It was the year 2138 A.D., and the term DMMO-RPG was not only in existence, but also becoming more common.

Being the acronym for , it described an interactive game where one was able to play in a virtual world like it was real life, by connecting a dedicated console to the neuron nanointerface— an intracerebral nanocomputer network composed from the quintessence of cyber- and nanotechnology.

It was as though you entered the game for real.

Amidst a myriad of DMMO-RPGs that were developed, there was one title that shined brilliantly.

Yggdrasil.

It was a game that a highly-regarded Japanese developer released twelve years ago in the year 2126.

No matter which DMMO-RPG it was compared to, Yggdrasil was a game that offered an immensely high level of freedom to the players.

The number of classes that formed the basis of the game easily topped 2000 when you added up the normal and high-rank classes.

All classes had a maximum level of 15, meaning a player had to have at least 7 classes or more to reach the overall level cap of 100.

Furthermore, you were able to just have a taste of various classes as long as you satisfied this overall condition. Although it was inefficient, it was possible to have 100 level one professions if you wanted.

In other words, it was a system where it was impossible to have completely identical characters unless you intentionally made them so.

This level of freedom also applied to the visuals. If you used creator tools that were sold separately, you were able to alter appearances of weapons and armor, interior data, character visuals, and detailed settings of a player's home.

What awaited the players who set off for adventures in such a world was a colossal map. Nine homeworlds consisting of Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Nidavellir, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Helheim, and Muspelheim.

A vast world, innumerable classes, and fully customizable visuals.

It had ignited the artisan spirits of the Japanese players and caused a phenomenon that would later be called 'visual popularity'.

With such explosive popularity behind it, it had reached a level of acclaim where Yggdrasil and DMMO-RPG were considered as one and the same in Japan.

—Alas, that was a story of a generation past.

The Fields of Agony were one of the many settings in Helheim, serving as an open world for players to explore at their leisure. It wasn't one of the most difficult areas, but it was known for its mooks having ridiculously high pools of health. Many players grew frustrated and often opted to avoid this field, especially since high level players wouldn't get much experience. If there was any reason for them to persevere and explore, it was for the sweet promise of items.

The two players who were in the Fields of Agony were not here for that. They were simply here to pass the time.

After all, today was Yggdrasil's last day.

"Phantom, block!"

A giant golem raised its fists and brought them down, only for the large earthen hands to be blocked by a pair of short blades, wielded by a human-looking avatar. It was male and had toned skin, messy hair tied back into a ponytail and reaching to the shoulder blades. A grin was plastered across the avatar's face. The right side was deformed, in that black markings were etched deep into the skin, even turning the eye blood red. It was dressed in traditional Japanese attire: a hakama draped over his upper body, but with only the left sleeve on, revealing an undershirt. Strapped over the right shoulder was a red pauldron, along with a bracer that ran down its right arm. On its back was a long sword, sheathed in a black scabbard.

"Get the lead out, Diabolos!" Phantom's Player was male and young sounding, perhaps somewhere in his early twenties. His Japanese was rough, and sounded distinctly American. "Or you just gonna leave me to do all the hard work?!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Another young, male voice apologized. The golem was then smashed to bits by a fiery fist, relieving the player of his burden. "Got a little busy killing off the last wave." Like Phantom, his Japanese rough and had an American accent.

Phantom turned to face the other player. One word to describe the avatar would be demonic. The body was tall, masculine, and muscular, towering over the humanoid by at least a head and a half. his lower body was clad in a pair of black, martial artist pants with bandages wrapped around his lower torso. Wrapped around his waist blood red cloak and black martial arts belt. His feet were covered in a pair of black, demonic-looking sabatons. His torso was bare, revealing his tanned complexion and tribal markings and scars etched onto his flesh. His hands were encased in a pair of gauntlets that resembled his greaves. They were open at the hand, which had bandages wrapped around, leaving his fingers and palms free. His hair was blood-red, long, and wild with a pair of black horns protruding from his head. His face could be described as handsome, save for the scar that ran across the bridge of his nose and his eyes, which had black sclera, red irises, and slitted pupils. Around his neck was a black magatama necklace.

Phantom shrugged, a sweatdrop emoji forming next to him. "More like you were venting. I get the world sucks, but that's no reason to wreck these things." Their attention returned to the remains of the golem, which began to pull itself back together. "Heads up, it's on its last legs. Probably enraged. Wanna go for the usual combo? Slash and smash?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Diabolos replied with a Devil emoji as his avatar prepared his next attack.

The golem reared its head and let out a battle cry before it leaped into the air, descending upon them with the intent of squishing them both. Diabolos moved first, eyes glowing as a blood red aura surrounded him. With hands raised, he caught the golem easily and released a shockwave, stunning it momentarily before throwing it back up into the air. Bearing his fangs, phantasmal arms sprouted behind him and moved in tandem with his his own, delivering several punches at a rapid fire pace.

This was one of the skills unique to Diabolos' character build. [Ten Thousand Fist Cannon]. Contrary to the name, however, it was not ten thousand hits. It was a thirty hit combo, with the damage increasing with each hit so long as the target was within a certain radius. The best way to maximize the damage was to force the enemy into a corner and then have at it, since each hit had a blowback effect that would push the enemy back. Diabolos used this attack as a means to juggle the golem into the air and stunlock it after he interceded with [Grapple].

The final strike was delivered and the golem was left hanging in the air. At this moment, Phantom delivered the final blow as he leaped into the air, his bloody right eye glowing and a shadowy aura surrounding his body. With his body at an angle, he twirled around and delivered the fatal blow, crossing his short swords into an "x" pattern. Streaks of red followed, and the golem was decimated.

[X Slash]. A powerful skill, but one that required precision, as well as the player activating the attack at point blank range. It was similar to a shotgun shot: effective at close range. Additionally, [X Slash] had a Hidden Effect: it had a one in a thousand chance of Insta Kill.

And yes, it worked on Field Bosses. The golem, Rock Iron Giant, was the Field Boss of the Fields of Agony. The Hidden Effect became active, and the golem was destroyed, reduced to mere pixels that faded away.

Phantom landed on his feet while the player behind the avatar laughed, not caring about the item drops or experience points that just appeared in his field of vision. "Today must be my lucky day! That's the fourth time the Insta Kill took effect!" he said cheerily. Then he fell quiet. "Would've been better if today weren't Yggdrasil's last day, though."

"Yeah..." Diabolos sighed. "It would have." He glanced at the clock in the upper right corner within his field of vision. Ordinarily, the clock would just feature how many hours the player had accumulated, but in the month following Yggdrasil's announced shutdown, the clock had become a countdown timer. There was only half an hour left until the server shut down. "We still have some time left. Did you want to continue on?"

Phantom shook his head. "Nah. I'm spent for the day." he said. "Plus, we should be heading back. The bonehead's probably sulking and waiting for the guys to show up. If they do, I mean."

"It would be nice." Diabolos agreed. "I haven't seen Ulbert or Touch me since they left the guild."

"Well can you blame them? Real life's always been a pain. But they have their commitments. Didn't Ulbert has his job and Touch-San has his job and his family. Last I heard, things have been getting hectic for them lately."

"I know. I just wish they could've found some time to be here for the game's final moments, ya know?" Diabolos rubbed the back of his neck.

"Believe me. Our leader feels the same way." Phantom nodded solemnly.

"Anyway, let's head back. If we stay here any longer, Momonga's just gonna mope."

Ainz Ooal Gown. That was the name of their guild, regarded as one of the best back when Yggdrasil was still thriving and when all forty one members of the guild were active. Now, however, the guild had fallen into the lower numbers, as had many other guilds. It hadn't been as active as it had been as members slowly began leaving, either quitting the guild outright or focusing on their lives in real life.

Ainz Ooal Gown was situated in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, an expansive place that suited its name. Divided into different floors, each guarded by powerful NPC's, many had tried to invade this place, only to fall. To this day, not a single player had ever successfully conquered the tomb. A fact many of the guild held with pride.

Phantom and Diabolos had returned with only a mere twenty minutes left before the game ended. The former had announced their arrival as he threw open the doors that led to the guild hall's meeting room. "We're back, bitches!" the player loudly declared. "And we've got favors for everybody!" Silence greeted him. He looked and saw that the hall was empty, devoid of any activity whatsoever. Its only occupant was a skeleton dressed in regal robes and a crimson red orb in the center of its body. Seeing this, Phantom deflated. "No one's here? Seriously?"

"You just missed HeroHero-san." the skeleton, Momonga, said. Unlike the other two, his language was fluent and perfect. Expected from someone born in the land of the rising sun.

Diabolos sported a sad face emoji. "No one else?"

Momonga replied with his own sad emoji. "Nope. No one. I was really hoping to see the others again. Hopefully to reminisce old times instead of talking about real life."

"Well, we're not the original members of Nines Ooal Gown...but where here for you, Leader." Diabolos said.

"Yeah. Let's forget about real life for as long as we're here." Phantom agreed.

"You guys..."

Suzuki Satoru, the player behind Momonga, wanted to cry.

Phantom and Diabolos, as they said earlier, were not among the original members during the clan days. They joined sometime after Ainz Ooal Gown had started to achieve infamy in Yggdrasil's servers. Diabolos joined simply because he and Ulbert hit it off, even earning a recommendation from the man. Phantom, on the other hand, was allowed into a guild as an exception. His character wasn't a heteromorphic - or grotesque depending on the region you were in - so his inclusion was strange. The reason he had been exempted from the normal rules was thanks to Touch Me and Warrior Takemikazuchi, both of whom had witnessed him defending a group of monster players from the human ones. It took a bit of convincing, but he was allowed to join.

Of course, on a sort of technicality on his part, Phantom's Avatar was technically considered to be heteromorphic. More specifically, he was a Yaksha, or war demon. It was hard to notice this, of course, given his character's design.

Either way, he was happy to know that these two were willing to stick with him. "We've got under half an hour before the server shuts down, so why not spend these last few minutes walking through the tomb?" Diabolos suggested.

"That sounds good!" Momonga agreed. The undead stood up and walked to the door, only to pause as he looked at the ornate golden staff, floating in place on top of a pedestal.

"That's the Guild Weapon, right?" Phantom asked? Momonga nodded. The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. It was a weapon that the guild pour countless hours and resources into making. It was the symbol of the guild itself. "Why not take it with you? I mean, today is the last day. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."

Momonga pondered this, but nodded. He grabbed hold of the staff and received a notification about the Guild Weapon being added to his inventory. "Let's go!" he announced with some passion. The two nodded and followed behind him as they left the guild hall. When they entered the hall way, they found several NPCs waiting for them, standing idly by. With the exception of one single individual dressed in a sharp suit, they all wore matching maid uniforms. "The Pleiades Maids... They were Nazarick's last line of defense."

"Too bad no one ever made it that far." Diabolos snorted. "A shame. Whitebrim would have loved to see them in action."

Momonga chuckled. He would, indeed. He looked at the butler who stood with the Pleiades Battle Maids. "His name was...Sebas Tian, right?" he muttered to himself. He opened up the NPC's menu, confirming his thoughts. With a wave of his hand, he gave the following command: "Follow."

They walked towards the throne room with the butler and maids in tow. The trio gazed around the halls, taking in all the decor and items used to construct it.

"It's hard to believe we won't ever see these walls again." Phantom said.

"Yeah...and I really wanted to see those 72 Demon golems in action. But that project was never finished. Right leader?" Diabolos asked.

Momonga nodded. "If I recall, that project was by Luci Fer-san and Ulbert-san." Upon mentioning Luci Fer, one of the people responsible for Ainz Ooal Gown's architecture, he suddenly stopped. If his avatar could do so, it would frown. "...none of the golems are going to come alive, right?"

"I wouldn't put it past the troll." the Yaksha huffed. "Remember when we tried to use the hot springs area? The damn manticore statue came alive! Me and Pero nearly got ourselves killed because of that idiot's joke!"

The three continued, with the maids and butler following behind them. They all reminisced about their fondest memories in the game before they eventually arrived at the Throne Room. Momonga pushed open the doors, revealing the room to them.

The atmosphere suddenly changed. The ambiance until now had resembled a shrine with its tranquility and solemnity, but the sight in front of him surpassed even that. It felt like as if the change in ambiance was overwhelming him.

Its interior was enormous: a space wide enough to fit hundreds of people with room to spare, and ceiling so high that you had to look all the way up. The walls were white, adorned with a variety of golden embellishments. Hanging from the ceiling, rows of opulent chandeliers crafted from rainbow-colored gems gave off a fantastical brilliance. From the ceiling to the floor, a total of forty-one giant banners with different patterns decorated the walls.

There was a low stairway that had about ten steps at the innermost area of the room, lavished with gold and silver, and at the top stood a majestic throne that seemed as though it was cut from a gigantic crystal. On the wall behind it was a huge dark red banner embroidered with the guild's coat of arms.

"Ooh..."

Even Momonga was in awe with the magnitude of the room. He was convinced that its scale was probably ranked first or second in Yggdrasil.

There couldn't have been any other place to wait for the end.

Momonga stepped into the hall; it was so vast that it felt it would swallow every sound of his footstep, and then he turned his eyes to the female NPC standing next to the throne.

Clothed in a pure white dress, she was a beautiful woman with the face of a goddess. In contrast to her dress, she had a lustrous jet-black hair flowing down to her waist. Although her golden irises and vertically split pupils were peculiar, she was an impeccable beauty. However, on her left and right temples were two thick horns protruding crookedly, and on her waist were black angel wings. Perhaps due to the shadow cast by the horns, her goddess-like smile seemed like a mask concealing her true self. She wore a golden spiderweb necklace that covered her shoulders and chest. Donned in a silky glove, her slender hand was holding a strange object that appeared to be a wand. It was about 45 cm long and, extending from its tip, a black sphere was floating in the air.

Momonga nor Phantom could forget the name of this NPC. Albedo was her name, the pride and joy of Tabula Smaragdina. She served as Overseer over the Guardians, commanding them as the situation demanded it.

And like the Pleiades, she had never gotten the opportunity to see battle.

"You know, I never noticed this until now, but the Throne Room really is freaking cool!" Phantom gushed as a smiling emoji danced next to his character. "Ah, if only someone had managed to get this far. It would've been so fucking cool to see the poor bastards shit themselves when they saw all of us here."

Momonga laughed heartedly. It would have been a grand sight to remember indeed. Many people who had faced Ainz Ooal Gown had admitted to just how terrifying the guild was when seen in person. Especially if they had all been gathered together.

They approached the throne, with Albedo bowing her head in respect. Momonga took his place on the throne, while Phantom settled for sitting on the steps. Diabolos stood next to him, looking at the gathered NPCs before him. Momonga took the moment to look around the guild hall, fond memories already flowing even as he gazed at the countless flags that represented his friends and guild members.

He counted off each one, speaking their name with fondness, before he reclined in the throne. He glanced at Albedo, who's face hadn't change and remained standing where she was. He couldn't help but look at her character sheet as well. His first thoughts were how detailed and incredibly long her character sheet was. Tabula certainly hadn't gone half-assed when designing her.

"Hm?" He tilted his head. "Why does she have two World Level Items?"

All World Level Items in Nazarick were carefully placed in the treasury, with the others either being held in the hands of the guild members that owned them, or gifted to their NPCs. He could guess why Albedo was in possession of one World Level Item, no doubt a gift from Tabula, but the second one... Well, it only took him a second to figure it out. He was tempted to remove it, but when he thought about what today was, he relented and instead looked at her bio.

'There's no way I'll be able to read through all of this.' he thought in dismay. With how long it was, the server would shut down while he was still in the middle of reading it all! 'Let's see... Skim, skim...'

"Eh?" He paused when he reached the end. For a moment, he wondered if his eyesight went bad. "She's a slut?"

"Wait, what?" Phantom heard this and looked over his shoulder, finding Momonga with a menu. "What's up?"

Momonga read the line again, and sighed. "It's Tabula-san's NPC..." he informed. "The way he made her is... Ugh. I think this is what they call gap moe, but even so..."

"Well, it is Tabs." Phantom reminded him. "If it bothers you, why not change it? It's the last day, and the guy won't know unless we tell him. Besides, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Yeah. You can make her setting whatever you want them to be. Why not do it Leader?" Diabolos urged as he reclined on the steps.

"You know...you're right." The Overlord used the Staff to access Albedo's character settings. He deleted the last line of her character bio and competemplated what to add to replace it. He realized what he could add...he just hoped Phantom and Diabolos didn't mock him for it. "...and she's deeply in love with Momonga."

The Asura heteromorphic snorted and tried to hide a laugh. Phantom merely grinned. "Congratulations for snagging yourself a wife, Momonga!" he said jokingly. "Shame you'll only have today to tie the knot."

"Hey, if you're getting married, then what about us?" Diabolos joked. Momonga stared at him oddly. "I mean, it's only fair, right?"

"That's just cause you have a thing for Lupusregina." Phantom scoffed. "Not that I don't understand, but wasn't she designed to be kind of a sadist? You an M or something?"

"What? You can't tell me you wouldn't tap that if she were real." Diabolos refuted. Phantom and even Momonga had no response. The female NPCs were crafted in a way that would easily make anyone's heart skip a beat if they were to exist. Lupusregina was indeed a beauty, but as Phantom had said, her personality was designed to be something of a sadist, as well as a tease. "Besides, didn't I catch you staring at Narberal Gamma and Yuri Alpha?"

"Bite me!"

Momonga chuckled. "Well, like you said, it is the last day. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Though he sincerely hoped no one from the guild found out about this. He felt guilty about messing around with Albedo's settings as it is.

He pulled up the settings of the Maids in question and altered their profiles.

Lupusregina Beta is in love with Diabolos while Yuri Alpha and Naberal Gamma are in love with Phantom.

"And done."

Phantom snickered. "Hopeless perverts, every last one of us."

"Ah, stuff it." Momonga huffed as he closed the characters settings, feeling incredibly embarrassed. That soon faded as he looked at his internal clock.

Only a minute left before the servers shut down for good. And with it, all their time together. Figuring he could at least act the part of an overlord, he gave the NPCs a single order: "Kneel." Albedo and the Pleiades all went down to one knee, a hand over their chest and head bowed deeply.

"These times were fun." Momonga said. "They were really fun."

Phantom nodded. "Yeah... Kind of wish they never ended."

"Same here." Asura agreed. "It feels better than reality, that's for sure."

"Definitely." The other two players agreed. Yggdrasil was their sanctuary.

"If there will ever be a Yggdrasil II, we should all meet up there again."

"If." Phantom wagged his finger. "But yeah, let's. Urgh, I don't really want this to end. Especially since I've got class tomorrow with an essay due."

Five, four, three, two, one...

Zero.

...

...

...

...

...

00:00:01

00:00:02

00:00:03

"...what?" Momonga felt his mind blank out for a moment. Almost as if he had momentarily lost connection. Then sensation returned to him. He was still inside the Throne Room of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Strangely, however, his HUD was entirely gone. No HP, no MP, not even his status screen or clock. He turned his head and saw Phantom suddenly standing up in alarm while Diabolos looked confused.

"What's going on?" he asked. "What happened to my HUD?"

"And why didn't the servers shut down?" Phantom ask hotly. "Did they push it back? Shouldn't we have gotten an announcement then? Dammit, maybe Pero was on to something about shitty developers!"

Momonga was equally as confused. Something wasn't right. He tried waving his hand, but no menu came up. "What is this?" he quietly asked to himself and no one in particular. "What's going on?"

"My Lords? Is something the matter?"

The voice was heavenly and sweet. But it was unfamiliar. No one knew who said that. Momonga turned to the source. Albedo was looking up at him in concern.

"Lord Momonga?" His jaw became unhinged. "Is something wrong?"

'...what?'

"W-what?" Phantom balked. "Whoa, hey! time out!" He walked up to Albedo, who immediately went rigid. "Repeat what you just said!"

"I..." she swallowed. "I asked if there was something the matter with Lord Momonga. Is-is everything alright, Lord Phantom?"

Phantom stared at her with wide eyes. Even Diabolos looked shocked. Her lips were moving, her face was making a variety of expressions. She was acting as if she were a living and breathing person.

But she was a Non Playable Character. An NPC. For them to be able to speak and make expressions, it was completely impossible. Yggdrasil's impressive engine and complex coding was ahead of its time to be sure, but it could replicate the emotions and feelings that Albedo was exhibiting.

Suffice to say, all three shared the same thought: "What the fuck?!"

The confusion and anxiety on Albedo's face grew worse and Phantom's words only seemed to add fuel to the fire. Realizing that something may happen, Momonga quickly interceded. "It's fine, Albedo." he said, only to pause momentarily. He couldn't feel his throat at all, and his voice sounded deeper. More raspy. "I'm unable to access the GM Call function is all."

"I see." Albedo immediately relaxed. "Forgive me. I do not know of this GM Call that you speak of."

"It's fine." he said again before he turned to the other two Players in the room. They were spooked, and rightfully so. Something was wrong here. He looked at the staff in hand and let go of it, letting it float in the air before he took it in hand again. Normal so far, but if Albedo was capable of exhibiting such complexity, then maybe...

"Sebas!"

"My Lord." Sebas raised his head. A stern expression and a frosty look was made apparent, but his posture showed only the utmost respect.

For a moment, Momonga was unsure whether or not to really order him. It didn't feel right. But given the current situation and circumstances, he could be forgiven. "Take the Pleiades with you and investigate the area outside of Nazarick. I feel something strange may have happened, and if so, I want to know what."

"At once, Lord Momonga!"

The butler and maids bowed. However, three of the Pleiades eyed the two other players before following the command.

All that remained in the throne room were the Guild Leader, the War Master, the Enforcer, and the Floor Guardian Overseer.

"Just what is happening right now...?!"

Momonga groaned. He was feeling a headache coming on. "Albedo, could you give me, Phantom and Diabolos some time alone for a moment? There's a matter I wish to discuss with them." he said. Albedo nodded and walked away, a swing of her hips drawing his attention for a brief moment before he returned to his senses.

As soon as Albedo left the Throne Room, Phantom's voice boomed. "Okay, what the actual hell is going on here?!" he cried out in a panic. "I can't bring up my menu, much less try and do a log out! What's going on?!"

"Calm down, Phantom." Diabolos frowned. "This isn't the time to be panicking. Something is obviously wrong, but we need to stay calm."

"Calm?! How the hell can you-"

"Enough, Phantom!" Momonga snapped. The Yaksha cowed. "While I do admit, the situation is out of the ordinary, this is hardly the time to loose your cool."

"I..." Phantom looked as if he wanted to argue, but then sighed and ran a hand through his dark locks. "You're right. Sorry 'bout that. But seriously, what the hell happened? Did the developers push back the server shutdown?"

Diabolos shook his head. "I don't know, but we can't open up our menus or log out, or even try to call the Game Master. Also..." He glanced down at his body, frowning. "Do you all...feel different?"

"Different? What do you mean?"

"I mean...I don't know. I feel like I'm taller than I should be in real life. Like I'm actually my avatar instead of my real body."

Phantom raised an eyebrow before he flexed his hands. "Now that you mention it...could you actually even feel anything when you were playing?" he asked.

"I don't think so. Otherwise I'd feel the flesh, blood, breaking bones, and guts of the enemies I beat to death with my hands." Diabolos said as he expected his hands and clenched them.

"Or when I'm the one being beaten."

"Agreed." Momonga chimed. "Albedo's facial expressions was another thing. NPC's aren't capable of expressing themselves like she did. It was almost as if she were a real person..."

"So, what's happening?"

"Hm... I have a theory I wish to test." Momonga said. He then called out for Albedo to enter. The doors opened to reveal her entering, looking as radiant as ever. "Come here for a moment, Albedo."

"Yes, my lord." She stood before the Overlord, her hands fidgeting.

"Please give my your hand."

"Y-yes." She complied and Momonga placed his fingers on her wrist.

Just as he suspected, he felt a pulse. Albedo was alive. But there was still so much he didn't quite understand. To possess a pulse, along with her actions until now...was it really possible?

'There's just one more test.' he thought as he swallowed a lump in his non-existent throat. If this turned out as he thought it would, then it would be blatantly clear that this was not part of Yggdrasil.

He glanced at Phantom and Diabolos, who seemed quite curious as to what he was doing. 'Man, they're gonna give me so much shit for this!' he thought, flailing chibi arms in his head before he asked the dreaded question: "Albedo... May I touch your chest?"

As he suspected, his guildmates reacted.

"Wow, leader. A bit forward, aint'cha?"

"Are you seriously asking her to let you grope her?"

Albedo's reaction, however, surprised them even further. "Go ahead and touch to your heart's content!"

The look on her face was...well, it reminded Momonga of his talks with Peroroncino regarding porn and all that. Still, up close, they really did look huge. 'No, stop that! This is all for the sake of finding out the truth!' Momonga scolded himself. Surprisingly, his bony hands didn't shake as he extended it. One of her breasts fell into his grasp. It felt warm and soft to the touch.

And it confirmed his suspicions.

In Yggdrasil, there was no possible way to do any action that would warrant an Adult Rating or anything of the sort. Modders had tried to do it, but the developers cracked down on them immediately and went so far as to pursue legal action and totally erase their accounts. R-rated actions were explicitly forbidden in the game. On the off chance someone did manage to do an R-rated action, they would receive an instant notification to cease and desist, lest they have their account erased and banned from playing the game outright. The fact that his hand was on Albedo's breasts, and that he didn't receive a message, meant only one thing.

Either Yggdrasil had received a rather broken update...or they weren't in Yggdrasil anymore. Based on all the other factors he and his friends experienced earlier, the latter seemed to be the stronger case.

Diabolos and Phantom realized this as well...only for the latter to interject. "...Don't you think that's enough, Momonga? I think you made your point about no more R-rated or Adult restrictions."

"Yeah. I checked it myself too. Before, everything was censored and crap. Now I just learned that I'm fully equipped." Diabolos crossed his arms behind his head.

"TMI, dude."

Momonga hastily pulled his arm away. "I-I'm sorry, Albedo!"

"Haaaah...is this where I'm to have my first time?"

"No!" All three guild members exclaimed. They were already in a panic and confused. They didn't need this on top of their piling stress. As if some god granted them mercy, Momonga's emotions became repressed, a trait due to him being an Undead. Now that he was calm, he salvaged the current situation.

"Albedo, I have new orders for you." The Overseer stood at attention. "Except for the guardians of the fourth and eight floors, gather everyone to the fighting arena on the sixth floor."

"Understood." Albedo bowed before departing to commence her orders, leaving the three alone once more.

For the longest time, silence reigned over the area. None of them knew what to say as they tried to process all of this newfound information. Whether it was from the revelation that the world had somehow changed and the possibility they were no longer in Yggdrasil or Albedo's...excited behavior, it was hard to tell.

Momonga sighed deeply as he fell into his throne, palming his face. "This...is something else entirely."

"I'll say." Phantom said with dismay. "Was-was she made by Pero and not Tabs?"

"Never mind that, what happened?" Diabolos asked. "Why have things changed? Either we've officially entered into isekai territory and got transported to some kind of new world, or we're in a new game entirely."

"If that's the case, where's the HUD? Or the menus?" the Warmaster questioned. "Dammit, we've got so many questions and no shovel."

"Then we must figure out for ourselves. Sebas and the Pleiades should return momentarily, hopefully with something that will help us. In the meantime, let's head down to the arena and meet with the floor guardians." Momonga stood from the throne and brandished his ring of Ainz Ooal Gown.

"By the way, why didn't you just summon all the guardians instead of everything aside from the fourth and eighth floor guardians?" Diabolos asked.

"There's something I wish to ask of them." Momonga said simply. "A mere thought that passed by. [Teleport]."

The two followed after him. The sensation that hit them was disorienting, to say the least. Their balance nearly wavered and barely managed to stay on their feet. Diabolos was more composed about it than Phantom was, who felt slightly woozy. "Okay, need to get used to that." he muttered as he rubbed his temples. "Ooh, I feel a little light-headed..."

"Just try not to vomit all over the floor." Diabolos patted him on the back. "Wouldn't want the others to see you like this." He then looked up above them. "...No matter how many times I see it, I still can't believe this entire floor is underground.

Far above them was the vast, starry night sky...at least, that was what it looked like. But in reality, it was merely an illusion to conceal the cavern ceiling of the underground level.

Even if you were to leave the Colosseum, all you would find is an endless stretch of forest, and all of it was part of this floor. Blue Planet designed it, as part of his fascination for a world untouched by pollution. It was also guarded by twin dark elves created by Bukubukuchagama.

Momonga and the two entered the arena, looking around in wonder. "Seems no one is here yet." Momonga mused. "I suppose it will be some time before they arrive, then. That's good. At least we can test to see if our magic can still work."

"Ah, so that's why we're having a meeting here." Phantom nodded in understanding. "I can see that. Eh, then again, I don't have many spells to begin with, so..."

Diabolos sighed. "That's because you chose one of the worst builds possible."

"Complex!" the former shouted. "It's a complex build! Even Puttin Moe said so!"

"Say what you want, but you built your character with so many passives and buffs that you have little to no offensive skills! Your build is a melee fighter with little versatility!"

"It's still a complex build!"

Phantom's build was considered to be one of the oddest, if not arguably the worst and most useless design ever created. Despite the many guides created by experienced users of similar playstyles, this build relied on the passive skills and buffs of their racial classes and jobs. This was haphazard in of itself, especially since it also meant that their repertoire of skills and spells was severely limited. Even an average character build would have access to close to around a hundred spells. A build like Phantom's only had a repertoire of close to a meager fifty! With equipment being the primary factor behind the usefulness of this build, many wrote it off and generally chose to never pursue it.

That being said, through the use of many guides, especially ones written by Punitto Moe, Phantom had brought this build into the spotlight and was rightfully feared for its unpredictability.

Of course, Diabolos took every opportunity to tease him.

The conversation was cut short, however, when a loud cheer echoed through the air. A thing figure emerged from one of the amphitheaters, landing on the ground near flawlessly with a large grin and holding up two victory signs before dashing over, picking up a trail of dust behind them. When they skidded to a stop, they got a closer look: a young girl with wavy blonde hair and dark skin with elongated ears and mismatched eyes, wearing a suit with a white vest and dress pants.

This was Aura Bella Fiora, the eldest of the twin dark elves, and one of the guardians of the sixth floor.

"Welcome to the Sixth Floor, my Lords!" Aura greeted cheerily. "How may I be of service today?"

Phantom blinked. Once, twice. Then he leaned over to Diabolos and whispered, "If Buku was here, she'd totally glomp her." His friend nodded whole-heartedly in agreement.

"We'll be intruding for a moment." Momonga told her.

Aura shook her head. "How can you say that, Lord Momonga?! You aren't intruding whatsoever! After all, you are the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"

"Hah, I see. By the way, where is your brother?"

"Huh? Oh, he's still over there. Mare! What are you doing?! We're supposed to be greeting the Supreme Ones and you're still hiding!"

"S-sorry! It's too high...!"

"MA~RE~!"

"O-kay, I'm coming!"

A tiny figure leaped down from the amphitheater, albeit not in a grandiose manner like Aura. This was Mare Bello Fiore, Aura's younger brother. The only difference once could tell between them was the hairstyle, which was patted down, and the eyes being in reverse. Additionally, on part of Bukubukuchagama being a fan of traps, dressed Mare in a skirt. Clutching his staff nervously, he quickly joined his sister in greeting the three.

"I'm sorry for being so rude!"

Phantom chuckled. "It's fine, Mare!"

"How are things here in the Sixth Floor?" Diabolos asked. "Have you two notices any strange changes?"

"No, Lord Diabolos. No unusual activity on the Sixth Floor whatsoever." Aura shook her head.

"I see. If anything does occur, don't hesitate to inform us right away."

"Yes sir!"

"Aura. Mare." Momonga said. "I've asked the other Floor Guardians to come here. Nazarick seems to be under a strange set of circumstances. I've asked Sebas and the Pleiades to investigate the area, but they should be returning shortly."

Aura's face fell. "Aw...does that mean Shalltear's coming too?"

"Yes." Momonga nodded. "Also, I wish to test something." He gestured to the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his hand, immediately earning starry-eyed looks from the twin elves. "If you can, please gather straw dolls and golems. Particularly low level ones."

"Yes sir!" The twins obeyed, eager to see the Guild Weapon in action. Soon enough, a series of dolls and golems littered the arena floor, making good test dummies for the three guild members.

"Let's get started."

"Wait, what are we doing?" Phantom asked. "I get we're checking to see if we can still use magic, but why are there golems?"

"Because you and Diabolos' classes require combat to utilize your skills." Momonga answered. "I only require my mana. Assuming I can still use it. This will likely be trial and error."

"Awesome!" Diabolos pounded his fists together. "Now I can see what it's like to fight with this body!" Without waiting for a response, he leapt over the edge and landed in the arena. He pushed off his feet and pulverized a golem's head in a single blow.

"Hey wait! Dammit, man! I need to test out my skills too!" Phantom jumped in after him.

From there, Aura and Mare watched with great enthusiasm and awe as the three tested their abilities. Momonga spent his time wisely, starting with low tier spells and working his way up, even dabbling in summoning spells. When he created such beings, his mind became linked with them and he could order them as he pleased and dismissed them at any time. Diabolos was tearing through the golems and even managed to trigger a few skills on account of instinct and memory. There was a giant grin on his face, his eyes burning with some form of emotion, raw and violent. It looked as if he was enjoying himself in his slaughter.

Phantom, on the other hand, remained controlled and struck swift and fast. Like Diabolos, any Skills he may have triggered were caused by instinct and memory.

In a matter of moments, all of the targets have been annihilated. And Diabolos was noticeably upset. "Aw...it's already over?! I wanted to break things more!"

"Calm down, Diabolos. That is enough testing for now. It seems that magic and skills work no differently than they had in Yggdrasil." Momonga replied.

"Yeah. But it's weird. We can't see an HP or MP bar anymore, yet I can feel them instinctually. Like, I know what exact MP I should be using for my skills, whether they're weaker or stronger." Phantom added. "Besides, Depending on what Sebas and the Pleiades found, I'm sure you can find more schmucks to slaughter if they get too close to the Tomb."

"Okay..."

It was disturbing to hear Diabolos speak so eagerly about wanting to crush his opponents. Perhaps he was acting out his role as an Asura? Shrugging his shoulders, Momonga wanted to try at least one more thing: "Summon Primal Fire Elemental!" One of the heads on the Staff glowed ominously. Then the crumbled remains of a golem was consumed by a twister of fire that expanded and enlarged, becoming a monstrous creature with an upper torso and arms, armed with fangs and a mouth lined with fangs.

Phantom whistled. "These things are in the upper 80's, right? How much power does it take?"

"Quite a bit of MP." the undead answered. He turned to the dark elf twins, who looked at the creature with awe. "Do you two wish to fight it?"

"Can we really?!" Aura asked with stars in her eyes.

"Yes you may. I would like to see your abilities in action myself." Momonga nodded.

"Aww...I wanted to fight it!" Diabolos whined.

"When the hell did you become a battle maniac?" Phantom asked with a sweatdrop visible.

Aura practically dragged Mare with her as she threw herself into the line of fire. At Momonga's command, the Primal Fire Elemental began its attack in an attempt to kill the two. Phantom was a little concerned, but Momonga had every assurance in that they would be safe. More than that, he knew they would win.

Still, he felt a little apprehensive. Everything was going by too fast for him to try and understand. The NPCs his guild members created had all suddenly demonstrated a newfound livelihood. They were real people. They had emotions. But what did they think of him? Of Diabolos and Phantom? It was a question worth asking when they all gathered.

As Momonga watched the battle between the twins and the Elemental proceed, with Diabolos cheering them on, Momonga decided to try and use [Message]. An in-game function that would let him contact other party members. At first, he received silence before a response came through.

[What the...] Phantom questioned, though his lips didn't move while he looked around in confusion.

[Ah, good. It worked.]

[Momo? What's this?]

[Message. I wanted to see if it still worked, though it seems the application has changed considerably.]

[Oh.]

He cut the connection there and then tried to contact the GM this way. He received no response. Typical. He then decided to see if it would work with another individual, this time an NPC. He contacted Sebas, and immediately, a response came.

[Lord Momonga. How may I be of service?]

'Ah, so it does work with NPCs also!' the undead thought with relief. "Sebes. What's the situation outside of Nazarick? Have you discovered any changes?"

[Several, my lord.]

"I see... Return to Nazarick, then. The Floor Guardians are converging on the Sixth Floor. Give me your report here."

[Understood, Lord Momonga.]

At that moment, the Primal Fire Elemental let out a weak cry as Aura cleaved it in two with her whip, reducing it to spluttering flames. Exhausted, yet still energetic, the two bounced over to the three last guild members of Ainz Ooal Gown with a spring in their steps. Phantom smiled as he walked over and kneeled down. "You guys worked really hard out there!"

"Yeah!" Aura nodded. "I haven't worked up a sweat like this in a while!"

Momonga chuckled. "You must be exhausted." he remarked before digging into his inventory. Surprisingly, his bony hand achieved this by pushing through a void that opened up, yet his body acted purely on instinct and grabbed hold of whatever was inside. He pulled out two small glasses and a pitcher full of water.

"Here. Have a drink to refresh yourselves."

"But Lord Momonga…" Aura and Mare were surprised by the offer. "To drink from your own item, we can't."

"Yes...I can make water..." Mare added quietly.

"It's fine." Diabolos laughed. "You should accept it!"

They were still uncertain, but Momonga offered it again. Not willing to shame them, Aura and Mare gratefully accepted the glasses and greedily drank from the cups. In seconds, they were drained.

As the twins finished their drinks, a [Gate] opened. From the tear in space, a pale, red eyed girl walked out. She was dressed in a gothic Lolita dress with matching hat and parasol.

"Oh? Am I the first to arrive?"

Shalltear Bloodallen, the Guardian of Floors 1 through 3. The NPC created by Ainz Ooal Gown's resident pervert, Peroroncino. A True Vampire.

Upon seeing her, Aura's good mood plummeted and frowned. "Ah, great. You're here!" she said with displeasure. "And hey, don't go opening a [Gate] without permission!"

"Nice to see you too, Shorty!" Shalltear smirked.

Phantom, Diabolos and Momonga were struck by a sense of deja vu, but didn't understand it. Shalltear ignored Aura, much to her chagrin, and saw Momonga. In a split second, she thrusted herself upon him and wrapped her arms around his enormous waste, face flushed. "Ah, Momonga-sama~ The one person I can't control~!"

[Oi oi...] Phantom stared. [The fuck is this?]

[Remember?] Diabolos grimaced. [She was made by Peroroncino. I wouldn't be surprised if she was designed with every fetish known to man.]

[Yeah, But Momonga's a freaking SKELETON!] Phantom argued. How could someone have a fetish for someone who is literally nothing but bones?!

[...yeah, pretty sure Peroronchino made her a necrophile if that's the case...]

"Ya think?!"

"Hey, Shalltear!" Aura snapped. "Get your mitts off our Lord! There's a limit to how disrespectful you can be!"

"Hm?" Shalltear stopped briefly to look over her shoulder and leer at the dark elf. "You say something, shorty?"

"...fake boobs."

"What?!"

"I said fake boobs." Aura smirked. "Look, even one of them is displaced!" The dark elf pointed at the vampire's chest, indeed noting that one was out of order. "You probably used the [Gate] so you wouldn't mess them up. But you did anyway when you glomped our Lord."

"Shitty brat!" Shalltear growled angrily.

"Is that perfume I smell? Are you starting to rot, Shalltear?"

"At least I have some chest!" the vampire snapped. "You're just a flatty!"

"But I have time to grow!" Aura gave her a smug smirk. "After all, I'm only 76 years old~ You, on the other hand, are just a walking corpse who got stunted!"

From there, the two started to bicker with a fight seemingly about to brew. "Ah, now I know why this feels familiar." Diabolos said suddenly. "They're just like Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama when they get into one of their arguments."

"Makes sense, since Shalltear is Pero's and the twins are Buku's." Phantom shrugged.

Momonga was about to stop the two, but someone else beat him two it. "Silence. You. Two." a chilling voice commanded, followed by something smacking into the ground. Turning, they found a giant creature, seemingly an insect but with burly arms and wielding a giant halbert. "You. Disgrace. Yourselves. Before. The. Supreme. Beings."

This was Cocytus. Guardian of the 5th Floor of Nazarick. NPC of Warrior Takemikazuchi.

"Thank you coming, Cocytus." Momonga said, grateful for his intervention.

The Vermin Lord bowed his head, mandibles clicking. "You. Called. And. I. Will. Always. Answer."

"Any changes on the Fifth Floor?" Phantom asked. Cocytus shook his head. "I see... Still, you're looking well, Cocytus my man."

"Thank. You. For. Your. Kind. Words. Lord. Phantom."

"Yeah. You're looking as strong as ever. We should spar sometime." Diabolos gave him a fanged grin.

"To. Be. Offered. A. Chance. To. Test. My. Skills. Against. Our. Exalted. Enforcer. I. Am. Truly. Honored." Cocytus bowed deeply.

"Again, when did you turn into a battle maniac?" Phantom questioned again, but did not receive an answer for the last of the Floor Guardians arrived. Albedo appeared, accompanied by a man with tanned skin, slicked back hair with pointed ears and a smug grin, an armored tail wishing about behind his back.

This was Demiurge, the Guardian of the Seventh Floor. The NPC created by Ulbert Alain Odle. In the event Nazarick ever came under attack, he alongside Albedo would guide the NPCs and formulate a battle strategy in order to defend the Great Tomb and its masters.

Everyone had gathered before the three guild members. Phantom grinned slightly, noting how each of them carried the air of their respective creators. For a moment, he felt as if the band was back together, but that thought turned somber. He was starting to realize how much he missed his old friends.

As the Floor Guardians gathered together before them, Albedo smiled strangely before she swept into a bow, greeting them. "Now, everyone. Let us a pledge our fealty!"

Momonga blinked. Wait, what?

"Shalltear Bloodfallen, Guardian of the first, second and third floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. I bow before the Supreme Ones!"

"Cocytus. Guardian. Of. The. Fifth. Floor. Of. The. Great. Tomb. Of. Nazarick. I. Bow. Before. The. Supreme. Ones."

"Aura Bella Fiora! Guardian of the Sixth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"

"M-Mare Bello Fiore. Also Guardian of the Sixth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. We bow before the Supre Ones!"

"Demiurge. Guardian of the Seventh Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. I bow before the Supreme Ones!"

"Albedo. Overseer of the Floor Guardians. I bow before the Supreme Ones!" With their introductions finished, Albedo raised her head. "We swear our fidelity to you all, our Lords! Please, give us your orders!"

Phantom and Diabolos looked at one another, startled. Momonga was equally as stunned. To see this level of devotion...and not too long ago, they were incapable of expressing themselves in such a way! Wait, how the hell was he supposed to respond to such heartfelt and powerful words? Without thinking, a dark aura surrounded his body on instinct. One of his passive skills, triggered by his own hesitation.

"...raise your heads." he commanded, though mentally, he was wondering how in the hell he could look so gloomy.

"You...didn't have to go this far for us, but thanks anyway." Phantom said, uneasy.

This seemed to surprise most of the Floor Guardians, but Albedo shook her head. "Your thanks are wasted on us." she said. "Though I fear our abilities will not reach your expectations, we will strive to meet them, in honor of our creators, the Supreme Beings who left these past few years! This, we vow!" The Floor Guardians called the same, with equal passion.

Diabolos stared at them for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Such passion!" he boomed. "And such devotion! We're truly lucky to have you all with us. What say you, Guild Leader?"

"Indeed." Momonga nodded. "I have no doubt you will meet our expectations, my Floor Guardians." This earned smiles all around.

Phantom coughed awkwardly in his hand. He didn't understand how in the hell these two could just accept such strong feelings of devotion. Don't get him wrong, he was thrilled to see how passionate they all were, but...this all just reminded him far too much of the fanatics he was used to seeing in TV shows. It made him feel like they were in some kind of cult.

"As heartwarming as this is, we have more pressing matters to attend to." he said as he folded his arms. "Right now, the Tomb seems to be in the middle of some unknown situation. We have Sebas and the Pleiades investigating the matter outside, but I want to ask both Shalltear and Demiurge. Have there been any noteworthy changes on the Seventh, First, Second and Third Floors?"

"None, my lord." Shalltear replied. "I've noticed nothing that seems unusual or out of place. If you wish, I can investigate it further with my Vampire Brides." Phantom nodded.

Demiurge shook his head. "Likewise, I've found no substantial changes myself."

"In regards to the Fourth and Eighth Floor, I've also found no changes or unusual activity." Albedo said next. "It seems that for the most part, whatever changes there may be, the Great Tomb of Nazarick has not suffered any negative effects."

"I see..." Momonga hummed. "Then all that is left is Sebas' report."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Right on cue, the butler had arrived on the Sixth Floor, the Pleiades Battle Maids walking behind him. "Welcome back, Sebas." Phantom greeted.

Sebas bowed his head. "Lord Phantom." he greeted in reverence.

"Any news, Sebas?" Ainz Ooal Gown's Enforcer asked.

The butler gave his report. To the three's surprise, they were no longer located in the poisonous marsh swamps that had been the bane of many players in Yggdrasil. Rather, they were now situated in the middle of grass plains that stretched out for miles. There was no immediate signs of intelligent life such as humans or monsters, only animals and the like. Of course, they were only ordered to investigate the surrounding area around Nazarick, so further investigation may be required.

"Is it possible we're in one of the Nine Worlds?" Diabolos questioned. "If so, which one?"

"I don't we're even in Yggdrasil anymore." Phantom frowned. "Last I checked, the closest we've got plains are the Fields of Agony, but they don't even remotely match the description Sebas just gave."

"So a new world entirely? It's definitely like an Isekai anime plot then..." Diabolos murmured. "Well, guess we gotta find out where the hell we even are."

"But first, we must ensure the security of the Tomb." Momonga advised.

"Demiurge. Albedo. I want the two of you to strengthen Nazarick's information gathering. Work together to find a solution. The rest of you, follow their lead." The Floor Guardians nodded. "In the meantime... Mare!"

"Y-yes!"

"Is there any way to conceal Nazarick from prying eyes?"

"Yes, b-but illusion magic would be difficult..."

Phantom rubbed his chin. "Sebas, were there any mountains or mounds nearby?" he asked, receiving a shake of the head in response. "Hm... What if we hid Nazarick using the earth and vegetation, then create dummy hills to blend in with our surroundings?"

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Lord Phantom, but you would have the great walls of Nazarick stained with dirt?" Albedo asked incredulously.

"We all have to take risks, Albedo. Even if it means getting your hands dirty." Phantom said in reply.

Mare pursed his lips. "If-if I have my lord's permission, I believe that would be feasible."

"Good!" Momonga nodded. "Lastly... I would ask each of you a question: what do you see us as? Shaltear!"

"Lord Momonga is the crystallization of beauty and without equal, Lord Diabolos power incarnate, and Lord Phantom the shield that defends our Lords!" the vampire smiled and spoke with sincere praise.

"Cocytus!"

"Lord. Momonga. Is. Without. Equal. Worthy. Of. Being. The. Leader. Of. Ainz. Ooal. Gown. Lord. Diabolos. The. Most. Fierce. Of. All. The. Supreme. Beings. Who. Will. Ensure. Those. Who. Dare. Defy. Us. Are. Brought. To. The. Knee. And. Lord. Phantom. A. Warrior. Above. All. Others. A. True. Warmaster!" the Vermin Lord spoke as steam erupted from his mouth.

"Aura!"

"You are all compassionate, but always thinking ahead!" the female dark elf grinned.

"Mare!"

"L-Lord Momonga is very kind, but scary when you want to be. Lord D-Diabolos even more so, but he treasures his comrades. And Lord Phantom will ensure nothing will ever go wrong. Kind rulers I think is what would best describe you!" the male dark elf spoke his honest thoughts.

"Demiurge!"

"Lord Momonga makes wise decisions, and acts upon them swiftly with no hesitation. Infalliable would be the best way to describe you. Lord Diabolos is truly wrath incarnate. Any who dare raise their hands against Nazarick always fall to his hand. And Lord Phantom is a true master of the art of war. None, save perhaps Lord Warrior Takemikazuchi and Lord Nishikienrai, could ever hope to match him!" the demon smiled.

"Sebas!"

"Though the other Supreme Beings left this world behind, you three stayed with us to the very end. Your compassion knows no bounds." the head butler bowed his head.

"The Pleiades!"

"Lord Momonga is a fair and just ruler." Yuri Alpha said, adjusting her glasses.

"Lord Diabolos is a terror to all enemies, but a fair and just man to his allies." Lupusregina Beta blushed as she stared at the Asura, who promptly noticed her gaze and scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"Lord Phantom is undefeatable on the battlefield. Under his leadership, failure is nonexistence." CZ Delta spoke in a monotone voice, yet each word held praise.

"The three of you all are kind, having chosen to stay with us to the very end." Solution Epsilon bowed her head, unworthy to meet their gaze.

"We are undeserving of caring rulers, such as yourselves." Entoma said, sharing Solution's actions.

"Yet even so, we wish to meet your expectations, in the hopes of being considered worthy of Nazarick." Narberal Gamma was the last to speak her peace.

"And finally, Albedo!"

"Lord Diabolos ensures that no one will dare besmerch the great name of Ainz Ooal Gown, for the wrath of the Asura is second to none. Under Lord Phantom's leadership as Warmaster, victory is all but assured. Together, they are the sword and shield of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, undefeatable in the hands of the one who stands above all other Supreme Beings! The man I love with all my heart!" the Guardian Overseer said passionately, gazing upon Momonga with a blushing face and sparkling eyes of devotion.

Needless to say, all three of the members of the guild were floored by their responses.

[...um, okay. I think we need to cut this short. Like, now, I mean.] Phantom messaged the two. [I...my heart can't take this much more! I mean, what the hell?! Diabolos, do you hear this?!]

[I'm hearing it, and I can't even believe it! To praise us so...I feel...weird and tingly...]

[Agreed.] Momonga responded, equally shocked. [We better wrap this up.]

"I see..." The Overlord addressed his vassals. "Thank you for answering our questions. With that, I wish you all good fortune in performing your duties can carry out our tasks faithfully." Ending on that note, the three used their guild rings to teleport to a different floor to discuss matters, leaving the floor guardians to themselves.

In one of the many hallways of Nazarick, Phantom, Diabolos and Momonga appeared in a flash. Momonga, despite being a skeleton, managed to look exhausted as he rested his forehead against the wall, somehow exasperated while Phantom had a hand over his heart, looking as if he was about to suffer a heart attack and had to use the wall for support. Diabolos was in no better shape, sitting on the floor with his head held in his hand.

"What the absolute hell?!" Phantom asked in disbelief. "How the hell do they have high views of us?! Were they like this, even back in Yggdrasil?!"

"I feel exhausted..." Momonga groaned. "To hear such expectations... Haaah, I understand what it feels like to be CEO of a company now."

"Don't even make that analogy. We all know those CEOs back on earth are absolute pieces of shit that deserve a fate worse than death." Diabolos said as he leaned his head against the wall. "But yeah...they worshipped us like Gods or something..."

"But why?! Whatever did we do to earn such reverence?!"

"I don't know...but for better or worse, we have to live up to it."

At the same time, in the Sixth Floor shortly after they left them to their own, the Floor Guardians rose up from the floor. "What an incredible aura..." Demiurge muttered with a wide grin. "Lord Momonga is truly worth of his position! I felt as if my legs were about to give out!"

"Indeed." Cocytus agreed. "But. Lords. Phantom. And. Diabolos. Simply. Stood. By."

"You may have saw it that way, but Lord Diabolos was watching us carefully. Looking for even a moment of weakness. And if we had, I had no doubt Lord Phantom would strike us down for such insolence."

"But. They. Have. Answered. Our. Pleas. Of. Fidelity. Have. They. Not?"

Albedo smiled widely. "Yes, they have! Everyone, we must ensure to live up to our lord's expectations!"

The Floor Guardians all nodded. The Supreme Beings had answered their calls of fidelity and expected them to live up to that promise, and they would ensure that they would rise to meet their expectations!

"Still, Lord Momonga was scary..." Mare said shakily.

Aura nodded in agreement. "Totally! But he wasn't like that when he was with us." In the background, Albedo suddenly stopped and began to twitch, a bloodcurdling aura swirling around her. "He was so nice! He even gave us water after he let us fight a Primal Fire Elemental! I haven't had that much fine in a while!"

Noticing Albedo's rising bloodlust, Mare quickly defused the situation. "H-he truly is a kind person."

"YES!" Albedo turned a complte 180, a wide smile and a heavy blush on her cheeks. "You're absolutely right, Mare! He is the embodiment of compassion! As expected of the man I love! Teehee~!"

Demiurge shook his head in amusement. "As much fun as this sounds, I believe we should get down to brass tacks and do as our lords commanded of us." he suggested. Albedo turned serious and nodded in agreement. He then noticed that Shalltear was still on the ground, shaking. "Hm? Is something the matter, Shalltear?"

"I-it's nothing..." Her face was flushed, sweat rolling down her cheeks and red seeping into her otherwise pale complexion. "It's just...Lord Momonga's powerful aura and Lords Phantom and Diabolos' piercing gaze...ah, my underwear's in a bit of a crisis right now."

This earned a sweatdrop from the Floor Guardians. All save for one. "You filthy wretch..." Albedo growled, her face twisting into something inhuman while a dark, murderous aura consumed her body. "How dare you?!"

The vampire fell out of her reverie and glared at the Overseer. "Huh?! What was that? Lord Momonga simply blessed us with his energy. It was our reward. Anyone who doesn't get wet at his sheer presence must have something wrong in their head, you big-mouthed gorilla!" She stood as a blood-red aura flared wildly around her.

"Disgusting Lamprey!" Albedo shot back with a twisted expression on her face. Both the Succubus and Vampire glared at one another, just a hairsbreadth away from outright murdering one another.

Demiurge sighed and shook his head. "Good grief..."

"Is. This. Really. Something. To. Fight. Over?" Cocytus questioned.

"Then again, I suppose this is something good." The twin dark elves and Cocytus looked at the demon, confused. "Though our lords have graciously stayed with us to the end, I can't help but wonder if there may come a time when they will one day leave us as well."

The air grew chilly. "Demiurge." Cocytus clicked his mandibles, an edge in his voice. "What. You. Say. Is. Treason!"

"Oh, I don't mean it like that." Demiurge waved a hand, dismissing the murderous look the Floor Guardian was giving him. "I just feel it would be nice if Lord Momonga and the others gave us an heir in which we can swear our fealty to. That's all."

"An. Heir..." Cocytus' rage calmed. "That. Would Be. Wonderful... No! That. Would. Be. Amazing!"

"You mean, the Supreme Ones would leave behind a legacy?" Mare asked.

"That's right."

Demiurge nodded. "It would certainly be something to look forward to, don't you think?"

"Haaaah. That. Is. Something. To. Look. Forward. To. Greatly!"

The demon chuckled at his comrade's enthusiasm before he looked at the skirmish between Shalltear and Albedo. "They're still at it?" he hissed. "Aura, why don't you go deal with this?"

"Eh?! Why me?!"

"I believe this call's for a fellow woman's touch."

"But why can't any of the Pleiades do it, then?!"

"Because you are a Floor Guardian. It would make more sense for you, specifically. Not to mention, you have a better chance of keeping up with them should they come to blows." He answered.

Aura glared at him, then deflated. She couldn't find any holes in that logic. Still, with how those two were, she feared for her safety. This had to be handled carefully.

While Aura dealt with the two rampaging women in love, Demiurge turned his attention to Mare. "By the way, Mare. There's something I've been meaning to ask." The male dark elf tilted his head. "I can understand Aura's decision to wear masculine clothing, but...why are dressed in such a manner? Is there some sort of special reason?"

"I don't think so." he confessed. "This is what Lady Bukubukuchagama gave me. She said I looked cute in it, and I was a...what did she say? A trap?"

"Hm, is that so? Perhaps boys are meant to wear girl's clothing while they're young?" It was worth looking into. "By the way, Sebas. Regarding your investigation of the surroundings..."

"As I said, there was nothing out of the ordinary, save for the fact that we are in an unknown location." Sebas said. "The grass itself is not like the bladed grass in the marshes or in the Fields of Agony that Lord Phantom mentioned earlier. The only life we could find were small animals and the like."

"In that case, perhaps a more detailed investigation will be in order."

"If that is what our Lords wish, I will do so. In the meantime, I must return to my duties." He paused, then glanced at the Pleiades behind him. "And to ensure that some of us do not take the same liberties as Lady Shalltear or Albedo."

"Come on, Sebas!" Lupusregina pouted. "We're not that bad! Besides, I only have eyes for Lord Dia! It's Narberal and Yuri you should be worried about!"

"And just what are you implying, Lupusregina?" Naberal Gamma asked with a deadpan glare.

"Come on! It's totally obvious you two have the hots for Lord Phantom!" She replied casually. "I don't blame you, of course. He does have a nice, tight and small little-OW!"

Yuri Alpha delivered a harsh chop to her head, nearly throwing the red head to the ground. "That is enough out of you." she said in a strict manner. "It's time we returned to our duties." She turned to Sebas and bowed her head. "Please inform us if the Supreme Beings have any tasks for us, Lord Sebas."

"Of course, Yuri." Sebas nodded.

The maids and butler departed, leaving behind the Floor Guardians.

"We should tend to our duties as well. We must hide the Tomb from the eyes of foolish wanderers." Demiurge announced.

Mare nodded and went off to work. Cocytus bowed his head and took his leave and inform the others under his care. Now by himself, Demiurge turned and found Albedo and Shalltear panting, but still glaring at each as if they wanted to murder the other. "Aura! Are they finished?"

"Just about." Aura replied. "But now they're off on something else."

"We're deciding who should be the head wife." Albedo informed. "It would be odd if the Ruler of the Great Tomb only had one lover. I'm fine sharing him with others, however..."

"As if I would share with a gorilla like her." Shalltear scoffed, infuriating the Overseer once more.

Before they could go at it again, Demiurge clapped his hands. "Need I remind you the Supreme Beings gave us a task to fulfill?" The two fell quiet and sighed, their murderous auras vanishing.

"We'll settle this another time, Shalltear." the Succubus said. Shalltear nodded. "Now then..."

As the Floor Guardians went about their tasks, the three remaining members of Ainz Ooal Gown were in their respective rooms, taking the time to cool down and try to understand everything that had been happening. First the sudden lifelike behavior of the NPCs, then the news of them being in some unknown place, likely a new world, and now the adoration and high standards they were now forced to live by. They just couldn't bring themselves to look bad in front of them. Especially not after what they all heard from the Floor Guardians' mouths.

Diabolos and Phantom had been in their respective rooms, doing their own thing when Momonga suddenly called to them via [Message]. They were quick to answer the call, wondering if their was a new development or something. They arrived at his room to find Narberal standing on guard, and Momonga...was dressed in black armor from head to toe.

"Okay. I'll bite." Diabolos said first. "Why are you wearing that?"

"I wish to see our new surroundings for myself." Momonga answered. "However, Narberal has made it clear to me that I'm not allowed to leave without an escort. I would have left by myself, but I figured I could use some company."

Phantom looked up thoughtfully. "Well, I dunno 'bout you two, but if I stay in my room any longer trying to think on all this crap, I'll go nuts. So hey, why not? But since we're apparently 'Supreme Beings,' won't they just ask us to have escorts also?"

Narberal spoke up. "Lord Momonga is the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and you two, his sword and shield. If you three are together, I doubt there is not a soul alive who could match you."

"And there you have it." Momonga said with finality. "What do you say, Diabolos? Feel up for a stroll?"

"Hell yeah I am. I was getting antsy just lying around." The Asura answered. "Besides, if we really are in wide open fields where the sky stretches for miles, then I really want to see it. Would be a good change of pace, especially since we've been loafing around for a few days here..."

"Then it's settled." The trio teleported to the first floor of the Tomb. As they climbed the steps, their presence alerted the Demonic Beasts under Demiurge's command, as well as the Archdemon himself. The Floor guardian knelt before his Lords.

"Lord Momonga, Lord Phantom, Lord Diabolos, you came here without guards?" He then looked at Momonga's current attire. "And that armor..."

"There's a reason for this..."

Demiurge frowned at that, but a look of realization struck him. "Ah, I see! Your attention to detail is impecable, Lord Momonga!" he praised the undead, confusing him greatly. Attention to detail? What the heck was he even talking about? "However, though you are with Lords Phantom and Diabolos, I must request I accompany you."

Momonga cursed under his breath, having wanted to avoid this. Though, that said, Narberal was insisting that the entirety of the Pleiades guard him. If it was just Demiurge, he supposed he could allow it. "Very well, but only you will accompany us." Demiurge smiled and nodded in compliance. The group of four then left the Great Tomb of Nazarick, entering the outside world for the first time.

The sight was breath taking. In their world, constant pollution had marred the earth's beauty. If there was any actual blue sky, it was recreational. The real sky was so muddled and contaminated, it was ugly and gray and green, sickened by the effects of constant years of ecological damage. But the sky above them was pure. Not a trace of the taint that plagued their world. Stars glistened and shined brilliantly, almost like jewels twinkling brightly.

"Man..." Phantom breathed in amazement. "If only ol' Planet could see this. I can't remember what a starry sky even looked like, aside from pictures and all that crap."

"Indeed..." Momonga nodded before he took out something from his inventory, placing it around his neck. "[Fly]."

Since he could not use magic while clad in the armor, he would have to rely on items for abilities such as flight. The other guild members caught on and equipped their own flight items, given by Momonga, as well.

Their bodies glowed in a blue light before they slowly levitated off the ground. In the next second, they rocketed upwards to see the world from above. Demiurge shapeshifted into his Demon form and sprouted wings, taking flight to catch up to his masters.

Momonga removed his helmet, letting it dissipate into particles of light before he gazed up at the sky.

'Its beautiful...' he thought, unable to believe that such a sight could exist. 'There's no way a scene like this could ever exist back home...'

"It's like a box full of jewels." Momonga said, breathless.

"It's like a dream...a beautiful dream..." Diabolos whispered in awe. "But it's not a dream, but reality. Never thought I'd live to see something like this.

"I hear ya." Phantom agreed as his eyes scanned across the endless sea of stars amongst the blackness of night. "Back in our world, there was so much smog and crap that we couldn't see the sky even on a sunny day. Now though...it's just too beautiful for words..."

"It may be presumptuous to say, but perhaps we were sent to this world to claim this unopened box of jewels." Momonga remarked with humor. "No, that would be selfish. Such treasures should be adorned in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, for all to share."

It was lost on Demiurge, however, who bowed his head. "If you wish, we would spare no expense in claiming these jewels for you, my lord."

"World domination, huh?" the Warmaster chuckled. "But we don't know what this new world has in store for us."

"But you do have to admit, world domination does sound like fun." Diabolos chimed with a grin. "Think of all the strong opponents we might face!"

"Indeed. World Domination does sound interesting..."

Unbeknownst to the three, Demiurge's eyes widened in surprise as his mind raced. His master's desire the world at their fingertips? As a loyal vassal and Floor Guardian to Ainz Ooal Gown, it was his and everyone's duty in Nazarick to fulfill their master's wishes.

He must inform the others upon their return.

'As if we could do that.' Momonga thought in his head. 'Besides, it'd sound like it would be too much work.' He then noticed a disturbance below his feet. Looking down, he saw tidal waves of earth and vegetation swell and gather, corrolating along the walls of the Great Tomb. On top of the walls was Mare, who's body was guarded by the many sigils and runes that danced along his body.

"Looks like the disguising of the Tomb of Nazarick is going along nicely. Mare is doing pretty well." Diabolos commented.

"Druid magic such as this is his specialty." Phantom agreed. "It is no surprise."

"He's working pretty hard. Maybe I should give him a gift." the Yaksha turned to Momonga. "What do you think he'd like?"

Momonga rubbed his jawbone. "Hard to say. Demiurge, suggestions?"

"My lords. Your gratitude towards us is reward enough." The Archdemon bowed.

'Well, that's well and good, but you all truly deserve something more." Diabolos said.

They descended down onto the wall. When they did, Mare noticed them. "M-my lords!"

"Hello, Mare. I see you are doing a wonderful job concealing the tomb."

"T-thank you, Lord Phantom." Mare said, bowing his head gratefully. "B-but, what are you all doing here?"

"We wanted to see how well you were doing, that's all." Diabolos said as he looked at the gathering streams of earth. "Nicely done! This is Earth Surge, isn't that right?"

"Th-that's right." The dark elf nodded. "I used it to form the dummy hills to help conceal the structure better."

If he could, Momonga would have nodded. "Very well done. Hold out your hand for a moment, Mare. I have a gift for you, for your hard work." Mare extended his hand. Momonga pulled out a ring from his inventory, gold with a violet red gem and placed it in his hand.

Mare gasped. "T-this is the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown! I-I couldn't possibly accept this!"

"Nonsense. We wouldn't have given you a ring if you weren't deserving of it." Diabolos chuckled. "Consider this a token of our gratitude, for being so loyal and diligent."

"That, and moving between floors manually can be tedious."

"Oh, I see... Thank you! I-I promise I'll live up to your expectations!" Mare bowed his head deeply. "Um, Lord Momonga, if you don't mind me asking...why are you dressed like that?"

"Oh, that's..." Momonga paused. He couldn't exactly say he was planning on leaving to get some fresh air.

"Simple, Mare." a new voice cut in. Albedo had descended upon the wall with a serene smile on her face. "Lord Momonga didn't wish to trouble us while he watched us work."

Immediately, Momonga capitalized. "That's exactly it, Albedo! You knew exactly what I was thinking!"

[Oh, bullshit.] Phantom cut in with a snicker. [She just gave you an excuse!]

[Quiet, Phantom! I couldn't think up of one on the spot, okay!]

[Haha! You just keep locking out, dontcha leader?]

Albedo smiled sweetly. "I'd like to think I know you very well, my lord, if you'll excuse my arro..." she trailed off when she noticed Mare putting on the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. It was sudden and vanished just as quick, but Momonga caught a look of livid madness on her face, causing him to flinch. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing." he said, trying to be as calm as possible before he produced another ring. "Here. I suppose I should give you one as well, in order to make your work easier." Albedo accepted it gratefully. However, when she accepted it, her body started to shake. "Demiurge, I will give you one another time."

"Of course, my lord."

"Well then, we best be off."

Phantom and Diabolos snickered to themselves, knowing that Momonga was clearly uncomfortable before heeding his request. The three of them disappeared, but not before hearing someone cry out, "FUCK YES!"

"Captain, everything is ready!"

"Good. We attack the village at dawn, tomorrow. It's time we lure the beast to his cage."

END

After the shutdown of Yggdrasil, I find myself in a strange new land with my guild mates, Phantom and Diabolos. It isn't long before we found ourselves embroiled in conflict, throwing ourselves into battle to defend a village from marauders. But what can we expect from this?

Next Time: The War Demon Descends