought to such a brink of annihilation from the careless strikes of the Lucifer, not even aimed at them. But now was not the time to worry about that.

    The cogs of his mind were grinding against each other, desperately trying to find a chance, a straw for Azazel to grasp at, but they brought only understanding in return. Lucifer could not be stopped in any way, the Fallen were doomed¡­

    "[Divide]!" A colorless wave of light seemed to travel through space itself, passing by the fighting Cadres, heading towards the Lucifer, the target of the attack.

    Azazel''s mind instantly deduced the identity of the attacker, without even needing to turn, Azazel was well aware of exactly who had appeared at the darkest moment of the entire Fallen faction''s existence. Not that there were many bearers of the [Divine Dividing] in the world at all.

    Vali, his adopted son, who had just broken Azazel''s order to stay away and out of the sight of the Fallen, not because he wanted to hide him per se. But simply because his adopted son was just as much of a battle nut as Kokabiel, Vali loved to pick fights. Even so, he remained Azazel''s trump card for the darkest occasion¡­ Which has now arrived, so perhaps he wouldn''t chide Vali too badly.

    Had Azazel been able to, he would have sent a distress signal to Vali, but Lucifer''s attacks had happened too fast, leaving Azazel no way to contact his adopted son. Fortunately, this time Vali''s stubbornness and disregard for orders played into Azazel''s hands. Seeing the destruction wrought by the Lucifer''s power caused by his appearance, Vali headed into the thick of the battle, oblivious to Azazel''s own thoughts.

    But even the appearance of a [Longinus] wielder at this moment did not guarantee Azazel jack shit.

    The draconic wings behind Vali''s back, his [Sacred Gear''s] armament, instantly glowed with the brightest light, so much so that the blue tinge of those wings was no longer visible. The armor covering his body flared with scalding fire for a brief moment before beginning to be covered in a widening web of cracks. The first words that escaped from Vali''s throat as he emerged were not his usual boastful mockery, but a strangled croak of pain and confusion.

    Vali''s [Divine Dividing], one of the [Longinuses], could be considered the trump card of trump cards. An ability that could halve the strength of any opponent with a single action and transfer the absorbed strength to Vali himself, strengthening his own abilities.

    Given Vali''s own power, that meant that most enemies would fall before they could do anything, losing all their power before being struck down by the empowered Vali.

    But the Lucifer was nowhere close to being compared to ''most''.

    Having lost half of his incredible power, Lucifer looked up at Vali, not at all looking weakened. Or at least that''s how Azazel interpreted the next actions of the seething figure woven from torrents of destruction and demonic power. Throwing another wave of Destruction in all directions, which Azazel barely defended himself against by sacrificing a pair of his wings.

    Whether Kokabiel had survived such an attack, Azazel didn''t know, and he didn''t care.

    But the scream, so different from Vali''s usual confident voice that almost sounded like a panicked shriek, cut into Azazel''s heart. Under normal circumstances, half of the opponent''s strength absorbed by the [Divine Dividing] would ensure Vali''s almost one hundred percent, complete victory.

    But the strength of those that stand as the strongest, defies all expectations.

    Attempting to absorb half of Lucifer''s power, Vali had bitten more than he could chew, he had tried to absorb too much. He was quickly punished for it as his armor began to crack, with a tortuous amount of pain being sent to Vali. It was not because his [Longinus] couldn''t absorb that much power, but because Vali''s body couldn''t handle that level, couldn''t hold even half of Lucifer''s power within it.

    And to credit his stubbornness, even when faced with such pain, Vali tried to hold on by ejecting the excess power through his wings. Sadly, such an action simply painted a larger target on Vali, especially when the Lucifer, in his bestial rage, discovered the fact that half of his reserves of power had vanished into nothing. And Vali, the reason for such a thing, froze for a moment, an unforgivable sin for a warrior in a battlefield. But then, when facing the enraged Lucifer, Vali had gained more than he bargained for.

    Vali didn''t even have time to scream in pain before the Lucifer was upon him.

    Lucifer''s blow instantly tore the armor of the [Divine Dividing] on Vali''s body, completely overpowering ''Albion''s best host for the last thousand years''. The blow threw him away like a tattered rag, and even Azazel''s mind could not determine Vali''s condition after the blow.

    Vali''s intervention was not fruitless, however. Lucifer had lost half of his strength.

    Was it now possible to defeat Lucifer?

    No. Absolutely not. Not even close.

    But Vali''s intervention had given Azazel an opportunity, an opportunity to throw off the maddened Lucifer and escape. If successful, it would allow him to take control of the remnants of the Fallen, and the Fallen needed him the most now. They had turned from a respectable faction with a society of their own, into a hunted game, who would be extinct without strong leadership. If not by the Lucifer, then by the other Devils that would soon follow in his wake.

    Gritting his teeth, Azazel once again cursed Kokabiel as he glanced at the Lucifer, then felt the sprouts of determination break through his torn flesh, fatigue, and mangled armor.

    Whatever it took¡­ He would not let the fallen die without a fight!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    It didn''t take long to mop up the main group of Fallen within the Gremory lands, not for the top class Devils who could wipe out an entire army of them in a couple of skirmishes. Of course, after the whole-scale slaughter of the larger groups of Fallen, what remained needed to be taken care of more carefully. Even if they are easy to kill, the fact is, large-scale attacks were a poor weapon when used where a large population of Devil civilians resided.

    The process has become much more precise and, by consequence, slow. The eradication of the rest of the scattered Fallen will take a few more days at least. But, that was a trivial matter, lone Fallen Angels did not represent a significant problem for the local self-defense forces.

    It was not a matter of concern to the gathered highest echelons of the Devils, gathered for an emergency war council.

    The outcome of the fallen attack was painful for the Gremory Manor, but nothing more. The Fallen took full advantage of a surprise attack, using their strongest member to break through the defenses of the Gremory Manor. The guards and defenses, significantly relaxed by the years of peace, had been cut down by the attack. But, due to the fact that the attackers were focused on breaching the Gremory Manor, the damage done to the civilians was quite modest.

    Well modest when taken in the grand sense of things, to the normal populace a four hundred casualty would still be horrifying. To the veterans of the Great War however, when compared to the number of Fallen that died in the attack, with a Cadre leading the attack, four hundred dead was not too impressive a figure. Which, however, did not at all detract from the raging anger of the Devils gathered for the war council.

    The worst of the casualties however was the death of Zeoticus Gremory.

    Zeoticus was one of the most senior Devils, not to mention a very influential Devil in his own right. With hundreds of years of experience and skill under his belt, an excellent administrator possessing widespread political influence among the Devils. The loss of such a figure would have a significant impact on the entire Devil community, not to mention in the Gremory''s territories.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    But more importantly, Zeoticus was Sirzechs'' father.

    Zeoticus'' resurrection was not impossible in theory, there were miracles too far outside the conventional understanding of ''possible'' to deny such an option, but none of the options the Devils could imagine could bring him back to life. [Evil Pieces] could not be used on Devils, [Phoenix Tears] required their target to still be alive, even if in the broadest interpretation of the word. And perhaps only Mephistopheles could know something about the appropriate magic, but to get to him at the moment was not possible in short order, the old recluse was too unsociable.

    Which in turn meant that Zeoticus was dead for good.

    Grayfia had refused to participate in the war council, and Ajuka didn''t blame her at all for that, right now she was off as emotional support for Venelana and Milicas with Sirzechs busy venting his anger. If it wasn''t for her family needing her, Grayfia would have already followed Sirzechs into the territory of the Fallen, if that was still around. Ajuka knows full well just how scary his best friend could get.

    The situation right now was nothing short of absolute chaos.

    Right now, Sirzechs was destroying the Fallen, Ajuka had no doubt that he was doing so successfully and without much resistance in his way. A decision that was completely understandable to Ajuka. Sirzechs had always been close to his entire family, and the death of his father was one of the few things that could instantly tear away his mask of smiling good-naturedness, revealing the incarnation of Destruction beneath.

    The only question that remained, was what exactly Ajuka, and all the Devils, were supposed to do with that fact.

    Ajuka''s gaze traveled instantly to Serafall, who was now without her usual expression of goofiness, returning to herself from the Great War. Falbium, to anyone who knew of the lazy Demon Lord, they would be surprised with just how active and serious the war master was taking the situation. Right now, he was tensely exchanging glances with the others at the meeting at the moment, hesitant to voice the topic that right now was clearly occupying their minds.

    ''What to do next?''

    Right now Sirzechs was destroying the Fallen, that was without question, but the three other Satans didn''t know exactly how they were supposed to respond. The attack on the Gremory''s had been conducted by Kokabiel, according to Serafall''s reports. Kokabiel was one of the leaders of Grigori''s inner faction, a Cadre, the most fanatical, insane, and militaristic of them.

    Considering, however, that Azazel was clearly eager to sign a peace treaty between the Three Factions, it didn''t take a genius to put two and two together, the attack was orchestrated in spite of Azazel''s intent. The only problem was that the situation absolutely did not lend itself to a simple solution like ''talk and explain any misunderstandings''.

    Four hundred dead Devils, including Sirzechs'' father, a head of the 41 Pillar clans, makes any negotiations moot. If not for that, what Sirzechs was probably doing right now, would make any negotiations impossible. Possibly because there aren''t any more Fallen to negotiate with, and quite possibly because Sirzechs had started his rampage with Azazel himself, completely disregarding Grigori''s internal intrigues.

    And so¡­ Should the other Satans interfere? And even if so, for which side?

    Well, that was perhaps the wrong thing to ask, Sirzechs absolutely did not need the help of the other Satans to destroy all the Fallen. The help of the other Satans however, would limit any unexpected factor from interfering and make sure that nothing happens, even if it was Sirzechs they were talking about. The question would be whether they should help the Fallen.

    The stupidity of Kokabiel''s aside, they''re tentative allies from any outside factions, having the Fallen around should any outside faction attack the Devils could prove to be helpful. Especially now that they''re at the brink of extinction, the Devils could reap a great reward should they lend a helping hand now. But of course, that would mean stopping Sirzechs.

    In a normal circumstance, the normally gentle Devil would be easy to convince, but, in addition, to his normally gentle nature, Sirzechs'' wrath is something to fear. A lesson many Devils learned when the Old Stan faction accidentally killed one of his students and drew him into the Devil Civil War.

    Perhaps if Ajuka used all of his strength and intelligence, his [Kankara Formula], and enlisted Falbium, Serafall, Grayfia, and a couple of other powerful Devils like Tannin and Diehauser Belial, they might stand a chance. But of course, the first thing to do if Ajuka planned on that course of action, was to convince the other Devils in the first place.

    After all, the Fallen had attacked Sirzechs'' family and his holdings. Even if it was not ordered by Azazel, the attack could not simply be ignored without any retaliation or blood being repaid. No Devil would forgive the signing of a peace treaty between the Devils and the Fallen Angels, after such an event, without so.

    Ajuka thought about it for a moment, but Serafall, the Devil in charge of foreign policy and diplomacy, responded to his thought before he could even speak it. "Such an attack would cause not only anger at the Fallen, but would cause a huge militaristic shift in Devil society. The signing of a peace treaty with the angels at this point would be hard to accomplish, even if one made sure to destroy the Fallen."

    The genocide of an entire faction was already not a happy thought in the mind of Ajuka, who had come to power thanks to his confrontation with the Old Satans. The new Satans had risen to their position, promising to get rid of the old image of the Devils as a warlike evil creature and to establish a dialogue with the other factions. And here they are relegating the Fallen to a genocide, something that Ajuka disagreed with.

    Not only is such a thing tasteless, it was also pointless.

    Ajuka waited a few more seconds before looking at the other Devils around him, who had come to the same conclusion as he had, and shook his head. "Alright, I''ll¡­ I''ll follow Sirzechs'' lead."

    Serafall and Falbium would have been happy to share Ajuka''s burden, and follow him into battle. But Sirzechs possessed an incredible level of power, and in the frenzy of rage that consumed him at the moment, would be completely oblivious to his surroundings. No one but Ajuka would be able to withstand his wrath.

    Rising from his seat in an atmosphere that had not been that cheerful in the first place, and after his decision had turned more somber than a funeral, Ajuka exhaled before leaving the room in a steady, forceful stride.

    The attack, the madness of Sirzechs, the death of the Fallen, the death of the truce¡­

    It all danced through Ajuka''s mind, and a terrible feeling suffused his being. It was dread.

    Perhaps it was simply his mind trying to occupy itself and conjuring dark images as Ajuka marched to do something he found distasteful, but his instincts were screaming a warning at him. It would not end here.

    No, someone was behind the attack, and it was neither Kokabiel nor Azazel.

    Sighing, Ajuka shook his head, clearing his head of these thoughts before focusing on his own magic, preparing to create a portal.

    But if this was indeed a part of someone''s sinister plot¡­ Then Ajuka would give anything to reach his own hands around this puppeteer, and break his neck.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga silently rubbed his neck, as he prepared his next spell, like he has been doing for the past hour. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, he hasn''t found any problem with his spells, there were simply too many of them, and he''s supposed to test all of them, all seven hundred and eighteen of them.

    Just trying to remember which spell he had used and which one he hadn''t, since there''s no longer a UI that would tell him, would give anyone a stiff neck. Especially when he has an audience that he doesn''t want to disappoint.

    At least this time it''s not about acting that he had some great plan or something, it still felt uncomfortable though.

    Momonga couldn''t help but cast a surreptitious glance at the four pairs of eyes watching him at once, only to see them pick the slightest bit of his attention immediately. They perked up, and their eyes lit up with happiness, as their attention seemed to drill at him with their devoted gaze, as if wordlessly begging him to give them orders.

    Momonga, however, was forced to look away immediately when confronted with such passionate gazes, pretending that he was immersed in his own important thoughts right now and had no intention of giving orders to his watchers.

    Momonga''s plan of action was simple and clear after the aborted negotiations with the Demons. If he could not help his subordinates directly in any way, then the least he could do was not interfere with their activities. And the best that he could right now was to provide them with information that could not be wrong. If this information turned out to be useful, even a little, then Momonga would consider his mission a hundred percent accomplished.

    So Momonga decided to gather information in the easiest way he could, a personal test of his own spells and abilities. And given that Momonga had no other major testing ground besides Nazarick, he naturally returned to the Great Tomb for that test. Given, however, that he needed targets, and for some magic, those targets had to be living, be a specific material, and other special characteristics. Momonga turned to the Floor Guardians to find those suitable targets from among Nazarick''s ever-generating POP-monsters of level thirty and below.

    With Shalltear and Demiurge busy on Earth at the moment, Momonga chose the Sixth Floor for his experiments, especially since both he and the Demiurge had already used it for experiments before. So when Momonga arrived at the floor and met Aura and Mare, he instantly had all the help he required in the form of two Dragonkins, who were now busy bringing in new monsters and cleaning up the viscera.

    But unexpectedly for Momonga, Aura and Mare also followed after him and were sitting on the lower levels of the Amphitheater right now, watching his boring monotonous experiments with a mesmerized gaze. It was as if they had never seen anything more amazing in their lives, even though Momonga was currently using spells no higher than [Tier Five] in order to ration his mana for the most experiments possible.

    ''I understand why the Dragonkins are here, after all Aura and Mare sent them to work as my servants, but why are Aura and Mare here!'' Momonga sighed in his head.

    ''Okay, I can understand Aura, she is an active, precocious child, and she can surely get bored just sitting in Nazarick and there''s some measure of entertainment seeing things blow up, but even Mare''s here! He is usually more shy and withdrawn, why would he also come to watch me practicing weak spells, when he is a mage himself!? Aura, I can still somewhat understand, that even if these spells are weak, it''s still some ability that she can''t use and therefore something relatively new to her. Mare is a hundredth level druid, most of the spells I''m using at the moment are child''s play to him. Why then is he watching me so intently, as if he''s seeing something incredible! I can''t take this stress!''

    Momonga''s suppression of his emotions worked like clockwork, relieving him of his excess stress, but sadly not all of them, it still allowed him to coldly reason to a simple conclusion. He should just keep using weak spells, and they would eventually get bored and leave.

    ''Right, let them observe the experiments. I didn''t ask them to follow, so there should be no problem if they want to leave, and so if they want to leave due to boredom, they are free to do so. Besides, children get easily bored, right? So this shouldn''t take long.''

    Having come to this simple conclusion, Momonga turned back to his experiments, using spell after spell on training targets and low-level monsters, testing his magic spells.

    Most of Momonga''s spells remained the same, or changed so slightly that Momonga couldn''t notice after being transported to the new world, but some spells did change, not so much in their effect, but in their implementation. For example, when he had tested [Grasp Heart] again just to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating when he faced those dragons, it had indeed now created a copy of the target''s heart in Momonga''s hand. The spell effect would only take place after Momonga crushed the heart, rather than the almost instantaneous effect it had in YGGDRASIL.

    After experimenting a bit with this fact, Momonga found that in addition to just crushing the opponent''s heart, he could also squeeze it, causing the target to react. Gasping for breath if pressed lightly and in pain if pressed hard, he could then cancel the spell without performing its effect. He still needed to spend the required mana to activate it, though.

    Another spell that surprised Momonga by its changed effect was [Create Greater Item]. In YGGDRASIL, the magic was usually used to create miscellaneous items like levers or torches, if the player needed them and didn''t want to bother with the proper consumables. Its other, more often used, function was to create household items for a base.

    It was generally considered a fairly useless spell, since items created in this way still required mana to maintain, which was a fairly inefficient expenditure for mages, it couldn''t create consumables or create magic items. In other words, in YGGDRASIL, the magic was extremely niche, given that a game dedicated to battles and quests could only provide a limited number of uses for such magic without making it overpowered.

    However, in the new world, with it changing Momonga''s abilities and losing the limiting vision of the developers of Yggdrasil, the applications of this magic became virtually limitless. Momonga could use it to create any object, as long as it didn''t have magic, is not living, not edible, or was made with a special material specific to YGGDRASIL.

    On the other hand, the boundaries regarding the abilities of this spell were rather blurred.

    For example, Momonga could create iron ore similarly to those that existed in YGGDRASIL, the lowest-level material suitable for creating objects. But the ore could not be made into anything else. Attempting to smelt the ore, it would first resist the high temperatures, beyond that of the melting point of Iron Ore, for a very long time, after which it would simply turn into mana.

    The spell could only be used to create finished objects, and not as a source of infinite materials.

    However, aside from those two spells and maybe a couple dozen others, the other spells behaved pretty much the same way as it did in YGGDRASIL, which was more of a positive result than not. Finding out that his magic had changed its way of working in the middle of a battle was not something any player in YGGDRASIL wanted to find out.

    The only problem was that Momonga wasn''t sure if his spell was operating normally because they were indeed unchanged, or it was unchanged because he was using it on YGGDRASIL creatures. After all, it was logical to assume that beings of the new world with special abilities not found in YGGDRASIL and with races not found in Yggdrasil could interact with its magic differently.

    But, sadly, such a test of information required an approach far more scientific and deliberate than Momonga could offer. As well as numerous test subjects and a long testing period, something Nazarick didn''t have at the moment. Maybe, in the future, after Demiurge had gotten free time back in his hands, Momonga could pitch the idea to him.

    But until then, all he could do was rely on the fact that the results he got wouldn''t be too different from the results that Demiurge would later get. He could at least somewhat eliminate one factor that needed testing, by using his spells on the MOB.

    "And yet without testing these abilities on creatures outside Nazarick, the results of such tests will be of little value¡­" Momonga spoke softly to himself, but the hearing of the hundred-level [Ranger], Aura, was not to be underestimated, and so she instantly responded to the perceived order with childlike enthusiasm.

    "Lord Momonga, I am fully capable! Just say the word and I will bring you a thousand¡­ No, a hundred thousand captured prisoners from any world!"

    Aura smiled and puffed out her chest, as she sensed an opportunity to be useful, but Momonga was quick to stop her before her actions could affect Nazarick in any unpredictable way. He, of course, did his best to calm himself after the immediate image of a coalition of hundredth level denizens of the New World, or even beyond that, marching on Nazarick.

    "Not now, Aura. Our knowledge of the world around us is very limited, so kidnapping numerous people would be difficult to disguise, and Shalltear is already in the process of establishing control over the shadow world of Kyoto¡­ One of the cities where we can gain access to many people for future experiments."

    "Shalltear, huh¡­" Hearing Shalltear''s name being spoken, Aura''s face changed to a strange mixture of irritation and a slight note of worry. It was as if Aura had already foreseen Shalltear facing future problems, and, wanting to remark on her next failure, couldn''t help but worry about her misguided colleague, at least a little.

    Mare, sensing her sister''s change of mood, decided to change the subject quickly, and hesitantly raised his voice, "Speaking of which¡­ L-Lord Demiurge has already delivered one of those disgusting, vile traitors¡­" Mare''s usually shy voice suddenly turned biting, cold and vicious as he spoke the last word. It lost its usual uncertain tilt for a moment, turning into an angry, venomous remark, but when Aura glared at him with one raised eyebrow, he instantly corrected himself and returned to his usual manner of speaking,

    "I m-mean, one of the fallen angels is in N-nazarick¡­ L-Lord Momonga, do you want to use him for your experiments?"

    "Demiurge did?" Momonga thought for a moment, one Fallen Angel from this world must be just a drop in the bucket. He had heard, or read somewhere, that it was a third of the Angels that had fallen with Lucifer, there must be a lot of them.

    Momonga could at best use the Fallen for a couple of spells, but it was better than nothing at all¡­

    However, even before making that decision, Momonga needed to make sure that his experiments would not interfere with the Demiurge''s plan. "Mare, has the Demiurge told you what he plans to do with this fallen?"

    "K-kill it later, L-Lord Momonga." Mare answered honestly, as far as he knew of the plan that Demiurge was executing, planning to blame the disloyal fallen who had dared to reject Lord Momonga''s mercy and run away. The plan was to make him a scapegoat for the Fallen Angel''s attacks on the demons, and the subsequent Demon retaliation on the Fallen. It was supposed to provide its head as a gesture of goodwill to the demons.

    But there was nothing stopping one of those unnatural creatures who had rejected not only Lord Momonga''s favor, but even his incredible kindness and forgiveness, from suffering a little before dying, for the sake of an experiment, right? At least that''s what Mare''s surprisingly angry inner voice told him.

    ''Hmm, it is odd that Demiurge chose a Fallen to bring to Nazarick, however I don''t think I should ponder that too much. It could very well be a random Fallen who crossed Demiurge''s path. After all, he was right in the middle of controlling finances, it''s logical that in that case he could have encountered serious opposition, including from paranormal beings, and it''s logical that he chose to deal with it swiftly.''

    Brought up and raised in the morals of humanity''s distant dystopian future, Momonga didn''t see any harm in the idea of the Demiurge ''dealing'' with a business rival by making them ''disappear''. It was a simple and common tactic, after all. So Momonga just nodded favorably,

    "Well, Mare, I guess in that case we can take the chance and do a little experiment with a Fallen Angel!"

    Momonga wondered for a moment what exactly the spells he could experiment with the Fallen. But he dispelled the thought.

    This was just a small experiment with a Fallen Angel, could it lead to anything significant?

 The new Three-Sided War (4)

    Dohnaseek swallowed a thick glob of saliva as he stared at the back of the creature moving in front of him, trying his best to think of a way out of his current predicament. Unfortunately, no matter how hard Dohnaseek tries to think, he sees no way to escape.

    Dohnaseek was not a moralist nor is he a pacifist, if he were, he would not have survived in the world of the paranormal, not to mention doing quite well among the ranks of the Fallen Angels¡­ That is, ''not bad'' relative to his rather insignificant level of power, being nothing more than a two-winged Fallen Angel.

    He did not own palaces, nor command personal armies. But the fact that Dohnaseek had enough money to dine out quite often, and could buy branded suits occasionally, spoke to the fact that Dohnaseek was the kind of man who interpreted both the laws and the rules of morality within fairly wide tolerances.

    So when he learned that the Father, the Biblical God, had returned to earth, he, understandably so, had fallen into panicked despair. Too few of the things he had done in his life correlated with the Biblical Commandments. And even those things that did were usually done either by accident or under the influence of altered consciousness, and not always by alcohol.

    What Dohnaseek didn''t expect, however, was that the Lord who had returned centuries later after His supposed death, would turn out to be a completely different Lord than what Dohnaseek had remembered.

    Dohnaseek had only met Father once in the past, and that was at the moment of his creation, after which he had immediately found himself embroiled in a seemingly endless war. It was there that he had lost his white wings. However, unlike many other angels who had fallen under the influence of battle madness, Dohnaseek had left his sacred mission a little earlier. He had refused to go on a suicidal charge, defying his Father''s will.

    He had left that battle, flapping blackened wings, but he was simply glad that he was alive enough to be able to use those blackened wings. A thousand and one excuses were thought of by Dohnaseek to explain why his wings had changed, and why he had betrayed his Father and fellow Angel so badly¡­

    Who knew that history would repeat itself? His wings, sadly, remained blackened by the sin of his cowardice and treachery.

    The demon''s appearance, along with the still living and somehow now four-winged Raynare, was the first blow to Dohnaseek''s psyche. The news of Father''s return was the second. And the order from that Father''s summoned Devil, Demiurge, who had immediately begun to impose new rules, was the third.

    Father did many things, definitely formidable and in some ways terrible, but always with meaning and reason behind them. In his formidability one could see a strict love for his children, and even when that strictness took the form of a blow, it was always a blow of mercy.

    But the Devil''s actions were far from that.

    He didn''t hide how he reveled in suffering, at how he looked at the people who had once been Raynare''s subordinates as expendable, mindless cattle. Their continued life, needed only as draft animals to turn the gears of his grandiose plans.

    Father has changed, as blasphemous a thought that was, but it''s not like he could Fall twice.

    No one knew definitively what happened to the Gods after their death and return, there were too few examples of such a miracle happening. And, those who could tell what had happened were not friendly enough to tell others, since for most, their cause of death were the other factions in the first place.

    So Dohnaseek did not know whether something had happened to Father since his death, or whether his return had revealed a new facet of his personality to the world. But, Dohnaseek knew for certain that what was happening now, what was happening with Father''s permission and connivance, was not something He would normally do.

    Dohnaseek had no doubt that the Father of the past would do His everything to halt the Apocalypse, not harken their arrival.

    Was Dohnaseek then supposed to now be in the business of saving the world from an already appointed apocalypse?

    Maybe so, if just by circumstance, but in this case, Dohnaseek wished to simply escape Father''s presence, as impossible as that might sound.

    Kalawarner and Mittelt may have adapted well enough to the current circumstances to not wanting to join Dohnaseek''s most likely doomed plan, but Dohnaseek himself could not afford to be so calm. If Father was now allowing Devils to satisfy their basest urges on humans, who knew if his Commandments had changed?

    Has Father lost his Mercy?

    Dohnaseek didn''t want to find out, on another random day, that He had decided to teach his Fallen children a lesson after all. Dohnaseek was too attached to his own life to risk that.

    The ironic thing was that Dohnaseek, in his desperate need to preserve his own life, had made sure that he would lose it. He was glad to be out of the limelight, a way from the sight of Father and the machination of the Devil, Demiurge. So, when he was appointed as a simple guarantor, acting as the supposed ''third'' party for Father''s and the Devils'' negotiations, realizing just how dangerous such a position would be, he began hatching his plan to escape.

    Before Dohnaseek could even parse the impossibility of such a thing, a creature which had been hiding in his shadow had suddenly grabbed him. It had taken him to a place whose cold felt as if it was freezing his very soul.

    As far as Dohnaseek himself could tell, he had just been dumped in Cocytus, the ninth circle of hell¡­

    That is, Dohnaseek, who did not want to become an example because of his past betrayal of Father, was right now moving towards becoming an example because of Father''s betrayal. Fate clearly had its own wicked sense of humor¡­ Or was it not Fate, but Father who possessed [Omniscience] had made it happen? Dohnaseek didn''t know, and frankly, he didn''t have the presence of mind to care about such a trivial thing.

    Before Dohnaseek could even internalize the fact that his future looked extremely bleak, he was pushed out of his new prison by a large lizard-like creature. Dohnaseek wanted nothing more than to demand answers from the creature, but the oppressive silence had sucked in all of the fight from his body.

    Dohnaseek didn''t need to think too long or too hard on the subject of why he was in this situation. Father had clearly arrived to judge Dohnaseek, and no matter how hard he wanted to cling to life, what could he do about that fact!?

    An agonizing death likely awaited him for his attempted betrayal¡­

    His single attempt at trying to measure the strength of the lizard behind him to see if he has any chance to escape, ended with him choking any thought of escaping. The creature was too powerful and would surely just catch Dohnaseek in his first attempt to run away¡­ Or maybe even just crush his head outright.

    But what else could Dohnaseek do? Hope that he was able to justify his actions to Father? The core tenets of Christianity, Father''s teachings, were forgiveness and second chances, couldn''t Dohnaseek count on that to save his life?

    And if he couldn''t be forgiven, well¡­ He was going to die anyway, so why not at least try to bargain for his life?

    So after coming to such a conclusion, Dohnaseek finally noticed that he was no longer walking on the blasted frozen wastelands, instead walking on the packed ground of, from what he could see, some kind of Colosseum. Without him noticing, he had moved from the icy caverns of Cocytus into a semblance of some ancient arena under a darkening sky covered in stars¡­

    ''At least I can try to escape if the conversation goes the wrong way, even though I know it''s a futile gesture¡­'' Dohnaseek let out a deep sigh, trying to prepare himself for a dialog with Father. Maybe call out for mercy? Beg for his life? Accuse him of betraying His own tenets that he had once condemned sinners to Hell for?

    Dohnaseek''s mind wrestled with itself, panicked, searching desperately for an answer to a simple question. How would he survive his meeting with Father? All other concerns, a very distant second.

    Up ahead he could see Father and some figure beside Him.

    They were two children, and judging by their clothes, a boy and a girl, judging by their appearance, elves? Where did they come from¡­ He didn''t think long about the matter, as another figure caught Dohnaseek''s eyes.

    Another monstrous creature, similar looking to the one leading Dohnaseek at the moment.

    He tried his best to calm his beating heart, trying to calm his nerves before his feet made its way closer to Father. Or, as he had been calling himself lately, Momonga.

    A plan of action in mind, and his best arguments at the tip of his tongue, Dohnasek opened his mouth to speak.

    "[Grasp Heart]," What came out of his mouth was not the prepared argument, not even a single syllable could be uttered. Instead, globules of blood and a strangled wheeze of pain.

    His whole body is wracked in pain, and Dohnaseek couldn''t even comprehend how that happened.

    He had no time to think, nor did he have time to reveal his prepared verbal defense to Father, crumpling like a puppet whose strings have been cut, his last thoughts being how unfair it all was.

    Much to his regret, he never learned that his fate had been sealed the moment Demiurge learned of his impending escape plan.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Hmm, the spell works as it did before," Momonga sighed contentedly, nodding at Dohnaseek''s crumpled form. He probably should have started with some other magic to test out a larger arsenal of his abilities, but [Grasp Heart] was his favorite attack spell. And that dragon, the Great Red of this world, had ignored the effects of instant death, so Momonga wanted to see if his favorite spell was still effective on the creatures of this world.

    He still needs more testing, of course, but the preliminary result seems promising.

    "Are we done already?" Mare''s voice caused Momonga to turn towards him, catching some semblance of disappointment in the voice, causing Momonga to internally panic for a moment before immediately calming down.

    Logically speaking, it was only natural that Mare wanted to see some more powerful magic performed by Momonga, so he might actually be unhappy that it had ended so quickly and unspectacularly. Not that Momonga had promised spectacle in his experiments, but now that he had an audience, perhaps he should have done something more spectacular!?

    "Lord Momonga is indeed merciful¡­" Mare looked up at Momonga, now sounding impressed, making him inwardly shudder at the pure expression of admiration directed at him. But, considering how Momonga had disappointed Mare a second ago, he''ll take admiration any day¡­ Even if he didn''t exactly understand what was merciful about his actions, that wasn''t really important.

    ''Definitely need to show Mare something more exciting¡­ And for Aura too.'' Momonga glanced at the dark elves'' siblings, before thinking about that thought more.

    ''In order to demonstrate stronger magic, I need a strong target. Nazarick can only freely create monsters of level thirty and below, higher level creatures are either NPCs created by my friends, which of course I won''t fight, or creatures whose repeated summoning would require resources. Most likely irreplaceable ones¡­''

    Momonga thought for a moment before coming up with an ingenious solution.

    ''Right, I haven''t checked my undead summoning abilities yet!''

    "[Create Middle-Tier Undead]!" A moment later, a dark haze appeared next to Momonga''s body, gathering into a black cloud. Before, seemingly having a mind of its own, headed towards the dead body of the Fallen Angel. Descending towards it, the haze spread over the Fallen''s entire body, engulfing him in its smoky embrace.

    The haze seemed to soak into the corpse, making it bleed black viscous slime from its orifices a moment later, the black slime consuming the flesh and changing the body as it goes. A Death Knight soon rose, as the slime receded a moment later, seemingly devouring the Fallen Angel''s body and turning it into the basis for the undead''s existence.

    ''That looked very different in YGGDRASIL!'' Momonga would surely have twitched or gag at both the surprise and the general disturbingness of such a scene, if not for the emotion suppression that had been triggered.

    ''So far, this is one of the most noticeable changes among my abilities!''

    In YGGDRASIL, Momonga''s combat abilities as a battle mage were relatively low. He possessed a vast array of spells, of course, making him able to pick the most advantageous magic at any given time against many opponents or situations, but, his effectiveness as a direct DD was not great. Even Tabula outclassed him in this regard, despite the fact that he himself was not a battle mage at all, let alone a true monster specialized in burst damage like Ulbert.

    However, Momonga''s undead summoning did increase his combat abilities rather substantially. The low-level undead he created had many applications, ranging from being scouts, disarming traps, or even serving as a meat shield with the unique trait the Death Knights possessed. Furthermore, his high-level undead increased his combat potential quite a bit.

    However, the undead in the game had been created in a completely different way in the past.

    And because of this, it was only by suppressing his emotions that Momonga was able to keep from making a strange sound while watching the scene of how his summoning had changed in this new world. Especially when the black slime started engulfing the Fallen Angel. It was a very disgusting looking procedure.

    But whatever he might have felt about the process, there is now a Death Knight silently waiting for Momonga''s orders. And he didn''t know what to do next.

    In the game, Momonga could control his created undead by determining their starting commands when the spell was used.

    Commands like [Support] or [Defense], plus simple macros embedded in their artificial intelligence.

    But in this world, as one would expect, Momonga was not given the ability to do such a thing.

    However, to his shock, the undead creature was already following his unspoken command. That is, to stay nearby and check the functionality of the created undead.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    So, under his attentive gaze, he began experimenting. Sending in mental commands, the Death Knight took a few steps forward, then back, spun in place before dropping to its hands and doing a few push-ups. The action demonstrated that the Death Knight was not only fully functional as a created being, but also able to perform actions that he couldn''t do in YGGDRASIL.

    On a lark, Momonga decided to have some fun. The Death Knight flipped over, standing on its hands, walking a few steps back and forth on those before removing one hand in an acrobatic ¨¦tude designed to charm the audience, leaving it balancing on one hand. Then one by one, it raised its fingers, finally leaving it standing upside down balancing solely on its pinky finger. Then finally, in a display of athletic excellence, the Death Knight pushed off with its pinky finger and completed a somersault, landing on its feet like a gymnast that had just finished their routine.

    Momonga couldn''t state unequivocally, of course, but he was willing to swear that if the Death Knight''s decayed and anger-filled face could emote, he would surely be looking at Momonga at this moment with excited pride. Like a child who had just shown his parents all the tricks he had learned in class, or perhaps like a faithful dog satisfied that it had just performed a trick at its master''s command.

    After dispelling the mental picture of the Death Knight waving his tail, Momonga instantly heard clapping beside him. Turning around, he saw Aura and Mare, as well as the two Draconids clapping, the two elves'' faces full of excitement, watching him and the summoned Death Knight.

    ''Why are they clapping! Did I do something wrong? Isn''t a Death Knight nothing impressive?'' Momonga panicked for a moment, as the suppression of his emotions allowed him to calmly think.

    ''Yes, a Death Knight is a creature of only thirty-fifth level, but let''s not forget that the average human of this world hardly exceeds even level five. A Death Knight, even when only focused on being a shield, is still dozens of times superior to humans even in terms of acrobatics. But I suppose that even acrobatic tricks easily done by trained athletes can still look spectacular. The same principles must have applied here¡­ And Aura and Mare are children.''

    Nodding internally to his musings, Momonga calmed down before frowning slightly internally as the experiment showed him an extremely weak point for his summoning spell.

    ''However, changing the workings of this ability¡­ If my summoning of undead now only works if I have a suitable body at hand, then it will make combat use much more difficult¡­ Let''s try another spell.''

    "[Create Middle-Tier Undead]!" Another black smoke cloud reappeared beside him, but without a dead body around, seemed to freeze in place. Momonga began to fear that the spell had failed, before the black smoke soon began forming into the familiar figure of the Death Knight.

    With an imaginary pop, a Death Knight appeared, identical to the previously summoned Death Knight.

    This in turn made Momonga frown instead. ''Is there really no difference? But the first Death Knight didn''t just absorb the body lying next to me for no reason, did it?''

    Momonga glanced at the two Death Knights in front of him that instantly turned their heads towards him, their posture that of a soldier awaiting their orders, causing Momonga to sigh internally. There would be more work ahead.

    ''Alright, whatever difference exists between them ¨C I''m sure it will come out during further experiments.''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Lucifer was impossible to defeat, that was an immutable fact. There were no conditions that existed where Azazel, or even the rest of the Fallen where they could defeat the Lucifer.

    There were also no conditions that could even be called victory.

    Azazel had used every bit of his strength, every drop of his abilities, his intellect, and all that got him was a lost arm, a leg, an eye, half of his wings and more of the skin on his body. Worst, his [Sacred Gear] was on its last leg, earning him the hatred and curses of Fafnir, but all he had accomplished in his clash with the Lucifer was to make him stop for a moment before launching another attack.

    It hadn''t made the Lucifer stop attacking, much less retreat. He hadn''t even inflicted a single scratch on him, but it had earned him a moment''s hesitation from the Lucifer. A moment''s hesitation, a spark of rational thought to the Lucifer''s all-consuming rage.

    It couldn''t be called a victory, the Lucifer wasn''t hurt, and his attacks weren''t stopped ¨C but a better moment Azazel couldn''t have found under any other circumstances. At least because when the Lucifer had stopped for a moment, Azazel was on his last breath, bleeding out, counting down the moments of his remaining life.

    Azazel simply couldn''t afford to wait, in the next second he could die¡­ He could only bet everything on zero, that the roulette wheel would stop at the green, and trust the invisible gods of luck.

    In case he survived, he should treat them with much more respect in the future.

    In a flash, taking advantage of the Lucifer''s split-second hesitation, Azazel rushed towards Kokabiel, who was himself now barely a mangled piece of meat. The Lucifer, even in the midst of his madness, wanted nothing else but to savor his revenge on the bastard that had rung the death toll for the Fallen.

    Azazel then threw him forward towards Lucifer, hoping to gain half a second in the time it would take Lucifer''s attack to destroy the cadre''s body. He then drove his only remaining hand into the body of his armor, his [Sacred Gear], causing Fafnir to scream in pain. He was going to use his last Trump Card.

    Azazel had not planned to use this ability, but like any worthy artificer, he had left a secret back route in his artifact. Of course, it was a violation of his [Contract] with Fafnir, created in the image of demonic [Contracts], but Azazel was willing to pay a portion of his [Soul] for such an act.

    He didn''t need his powers dead anyway.

    A moment of concentration was all Azazel needed to execute his plan. A moment of concentration that had been allowed with the body of Kokabiel, who was instantly turned to ashes by Lucifer''s power.

    A multitude of cracks ran through his armor, and his artificial [Sacred Gear], his magnum opus, cracked, then quickly crumbled into a thousand tiny shards. As it happened, though, the huge body of a golden dragon appeared out of thin air beside Azazel.

    Fafnir was scarred and emaciated, in many places his scales were fused to his body or torn away entirely, exposing bleeding chunks of muscle, while his very form shuddered with exertion. With each and every breath, it was sending curses at Azazel, but he couldn''t care less.

    The wounds on Fafnir reflected the state of the [Sacred Gear], but Azazel didn''t care. He didn''t even dignify Fafnir with a second glance or even a retort, Azazel lifted his body with his remaining wings to balance on his remaining leg before darting away.

    Fafnir wanted nothing more than to tear him to pieces, but luckily for the fleeing Azazel, the dragon had more things to worry about. The Lucifer, seeing Azazel running away, roared in rage, and started sending beams of Destruction the shortest distance to Azazel. That is, right through Fafnir.

    Indeed, the Lucifer didn''t care at all what kind of opponent in front of his face he would destroy, Fafnir would serve as a worthy distraction, thanks to his draconic strength, he might last a little longer against Lucifer.

    Not much, but enough for Azazel to escape, perhaps even save someone else¡­

    Fafnir howled a mad howl of betrayal, but Lucifer''s blow cut short his furious howl, causing Fafnir to turn his head sharply toward his current foe.

    Azazel ran away, remembering all the gods he could, pleading earnestly that his mad plan would work and Fafnir would buy him at least ten seconds of time.

    The surrounding space rippled, which made Azazel clench his teeth, instantly going through tens and hundreds of thousands of options in his head at how to handle whoever it is that had just teleported into this charnel ground. But, the person that had just appeared, the Beelzebub, only made Azazel curse his luck and the bastard Gods of Luck that must be laughing at him now.

    He immediately stopped trying to flee, trying his best to keep his comical pose of a cripple balancing on one leg as dignified as possible.

    Azazel would be foolish, or insane, to count on the Devils'' mercy at this point, even if the Lucifer was the only one who had fallen into madness after what Kokabiel had done. If the Beelzebub had come to the Lucifer''s aid and decided to destroy the Fallen¡­ Well, in that case, Azazel couldn''t do anything at the moment anyway and could only accept death.

    He''ll at least look dignified doing it!

    Only to have the Satan ignore his existence entirely, content to watch as the Lucifer brutalizes Fafnir. Waiting for a few moments to see if the Beelzebub would change his mind, Azazel continued his escape.

    That bastard probably already knows that the Fallen Angels are already doomed, no matter if he kills Azazel now, or not. Cursing the Satan, Azazel flapped his wings and made his escape, nodding to the Beelzebub as he went away. If nothing else, letting Azazel live is a kindness.

    With his life preserved, he now has the unenviable task of making sure that the Fallen would not die today, if it''s the last thing he did!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Ajuka certainly knew Azazel''s thoughts, not that they were all that hard to figure out. Even if Azazel wanted to do something about it, there was nothing he could do. And even if he were to try and to stop Sirzechs, he had no way of fixing what had happened to the Fallen Angels in any way.

    It was all simply too late.

    Even if the Fallen suddenly decided to not hold any grudges over the massacre done to them by the Devils, it would take centuries for the Fallen to regain even a fraction of their power. Far more likely, the Fallen would never recover from this and would die out in the next few decades, a century at most.

    The Fallen were no longer a threat to the Devil.

    Especially after the Devil had recovered from their long peace and cleaned up their shattered fortifications and neglected guards. Yes, the Fallen still had surviving Cadres, but how many Fallen were left after Sirzechs massacre?

    Ten thousand? A thousand? Only a hundred? All Ajuka saw in the future regarding the Fallen was extinction, if not from Sirzechs right now, then as a result of it.

    An almost pitiful sob from the dragon in the distance, so unfamiliar to those who normally associated the dragons with symbols of might, distracted Ajuka. He saw the scarred body of the huge Fafnir, no more dangerous to Sirzechs than a large stuffed toy, flying desperately to avoid Sirzechs attacks.

    Ajuka''s gaze was momentarily fixed on the golden dragon''s form; he could see that Fafnir''s remaining life span was numbered in seconds, but comparing the facts he knew, Ajuka did not interfere with Sirzechs'' actions. Fafnir was, like almost all other dragons, a loner and a recluse, but still possessing a dragon''s trait; overbearing pride, rage, and more importantly, excellent memory.

    Saving him would only create an unnecessary opponent for the Devils in the future, not to mention having to make Sirzechs stop. Something that Ajuka was completely unwilling to do¡­

    Speaking of the enraged Lucifer himself. It seems that his rage, which had been unleashed, was also beginning to subside. Most likely, after having destroyed Fafnir and finding no more enemies in front of him, he would stop for good. His rampage lasted only a few minutes, in fact, an insignificant period of time, it shows Sirzechs'' great restraint and mercy.

    Who else but Sirzechs would only go on a few minutes of rampage after learning of the death of his closest family members? It''s just that the Fallen Angels were too weak to withstand those minutes'' worth of anger.

    For a Devil with his level of strength, even a second of rage meant incredible consequences that the entire world could feel. A few minutes, and an entire faction was doomed. But Ajuka felt no pity for the Fallen Angels, it''s they, after all, that had fired the first shot.

    Ajuka calmly looked as Sirzechs''s blurry figure, returned to his usual more human form, but a detail caught his eyes, causing him to raise his eyebrows. He had expected Sirzechs to use no more than five percent of his power during his rampage, but as it turns out, his mana supply was down by more than half!

    For a moment, Ajuka considered stopping the now fleeing Azazel and trying to learn his secret, the secret card that had forced Sirzechs to use up half of his available power to neutralize it, before abandoning the plan.

    Any attempt to hold the Fallen back at this point meant that Ajuka would have to wipe out any remaining Fallen completely. Plus, Sirzechs would surely make light of the events that had transpired as he wiped out the Fallen. Even while in absolute rage, Sirzechs would not forget tactics, and information is the basis of that.

    Indeed, there was hardly anyone in the world equal to Sirzechs¡­ In might and in intellect.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Momonga looked at his summoned creatures thoughtfully, trying to internally organize the information he had gained during his experiments about the many summons in his repertoire of skills and abilities. Certainly, all the summoned creatures Momonga had summoned so far possessed the abilities that they had in YGGDRASIL, whether as passive or active abilities. The summoned creatures almost completely copied their essence from YGGDRASIL¡­ Well, almost all.

    Like some spells, some abilities of the summoned creatures did change with Momonga''s arrival in the new world. Mostly the basic abilities were changed, though the effects of those abilities should be more multifaceted, as with some of Momonga''s spells. However, the summoning of creatures couldn''t help but change drastically at its core, with Momonga being summoned to another world.

    The simplest change is their behavior. In YGGDRASIL, summoned creatures could have one of a few simple behaviors that could be further customized with additional macros when summoned, like prioritizing certain abilities. But creatures summoned in this way could not fully mimic human mind, due to the limitations of YGGDRASIL itself, they could not take initiative for example.

    In the new world, however, the summoned beings were fully sentient beings.

    Indeed, the summoned beings even possessed different levels of intelligence and even a character of their own. The summoned first-level skeletons were virtually brainless creatures, able to operate only with simple orders like ''serve'' or ''attack''. While the undead of the elder lich level could maintain dialog on such a level that Momonga were asked about¡­?

    What was it again? Apocrypha, yes, that''s right, a summoned elder lich had asked Momonga about how Nazarick was supposed to treat the Apocrypha. Of course, Momonga had no idea what the word even meant. And so, panicking, Momonga dispelled the summoned elder lich and said that he had tested his ability to dispel summoned creatures¡­

    As Momonga hoped, the observers of his experiments, Aura and Mare, believed his explanation entirely.

    However, having verified that the beings he summoned possessed intelligence independent of Momonga''s actual intelligence, including ones that surpasses his intelligence, which is quite easy actually, Momonga did no further experiment with the intelligence of the summoned beings. But he did determine that the summoned beings possessed different personalities, the skeletons were brainless, the elder liches communicated in dry yet intellectual language, and the summoned vampires mostly used colorful metaphors and many compliments. Usually ones that are focused on his appearance¡­

    Momonga could not determine if there were differences between the individual summoned beings amongst themselves, but such a study would have taken too long. Not that it was possible to do so with the summoned beings.

    And that was only one natural difference between the summoned creatures of this world, the other being their use of equipment. In YGGDRASIL, summoned creatures were limited to the equipment they are summoned with.

    Barring a few unique abilities, summoned creatures were a ready-made template, with armor and weapons already assigned to the creature, and they are unable to activate consumable items. In this world, however, some summoned creatures were able to use certain types of consumable items or use equipment that they could not use in YGGDRASIL.

    Nothing prevented a Death Knight, for example, from picking up a blade given to him and wielding it, with the blade''s effects remaining virtually unchanged in the hands of the mob. A poisoned blade is still poisoned, the damage dealt by a high-level blade was higher than the damage dealt with a standard Death Knight blade, enchanted armor provided an additional increase in stats.

    At the same time, any effects relying on the [Item Box], i.e. the player''s inventory, did not work at all, due to the fact that the summoned mobs did not have their own inventory.

    Likewise, summoned mobs did not gain experience for killing mobs, and they still have class restrictions. Summoned creatures with the warrior class could not use scrolls, and summoned mages could not pick up a sword.

    In other words, in a way, these restrictions partially equalized the position of summoned creatures and full-fledged NPCs, maybe even Players.

    Momonga conducted a long study of the creatures summoned in this way before he stopped. He had collected what information he could, and he needed to further organize it before he continued to investigate more details, otherwise he risked confusing the results¡­

    A moment later, the elder lich next to Momonga dispelled, then another, then a death knight and a corpse collector, the undead summoned by Momonga began to disperse one by one in the order they were summoned. As Momonga noticed from his internal timer, the creatures summoned in this manner existed for the same amount of time as they had in Yggdrasil¡­

    One by one, the creatures under Momonga''s control dispelled before leaving him alone with his watchers¡­

    No, after a moment, ready to end his experiments, Momonga stopped.

    One undead he had summoned had not disappeared in its appointed time. The first, which should have been dispelled long ago.

    Momonga turned his head to the Death Knight, then frowned inwardly for a moment, had he remembered wrong? If not, then what factor had caused such a change!? Had he used some kind of item by accident!

    Before remembering that at the moment of summoning that Death Knight, Momonga had used the body of a slain fallen angel to summon it¡­

    Momonga shifted his gaze to the Death Knight that seemed to have gotten close under Momonga''s gaze before frowning inwardly for a moment¡­ And a crazy idea flashed through his mind.

    If the effect was not an enhanced duration of summoning, but instead permanent summoning¡­

    "Aura, Mare¡­" Slowly Momonga turned his head to the two dark elves who had instantly gotten close when he had uttered their name, and spoke slowly, rolling the words over his tongue,-

    "Demiurge¡­ He didn''t leave any more unwanted people in Nazarick?"

    "Unfortunately, Lord Momonga, we are not aware of such a matter." Aura answered first, causing Momonga to sigh, bleakly. He definitely needed to do some more experiments¡­ Wait, he just needed bodies, right?

    "Hmm, or maybe bodies? Or do you know of any recent major battle sites?" Momonga said, rather to appease his desperate need to continue experimenting, not expecting an answer at all.

    "Lord Momonga, so y-your plan really saw this coming!" Mare''s voice, however, caused Momonga to turn around.

    Mare, who had instantly become the center of attention of all the observers at once, immediately lost his confidence, and stared at the floor in embarrassment.

    "That is¡­ I know that L-Lord Demiurge has recently created such a place¡­" Momonga''s non-existent heart started to beat quicker when he heard that information.

    "In that case¡­ Tell me more about the place where you can get a lot of fresh corpses¡­"

    Momonga could scarcely imagine the possibilities if his summoning could become permanent, just the force multiplier alone!

    Mare, stared at by Momonga''s heated gaze, immediately turned red, almost wilting from the attention. Aura looked at his brother with jealousy, she, too, knows that information! But Mare beat her to the punch.

    Mare, stuck between Momonga and Aura, almost broke down crying.

 The new Three-Sided War (5)

    Fafnir had lasted almost twelve seconds against Lucifer, and perhaps against another opponent, such a remark might have sounded like mockery. To last a ''full'' twelve seconds in a fight sounded mocking to one of the most powerful inhabitants of the paranormal world, but against Sirzechs, there was no mockery in such a remark, only respect.

    Respect that, however, could not change the objective reality before Ajuka''s eyes. Fafnir''s mighty dragon body was torn into pieces by Sirzechs'' attacks, leaving most of his body consisting mostly of only bloody gaps, making the sight as comical as it was horrifying.

    A dragon turned into Swiss cheese.

    Fafnir had lasted a lot longer than most could, but that was the end of Fafnir''s accomplishments. On the thirteenth, unlucky, second of the fight, if it could be called that, a failed dodge had left Fafnir without a head, as it exploded into shards of flesh, brain matter and bones. Viscera that was vaporized a moment later by the force of Sirzechs'' attacks.

    With its head gone, Fafnir''s body shuddered one last time, as if it was reluctant to admit that it was dead, the body still moving in rage even as the brain could no longer command it. But, even a dragon''s great rage could not overturn reality, and so, with one last shudder in an aborted furious scream, Fafnir died.

    Its dead body began to tumble to the side before crashing to the ground with a loud thump, kicking up clouds of dust in the huge crater that was the Grigori''s Governor-General former palace.

    Even with the fight done, Ajuka, however, did not rush immediately to Sirzechs'' side.

    Stopping at the edge of the deep crater, he watched as the seething mass of black and red [Power of Destruction] began to calm down, slowly gathering into a single lump that took on anthropomorphic features. Until, slowly, the churning force of Destruction first gathered into the form of a man, then took the shape of the Lucifer. Then, finally, like a liquid moving in violation of all the laws of physics, it gathered into a single being, and now Sirzechs stood over the form of the defeated Fafnir.

    Despite the fact that he had returned to his normal form, Ajuka decided that it would be a good idea to give Sirzechs some more time to calm down, taking the time instead to observe the surroundings.

    Everywhere Beelzebub looked, the situation looked apocalyptic¡­

    Well, for the Fallen Angels, the situation could definitely be described as such. Deep furrows were dug wherever Sirzechs'' [Power of Destruction] touched, all the buildings were now nothing more than ruins, and the area was littered by the scattered body parts from those fallen that had not been completely vaporized.

    The environment around the two Devils could not be called the result of a battle, but a true massacre. Others would see an indiscriminate and deliberate act of extermination of an entire faction, in fact, a genocide.

    Ajuka knew that this was not the case, Sirzechs was not aiming for such an end, but such destruction was simply an accidental consequence of fighting Sirzechs. It was no more than collateral damage.

    Despite his great anger, Sirzechs was simply aiming for Kokabiel, then Azazel for the bad luck of being in his way, who had almost shared the same fate as Fafnir.

    But well, saying that the Fallen Angel was wiped out because they were too weak to survive being near Sirzechs would not sound better. So what''s the point of quibbling about the fact that Sirzechs was not aiming at the Fallen Angels if they were dead, all the same?

    Now fully assuming his usual human form, Sirzechs, standing over the body of the defeated Fafnir, slowly drew in air, covering his eyes before taking a step back. Now, without the veil of anger and madness covering his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings, seeing the same thing as Ajuka did.

    He could have reacted in many different ways at that moment. He could tell Sirzechs that he wasn''t to blame for what had happened, that the Fallen had attacked first and provoked him into doing this. Or perhaps even seriously suggest that Sirzechs has simply taken part in the Fallen Angels'' planned mass suicide, Ajuka even think that he has a moderately high chance of making it convincing¡­ But such senseless reassurances would not be passing his lips.

    At the very least, not when he was wading knee-deep, figuratively speaking, in the blood and flesh of the Fallen who had all died because of Sirzechs'' pain and rage.

    Besides, Sirzechs wasn''t stupid, he could come to the conclusion that he wasn''t entirely at fault, on his own, unaided. The only problem was that no words could undo what had already happened. The Fallen Angel, as a faction, if not as a species, had been destroyed. The remnants of the faction were now running for their lives, all possible plans for peace between the Three Biblical Factions and a peace treaty between them, might as well be forgotten as a pipe dream.

    It took his friend a long time to take in the great amount of destruction he had caused, and what it would mean for the future. The whole paradigm of the Devil Faction, nay, the entire supernatural world would change because of this. Breathing in and out at a calm, measured pace, Sirzechs closed his eyes.

    And when he opened them, Ajuka could see that he had come to terms with his actions.

    Looking up at Ajuka, with slow, disobedient, parched lips, Sirzchs spoke for the first time after he had heard news that the Gremory was under attack. "We need to go back¡­".

    "Yes." Ajuka nodded, agreeing easily. With one last nod, Sirzechs swiped his hand, creating a portal back to the Devil territory before he staggered back home through it.

    Ajuka took one last look at the previously bustling Fallen Angel city, now nothing more than a mass grave, a monument of the foolishness of touching a Dragon''s reverse scale, before following after Sirzechs.

    They both had long sleepless nights ahead of them in order to fully path out the changed world ahead of them.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Azazel did not allow himself to linger in the doomed area searching for those Fallen Angels who were still surely alive but badly wounded, or trying to save as many of his charges as possible from the distraught Lucifer. The decision to abandon the wounded may have been cruel and heartless, but it was a logical one.

    It was better to lose three dozen severely wounded Fallen that would have probably died trying to evacuate, than allowing the tens of thousands of Fallen to continue lingering near the Lucifer.

    So Azazel ran away.

    Another random swing of Lucifer''s hand had wiped out the centralized alarm control server for the Fallen during his rampage, and Azazel hadn''t even noticed that fact, too absorbed in trying not to die. However, now, when he had finally managed to escape the Devil''s clutches, he finally noticed the ominous silence over the ruins of the formerly prosperous city of Fallen Angels.

    A silence that was only occasionally interrupted by the distant sounds of buildings collapsing in the distance, the result of Lucifer''s attacks that had made its way even to the outskirts of the Fallen city. If there were to be a silver lining to this destruction is that even a blind and dead Fallen Angel would not miss the disaster and had evacuated.

    At least those who were still alive and were not vaporized by the beams of Destruction.

    Azazel, still balancing on his only leg with ragged wings, buoyed his flagging mood by the fact that the other Cadre must''ve helped with the evacuation. Surely, they had not come to his aid, because they judged the situation correctly and must''ve tried to organize the surviving Fallen to evacuate.

    Could this be considered a chance to save the fallen faction?

    No.

    But at least they would live another extra day as they start their Exodus to whatever safe haven they could find.

    As the sight of his life''s work crumbling to dust finally settled in, Azazel''s gaze caught a flicker of black wings in the distance, thankfully that of the Fallen, and not the Devils coming to finish the job. The blot of black turned into a recognizable figure as it came closer, making him breathe easier, as much as his destroyed body could anyway.

    Spitting out a clod of black-red blood from his punctured lungs, he could only shrug. Why should he care about it? His wounds would heal in time and his lost limbs could be replaced by prosthetic limbs, it would be quite the novel research subject for him, but he was sure that he could¡­ If he could only lead the Fallen Angels safely away anyway.

    Closer now, Azazel could finally make out who it was that was approaching him. He had to admit that seeing Baraqiel''s frowning, wrinkled face took a load of worry off of his back, and with his tattered wings, he couldn''t carry much right now.

    Landing heavily, causing a cloud of dust to puff out, Baraqiel hurried to his side and began inspecting his wounds, focusing more on his missing wings and limbs. Azazel had to admit, he definitely didn''t miss the mother hen treatment, though.

    "I''ll live, it''ll take months to recover¡­ And I''ll figure out something about the missing limbs." Seeing the still worried look on the macho face almost made Azazel hurl, if good naturedly, why couldn''t it be someone good-looking that had found him first?

    "Whatever, I''ll manage." Azazel grinned weakly, but any attempt at bravado in his condition was like a feast during a plague, nothing more than a smokescreen. He gripped Baraqiel''s shoulders more tightly, the gesture was reciprocated as Baraqiel quickly led him to where the other Fallen were.

    "Shemhazai lost half his limbs and is in a coma. He was closest to the epicenter of the Lucifer''s rampage except for you, but he''ll pull through. Zachariel lost an arm, Tamiel a leg, but Armaros, myself and Penemue are fine. As for the other lower ranked Fallen¡­" Baraqiel was silent for a moment, confirming Azazel''s fear, the Fallen Angel''s population, not something large to begin with, had just suffered greatly.

    At least there are three Cadres that are fine, already much better than he had hoped for. And with his future research plans, the others would be in fighting order soon.

    "Armaros and Penemue are conducting emergency evacuations, last I heard from them, they had found about thirty thousand each. I have only rescued four thousand so far, the survivors much scarcer this close to the battlefield¡­ But, if we continue looking, then¡­"

    "Don''t. Stop the search now." Azazel shattered Baraqiel''s desire to save as many Fallen Angels as possible.

    "I won''t risk the ones we had already saved by staying in this place for another second. All the Fallen Angels that haven''t gathered at the evacuation point are either dead, badly injured, or have already escaped on their own."

    Baraqiel glanced at Azazel, shocked, opening and closing his mouth several times, clearly wanting to object to his order. But, a look at Azazel''s ragged form, and with the danger that the two unaccounted Satans represented, he nodded.

    "Copy that."

    Of course, Azazel didn''t want to leave his fellow Fallen Angels, his own charges, those who were probably still alive at the moment, to be torn apart by the Devils. But Azazel couldn''t jeopardize the other Fallen either, ones that he had to protect at all costs. Sixty-four thousand fallen were far more important than the bare few that he would gamble those tens of thousands of lives trying to save.

    "Where to next?" Baraqiel''s voice made Azazel wince, both from the pain in his torn body and from the thought that the Fallen had to leave their home now. Their great city, even if the Devils for some reason decided not to take over, was already nothing more than ruins, they have to leave.

    But, where else could the Fallen go?

    Was it the fate of the Fallen to be like Daddy''s favorite people and be forced to wander once again? They had lost their first Home when their wings were blotted black, as Heaven was only the homes of Angels, and their black wings had marked them as otherwise. And so they followed the lead of the first Angel to have fallen, Lucifer, and had gone to the Underworld.

    But, if the Fallen had ever any hope of joining in with Lucifer, perhaps helping him take over the much weakened Hell as its pantheon was losing its power, encroached on by the growing Christianity, that hope was soon dashed. Lucifer, perhaps trying to copy Daddy''s achievement, had made his own Supernatural Race, the Devils, and Lucifer was not in the habit of sharing.

    And so, the Fallen had struck out on their own, picking a territory not wanted by anyone, well, except for Lucifer, who had claimed all of Underworld for himself, which had meant constant war between the Fallen and the Devils.

    And then the Great War happened, and Lucifer has more things to worry about than the Fallen Angels squatting on the periphery of his lands. Of course, by that point the Fallen had established themselves enough that they participated in the Great War as well, to gain more land and to cement their position.

    By the time the Great War ended, the Devils were too embroiled in their own Civil War to care for the Fallen Angels, even finally accepting that the Fallen would be a permanent resident of the Underworld. Finally, the Fallen Angel has a home of their own.

    As he surveyed the crumbling buildings and the wasteland in front of him, Azazel simply chuckled. Oh, how easily they had lost their home time and time again. First because they had broken Daddy''s commandments, and now because one of their leaders, a Cadre, had decided that he wanted to sign the Fallen''s suicide pact.

    Perhaps Kokabile had forgotten the times when the Fallen were nothing more than a roaming band of Black-Winged vagrants, having to fight for everything they could scrounge up. And now, Kokabiel, in his misbegotten pride, had destroyed their home.

    So, now where were the Fallen to flee to when both Heaven and Hell would want nothing more than their death?

    Could the Fallen be called a faction now? They were still powerful enough, at least when compared to the many small factions in the world. And with his knowledge of the [Sacred Gear] system, there are many things that the Fallen could offer a prospective patron. And the Fallen would definitely be in need of one, as those same small factions would be more than happy enough to steal what they could from the weakened Fallen.

    But who would take them in? There are not many powers in the world that would take in such poisoned assets as the Fallen now and risk gaining the ire of the Devils, that would most definitely be on a warpath now.

    Stand on their own once again? Perhaps if the Devils would not seek to destroy them, there would be a chance that the Fallen would successfully rebuild. They had done it once a long time ago, they could do it again. Sixty-four thousand, possibly seventy thousand Fallen Angels, if Penemue and Armaros had found more survivors, were nothing to sneeze at.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It would be a hard fought battle, they would need space, resources, and influence any society that would accept them¡­ And yet, the Fallen were undoubtedly not in a position to ''dictate their will'' to the other factions, so where could they find such things?

    Option after option ran through Azazel''s mind before coming together into a list of requirements that would dictate where the Fallen would go next. A weak enough faction that Azazel could still hope to come to an agreement with, by offering favors and at worst by pushing with his power. It also needs to be a faction outside the Devils'' area of interest. A faction close to more powerful existences who Azazel could use as a bulwark to try to keep the Devils at bay, who would take offense to any outsiders?

    A faction with a significant surplus of resources and territory, hates outsiders enough that they might even pick a fight with the Devils, and yet open enough that Azazel might be able to negotiate with them¡­

    "Romania¡­" Azazel came to one single conclusion, causing Baraqiel to look at him with a questioning look, as if to ask if he were sure.

    "We''re going to vampire territory in Europe." With a grim nod, Azazel confirmed his orders.

    The ancient gods of the Balkan territories had long ago retired to their personal worlds, leaving the territory under the undivided dominion of the vampires, a rather weak and fragmented faction currently divided into two opposing camps. Azazel planned to take advantage of the current situation to sell the services of the surviving Fallen Angels to one of the sides in exchange for their continued survival.

    The location was perfect, since the Devils had an extremely low presence in the Old Gods'' abode, with the Balkans being practically the neighbors of the Vatican and Heaven itself. Much less would the Devils'' act so brazenly on the borders of the Greek Pantheon, which still retained a position of strength, if heavily diminished from the ancient days, on the world stage.

    Of course Azazel himself did not want to be anywhere near the center of Heaven''s power, the Vatican, but under the current circumstances he had to scrimp on something in order to preserve what he still had.

    "Under the nose of the White Wings¡­ Michael would be having conniptions if he learned of us." Baraqiel muttered to himself, causing Azazel to sigh as he watched the crowds of survivors scattered around him, some silently awaiting his decision, some panicking among themselves trying to find lost friends or relatives. And some are still moaning in pain, trying to keep the blood from their lost limbs and crushed body parts, as trying to treat them now would take too much time and expose them to even more danger.

    Just being on the periphery of the fight, Lucifer had created devastation on par with the worst battles the Fallen had ever been in¡­

    "I don''t know where you went when you died, Kokabiel," Azazel clenched his teeth so hard that he felt them begin to crumble from the strain. "But I hope you suffer for each and every one of the Fallen that had died and suffered because of your damn pride¡­"

    Baraqiel, hearing Azazel''s remark, could only silently continue to do his job, trying to get Azazel to the rest of the surviving Cadres as quickly as possible.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Silence had settled over the battlefield, or perhaps it was better called a massacre ground. A place, which, until a few minutes ago, had been a riot of black and scarlet colors, the display of power by the Lucifer and the sight of the desperate struggle of Azazel, Kokabiel and Fafnir for their lives.

    That place was soon again disturbed by the appearance of a dark portal, similar to those used by the Devils, that suddenly grew in size, creating a huge gateway through which several dozen people could easily pass at once.

    However, contrary to what the Fallen Angels might expect, what came out was not the ranks of Devils bearing the insignia of the Gremory, coming to kill them all. No, what came out of the portal was monsters, of all shapes and sizes.

    Huge lizards on two legs, either pushing forward transports, or were pulling carts. Two-legged insects of various kinds and shapes, which were followed by marching armies of undead. The two kinds of creatures, the bugs, and the undead, like a single well-oiled machine, traveled in ranks and separated into positions as if following a predetermined plan.

    Disregarding the devastation and still smoking craters, the creatures that emerged from the portals headed for the ruins, and the scattered bodies strewn around. Picking up one body after another, pieces and parts of bodies, unpretentious loot and even scattered building materials.

    Everything that could be useful for further analysis of Nazarick''s always striving for perfection military machine were picked up.

    One by one, the bodies of the fallen dead, or what was left of them, disappeared into the numerous carts and wagons. With methodical efficiency and silence, without a sound other than the stomping of the feet of the creatures doing their work professionally, the battlefield was picked clean.

    Until suddenly, the sound of the creatures'' stomping was joined by the sound of falling slabs being moved and rubble being removed, before the silence was broken by the shrill cry.

    "Get away! Get away from me!"

    It was true that not all of the Fallen Angels unlucky enough to be in the path of the Lucifer''s attacks had all been killed, proof that divine miracles happened even to His rejected children.

    But in future reports about the Lucifer''s attack on the Fallen, there would be no survivor reported.

    The shrill cry was soon interrupted. After which, a draconid emerging from the half-destroyed house strode to a standing wagon, unloading the bound, though still alive, body of the Fallen man, before returning to his task, entrusting the standing watcher to oversee the captured foe.

    The destruction caused by the Lucifer''s rampage was extensive, but he was not focusing on destroying the Fallen. However, the actions of the horde of monsters that had next appeared when all eyes were no longer focused on the ruins of the Fallen city were like a single coordinated mechanism focused on devouring everything.

    It could be described as a colony of ants devouring everything in its path in search of resources. Not to mention that after Nigredo''s reconnaissance, Momonga had been hesitant to send an expeditionary corps too close to a large crowd of fleeing fallen. Instead, preferring to settle solely for the epicenter of the demon attack, rather than risk a confrontation with Azazel.

    And so after only a few dozen minutes, the scene of the battle, if it could be called such, between the Lucifer and the fallen angels had been cleared of all life. And the expeditionary corps that had picked all they could, picked up their wagons, now filled with body parts, objects and materials, and headed back into the newly manifested shimmering passageway through the worlds.

    The monsters left behind nothing but ruins, emptiness, and silence standing over the looted burial ground of the destroyed faction.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    In all of Kuoh, it was too hard to miss the explosion that had engulfed the Kuoh Academy building. And so it also did not pass Katase''s attention, causing her to jump in surprise and fear at the sound of the destruction before she rushed to the window, trying to see the cause of such a great cacophony.

    "Katase, get away from the window!" Katase''s father''s voice sounded so loud and yet so far away, he couldn''t get Katase to move away. And so, she saw first hand, how the Academy literally shattered by what she could only assume was some kind of bomb.

    To her horror, she saw the explosion in the distance as it slowly and steadily began to make the Academy lurch and break apart under the laws of physics.

    Perhaps if Katase had been closer, she would have been able to see the oddly unnatural cleanliness with which the walls of the academy had been demolished away from the blast, like it was some kind of controlled demolition. Not to mention the fact that an explosion of that magnitude was hard to write off as a domestic accident, definitely not something lame like gas leakage, There was no plume of fire for instance.

    But at the moment, the horrifying and mesmerizing sight made her stop thinking, losing all thought of the cause of the explosion and instead fixing her gaze on the monolithic building''s destruction.

    "Katase!" In a moment her father finally had enough and had bodily picked her up and pulled her away from the window, fearing a second explosion or the glass breaking injuring Katase. But there was no second blast, nor did their window break, and so without her Father letting her go, Katase went back to the window, looking through it at the crumbling buildings in the distance.

    A dozen seconds later, when the collapse of the building seemed to have stopped, the sounds of sirens began wailing in the distance, several of them at once. Before long Katase could see a procession of emergency vehicles; ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars heading in the direction of the academy.

    Katase was transfixed by the sight before the loud shrill call of her cell phone brought her out of it. Checking the caller ID she saw that it was Murayama, putting the phone to her ear as she accepted the call, she had to take her ear away as Maruyama started shouting.

    "No way, did you see, did you see?!"

    "Of course! How could I not?" Shaking her head at her friend''s ridiculousness, Katase finally freed herself from her Father''s grasp as surveyed her destroyed school as emergency services crowded around the gate.

    "What did you think happened?!"

    "I have no idea!" Murayama, no less lost but also no less interested in what had happened, replied with a voice so loud that Katase could probably hear it from her house even without a phone. The sound hitting the girl''s ears is no quieter than the exploding building.

    "Could it be terrorists?!" And of course, her friend immediately went to the more ridiculous ideas.

    "No, of course not!" Katase replied instantly before her brain could form a rational thought, given the utter absurdity of such an idea, before Katase''s thoughts caught up with her tongue, silencing her.

    Gas? There were never any gas pipes running under Kuoh!

    A wiring problem? Katase was certainly no electrical engineer or physicist, but an explosion certainly didn''t seem like something that could come out of an electric fault.

    And given that the academy grounds were clearly not a repository for explosive substances and objects¡­ Although absurd, terrorists bombing the school was the most probable of all explanations. The most horrifying, and yet the most realistic, cause of what had happened.

    "No, it couldn''t be!" Forcibly suppressing such a thought, Katase tried to control her breath, and her burgeoning fear. The idea of having the same place where she spent most of her time being a target for terrorists caused a thrill of fear to run through her back. What if the bomb had exploded during school hours!?

    "Let''s wait for the investigation and the official statement!"

    For a moment Murayama was silent and Katase thought the crisis was over, but a moment later her friend made a move that completely surprised her as it literally came out of nowhere.

    "We have to ask Satoru!"

    "Wh-what!?" Now it was Murayama''s turn to turn away from the speaker of her phone, avoiding the loud sound Katase had made, before she returned to the receiver and started speaking quickly, lest Katase shout her ideas down immediately.

    "Think about it! A mysterious newcomer shows up at the school, after which incredible events begin to happen! Like the curing of the Perverted Trio! Underground fights, making money from them, and now school bombings! Don''t you see the connection?!"

    "Murayama, that''s a plot from a particularly idiotic anime, not real life!" Katase, starting to calm down a bit and feeling the adrenaline from watching the explosion recede, tried to get his best friend to see common sense. "That''s not how any of these works!"

    "You can''t dismiss an idea just because it sounds like a plot for an anime! Especially considering how much everything fits into my theory!" Murayama counter argued.

    "Even an anime plot had to take some inspiration from real life!"

    "Murayama, you''re just making things up now! Where would magical girls anime even take their inspiration from! You''re being ridiculous!"

    Katase tried to make his friend see straight, but a small worm of interest did niggle into her mind, making her attempt at dissuading her friend a bit half-hearted. If that small worm sounded more like an infatuation where she wanted to know more about Satoru and wanted a reason to visit his house, Murayama didn''t comment on it.

    Of course, Katase realized that it was all just a bit silly, but there was no problem in checking on Satoru just in case¡­

    "Well, we can ask about it after the weekend¡­" Katase remained uncertain, but was instantly swept away by Murayama''s fervor.

    "After the weekend, where?! Or do you think they''ll let us study in a school where there''s just been an explosion?! Or do you think he''s going to tell us if he''s involved in something that''s blowing up entire academies?! Katase, you don''t know anything about gathering information!"

    "As if you know all about it!" Katase was naturally indignant, but it wasn''t as if she could dismiss Murayama''s words, they sounded too logical at the moment.

    "So what do you suggest?"

    "We definitely can''t find out directly from Satoru, and we definitely can''t wait until Monday. If we can''t stay home, we''ll most likely be sent to another school, so we have to find out from¡­ Hmm, certainly not Issei, so we don''t have much choice! We need to ask his foster mom, Miki Hyoudou! In two hours, after the panic subsides, meet me at my house! Satoru won''t be able to keep his secrets from us!"

    After another moment, Murayama was the first to hang up, leaving Katase to her own thoughts, looking at the clock hanging in front of her before sighing.

    Left to her own devices, however, Katase could at least admit to herself that she was genuinely interested in what was going on, especially with Satoru¡­ Even if it was probably utterly stupid. Really, what kind of person did Murayama think Satoru is!?

    There''s no way he could be in any way connected to a terrorist attack, of all things!

    "I told her that watching too much anime would rot her brain, now see where that had led her¡­ Anyway," Katase reassured herself that she was just going to check on Satoru, as she looked at the ruins of Kuoh Academy in the distance.

    "Talking to Ms. Hyoudou should clear things up¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Miki, covering the simmering pot of broth partially, allowing it to release its steam to avoid a possible incident, hummed a wordless song to herself. Surveying the progress of her cooking with mild satisfaction, she nodded to herself as if to internally cross another thing off her list.

    Not that she had a list of specific things to do in her head, other than a couple simple ones like ''behave like a decent mother'' and ''serve Master Momonga faithfully''. But, every step to accomplishing that list still made Miki feel a warmth spilling over into her heart, which made Miki express that one in the form of a melody composed as she cooked.

    Ever since Lord Momonga appeared in her life, life had become much simpler, and more importantly, happier. There was no need to think about anything, or worry.

    Before Lord Momonga had shown her the truth of her place in life, Miki had repeatedly wondered how she should behave in relationships, whether Gorou was a good husband, whether Issei would grow up to be a good man. The constant worrying about her own life, her place in that life, thinking about the years of life she had already lived and what she had left to live¡­ All of that was now gone, and she couldn''t be happier.

    With the arrival of Lord Momonga, the Supreme Being, in her life, all these questions were a thing of the past.

    Was Gorou a good husband, and would Issei grow up to be a good man? What meaning existed in that question if they were both dead?

    Who was Miki Hyoudou, had she lived her life well, how was she supposed to live her life going forward? She was Issei''s mother, Satoru''s adoptive mother, and Lord Momonga''s pet.

    Knowing this truth was comforting, relieving her of the doubts about her life, the agonizing reevaluation of the past, and the doubts about the future. Her place and her future were determined in this life, all lay in the hands of Lord Momonga, the inscrutable and omniscient Supreme Being above even all Gods.

    Many had found comfort in God, justified tragedies by the Lord''s will, and trusted in His providence for their future, and Miki could now understand that personally. Receiving the covenantal words that she occupied the place she was meant to occupy.

    Who could fail to find comfort in, quite literally, the divine assurance, the divine truth that Miki was exactly where she must be?

    It was like the absolution of all sins by the Lord, encouragement for whatever journey she was on.

    After all, why could Miki not find peace in knowing her place in the world?

    If God did exist, it was a comfort to both the righteous and the sinner. Knowing that the Lord knows all things, sees all things and is able to do all things, the righteous would know that they would be recompensed for all their suffering, while the sinner would know that they were already doomed. And so both would be at peace about their future.

    Calmness and stability were the only things Miki could feel after she had awakened into her new place in life. And from this calmness was born happiness, and confidence in the future. The words of support from an immeasurably powerful god and the infinite wisdom of a ruler were all given to her ¨C did Miki need anything else from life to be happy?

    The loss of her husband and son and the suffering they had endured no longer troubled Miki, other than recognizing the fact of what had happened. If the Supreme Being willed it, how could Miki not recognize the justice in what had happened?

    The Sun rose in the east, there was nothing sad about it ¨C it was simply a fact. On the contrary, every time the Sun rose, each person felt, in this fact, a confirmation of the certainty of the coming day. If on the other hand the Sun rose in the west, without anything else happening, neither bad nor good, the whole world would go crazy.

    So what if people burn their eyes watching the sun?

    And so Miki was happy, calm, and most importantly, devoid of any doubts or regrets, past, present, or future, doing what she was supposed to be doing as a mother and as a pet.

    Dimming the fire on the stove, Miki stretched, thinking about what she was supposed to be doing at the moment. Lord Momonga had departed for Nazarick, his Sacred Land. While Lord Pandora''s Actor, who had taken the form of Miki''s own son, Issei, Lord Momonga''s creation, and Lady Albedo, Lord Momonga''s consort, departed to attend to their own affairs, leaving Miki alone for a brief period of time.

    But this did not cause Miki any sadness, for, after all, it meant that Miki had to be left alone for a reason.

    The sound of the doorbell ringing, however, caused Miki to be very surprised, trying to imagine who might be showing up on her doorstep at this moment, perhaps an officer with information about her husband? It was unlikely, such an investigation was bound to go on for at least a few weeks before someone would have informed Miki of the lack of results.

    And Miki was certain that no one would have been able to locate her husband''s body.

    Upon reaching the intercom, however, Miki was surprised to hear the voice of two girls.

    "Miss Hyoudou? I''m sorry, this may sound very strange, but we''re high school students, um we''re frien¡­ From the same year with Issei, we''d like to talk to you about Satoru. It''s Katase, and Murayama, you may have heard of us from Issei¡­? Can we come in?"

    Miki frowned for a moment before she answered nonetheless, opening the door. "Yes, of course¡­"

    Katase and Murayama¡­ Miki had definitely heard of them before, the most frequent victims of Issei and his friends'' perversions, theirs was a name that Miki had heard many times before, especially with Issei complaining about something or other.

    But what exactly did they want to discuss Satoru at the moment¡­?

    Miki thought about it for a second before shrugging her shoulders.

    In any case, their appearance here was also part of the reality provided to her by Lord Momonga. And so, all that was left for Miki to do and think of in this situation was to figure out why exactly they had appeared in her house.

    And how her actions with them would serve Lord Momonga''s great plan.

 The new Three-Sided War (6)

    Stepping inside the house behind her seemingly completely incapable of feeling fear and embarrassment friend, Murayama, Katase swallowed a nervous gulp as she looked around¡­ To find the house looking like a perfectly ordinary house that could only be imagined for an ordinary Japanese resident. Nothing in Hyoudou''s residence gave away the fact that it was in fact the residence of Kuoh''s most notorious pervert, Issei.

    No pictures of up skirt shots, no shrines to the stolen panties, displaying Issei''s hunting trophies. It was the most ordinary looking house imaginable.

    Switch out a few of the decorations and furniture, and Katase would find herself in her own home.

    Of course, Katase was not crazy enough to go up to Issei''s room. And, Katase thought with a shudder, she never planned to. But nothing in the Hyoudou''s couple''s house suggested that this was the home of the King of Perverts, as Issei loudly proclaimed once, lair¡­

    Or maybe Satoru''s appearance had been like a miracle of the Lord, causing Issei to dismantle the aforementioned trophies placed around the house and dispose of them. But, if that was the case, then Katase would rather not know about it and keep any vestiges of faith in Issei''s humanity intact. No matter how pathetic and insignificant it was.

    Instead, following Mrs. Hyoudou and Murayama into the kitchen, Katase was confronted only by a dinner simmering on the stove and the picture of the housewife herself. Who, having reached the dining table, only turned to the girls with a charming, calm smile.

    "How about some tea?"

    "Green tea for me, if it''s not too much trouble!" Murayama instantly took advantage of the offer, causing Katase to barely keep from tsk''ing irritably at her. Such an offer was clearly a gesture of politeness, and based on that same politeness, both girls should have actually declined the offer. But Murayama clearly didn''t care about the rules of decorum at the moment, instead choosing to take advantage of her hostess''s hospitality.

    She, however, if she was unhappy with Murayama''s decision, did not show it at all, a friend who had just started openly ogling the kitchen, forcing Katase herself to follow her friend''s example,

    "And me too, black tea, please!"

    Mrs. Hyoudou simply nodded to the girls, turning away, allowing Katase to cast a disgruntled look at her friend, making her shrug her shoulders as if to ask ''what about me? It was an offer!''.

    For the few minutes while Miki made tea, Katase fell into silence, feeling distinctly out of place being in someone else''s house alone with Satoru and Issei''s mother. Her eyes roved around the room, not like her friend who was opening trying to find something scandalous, instead looking her best to find a distraction for herself before stumbling upon¡­ A Bible?

    A rather rare book to be seen in a Japanese home.

    Looking closely, Katase was surprised to note that the book on the corner of the kitchen cabinet was indeed a Bible, and judging by the bookmark, it had been used not too long ago. By Mrs. Hyoudou?

    It came as a surprise to Katase, Christians are a small minority in Japan, and even among the Christians in Japan, it was highly unlikely to find anyone who kept a Bible at home. Especially someone who was actively reading it¡­ Ah.

    ''Right, her husband had disappeared out of nowhere¡­'' Katase bit her lip at the mere thought of it, as if Mrs. Hyoudou could suddenly read her mind. But it was definitely something inappropriate to do, especially in the presence of Miki herself, even if she only thought about it.

    Not that Katase knows exactly of the Hyoudou family''s situation, but rumors had a way of spreading, seemingly even in a vacuum, especially when they involved such odious individuals as the Perverted Trio. That, and the fact that she was interested in Satoru made her especially sensitive whenever his family was mentioned.

    And from what she had managed to gather it wasn''t pretty, even if she did have to separate the really out there rumors. It wasn''t easy, though some are much easier to be discounted, like the rumor that Satoru was the one that had thrown Mr. Hyoudou out of the house.

    Even if the rumor was supposedly by ''direct'' witnesses, who ''definitely'' watched it happen first hand.

    But Katase did manage to learn a few things about her crush. That he was Mr. Hyoudou''s illegitimate son, that he had come from Kyoto to find his family after his birth mother died, that he was emancipated, and that he made money through loosely legal means like underground fighting. The last bit, she had even managed to find out straight from Satoru himself.

    And the one detail that would make her asking about the bible insensitive, was that Mr. Hyoudou had run away from home after Satoru showed up.

    Katase wouldn''t say what she knew about psychology, but even she was pretty sure that in such traumatic circumstances, turning to God wasn''t the strangest way to find relief from the tragic circumstances.

    Of course, being Japanese, the expectations would be to turn to Shintoism, or Buddhism; Christianity was a much rarer choice than the other two, but why not?

    In any case, Katase had scant knowledge of Christianity, perhaps nothing more than a few stories about Jesus being either the messiah or God? Or was it the both of them at the same time? It was quite confusing. Well, there''s that and about Lucifer¡­ Though, her knowledge about the religion came mostly from Anime, since the Christian motif is quite commonplace there.

    With her lack of knowledge, judging whether or not it was weird for Mrs. Hyoudou to turn to Christianity in this case was clearly not something Katase was going to do.

    Glancing at Murayama, however, Katase found that her attention was not on the book on the table, but on Mrs. Hyoudou herself. So Katase was forced to follow the direction of her gaze and look at the mature woman, trying to see what Murayama saw in her.

    A mature woman who had aged gracefully, a mature beauty, the kind of woman Katase would probably have wanted to look like at the same age¡­ And someone with an excellent figure that was hard enough to expect from a housewife, and clearly generously sprinkled with good genetics. A MILF if she wants to be crass about it.

    Despite the stressful nature of her separation from her husband, the two didn''t know whether to use Miss or Misses to call her. And here she was quite cheerfully pouring tea, at the very edge of humming a wordless song to herself, showing her excellent mood¡­

    Throwing a glance at the Bible just lying there, Katase nodded to herself, religion does work wonders, it seems. Being able to keep such a great mood even in the face of such a tragedy and calm even under such strange circumstances¡­ Indeed, Ms. Hyoudou was a woman of enviable willpower.

    On the other hand, if any other woman were Issei''s mother, they would probably have turned to ashes in shame long ago, so perhaps powerful willpower was a natural state of being for Ms. Hyoudou.

    In any case, returning back to the table with three cups of tea, Ms. Hyoudou then sat down across from them, sliding a cup towards herself, taking a slow sip. After a brief pause as Katase and Murayama took their own sip of tea, Ms. Hyoudou raised her gaze to them, smiling slightly.

    "What exactly did you want to talk about¡­ Satoru?"

    Murayama, not paying attention to the unusual pause in the older woman''s voice, smiled apologetically. Glancing around to check if anyone was eavesdropping on her, as if there would be ninjas hiding around the open kitchen, as she leaned forward conspiratorially, playing with her eyebrows in violation of all etiquette.

    "Have you noticed that all the strange things began to happen in your life after Satoru appeared?" Murayama asked in a hushed tone.

    Katase wanted to sink into the ground from embarrassment at both Murayama''s actions and words. She ducked her head, focusing on her cup of tea, cursing Murayama under her breath and regretting that she had once again gone along with her friend''s antics.

    However, she couldn''t help but keep listening, hoping to glean some interesting information despite the humiliation.

    Miki took a nonchalant sip from her cup, seemingly unsurprised by Murayama''s question.

    "Strange in what way? Money starting to disappear from the house, or living, talking, indescribably powerful gods appearing in my life?" Ms. Hyoudou joked, causing Katase to blush even more and sink deeper into her cup at the humiliating metaphor used to make fun of the two mischievous schoolgirls.

    Murayama, oblivious to the rather obvious teasing in Ms. Hyoudou''s words, pushed forward with the grace of a drunken elephant in a china shop. "The latter! Did some strange people start bothering you? Maybe Satoru started disappearing periodically and got involved with a group of strange-looking fighters? Or a large sum of money suddenly appeared in the house? Or maybe he sometimes whispers, ''This power cannot be contained, I must resist!'' while wrapping bandages around his arm, or covering one of his eyes¡­!"

    "Murayama!" Katase interjected, unable to bear her friend''s questions anymore as they started veering from simple information gathering to the most hackneyed of anime clich¨¦s.

    "What?!" Murayama shot Katase with a look of insulted innocence. "You have to check all the options! What if there''s an ancient evil spirit sealed in his hand, and you''re not prepared?"

    "Murayama!" Katase called out again, her face now reddened by more than just mere embarrassment, having the relationship she has with Satoru being aired in front of his stepmother, casting an apologetic glance at Miss Hyoudou. "I''m sorry, she just doesn''t know what she''s talking about¡­"

    Miss Hyoudou, not at all angered by the foolishness she''s hearing, instead looked at Murayama with interest. "On the contrary, I''m curious about what caused such questions, it''s Murayama, right? Did you see something incredible happening near Satoru?"

    "The school exploded!" Murayama replied as if it were an interesting but ordinary event. "We''ve received reports that no one was injured, but it happened! We have to find out the truth!"

    "Murayama!" Katase tried to stop her friend, even going as far as placing her hand on Murayama''s mouth, as she apologized profusely. "I''m sorry, we''re not implying anything, and we didn''t mean to say¡­"

    Miss Hyoudou squinted her eyes at the two girls, for some reason, making Katase shiver. Did Murayama finally angered Ms. Hyoudou? This is bad, she needs to stop her chatterbox, conspiracy-nut friend, before she makes her crush''s mother hate her!

    "No, it''s fine Katase. But, that''s a very interesting question, Murayama. Why exactly did you think Satoru had something to do with the Academy explosions? I don''t know any more about it than you do."

    "Just a hunch. Satoru had fixed the Perverted Trio, a miracle in and of itself and had even involved himself in underground fights, and he also wasn''t taken down by the shinai, so we were just curious!" Murayama once again gracefully swung away from Katase''s attempt to muzzle her, even deftly dodging the kicks she had sent her way under the table.

    "So naturally, we decided to see if everything was related to Satoru! My detective instincts are tingling!"

    At Murayama''s declaration, Ms. Hyoudou fell silent, clearly thinking about something deeply, causing Katase to cast an exasperated look at her friend, who only shrugged her shoulders in response, as if not finding anything strange in her words.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Miss Hyoudou, however, seemed clearly immersed in thought, as if analyzing some information in her head, making Katase inwardly perk up a bit. Even if she wasn''t expecting any information from Miss Hyoudou at all, she was at least curious to know what Miss Hyoudou was thinking about at the moment.

    However, after a dozen seconds and finishing her tea, Miss Hyoudou just glanced at the book lying not far from her on the side table, a Bible, then nodded to herself and looked at the two girls, smiling slightly. "Hmm, perhaps in that sense I can tell you something small¡­ How would you react to the information that magic really exists?"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Recently, Momonga had found very few reasons to be in a cheerful mood.

    Indeed, instead, Momonga found himself constantly on edge. The incomprehensible movements of the demons, the problems with acclimatizing to the new world, Miki''s messed up life, and most importantly that hell school, the thorn in Momonga''s side. School¡­ He could feel himself aging whenever he has to attend that institution.

    With so many troubling things having over him, it was easy enough to understand why Momonga had been in a completely unhappy state of mind recently.

    The information about the permanent existence of undead if summoned when a body is used as a sacrifice material, was an unexpected and extremely joyous fact for Momonga. One of the very few he had received recently.

    Any opportunity to strengthen Nazarick without actually depleting the scant remaining resources that were irreplaceable in this world, like gold from Yggdrasil itself, was immeasurably valuable. Especially considering the fact that bodies were one of the most easily replenishable resources, Momonga could imagine.

    Nazarick itself held millions of bodies, a virtually infinite number thanks to the self-healing mountains of bodies. In some places in Nazarick that had once served solely as an interior detail but had now become actual bodies, more than just a ''cosmetic'' item. The fifth floor alone had at least tens of thousands bodies frozen into ice, alongside the corpses found below the Derelict Rope Bridge, Nazarick was not bereft of corpses.

    However, Nazarick''s potentially endless supplies of bodies, did not at all mean that Momonga was going to neglect the hundreds of Fallen Angels'' bodies discovered by Nigredo at Mare''s behest¡­

    It was something that would need further experimentation, anything that would allow him to not think about the fact of just how the Fallen Angel corpses had come to be.

    Seeing the devastated vista, as if some High-Leveled Player just decided that they wanted to test Yggdrasil landscaping capabilities by using top level spells to scoop out the surroundings, it was no surprise to see so many corpses. How Mare knows where to look and just when to do so, seeing that the corpses are still fresh, Momonga had no idea.

    But, after Mare''s comment that Momonga somehow ''knew'' or even had ''set'' up the event, Momonga was simply too ashamed to admit that he had absolutely no idea what happened at this place.

    First Pandora''s Actor, then Demiurge, and now even Mare, each one was prescribing some incredible plan or action to Momonga even when he had no idea whatsoever¡­ Momonga could only hope that this would not become the standard behavior of his subordinates.

    Momonga was completely unprepared to constantly talk and rely on his ''great plan'', he imagined if he wasn''t an Undead, he would be dying from stress right now.

    However, once he saw the body of the dragon sprawled on the ground free for the taking, all questions like ''where did this come from?'' went away, leaving Momonga with only a burning desire to get the body. Quickly and measuredly, within a dozen minutes, the Nazarick army cleared the battle site, then returned to Nazarick with all the loot.

    But, what else to experiment on? Right now, he just wants to test his other summon creatures spell to see if they also could be made to last indefinitely. The current experiment on if the undead summons using actual bodies would actually last indefinitely, only needed Momonga to wait until they disappear, something that doesn''t need Momonga''s participation at all.

    So far, the Undead summon had lasted for three times longer than their previous summon duration. And unless Momonga wanted to continue the exercise that is akin to watching paint dry, he had concluded that, yes, the summons using bodies does last indefinitely.

    So, Momonga had moved on to trying to make his other summons just as permanent. He had achieved little success so far.

    But! Momonga hadn''t given up. After all, necromancy logically required corpses to make the summons permanent, but what could magic that summoned angels or demons require? Momonga didn''t know that, but he very much wished he could check all the possible options before discounting the possibilities completely.

    With the icy wastelands provided by the Fifth Floor could also serve as a huge freezer suitable for storing captured bodies, the capability of storing corpses is easy to come by, so he could experiment on many more varied corpses. Moreover, with Pandora''s Actor ordered to take his form, and therefore his spells, if much weaker, and start resurrecting the Fallen Angels, there shouldn''t be a dearth of information about this world anymore.

    Momonga had also tasked Demiurge to study the Fallen Angels to see if it was something unique that had made them suitable as sacrifices¡­

    Momonga was quite surprised at how easily he had made the decision to essentially send the captured Fallen Angels for inhumane experiments. But their fate was sealed either way, even if any of them could survive the experiments, if not their psyches, they still couldn''t be released from Nazarick.

    Even if Momonga could declare Nazarick''s existence sometime in the future, he absolutely could not allow outsiders who knew about its internal layout or its abilities to leave. It was a logical decision, however, at the same time, Momonga had also noticed how virtually indifferent he was to the lives of the captured Fallen Angels.

    Even in his past world, the real world, not Yggdrasil no matter how much he wished otherwise, Momonga''s attitude towards life and death was quite unperturbed. But it was nothing unique.

    The reason he chose to Play as an undead in Yggdrasil was not just because he wanted to release all his pent-up stress as a Neo-Japanese office worker in the role of a badass lich.

    The people of his time had learned to look at death as an ordinary part of life. If Momonga hadn''t learned to look at death coldly, he would have long ago gone insane watching the ''cleaners'' of the city do their work. On the city streets, rows of dead orphans are often seen before they could be processed or, more often than not, cremated.

    Given the rampant disease among the homeless, even megacorporations didn''t risk turning them all into nutrient mixes.

    But still, it was strange, he might be inured to seeing death, but not in causing or ordering it. Momonga could swear that in the past, in Neo-Japan, he had not been the cause of a single death due to his actions, unless very accidentally and indirectly. Even in Yggdrasil, Momonga, being part of the heteromorphic races and a member of a PK guild unlike Ulbert, for example, didn''t attack NPCs for no reason and raided other Players only when he needed to. Not for the sake of wanting to grieve a bunch of newcomers when given the opportunity.

    Of course, he still killed both NPCs and Players in Yggdrasil, and in very large numbers. Especially in the latter years, when mindless quest completion and combat became his only entertainment in Yggdrasil, but that was virtual, nothing that could ever be carried over into the real world.

    Now, however, he viewed real, tangible living beings as¡­ resources, perhaps? Material for experimentation that he could give to Demiurge to recycle.

    Such a thought evoked in Momonga the faintest, only at the very edge of his perception, a feeling of some kind of disgust. But it was more disgust at seeing some leftover trash, or rotten bodies, than sympathy or anger.

    Of course, Momonga couldn''t be called completely unfeeling. He was willing to kill and die for the last will of his friends, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and felt some slight semblance of affection and responsibility for Miki, for example. But for the most part, his attitude towards other people was¡­ indifferent, he guessed.

    On the other hand, seeing that he was now a figure of worship, where blood sacrifices were being made to, maybe thinking of humans and Fallen Angels as resources was the right way to go about things? He really didn''t want to disappoint his subordinates NPCs.

    In any case, with Pandora''s Actor taking his form and his orders in hand, Demiurge departing with the bodies and captured Fallen, it left Momonga with one last thing to ponder.

    That is what to do, with the corpse of the golden dragon.

    In Yggdrasil, golden dragons were less common than red dragons, though still more common than, for example, sun dragons or magical dragons. But, they''re still a veritable living treasure trove of body parts suitable for cooking, crafting, or even enchanting.

    Unfortunately, however, the body of the slain dragon, its most valuable parts, had been all but destroyed, so Momonga couldn''t get its eyes, tongue, or fangs. Even so, it couldn''t be called a useless catch, not at all.

    On the other hand, standing right now in front of the mountain of destroyed loot, Momonga couldn''t calm his mind, stirred up by the knowledge that he could use the bodies of slain humans to create permanent undead.

    What could he do with the body of a Dragon?

    Most of the undead that Momonga could create had concrete, unchangeable form, like the Death Knights or Elder Liches. But, he does possess spells where the summoned creature whose appearance, characteristics, and even abilities were a lot more flexible, and he could choose the specific Undead he wanted to summon, limited by certain criteria.

    For example, Undead Beast, in Yggdrasil, when cast, Momonga could choose which beast he wished to summon, ranging from bear, boar, snake, and so on¡­ Could he then raise a Zombie Dragon with an ability like this?

    Momonga''s instinct as a gamer told him that it was unlikely, given that the skill was a low-level one, and undead dragons were usually fairly high-level creatures¡­ Except the Skeletal Dragon, of course, which was a mass of skeletons assembled into a dragon form rather than a single dragon skeleton.

    Momonga had created a Death Knight from the body of a fallen angel, which was close enough in body shape to a Death Knight. What if Momonga had tried to create a Death Knight using the body of a dragon? Would the spell fail, or would it just create a normal Death Knight, pretty much wasting the Dragon corpse?

    Maybe he should just dismantle the Dragon for its valuable parts, the ones that he could get at least, and postpone the experiment until he could find less valuable dragons¡­ Maybe he should give a try with the more ubiquitous wyverns instead?

    Well, if he wanted to go experimenting with Dragons, there should be a place swarming with them somewhere in this world, he had seen such a place after all. A whole mountain swarming with dragons.

    Momonga thought about it for a few hard, long seconds before shaking his head, deciding to just leave the dragon alone for now, at least until Demiurge and Pandora''s Actor had more information on the mechanism for creating permanent undead. Finally calming his mind that was too excited by such prospects, he nodded to himself.

    Indeed, Momonga could trust Demiurge as far as scientific experiments were concerned, and with nothing else to do he decided to return back to the human world.

    Having made that decision, Momonga nodded to himself, then reached out, using [Gate] finding himself back in Miki''s home, happy that the world had finally taken mercy on him and given him something good, and seemingly without any unintended consequences!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Katase had left Hyoudou''s residence in a state far more confused and more restless than she had been when she had visited just a mere hour before.

    Perhaps Murayama''s influence had poisoned Katase''s mind before then, making her seriously consider the idea that Satoru had something to do with the school bombing. At most, she thought Satoru was some kind of underground fighter; at worst, the illegitimate son of a yakuza leader¡­

    But absolutely, she had not thought about magic at all!

    Katase found Murayama walking beside her, just as lost in thought as she was. Even if her friend''s brain had rotted, and she was seriously thinking about real life as some clich¨¦ anime plots, Katase doubts that she would ever think that the most implausible of them actually being real!

    Miki, however, didn''t say anything about Satoru or magic, speaking instead about the existence of magic before giving the two friends a meaningful look, forcing them to draw a rather obvious conclusion from her words. After muttering something about them ''not being ready to know the truth yet'', she simply let them leave her house at their own pace.

    Katase''s first impulse was definitely to just dismiss Miki''s words, the very idea of magic seemed too crazy, and it was more likely that she had just been taken in by some strange cult or something. ''Magic'' to Katase was nothing more than the province of charlatan or con artists, scamming the Yen out of gullible people in some conference or church, it was fictional.

    But her life had been one clich¨¦ after another for her to just dismiss this one so easily!

    It was just further proof that her best friend had successfully corrupted her.

    A mysterious, cool, hot newcomer with a mysterious background and past, her school being bombed to smithereens, and now talks of magic¡­ It was all just unreal! Like a story from a stupid manga, whose author had slipped loose from the Editors'' leash!

    "Murayama, you don''t believe it, do you?" Katase, realizing that her self-confidence in the normality of the world was beginning to fail her, turned to her friend. As she was asking such a thing from Murayama, someone who had once believed that there are Vampires, and that they were actually aliens from the moon, Katase had made the wrong decision.

    "I''d be happy to tell you that I don''t believe in such a thing¡­" Murayama said with faux sadness in her voice, showing that despite the unreality of what was happening, she was glad that it could be true.

    How could Murayama not want to be the heroine of her favorite anime? "But one has to face facts."

    "What facts?! That magic is real!? We haven''t even seen any evidence, don''t be absurd!" Katase was immediately indignant, raising her voice, but it was nothing else than just denial. Realizing this fact, she instantly clutched her head.

    "I mean, do you realize what you''re saying?! This is absurd! Murayama, magic doesn''t exist!"

    "And explosions that blow up a school after a new student who suddenly transfers after the start of the school year, who has a very mysterious background, are real!?" Murayama''s sarcastic response easily deflected Katase''s complaints, causing her to indignantly mewl internally, unable to respond to Murayama''s words.

    No matter how one looked at it, she was also speaking the pure truth!

    "But Magic? That''s just impossible!" Katase once again tried to deny her friend''s claim, but she still couldn''t find the argument to do so, simply resorting to repeating her previous argument, which only made it even more pathetic than before.

    Murayama, also well aware of this fact, didn''t even bother to respond, instead just giving her a patronizing look that made her shrink back. Then, looking forward, Murayama opined more.

    "In that case, we must go to a place that will hold the answers to at least some of the questions."

    "I can''t~ I promised I''d be home in an hour, my parents are worried." Katase stretched out uncertainly, causing Murayama to roll her eyes.

    "Do you want answers or not!" Murayama pressed on her reluctance with assertiveness, causing Katase to chew her lips, before slowly.

    "If we want answers, there''s only one way forward. We need to visit the most suspicious of locales!" Murayama raised her finger victoriously to the sky and grinned, her gaze fixed on some invisible target.

    "Forward, to the abandoned church!"

 The new Three-Sided War (7)

    Once inside his home, which was still technically Miki''s home, Momonga could generally consider it his own given Miki''s condition. Momonga looked around before approaching Miki, glancing at her shadow, which instantly rippled.

    Momonga could assume that for the Shadow Demon, it was something akin to an attempt to give a warrior''s salute in his presence.

    However, Momonga could only assume this on the level of speculation, given the fact that the creatures of Yggdrasil had become fully alive in this world, acquiring many habits that they naturally did not have in the game. Momonga was probably years away from being able to fully grasp the uniqueness of his newfound acquaintances and subordinates.

    It was somewhat unusual, something that concerned his own summons, the undead especially.

    Even now, Momonga retained some strange mental connection with them, not a full-fledged connection where he could start a dialog as if he used [Message], but something more fuzzy and almost inexplicable. It was as if he could feel their presence at the edge of his consciousness, the sensations they felt, the fact of their existence, their thoughts, and could even give them non-verbal orders.

    Yet, even with those orders, he did not communicate with them in a full-fledged perceivable human language.

    Standing opposite the Death Knight, for example, Momonga could communicate with the Death Knight, despite the fact that it did not speak or had sent any thoughts into his head distinct enough to become complete phrases. And yet, he was dialoguing so clearly that he could easily interpret them as complete conversations.

    A strange sensation, to say the least.

    But Momonga should probably start getting used to the sensation, given that the undead he had summoned now existed permanently. Momonga planned not to throw away such a gift of fate.

    First, he would make at least a few hundred Death Knights as a start.

    ''And then,'' Momonga decided with a sigh, ''twenty million more.''

    As long as there''s some sense in building up force, I don''t see the point in stopping doing it. And given that this world seems to be overflowing with other paranormal creatures, some of which are comparable to level 100 players, perhaps there would be no such foreseeable future.

    A future in which Momonga somehow thought that he had already created enough undead to stop in my quest to make Nazarick as strong as possible probably doesn''t exist.

    Nazarick, the tomb itself, was now an almost impregnable fortress. Almost.

    The void that now surrounds it imposed excellent debuffs, almost making it uncrossable entirely. Not to mention the fact that any potential attackers would need a powerful teleportation ability to get into the island floating in the void that houses Nazarick.

    The tomb itself, even without the field debuff, had in the past withstood the largest raid in Yggdrasil''s history, a raid that involved 1,500 max-leveled Players. It was a close thing, however, the attack only being broken on Nazarick''s last and strongest defense.

    So, it would be a losing position to lock himself in Nazarick and wait for the enemy to continue to evolve and test their defenses. Proactivity, not reactivity ¨C that was what Punnito Moe had said when sending the guild on a preemptive raid against a potential opponent.

    And even if Momonga was not even a third as smart as Punnito, at the very least he had memorized those wisdoms of his.

    In any case, Momonga had used up his newfound special ability to create as many undead he could with the body he has now, before going back to the human world, to Miki''s house.

    He spotted the woman busy washing the dirty glasses in the sink, while a boiling small pot spread out the fragrant smell of curry in the kitchen.

    Momonga had tasted curry maybe once before? On his twentieth birthday, he had saved up for the dish for almost four months, but every bite of the morsel was worth the money spent.

    The freeze-dried meat tasted amazing!

    Of course, once he had arrived in this world, Momonga had repeatedly tasted dishes that were so superior to his previous culinary experiences that they couldn''t even be said in the same sentence. So much so that his taste buds had gradually begun to adapt to the local cuisine, and Momonga, rather than extensively drooling, instead now simply had his appetite whetted.

    Even to Miki''s cooking.

    Perhaps after a while, where he wouldn''t embarrass himself, he would venture to try one of Nazarick Chef''s dishes, one appropriate to give buffs to level 100s that supposedly tasted heavenly in their item descriptions. Momonga could scarcely imagine how such a dish would taste, when even low-level food already tasted so phenomenally delicious.

    But, until then, Miki''s cooking seemed like a pretty good option to Momonga.

    "Something happened while I was busy?" Momonga asked the question to both Miki and the Shadow Demon at the same time, only addressing Miki more out of politeness than necessity. He was trying to make small talk with Miki, feeling a bit uncomfortable in complete silence in the presence of other people, as he sat down on one of the chairs in the dining room.

    Suddenly, he received a reply from Miki, who had turned to face him, an unexpected one at that.

    "Nothing too important, Lord Momonga. However, the two girls marked with the seal of your choice, Katase and Murayama, visited while you were busy."

    It took Momonga a full second to return from thinking about the potential uses of the undead army being created right now to reality and remember exactly who Miki was talking about. Especially since he appeared to have managed to ''mark the seal of choice'' whatever that means, on anyone in this world. Except perhaps Albedo and Shalltear? But Miki wouldn''t be noting that fact, before remembering the two familiar schoolgirls he had crossed paths with a few times before.

    Under simpler circumstances, perhaps Momonga would not have particularly reacted strongly to such news. But in the past few hours, his life had thrown him a considerable amount of luck in the form of the creation of a permanent army of Undead.

    And, as Momonga had learned quite well from his bitter life experience, no positive news in his life could come without equally negative news. So, Momonga felt his stress levels rise before his emotions were suppressed once again, blocking a possible panic attack and stopping the sweating of his palms.

    "They wanted to know exactly how you were involved in the school bombing," Miki replied calmly, returning to stirring the curry on the stove, clearly not feeling anything special about such questions, delivering them with the simplicity of someone for whom such communication was commonplace.

    "I told them that I knew no more than what the girls themselves know¡­"

    Momonga had no sooner breathed out a sigh of relief when Miki''s next words crashed into him like a tidal wave.

    "I informed them of the existence of magic. However, Lord Momonga, please forgive this unworthy servant; I was unable to gauge their level of involvement, and so I did not dare to speak to them more openly about your nature, Lord Momonga. Please, Lord Momonga, punish me for daring not to discern your great plan!"

    Suddenly stopping her stirring of the curry, Miki instantly turned around, falling to her knees, her arms extended upwards towards Momonga, as if she was begging for alms, as she slammed her forehead into the floor. And with just how loud she had banged her forehead, and the muffled pleas for forgiveness that followed, she was not doing this symbolically but truly begging for forgiveness.

    This caused Momonga to blink, a multitude of thoughts in his head all jumbled together at once.

    Miki begging on her knees for forgiveness, what''s his next great ''plan''? Was supposed to be, but forefront to all of them was that the information that all of Momonga''s attempts to keep his existence and the existence of magic secret had failed. The fact was that, right now, there were two schoolgirls running around the streets who knew of Momonga''s true nature, and he had absolutely no way of restricting their actions or even knowing their location.

    Momonga''s mind boiled with thoughts for a moment before being calmed down again by the suppression of emotions, making Momonga think that he definitely should have started training his resilience to this kind of news.

    Then, after a moment, he started arranging this information in his head, one by one, with a sigh.

    "Umu, Miki, raise your head," Momonga said, with Miki only complying after a moment, removing her face from the floor but not rising from her knees, looking at Momonga carefully, the red imprint of the floorboards on her forehead.

    If such a situation had been created by a Nazarick creature, of course Momonga would have instantly said that they were not guilty of anything and had done everything ''practically right''. But that was only true of Nazarick''s creatures, even in regard to his summons, Momonga would probably feel some sympathy and at least wouldn''t berate them for their failings, feeling the responsibility on himself as their creator.

    However, in regard to Miki, Momonga couldn''t bring himself to say that she wasn''t guilty of anything. On the other hand, Miki was still under Momonga''s provision, and if she went so far as to sit at his feet during his lunch and dinner, stooping to the level of a dog¡­ What demand could Momonga have from his ''pet''? Not that Momonga wanted to put Miki in this position, but how he ''wanted'' was one option, and how it ''turned out'' was another.

    So slowly, Momonga breathed in a deep breath, covering his eyes, then started rubbing his closed eyelids, then the bridge of his nose, and then his temples. He could feel a headache coming in.

    He was silent for a dozen seconds, letting the sound of bubbles rising and bursting in the curry being cooked be the only sound in the kitchen.

    "All right," Momonga exhaled sharply after a dozen seconds and took his hands away from his face before repeating again, a little more confidently, "All right, all right, I see. Miki, telling those two about magic was the wrong thing to do, but it''s not your fault, Miki, you can get up, and¡­ Yes, right, please don''t discuss such things with people outside of Nazarick other than specific people¡­ That I will point out to you personally later on."

    Rising from the seat, Momonga squared his shoulders, trying to at least shake off the mental fatigue that had abruptly come over him as he looked at the face of Miki.

    A cat that had just been kicked by a passerby probably looked less miserable than Miki did at the moment, making even Momonga''s missing heart feel a pang of sadness, and so he lied through clenched teeth,

    "You didn''t do anything wrong¡­ Just, in the future, don''t do it again, okay? It''s just¡­ Yeah, I''m not quite sure that you''ll be able to recognize those who bear the ''seal of my choice'' in the future, yes..."

    Miki''s expression, before, looking like she was about to jump off of a bridge in penance for the sin of misinterpreting the Great Lord Momonga''s ''plan'', smoothed out into palpable relief after a moment, causing Momonga to feel slightly relieved. Apparently, despite the ease with which Momonga had sent the captured Fallen Angels to their deaths, there was at least a modicum of human sympathy left in his heart for humans.

    At least the ones that had become part of his life.

    After receiving Momonga''s forgiveness, Miki bowed deeply in praise to him. "Of course, Lord Momonga, forgive me for my impudence of thought! For daring to think that I could interpret your plans, Lord Momonga!"

    "Yes, of course, all is forgiven," Momonga sighed, and then sat back down in his chair, trying to work out in his head exactly what he needed to do at this moment with regard to the two unknown variables moving quietly through Kuoh right now.

    ''I wonder if the demons will notice if the two girls go missing from Kuoh at this moment?'' Momonga pondered, raising his gaze to the heavens.

    The heavens, unfortunately, were silent.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Yasaka-no-Kyubi, the nine-tailed fox of Kyoto, was not much of a fan of solving governmental problems, paperwork especially. But then again, who could be a fan of such time-consuming and personally taxing things?

    Especially when she could have spent her time better on her daughter, Kunou.

    But, sometimes, necessity triumphed over her personal desires. And unfortunately, sometimes the nasty word ''necessity'' or even ''emergency'' pulled her to her workplace straight from her promised tea party with Kunou¡­ She had only let go after she had promised to make it up to her.

    "So¡­" Yasaka tapped her perfectly manicured index finger on her desk irritably,

    "I''m waiting for the punchline, that this is some kind of extremely stupid joke."

    Swallowing nervously, seeing the irritated look on the face of the head of the entire Japanese youkai faction, her personal secretary-tengu glanced around at her entourage. They were trying to look for support, and encountering commiserating looks of support, decided to just say the news outright. Even if it was actually bad news, that would only raise the Kyuubi''s ire.

    "I''m afraid there''s no mistake."

    "Thirty-two youkai dead, thirty-four missing, all in one night, under my nose in Kyoto¡­ And a powerful vampire is accused of sneaking across half the inhabited world, from Europe to Japan. Even Kunou wouldn''t believe such nonsense!" Yasaka slammed her palms on the table, making the people around her wince, relaxing only when they found out that the room was not on fire. But, if they insist on telling her this bad joke, that could quickly change.

    Yasaka knew she was acting on her emotions at the moment, but her already unhappy mood over having to rush out for an urgent meeting, especially from her daughter, was darkened even more by some completely insane story.

    The last time Yasaka had seen a vampire in Kyoto had been about six years ago. And even back then, the vampires had been a weak and fragmented faction, with most of their members egregiously weak, easily handled even by half-competent Youkai!

    Among all the vampires, there were barely a dozen, give or take a few, powerful ones capable of fighting with a dozen youkai at a time. And all of them were all completely tied up at the moment in the civil war that had broken out between the vampires'' factions.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    A vampire capable of killing three dozen youkai, kidnapping as many, and doing it all in a night, barely leaving any trace of themselves other than desiccated corpses scattered in random places in Kyoto, doesn''t exist!

    Or perhaps, a not so random attack, considering that the dead and disappeared youkai weren''t just random civilians caught up in the rampaging bloodsucker attacks.

    Those that had died or were kidnapped were all criminals, as far as that word even applied in Kyoto.

    Smugglers, counterfeiters, arms dealers, in general, the kind of people that Yasaka had kept from growing in numbers in Kyoto, but not completely destroyed, keeping them under control instead, as a politician in her position was supposed to do.

    That last part was the straw that broke the camel''s back in the story being in any way truthful, the story sounded straight out of the manga that Kunou secretly reads!

    Firstly, what vampire would decide to play vigilante in the territory of Youkai, in the center of their power at that! And secondly, while these people could not be called the most powerful of youkais in Kyoto, they were not at all the weakest, especially not their bodyguards.

    Half of whom had disappeared, and half of whom had turned into desiccated corpses now scattered all over Kyoto!

    "Count fucking Dracula has decided to return to our sinful world and pull his underpants over his tights, punishing criminals halfway across the globe from his homeland! Are you being serious, right now? Because that''s what your ''report'' essentially said!" Yasaka slapped the table once more, cursing in the presence of her subordinates.

    Normally, Yasaka wouldn''t let her more aggressive nature lash out so easily in public, but she was still a nine-tailed kitsune, a beast of destruction in her own right. And the current situation was not at all conducive to her rationality and calm mind.

    So, with an angry intake of air and a forceful exhalation that made the air smell distinctly of ozone, not a good sign to all the youkai around her, as it meant that Yasaka was thinking of unleashing her full might. After a deep breath of air, the smell of ozone disappeared to the evident sigh of relief from her subordinate, as Yasaka tried to assume her usual regal demeanor and nodded.

    "Well, what other information have you gathered besides what you''ve already said? Let''s just say that I''m extending an olive branch of belief. Is there any other explanation, though? Any connection between the murdered men? Anything special in their history of past dealings?"

    The fact that the murdered men were members of Kyoto''s ''underground'' circles were an open secret, as was the fact that they existed under Yasaka''s careful control and supervision. So, no one was surprised at her demand for information about the deals they''d made.

    "Nothing much, just the usual petty trading and smuggling, counterfeiting, diluted counterfeit potions, it was business as usual. No major contracts lately with new parties, most of them have never done business with Europe at all. I think only one or two youkai have ever seen a vampire in the past."

    Unfortunately, the shrewd nezumi Yasaka kept to her employ due to their ability to sniff out information, didn''t have much to offer. Yasaka kept him with her to sniff out the dark deeds and secrets of other youkai, humans, and Devils. In other words, something to actually prevent the current situation in Kyoto from happening.

    "Between the dead, there were the usual working relationships, a few personal interactions, a couple of infidelities, and business as usual." As if sensing her irritation, the nezumi quickly continued.

    Clasping her hands together, Yasaka covered her eyes, trying to map all the information she knew and had just learned off, even if it wasn''t much, in her mind.

    What could connect the youkai from the underbelly of Kyoto, unconnected by business and personal ties, to vampires, and given the living conditions of vampires, to Romania? The old gods of Europe, the Balkans, had long ago withdrawn into their own pocket worlds, so long ago that Yasaka herself did not even know those who would remember the times of their existence. Together with the advent of the Roman Empire, those pantheons were effectively destroyed and did not appear on the world stage again, especially not with the advent of Christianity¡­

    Wait, an idea popped up in Yasaka''s mind, a possible connection that might actually exist, something that could cause a strong vampire, an exception in their race, to visit Kyoto, and play vigilante. This realization caused her to look up at Nezumi. "Christianity."

    The non-sequitur words only caused confusion in her advisors'' faces, but it fits.

    Vampires were a faction unto themselves on the world stage, at least formally speaking, but vampires were weak and there was nothing special about the fact that they were weak. The world couldn''t survive hundreds of thousands of monsters that could tear the world apart in one bad morning if they fail to control themselves.

    But, that in turn meant that most of the weaker factions were somehow within the sphere of influence of the larger players. Not that the weaker factions liked this fact, but reality says otherwise, weaker factions cannot survive on their own.

    If this was not the case, Kyoto would never have agreed to give the Devils full control over a parcel of their territory. All simply because some Devil aristocrats wanted to get a ''country estate'' on the territory of a foreign country, for a laughable amount of money.

    And the sum was really laughable, what was money''s worth, when any weak paranormal could get much more for demonstrating crumbs of his magic? Mud underfoot, created only to avoid humiliating the Youkai even more.

    However, if the whole situation with the Devils essentially taking an entire city from Kyoto under their control had any positive side, no matter how minor, it was that Yasaka found herself more or less privy to the internal affairs of the Christian faction.

    Romania was the same way.

    Technically speaking, the vampires were an independent faction, with the major players having little interest in the squabbles between two clans, or what was it, families? Of a weak faction like the Vampires.

    As long as none of them overstepped their personal boundaries, the great powers wouldn''t push their shit in, pardon the crass words. But, that illusion of autonomy ended when the great players needed to take advantage of the vampire''s resources, territory, or population.

    And the biggest player in the region was not the Greek Pantheon at all, Romania was too close to the Holy See''s center of power for that to be the case. In fact, control of the second capital of that region was a constant source of contention between the two pantheons.

    And with the Greek Pantheon rarely acting openly, letting the angels get their way most of the time, it meant that the Angelic faction was deeply entangled in the muck of vampire strife. Which meant that if Yasaka couldn''t think of a way to link vampires and Youkai as they stand¡­

    Perhaps she should have added an extra link.

    "I need a full report on what''s happening in the last two weeks with the Christian faction."

    Yasaka nodded gravely and glanced at the youkai around her, who had done nothing but just stare at her in confusion.

    "What are you just standing around for?! Kyoto is on the verge of another crisis! Move!"

    After barking her order, Yasaka''s deputies, advisors, and ministers bowed instantly in a hurry, before quickly going to their workstations. Yasaka noticed how easily the nezumi slipped out of his seat, immediately and pulled out his cell phone, dialing the numbers of their informants.

    A phone that, of course, has been strengthened against surveillance, and to work not through the mobile network at all.

    However, somehow, contrary to all previous years when the sight of such a working machine had filled Yasaka with confidence, this time looking at such a thing all she could feel was a strange and vague sense of unease.

    Seeing that the phone hadn''t suddenly turned into a monster and had eaten the nezumi''s head, Yasaka could only chalk the bad feeling she''s getting to the disaster that she could foresee ahead.

    A storm is brewing, and it just had to be the bad Batman cosplayer heralding its coming to Kyoto''s shores.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Asia Argento was a faithful junior nun, a sister of consolation and servant of the Lord¡­ Even while excommunicated.

    Asia was always a zealous believer in the doctrines of the church and the words of the Lord. But, as is the case with different doctrines and sects, different implementations of those could produce different, sometimes completely opposite results and ideas. And, such differing results and ideas ended up serving different people''s sins.

    After all, the Lord''s servants were also people, and where there were people, there was human imperfection. Struggles for power, underhanded politics and self-serving decisions have been made, which by definition, couldn''t satisfy all the parties involved in this process.

    In particular, of all the ideas of Christianity, Catholicism, to be more precise, and to be even more precise, the Spanish branch of the Catholic Women''s Congregation of the Daughters of Charity have differing ideas.

    With the greatest of piety, Asia treated the words ''Do no harm'' and ''Love thy neighbor as you love yourself'', words that she had taken as her core beliefs. Such belief may have been influenced by Asia''s own life story, abandoned at the gates of the church and raised from the beginning of her life in the vows of the church and the charity of her sisters.

    Asia always treated her neighbors with all the charity she could muster, remembering the words ''love the sinner, hate the sin.''

    When a fortuitous event caused her to manifest her [Sacred Gear] and she had gained the ability to heal people, Asia''s life was literally predestined and paved beneath her feet. Demonstrating mercy has never been easier than having the ability to truly heal wounds.

    Unfortunately, as is so often the case, people''s best laid plans are ruined by the little things along the way.

    During all of Asia''s education and training in mercy, her teacher forgot to make an important note in her education. That mercy should not be extended to all those in need, but exclusively those who had been pre-selected by the church to be healed.

    No matter how hypocritical that might have sounded, they are only human, after all.

    And among such restrictions, the healing of a Devil was perhaps the greatest taboo. The breaking of which had resulted in the ''Holy Maiden'' to be excommunicated from her small town in Spain, to be kicked out of the only place she had ever known.

    Fortunately for Asia, in the current times, excommunication didn''t mean certain death or a combat squad of the Inquisition sent to save her soul, by killing her before she could commit more sins. But unfortunately for Asia, dodging immediate death didn''t guarantee Asia anything more.

    Finding herself on the streets and outside the confines of her home, the girl who had grown up in the cloisters of a church, was suddenly confronted with a harsh real world for which she was completely unprepared for.

    However, her reputation as the ''Holy Maiden'' was not something that the church could easily get rid of. After a couple of days of wandering, a kindly elderly gentleman found her in a shelter for the homeless and lost, after which he offered her to return to the church again, even to contact the angels directly¡­

    Sadly, the churches would be abandoned churches, and the Angels would possess wings of a suspiciously dark color. But if she had already sinned and healed a Devil, and had been declared a heretic herself, what did she care about being among other heretics, excommunicated from Divine Grace?

    Thus began Asia''s work among the Fallen Angels and their allies in the human world. It was a life of constant and frequent travels as she healed tattered bodies, and blasphemous apostates alike.

    But, as always, Asia Argento kept sacred her duty, memorized from her church days, that her excommunication could not erase. ''Love thy neighbor'', it was not her place to judge. Such a privilege only belonged to the Lord, and thus Asia kept healing.

    And, besides, not every Fallen or heretic she encountered was a monster.

    There were no such things as irredeemable monsters in Asia''s opinion, and even Fallen Angels acted like humans sometimes, besides the bad; there was definitely some good in them.

    In the course of her work, she had encountered noble heretics, excommunicated only because of disagreements with their superiors, or fallen whose nobility shone brighter than the sun. Of course, not all of them were such, in fact, they''re only a very small minority. But the very fact of their existence, the very fact that among the excommunicated and shamed there were people who embodied the doctrines of the church better than other priests¡­ It made Asia even more convinced that mercy did not belong only to a narrow circle of people, but had to be shown to all equally.

    Among the low-down sinners, there was sometimes a faith more pure and fierce than among the highest of ecclesiastes.

    Asia had traveled all over the known world to where the Fallen Angels had pointed her towards, and had been to eight countries. So when, in her seventeenth year, Asia found herself in Japan at the request of the Fallen Angel Raynare, she did not think much of the mission before her. In her view, it was just business as usual.

    She would find companionship, she would treat the wounded and weary, and in a couple of months, she would be off again to another country. Maybe this time she would go to Africa? It was a continent that Asia had never visited before.

    Asia realized that this mission would be different from the others when mistress Mittelt, who had picked her directly from the train station, a Fallen Angel that is part of mistress Raynare''s service. She had asked her a rather simple, but strange question.

    "Tell me, Asia¡­ Do you believe in God?"

    To receive such a question in the circles of fallen angels, especially from a Fallen Angel herself, was a great strangeness. One could even say it was stupidity. What could be reasoned in the matter of ''faith'' if the existence of God was an objectively proven fact? Asked by a direct creation of His even?

    However, Asia answered such a question in the affirmative; after all, she didn''t need the approval of the church to continue to keep faith in her heart.

    However, as her further practice had shown her, the tests of her faith had only begun the moment she stepped off the platform at the small station near the not-so small town of Kuoh.

    Of course, Asia knew of the existence of Devils; after all, curing one had been the start of her journey.

    But Asia was definitely unaware of the existence of Christian Devils, for she had always believed, and been taught, that Devils could not tolerate the touch of holy relics, be it a cross or a Bible. Even the mention of the Lord''s name, even just a nickname, not the Name itself, hurt them.

    In the end, even powerless humans could ward off the demonic servant with the words of the Saints.

    However, the Bible-reading demon she met in the church, and then the demoness who arrived next, who also engaged in the act, seriously made Asia question this seemingly universally known fact.

    What, however, did not put her faith to the test was the fact that the cruelty of the Devils, at least some of them, was not exaggerated. As could be confirmed and attested by the figures of sinners frozen in concrete, their face of anguish preserved forever.

    As Mrs. Mittelt later revealed to her, these were blasphemers atoning for their sins in this way. Asia knew of penitents that would scar their backs bloody, as if such a method could absolve their sins¡­ But to repent by having your entire body encased in stone? That was a first for Asia.

    What great sin they have committed could have made them feel the need for such extreme repentance?

    Asia''s faith was further tested by the information that the Lord had died many years ago in the war against Lucifer. And Asia knows them to be the truth, for no Angel, fallen or not, would lie about such a thing. Weaponize? Yes, but lie about it? Never. The sons and daughters of the Lord would not betray their Father like that, estranged or no.

    However, before this revelation would have completely crushed Asia''s spirit, she was informed that the Lord had ''gotten better'' somehow, and returned to Earth again. By the way, Mrs. Mittelt had met with him personally, and Mrs. Raynare had even received forgiveness for Falling, directly from him.

    Perhaps Asia herself will also meet him, given that he descended into the world of men and took human form, incidentally, together with his Son.

    But after this information, Asia learned that right now, she had arrived, most likely, at her final point of stay, in every sense of the world.

    There could hardly be anything more final than the Judgement Day, could there?

    Well, if someone had set out to break Asia''s mind, this unknown person had definitely achieved his goal. The abbess of this church, Mrs. Raynare, had even allowed her to rest in her room for a while. As she herself explained later, Asia was supposed to come to this church to perform some kind of ritual of sorts, well that''s not happening anymore.

    Under the current circumstances, all of Mrs. Raynare''s past plans were so petty and unimportant that Asia was only here rather accidentally, involved in all these big events by happenstance. Like a small fly stuck with all its paws in a huge web, Asia would have a front row seat to the End of Days.

    On the other hand, Lord Demiurge and Lady Albedo, not to mention Father, had allowed Asia to arrive in this church, so perhaps the coincidences weren''t coincidental after all.

    But trying to piece together all the information Asia had been given since she had arrived in Kuoh was only going to give Asia a headache. So, as she slowly devoured one cup of tea after another, Asia tried to make sense of her life at the moment.

    She was not doing a very good job of it.

    You couldn''t give so much world-changing news to one simple nun in one day!

    So all Asia could hope for was that after the twelfth cup of tea, she would be able to regain her senses. And that, after a few days, she would gradually be able to reconcile all the information she had been given with what she had learned all her life and return to reality¡­

    Whatever reality might mean to her by then.

    That was what Asia was thinking as she swiftly ran across the church floor. Luckily, at the moment, Lord Demiurge had left the church with plans unknown to Asia, and Lady Albedo and the other three Fallen were busy at the moment. So there was no one around her who could once again share some mind breaking revelation.

    Which meant that she, with a cup of tea in hand, could skip past the sinners encased in concrete in the main hall and once again try to get her mind in order¡­

    Or at least that''s what Asia herself thought.

    The sudden opening of the church''s front door cut short such plans of the nun, causing her to squeak in surprise before crashing into the person who had entered. The sudden stop to her movement had caused her steaming cup of tea to be spilled on herself. With a hiss of pain, Asia realized that she had injured herself, the skin that had been splashed by the water quickly turning red.

    "Oh, excuse me! I''m sorry, I wasn''t looking where I am going, are you alright?" The person Asia had just crashed into, a girl along with her friend, unfortunately spoke Japanese.

    A language that Asia knew only superficially at the moment, and so Asia was unable to respond to the girl''s words. However, a moment later, when with a faint greenish glow, a ring appeared on Asia''s finger, allowing her to put her hand to her body, instantly removing any signs of the burn and looking up at the girls.

    The girls who were looking at Asia with two pairs of surprised eyes. She could understand the surprise

    And although, unfortunately, Asia barely knew any Japanese at this point, somehow she was sure that the girls'' next words were inexorably linked to some big secret that Asia had accidentally revealed to the outside world.

    "Murayama," Katase''s language was incomprehensible to Asia, but even so, she was sure that she knew the meaning of her words, "magic really does exist¡­"

    Murayama glanced at Asia, her ring glittering on her finger, forgetting her desire to give her a helping hand just a moment ago, as she cast an unexpectedly triumphant glance at her friend.

    "Anime doesn''t lie, put your faith in anime!"

    These were definitely fellow believers, how could one sound so praiseful unless they are also believers in God?

 The new Three-Sided War (8)

    Every creature in the service of the Forty-One Supreme Being, especially with the first among them, Lord Momonga, considered service a duty and work a blessing. Something that allowed them to express their endless love for their creators.

    No matter which servant of the Forty-One it was, from the first-level Nazarick''s Homunculus maid or a hundredth-level Floor Guardian, duty was a boon, and rest was nothing more than perhaps the worst of punishments.

    How could those, who were unable to express their love for their creators through their faithful service, live? The mere thought of it was frightening in its repugnance, unnatural to the whole nature of Nazarick''s loyal subjects.

    And so, the understanding of the creatures of Nazarick concerning other, inferior beings not blessed by being able to give service to the Forty-One varied from creature to creature.

    Some, like Lord Sebas, believed that such an unnatural existence was in itself a cause for sorrow, especially when they were deprived of even the possibility of knowing how sad their lives were. Some, like Lord Demiurge, believed that the lives of the inferior beings outside Nazarick, deprived of blessed service, were inherently meaningless and did not fit the very label of life as such. Therefore, no act done to them could be evil.

    Just as one could not weep at the death of a stone, the very word ''death'' was inapplicable to them.

    After all, could their previous wretched existence even be called ''life''?

    The Hanzo, currently positioned in the shadow of a weak Deviless, whose name he had found out a little earlier Ruruka Nimura, was, as could be understood according to his neutral karma, is in the middle between these two schools of thoughts.

    Yes, the lives of those deprived of the Forty-One''s mercy were meaningless, and the Hanzo wouldn''t even bat an eye if they were killed to fulfill a purpose, or for no reason at all. But at the same time, there was a peculiar charm to watching such simple creatures in their natural habitat. It''s like going to a zoo, or watching an ant farm.

    The petty intrigues, the relationships, the social games and interactions, as if those meant anything in the great picture of the world beyond their petty and meaningless collective. It was like watching ants in their colony, with their complicated system of orders and assignment of duties that fit within the confines of a single sheet of paper, that could so easily be upturned by a flip of the hand, or a careless bump.

    "Rias¡­" Sona, the so-called King of Nimura''s, tried to speak words of support, as she placed a hand on her friend''s shoulder. A hand that she instantly pulled away as if she had just touched acid, as her friend, full of pain and anger, glared at her.

    Take, for example, Rias Gremory, a Devil Hanzo was observing right now, as he was being hidden inside a shadow of her friend''s [Peerage].

    Receiving the news that her father had died a little earlier had caused her to display a flurry of emotions. Pain, sadness, confusion, and anger that she couldn''t let go of, now deprived of the opportunity to avenge her dead family with the death of the perpetrator and, in time, their entire race.

    Wasn''t there something wonderfully enchanting about the emotions she was feeling and displaying? Deprived of the possibility of solace in the arms of the Forty-One''s service, she was a step away from becoming raving mad. And the Hanzo expected that she would further descend into madness, perhaps even burning bridges by careless words, and even self-destructive actions¡­

    The Hanzo was not a sadist in the truest sense of the word, the mere infliction of pain did not bring him pleasure, and even watching the reaction to that pain did not particularly resonate with him. But the display of emotionality, their actions¡­ Those caught his attention, but not just because they are reacting to pain.

    With no less interest, the Hanzo would have watched interest if they had won the lottery, lost an arm, or confessed their love. Just watching the reactions to such events, events that were generally petty from the great Nazarick''s point of view, brought Hanzo pleasure.

    Or, rather, it piqued his interest.

    The Hanzo was a level eighty creature specialized in information gathering. He might be inferior to creatures even more specialized in his field, but he was still a highly skilled information-gatherer, that was why he was assigned his mission to collect that information in the first place.

    And that was why the Hanzo loved gathering information.

    ''Hmph, perhaps this is how Lord Pandora''s Actor feels when he''s collecting?'' The Hanzo allowed himself the idle thought without allowing it to distract himself from his original mission.

    "Rias¡­" Sona sounded a little more insistent this time, as she sat down next to Rias. Rias, who was trying to keep an angry, furious cry of pain and despair from escaping her mouth as Sona placed a hand on her wrist and squeezed it in an effort to display her support. "I''m here for you, Rias¡­"

    Rias tried to jerk his hand away, but Sona''s hand on her wrist prevented her from doing so, forcing her to turn to Sona instead. Sona''s gaze met Rias'', and she tried to jerk her hand away from Sona''s again, who didn''t let go of her hand. A moment later, Sona hugged the now shaking girl, letting the grieving girl squeeze Sona''s shoulder with all her might, resting her head on her petite friend''s shoulder.

    Before long, Rias started crying as the pain at the realization that her father''s death and the destruction of her home overwhelmed her.

    Technically speaking, the Hanzo, being in the shadow of a Peerage member that doesn''t have the standing to witness an Heiress'' emotional breakdown, meant that he wasn''t in the same room with the two girls. But, being level eighty, he hadn''t been needing to pay attention to such trivialities for a long time.

    For instance, watching yet another two Devils in yet another room, was trivial to him.

    "Right now, the Gremory estate is under heavy guard. All entrances and exits from Underworld have been sealed off. So unfortunately, you''ll have to stay in the Human world for at least a few more days until the authorities have finished investigating the attack and are satisfied that the danger is over. After that, you''ll probably be called back to the Underworld."

    Under other circumstances, the meeting between Kiba and his old teacher, Okita Souji, a [Knight] of Sirzechs, would have been a joyous occasion, but the occasion was anything but joyful. The expression on Okita''s face was somber, as was Kiba''s, an emotion shared by all the other Devils in the retinue of the Satans.

    "And how long will we be leaving the Human World?" Ruruka asked, her emotions a mixture of joy and nervousness at the impending departure to the Devil world, sadness, and confusion at the tragedy in the Devil world, and worry about the safety of her own parents. Of course, Ruruka was well aware that she was not supposed to share with her parents her new nature as a Devil, nor was she supposed to tell anyone else, but at this point, it was something more than just having a secret or two from her parents!

    "Officially, you will all be going on an educational trip to Europe thanks to a grant from the government after your school was destroyed. It will most likely last two or three weeks," Okita answered Ruruka confidently enough, but the reason she revealed Sona''s nature as a Devil was her ''perceptiveness'', and so ''confidence'' alone was clearly not enough to fool her clear gaze for innuendos and secrets.

    "What if it wouldn''t?" Ruruka squinted her eyes at Okita. "Can you promise that we''ll be back home after three weeks?"

    Okita didn''t answer in the affirmative, only looking away from Ruruka''s face. "We can''t risk two heiresses of noble families at this time, and it is the duty of the [Peerage] to follow their king at all times."

    Hearing these words, Ruruka, who was about to ask further questions, froze before looking at Okita with eyes that instantly widened at these words. She cast her gaze at her surroundings, looking for support from those around her. "But¡­ my parents¡­"

    The other members of Sona''s [Peerages] cast a sympathetic glance at her, and a good portion of them even expressed some support for her, but Rias'' own [Peerage] remained rather indifferent to her plight. It was true that Ruruka had not been in the Devil business for very long, but she had already learned that virtually all of Rias'' [Peerage] were orphans. It wasn''t exactly a secret, and with her King closeness with the other Heiress, it was practically guaranteed that Ruruka would learn that fact.

    So, for them, learning that they''re going to leave the Human World for an unknown period of time was probably not a big deal. However, most of Sona''s [Peerage] were regular, normal people, reborn into a Devil like Ruruka herself, they still had family in the Human World that they clearly didn''t want to leave behind.

    Perhaps a couple of weeks sounded like a good plan for a vacation, what high school student didn''t want to go on a surprise vacation in the middle of the school year? But what if such a thing dragged on for a month? Or two? Or even more?!

    Will they ever meet their family again?

    Up until this point, it seemed to Ruruka that her rebirth into a Devil were all positives. Practical immortality, the ability to use magic, and patronage to a powerful Devil family, plus an exciting life interacting with the secret paranormal side of the world. In general, everything a schoolgirl in the prime of her life could dream of. All that''s left to add is a harem of the school''s most handsome boys, and that''s the recipe for the average high school girl''s fantasy!

    Only now, for the first time since her turning, did Ruruka realize that such fantastic and positive events probably had their own negative counterpart, perhaps even comparable in magnitude to the positive traits. Or perhaps even worse.

    The Hanzo had little interest in Ruruka''s inner turmoil at the moment. What interested him much more, however, was getting information from the Devil, and being in the Devil world would make the Hanzo''s information gathering much easier and much more complete.

    However, at the same time, the Devil world was also a much more dangerous place. Although the Hanzo was a comparatively high-level being, and an expert with a high degree of level of stealth, judging from the information he had received, some Devils were higher level than him, probably even comparable to the hundredth level.

    If any of those Devils also specialized in gathering information and were capable of countering the Hanzo''s stealth¡­ It would mean the death of him.

    The Hanzo thought about what he should do next for a moment. He had no fear of death, and the opportunity to sacrifice himself to fulfill Lord Momonga''s sacred mission was one of the most blessed rights of the servants of the Forty-One Supreme Beings. But a death that led to nothing, a death that would not allow the Hanzo to fulfill his duty, a death that would deprive Nazarick of an important resource in the form of his body and mind? It was an unforgivable transgression.

    Under the current circumstances, the Hanzo needed more information to determine what he should do next. And for that, he required guidance from either Lord Pandora''s Actor, Lord Demiurge, or Lady Albedo.

    Fortunately, the Hanzo himself didn''t need too much time to ponder who he should ask for such advice before he felt a [Message], to connect with his mind.

    ''Hanzo?'' As expected of the Supreme Being, as soon as the thought even entered his mind, Lord Momonga had already foreseen it.

    "I hear and obey, Lord Momonga!" Hanzo replied instantly, in his mind of course, involuntarily stretching out to his full height despite the fact that he was currently in the shadow of the devil and unable to do so for very definite physical reasons.

    ''Hanzo, I need you to find two girls currently somewhere in the city. Katase and Murayama, I believe Pandora''s Actor already gave you some information about them?.'' Lord Momonga''s words made the Hanzo instantly recall what information he had been given by Lord Pandora''s Actor.

    ''Once you discover their whereabouts, report it immediately, and start tracking them. Do not interfere with their actions directly; however, closely observe exactly who they will be communicating with and what actions they will be taking,'' Lord Momonga''s voice sounded calm but brokered no argument, causing the Hanzo to nod instantly.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "At once, Lord Momonga!"

    After another moment, Hanzo cast one last glance at the Devils around him and their mixed emotions and reactions. Indeed, as always, Lord Momonga''s inexorable and unknowable mind had seen through a thousand plans and a hundred thousand doubts, intervening in the Hanzo''s moment of confusion and guiding him onto a new path just when it was needed.

    It was that thought that made the Hanzo smile, as he looked at the poor Devils around him. Depressed, frustrated, and vengeful, they were all but a small part, a tiny grain of sand swirling in the whirlpool of Lord Momonga''s plan, unaware that they were only a small part of the unknowable great all¡­

    ''Hmm, see you later, Devils.'' The Hanzo slipped out of Ruruka''s shadow without a sound or any evidence of his passing, moving through the shadows before emerging outside the room, and then at the far corner of the building.

    Casting one last glance at the direction where the Devils were gathering, he allowed a small smile to spread across his face, even when it was supposed to be incapable of expressing such emotions.

    ''I think we''ll meet again¡­ I wonder when our next encounter occurs, what emotions will you be feeling at that moment?''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Katase, who had come behind Murayama, her hand was still reaching out to the fallen nun, still in absolute shock, more in tune with the instincts in her head than with any rational thought. Asia, who had come up behind her, however, merely ran her hand over her body, her hands still glowing green with the magical light.

    Then, as if nothing had happened, Asia turned back to them with a small apologetic smile, as if they were the ones she had caused trouble for. She then said something to them in a language that Katase herself recognized with some doubt as English.

    Unfortunately, English was a language that Katase could not learn no matter how much she tried, not to mention the fact that in her current state of shock, she could hardly distinguish between Japanese and cuneiform. So, she could only ask dumbly in her mother language, even when she already knew that the girl couldn''t speak the language.

    "Are you hurt?"

    The girl, clearly not understanding the meaning of the words but just reading through the tone of her voice, grasped her hand in thanks before standing up and shaking herself off a little. Then, casting a saddened look at the broken mug and turning her gaze to the two still looking worried, for whom the mug was of the least interest.

    More important to them was the fact that magic did seem to exist in reality, and not just in the form of televised ''miracle healers'' or dubious ''gurus''. Performing their healing on the TV as they accepted donations from a ''pure soul'' with a clearly laid out system of how much the soul had to be ''purified'' for the sake of an appointment with that guru.

    Or, alternatively, the two girls had just observed the most technologically advanced and high-level prank in the world, and that in turn wasn''t that bad either, given that someone deemed them important enough for such tricks. It would be entertaining if nothing else.

    The nun, however, took one last look at the two girls, who were in a total blackout of all their higher cognitive functions, and started talking to them again in English. After which, having gotten no response, she repeated her question in another language to no avail again. Seeing that the two girls were simply not responding to her, she grabbed hold of the girls'' hands and led them inside the church, which the still shocked silly Katase and Murayama allowed to be done to them.

    Luckily, Murayama came out of her stupor quickly enough that when the nun led them to a small bench, she was already looking around the church for anything unusual, her head swiveling. Katase, unlike her friend, was already trying to compare the new information about the laws of the world around her with what she knew. As if trying to find out whether this church was a special place, or whether she should have been less dismissive of the ''backwoods guru'' and more thoughtful about how not to offend some spirit living in her shoes.

    The nun, however, having examined the two girls and evidently concluded that they were physically fine, and that she would not be able to make verbal communication with them, performed a little pantomime. First, she put out one palm, then pointed downward with her outstretched index finger, clearly urging the two girls to sit still.

    After getting two nods from the girls, Katase''s was particularly unsure, the nun nodded to herself, turned around, and quickly walked away to god knows where.

    "Murayama¡­" Katase''s voice contained at least a hundred thousand different emotions, and Murayama couldn''t even tell if she was screaming or whispering. "Magic exists!"

    "I guess so," Murayama nodded much more placidly as she looked around the church. Indeed, when she had heard of an ''abandoned church'' in town, she had pictured a building with mangled doors, broken windows, and detritus all around, but instead she had found the supposedly ''abandoned'' church looked surprisingly tidy, inside and out.

    This meant that the church had either never been abandoned in the first place, with the Kuoh rumor mill doing what it does best, or it had been renovated in a short time, apparently very recently.

    Murayama''s gaze was then turned to the center hall, trying to confirm her own words. Though she herself wasn''t particularly versed in the shrines of Christianity, the large cross, clearly recently washed, and the icons painted in red and white looked quite impressive, as did the statues of sinners on the sides of the hall. Those were quite numerous, and looking at their realism, you could really feel the pain and horror expressed on the faces of those figures, as if the master sculptor had actually caught living people and captured their suffering in stone.

    After a couple more moments of staring, and before Katase could say something that would repeat her previous words, both girls heard a new voice approaching them. "Asia, our church is currently not in contact with the outside world, so I would be very interested to see who would dare to appear here at this moment¡­"

    Judging by the pressure and coldness of their voices, Murayama and Katase could not expect anything good from meeting them¡­ They never expected to encounter magic? As it turned out, the world was full of surprises, so the girls should not be so close-minded in their judgments at the moment.

    Who knows? Maybe the owner of this very cold voice could actually be a nice person?

    A few seconds later, a figure appeared from the corner of the room, and Katase''s gaze was instantly drawn first to the fact that the speaker was a girl. She was short, with black hair and violet-colored eyes, dressed in a kind of office suit¡­

    And then to the fact that the girl had black wings attached behind her back, they were quite large and quite soft in appearance. And they were definitely real, and not the fake kind of wings she had seen on cosplayers and actors on the TV, they looked even more real than the best of CGIs!

    They were screwed, weren''t they? Black wings are never the signs of a good guy in all the anime she watched!

    Katase wanted to lose consciousness at this moment, to shut off her mind for a brief moment from the crazy sights that were breaking her worldview, if only for a dozen minutes. After all, if she did so, then her current problems would become the problem of future Katase!

    But losing consciousness did not come to her, in spite of her desire. Instead, Murayama, adapting to the unbelievable facts that were breaking her perception of reality with surprising ease, immediately asked the girl. "Are you the Kami of this place?"

    "No, I''m a Fallen Angel," The response came instantly, just like that, as if Murayama were talking about the weather¡­ Although, maybe it was like talking about the weather? Perhaps Katase was actually still in her bed right now, dreaming of Fallen Angels, gods, and who knows what else that had become a normal part of her dream world?

    Perhaps Katase just happened to turn away at the moment it was explained in class and missed such an important part of the world?

    Katase''s brain was melting and trying with all its might to leak out of her skull, and she wasn''t even sure if it was worth forcibly keeping it inside her head anymore. Perhaps if she could stop thinking, at least Katase would stop having such a terrible headache.

    "Hmph, two people inside the church¡­ Another test from Him? Indeed, the one who possesses [Omniscience] couldn''t allow such an oversight¡­ Or is this a test?" The Fallen Angel, who could show the large raven-colored wings to prove her title, as many as four, as Katase saw, froze in front of the two girls, as she looked at them carefully. But there was nothing kind in her gaze, more like a detective examining a mutilated corpse for clues, with a slight disdain and interest, without any warmth in her gaze.

    It meant nothing good for the two girls that had unknowingly dug too deep, mirroring the action of one of Sona''s Pawns. Not that the two girls knew that, of course.

    Truthfully, Katase didn''t really care about the whole situation around her at the moment, so much so that she didn''t even pay attention to it. Her mind was simply too out of sorts to even comprehend it.

    Maybe she would go out and see her grandmother riding a unicorn with a nonchalant look? And she wouldn''t even bat an eye at seeing such a thing. Right now, Katase was ready to believe in all religions at once, and, ironically, was farther away from any concept of faith than she had been before.

    The nun said a few words, causing the Fallen Angel woman to shift her gaze to her, then nodded, smiling a slightly smug smile. "Indeed. The path of forgiveness is not forged by punishment alone, but by mercy."

    After another moment, the Fallen Angel woman folded her wings behind her back, making them disappear somehow, before turning to the two girls. "Pardon me, I¡­ Ahem, I''m not used to receiving visitors in this church. My name is Raynare, a Fallen Angel, four-winged, though I''m not sure if you understand the significance of that¡­ The abbess of this church, I believe."

    "Murayama Tanabe, class 2-A student of Kuoh Academy High School!" Murayama replied with unbridled enthusiasm, who had almost completely gotten over the fact that magic was real and Fallen Angels lived within walking distance of her own home. It''s like finding out that Santa lived in her attic.

    "Katase Higa, Murayama''s classmate," Katase replied lifelessly. What was the point of showing emotion at this moment? The whole world had turned into one continuous nonsense that she had no hope of understanding¡­

    "Nice to meet you¡­ Katase, Murayama," Raynare said before a thought seemed to have shocked her somewhat as she suddenly shifted her gaze to Katase. "Wait¡­ Katase? You have already come to the church before, haven''t you?"

    "Yeah," Katase answered calmly. And really, it didn''t matter how she answered; surely Raynare knew the truth, and if she didn''t, she could find out with magic or something. "I kissed Satoru here¡­"

    "Stop, what?!" Raynare suddenly took a step back from Katase, as if she was just struck with a heavy blow, causing Murayama to suddenly perk up, and Katase herself to strain her brain.

    ''Was Satoru connected to this whole thing? How!?''

    Thinking¡­ Difficult¡­ Thinking¡­ Painful¡­ Everything¡­ Pointless¡­.

    "You¡­" Raynare suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at Katase, pointing at her as if Katase was the most unbelievable object next to the wound-healing nun and the real and talking Fallen Angel.

    "You''re the Virgin Mary?!"

    After saying that, Katase suddenly exhaled sharply, smiled, and began to lurch to the side.

    Of course, Katase had found herself in such a state many times before, when an errant swing of her opponent''s shinai struck her somewhere vulnerable. But never before had Katase lost her consciousness with such joy.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Johan received the information about the death of his employer and the other party to the contract between the mage and the Devil instantly, sensing the termination of the contract itself. Considering that the contract itself could only be terminated for two reasons besides mutual consent, a breach of the terms of the contract or the death of one of the parties, Johan couldn''t imagine how Zeoticus could have broken the contract. The conclusion of what had happened was very clear.

    The ensuing outburst of [Power of Destruction] towards Kuoh Academy put any remaining questions to rest. The negotiations between Satoru and the Devils had completely failed.

    The information he received later told Johan himself that the talks had not actually failed, which Johan was already aware of, given that Kuoh would likely have been completely destroyed if they had failed. But rather that it had broken down, but Johan didn''t need more information.

    Satoru had already made an offer before, reaching out to Johan with an invisible hand through his computer science teacher, providing him with a mock-up of the most advanced information technology, as if transported back in time from a hundred-year future. It was an offer, trying to figure out whether or not Johan would bite.

    Now Johan''s past employer, Zeoticus Gremory himself, one of the most powerful Devil in the entire Faction, father of the Scarlet Satan himself, had died like a fly. So stupidly and unexpectedly that his death should not have fit into any theory of probability.

    Zeoticus Gremory, Johan''s past employer, was dead. Just like that, a Devil that had survived the Great War was dead. The how of how it had happened mattered very little to Johan.

    And, as if those factors weren''t enough, the Kuoh Academy High School building had been destroyed, as if by the accidental rampage of Scarlet Satan himself. Johan''s past place of employment, now in ruins.

    Of course, that wasn''t much of a problem, Kuoh Academy would be rebuilt soon with the help of the Devils, but in order not to attract too much attention, it might take a couple of weeks. Maybe even a month. And after the Underworld had stopped buzzing like a hornet''s nest, Johan might even get his job back.

    But at that time, Johan himself was out of a job. After a couple of days of worry on Johan''s part, by Monday the academy students would be assigned to other schools, except for those who would be sent back to the Devil world for protection. This time, it was decided to spend it as ''a trip to Europe to relax''. After which, for the next two weeks or maybe even a month, Johan would be left completely free, not to mention what would follow thereafter.

    Johan found himself as the principal of Kuoh Academy solely because he was Zeoticus Gremory''s contract mage. Zeoticus needed someone trustworthy to look after his daughter in the human world and, at the same time, someone to deal with the school''s problems. A school which Zeoticus had acquired for his daughter''s sake, and to deal with the unimportant workings of the human side of it.

    Johan just happened to be the right candidate as a contract mage, someone close enough to be entrusted with this important function and not important enough that sending him to the human world would affect Zeoticus himself. More importantly, he was someone who was perfectly capable of working with the human side of things, being human himself.

    However, now, after Zeoticus'' death, when the dust of the fallen angels'' attack had settled completely and the Devils had moved on to dealing with their immediate problems, Johan was the first candidate for elimination.

    He was no longer Zeoticus Gremory''s contracted mage, which meant that he could no longer be trusted to keep Rias Gremory safe, not to mention the very question of whether Rias Gremory would ever return to the human world ever. With the loss of Zeoticus, Johan was a nobody.

    In the next few weeks, he would likely be left on the streets, with the loss of his previous contractor, not with the best of severance package or the best recommendation.

    The Devils had more to worry about than the well-being of a mage whose contracted Devil was already dead.

    In that case, Satoru''s offer, dangling before his eyes, was his last, best, chance. If he waited for when the dust settled, with Johan losing his place, he would lose all value to Satoru, becoming just another mage.

    Johan didn''t have time to think, the sword of Damocles was already lowering, taking away a little more value from Johan''s self with each passing second.

    And so, Johan made up his mind, picking up his cell phone to contact his, hopefully, future employer.

    Fortunately, Johan did possess a few important acquaintances in the human world, and so when, after a couple of beeps, someone picked up on the other side of the connection, Johan was the first to speak, "Mrs. Kalawarner? I would like to discuss the terms of possible cooperation with you and your¡­ employer."

    After all, it wasn''t betrayal to reveal what he knows if he had remained loyal to his past employer until his death, was it?

 The new Three-Sided War (9)

    The information that the Hanzo had found on Katase and Murayama had pleased and reassured Momonga for about two seconds. Just enough time for Momonga to compare the information he was receiving with the manner in which Hanzo had delivered it to him. The Hanzo had spoken of Katase and Murayama with a kind of worship, as if the Hanzo was respecting them for some reason?

    While Momonga was generally fine with the creatures of Nazarick finding some sort of contact with beings from the outside world and with the humans. As long as it didn''t affect the performance of their duties, that is.

    And with the way the Hanzo spoke about the two, Momonga clearly realized that this was not the case at all.

    And if there was one small mistake, then Momonga''s thoughts would primarily be directed towards unintended consequences and danger. The inevitability of which Momonga had already been taught many times in the past.

    That is, his mistake, since there is no way for the NPCs to commit a mistake without him instigating it somehow. And plus, as a good boss, a mistake of the subordinate was the mistake of the boss, and therefore he needs to get to the bottom of things.

    And so, Momonga did not even sigh, what was the point of that if, despite all his sighs, such events continued to happen? Instead, he turned to the Hanzo to ask for clarification. "Hanzo, why do you speak of them in that tone of voice?"

    "Lord Momonga, a thousand apologies! Please execute this lowly servant for his carelessness!"

    The Hanzo suddenly went on a dogeza, changed the atmosphere completely, which just a second ago was light and almost joking in nature.

    "For failing to show the sufficient deference to your chosen women with my tone of voice, I ask only for permission to perform a dignified suicide for the glory of Great Lord Momonga, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and the Forty-One Supreme Beings!"

    Suppression of emotions was the only thing stopping Momonga from doing anything drastic. Like tackling the Hanzo from committing with his planned suicide.

    "No, I do not authorize any kind of suicide, dignified or not!" Raising his voice in a panic, Momonga realized that him panicking as well, would probably not help things. Sitting back down, and with a fake cough to hide his embarrassment, Momonga continued his questioning of the Hanzo.

    "Kehem, I mean that you are forgiven for what happened. I only ask for an answer¡ªwhy do you speak of the girls with such¡­ worship?"

    Momonga swallowed another anguished sigh, inwardly wondering what the limit of his suppressed emotions was. Would that work for Momonga''s endless frustration and utter helplessness plaguing him at the moment, for example? And then there were the Hanzo mentioning something like ''chosen women''¡­? Where is that coming from!?

    First Miki noted some sort of ''seal of choice'' on them, and now the Hanzo had called them the ''chosen ones'', when had he done such a thing¡­?

    Why was it that everything in this world somehow came down to his actions somehow, but he was the last to be informed of what was going on?

    "Because Miss Raynare has notified me that you have chosen one of the girls to be the Blessed Maiden, and so naturally, I must show the highest respect to that one as your chosen one, and to also her friend as part of her retinue!" The Hanzo answered instantly, not even surprised by such a question. Perhaps he thought that the questioning was a test, explaining it to himself as a check on the Hanzo, or a check on Raynare, or a check on information transfer or who knows what else.

    "Umu, a Blessed Maiden, I see." Momonga didn''t even bother asking any further questions, and finally just waved his hand at the Hanzo.

    "In that case, keep watching them, yes¡­ And¡­ Provide protection for the girls, I guess."

    Receiving the Hanzo''s confirmation, Momonga ceased the [Message] with him before covering his eyes and resting his head against the nearest cold surface. Which, in the case of Momonga''s current location in Miki''s house, meant the refrigerator, before slowly exhaling all the air in his lungs.

    The Chosen, the Blessed Maiden, the seal of his choice, demons, the school, money, Nazarick, fallen angels, the church¡­ So many things to think about.

    Formless words danced and went in circles around Momonga''s head, not even giving him a chance to focus on one of the problems in front of him. A million thoughts, a million problems, and what was most important, all of these problems were literally growing one by one like mushrooms after rain!

    Momonga didn''t want much, really! Get information about this new world, to become a little better at his job after gaining knowledge from his schooling, to make money, and to keep a low profile.

    That is, strictly speaking, Momonga came to the human world with the purpose of improving Nazarick''s situation and determining Nazarick''s future path, to better prepare himself to solve problems¡­ Not to create new problems at every step, and all out of nothing!

    Of course, Momonga had some petty personal reasons for integrating into the human world. He didn''t want to be in Nazarick, not because he had suddenly grown to dislike it! He couldn''t even let such thoughts enter his mind lest he let it slip somehow, he really doesn''t want to know how the NPCs would react to it.

    It is just that, in Nazarick, in the Tomb, he couldn''t even leave his room without running into someone kneeling down and expressing their endless love and loyalty to him. Moreover, Momonga was simply curious, he wanted to see this new world before him in person, not just reading it on a report or behind the Mirror of Remote Viewing.

    After Sebas'' report that a representative of the Great Red Dragons dwelt in this world, Momonga even felt some interest in possibly exploring this new world, as if for a moment he had plunged back into Yggdrasil. After all, the Great Red Dragon was in this world, who knows, maybe this world held new dungeons, new NPCs, new quests!?

    Could Momonga then believe that the unknown force that had brought him to this world was punishing him for his moment of personal weakness and self-interest?

    The pleasant chill spreading from the refrigerator pleasantly cooled Momonga''s mind as well, serving as a kind of anchor in his current state, his head a bubbling cauldron of thoughts. The chill allows him to slowly breathe in and out.

    For a few seconds, it allowed him the chance to cut off all of his body''s higher cognitive capabilities and leave his mind calm, feeling only the cold metal on his forehead and the reflexive act of breathing. All he had to do was feel and be silent¡­

    Unfortunately, Momonga''s brief moment of Nirvana was interrupted a few seconds later when his body tore his forehead away from the refrigerator and forced him back to reality.

    ''It didn''t even cause me to suppress my emotions¡­ Does that mean that I''ve begun to gradually adapt to the madness happening constantly in my life? And should I rejoice at the fact that I have begun to adapt to such an apparently quite common problem. Or worry that this problem has turned out to be so common that I have begun to adapt, beyond my own will?'' Momonga thought about it for a few seconds before discarding the useless thought and finally coming back to reality.

    Nodding to himself, as if coming to terms with yet another incredible event in his life, putting another small brick in the gradually growing wall separating Momonga''s mind and the outside world.

    ''So, okay, so Katase and Murayama have once again been seen as something special because of my actions, and from the looks of it, word of that has already spread to the Fallen Angels and even to the Hanzo. Of course, I''d really like to know about what exactly they''re up to regarding the girls, or excuse me, what this mysterious figure Momonga wanted from them. But from the looks of things, at this point, trying to find out would just look weird¡­'' Momonga crossed his arms over his chest, then began to think again, taking in the new fact that had appeared in his life.

    Not that he could do anything else at the moment.

    ''It''s a big enough problem, but probably not too important? The Hanzo has already received orders to focus on watching them, and apparently, in this case, that also includes protecting the two girls. Something that he wanted to do in the first place, seeing that Miki had divulged some rather sensitive secrets to them. Okay, so in the future, I guess I could probably use the surveillance reports on those to learn about how other Nazarick beings perceive the two girls? And hopefully, even what I shouldn''t do in the future to avoid creating such problems out of thin air¡­''

    For a moment, Momonga thought about how he could find out this information in other ways¡­

    For example, like in the case of Raynare and Demiurge a bit earlier. Using the win-win trick of ''I understand the situation perfectly well, but could you please explain it to the rest of the people around here, who might not understand''.

    True, this trick hadn''t worked as effectively last time as Momonga had hoped it would, but he wasn''t about to give up on such an indispensable tool so easily.

    Unfortunately, Momonga couldn''t use that trick at the moment, noting it for the future and putting the Katase and Murayama problem aside for a while¡­ Because he himself was completely unaware of what he should do with them anyway, Momonga went back to solving other problems, ones that he could solve¡­ Maybe. At least for the time being, his time is better used somewhere else.

    Shalltear had returned from her trip to Kyoto. Her mission to capture members of Kyoto''s paranormal world, those whose absence would not be noticed too quickly, criminals and mafia, had ended with success. Shalltear had already handed them over to Demiurge, who had decided to use the materials he had been given to gather information.

    As for the information gathering itself? Momonga wasn''t worried at all; Demiurge was a professional created as an archetype of an ''evil genius'', and apparently seemed to fit that description to a T.

    So, most of the information about the abilities and vulnerabilities of various paranormal beings, as well as about the local world and the various factions in it, would be obtained soon enough without the immediate need for Momonga''s own intervention. Well, Shalltear, having returned to Nazarick, received, in addition to Demiurge himself, a World Class Item of her own just in case, and was now ready for her next mission¡­

    However, Momonga could not find a mission for Shalltear. After all, she was a very strong warrior, but let''s just say that she isn''t delicate enough for introduction into the human world. Given just horrifying ''school'' would be, one that she needs to attend thanks to her youthful looks, she might just end up killing everyone out of frustrations!

    Momonga still could not get over the fact that most of the people in the world had to attend it, for years even.

    After Demiurge''s left the church to extract what information the captured Kyoto youkais have, he left the running of his church to Albedo. That is, in Momonga''s opinion, the best option, after all, she was superior in terms of financial and administrative management, which meant Momonga didn''t have to worry about his growing business¡­ I mean, religion.

    Also, Momonga had already spent all the available uses of the [Create Undead] that were available to him, as well as the Pandora''s Actor that took his form for a moment, so most of the created bodies were now just waiting to be used in Nazarick. He couldn''t wait to start testing what kind of undead could be created permanently. For now, it appeared that the bodies of the fallen angels that he had already used could support creatures of level forty at most, how the other bodies would fare required further research¡­

    ''And now there are two girls in Albedo''s Church who were deemed important by my followers¡­'' Momonga sighed slowly before shaking his head. ''Alright, Albedo doesn''t seem to mind this kind of situation, judging by the lack of reports, so at least I don''t have to worry about her losing her temper¡­ Which isn''t so bad under the current circumstances.''

    Putting the church aside, there was one other good news, though tainted a bit,

    ''The school was also destroyed!... But unfortunately, Miki has already informed me that the students, which sadly still include me, will be sent to other schools in the next few days,''

    Momonga cringed at that thought like a toothache, as if facing an invincible opponent whose skills make no sense. He had destroyed it once, but it had cost the enemy nothing; he had just moved into a new body. Victory was impossible without fulfilling special conditions, it was as if he was facing a World Enemy again!A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    In addition to the problem that is school, of course, Momonga was facing the problem of demons, the paranormal world, and infiltration into the surrounding world. At least at the moment, they were not so pressing.

    The demons, of course, had halted their negotiations with Momonga, which is not so great, but that also meant that for a while, Momonga doesn''t need to worry about it, at least. Besides, Momonga dared to hope that the next time the demons came to talk to him, he himself would be placed in a better negotiating position with the information that Demiurge extracted from the Yokai.

    All in all, the most urgent problem at the moment for Momonga was school, which he had to deal with soon. Other than that¡­

    Other than that, Momonga realized with surprise, for a brief moment, that he was free without anything pressing to do. And considering his cursed luck, Momonga could consider it purely a blessing.

    Of course, it didn''t mean Momonga should relax; the threat of demons and the constant need for resources still hung over his head. But, for a brief moment, Momonga could afford to think about the more distant plans.

    Or to be even more specific, to ponder what exactly those plans were supposed to be.

    The initial contact with the human world had not been without problems and unexpected twists and turns, but in general, Momonga could consider it to be successful. Still he was lacking important information that would allow him to more freely act, a clearer picture of the Players of the world is still incomplete.

    In both senses of the word.

    The first thing he had searched in this world was the existence of the other members of Ainz Ooal Gown, if his friends are here as well. But, seeing that the creation of YGGDRASIL, if it were ever to be created, is still years, decades in the future. Expectedly, he had found no information about it.

    Though, calling it a search was perhaps a bit hyperbolic, he had just used the Internet to search, it had barely taken him a minute to do so.

    Of course, that didn''t completely negate the possibility that his friends from the guild were in this world, it was not like his search was anything conclusive. Perhaps they were hiding or were in this world not as their in-game avatars but as ordinary people. But even so, they must have left some hint of their existence, perhaps for those who might also be in this world besides them¡­

    Perhaps they would appear in this world later, and Momonga was only the first to arrive.

    And also, the possibility that his friends from Ainz Ooal Gown might not be the only ones to end up in this world should not be discounted. Momonga was not the only Player who was online at the end of Yggdrasil, it was quite possible that Momonga was not the only one to end up in this world as well.

    Plus, given the abundance of other dimensions in this world, easily dwarfing Yggdrasil''s nine, it was quite possible that other players had ended up in one of them. One, two, ten, or perhaps even a hundred players!

    He would need to prepare Nazarick for the eventuality¡­ Which is what he''s already doing to be honest, and even if there are other Players around, unless they had arrived in this world earlier than Momonga, would be facing the same problem he did. The lack of information.

    Still, for a moment, he stopped looking at the dangers and problems that might threaten Nazarick''s survival in this world and thought specifically about what he plans to do¡­

    Momonga folded his hands in front of him, resting his chin on them, and turned his gaze inward.

    This new world was¡­ strange. Perhaps that was the most apt description for the world around Momonga himself.

    Strange people living by laws, unaccustomed to Momonga and paranormal creatures one step away from them. There is still wildlife existing normally rather than in special enclosures to be enjoyed by the wealthy and the connected, with people freely traveling the streets without respirators. It was a world that he wanted to show off to his friends¡­

    "I want to¡­ save this world," Momonga eventually nodded slowly before immediately correcting his thoughts internally. "No, I want to make this world a better place."

    Momonga viewed the people around him as beings whose lives and deaths caused him no emotion whatsoever. The mere existence of people certainly evoked emotions in him, faint responses like annoyance or interest, but a million dead or a million saved? To him, those were mere statistics.

    And yet, Momonga remembered how he had once been human, and so on some very small level, he sympathized with them.

    He remembered how his mother had died. He remembered working day after day at a job he didn''t like. He remembered running across the streets, trying to hold his leaky respirator tightly to his face, fearful of his imminent death should it fail. He remembered the envy and anger he felt every time he saw the face of a rich heir to a megacorporation appearing at a company''s function, created specifically so that the higher-ups could show off, with a couple of beautiful women whose appearance had been modified by the best scientists on Earth. He remembered the joy he felt when he had been rescued by his first fiend, Touch Me. He remembered the greed with which he had felt as he gazed, at the untouched forests of the distant, unreal world that flashed before his eyes¡­

    This world was not yet devoid of such wonders. Momonga could walk the streets, look at the plants, see the animals, a privilege afforded to very few in his time¡­.

    Did Momonga plan to follow some kind of inner compass, some kind of morality, with regard to people, wanting to preserve and increase such wealth for their sake? For the sake of the millions of people who lived at this moment in this world? Of course not.

    As has been said, if all of human civilization were to die out tomorrow, then surely Momonga would resent the loss of humanity''s vast potential, but in terms of emotion, he wouldn''t even shed a tear. And not just because he could no longer do so in his Undead body.

    However, for himself, for Nazarick, for his¡­

    His family, perhaps?

    His family deserved to live in a beautiful world, still full of life and wonder, not one that is stagnant and dead like his old one.

    In other words, if Momonga tried to envision some final goal, a larger goal toward which Momonga himself had to move and toward which he planned to direct Nazarick''s movement? A kind of ''plan maxima'', Momonga would phrase it as ''to preserve the world and make it a better place''.

    Of course, Momonga primarily viewed the improvement of this world in terms of his own and Nazarick''s desires, and it was by focusing on those that Momonga planned to choose for in the event of possible conflicts of interest. However, if, as a result of creating a world that was more pleasant for Nazarick, he would create conditions that would also be more pleasant for other people, then there would be nothing wrong with that either.

    On the contrary, even if the aspirations of the other people of this world were completely secondary to Nazarick''s needs and desires, making life better for people outside of Nazarick had a rational point. After all, it was much easier to rule those who did not wish to rebel than those who sought to constantly rebel.

    Easier to attract flies with honey than vinegar, as Punitto Moe liked to say.

    Having come to this conclusion, Momonga nodded to himself, before exhaling sharply and clapping his hands together as if putting an invisible seal on the internal files in his head, after which he began planning on the logistics to achieve it.

    Of course, even after deciding on the final plan, Momonga himself would not deviate from Nazarick''s current actions, Momonga''s immediate need for gathering information and resources were not changing at all. Moreover, rather, they were becoming even more important.

    In order to effectively influence at least some part of this world to fit into his vision, a large amount of replenishable resources and as much information about the world around him as possible were required. Beyond that, however¡­

    Momonga thought for a moment, realizing that he already had one such tool that he could use to complete his ultimate plan. Religion could serve to spread his influence, but he was lacking critical manpower if he wanted to accomplish such a thing. He rather doubts that the Undead could be used for such a thing, which is a shame, he has plenty of those.

    No, if he was planning to use religion for his plans, then it required a whole network of agents. While Nazarick could provide numerous high-level experts even by Yggdrasil''s standards, a few hundred beings within hundreds of worlds was a drop in the ocean. Not to mention the existing barrier of knowledge between Nazarick''s beings that prevent them from optimally interacting with the various worlds.

    Using faulty intelligence is perhaps even worse than acting on none at all.

    Such knowledge required agents from this world, but Momonga, quite logically, feared both the spreading of Nazarick''s existence, and the loyalty of his recruited agents. These two concerns were even more important than the effectiveness of the agents themselves. Even a useless agent could serve his purpose, at least as an experimental model for Demiurge, while a disloyal agent was dangerous whether he was useful or not.

    Moreover, a disloyal but professional agent was far more dangerous than a disloyal fool.

    However, where could Momonga easily find many loyal, yet discrete agents in this world?

    Momonga pondered for a moment before, even when straining all his wits, he was forced to surrender to the pressure of reality and instead contact Albedo for it.

    Relaying instructions to her to start looking out for the local inhabitants. Albedo, of course, instantly responded with, "As expected, Lord Momonga, you showed up just when I needed your words."

    But Momonga had already automatically filtered such information past his ears.

    No matter what he did, the residents of Nazarick always instantly began to praise him for how he had ''unbelievably'' solved a problem he didn''t even know existed. Sometimes the problem didn''t even need to exist for Nazarick''s residents to start praising his ''solution'' to the ''problem''.

    In any case, he had accomplished the most important thing of all, he had decided on Nazarick''s overall mission and made the decision to begin his gradual introduction into these new worlds he had coincidentally found himself in. So now there were only two minor problems facing Momonga, school and the two girls he had unexpectedly dragged into the world of the paranormal¡­

    Momonga thought for a moment, then tried to look inside himself. Maybe he had forgotten to deal with some other random and important problem? He really rather not deal with those two headache inducing issues right now¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Johan slowly unclenched his hand, letting his phone fall to the table in front of him, before he exhaled, trying to calm his racing heart. The answer he had just received from the Church of Fallen Angels had determined his fate.

    That was it, there was no going back. He had finally and irrevocably removed himself from under the wing of the Devils to the wing of¡­

    Johan didn''t even know which faction he had joined, except for the fact that Satoru was clearly a god of some kind. And judging by the fact that he had managed to speak directly with the Satans, while simultaneously organizing the murder of a full-fledged, and extremely powerful, head of a Devil family by using the hands of the Fallen? He was not only extremely powerful, but adroit as well.

    The insanity of planning the death of the Father of the Strongest Satan, one he was in a meeting with. And not only being able to get away with it unscathed, he also did so without anyone knowing that it was his plan. It was¡­ Frightening.

    Johan could easily see where the wind was blowing.

    Kalawarner, one of the Fallen Angels, would arrive shortly to talk to him about the information he could provide, and it was the kind of conversation where questions were answered long before they were asked. Johan''s prospects looked vague, and uncertain, Johan was aware that he was not an important link or influential person, the information he could give was limited at best.

    The first hint of disloyalty, the first hint of incompetence, and he would definitely be thrown to the sharks. Johan had no doubt that a god who could manipulate an entire faction of the Fallen and had the audacity to swat away Leviathan like a pesky fly would easily be able to make Johan''s life a living hell.

    However, Johan had definitely also seen the second part of such a phrase, having the audacity and influence to reach for it.

    Johan was not a coward, nor is he traitorous, always looking, reaching, to be in the ''winning'' side. Rather, his betrayal¡­ His ''job change'' was due to his ambition.

    Johan was a very talented mage, but he was not a unique talent born once in a millennium, like the Walburga or Le Fay. There were dozens of ''very talented'' mages like him in the world. His place under the patronage of the Gremory family was definitely very ''stable'' and very lucrative, as long as it existed, of course, but without any prospect of ''career advancement'' at all.

    Even when he was under Zeoticus'' auspices, Johan knew he lacked many things to even be considered for a reincarnation to be a Devil. He was simply a dime a dozen, easily replaceable, not worthy to be added to a Peerage. And now, with the death of Zeoticus, Johan was literally washed ashore by a wave of events.

    And Johan was not happy with that.

    If Johan could reach the top through Satoru''s patronage, then his ''betrayal'' was not in vain. Though, could it even be called that when he was already cut loose from the death of his previous patron? Even a bond like marriage does not last after death, so why should his employment be the case as well?

    But still, even if he was offered the same job he had before by another Devil, he would probably reject it. He knows full well that if he did so, he would have stagnated at the same level he did with Zeoticus.

    Even if, with Satoru, he still was employed at the same level of ''stable work'' as before, then his switching of employers would not be in vain. And if he died a horrible death¡­ Well, the ambition of mages was often the cause of their demise. Not that such a way of thinking was good for him, but he had found that a healthy dose of fatalism allowed him to retain the remnants of his prudence. Especially after the choices he had already made.

    And while Johan was still alive, which in itself was worth a lot in the current struggle between a god and the Devil, where Johan had already been instructed to continue his ''dialogue'' with Satoru''s emissary from among the Fallen, it appeared that his death was not planned in the near future. At least, Johan himself reasoned that way, considering the fact that he had been ordered to make contact with his own agents in the human world.

    Not that Johan was overly influential, but what decent mage of his caliber didn''t have a couple of lucrative connections among old colleagues or criminal elements around the world? Who knows when he could use a couple of fake Latin American passports or a small homemade pipe bomb?

    However, despite the fact that Johan did have such contacts, the number was less than a couple of dozen, not to mention that they were just his ''contacts'', specialized suppliers or acquaintances, not anyone under his command at all. He could only count on a couple of familiars for something like that.

    If Johan were the kind of person capable of building a full-fledged network of agents like the spider''s web that sprawled around him, he would hardly have been in the service of Zeoticus Gremory.

    However, as he had been correctly informed by an unknown, apparently local overseer of the Church of the Fallen with the signature ''A'', Johan already unknowingly stumbled on a rather large potential pool of possible recruits within walking distance. The students of Kuoh''s academy.

    Johan didn''t need to worry about any conflicting loyalties, simply from the fact that the students under his nominal control, as the Principal of Kuoh Academy, don''t know of the paranormal world.

    And, if Johan simply worded his recruitment as a chance for those same students to touch upon the Unseen World, for a chance for them to get their own strength, after all what high-school students don''t like magic? And if he limits them from taking dangerous undertakings, even his shriveled morals should be satisfied.

    Johan himself could see the positive side to such an action. After all, given that the two heiresses of Devil houses were also enrolled at the school in question, no one untrustworthy could get close to the two girls¡­ At least not until Satoru himself snuck into the Devils'' territory.

    Moreover, from the looks of it, Satoru had already put his hands into that recruiting as well. The Perverted Trio, Katase and Murayama, even at this moment, Johan had been ordered to become the official guardian of the Saji family that Satoru had apparently gotten in touch with a little earlier.

    In that case, was it safe to assume that the urgent evacuation of Devil personnel from Kuoh was not only for the purpose of keeping the two heiresses safe, but also according to Satoru''s plan? Without their eyes and ears in Kuoh, it would blind the Devils of the goings-on in Kuoh, allowing Satoru the capability to operate freely, right under the noses of the Devils.

    And if that was the case, then Johan could only congratulate himself on the fact that, despite being absolutely not a coward and completely disinclined to betray, this time he actually managed to jump on the train of the winning team just in time.

 The new Three-Sided War (10)

    Genshiro Saji did not live the best life one could imagine. He was not born into a family of multibillionaires, was not a great athlete and had a fairly humble, if realistic, view on his own intellectual capabilities. But Genshiro was not unhappy.

    His parents had died in a traffic incident, but despite all the pain this event brought him, Genshiro did not become a misanthrope, hating the world for the unfairness of it. Because, even with the loss of his parents, Genshiro''s life still has many bright spots, like his younger brother Gengo, his little sister Kaho, and his grandfather Sato.

    A grandfather who had taken the three children into his care and ensured they had a good childhood even in such horrifying circumstances. The old pensioner, long retired, returned to work again to provide for the three kids. And Saji, aware of how much the work had taken a toll on his grandfather, as soon as he reached the minimum possible age, started helping his grandfather by doing odd jobs like handing out flyers.

    And, for a time, all is well.

    Unfortunately, the world seemed determined to turn Genshiro Saji''s life into hell, and no matter how hard he fought back, the world had far more opportunities to influence Saji than an ordinary high school student had to do the opposite.

    Sato Saji, who gave his years of life working hard, first to his children, Saji''s parents, and then to his grandchildren, had just passed away, trying to provide for the children to the very end. He had missed the onset of a heart attack, or more likely ignored it so that he would not burden his three charges. However it had happened, the trio of Genshiro children were now alone again.

    And as if that wasn''t bad enough, Saji had no other relatives, his other grandparents had long died of natural causes. So, this time, other than the dire prospect of being the sole provider for his siblings, Saji also faced the threat of being forced into the orphanage system, which was much worse, along with his younger brother and sister.

    The very threat of being forced away from everything he knows frightened Saji, but not so much that Saji absolutely could not bear it. However, the idea that his younger siblings might be forced to separate from him¡­ That, that, was unbearable enough that he would sell his own soul to avert such a fate.

    So Saji, wiping away his tears over his departed grandfather, pulled himself together, and taking advantage of the usual government ineptitude, decided to act in that brief moment when he could still achieve a successful outcome for his entire family.

    Only by a strange coincidence, at the very moment when Saji desperately needed a way out of the current situation, he was also lucky enough to accidentally overhear rumors about a new student at Kuoh Academy. The older brother of the infamous Hyoudou Issei, who arrived from Kyoto and, more important to Saji, an emancipated child, giving him a status as an adult.

    If Saji himself could be emancipated¡­ Wouldn''t that mean the government would be required to leave his siblings with him as their only remaining adult relative?

    At least Saji had no better ideas, and even if the target was Issei''s older brother, Saji was ready to go to any lengths to learn his secret and go through the legal procedure himself. Under the current conditions, Saji was ready to make a deal with a Devil, what''s Kuoh''s most famous pervert''s relative when compared to that?

    Unfortunately or not, however, Saji did not get an answer to the question he asked, ''how do I achieve emancipation'', but got an answer to a question he didn''t even think to ask, namely, ''does magic exist?''. Though the latter could probably explain the first thing.

    As it turned out, yes, magic exists.

    Genshiro Saji had never asked himself such a question, after all, he had absolutely no time for it. With his time spent on part-time jobs, caring for his younger siblings, and worrying about being separated from his only remaining family, Saji had no time for the occult all his life. However, despite this, the answer brought by Satoru about the existence of magic had given Saji something that could solve his problems.

    After all, if Satoru was a mage, some other kind of paranormal being, or just some kind of magician that had learned magic¡­

    Couldn''t he solve all of Saji''s problems with a snap of his fingers?

    Of course, Saji also understood perfectly well that trying to pester a paranormal being, or just someone with powers that he could not understand, and force him to do anything for him. Saji was just an ordinary high-schooler who completely lacked any paranormal abilities and was even deprived of any help from adults, and could only turn into yet another disaster for him. And despite many anime or light novels saying otherwise, he did not possess any special powers, his right hand, for example, was perfectly normal, and did not contain some sealed being or other.

    But Saji was already willing to sell his life for a solution that was basically nothing more than a pie in the sky. Having something solid that could keep his family together? Saji would do anything for it.

    Therefore, he was ecstatic when Satoru still agreed to help him with his problem and deal with the troubles facing his family.

    However, when Satoru had left without saying anything more specific than ''I will take care of your affairs'', Saji quickly became worried again. What if Satoru had simply lied to Saji and wasn''t actually going to help him? Or maybe he even lied to him in another way and didn''t know exactly how he could help him?

    After all, although the information that paranormal abilities existed could be incredible for Saji himself, perhaps Satoru was a small fry among the paranormal community? Or maybe the government was well aware of his abilities and Satoru was just as much an ordinary citizen in the eyes of the latter as Saji himself?

    In the end, Satoru was getting an education at a public school, not an elite closed educational institution of his own kind. At least that''s how it goes in the anime that he had watched in the brief free time he had. Saji simply didn''t know what he didn''t know to make any reasonable deduction about anything.

    For several days, Saji was immersed in paranoid doubts, and anxiety. Forced himself to, every day, take his younger sibling to kindergarten and then go to school while pretending that nothing is wrong. He would then return home each time with a heavy heart, looking at the front door of his house, his grandfather''s house, wary and afraid of every movement beyond it. Trying to determine if a government car was standing at his doorstep every time he left the house.

    Was today the day that he would be separated from his siblings?

    However, apparently, Saji had almost worried himself sick for nothing, he shouldn''t have doubted Satoru. One Saturday evening, Saji suddenly heard a knock at the door, and upon opening it, he was met with Mr. Johan, the principal of Kuoh Academy. To say that he was confused by the surprise visit was underselling it. The panic about the government finally finding out about his situation instantly left his mind when, entering the house, Mr. Johan asked one simple question.

    Has Satoru already talked to him?

    And so a conversation that flowed from one thing to another ensued. In addition to the information that Saji and his family were officially ''adopted'' by the principal, and that they no longer needed to worry about money, within reasonable limits.

    Saji himself and his younger sister were currently listening to a small impromptu lecture from the principal himself.

    "¡­the main thing you should remember is not to attract attention. For the most part, the inhabitants of the paranormal world are no worse in personality than the inhabitants of the mundane world, but they are immeasurably more influential and powerful. When the boundaries of the ''possible'' begin to blur, the boundaries of the ''permissible'' begin to blur alongside it¡­"

    As if to emphasize his words that he was going to say were sensitive, Johan glanced pointedly at Kaho, who was carefully listening to the lecture. Clearly, the principal was still somewhat uncomfortable with the decision to allow a middle school student into such a sensitive subject. After all, Johan did not allow Saji''s younger brother, a preschooler, to sit in, quite reasonably pointing out the problem that he could accidentally, out of childish stupidity, blurt out sensitive information to his friends in kindergarten.

    But Saji still defended Kaho''s right to know about the current situation in which the Genshiro family found themselves. After all, Saji was sure that he would sooner misunderstand or break the rules than Kaho, and he was the one that''s supposed to be the responsible one.

    After their parents died, Kaho seemed to have grown a dozen years more mature and became probably the most reliable person in Genshiro''s sphere. The middle-schooler does not hesitate to periodically scold even her older brother and give him tasks as if she were the mother or older sister in this family, looking after her two stupider, younger brothers.

    Therefore, Genshiro was not at all worried as he looked at Kaho, who was seriously nodding her head following Johan''s explanation. If she seriously decided to follow the instructions given to her, and she definitely is going to, then Genshiro did not doubt her abilities to keep a secret for a second.

    And seeing that Saji was not making any move to shoo his sister away, Johan, his step-father now he supposes, simply sighed before continuing his explanation.

    "The paranormal world rarely intersects with the non-paranormal world, as ordinary people can rarely offer something that can even slightly interest the paranormal world. But if you attract their attention and try to butt in to the paranormal world''s workings? I''m afraid only the gods know what kind of problems you might encounter." After a second of silence, Johan, realizing that he had painted an extremely negative picture for those who were already involved in the affairs of the paranormal world, coughed slightly into his fist, as he hastened to supplement his thought.

    "Of course, if the paranormal world only has disadvantages and no positives, there would not be so many self-taught magicians, Devils summoners and zealous priests who communicate with angels in the world. No, the paranormal world, in theory, is capable of giving incredible opportunities like magic, immortality, divine miracles¡­ The question is to find the right patron for yourself, and to find the right approach to it. So, in that regard, you, and I too, were very lucky to catch Satoru''s eye."

    Hearing his Senpai name being uttered in the middle of Johan''s explanation of finding a good patron shocked Saji.

    "Satoru?" Genshiro sincerely tried to fit Johan''s entire long, and very important, lecture into his head, but it had been going on for almost two hours without a break, so naturally his concentration began to gradually dissipate. And so, the mention of his senpai, Satoru, whose acquaintance had led him into the paranormal world, and had solved all of his problems, made Saji begin sharply paying attention to Johan''s words again.

    "By the way, I never found out, who exactly is Satoru?"

    Asking the rather, in hindsight, thoughtless question, Kaho could only facepalm at her brother''s stupidity.

    "If it''s not a secret, of course, and we can know about it," Kaho once again showed her maturity over her, nominally speaking, older brother and supplemented his ill-considered question, having already grasped the main danger of her new position. She then cast a gimlet glance at Genshiro himself that made him swallow and prepare for a dogeza.

    "Hmm, about that¡­" Johan pondered Saji''s question for a second, unsure if he should answer.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Apparently, Satoru did not particularly hide his nature? At least Johan himself never received instructions, including after talking with Kalawarner, to keep Satoru''s nature a secret, moreover, at the moment he was talking to probable future agents of Satoru himself. On the other hand, Satoru also did not seek to reveal his nature to Johan, and therefore Johan himself should carefully choose his words right now.

    "Satoru is a god. One of the gods, at least," Johan reasoned that such basic information was in any case known to all of Satoru''s acquaintances. "An extremely powerful and influential one."

    All gods were powerful and influential, so Johan''s words could be regarded as an indication that he was actually able to manipulate an entire faction of the Fallen, or just a simple indication of his nature. It was nothing too revealing, and basic information that is easily found out, so Johan wasn''t revealing any secret information.

    However, seeing the effect on the Genshiro siblings, as they froze, and noticeably turning pale, perhaps Johan had become too inured to the paranormal world.

    After all, in the mundanes'' perception, there was definitely a difference between a simple mage and a bona fide god. Moreover, Saji himself, having learned about Satoru''s nature, was terrified when he recalled just how he had casually approached and most impudently demanded help from a god¡­

    "Ah, ahem, in what sense is he a god?" Kaho, however, quickly recovered from such news and moved on to the practical part of the problem. "Like a kami of some Shinto shrine? Or the god of a religion¡­"

    "More the latter than the former, but I can''t state it unequivocally," Johan himself did not know exactly what kind of god Satoru was. But there were few spirits in the world so powerful that they were actually equal to gods, and most of them were located in places of ancient power or were associated with ancient relics. But then does it matter how they gained their Divinity and power, if they could smite you like an ant either way?

    Even if there really was some place under this city whose spirit was so powerful, it would definitely have shown signs of its existence much earlier, such entities were not born in the few years that the Devils controlled Kuoh.

    "As for the religion to which Satoru himself belongs to¡­ That I do not know for certain," Johan pondered the matter for a moment, but found no clue to answer the question. There were many religions in the world and hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of gods.

    Every tribe of antiquity had created a dozen of their own gods. And although most of them died out, or at least went into eternal sleep in their pocket worlds culling their numbers greatly, it was still difficult to try to determine Satoru''s true identity.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Of course, the very fact of His confrontation with the Devils and his dominion over the Fallen Angels definitely gave Johan some clues. But where it led was simply too ridiculous for him to seriously consider it. As far as Johan himself knew, the Biblical God was in Heaven and controlled the [Heaven''s System], and therefore he could be practically removed from the accounts and from the list of possible options.

    And during the conversation with Kalawarner, Johan was so nervous that he never asked this question. A conversation that determined his value as a potential pawn, or be discarded, was definitely not the time and place to ask questions.

    On the other hand¡­

    Pensive in thought after revealing the divine nature of Satoru, Johan looked over at the shocked faces of Genshiro and Kaho, trying to parse the best way to word his response.

    "Hmm, thinking about it¡­" He continued after a brief pause. "I believe we can visit the church of fallen angels and inquire directly, I doubt they would refuse to disclose this information at the moment. After all, isn''t a church a place where people learn about God?"

    Johan''s rhetorical, and almost joking, answer hung in the air as the two Genshiro Children contemplated his proposition. Visiting a church controlled by the Fallen Angels to inquire about a mysterious deity controlling their faction was a bold and potentially risky move. But Johan had a glimmer of hope, it may shed light on Satoru''s enigmatic identity. It would further his ability to be useful to Satoru, after all. And if he has to perhaps take advantage of some kids'' naivety over just how little they understand about the paranormal world?

    Well, he did already say to them to be careful about the inhabitants of the paranormal world, and Johan himself was part of it after all.

    The kids looked at each other apprehensively, processing the gravity of the suggestion.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Meanwhile across town, the Greater Doppelg?nger known as Pandora''s Actor, currently disguised as Issei Hyoudou, was finishing up his reconnaissance of Kuoh. Using [Message], he relayed his already expected report to Demiurge, before transforming back from his Nishikienrai form to resume the persona of Issei.

    Descending from a low rooftop into a secluded alley, he then seamlessly blended into the passing crowds, effortlessly mimicking their mannerisms.

    When Pandora''s Actor first arrived in the human world, it was quite logical for him to interpret this new mission as a test from the Lord of Forty-One Supreme Beings, his Father, Lord Momonga. After all, an entirely new world was opening up before him, filled with unknown entities, abilities, and personalities, what else could it be but a trial for Pandora''s Actor himself?

    One that he plans to complete with perfection as there is no other possibility, a task that he puts his all to complete.

    Of course, any misstep could cost Pandora''s Actor his life, a comparatively small price for his transgression, but far worse than that, it could jeopardize the plans of the Father!

    In no way, under any circumstances, could Pandora''s Actor allow such a thing!

    Therefore, upon taking on the form of Issei Hyoudou and returning to the human world, Pandora''s Actor was focused intently on completing his mission. His perception told him that venturing into the human realm was akin to entering a battlefield, where he needed to constantly monitor his surroundings. Not only could powerful beings with unknown abilities potentially discern his true nature, but the humans themselves might expose him if he made the slightest error or deviated from his role!

    However, as he later discovered, his concerns were somewhat unfounded.

    Humans paid virtually no attention to each other.

    Humans were astonishingly petty, each of them constantly stressed about ''what will others think of me'' to the extent that they refrained from judging others. Of course, there were limits to this, if Pandora''s Actor assumed his true form and strutted down the main street, he would certainly attract attention.

    But even then, there were a remarkable number of ''escape routes'' for him to restore the social status quo. Reasons ranging from ''cosplay'' to ''hallucination'' or ''government experiments'' could be used to explain his appearance. Humans were an amazingly trivial race whose capacity for gathering information was vastly outweighed by their ability to devalue said information and engage in self-deception.

    What recently seemed to Issei like the grandest test of his abilities as an Actor, turned out to be nothing more than a fight against paper tigers, an adversary that was threatening only in his own imagination.

    Pandora''s Actor hardly needed to behave in any particular way to maintain his disguise. Humans were so adept at labeling each other that, once in school and assuming the label of Issei Hyoudou, he could easily conduct himself as what others expected. They wouldn''t even give him a second look, or question his identity.

    And with his ability to pick up surface thoughts, it was not something unique to the people of Kuoh Academy or even the identity of Issei Hyoudou itself. Every person, upon meeting another, instantly formed an impression of their new acquaintance, from reasons ranging from their favorite foods or even to the strength of their handshake.

    It took him mere hours to fully embody the role of Issei Hyoudou among his closest friends and old acquaintances, even deceiving his family. If he could do something like that so easily, what chance does random encounters and strangers have of revealing his true identity?

    Of course, these conditions made the Actor rejoice that his further actions could not endanger the Father''s plan. But at the same time, they also eliminated the Actor''s need to expend effort on maintaining his disguise, which in turn meant that the Actor required new entertainment or challenges to keep him from being bored.

    For a time, this potential amusement came from observing the people around him. Most of them were utterly bland and uninteresting, but sometimes, Pandora''s Actor could find specimens that are intriguing to watch, such as Rias Gremory and her [Peerage]. Unfortunately, in following the Father''s plan, this part of the Actor''s entertainment in the human world had soon gone away.

    No, of course, the Actor was prepared to behead anyone who so much as thought he would prioritize his own amusement over the Father''s designs, however, the situation was such that Pandora''s Actor was deprived of something interesting to watch. And if that was the case, the Actor was forced to seek out new diversions.

    Surprisingly, though, the solution to this problem was suggested to him by Demiurge.

    Of course, his surprise was not born of dislike, unlike with Sebas, Pandora''s Actor saw no reason to be at odds with Demiurge, even if their [Karma] value differed considerably from each other''s. Though, then again, it is still less than the [Karma] value difference between Sebas and Demiurge, so perhaps that was the reason for their mutual dislike. Moreover, they were equal in intellect, and both were on par with Albedo, so he even had fewer reasons to ignore his advice and recommendations.

    Even if the thinking of Demiurge and the Actor worked a bit in different directions.

    Demiurge was a master of tactics and strategy, a demon who prided himself on his demonic essence and a connoisseur of suffering, focused on perfecting the efficiency of resource acquisition and inflicting pain. While Pandora''s Actor was a Greater Doppelg?nger, a being whose essence implied constantly taking on various other forms, a collector more interested in aesthetics and breadth of collection than direct efficiency.

    However, computers appealed to them both, albeit for different reasons.

    Demiurge saw computers as an amazing tool for influencing humanity in all its manifestations. And of course, he also saw this possibility, but unlike Demiurge, who immediately began studying programming and investing, the Actor found a different use for the tool.

    Most of the cultural, educational and entertainment content in the modern world was consumed using technological inventions, Pandora''s Actor could easily predict that in the future, the computer would be the lynch pin to many of such activities. Especially the quickly expanding, both in functionality and breadth, ''Internet''.

    The global network, the Internet, connected not only the world''s financial institutions, but also the people with the global media. The lack of need to create physical media and their logistics turned the promotion of one''s own point of view. The problem of ''how to make a person go to the right place and buy our newspaper'' into ''how to embed advertising on this site''.

    After all, it was logical for Demiurge to not pay such a thing any particular attention, he did not trust the abilities of humans, as weakness and stupidity were their main traits. The Demon instead focuses on more avenues to extract what value they can offer.

    But in this stupidity, in addition to danger, therein also lies opportunity. If this opportunity did not exist, would the Father establish contact with the inhabitants of this world, those same weak, and pathetic humans?

    Once His Son had already descended into this world in order to bring the people to the Father, and had achieved significant success in this, creating a massive religion. However, He could not completely finish this mission.

    In this case, Pandora''s Actor, as the same Son as he, only needed to raise the same banner again.

    It was worth starting that Pandora''s Actor needed to only just start with a small platform. With the nascent rise of the Internet, there were still many avenues left unexplored, that one day could grow into a massive, unchallengeable monopoly. The possibilities alone¡­

    It only required finding a small platform.

    Checking the date in the corner of the computer screen, counting April two thousand and five, Pandora''s Actor peered closely at the screen before his attention was drawn to an idea that made him smile with all possible teeth, expanding his mouth into a grotesque semblance of a smile.

    Three founders who decided to create a small platform for video sharing¡­

    A moment later, Pandora''s Actor used [Message].

    "Albedo? I think we simply must buy out this, hmm, start-up¡­ This youtube¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Demiurge set aside his tools and took a step back, as he took a complete look at the throne presented before him, as he thoughtfully raised a finger to his chin, examining his creation critically.

    Demiurge was not a holder of classes predisposing him to creating items, however what Demiurge created were also not considered ''items'' as such.

    If the question was about creating weapons, magic enchantments, or even consumables, then Demiurge''s abilities here did not differ much from the abilities of first-level maids.

    After all, Demiurge had zero levels in all tasks related to creating full-fledged equipment.

    However, what was right before Demiurge''s eyes could be classified as nothing more than a ''furniture'' or ''statuette''.

    In other words, [Decoration], and therefore Demiurge had an unrivaled advantage over any other master in all of Nazarick, if not the world.

    Yggdrasil was primarily focused on efficiency, only high-level craftsmen could use high-level materials and enchantments with their full effectiveness, a chair, or statue could only interest Players if it could be turned into some kind of trap or golem. As for aesthetic preferences or useless creations like chairs or paintings, if they did not represent combat value, then any player could afford to construct them according to their desires for as much as they want, without even expanding much [Data Crystals].

    Of course, until the final design and create the item at least.

    The shitty devs would not let go of any chance to get their grubby hands of nickel and diming their captive Players away. Even just changing the cosmetic looks of items, customizing the interior decoration of guild bases demanded the expenditure of certain resources to create the most detailed types.

    However, in the end, there were no skills or classes responsible for creating cosmetic items. After all, even in a game completely built on the freedom of player action, an extremely small number of people would actually decide to spend their game as a high-level ''furniture maker''.

    Therefore, all players were on an equal footing regarding the creation of such ''minor'' [Decorations]. Therefore, having moved to the new world, Demiurge, in whose character description Ulbert had written all his ideas about the type of ''evil genius'' Demiurge was supposed to be, had made him gain true mastery as an artist and creator of all kinds and forms of arts.

    For example, his current, and newest creation.

    The most accurate definition of Demiurge''s creation was a ''throne'', but it could not be called a ''throne'' either from the point of view of objectivity, or from the point of view of Demiurge himself.

    From the point of view of objective reality, the multitude of bones, fitted to each other, and bleached to perfect purity, whose sides were covered with careful engraving of biblical litanies and sayings, turned such a throne into a work of art. Perhaps terrifying, but still of the highest quality of art pieces, one of those that rich people buy for millions of dollars at closed auctions or pompously display in their museum collections.

    From the point of view of Demiurge himself, the throne standing before him was nothing more than a ''chair''. Those things on which one could have a conversation or rest after a successfully executed work for the glory of the Forty-One Supreme Beings, but not at all the grand throne that he hoped to provide to Lord Momonga as his personal compliment and proof of his zealous study of the Holy Scriptures of Lord Momonga.

    The materials provided to Demiurge were the bodies from the experiments that had served their purpose a little earlier. For example, one of the legs of the throne had been from one of the captured demons and yokai who were selected to determine how small a part of the target''s body was acceptable for summoning a full-fledged undead. Another from his experiments to find out how separated limbs works during his experiments with healing magic.

    Therefore, they could not truly be called top-level materials.

    However, this did not mean that Demiurge could automatically dismiss his self-rebuke, and simply blame the materials for not wanting to take a form worthy of Lord Momonga. No, Demiurge had to grow beyond himself with all his might, develop and acquire the perfect mastery of a creator as Lord Momonga had pre-ordained him to be.

    That was why Demiurge pursued such perfection in all his affairs and endeavors, for example, in terms of obtaining information about the current world.

    It is not surprising that Lord Momonga, returning to this world after many centuries, needed information about what happened in this world in his absence. And therefore, Demiurge did not allow himself to miss even an iota of knowledge that only captured opponents could provide.

    Mind control, memory reading, charm magic, torture, Demiurge used all of the possible ways of obtaining information. Returning the mutilated and screaming pieces of meat, which the paranormal beings captured by Nazarick now were, to their original state only to conduct a new round of interrogation was nothing more than routine. All the while he would record every spoken word through an army of his subordinates in the prepared records.

    In the end, when the captured demons and youkai''s mind finally broke down, Demiurge did not kill them, but used their mind and flesh to continue the experiments. One was dismembered for experiments with necromancy, another was subjected to incessant torture to test healing abilities, and another was given for the amusement of Demiurge''s subordinates or other inhabitants of Nazarick.

    Being a good boss to his subordinates was one of the Commandments that Lord Momonga had placed after all.

    One of the captured youkai, however, escaped such a fate. Instantly bowing before Shalltear, he earned the right to life, according to the writings of the Son of Lord Momonga and the disciples of His Son, such a thing was to be allowed. However, that did not mean that Demiurge did not repeatedly make sure of his loyalty. He had prepared more than a dozen backup plans in case it ever occurred to him to foolishly turn away from the saving light of the Lord.

    The ideal ¨C that is what the Demiurge pursued in each of his actions, and if the ideal was not achievable, it only meant that the Demiurge had to work harder ten times more persistently.

    Wasn''t that the meaning of his name?

    A cautionary name, given to him by Lord Ulbert, the imperfect architect of the perfect plan of the All-Loving Father, who in his pride and madness dared to imagine himself equal to the Creator and attribute His creation to himself. The first and last, the only warning given to himself from his Creator, his name, Demiurge.

    Demiurge had to remember the lesson, to embody it into his every being, to never allow his pride to prevail over him and to think himself equal to the Supreme Beings. He must never forget his imperfections and follow the Lord''s plan as a diligent tool, not a proud creator.

    And therefore, although the mind and mercy of the Creator was not something Demiurge could fully comprehend, he had no right to stop trying to strive for knowledge and for the realization of Lord Momonga''s plan.

    The coming Apocalypse had to be prepared down to every possible smallest detail, to become not a mindless destruction, but a preparation for His Kingdom Come. Every part of the plan had to be perfect, the world''s financial assets taken under control, the demonic aristocrat destroyed and the faction of the Fallen Ones directed in the right direction.

    Each of the actions had to have meaning, to be a part of a larger picture.

    And although the Demiurge could never fully understand its greatness, he only needed to know and understand that it existed. And that he, Demiurge, himself was only a part of it, an executor, nothing more.

    That is the meaning behind his name.

    And that is why he could not allow a single mistake, neither with a worthy throne for Lord Momonga¡­

    Nor with the preparation of sending his agents to Europe.

    For even if some of the Fallen were worthy of repentance according to the actions of Lord Momonga, not all of them deserved it. And their faction had to be taken under tight control¡­

    Meanwhile, hasn''t it come time to make the first contact with those who still remain loyal to their Lord?

    Judging by how courteous Lord Momonga was towards the Angels, the danger of their fall into sin was not zero at all. Not to mention that they were definitely earlier creations of His, and therefore could commit the highest sin of heresy, non-recognition of their Creator¡­ This too was something that Demiurge needed to prepare for.

    If the angels again join the ranks of his faithful followers, then Demiurge, as a faithful instrument of the will of the Lord, will accept them as sisters and brothers of Nazarick.

    If not¡­

    The one who spoke that the four Horsemen would walk the earth and gather their bloody harvest did not say that all the angels would survive in the Final Hour.

 The new Three-Sided War (11)

    If Asia said that the tea she drank helped her figure out everything that was currently happening in her life, she would certainly be committing a sin against the truth. Neither the first nor the second, nor the tenth cup of tea brought her any understanding of her current lot in life.

    Fallen angels were no longer fallen. The Biblical God, His Son, and the new Virgin Mary, all of whom died in the past but got better, once again walk the Earth. The Apocalypse will come soon, in her lifetime even.

    How many cups of tea would even clarify such information? There was hardly enough tea grown in the whole world to help Asia figure out what was going on.

    And yet, Asia also couldn''t say that her lengthy reflections didn''t lead her to any conclusion at all. That is, that she didn''t have one. Asia could say with absolute certainty and without any hesitation that she didn''t understand anything.

    And that was at least something that she could understand.

    Because before, Asia believed that even if she wasn''t the greatest scholar or even the wisest of people, she still knew some things for sure. For example, she revered the Bible and had some basic knowledge of the church structure, the Commandments of the Lord, or the fact of the very existence of gods, including the Biblical God was self-evident.

    Now, as it turned out, Asia knew nothing, nothing at all.

    And there was some kind of liberation from worries in that, perhaps, the realization that she needed to start anew in her knowledge of the world¡­ It gave Asia a foothold, free from the deception that she had once believed in.

    Yes, she knows nothing, but that only means that, now, she could start learning about the truth of the world, even if she has to start from scratch.

    There was something even exciting about it, wasn''t there?

    "¡­and after that, I returned back to the Church, where Lord Demiurge proceeded to punish the sinners," Raynare stopped in thought for a moment, then glanced at the statue standing not far from the two. Asia looked at it as well, a statue with stark realism, depicting a man in the throes of agony. Looking at such a realistic carving, Asia felt a chill run down her spine.

    The statue was so realistic, it was as if someone had taken a real sinner and turned them into stone, which couldn''t be the case, right? However, Raynare''s next words caused her to re-evaluate her assessment.

    "Very much in the spirit of the Old Testament, I must say, pillars of salt and so on¡­"

    After Raynare''s words, Asia tried to wet her suddenly dry lips, glancing at the statue again, trying to decipher what Raynare had meant by her words. There could only be one way to interpret the angel''s words, but that couldn''t be true, right?

    Like any Christian, Asia revered the Old Testament, but was more inclined to those parts where the Lord commanded mercy and self-sacrifice than the story of the Prophet Elisha and the forty-two children torn apart by bears. On the other hand, Asia also knows full well about the revelation to John the Apostle, about the coming Apocalypse. Asia perfectly understood that if the End Times were coming, then God''s cruelty would also be pouring out on this world.

    Though, it did not at all mean that Asia would blindly follow the canons of the church. Yes, she was a staunch Christian, but she was an excommunicated heretic who showed mercy and compassion to a Devil, the enemy of God.

    But that wasn''t the case, was it? Lord Demiurge and Lady Albedo were also Devils, yet at the same time were faithful servants of God, in fact, the most fervent of them, which only made things even more confusing.

    Was God the same merciful God in whose service Asia grew up? According to Raynare, Lord Demiurge, and Lady Albedo, yes. But what about the punished sinners? Asia knew about the hellish inferno that was supposed to be for sinners, and being encased in stone to repent for a while was nothing when compared to an eternity in hell, but¡­

    Argh, none of this made any sense in Asia''s head!

    Of course, during her time with the fallen angels, Asia came across two dozen heretical readings of the Bible and the Gospels, including the Apocryphal ones too. So, she shouldn''t even be surprised that in fact the whole situation was even more confusing when the doctrines that she had followed had been incomplete.

    But Asia, being the compassionate soul that she is, put mercy even above church doctrines and therefore could not simply agree with the punishment of sinners. On the other hand, the years spent among the fallen angels significantly dulled her most merciful and forgiving impulses. But even so, Asia simply did not know if she retained a full-fledged faith in God¡­ Even if she was spoken to by messengers who personally communicated with Him.

    Tea.

    She needed a lot of tea.

    And more time to think.

    Asia exhaled, looking at Raynare, who was looking at her with¡­

    An expression of sympathy?

    Yes, perhaps it was more correct to say that Raynare really expressed sympathy for her, being a fallen angel punishing sinners, and being a sinner herself¡­

    Asia''s brain was boiling even without the memories that the girl she accidentally met earlier was the Holy Virgin.

    Asia sighed before getting up after hearing Raynare''s story and walking away.

    She urgently needed to brew more tea.

    The strongest pot of tea that could be in the world.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "As we expected, the Fallen have already left their territories, leaving only a few units as a rear guard or just as forward warnings about who will be coming after them." Beelzebub''s words sounded militarily dry and unemotional, yet a black invisible cloud still hovered in the air above the four Satans, poisoning their mood at the moment.

    Not that the story of thousands of casualties among the Fallen could by itself predispose the Devils to any festive mood. It was simply quite awkward to be sitting next to the font of barely repressed anger and violence that is Sirzechs, the person responsible for killing the Fallen in the first place.

    And no matter how much the other three Satans danced around this fact, they all perfectly understood that what happened was certainly because of, first foremost of all, Kokabiel¡­ However, Sirzechs himself had become a tool in the hands of Kokabiel, if only for his badly planned suicide. And Sirzechs, in turn, knew that they knew about it, and the Satans also knew that Sirzechs knew about it.

    Of course, what happened would one day be erased and forgotten, just as the painful scars of the Civil War were forgotten, but it would take hundreds of years and several generations of Devils. But the four would still remember it, never mind the other old fogies that would definitely use the occasion to further their agenda. The Fallen Angels? Well, they would probably need the next millennium to recover from the devastation that an angry Sirzechs had handed them.

    Probably also the same amount of time before the Devils could begin diplomatic relationships again, even if the relationship in this case is the Fallen Angels swearing vengeance or something equally useless. Right now, what is important is how they should handle their own faction¡­ Which is so terribly ironic that it''s comical, that they need to worry more about their allies than their enemies.

    All the Devils, knew perfectly well that Sirzechs was perhaps the most powerful Devil, knew it to the depths of their damned soul, even when compared to the original Satans. But ''knowing'' and ''understanding'', were two completely different things. One could talk as much as they liked about billions of dollars or mountains of gold, but until people see the banknotes stacked in an endless pile or a gold mountain, they could not understand the true scales of things.

    The Fallen''s attack on the Gremory Estate had caused an explosion of hatred, vindictiveness, and a desire to retaliate against the Fallen. The Devils, quite logically, believed that the attack was a declaration of war. That was why, when news came back that the Fallen had already been defeated, their territories reduced to rubble and melted slag, they were confused.

    And with the old aristocratic Devils, who remembered the Civil War and Sirzechs''s power, either because they had faced it, or were supported by it, began panicking, it only made the confusion even worse. They of course feared that this was the straw that had broken the camel''s back, and the Sirzechs that they were more than happy to hinder with bureaucratic rules and lawfare had had enough. That, this time, the Crimson Devil was done taking their shit and was about to settle the scores, permanently.

    They froze in horror for a moment, and then the panic began. Asmodeus tried to stop the spread of the rumors, but it was a pointless endeavor. It was not like the Fallen''s attack could be hidden in the first place, nor could the effective death of an entire faction be hidden, or of Sirzechs''s rampage.

    Of course, half of the rumors were quickly discounted as lies, as they thought that the rumors were mere exaggerations. Which was funny to Asmodeus as they were in fact the truth, simply disbelieved because it was too hard to believe. Whereas the believed rumor, were in fact underestimation of Sirzechs'' abilities. The rumors in this case, on the contrary, underestimated the power of Sirzechs in order not to seem like complete nonsense, but even so, unrest ran among the reincarnated Devils.

    Former humans who had gained their rebirth were, of course, accustomed to magical abilities, and even very powerful ones as shown with their Kings. But there was a difference between high-ranking Devils and the Crimson Satan.

    The realization that Sirzechs could just as easily kill a million Devils with one wave of his hand came to people sharply. It is quite the experience to realize your own mortality after all, and to come at perhaps the worst time for it? Asmodeus was not surprised that the reincarnated Devils were acting as they were.

    Given the flared-up wave of quite justified rage towards the fallen, and the fact that the Satans had not sent the armies after the fallen, nor did they allow the Devils to vent their aggression? The Satans were not surprised that there was a distinct smell of unrest among the Devils in the air.

    Of course, no one spoke of another Civil War, the positions of the Satans and the aristocracy were extremely strong and solid, but even a small incident right now could turn into huge problems later.

    As cynical as it sounded, the most correct action to do right now, was to organize an attack on the already defeated Fallen. Even if Sirzechs did not want to carry out the genocide of an entire race of beings, his former neighbors, his previous actions notwithstanding. But, between a rebellion in his own rear and a battle with a weak external enemy, there was really no choice.

    Such was the duty of a ruler, to bear the grievous sins of his reign.

    However, Azazel likely understood this no less clearly than the Satans, and had fled along with the surviving Fallen Angels before the Satans could decide on some desperate action. There wasn''t even a trace of where the Fallen had disappeared to, with only the small contingent of rear guards to mark his passage.

    Rear guards which, most likely, would soon completely retreat from the territory of their former home, after which the Satans could somewhat pacify the people''s anger by declaring the territories of the fallen ''returned'' to the Devils faction. It should slightly extinguish the people''s anger¡­

    Still, no matter where Azazel had hidden himself, it would not take the Satans much time to find him, as it was extremely difficult to conceal the movement of thousands of surviving fallen. But Azazel was not a fool, and therefore he would certainly hide in such a deep crevice, from which it would be almost impossible to get him and the surviving remnants of his people out. At least, not without getting involved in another completely unnecessary conflict.

    And knowing Azazel, he would dig so deep that the price of attacking the fallen would become more than unbearable.

    "The only thing that worries me is the absence of bodies at the site of the¡­ attack, on the Fallen," Beelzebub spoke up, tactfully bypassing the other possible names for the massacre perpetrated by Sirzechs, drawing the attention of the Satans to the strange detail.

    Of course, logic suggested that the fallen would certainly strive to, if not to save, then at least to properly bury their Fallen, to at least save their dead comrades from one last indignity¡­ But not in the haste in which they had fled after Sirzechs'' attack. Especially considering that subsequent intelligence reports did not reveal any new mass graves of Fallen Angels.

    It was as if the bodies simply¡­ disappeared. The fact that this included the body of the slain Fafnir, who fell from Sirzechs'' hands in the last moments of his bloody madness, did not bode well.

    While it would make sense for Azazel to make some effort in transporting the Dragon''s body, a Dragon was simply that valuable, he could not see any reason why Azazel would also bring along the bodies of the other Fallen. If he had the time there was no doubt that Azazel would do such a thing, but he simply had none, survival trumps over sentimentality after all.

    And no other would be feeling such a thing more starkly than Azazel. So, where did the bodies go?

    The whole situation stank badly, only Beelzebub could not determine whose smell it was, thousands of fallen bodies disappeared from the scene¡­ What would the purpose for it be?

    Resurrection could be discarded as an unrealistic option.

    Resurrection was one of the most costly and rare of abilities, a jealously guarded commodity of powerful gods. Even Ajuka Beelzebub''s most ingenious invention, the [Evil Pieces], were only a limited version of that, and even one that is greatly limited in number and availability. They would not be able to restore even a tenth of the killed, even if assuming they had such a thing.

    Necromancers? The thousands of bodies could only be taken by some of the gods of necromancy, but the only one that came to Beelzebub''s mind, Hades, was in his kingdom and did not move from his place. Besides, he was unlikely to be able to move the thousands of dead in such a short time.

    Unscrupulous alchemists? Some of the most vile and disgusting shadow alchemists, who do not disdain the flesh of the dead in their vile rituals? Only if Beelzebub missed the creation of such a large, branched and powerful coven with thousands of members around the world behind his back.

    It was all strange and incomprehensible information that did not fit into Beelzebub''s usual logic, and therefore made his hands itch, and his [Kankara Formula] tremble with anticipation and anger. His most powerful ability, unable to work in the absence of any reliable data input.

    And all of this happening against the backdrop of Satoru''s appearance? Whom the Devils were forced to leave unattended without any surveillance, as they hastily retreated to their lands. It would be unsurprising for him, if he were to find that Satoru had taken over Kuoh after the Devils came out of their defensive postures.

    The next time the Devils reach out to the god about continuing their negotiation, Ajuka wouldn''t be very surprised if Satoru would be welcoming them into ''his'' Kuoh. Sure, it''s supposed to be the territory of the Shinto ''lent'' out to the Devils, but it''s not like they have made some kind of leasing agreement.

    It stinks badly of enemy actions. One that was planned so meticulously as to make sure that the Devil stays on the back foot, without revealing who they are.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    And yet, even more than the troubles with the unknown god, on the horizon loomed vague reports of the so-called ''Khaos Brigade''. A major criminal organization made up of many disparate denizens of the paranormal world, kept from acting out and led under the banner of Ophis, the Dragon of Eternity, one of the two most powerful beings in this world.

    And one last detail, an information that Azazel had hidden, the only reason he even survived, a trump card that he had hidden until the end, the bearer of Albion. The White Vanishing Emperor Dragon, was on the side of the Fallen.

    "How untimely this all is¡­" Beelzebub rubbed his temples, viciously hissing through his teeth.

    If it weren''t for Kokabiel''s attack, the Three Biblical Factions would have certainly finalized their peace treaty by now. After that, Kokabiel would have been sent to Cocytus through one reason or another, and the united Three Factions would have joined forces to fight the newly rising Khaos Brigade. The power of the Satans would have been unshakable among the Devils, and even Satoru would have had to retreat or negotiate from a much weaker position in the face of the three united factions.

    But now, they are weaker than they had ever been before, not even during the Civil War.

    It was as if some evil will had reached the devils and was currently knocking the ground out from under the devils'' feet with perverted sadistic pleasure. And the worst thing was that this very possibility seemed the most likely to Beelzebub.

    "Confusing tracks, illogical actions, oddities around¡­"

    Beelzebub''s ear caught the silent whisper of the Leviathan and turning to her, Beelzebub saw how she, looking into the void, uttered the words with a deep frown on her face. A sure sign that someone had contacted her at the moment with the help of magic. Judging by the fact that this someone did it during the meeting of the Satans, the matter was of the most urgency.

    After whispering inaudibly for a few seconds, the Leviathan blinked, as if she could not believe what she was hearing, then shifted her gaze to the other Satans. "Some vampire has gutted the underbelly of Kyoto, and the youkai of Kyoto is now trying to find out if anything has happened to the Biblical Faction recently."

    The news that another faction is now snooping around the peripheries was not a welcomed one.

    "It''s getting worse by the hour, now the youkai has started sniffing around. Soon the Shinto faction would be more active. Just what we needed right now." Beelzebub grimaced as if from a toothache, as he even resorted to using sarcasm, the least form of wit.

    The worst thing was not that all these problems had fallen simultaneously on Beelzebub and all the Satans. The worst thing was that he was absolutely sure that all these were links of one chain, slowly strangling the Devil¡­

    But Beelzebub absolutely could not determine how exactly they were connected, who was behind these events, and most importantly, for what purpose.

    And because of that, the Beelzebub could only grit his teeth even more.

    He just hated things he didn''t understand.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Tobio disappeared?!" If there were windows in Azazel''s office, they would have undoubtedly shattered from Vali''s furious scream as his body shook, a second away from rushing to strangle his adoptive father. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately in this case, Azazel''s ''office'' was currently a basement, the only suitable room that the Tepes faction could provide him in his moment of need.

    "He didn''t disappear, it''s too early to say that. Tobio is known for his¡­ Adventures, disappearing from weeks or months on end without making any communication.," Azazel tried with all his might to calm Vali, cursing his careless student with all possible swear words, who had unexpectedly decided to cease communication in the midst of the largest crisis of the Fallen.

    It definitely was not the kind of position where you want to negotiate anything, but here they are. Having the bearer of [Canis Lykaon] around could only help matters, but Tobio was nowhere to be found.

    With thousands of Fallen dead, their home lost, Azazel had to agree to almost any conditions that the vampires could put before him in the future. If Vali decided to go hooky now? He might as well just strip down and spread his backside to let the Tepes fuck him in the ass now¡­ Shit, he needs to de-stress if he has started resorting to crass jokes.

    Since his last assignment to Tobio had been in Kuoh, there was also a good reason as to why he was lying low right now. With the Fallen in Kuoh probably dead, or also lying low like Tobio did, there was no way for Azazel to gain any information about his wayward student. And since there''s no way that the Fallen could step into Kuoh without immediately gaining the attention of the Devils or worse the Satans, Azazel would need Tobio himself to find a way to reach him.

    Right now he had to come back, and there''s no way that Tobio didn''t understand this too, right now the fallen needed every possible pair of hands, not to mention the owner of a [Longinus].

    "Azazel, why the hell didn''t you tell me that Tobio had disappeared?!" Thoughts about his other students aside, right now he had to deal with an angry dragon. So much so, that Azazel did not point out the fact that the heir of the old Lucifer had just mentioned hell. Instead, he could only wearily press a hand on his temples, as if trying to keep the thoughts seeping through the pores of his skin inside his head.

    And how did Vali even find out about the disappearance of his ''older brother''?!

    "That''s exactly why I didn''t tell you, because right now you''re ready to damn everything and rush to look for him! Don''t even try, even a two-winged Fallen would try to knock you out of the sky just to keep you here, where you are most definitely needed. Not when your presence is the only thing that keeps our negotiations with the Tepes at least have a semblance of fairness!" Of course, Azazel was exaggerating, but Vali still winced, running his hand over his body, which must have been terribly itchy.

    The remnant of his injury when he tried to steal the powers of an enraged Sirzechs. Despite his complaints about how he was taken out so easily, the fact that Vali was still standing even after shoving that much energy from the Crimson Satan was proof of his talent. Any past wielder of [Divine Dividing] would have turned to ash from the influx of uncontrollable energy. It was still not without consequence, of course.

    His [Longinus] armor cracked, and Vali himself fell into a semi-comatose state that he just came to, it would still take more time before he could fully heal, a few weeks at least. If it was not for his perfect connection with Albion, who had taken on some of the absorbed power, Vali would be in a worse state than now. So, even if it would be an easy task for him, even a two-winged Fallen might actually slow him down. Not that Vali would be eager to kill more of the almost endangered Fallen Angels, of course.

    Still, no matter the state he''s in, Azazel knows that Vali is a hotheaded idiot, that is why his explanation as to why Vali shouldn''t go out to look for his adopted brother needed to be immaculate.

    "Tobio is not an idiot, he will return within a couple of weeks. I wouldn''t be surprised if he''s looking for a safe way to send a message to us right now." Azazel needed to skillfully maneuver with words in order not to mention that Tobio was in any danger with the Satans, definitely not mentioning that Tobio was last seen in Kuoh.

    Vali is a hotheaded idiot, what does he care that fighting the Satans would put the caboose on the remaining Fallen? But he does have things that he cares about, few as they are, and so until Tobio''s safety could be ascertained. It was another reason why he wouldn''t go on his stupid rampage against the Satans, even if it would just result in his death. In fact, that last part would actually excite him more.

    It''s his id¨¦e fixe, his raison d''etre, to fight against the strongest of opponents, losing or winning the last thing on his mind. If he lost and died? So be it, it was his fault to be so weak. If he lost and lives? Well, that''s just another reason to get stronger and get his revenge, again and again until he won.

    Of course, there was a way to control Vali, that is people that he at least put some measure in listening to their orders, for example, his ''older brother'', Tobio. But now, Tobio had disappeared and therefore two of Vali''s motivations simultaneously worked against Azazel''s desire to keep the Fallen safe.

    ''I wish he would find a woman and settle down already,'' Azazel thought with a long sad sigh, looking at Vali''s aggravated form.

    And it was impossible to somehow hammer it into this fool''s head that Tobio is the last thing that needed to be worried about, the [Longinus] user could take care of himself. With the Fallen on its last legs, the vultures are starting to circle above their head, and they had to find anyone or anything that could shelter them. They were so desperate for it that Azazel had to go to the Vampires, of all things! The Vampires!

    The Vampires were so weak that in the past, Azazel could ape what Sirzechs did and kill all of them with barely an effort! But¡­ With half of the Fallen''s commanders dead, Kokabiel''s betrayal caused massive unrest among the Fallen, especially with his remaining loyalists, who somehow survived Sirzechs'' rampage. Those idiots are still screaming about revenge, even when it was their idiotic leader that had gotten them into this mess!

    Oh, and lest he forget, the Fallen''s current location made them uncomfortably close to the seat of the Angels, the Vatican and its Holy See¡­ Just an errant gaze from one of his past brothers, the Seraphim, and the Fallen would be put into a siege once again.

    And yet, what angered Azazel the most, was Vali''s incessant complaints that he was abandoning Tobio, even if it''s the farthest thing from the truth! Tobio was not a stranger to him, he was his student, his ward, another son to him just like Vali is¡­ But that was why Azazel needed to focus on keeping the Fallen afloat.

    He trusted that Tobio would be fine, his resourceful ward would find a way to survive whatever predicament he''s in. That was why Azazel needed to focus on keeping the grim balance of his weakened Fallen, so that there would still be a place that Tobio could return to.

    Besides, any Fallen Angels stepping foot into Devil''s territory? There are faster and easier ways to commit suicide.

    "At the moment, you can''t even defeat the young heiresses, and you think you could face whatever it is that''s keeping Tobio from communicating?" Without any other clever argument, and perhaps as a measure of revenge, Azazel pressed on one of Vali''s sore spots. It was not like he could keep his existence secret anyway, Vali''s appearance would not soon be forgotten by the Crimson Satan.

    It was the last measure that Azazel could take, to speak with his stepson''s obsession in mind. After all, losing to someone that is much weaker than you simply because you fought while injured would be the height of stupidity, something that would not make Vali any stronger. It should keep Vali from doing anything rash till he''s fully healed, at least.

    "Tobio will get in touch soon¡­"

    "And if he doesn''t?!" Vali, ever the eternal child, rushing from one extreme to another, tucked his hands under his arm like a petulant child while trying not to wince from the pain such action had caused him from his still unhealed body.

    "What then?!"

    "Then we will start looking for him," Azazel replied easily, even as he almost prayed that such a thing wouldn''t come to pass.

    The loss of Tobio¡­ For him personally, it would be a tragedy. While for the crumbling Fallen faction, it would simply be another nail in the coffin. Azazel had indeed gained help, reluctant as it was, from the vampire faction even when the Vampires were a fragmented and weak faction. It was an option that only existed since the Fallen, as reduced as they were, could still tilt the balance of power between the two Feuding Vampire factions.

    Having two [Longinus] meant that the Fallen still had weight to negotiate. But his position could not be called stable at all. A single gust of wind like the weakening of his position, or added pressure from the Angels, and the Fallen would again find themselves on the run. But where could they run to then?

    The Khaos Brigade.

    As much as it tasted like ash for someone that had championed peace so fervently, if the peace with the Vampire crumbled, he would have no other option than to join something no better than a Terrorist organization. The entire faction could go under the wing of Ophis, Azazel saw no other options before him.

    And it was in such conditions that he lost Tobio, the bearer of a [Longinus], and following him, Vali, the bearer of the second? The Fallen would cease to exist as a faction entirely. Even with Azazel and the other surviving Cadres, they would be too weak to keep themselves safe anymore, especially with him losing almost all of the built-up strength he had before. The loss of his artificial [Sacred Gear], his laboratory, and especially Fafnir, Azazel was much weaker than before.

    The future of the Fallen looked very bleak¡­

    "If Tobio doesn''t get in touch in a week, I''m going to Kuoh and I don''t care what hole you crawl into, hiding from helping your student!" Vali''s words painfully cut through Azazel''s heart, but he only silently looked away slightly to the side, allowing Vali, like the teenager that he is, to rush away with quick steps from the office of his adoptive father.

    "And his and my whole team will go with me!" But not before throwing one last distressing remark to him.

    Azazel, having endured Vali''s diatribe for a few long minutes, sighed before folding his hands in front of him, staring at nothing in particular.

    "A week. You have a week, Tobio," Azazel said slowly, addressing the empty air, before stopping himself from starting to pray once again. "Tobio¡­ You''d better just get poisoned by ramen. Tobio¡­ I''ll even forgive you for not telling me about it¡­"

    It was not like his Father was around to hear him.

    Even so, even with him hoping against hope that his adoptive son was just suffering from food poisoning and would contact him soon, the knot of steel ropes curling in his stomach said exactly the opposite.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Formally speaking, the Holy See maintained a certain level of autonomy in relation to the Heavens and the Angels of the Biblical Faction that controlled them. But only formally speaking.

    No one in their right mind would think that the Angels would allow the seat of its power on Earth, its main method of interacting with the other Factions, and its wing of intelligence and economic power, among other things, to not be under its full control. The fact that they actually are largely independent of Heaven, one of the simple accepted facts for the Angels.

    Michael, unlike his Father, simply could not physically take care of every minor event occurring in the human world.

    Given the fact that there were simply incredibly few angels in comparison to their believers, the birth rate of an Angel is beyond abysmal, taking entire decades of preparation, and risking losing two instead of adding one? The number of agents and representatives that the Angels needed to keep their Faction in order was to be expected.

    The Holy See needed autonomy simply in order to continue functioning in the modern world and not fall apart into a hundred self-governing cliques and heresies, half of which would eventually completely escape the control of the [Heaven''s System]. And such a thing had happened in the past, where the teachings of Christianity, without a central governing figure, had splintered so completely that some couldn''t even be called Christians anymore.

    The Angels, even when wary about allowing the Holy See to continue as they were, and especially with its many failures, still considered it the best out of a bad hand.

    After all, billions of people still revered the Biblical God, and without a central guidance would greatly deviate from the original covenants of faith, forcing the Angels to continually debate a single topic without a clear answer to the question.

    Questions like how should we deal with the heresy that has escaped control. Especially considering that in the past, the Angels had already tasted the bitter fruits of their attempts to influence the human world directly, and regretted it. The Reformation Wars were nothing more than a waste of life, one that had happened throughout Europe.

    Therefore, despite the formal full accountability to the Heavens, the Holy See in fact had a very wide autonomy in matters of its behavior, even if they are not allowed to go beyond certain limits.

    Of course, internal communications between the agents of the Church pass under that muster, even if it bypasses Heaven altogether, and the Church has many ways to do so, as expected of the most ancient and powerful of intelligence service. It was the reason why they were built in the first place, after all.

    Therefore, the news that the Fallen had attacked the Devils, and the quick and devastating reprisal, delivered by one of the worst enemies of the Church, the Crimson Satan no less, made its way to the desk of the current head of the intelligence department of the Holy See, Ewald Cristaldi, even before the dust had settled. True, they were too late from preventing the Fallen from recovering the body of their dead, or from the Devil destroying it, but Ewald had already made his required penitence and reflection. He would act faster next time.

    Having listened to a brief report and sent his assistant on his way, the man of unremarkable appearance, neither young nor old, crossed his arms in front of him, one thought after another appearing in his head.

    Unimportant informants could afford to be stupid, their tasks were only to notice facts and transmit them up the chain to the priests to whom they were assigned to. But, even the ''external agents'' of the church had no right to such carelessness, at least if they wished to live to their natural death.

    What can be said about Ewald himself, who, like any good Christian, did not forget about the confrontation with His Enemies, but did not allow his hatred to replace his own intellect. The fact that the Devils and the Fallen had clashed with each other could not but cause satisfaction in him.

    However, he was not going to simply dismiss other, more important questions and let himself be blinded by a sin like self-indulgence. Why did the attack happen, or what will happen next, are such questions that need to be asked.

    Therefore, Ewald had to deal with what was happening, with all the thoroughness possible as an agent of the Church. The possibility that the Great War might start again was too important of a subject for him not to conduct an investigation with all the thoroughness possible. A tradition inherited by the church from the times of the Holy Inquisition.

    A copy of the report, of course, laid on Ewald''s desk, even if the Pope himself was still in the dark, His Holiness would find out about this in the near future.

    As even as the plenipotentiary representative of the Heavens on Earth, the only one who had a direct connection with Michael himself, he had a rather low official authority in the structures of the Church itself.

    Still with the mystery at hand, the church would send out agents to begin to collect information, first checking the battlefield itself in an attempt to find at least anything that survived¡­

    "Hmm, no, sending humans to the Underworld would be too risky, the situation would still be too hot for them to pass the borders safely and without detection¡­" Murmuring to himself and coming to a decision, Ewald started writing a communiqu¨¦ to the undercover agents in the Devil''s camp.

    "As for the Fallen¡­ Humph, no need to send anyone, in a couple of days, the Heretics would themselves announce where they are hiding themselves. No need to waste good Christian lives for that."

    Thumping on the reports with his finger in a rhythmic beat, Ewald began thinking on another more important question.

    "Why? And why now?" Ewald, of course, was very much aware of the brewing tension between the three factions, and especially about the bubbling tension between the disparate factions in the Fallen. His position affords him nothing else than the complete knowledge about the Church''s enemies¡­

    That was why he knows full well that the only reason that Kokabiel''s attack was as successful as it is, was because the Devils were busy with something. Something important enough that it required the full attention of all the Satans, even Sirzechs himself. For Ewald had no delusion that Kokabiel would have failed miserably without doing any damage, should the Crimson Satan, or any other of the four, were present in the Underworld.

    Ewald thought for a second, then confidently nodded to himself. Indeed, the question raised before him was too important to be greedy. Sometimes a sacrifice is needed. He would need to send his agents, even if it meant their death.

    Reaching for his phone, a direct line to any agents of the church, even the Pope, Ewald picked it up, and a moment later heard an answer on the other end of the phone, "Cardinal Deacon?"

    "I need any records about all the significant absences of the Satans from the Underworld over the past week." Ewald did not specify a specific time and reason for the departure, nor did he talk about the attack that had taken place on the Fallen.

    Who, if not the head of intelligence, knew how many ears the walls around him actually had?

    "Importance?" The man on the other side of the phone asked in a businesslike manner, also without names, learning about which particular agents he was allowed to declassify in his actions.

    "Very high," Ewald answered briefly, before rising from his seat and picking up the report brought to him as he headed out of his office.

    And after the men on the other side finished communicating with Michael, as Ewald suspected, this same importance could grow to ''absolute''.

 The new Three-Sided War (12)

    Momonga never had a love for dancing. It''s not that he was a complete klutz and couldn''t learn to dance, it''s just that up until this point, Momonga didn''t really have a use for this knowledge. After all, did he have many reasons to dance before now?

    However, when Momonga found out that by learning it he could postpone going to school, Momonga became acutely interested in the noble art of dance. To be more precise, the victory dance.

    All these worries about school, lessons, classes and missed hours suddenly evaporated when Momonga found out that Albedo had gone behind his back to negotiate with the school principal. And not only did she manage to recruit him as her agent, which in itself was already great, but when he had found out that she also achieved the miracle where he did not have to attend school classes?

    For these actions, Momonga almost kissed Albedo¡­ Almost, simply because he has too much work to spend in bed, which would inevitably happen should he have kissed the Succubus.

    Although, perhaps, he should still give her a gift for such an accomplishment¡­

    But if he did that, then he would have to give a gift to Shalltear too, right? Momonga absolutely did not want to play ''favorites'' after he decided that he should treat his harem equally and not cause competition and resentment among them¡­ And Shalltear did accomplish her mission, so he could also give her a reward.

    On the other hand, what exactly could he give Albedo as a present?

    And Shalltear too, of course. The youkai she had delivered had already been processed by Demiurge and were now awaiting their fate, locked up on the fifth floor¡­ More precisely, their bodies.

    Unfortunately, Momonga could not just let them go freely after they had seen Nazarick, after he determined that such an information should be kept in complete secrecy.

    "Hmm, this is what people go on dates for, right? To find out what exactly the other person likes¡­" Momonga sighed, pondering, frowning about Albedo and Shalltear.

    "I am absolutely certain that if I say I want to reward them, they will definitely¡­"

    Momonga paused for a moment, he could vividly imagine the girl saying something like ''we don''t need anything, Lord Momonga, just to serve you further''.

    "Actually, no, that''s what Demiurge would say¡­ But not Albedo and Shalltear, especially now that they are in a relationship. Ah, there''s that."

    Knowing their character, Momonga was definitely sure that they would not be at all against a reward in the form of sex¡­

    Thinking about such a possibility, a shiver traveled through his spine.

    Knowing Shalltear''s endless list of fetishes and Albedo''s heavy love for him, Momonga wasn''t even sure if he wanted to know what kind of sexual activity they would choose as a reward. He wondered if he could even perform adequately¡­

    "Hmm, in that case¡­ Yes, definitely, a date would be necessary, if only to establish boundaries. Seeing that I just got freed from school for the near future and with the demons leaving the city for some reason, I got time for a short break. A time that could be spent on dates with the girls."

    Momonga nodded to himself, seeing the wisdom in such a decision, even a niggling uncertainty still bothered him.

    "Although¡­ I would prefer to do something more productive. Maybe something like reading and investigating the information about Kyoto and the youkai of Japan¡­? But at the same time, can''t a date with the girls be called special actions to maintain order and give rewards to my subordinates? It can be said that this is also part of my job¡­"

    Momonga pondered about it for a moment, inevitably drawing a parallel between himself and the disgusting bosses from his past who spent all their free time with women and used company money for gifts, after which he shook his head.

    "This is different, right? I''m not sexually harassing my subordinates or using company money for frivolous purposes, it could even be said that it was business expenses! Even if it felt like the same thing¡­ Ahem! Well, perhaps a date would be the wrong reward, but if so, then how can I reward Albedo and Shalltear? Or should I take the path of least resistance and just reward them¡­ With sex?"

    Momonga had greatly enjoyed the sexual encounter he had with Albedo and Shalltear, and he was generally not averse to a repeat performance. Especially if Albedo and Shalltear themselves would be happy with it, he did want to reward them for a job well done.

    However, for some reason¡­ The thought of rewarding his subordinates in such a way brought an image of himself dressed in black latex, standing over dozens of girls who were in chains, in the throes of passion reaching out to him¡­

    No matter how his flesh-body reacted to such an image, it was not a future that he wanted.

    "Umu" A flash of Emotion Suppression flowed through him before Momonga could unravel the complex tangle of emotion he was feeling at that moment. Momonga breathed a sigh of relief, and thanked his lucky stars that whatever emotion he had felt at that moment, was drowned out.

    He did not plan to open up new fetishes in himself until he at least sorted out the old ones -

    "Peroroncino¡­ I''m not sure exactly how, but for some reason I believe you are the one to blame for this!"

    Momonga could practically swear that from the very moment he decided to have relationships with the girls, the invisible spirit of Peroroncino was currently circling over him, alternately transmitting to him two thoughts. ''I''m so proud of you!'' and ''Why couldn''t I be in your place, damn you, it should have been me!'', it was a tricky emotion to parse out for sure¡­

    For a moment, Momonga imagined Peroroncino''s bodiless spirit circling around him, after which he dispelled it, deciding to return to the question of his own sexual adventures and relationships with girls a little later. That is, after he dealt with the information more important for his immediate plans. The captured fallen angels and youkai provided a lot of it, after all.

    Some of the information, of course, Momonga already knew, and Demiurge did everything possible to ensure that the information obtained from the captured targets was as complete, accurate and truthful as possible. So, Momonga was confident that the captives did not and could not lie, so he didn''t need to worry about that as he perused the documents filled to the brim with the result of that interrogation.

    In addition, Demiurge himself added a lot of additional thoughts and conclusions to his observations, which greatly simplified Momonga''s work, Thoughts and conclusions, for example, about the current major players in this world.

    For instance, the Great Red Dragon, which the locals simply called the Great Red, was one of the most powerful beings of the modern world. A Dragon that he had already defeated and consumed, which calmed Momonga''s paranoia a little, but at the same time made him question the locals'' assessment of the Dragon.

    Yes, this Great Red was definitely stronger, much stronger, than a level 100 player, if not for his [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown], his full set of [Divine Class] items and his [World Class Item], Momonga would not have been able to win the battle with him. However, it was the Great Red''s enormous power that ultimately destroyed him. The Dragon had possessed immense strength, but did not know how to use it correctly or effectively, at least not to the level that Momonga did.

    The fact that the Dragon had initiated combat with Momonga without knowing any information about him, or even preparing any special defenses, had spelled the Dragon''s doom.

    If the Great Red had combat experience comparable to Momonga''s, which was not too impressive compared to some gods fighting for millennia that he suspects the gods of this world have. But, it still consisted of twelve years of continuous battles with creatures of equal level of power. It was, after all, Momonga''s constant honing of his own abilities and tactics that had allowed him to fight above his weight class that a Role-play build should have limited him to.

    If the Great Red had any battle experience at all, then even all of Momonga''s abilities would not have helped him defeat such an opponent in battle¡­ At least alone. He would most likely need the help of Nazarick or at least to use a [World Class Item] to defeat the Dragon.

    He had faced World Class Enemies before, so he already has experience fighting enemies that are much stronger than him, and even equipped with the powers of AI behind their strategic skill.

    Of course, Momonga would have won in the end, but even so, he still had to take into account that such creatures in this world, enemies that greatly overpower him. But, before his paranoia could rear its ugly head again, fortunately, as the captives told him, such a creature was extremely rare.

    In fact, the only one who was comparable in strength to the Great Red was the Dragon of Infinity, Ophis ¨C the Ouroboros¡­

    The name of the Dragon evokes thoughts of the [World Class Item] of the same name in Momonga, causing him to tense up for a second before deciding that it was most likely a coincidence. But he still decided to take a closer look at Ophis.

    Even if her combat experience was even lower than that of the Great Red, if the information that Ophis had lost a fight against the Great Red was true at least, the existence of a creature with a level of power exceeding the 100th level was definitely important information for Nazarick¡­ And if Momonga fails to take her under its control, then she was too dangerous to be allowed to exist freely.

    Especially considering the information that the Infinite Dragon had created an organization full of powerful creatures under her. The Khaos Brigade¡­ or is it the Chaos Brigade?

    "Hmm, is this a typo? What a weird place to have such a thing. Just need to correct it¡­ There we go, the ''Chaos Brigade'', quite the interesting name for an organization that wanted to keep themselves secret."

    Luckily for Momonga, as it turned out, one of the criminals from Kyoto did some business with the Chaos Brigade, an organization that Ophis had assembled in order to defeat the Great Red¡­ And this made Momonga worry because there was no Great Red in the Dimensional Gap, and that''s where Nazarick was located.

    And the fact that Ophis was right now gathering a whole army to invade the Dimensional Gap, therefore basically reaching the doorstep of Nazarick itself¡­ Did not please Momonga at all.

    According to the gathered information, Ophis'' organization was extremely fragmented and most of it joined Ophis only nominally, pursuing their own goals, so the invasion might not happen at all. But Momonga could not take that risk.

    The organization still existed and was quite large, containing a large number of fairly strong individuals. Strong mostly by the standards of this world, but even with Nazarick''s defenses, Momonga could not simply dismiss their threat, especially when he lacked the information about what force the Chaos Brigade could bring to bear.

    In the past, the Great Tomb of Nazarick had successfully withstood the largest raid in the history of Yggdrasil, a thousand and five hundred participants had invaded, and they never broke through beyond the Eighth Floor,

    But this did not mean that Momonga wanted a repeat performance. Especially considering how many resources he would need to spend on restoring Nazarick to full preparedness again, the cost of reviving alone¡­

    "Ah, yeah, gathering information on the Chaos Brigade needed to be put in the highest priority." The possible cost of life was too much, and especially since he hasn''t ascertained for sure if the denizens of Nazarick could be revived, just like in Yggdrasil.

    And lastly, such a large conflict would definitely reveal the presence of Nazarick to the world, which Momonga would like to avoid for as long as possible.

    However, according to Demiurge''s analysis, there was no reason to panic at the moment. Although Nigredo had just finished inspecting the other worlds and the other factions, Demiurge had already determined that the Chaos Brigade''s organization is¡­ Well, to call it split, would be like calling the ocean wet, filled with factions that hated each other and pursuing disparate goals, the only reason that it hasn''t imploded on itself was because of Ophis.

    In fact, Ophis was less a leader and more of a cash cow that the factions wanted to use for their own ends. The factions within the Brigade have their own leadership structures that don''t intersect with Ophis very much. Ophis, in turn, either allowed them such an attitude towards herself, or, which was much more likely from Demiurge''s point of view, simply did not understand the current situation.

    Demiurge himself could not speak confidently, however, about why exactly such a situation had developed, but he saw the most likely reason as the same reason why the Great Red had lost so easily¡­ An evaluation that Momonga pretty much had to force out of the Demon, as Demiurge simply regarded the Dragon losing to the Supreme Being as something to be expected.

    ''I had to couch the question in so many hypotheticals that I even got lost on what I am asking about mid-way!''

    Lack of practice with their own power, and lack of battle tactics, were traits shared by the two Dragons, even worse for the Infinite Dragon, she was extremely lacking in social skills and the ability to judge people''s intentions. Having spent her entire life since the start of creation, alone in the Dimensional Gap before being kicked out by the Great Red, Ophis was insanely weak to social warfare¡­ Or just basic social battles, or manipulations.

    In other words, manipulating her was as easy as doing so to a three-year-old child who had just learned their first words.

    As a result, even if Momonga had decided to completely forget about the Chaos Brigade, there''s a great chance that everything would be alright.

    There was more than a good chance that the Chaos Brigade would never venture into the Dimensional Gap to complete Ophis'' goal.

    After all, such a thing was not to the interest of any of the members of the Chaos Brigade, except for Ophis herself. After all, even if they did accomplish Ophis'' mission, killing the already dead Great Red, not that the member of the Chaos Brigade knows that, would mean the end of their patronage to the Dragon of Infinity. Which is the last thing they want.

    But Momonga was not the kind of person who left the safety of himself and the things he cared about, to the mercy of fate. Even if the number of level 100 opponents in this whole world was relatively small, every one of them a source of danger, any possible invasion, a possible disclosure of information about Nazarick.

    No, leaving anything to chance, or worse, a sheltered girl''s understanding of her situation, was beyond foolish.

    That was why Demiurge''s message came just in time. After all, according to the information Demiurge had managed to gather, the Chaos Brigade, or more like Ophis, was trying to gather as many combatants under her wing as possible, regardless of their motivation or nature.

    She has taken the foolish, if only in Momonga''s opinion, in trying to replace quality with quantity, to try to bridge the gap of strength she has with the Great Red by recruiting as many people as she could. All it takes to join, was to give a verbal agreement to someday help Ophis with the killing of the Great Red, not even a contract or a magical geas, a verbal agreement. Not even one where the recruit needed to swear oaths or anything binding in any way, it was basically a glorified pinky promise.

    If there''s anything that exemplifies the Dragon''s sheltered nature, then such a haphazard, and barely functioning recruitment practice, was number one amongst the many other examples.

    Worse, Ophis herself was only too happy to shower the new recruits with abilities and enhancements. If there was any silver lining in Ophis'' practice of recruitment, is that she is quite proficient in talent scouting, approaching everyone with notable strength for recruitment. It was something that Momonga could at least respect the Dragon for, scouting for talent is not easy after all.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Now, if only she could learn the least amount of discernment in her recruiting effort, then Momonga would have a better opinion of the dragon. Alas, the only reason that the Chaos Brigade isn''t filled to the brim with spies, is both because of the scattered nature of its faction, planting a spy in one of them would only mean gaining information about one part of the Chaos Brigade. And seeing that all the factions have different goals, it wouldn''t give any information about the general state of affairs of the Chaos Brigade.

    And the second reason is because, well, why bother sending spies?

    It was not like Ophis was hiding her intentions or goals. The only one that would have any incentive in sending spies on the nonexistent progress of the Chaos Brigade in defeating the Great Red, is the dragon in question itself. And the Great Red, if he was not already dead, is somehow even worse than Ophis in regard to caring about the outside world. As the unchallenged strongest has no need for duplicitous tactics like espionage or traps¡­

    The political squabbles of other worlds and factions were of absolutely no interest to the two Dragon Gods.

    To deal with the Chaos Brigade, Demiurge''s proposal was very simple.

    Infiltration with a spy, or better yet, several at once, get close to the disparate factions, and if at all possible, gain influence on Ophis herself. Ophis certainly had not the slightest desire to intervene in the squabbles of other worlds, and was too strong for any other faction to cope with her in case their espionage efforts were found out¡­ That is, except for Nazarick.

    Nazarick was strong enough, and very much an unknown, that he could take the risk and try to influence Ophis, and if necessary, destroy her. Ophis, like her organization, could not remain free or without watchers, as an excessively dangerous external factor in any long-term plans.

    And if her elimination became necessary, in any of the ways, the remnants of the Chaos Brigade, those that do not tear each other apart immediately at least, will become easy prey for Nazarick.

    However, if that was the plan for the Chaos Brigade¡­ Who could Momonga send on such a dangerous mission? Ophis after all, despite her na?vet¨¦, was still someone dangerous, but Momonga couldn''t send someone especially powerful either.

    According to Demiurge, although level 100 creatures were not unheard of, they were a rarity, existences that are carefully monitored in this world by all the players. And, even if Ophis would not have any question about her ''lucky'' find, if Momonga were to send anyone powerful, their identity would definitely be found out by the other Factions.

    And with Momonga''s presence already noted by the Demons¡­ The appearance of someone so powerful so close to Momonga making an appearance, might draw some uncomfortable attention, or worse questions about the possible connections Momonga might have with the ''new'' arrival.

    So Momonga could not send a level 100th NPC on this mission¡­ At least not without having them hiding their real strength.

    "Actually yeah, that would be the best course of action, sending anyone weaker would only mean that they wouldn''t be able to do anything should an emergency arise after all. But who to send? At least there''s already a premade disguise available?"

    Nigredo and Demiurge''s research had determined that there were hundreds of worlds, dimensions really, existing adjacent to each other. Most of which, however, were much smaller than even Kuoh. They were the seat of power of ancient extinct religions, preserved exclusively in the form of half-forgotten gods who simply missed the right time to die, deprived of followers, territories, and their holy places, all degraded. Because of which, these once powerful gods of these relics rarely exceeded level 60, some even falling to level 50 and even 40.

    That is, even by the standards of this world, they were very insignificant. The leader of the Fallen Angels, their ''cadre'', the highest-ranking fallen angels, the ones that still live anyway, were of level 60 and above. And so calling these dead religions'' gods as gods was already a big stretch.

    Still, strictly speaking, they are not completely powerless, but in the grand scheme of things they were not players, but at best ''factors'' or ''roadblocks'' to be taken into account just for thoroughness'' sake. And not the most significant ones at that.

    Demiurge had already outlined a plan that would make use of these forgotten religions to increase Nazarick''s influence on the world. Sure, they were weak and disunited, but together they still carried potential both as agents and as a source of unique artifacts and knowledge about the new world.

    Momonga supported Demiurge with his full enthusiasm.

    Even if these forgotten religions'' effectiveness was small and ineffective, for a collector like Momonga, ''old and no longer revered'' meant that these forgotten religions were rare specimens! Unique, discontinued and the most limited of limited editions, things that are utterly unique for his collection!

    After all, a collector does not strive for their collection to be the most ''effective'', but to be the most unique and rare of them all. What true collector could refuse a unique lot just because it was ''ineffective''!?

    Moreover, there were a literal uncountable number of them, religions come and go in the long history of mankind, no one would notice their disappearance, and they were easy enough to subdue.

    And to go back to Momonga''s previous thought, these dead religions, with a pantheon of dead gods, forgotten by all, made the perfect identity to be used as a disguise to spy on the Chaos Brigade!

    Sure, Ophis might be old enough to actually remember them all, but Momonga doubts that the Dragon of Infinity would ever bother doing that.

    Demiurge had already forwarded to Momonga a whole plan for the formation of his own faction of ''Old Gods'', which Momonga tried his best to read¡­ Only to get lost on the first page of the document when he tried to pronounce all the names of the identity that Demiurge had listed in his notes with their assigned duties.

    The Demon had even created small notes and dossiers on how each identity should act and how to best infiltrate using the information collected by Nigredo. In any case, even if Momonga was ready to spend all his free time reading the thick tome that calls itself a document, Demiurge clearly already understood such matters much better than Momonga himself could.

    So, Momonga agreed, with a clear conscience, even when he hadn''t read the document, of Demiurge''s proposal and his plan.

    In any case, Demiurge carefully selected forgotten religions in whose ranks there was no one of level 70 and above left. Weak enough for the religion to be controlled by relatively small forces of Nazarick, and during the implementation of Demiurge''s plan itself, determine with whom of them in the future Nazarick could ''cooperate'' with, and who represented too unreliable partners.

    Moreover, it was among such ''insignificant'' religions that a perfect infiltration agent could be made to contact the Chaos Brigade, or more likely, Ophis herself. A ''Level 70'' NPC would not attract too much attention from the other Factions, after all it would make sense for even a ''dead'' religion to still have their strongest champions, as weakened as the religion might be. And a level 70 could insert themselves into the Chaos Brigade and be strong enough to acquire Ophis'' attention. Strong enough that the spy could be given the same carte blanche treatment the other strong people in the Chaos Brigade have, and be able to create its own faction.

    In any case, the question of whom to send to spy in the Chaos Brigade was still paramount.

    Albedo and Demiurge are definitely unavailable. Demiurge is the architect of the whole plan of creating a false faction, Momonga would definitely need his help to manage the whole thing, he couldn''t even get through the first page of the plan. While Albedo is the manager of the church and Momonga''s growing monetary business.

    Shalltear is¡­ Snrk, he couldn''t even entertain the idea. Sending her to anything that Momonga didn''t want destroyed is a fool''s errand. Even her recent success in Kyoto was reliant on the fact that she technically didn''t have much restriction in how she would accomplish her mission. To have her be in a position where she couldn''t just destroy everything, or worse, having to hold her tongues should anyone hurl insults at her? No, just no, espionage was the last thing that he wanted to send Shalltear on. And well, she did deserve a break for a job well done.

    There''s Cocytus? Who could fit in theory, however he is too eye-catching, and Demiurge has already noted that among the old forgotten religions there is unlikely to be anyone that Cocytus could disguise himself as. After all, a gigantic ice bug is too ''unique'' of an appearance to make do with a poor disguise.

    Sebas on the other hand fits better. Demiurge had found something similar to Sebas'' identity as a dragonoid in the dragons of Sanamahism¡­ However, there''s a huge demerit in taking on this particular religion''s mantle, as the old religion was in contact with the Indian pantheon, which was very active, and would definitely notice the substitution.

    Pandora''s Actor would be the perfect choice, as with there being no longer any need of him to play the part of Issei now that the school is under Nazarick''s control, with the Principal of Kuoh Academy joining Nazarick. Using him as the nominal leader of a new faction in the Chaos Brigade¡­ It was possible, but not necessary if there were other options, Pandora''s Actor was too valuable for him to be used as the first choice.

    He was the perfect silver bullet for any infiltration after all, or at the very least, the best that Nazarick has to offer¡­ Of course, there was one other important matter to consider.

    "No, he has already been punished, and had professed that he wouldn''t be ''reinterpreting'' my words again¡­ And hopefully it will stick. So that leaves only two choices remaining, well, one¡­" Momonga sighed internally and nodded to himself

    "So, Aura and Mare."

    Most of the forgotten old gods were related to hunting and nature, and therefore it was easy to fit the two dark elves among them, one of whom was a [Druid] and the other a [Ranger]. As for them being the hundredth level, it was also easier for Aura than others to hide her real level. Given that her personal strength among all level 100 NPCs of Nazarick was the second to last, inferior even to specialized level 90 creatures or some Area Guardians. She was a [Ranger] specializing in taming animals after all, if she had to fight in the front line by herself, something terribly wrong had happened.

    And Mare, in turn, thanks to his timid nature and character, had the ability to dull the vigilance of potential opponents. Of course, sending two potential agents at once was wasteful, never mind the fact that Momonga felt like he was sending children into danger without protection, but given Demiurge''s help, they had to cope with their task¡­

    Momonga''s stomach twisted unpleasantly at the thought that he was making young children work for him made him feel like scum, especially since it brought parallels to his old bosses.

    But, they were level 100 creatures, moreover, protected by [World Class Items]. In the worst case scenario, they were more than able to retreat from the enemy and escape.

    In addition, as Demiurge reported, most of the creatures of Nazarick who didn''t already have a job of their own, wanted to participate in the implementation of Momonga''s plans¡­

    "I will have to give Demiurge a strict order to closely monitor Aura and Mare and help them deal with any problems they encounter¡­ Or worse, any danger." Momonga shook his head, doubting whether he was making the right decision by involving children in the execution of his plans. But the two of them had asked for a job, seeing the other level 100 NPCs with a job of their own, and Momonga didn''t want to stifle their growth.

    "At least in this position, they will not need to do anything more dangerous other than communicating with the other factions and monitoring subordinates in the form of old religions¡­. As it seems to me, this should be at least a fairly calm place for them, away from the cruelty taking place in the world."

    At the same time, Cocytus, leading Nazarick''s forces as a general, will begin the subjugation of the weak and scattered old religions. Well, Cocytus'' presence was perhaps a bit overkill with regard to the weakened religions, but well, he was also asking for a job, and conquering the old religions and gathering potential pawns would be¡­ No, not pawns, if Demiurge was right, some could even be ''worthy'' enough to join Nazarick''s subordinate ranks.

    It could even be said that this would be Momonga''s first step in making a place for his own, a ''state'' even?

    As much as Momonga wanted to keep Nazarick hidden, that was impossible, it was simply too powerful to be able to simply stay on the sidelines without attracting attention. While Momonga didn''t want to outright scream of Nazarick''s existence to the world, being isolationists would only mean that they would be alone in the future should any danger arise. Being stagnant would only mean losing slower.

    Still, creating a nation out of the bones of dead religions is quite¡­ As much as Momonga found the action distasteful, it was not the worst option available. The anonymity of taking the mantle of leadership from a faction greatly overlooked by the players and the movers of the world could only mean good things.

    Perhaps it was enough to call Momonga paranoid, after all, he knows full well that Nazarick is powerful, even the most powerful existence in the world. But, as the cooling corpse of the Great Red, and the hapless Ophis being manipulated so easily had amply shown, being the ''strongest'' means very little if you don''t know how to wield that power correctly.

    Momonga would not be satisfied until Nazarick itself adapts to this world as much as possible and becomes as strong as possible, and probably not even then. Momonga knows himself after all, being paranoid is just a state of being for him,

    Unfortunately, the plan to take over the dead religions'' seat, somewhat left Momonga himself exposed, as an unknown god who appeared out of nowhere his involvement in the newly emergent ''faction'' would be blindingly suspicious. But Momonga, or rather, Satoru, was already an extremely suspicious person for the demons anyway, so what''s a few more eyes aimed his way? As long as it hid the existence of Nazarick, he was okay with a few risks.

    Though it was not all negatives; perhaps information confirming that he was indeed one of the old gods against the background of their stirring would, on the contrary, give a certain legitimacy to his words. An unknown god suddenly appearing on the world stage again, would probably quickly lose their strangeness when a lot of other gods also popped out of the woodwork.

    Okay, in any case, that was enough about future expansion, Demiurge had informed him of something else that''s important.

    Demiurge had found the place where the Fallen Angels had retreated to. Very much weakened after the recent major battle with the demons, that is their ''battle'' with Sirzechs, a person he was just talking minutes before he had unleashed a massacre on the Fallen, were a people that Momonga wanted to try to lure to his side for many reasons.

    Firstly, an ally was better than an enemy, and a subordinate was better than an ally. Secondly¡­ Momonga already had an angel who fell long after the death of the Biblical God, one who fell during the death of God, and a naturally born Fallen Angel, both are either two-winged or four-winged. This despite the fact that Azazel was twelve-winged.

    That is, Momonga lacked six, eight, ten and twelve-winged angels for his collection, as well as the fallen who fell in the times before the death of the Biblical God!

    He had to complete his collection! Letting them die out completely would be such a waste¡­

    Ah, and those additionally had to have a chance for redemption and so on yadda yadda, but Momonga didn''t really care about that.

    However, according to the recent information that Demiurge had found, the fallen had ensconced themselves in the territory of the vampires. This meant that any attempt to get to them, even with just offers of future cooperation, at the moment meant interfering in the affairs of the vampires.

    And although Nazarick had enough vampires, including Shalltear, that Momonga really didn''t feel the need to ''collect'' them, the vampires of this world were a fairly small and weak faction, very insular as well. Small and insular enough, that the appearance of new Vampires among them would be too suspicious¡­

    If someone as strong as Shalltear were to appear? A member of a race that was widely known as being weak? The amount of eyes and spies such a thing would cause would be completely unheard of.

    Worse, was the reason why the Vampire was so insular in the first place, they were a minnow swimming in a sea full of sharks. Being neighbors next to the Greek Pantheon, which according to Demiurge boasts the strongest Necromancer in the world in Hades, someone that Momonga really wants to meet. And the Scandinavian Pantheon that boasts two of the strongest gods in the world, both that are equivalent to level 100 NPCs, Thor and Fenrir. Alongside a bevy of no less powerful gods, it was a faction that Momonga didn''t want to risk tangling with.

    Oh, and how could he forget? There''s also the Vatican right at their doorsteps, filled to the brim with Angels and Saints. It was no wonder that the Vampires tried their very best not to poke their head out of their territories, it was a survival tactic.

    Momonga still did not even know how exactly he needed to treat the angels, given the fact that he was perceived as the very Biblical God that was supposed to be their creator by the angels in his retinue. Of course, Momonga had already managed to ascertain that the inhabitants of Nazarick were loyal to him, sometimes, too loyal, but he definitely would not like to create a precedent. And so handling the other Angels was a very delicate subject.

    After all, in addition to possible indignation among the inhabitants of Nazarick, indignation could easily arise among the angels themselves. Momonga accepted the Fallen Angels under his wing, Angels that had forsaken the Heavenly Edicts and had their wings blackened as a result. They were almost like zealots in their desire to be of use to their Father, Momonga, perhaps as a way to earn forgiveness for their sins.

    Then, shouldn''t it follow then, that the normal Angles, one that had stayed ''loyal'' to him, should be easily and be gratefully welcomed under his employ? Absolutely not!

    After all, Momonga had absolutely no idea how the real Biblical God behaved! They could easily call him out as a fake, and he would have no choice but to discard his collection of Fallen Angels!

    Of course, it would be possible to capture some Angel and get confirmation from them whether his disguise, if you could call it that, would be able to pass muster with the Angels. But if he wanted to do that, Momonga would need to capture one of the high-ranking Angels who had regularly interacted with the Biblical God in the past.

    Such a thing needed to be done with absolute secrecy, where the presence of Nazarick needed to be kept very hidden¡­ He would also need to somehow hide the disappearance of the Angel from the wider world and the Heavenly Faction.

    Momonga thought about it for a moment, trying to imagine a possible solution to such a situation¡­

    Only a single name came to mind ¨C Pandora''s Actor.

    Given that school was now under Nazarick''s control and with the Demons leaving Kuoh for a few weeks at least, Momonga could recall Pandora''s Actor from his post for those few weeks. He sends him to capture a high-ranking Angel, and then orders him to take their place and deal with the interrogation himself¡­

    "Hmmm, no, that wouldn''t work¡­ With Heaven being as strong as it is, Pandora Actor''s disguise would not be able to hold. No one of the seventieth level and above would be fooled by his disguise, while the abilities that would allow him to hide his nature, on the contrary, would only make him stand out even more among other angels."

    Not to mention that after those few weeks, Momonga would probably need to recall Pandora''s Actor back, what then? Send the captured Angel back? Even considering the possibility of memory cleansing, it still presented a risk. Not to mention just how much energy and time Momonga would need to spend on creating false memories for the captured angel¡­ Energy and time that could be easily wasted should the Angel notice any disparate facts in their memories.

    In the end, Momonga found that the situation was more complex than he could ever solve, which meant only one thing, order Demiurge to gather the information he wanted. He felt somewhat guilty in piling more work on the Demon''s hands, especially since his current work was too important to drop, but he had no other choice.

    Still, wasting Pandora''s Actor skill by not giving him any work, at least now, when there was no need to pretend to be Issei, sit heavily with him.

    And so Momonga raised his hand to his temple and instantly made contact with the person in question.

    "Pandora''s Actor? Your current act as Issei Hyoudou is on pause, at least for a while. Go to the church and contact Asia Argento, she will give you information about the angels and modern Christianity¡­ Yes, ahem, I''m not sure exactly how religion has changed over the past, and more information is always better than less. After that, she will help you adapt, in the near future you will have to go to Europe¡­ No, I''m not sending you to the Vatican, but it''s close, not too close, but close enough to the Holy See that you could gather information about them¡­"

    ''I listen and obey, mein weiseste Vater!'' Momonga twitched from the too loud of a response, having already forgotten about the habits of his embarrassing son.

    "No German!" Momonga chastised instantly, then froze for a moment as an image of the world map appeared in his mind. There''s one perfect place, a place where one could observe the vampires and the Vatican without the danger of being too close. It was also perfectly situated where an agent could also observe the Greek and Scandinavian Pantheons.

    "Actually, you know what?" Momonga sighed, every bad action had its positive side.

    "Perhaps you will actually need to get better with your German in the near future¡­ You are going to Germany."

 The new Three-Sided War (13)

    Albedo was certainly a maestro, in fact, divinely inspired when it came to management and documentation, however¡­ Why was that?

    Because that''s what the Supreme Beings have decided.

    For the creatures of Nazarick, their whole being, function and existence was as a result of the Supreme Beings¡¯ hands, and there was no greater joy. If the Supreme Beings have decided, then it was the final and absolute truth. It could not be desecrated by calling it something petty like ¡®faith¡¯ or ¡®facts¡¯, or, even more so, something as insignificant and blasphemous as ¡®one''s own opinion¡¯.

    If a Supreme Being determined that one of its creations was a Floor Guardian and another was a Butler, then that was the way it was. It was not even a question of ¡®fact¡¯ or ¡®faith¡¯, but rather of ¡®reality¡¯.

    For humans, and similar lower creatures, it was difficult to define concepts such as reason or life, but despite not knowing these formulations, none of them doubted that they were ¡®rational¡¯ or ¡®alive¡¯. In that same way, the decision of the Supreme Beings for the creatures of Nazarick was akin to it. It was not at all necessary to know what exactly moved the unknowable mind of the Supreme Beings in order to accept their decision as an integral truth of life, the reality for the creatures of Nazarick.

    Albedo was a goddess of management because she was one. End of discussion.

    However, while in Nazarick itself, Albedo could not demonstrate her full abilities as a manager.

    Nazarick was too perfect to manage, as every member of it knew perfectly what their role was, and would perform it to the best of their abilities.

    Each maid knew her schedule, none of the monsters needed salaries, the thoughts of all the NPCs converged in the fact that they wanted to serve the Supreme Beings with all possible strength and as efficiently as possible. The tomb of Nazarick itself was created in an absolutely perfect state that could not be improved in any way.

    In other words, Albedo was a perfect manager in a utopia that did not need to be managed.

    Of course, all praise should be given to the Supreme Beings for this, however, like any creation of the Supreme Beings, Albedo strove to be useful and perform as much of the most important work as possible. So thought all the creatures of Nazarick, and so thought Albedo herself, even more than the other NPCs.

    Because her service was connected not only, and not so much nowadays, with Nazarick, as much as with its one undisputed master, Lord Momonga¡­

    But that was not what she wanted to exult.

    What was critical in this situation was the fact that, while in Nazarick, Albedo could in no way demonstrate her usefulness and her abilities as a manager, as she could not do her duties as the Guardian Overseer. And therefore, having broken free from that restriction, having received an assignment from Lord Momonga, Albedo set about fulfilling it with such joy and zeal.

    So much so, that even the fact that she needed to take control of the Fallen Angels or even the humans, the worms swarming in the manure of history created by her beloved, could not put down her mood.

    What difference did it make how many circles of Hell she had to go through if, in the end, she would be given the opportunity to be useful to Lord Momonga? Even the thought of working with the worst of heretics, one that has dared to even spurn her Beloved, earning them eternal shame as their wings are blackened, was not too much to bear.

    Indeed, Albedo acted for the benefit of her Lord with all her possible strength, striving in every possible way to be useful to him.

    The actions of Demiurge and the investments of Albedo have already brought huge dividends, allowing Albedo to use the proceeds in further ventures, even while the small midges from the ¡®Tax Service¡¯ tried to express their opinion. Luckily, for them, Albedo did not even have to be distracted by the worms¡¯ antics, as Demiurge had taken care of the worms who were not minding their own business, while preparing his plan to conquer the other religions.

    The recruitment of agents had also slowly begun to show results. The director of the Kuoh Academy and several groups of underground mages and other small criminal cells, with which Raynare had been in contact in the past, had come under her control. Of course, this could not be called a result worthy of Nazarick and even more so of Lord Momonga yet.

    Even if, in Albedo¡¯s eyes, there is no such thing as something good enough for her Lord Momonga, only an endless journey to become worthy in his eyes.

    However, this was a fairly good result for this primitive world and the meager starting resources that were used. While it was far from satisfactory, it was a good starting point. It would still need great amounts of work until it could be sufficient in being called her, Lord Momonga¡¯s base of operations in this word.

    Nothing but perfection and the best would do for her Lord, after all.

    In other words, Albedo relished the chance of fulfilling the most cherished dream of all the inhabitants of Nazarick and the faithful followers of Lord Momonga.

    To serve Lord Momonga and work for his benefit so that he would allow them to serve even more diligently and work even more!

    For any other inhabitant of Nazarick, this was probably the maximum, the apex, the best reward possible for serving Lord Momonga, was in fact the opportunity to continue serving Lord Momonga. However, to her utmost shame, Albedo was one of those rarest representatives of Nazarick who had already committed her fall and therefore could think of something completely unthinkable for any other faithful servant of Lord Momonga.

    About a reward.

    About a reward other than further service, of course.

    After her blissful first night with Lord Momonga, Albedo had used the memory hundreds of times, and for several days her entire head was completely filled with this same memory. However, even if Albedo''s mind surpassed the mind of any normal humans, if one hundred percent of her mind was dedicated to something else other than doing her job, she would be completely useless for further service to Lord Momonga. And Albedo could not allow this under any option!

    Of course, she still did her duties with aplomb.

    However, the fact that not all of her mind was filled with her memories of sex led to the fact that after some time Albedo began to¡­ Want more.

    And of course, Albedo knew that what happened was a manifestation of the greatest mercy of Lord Momonga, which she should eternally cast in her memory and cherish forever. She could never even think that it was anything other than the greatest mercy of Lord Momonga¡­ But, Albedo had already tasted the forbidden fruit, and therefore could not help but desire for more!

    And therefore, the information that Lord Momonga had invited her on a date as a reward for her work with the church and agents in this world made Albedo soar above the clouds. After which, she instantly rushed to her preparation for such a date.

    She would not leave anything to chance, the date must be more than perfect!

    Her appearance was, of course, perfect. Her visage is how she was created by the Supreme Beings, and she would never even let a hair be out of place. However, this did not mean that Albedo had the right to appear on her first official date with her Beloved in anything less than the most ideal state possible!

    Albedo used her privileges to remove ten maids from their positions in Nazarick, not that they strongly objected to such a decision, learning that they would be helping Albedo prepare for a date with Lord Momonga himself! They didn¡¯t let more than a moment of true horror, when they thought that they had displeased Albedo, or worse Lord Momonga, that they were dismissed from their position, the worst possible punishment, before their expression did a 180 and hurriedly tried to help Albedo prepare for her date.

    Spa procedures, posing in front of a mirror, choosing clothes, even checking makeup and perfumes, Albedo could not allow her first date with Lord Momonga to be less than perfect in any way!

    Of course, Albedo also prepared all possible topics for conversation and entertainment for Lord Momonga, practiced all her serenades, memorized all the reports, even repeated all the lines from the Bible. Unfortunately, Albedo did not yet know about Lord Momonga''s exact preferences, and therefore could only memorize the books that were in the closest availability to her. Just in case, she visited [Ashurbanipal], the Great Library of Nazarick located on the tenth floor, and memorized about ten books. Several of them entertaining, several of them magical, and several of them descriptive.

    In general, Albedo was ready for the upcoming date in a way that she had never been ready for anything like it before.

    However, when she arrived to meet with Lord Momonga, uplifted in a sense that did not relate to her real wings in any way, what Albedo encountered was a revelation. In some sense, expected, but one that she preferred not to think about before.

    Inside the house of Lord Momonga, the house that previously belonged to Miki Hyoudou, the first of the people to realize the greatness of Lord Momonga, her eternal opponent and rival was waiting for her. Shalltear Bloodfallen.

    The Vampire, of course, was the last thing she noticed, not when her Lord Momonga was also there.

    Making her way in front of her Lord, Albedo fell to one knee in front of Lord Momonga, giving Shalltear, who was already standing on one knee in front of Lord Momonga, arriving earlier than Albedo herself, only one look. Addressing her Lord, Albedo instantly broke into a smile. "Lord Momonga, all the words of all the languages of this world are not enough to convey my joy that you considered me worthy of your presence, and even a date¡­"

    "As this big-mouth-go-, that is, Albedo said. Indeed, we are simply awed by being in your presence," Shalltear could not bear Albedo''s attempt to flatter Lord Momonga, instantly trying to have the last word, before stopping, abiding by the silent agreement that they should keep their fight away from their Lord¡¯s eyes. Instead, deprived of the chance to curse at her, Shaltear simply glared at Albedo in annoyance.

    On the one hand, Albedo and Shalltear had become a little closer after being brought to the utmost ecstasy by Lord Momonga, after the deed both of them seemed to feel some tangible connection of harem sisters between themselves. However, at the same time, the competition of who was to be the first wife, only became even fiercer.

    Moreover, as Lord Momonga had not yet chosen who to be the first wife, which would put an end to the competition entirely, as the two would obey any order from their Lord, the competition continued on. Therefore, even after Shalltear and Albedo became somewhat closer to each other, their confrontation against each other also began to gain momentum.

    After all, before their first night with their Lord, they fought for the theoretical possibility of being the main wife in Lord Momonga''s harem. Now, Shalltear and Albedo could confidently say that they were part of his harem, and therefore the issue of supremacy in the harem moved from the category of theoretical to the category of urgent.

    "Lord Momonga, what exactly do you desire at the moment? Please, I have no equal when it comes to giving pleasure¡­" Shalltear, catching an opportunity to strike at Albedo, spoke further, glancing at Albedo with an impudent grin that made Albedo grind her teeth.

    "After all, unlike me, Albedo was a virgin with no concept of sex, while I and my harem of vampire brides¡­ Would be more than happy to show what I¡¯ve learned."

    Tch, that damn bloodsucker! Stealing a march on her on the eve of her date!

    ***

    "UMU!" Momonga exclaimed sharply and loudly, causing Albedo and Shalltear to instantly fall silent and shift their gaze to him. To Momonga''s great fortune, the expression on his face, despite the current human one he was wearing, was tied to that of his true form, a skeleton. Meaning, it did not change on its own unless Momonga made a deliberate effort to alter it.

    If not for this fact, right now, despite all the emotion suppression, Momonga would look like the high schooler whose form he had currently taken. A high-schooler that had just reached, for the first time, that coveted closed-off section in the video store, the one behind a small curtain, watched over by the store staff to catch those very high schoolers.

    Half in shame, half in fear, and another half, somehow, signifying his raging hormones, in awkward arousal.

    Fortunately, Momonga''s true nature kept that expression from showing on his face, and the emotion suppression saved him from any awkward physiological reactions, and awkward muttering. Instead, clear thoughts came to replace the hormones¡­ Thoughts that, even without any actual hormones, the presence of Shalltear and Albedo next to him was awakening desires in him.

    Desires that were best left unspoken by one who had recently spoken of perceiving all the creatures of Nazarick as his friends¡¯ children.

    Of course, he had already slipped on that slippery slope after putting his hands on the two before him, but that doesn¡¯t mean he should just let himself slip even further.

    "Umu!" Momonga exclaimed much more calmly now, controlling himself, before shifting his gaze to the two girls. "I invited you on a date, so I don''t think we should move on to any¡­ Carnal activities so soon."

    A moment later, Momonga realized an important fact and hastened to correct it, "Rise from your knees and stop bowing. This is a date, umu."

    "Of course, Lord Momonga!" Albedo was the first to jump up from her kneel with a smile so wide that it almost became unnatural, revealing Albedo''s inhuman nature. "What would you prefer?! Perhaps the baths first? I must say, the maids have prepared them today to the highest standard!"

    Not even taking a moment after Albedo finished speaking, Shalltear also popped off from her kneel and began giving her own ideas.

    "Or perhaps my personal quarters?! Lord Momonga, dozens of Vampire Brides await your word alone!" Shalltear instantly tried to wedge herself into Albedo''s offer, not even bothering to hide the fact that she''s elbowing Albedo in the side.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "No, this is a date! Umu, right, a date! Nothing vulgar, just a normal outing!" Momonga repeated several times with emphasis, not quite sure who exactly he was trying to convince of his position at the moment, the girls or himself.

    "As you wish, Master," Albedo, clearly not ignoring the jab to her side as she returned fire, bowed deeply, trying with all her might to draw Momonga''s attention to the neckline of her dress¡­ And not without a small amount of success.

    "That was my title of endearment, you big-mouthed¡­ Ah, ahem, Lord Momonga!" Shalltear managed to only just hiss angrily under her breath before reorienting herself again and trying to snuggle a little closer to Momonga. Trying to entreat Momonga as she stuck as close as possible to his side. "Lord Momonga, what exactly would you prefer the most?! Just say the word, and I will conquer the whole world to present the best gift for our first date!"

    Momonga was not sure how he should react to the offer of World Domination just in order to get him a gift.

    ¡®Not that I have much experience with this, but it always seemed to me that usually it was the men that gave the gifts to girls on dates?¡¯ Momonga sighed internally, trying to carefully move away from Shalltear''s body so that he was equidistant from Albedo''s body as he moved, lest she tried to glomp on him as well.

    And with Albedo¡¯s literally sinful body, his reaction to it would be much more pronounced when compared to Shalltear¡¯s, let¡¯s just say, more lithe body.

    ¡®On the other hand, I don''t think Albedo and Shalltear themselves understand what a date is, so¡­ I suppose out of the three of us, I''m the one with the most experience in romance. At least I¡¯ve played the eroge that Peroroncino recommended to me, some of them at least that aren¡¯t just outright too perverse, and had walked with Katase to the ruined church. That can be considered some kind of experience in dating, right?¡¯

    At the very least, knowing that he had the most ¡®normal¡¯ view of what a date should be, Momonga needs to be more proactive. Lest the two girls steered the occasion into something much more perverted than he was comfortable with.

    "Ahem, Albedo, Shalltear," Momonga found the perfect spot to sit, where he wasn''t touching the girls'' bodies with his limbs, as he spoke, trying to give his tone a semblance of confidence, urgently recalling the plan he had created for the date.

    A rough sketch of it from the eroge he had played in the past, at least. "Yes, how do you feel about going to the beach?"

    The beach! That was the most common trope shared by the eroges he¡¯d played, so that was what a date was most supposed to be! Dozens of the same opinion couldn¡¯t be wrong, right?

    "Of course, Lord Momonga! Any suffering you inflict upon me will be the greatest happiness for me!" Shalltear instantly threw Albedo a triumphant grin, as if suffering from Momonga was some unique gift that had yet to be earned, some great achievement. And seeing that Albedo in turn threw Shalltear an annoyed look, as if her thoughts completely coincide with Shalltear''s own, the two might have perceived it as such.

    How could he forget something that basic!? Shalltear¡¯s a vampire, and¡­

    "Right, a vampire, yes." Momonga instantly dismissed that thought, that Shalltear would be in any danger or pain.

    In Yggdrasil, only low-level vampires were truly vulnerable to sunlight and took damage from it, the stronger the vampire and the higher their [Racial Level], the less significant the penalties from sunlight were for them. Shalltear, as a [True Vampire], did not receive any penalty from sunlight, at all. Which is why initially Momonga did not pay any attention to this when considering a possible dating spot, but according to the lore, they still found it somewhat unpleasant to be in direct sunlight.

    And, of course, where else could one find the most open space flooded with sunlight if not on the beach? But there was one simple solution, one that even in the eroge was shown to be just as romantic as a day date on the beach.

    "We can go at night?" Momonga instantly reoriented himself from the simple setback, and proposed a simple modification to his initial plans.

    As sad as his educational level was, Momonga at least knew that the Earth was a sphere. Therefore, at the time when it was day in one part of the world, it was night in some other part of the world. All Momonga needed to do for his beach date was to find the right spot on the globe where it was night, after which teleportation would instantly transport him to any night beach in the world¡­

    Besides, a night beach was also not a bad choice for a romantic date, at least according to those games that Peroroncino had shoved at him in the past! And given that darkness, even a total on where there was no light at all, did not pose a problem for any of the three participants present.

    This choice seemed ideal to Momonga.

    "But¡­ My suffering¡­" Shalltear almost plaintively whispered, so that Momonga even sympathized with her for a moment.

    Before realizing that Shalltear was worried about not being able to suffer for Momonga''s sake, the blooming sympathy evaporated quickly on its own. Meanwhile, Albedo was just happy that Shalltear hadn¡¯t just leaped over her. "A magnificent idea, Lord Momonga! We only need to change the settings of the Fourth Floor and¡­"

    "Fourth Floor?" Momonga blinked before realizing an important detail that he had forgotten to specify as he had invited the girls to the date, considering it obvious, and hastened to say it now.

    Even if it might be too late.

    "No, I assumed that our date would take place in the human world¡­"

    After hearing his declaration, Albedo and Shalltear glanced at each other for a moment, then seriously looked at Lord Momonga and nodded resolutely. "If Lord Momonga wishes so¡­"

    For a moment, Momonga himself felt that the planned date had abruptly shifted in the girls'' perception from the category of rewards to the category of tests¡­

    Which is the last thing he wanted.

    ***

    Cocytus was nervous. A feeling which was quite uncharacteristic for one who was created as the embodiment of a true warrior. The mission entrusted to him was too serious for even the immaculate warrior to feel absolutely certain in his victory and success.

    Bringing the old religions of humanity to submission, those that had long-lost their former glory, influence and power, but at the same time retained a certain potential, under the control of Nazarick.

    Initially, Lord Momonga planned to forbid Cocytus from personally appearing on the battlefield, wishing to further enhance Cocytus''s abilities as a commander of Nazarick''s forces and test him in a possible battle outside the sacred Great Tomb. But, this plan had to be abandoned due to the fact that, despite the isolation of the old religions, nothing prevented them, at least in theory, from escaping their mostly abandoned heavens and informing other religions about Cocytus¡¯ attack.

    In addition to that, Nazarick was interested in the gods of the old religions that are at least of the fortieth and fiftieth level. It was not a level of strength that can be defeated just by throwing the POP monsters of Nazarick thoughtlessly, especially since the goal was total submission, and not destruction. Winning by attrition is simply not impressive, and despair-inducing enough for the gods to relinquish their position, as diminished as it is now, and go under the banner of Nazarick. Not the level that could be defeated by mindlessly throwing in the weak creatures of Nazarick, those that Nazarick itself could create without paying attention to losses every day, but too weak to easily bring them to submission.

    A certain overwhelming force was required, capable not only of defeating these weakened gods, but also of instilling in them the idea that resistance itself was futile. And so, of all possible candidates to deliver this message, it was Cocytus who was the most suitable.

    Of course, even with Cocytus personally overseeing the command, a one hundred percent result was not guaranteed, moreover, it was not even expected. At least some of the gods would definitely be subject to excessive pride and even in the face of overwhelming power would refuse to recognize the supremacy of Nazarick. And Cocytus would be forced to make an example out of them, even if he was saddened by such an action.

    The heart of a warrior who refused to surrender in the face of invincible power, following his ideals, was beautiful, but it was beautiful precisely because he did not want to back down in the face of any invincible force. And he had his orders, one that had come directly from Lord Momonga, Cocytus¡¯ personal opinion did not matter in the slightest.

    Nazarick sought submission, the gods that would not submit were not needed.

    And that is why Cocytus was nervous. Not because he had to kill warriors ready to stand against him, no, the essence of a warrior was to kill the warriors standing against you, but because he was entrusted with an incredibly important mission. The mission of subjugating the old religions.

    The first full-fledged military mission of Nazarick in this world. Failure, though it was never acceptable before, is especially not acceptable on this occasion.

    Cocytus had the right to make mistakes, lose and retreat in the face of a worthy opponent as many times as he could, as long as he was Cocytus. However, the sacred name of Nazarick could not be tarnished by failure!

    And therefore, Cocytus was worried, as he walked through the ranks of his loyal soldiers, examining each of them. A strange feeling in his gut, as if simultaneously wishing and completely unwilling to find a flaw in their training, formation or readiness to die for Nazarick if the mission required it.

    Cocytus''s selected followers, all level fifty and above, all perfectly loyal to Nazarick, like all other inhabitants of Nazarick, and all informed of their mission, stood at attention under the gaze of their general.

    Nazarick was sending eighty soldiers in addition to Cocytus, and none of whom could make a single miscalculation. As responsibility for it would be borne not only by them alone, but also by all his battle brothers and Cocytus himself. Only the infinite mercy of Lord Momonga would allow them to commit an honorable suicide, and not bring upon themselves the cursed fate of expu¡­

    No, this word was so cursed that even thinking about it was sinful for a worthy inhabitant of Nazarick!

    After walking once more between the ranks of his followers and making sure for the tenth time that they were prepared, Cocytus realized that he physically could no longer postpone the beginning of his campaign. Therefore, after making his way in front of his small army, he began the campaign against the false gods.

    "Our. Campaign. Begins. Right. Now. The. First. Step. That. You. Will. Take. Outside. Nazarick. Will. Become. The. First. Step. Of. The. Army. Of. Nazarick. In. This. World. Our. Goal. Is. Absolute. Victory. Our. Enemy. A. Million. False. Religions. For. There. Is. No. God. Except. Lord. Momonga. So. Let. Us. Not. Disgrace. Him. With. Anything. Less. Than. Total. Victory."

    "In the name of Nazarick! In the name of Lord Momonga!" The voice of the eighty selected warriors answered him in a single chant, so synchronous that it sounded like one shout that shakes the very earth itself. They were one army, acting as one warrior, perfectly created by their perfect creators they moved with one will, perfectly marching in order.

    A march inexorably moving along the path of war.

    ***

    There were many religions in the world. Even in modern times, where information felt like just a click away, it was easy to get confused between them. Neopagans against Christians, Hinduism against Shinto, and even if you only got to the differences within one religion, depending on the place, history, and the believers themselves?

    It was sometimes too difficult to even determine whether several beliefs were one religion or several religions rolled into one instead.

    If that was the case for the modern religions, where wars had been fought to prune off as many branches as possible until what¡¯s left deemed it proper. Then, what kind of mess would an ancient, old, and forgotten religion be in?

    In ancient times, when people gathered around fires and drew mighty aurochs on rocks with ocher, how many religions had appeared and disappeared since then? Each tribe birthing gods, that would disappear when the tribes have gone from the sands of history.

    Disappeared in the minds of people, at least, but not in the form of gods remaining from those old times.

    Of course, not every tribe gave birth to gods that had survived from the time of the beginning of humanity to the present moment. Many, in fact, most of the gods of the weak tribes of the past have perished in a foolish struggle, either to gain more power, or when they are subsumed and consumed by the gods of a bigger tribe.

    Some of the smallest sects¡¯ gods had never fully formed as gods at all. After all, in addition to belief, the creation of a god needed a long time of concentrated worship, before it could even have a chance of creating even the most minor of gods. Otherwise, every two-bit cult leader would soon ascend to become a god, or some shrewd humans would take advantage of such a quirk of apotheosis.

    But this was not the case, and therefore, although the number of old extinct religions and their still surviving gods was great, it was still finite.

    Many forgotten primitive beliefs, or once powerful religions, lost in the struggle to new young competitors, retreated into their own heavens, while some of the powerful religions of the past, like the Scandinavians or Greeks, retained their influence so much that they became part of the culture of modern civilizations. Because of which, even having lost their worshipers, they were able to retain their influence and most of their powers. Some, like the Egyptian pantheon, having achieved much less in the field of maintaining their cultural presence, existed thanks to the [Faith] accumulated over the millennia of their existence, and to the scant believers they had left.

    While someone, like the great Quetzalcoatl, existed only on the outskirts of history, forgotten by all worshipers and vilified by modernity as an evil deity that required bloody sacrifices. All the while, people preferred to forget how Quetzalcoatl himself cut out his own heart in order to make the Sun move across the sky again.

    But Quetzalcoatl, compared to other forgotten gods, still retained crumbs of his former power, but what about Xipe Totec? Xolotl? Itzpapalotl? The pantheon of once powerful gods who ruled an entire continent was destroyed, reduced not even to crumbs, but to a mockery of the very concept of divinity. Gods, who commanded the winds and the world, shrank to a territory that would be shameful to show to even the most devout of believers.

    Half of the gods were completely destroyed, some chose to die in a battle they could not win, while others simply¡­ Outlived themselves.

    Gods required a certain amount of [Faith] for their existence, not too much, which is why Gods could grow exponentially fast when their religion flourished, but not so little that gods don''t need to pay attention to the cost at all. Therefore, being left without followers, each god faced a terrible dilemma.

    They could hope for followers, perform what small miracles they could afford to gain believers that way, which is already a tall ask since their whole problem stems from their religion dying in the first place. Or they can take up arms and attack another religion, probably someone that is in the same boat as them, and poach their believers. Or the last option, retreat into their domain, squeeze it to the smallest possible extent, give up all their powers, put themselves on life support and just¡­ Wait for death.

    Many gods chose the second option, even if they would fall in battle, they fought to the end.

    Quetzalcoatl chose the third option. He chose¡­ And hated himself for it.

    The god of wisdom and light, the lord of the winds, the feathered serpent, the master of the West was reduced to the point that even a sufficiently powerful mage could try to kill him¡­ If anyone cared about a destroyed old religion. Reduced to the point that his old followers would surely have laughed at him if they had seen his current form. Turned into a laughingstock, such that even he himself could not help but twist his mouth in a contemptuous sneer when he saw his own figure in the mirror.

    Once, being the God of Wisdom, Quetzalcoatl chose to retreat from direct battle against the rapidly spreading religion of the crucified god. After all, isn¡¯t it the wiser option, to bide his time and strike at the soft underbelly when the Christian god¡¯s grip is weakened?

    He had thought himself so clever then, as he watched his fellow gods kill themselves in vain as they tried to topple the crucified god¡¯s hold on their territory.

    However, time passed, and Christianity did not weaken on Quetzalcoatl''s ancestral lands, instead growing stronger and stronger, until Quetzalcoatl realized¡­ That he had lost without even his enemy having to raise a finger.

    His wisdom turned out to be cowardice in the end, when, already so woefully weakened, not so far from how he was now, refusing to give one decisive battle to the enemy, which would be nothing more than glorified suicide.

    Quetzalcoatl retreated into his jungles.

    It was an ancient jungle, as ancient as the world itself, where his influence, what scraps of it were left, and slowly watched as his empire collapsed, and his believers were either dead or usurped by the crucified god.

    Quetzalcoatl was then quickly forgotten by history, his name nothing more than a footnote in his people¡¯s history.

    And that was an ending too kind to Quetzalcoatl himself, for a god of war that didn¡¯t even meet his end on the battlefield. But, his name is still spoken of, there are those that still remember his name, it was enough belief to sustain him.

    But what about the gods that had followed him? The gods under his command, who can remember their names now? Who was interested in them?

    Those who believed him, were led by the God of Wisdom into an inescapable trap, where they remained to this day. Alive, but too weak to do anything as more and more their strength was sapped from them, it was nothing more than a slow death. Day after day, second after second, slowly, they rotted from the inside, as an old thrown-away timber rots.

    Quetzalcoatl did not even know, was it worth it for them to continue living a doomed life in this case? Or could they at least in this last moment deserve an iota of control over their lives that had slipped from their hands? One that he has taken from them?

    Is not a swift death better than a slow, plodding one?

    Quetzalcoatl asked himself this question every day, looking at the long-dead corpse of his religion, slowly rotting. He asked until¡­ Something unbelievable happened, as ironic as it might sound for the god without believers.

    For the first time in hundreds of years, he felt someone invade the forgotten little world of his old, dead religion.

    A wave of power that would have been overwhelming even in the heyday of his pantheon swept through Quetzalcoatl''s world, and the world trembled. Trembling with a power that had long been forgotten by this place, Quetzalcoatl himself froze as the feeling washed over him for a moment before forcefully exhaling his breath.

    Has his question been answered then?

    Just from what he could feel, coming for them, for him, with the enemy possessing such great powers, Quetzalcoatl did not think that he would be able to hold the enemy back even for a tenth of a second. If the enemy had come to destroy Quetzalcoatl and what meager possession he had left¡­ But, if fate had ordained that death had finally come to this dying world¡­

    Then it was not in Quetzalcoatl''s plans to refuse it a long-awaited meeting with a cowardly god who had forgotten about the time when he lived and when he should have died.