Chapter Text
Albedo could not wrap her head around it. Mouth agape, she mentally pinched herself.
Was this really happening?
One minute they had been listening to Lord Ainz’s charming voice, avidly discussing plans to gradually absorb the Baharuth Empire fully into the Sorcerer Kingdom, and the next they heard Shalltear whip her head around and gasp loudly.
How had this human reached the throne room? Did he sneak in?
While they had been absorbed in their conversation, bouncing ideas back-and-forth, it wasn't as if they were being purposefully careless. Far from it.
The Ariadne System forced them to create a direct path to the core of Nazarick, yes, but the guards should have stopped them. Literally thousands of creatures. It was the definition of overkill. Additionally, there were only a small handful of mortals powerful enough to go against a Death Knight and come out unscathed, especially in the New World.
In other words, there hadn't been anything to worry about. Until now.
But there was no time to dwell on the ‘how’. They needed to nip the issue in the bud, eviscerate it so that not even ashes remained.
Snapping back to reality, Albedo commanded the guardians:
“Ready your weapons—Protect Lord Ainz!”
As Ginnungagap transformed into a halberd, she gripped the handle with lethal intent. Whoever this insolent intruder was, she would see to it that they paid for their transgression. Dearly.
A mad grin tore across her lips. Slits for pupils retracted into pinpricks, floating dots in her golden eyes, flashing dangerously. Her hair seemed to gain sentience. Dark strands floated up into the air like snake tails.
How unlucky of this foolish invader to walk right into the throne room as Lord Ainz held an audience of six floor guardians, the head butler, and the guardian of the treasury. This was the lions’ den.
They didn't stand a chance.
Shalltear snarled, flexing her claws. She would not fail her lord again. This would be her chance at redemption.
Aura and Mare looked downright murderous. How dare they walk onto holy ground?
[ Piercing Icicles ]
Cocytus wasted no time. A barrage of icicles rained down on the invader. A cloud of steam rose up, hissing.
Demiurge snatched Victim and held him close to his chest, ready to crush the angel at the slightest provocation.
Victim closed his eyes, having made his peace—this was his entire reason for existing. Perishing for his master was the natural end to his otherwise short life.
The steam lifted, revealing an unharmed subject. Dark brown hair cast a shadow over his eyes. Orb in hand, he raised it to the sky, where it began to pulsate and glow.
Sensing danger, Pandora's Actor practically flew to his Creator, shifting into his likeness.
Light filled the Great Hall. A beam shot out directly at Lord Ainz.
Albedo gasped; while no attack could come close to causing the Supreme One any noticeable damage, she could not help but feel panicked at the suggestion that he could be harmed.
“Stop him!” she shouted.
“Already on it! Die!”
Shalltear pounced, mouth full of needle sharp teeth. Should her fangs sink into the intruder's supple flesh they would be sucked dry and turned into a husk within seconds.
[ Vine ]
Mare's wall of vines burst from the ground, cracking through the tiles and shooting to the ceiling where they spread and took root, forming a rudimentary curtain of foliage.
With a hearty crack, Aura swung her whip to loop around the invader’s ankle and drag him to the floor. She had it in mind to sling him around like a rag doll, perhaps splattering the floor with his guts for his impudence.
But it was too late. The attack would reach Lord Ainz.
It all happened in slow motion.
Seizing Lord Ainz, Albedo swung him out of the way with all her might. Lord Ainz was deftly caught by Sebas, who quickly ushered him to safety.
“Ah!”
Albedo let out a small yelp as she crashed headlong into Demiurge, who had also intended to move Lord Ainz out of harm's way. Unfortunately, he had taken a detour to grab Victim and was thus late.
His efforts went to waste as he dropped the poor angel. Victim let out a distressed squeak as he hit the ground and tumbled down the steps like a ragdoll.
Demiurge would have apologized profusely, but he was quite literally wrapped up at the moment. Albedo attempted to shove him away and perhaps berate him for his punctuality, but she could not utter a word. Her eyes were locked on what was quickly approaching.
The beam of light had them in their sights. Albedo and Demiurge would not be able to dodge the attack without first untangling themselves, and even then they would not be able to escape its range.
“Should the circumstances arise, I would have to choose the floor guardians over you…”
Remembering his Creator's words, Pandora’s Actor leapt in front of them, catching the beam that had pierced through Mare’s vines like a hot knife through butter with his body.
Although he had the right idea, it turned out to be a multitarget attack, rendering Pandora's Actor's sacrifice mostly in vain. Demiurge and Albedo were spared the initial contact, but not a moment later did the effects reach them.
Searing light enveloped the three of them, so bright that they had to squeeze their eyes shut or risk being blinded.
It was as if the Great Hall had been flung into a collapsing star. The radiance filled the room to its entirety and sapped the strength of those caught in its direct impact.
Albedo felt her body go limp. Her eyelids drooped. The world around her started to mix and churn like a watercolor painting.
This was it.
Albedo, knowing her beloved was safe, held no regrets.
Let darkness take her.
Albedo found herself in a strange place.
The tall ceiling and wide berth of the Great Hall had been replaced with a cramped room a quarter of the size of Lord Ainz’s walk-in closet.
Dark walls sported stains from what Albedo surmised was prolonged water damage. The ceiling was drooping in some places, and the wood floor was even worse for wear. The planks were rotten; one wrong step and they risked falling through.
Demiurge had the misfortune of sharing the confined space with her. His displeasure, as indicated by his twitching tail, was only outweighed by his curiosity.
He examined a strange metal box. It appeared to be linked via a series of cables to a chair. Cracked faux leather was frayed at the seams. A futuristic helmet rested on the worn seat.
Lord Ainz was nowhere to be found. They called and searched high and low, but he did not respond. The other guardians were also not present.
The issue of Lord Ainz’s safety was not at question. Even without the three of them, the rest of the servants, as well as the Pleiades, would be enough to tear the invader to shreds in the most painful fashion.
By all accounts, the invader appeared to be an ordinary human. It had been the orb that seemed to be the source of his power—and perhaps the method by which he slipped in undetected. Nevertheless, their inability to witness whatever followed their disappearance unnerved them.
Once the initial panic of their separation subsided, they settled into a state of confusion and cautious intrigue.
“Das ist seltsam…”
Pandora's Actor, who Albedo tried to ignore, made his presence known. He was in an even stranger predicament.
Inexplicably, he had taken the form of a man with dark brown hair, roughly in his thirties. How he had done so, even he was stumped by. He did not sense magic or stats above that of a normal, albeit malnourished human in this body.
Pandora's Actor stared into a filthy cracked mirror, turning his head at various angles.
“Hmm…most strange indeed…” he mused.
Albedo paced, her agitation growing by the minute. Demiurge lost interest in the metal contraption after a moment and joined her; the anxiety seemed to be infectious.
“What is it, Pandora's Actor?” Demiurge asked, tilting his head.
“I was wondering why Lord Ainz didn’t detect the invader.”
“You dare question the Supreme One's competence?” Albedo snarled, eyes flashing. Disparaging remarks about Lord Ainz had her up in arms, no matter how benign.
Demiurge put a hand up.
“Hold on, Albedo. He has a point. The invader made it all the way to the throne room undetected. Even when he attacked, Lord Ainz made no move, and appeared to sit on the throne dumbfounded.”
Albedo rounded on him. “Blasphemy! He is not dumb—”
“I said ‘appeared’. Naturally, Lord Ainz is far too cunning to not have realized the situation. No, it is more accurate to say that he predicted this outcome.”
Albedo blinked. “He knew all along? Lord Ainz purposefully hid the invader’s presence in order to test us?”
Demiurge’s growing grin prompted her train of thought to jump the rails. The gears in her head began to spin, faster and faster until she raced down an imaginary racetrack into undiscovered territory. Her imagination went into overdrive, and she began to form a mindmap. A testament to her creativity—or her ability to conjure up excuses when it suited her.
It clicked into place. So that's how it was! As expected of Lord Ainz!
She responded slowly, “He was counting on us to protect him. But then, why are we here?”
“I humbly theorize that this is the second phase of the test. It's just the tip of his magnificent plan.”
Albedo puffed out her chest. “Hah! We succeeded where the others failed. They ought to be ashamed.”
Pandora's Actor stroked his chin. “If the first test was to determine who would prioritize Lord Ainz and sacrifice themselves for his sake, what is the second test?”
Even Demiurge was stumped. “That I do not know. But if it is the Supreme One's design, we can rest assured that the purpose will reveal itself in due time.”
His response left them uneasy. If they couldn't discern Lord Ainz’s intentions, they'd disappoint him. He was no doubt counting on them to solve this riddle.
“Let us regroup,” Albedo announced. “It appears we have been brought to an unknown land. We must take caution. We do not know what hostiles we may encounter or whether we will even be able to defeat them.”
Pandora's Actor did not cease his ministrations in the mirror, tugging at the corners of his lips, which seemed to be in a perpetual downturn. He stretched them into an unfitting lopsided grin.
Though he appeared distracted, he was actually listening carefully. The others knew this and continued their discussion without pause.
“Shall we use the protocol we established when we were first transported into the New World?” asked Demiurge. “It would save time.”
Albedo nodded. “Pandora's Actor, focus on gathering intel. Demiurge and I will fortify defenses. For now, this place shall serve as our headquarters.”
This was a more challenging task than they initially assumed.
Their first effort had been to call upon [ Teleportation ] to whisk them back to the grassy plains outside the Great Tomb. However, they remained in place, their surroundings unchanged.
Frustrated, Albedo recklessly attempted [ Poison Mist ]. Frazzled himself, Demiurge managed to keep his wits about him and tried to hold her back, as the telltale snoring of slumbering neighbors were audible through the paper thin walls.
But Albedo had foreseen his intervention and weaseled out of grasp.
It would have been an issue if they drew attention and alerted every hostile party in the area to their location, but to Demiurge’s relief—and horror—nothing happened.
Hissing fumes did not fill the apartment with noxious gas. The wallpaper did not shrivel and blister.
In fact, there was a noticeable absence of any magical signature. Albedo simply looked as if she were putting her hand out to stop an unseen foe. Feeling rather silly, she stared down at her palms as if they had staged an uprising of their own volition and done her a disservice.
The three were puzzled, but it begged further experimentation, seeing as their chances of causing any noticeable impact on their surroundings were low.
Incantations such as [ Fireball ] and [ Summon: Dark Elemental ] also failed, but something like [ Wall of Jericho ] faced no issues.
While she could not use most of her magic, Albedo still had her trusty Ginnungagap, which continued to radiate its power undiminished. She willed it to transform into her signature halberd with ease, giving it a few swings. The blade sliced through the air with a woosh. A lamp was snapped in two with the slightest touch.
Magic items still functioned. Problem was, they hadn't been carrying anything else except for their given World Items before being transported. Additionally, relying on World Items was not sustainable or practical. They were meant to be used as a last line of defense, and since they were in unfamiliar territory, it was best to err on the side of caution and keep their cards close to their chests.
Pandora's Actor gripped a small mug and gave the barest squeeze. The porcelain burst like a balloon, shattering into a hundred pieces.
Testing wrapped up on a dour note. A large portion of their magic was inaccessible, as if sealed off. Everything else remained unchanged.
In other words, they were limited to brute strength and defensive capabilities.
Whatever the invader had done, it was effective. They could only hope and wait for the status effect to wear off. When that was, they hadn't a clue.
They settled on using a simple barrier. It would prevent any hostile forces below level sixty from detecting their presence. However, higher level entities would be able to breach it. They had also laid several magic traps as a secondary measure, intended to capture instead of kill. Information was key, after all.
Pandora's Actor rifled through his pockets and discovered an identification card.
Judging by the photo, Suzuki Satoru was the name of his current appearance. He looked every bit as downtrodden and miserable in his photo as he did in person. It didn't suit him, Pandora's Actor thought.
A sense of familiarity and warmth filled Pandora's Actor’s chest. Who was this man? Why did he feel such a connection with him? Why did he want him to be happy?
A pile of old mail revealed Suzuki Satoru had numerous outstanding bills. Many consisted of loans with high interest rates. Apparently he had neglected his emails, so his debtors sought to contact him via paper. Their efforts went to waste; the letters went unread.
A chime jolted them. The sound was quickly pinpointed as originating from Pandora's Actor's pocket.
Drawing a cellphone from his pocket, he stared at the flashing screen before swiping ‘Answer’.
There was a beat of silence before a voice began to yell. Loudly.
“Where are you?!”
Realizing it was a communication device, Pandora replied, “Hallo?”
Albedo and Demiurge listened closely. Who was this?
On the other end, a man screamed. His voice was scratchy, as if he spent most of his time several octaves above his normal tone.
“Your shift started two hours ago! You were scheduled to come in at five, not noon!”
Pandora's Actor read the mood and paused to think. “Apologies, sire. Could you inform me as to where exactly you would like me to report?”
“Huh? Have you lost it? Where do you think it is? That corporation, same as always! Are you playing games with me?”
Realizing he wouldn't get further by prodding, Pandora's Actor replied, "Understood, sir. I shall make my way there promptly.”
He hung up, a bemused smile playing on his lips. Albedo and Demiurge exchanged puzzled glances.
Was that Suzuki Satoru's superior? Colleague, perhaps?
The only way they would get any answers was by sending Pandora's Actor out.
The voice on the other end appeared to know Suzuki Satoru—perhaps they could shed some light on the situation.