《Overlord And the Blue Citadel》


 1 『Sanctified Tower of Hel』

    It was her time to do night patrol, as a squire, her training permitted it. With tiny steps, Neia with her short blonde hair and fierce eyes glared over the very top of the wall. Her eyes fixated upon the forests that went on for miles, cutting them off from the Slaine Theocracy. The road to Re-Estize was hardly defensible like their great wall.


    A faint smile curved over her lips, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Her eyes drifted to the equipment in which she carried for her superiors. She was not the Paladin she had originally wanted to be, but she was useful as she was now.


    Running a hand through her short blonde hair, her feral eyes nearly jumped at the sound of her mother''s voice. "Keep up!" Her mother called out, not even looking in her general direction as she did, Neia had been lagging behind.


    Hearing the order loud and clear, she couldn''t help but nod quickly and picked up the pace. There was no room for questioning her mother, nor her superiors. Though she did detest the leader of the Paladin Order, Remedios.


    The woman had the audacity to take on her position without ever having to be a Squire herself, simply thanks to her talents alone. It angered her so.


    With her white and blue tunic''s skirting following her hips, covered in black leather pants, as she moved along she smiled to herself. As she did, Neia could hear the jingling of the equipment she hauled over her shoulder and under her arm and the light fluttering of her cloak.


    For a moment her eyes lowered to her thigh-high boots, which were lightly armored on the flat top of her foot and along her shin. What changed, however, was a sudden shadow which arched over the entire wall ahead of her.


    Instinctively she froze in place, slowly lowering her raised foot to the ground. Her mother and fellow Paladin both did the same before turning their heads to see the disturbance.


    A fortress of menacing proportions shadowed over the land, capable of cutting a sun''s light in two. Mists and fog covered the grounds surrounding it in all directions, creeping along the exterior walls of the Holy Roble Kingdom.


    What had just happened, couldn''t even correlate in their minds. A massive fortress diagonally submerged in the ground, they couldn''t even see the bottom of the wall anymore.


    The structure was layered, what appeared to be the base was wider. What appeared to be a few more stories up, got smaller and at the very top was a pointed spire. There, however, were no windows. Not a single place for a spyglass or a scrying tool to take a gander through. There was one visible entrance, a towering archway that stood in ruin.


    Everyone on the wall was mystified, but after a few seconds of realizing nothing else was occurring, they began reacting by scurrying about along the wall.


    The warning bells began to ring in such vigor that panic was destined to ensue. The people of the City could be heard shouting and screaming, believing the worst was going to occur. They were to shut themselves away into the shelters, their homes, as the Paladins were going to deploy from their regional camp.


    Whether or not it was an invasion of some sort, it was clear they were now dealing with something or someone of another level. They needed to learn how this gigantic structure had gotten here, where it came from, who or what lived within it... No human known could''ve done this.


    Without another word, Neia knew to follow her mother, as the Paladins were assembling, to the courtyard of one of their many many churches closest to the wall.


    Forming rows, a number of higher-ranked Paladins were in the front, while she stood amongst the other squires behind their superior Knight.


    Her eyes narrowed on Gustav, the adjutant under the current Grandmaster. Her eyes traced over the light-greyish brown hair cut short and dapper, down to his middle-aged face. This man often defended her skill, despite the lack of it with that of a sword. He was good to her, so she forced a blatant smile which caused many of her colleagues to give a bit more space.


    She watched as he selected a number of skilled Paladins, ones she did and didn''t know by name. However, her mother was not amongst those selected to go and investigate.


    Seeing her smile, Gustav nearly stopped in his tracks with a jolt, before chuckling to himself. Those sharp eyes and almost creepily murderous looking smile seemed to steal away her charm. Despite that though, he walked over to her and held out a journal for her to take.


    She blinked lightly as she reached out and accepted it in her hands, her wrists enforced by leather bracers.


    With unquestionable charisma, he spoke encouragingly, "My young friend, it is imperative that you record the findings within this... Abberation. By all means, it must be returned, for we must know what we face. Do you accept this burden?"


    Her lips parted slightly as her smile faltered, a stern expression took her face as she nodded lightly to this task. "Yes, Gustav-dono. I will accept this with honor, and swear to return with it intact." It was an honor to deviate from her current responsibilities to be thrown into the excitement of a possible battle!


    Neia''s gaze drifted to her mother, finding eyes of approval as she had accepted this task dutifully.


    For the next couple of hours, other Paladin groups were sent out to investigate the exterior, search for enemies outside. There was nothing, no visible defenses. The grass was frozen and crunched under their feet.


    It was eerily quiet, they couldn''t even hear the bells ringing along the walls as they moved about in the frosty mists that didn''t belong. Being in the mist felt as if they were exploring a winter wasteland, one could quite easily claim that it is not something they''d ever experienced before.


    However, it felt as if they were being watched.


    Every so often they saw blue eyes peering through the mist from the corner of their eyes, but as quickly as they turned to see it, those eyes had vanished.


    Having secured the area around the tower, they rested until morning, she could hardly sleep.


    When it came time to disembark for the tower''s interior, Neia walked slowly behind her superior Holy Knights of the Paladin Order. The book in one hand and a writing utensil in another. She could feel the unknown eyes upon her and on all of the others as well. It gave her a slight shiver upon her spine, one that caused goosebumps to take shape under her attire, almost making her want to pull her cloak closer to herself.


    "What is this feeling...?" She uttered under her breath, whispering to herself, noticing how her breath then appeared before her in the frost. With her heart rate rising, she quickened her pace after her compatriots.


    It took them nearly fifteen minutes to reach the gaping mouth of the archway. Having gotten a closer look, the Paladin all looked on in awe. The walls were inscribed with glowing ancient-looking runic illustrations, telling the tale of the Underworld, this alone inspired fear in them.


    Neia watched as many of their faces paled, but they didn''t stop their advance. She followed them with the book given to her in hand, she began etching out quick rundowns of the illustrations as she moved along.


    To her, all of these were fascinating as if they answered questions about the afterlife and what was to come soon after death. This place though it gave death a place, it didn''t quite feel real...


    As they wandered down the long corridor, it felt like they were walking for miles, even hours. She had filled several of the pages with etchings of illustrations and notes of her observations. It was as if the inside of this massive tower, was even larger on the inside than it was on the out.


    As that idea became realized in all of their minds it felt very, very, unsettling.


    "How long does this tunnel go...?" One of them questioned in frustration.


    "Keep yourself tempered, Paladin. If we cannot remain calm, we cannot vanquish the possible evil that roams these halls." One of the men said with a very stern and harsh tone as if he was hushing him into silence with a hiss through his teeth.


    Neia''s eyes danced over each of the older men within the group and a couple of the women. They all had their weapons drawn. She could see easily that some of them were more than willing to break rank and retreat at the first sign of danger.


    It wasn''t something she was used to, not at all, seeing all of these heavily trained Holy Knights being such cowards before the unknown ahead of them.


    That was when they spotted the light, it was the end of the tunnel.


    Strange, Neia thought, as she swore she could hear a waterfall and the tweeting of birds.


    As they exited the mouth of the corridor, they found themselves staring out to a thickly forested area. They were dumbfounded, seeing such a massive biome and even an unfamiliar sky up above.


    Looking forward to the trees, there appeared to have a passageway carved through it, the grounds were coated in heavy mist.


    "What in the hell is thi--" One of the Paladins stopped talking as if they had choked on their tongue, before stepping back slightly seeing a tall figure almost eight feet tall. An aura nearly made the man fall backward screaming, before doubling back, pushing the other paladins out of his way.


    Neia blinked several times at the display, she had never thought someone of such caliber would just up and run away like a child. How were they going to protect the Kingdom if they couldn''t stand their ground here?


    Standing by the entrance of what appeared to be a labyrinth of some kind, was the figure that caused the Paladin to go into mass hysteria and flee. It was dressed in black half-plate armor with a silver muster, partially covered and skirted by dark blue robes with a silver lining. A white-furred dark blue cloak also decorated the man''s shoulders, as it was tattered on the end and seemingly moving without wind. Looking to his armored boots, it could be seen that he wore baggy trousers skirted by black armor plating, with the layered robing hanging from beneath the plates.


    She was almost instantly enamored by the holy aura that she felt from it, but after a few seconds, she felt the very same horror as the previous man. Her attention was suddenly taken by the charging of her fellow Paladins. Despite the fear, they moved forward with their weapons at the ready. It was like seeing beastmen mindlessly being lured in to be slaughtered like pigs!


    Neia''s legs, however, didn''t budge, she couldn''t turn to run and she couldn''t look away. She was frozen stiff watching as two of the Paladins charged the man as if they were being drawn in by death itself. "Wha..."


    In utter amazement and genuine horror, her eyes locked with the man''s. His left eye held a color like a burning ember to a flame and the other ice blue like a winter lake, with the pupils of a wolf. A nearly impossible to discern, callous, expression on his face.


    "Who are you...?" His strong aristocratic tone was the only thing that echoed her in-ears over the clashing of his gauntlet as he broke a holy blade with his hand, sending them all stumbling back.


    At first, he didn''t try to kill them, but his transformation had already begun. The sickening sound of muscles expanding, bones snapping and moving about beneath. His face hardly contorted with pain as it merely twitched with mere annoyance as a green light momentary covered him.


    She dared not look, closing her eyes as the dreadful sight began.


    Within the next few seconds, a wolf on all fours and twice the size of a standard horse stood before them. With a low snarl, it let out an all-deafening and painful howl that shook the earth beneath their feet.


    It was no normal wolf!


    As if woken by the sound of imminent death itself, Neia stumbled over her own feet as she twisted around on her heel to run away. She only made it a few feet before she felt a full plate boot, pick up her leg from behind and suddenly shoved backward.


    "Your noble sacrifice to save our lives won''t be in vain Criminal Eyes!" The culprit called out as they continued on running after snagging the book from her grasp.


    First, she saw the fake sky above, it was a greyish-blue and lifeless, which she couldn''t defer from a real one. Following the next few seconds, she felt the back of her head smack hard into the cold ground beneath her, causing her to briefly blackout from the intense throbbing pain the shot through her senses.


    When she opened them, however, only to see a massive shadow passing overhead leaving a trail smoky black mist seeping from its backside. Her eyes widened as she watched the creature chase after her colleagues till they reached the mouth of the corridor.


    Then, as she was pushing herself up on her elbows, it stopped and turned its head to the side. She could see sharp white fangs glistening in the daylight. Suddenly, the aura the monster emitted before which caused such panic vanished without a trace. Still fear had already settled into her heart and she scooted back, her cloak popping off from around her neck as she did so.


    Just as Neia was about to scurry unto her feet, its voice snarled out, "Halt!"


    That was when she found herself unable to move again, stuck in a vulnerable position, but this time the sensation was different. It was as if she was being held in place as her back was to the monster.


    Her lips quivered, she didn''t want to die, with great effort she hesitantly turned her head.


    In the coming seconds, she watched as he returned to his original size and shape. His armor had returned, having strangely vanished during his transformation.


    He had short stylish salt and pepper hair with greyish-silver hair on the sides and black on top, along with a Vandyke beard on his chin and under his nose. From a glance, he appeared as a nobleman, a warrior, and a mage with heavy holy aura about him.


    "Who... Who are you...?" Fearful for her life, these were the only words she could muster.


    Though he held a callous expression, he was curious about her. But what was most notable was that he was also curious about what seemed to be his surroundings.


    He knew where he was, but seemed entirely confused about why he wasn''t seeing his HUB. The transformation had felt almost instinctual to him. His eyes wandered her up and down.


    Neia swore she could hear him muttering about there being no clock or hot bar of any kind. She had no idea what he was mumbling about to himself.


    "Jakku Gurahamu... And you lady...?" His voice as harsh as his eyes were as they finally narrowed on her face. This beast was looking into her eyes as if they were windows to her soul. That was when he cast a spell, one that she did not necessarily recognize.


    ��Discern Enemy��


    Still, she couldn''t even move a single member of her major muscle groups, let alone her big toe. "N-Neia..." The young squire hardly made out her own name.


    When he had cast that spell, he had become just a bit more confused. Rather than seeing a screen with information, it just flooded into his mind. This girl, she was weaker than any player that would dare enter the largest base on Niflheim.


    "Hah! What is the meaning of this?" Going from harsh to almost seeing her as pathetic, he reached forward and pinched her cheek, lightly stretching it enough to reveal her teeth.


    A faint, though forced, a smile formed over her lips as she raised both her brows. Was... Was he going to spare her? Let her return to the Roble Kingdom alive? No, his eyes of heterochomia traced over her face, before he lightly ran a hand through her hair.


    Based on his tone, she expected a smile to be stretched legions across his lips, but instead, there was a distinctive morose frown conquering them. This frown was that of one that couldn''t be mistaken for anything else other than someone who was lost and empty.


    There was no excitement from the brief chase of the Paladins, not a single hint in his eyes.


    "Where did you come from...?"


    "I uh... I come from... The Holy Roble Kingdom..." Neia managed to squeak aloud though softly, able to clearly move her mouth without regard to what held her in place.


    "... I''ve... Never heard of it." Jakku stared at her confounded, he could hear her heartbeat, smell her pheromones and very much so even here fear. "Wherever you came from, no matter who you''re affiliated with, you are now my prisoner. You will tell me everything you know... And until then, you are stuck in that pitiful position."


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    It was clear she was going to be stuck here for a while, but how much did she really know?


    Neia was but a squire, she was no Paladin and she wasn''t a Knight. Her only talent laid in that of a ranger, but even then, she was no master of the arts she was blessed with. So what exactly was everything? What did he find interesting, important? She gulped as he brought his face close to hers as he lowered his towering self to match her height, imposing his shadow upon her.


    The only thing on her mind? There was no escape from him, her only thought was that she was going to die here, alone, by his bloody hands... She was coming close to fainting from the assumption entirely, knowing she would die on her feet either way.

 2 『A Guild Apart』

    Mere hours ago, Jakku had been standing at the entrance of the Labyrinth on the First Floor of Hel''s Citadel, the Guild Base that sat enthroned in the center of the World known as Niflheim.


    This base originally contained 3000 levels of NPC Data Storage, capable of being expanded through the purchase of premium items from the in-game shop. It stuck out diagonally from the surface of a massive arctic wasteland, covered in snow and ice, surrounded by legions of frozen blue zombie-like undead unique to the World of Niflheim.


    Unlike many other iterations of Zombies, these creatures had higher intelligence levels, greater strength and a variety of skills that allowed them capable of using weapons.


    The base itself had a higher difficulty level than the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Two guilds, his own Blue Citadel, and another fairly smaller guild fought over this base. Their fighting eventually entered the base itself, forcing them not only to fight one another but also a powerful boss.


    Ultimately the opposing Guild was eliminated within the next fifteen minutes of entering the first floor. Continuing on through the interior of the Dungeon, his guild charged through with him in the lead. Using his World Champion and World Disaster Classes to give them an edge, capable of solo fighting a number of the first bosses on the lower floors.


    He had known teamwork, he had learned how to be better at fighting monsters and players, all because of his previous affiliation with another guild.


    Ainz Ooal Gown was founded by a group of friends and lead by a later co-worker. As the son of a prominent Corporation Chairman, Ainz Ooal Gown had been the place he called family for about five years starting near the end of his expensive high school education. A couple of years later when he finally turned eighteen years old, he gained a management position, overlooking Suzuki Satoru''s workplace.


    Not long after that, he met the love of his life in person, Bukubukuchagama, also known as Kazeumi Kumi through her personal agent.


    Kumi was a voice actress who often voices loli characters and was the older sister of Peroroncino. He bought all of the media she was involved in, including posters that featured her characters and various other limited collector''s items. At one point he even used a three-dimensional printer to print out a scale model of herself to put on his nightstand.


    Sometimes he felt he was a little too obsessed with her work, in everything she did. The two of them got along well and they began going out outside of the game.


    Whenever they weren''t working or playing YGGDRASIL, that was when they were together. With his funds, he was even able to put together a secondary DMMO suite for her to use whenever she came over, so they could play together.


    As Suzuki''s supervisor, they often talked about the game, even though they couldn''t talk about the real world inside of it. It was a great way not only to pass the time but to stay interested in work. Though that didn''t necessarily stop them from feeling overworked by the end of the day.


    Either way, it moved much faster to be working with a friend, allowing him to get through the day with relative calm. On the outside, he had always seemed mature, sometimes callous, despite his apparent age in the workplace.


    Unlike Suzuki however, he was not paid by Salary, but rather hourly due to being a relatively high skilled worker with a higher educational level than most others employed in the same office.


    His happiness came to an end, unfortunately, four years before the end of YGGDRASIL. His personal terminal was hacked by an activist who wanted to target his father and family. Thanks to this a scandal ruined everything.


    Nude images of his girlfriend, a voice actress, leaked out onto the web. Images that he was supposed to delete after receiving them, images that never should''ve been on a networked interface. Kazeumi lost all trust in him, publically humiliated, she ended it with him which utterly destroyed him. For him, his life ended in both worlds in which he adored despite how bleak one was compared to the other.


    The Vigor that kept him going, motivated to do just about anything in the game, was drained. He drowned himself in his work and eventually stopped signing into YGGDRASIL for a month. It felt nearly impossible for him to move on from a relationship that spanned a number of years.


    Immediately after returning he unexpectantly left Ainz Ooal Gown, unable to remain in the same guild as his ex. He founded a new guild within the same week, formed from a number of other high tier heteromorphic players he poached or recruited while they were without a guild.


    As he had drowned his life in work, he changed routes and drowned himself within the game. Not only did he acquire World Champion from the official tournament of Niflheim, but also the World Disaster due to his class duality.


    His continued contributions to his guild continued to grow, and grow. Even after obtaining the Citadel, he created the Floor Guardians with the help of his most elite five members. Wasting money, he also did what the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown chose to do, and used purchased gacha items in large numbers.


    Raids against his guild began, but none of them were able to get passed the fourth floor. It was still at a higher difficulty than the Great Tomb of Nazarick, if not even higher than before.


    Whenever members were online, they would often join the NPCs in the fights against the enemy invaders. Even he joined them in PvP, which often caused complaints due to his having both World Disaster and World Champion Classes.


    It wasn''t hard for him to fight, having learned from his old friends, he single-incidentally turned his own guild into one of the rivals to that of Ainz Ooal Gown. Yet even then, he felt empty. There had been so much to consume, to build upon, and yet... His motivation began to slip.


    A year before the end of the game began to end, members of his Guild began to leave. Most of them giving him their gear and personal items as a sign of resignation and respect.


    He simply stored them away in the Citadel''s treasury, he didn''t care as much as he did when he was once part of ''something'' bigger than just a Guild.


    Without Ainz Ooal Gown, he had very little to talk about with his friend at work. Things began to slow down, and as the last day of YGGDRASIL was coming about... He received a message of Reconciliation from Kumi and for a brief moment, he thought he had regained everything, everything that he had lost.


    Then before he knew it, as he engrained this new memory into his mind, everything disappeared as the server clock reached 0:00:00. The HUB was gone, the hot bar was gone, but he was too mentally occupied with what had transpired moments before.


    Now, he was standing in front of a small girl with fierce dark blue eyes and short blonde hair. She was petite and clearly afraid. It was something he wasn''t used to seeing as the game itself didn''t show emotional expressions on the faces of Players or even the NPCs.


    He had just declared she was his prisoner, and that he wasn''t going to release her from paralysis.


    What in the world was he doing? He kept a stern and cold expression, his eyes exploring her face for a brief moment before out of nowhere, he plucked her right off her feet.


    Like a cardboard cutout, Jakku tucked her under his arm after clipping her cloak back into place. He didn''t hesitate to begin walking in the direction of the entrance to the Labyrinth, curved trunks and branches forming an archway ahead of them. He could hear her rate of breathing increase, along with heart rate. He liked its sound, despite the fact that it screamed out how scared she was that he was going to tear her to bits.


    Jakku pursed his lips as he didn''t seem at all slowed by her weight. Not only was she short, but she was also rather portable, in a way... Fun-sized. "Your name is Neia, yes?" While his tone was polite, it never lost the sternness or the blatant cold feeling to it.


    Hearing him asking for a confirmation on her name, she gulped and nodded. "Y-Yes," she didn''t like being manhandled, but she really wanted out of this position.


    If he took her too far into wherever this was, she was sure she''d be trapped or even eaten alive.


    "Where are you from, in the Holy Roble Kingdom?" He''d ask with a plain and dry tone, it hardly sounded like an interrogation, but he was sure the answers would come to him either way.


    "Hoburns, the Holy Capital," she kept her words short and to the point. She didn''t necessarily want to give too much information, but she wasn''t going to lie either. A member of the Paladin Order had sacrificed her to this... Creature, whatever he was, a being who could paralyze her without killing her or stopping her breathing.


    "Still never heard of it," Jakku clacked his teeth together in slight annoyance to this fact. He had no idea what was going on outside of his place, nor who was outside, let alone where he was.


    These people didn''t look like natives from the world in which his base was settled. They also didn''t seem to be like any sort of character he had seen before. Especially with the whole emotional spectrum, tied to the new senses he was getting.


    There was no way in hell he was capable of feeling this girl''s tunic in the game, but he was. He was even tempted to feel more, but the idea of hearing Buku''s voice again stopped him.


    "Who is the leader of your Kingdom?"


    "The Holy Queen, Calca Bessarez," she stared up at him warily, though to him it looked like she was just glaring daggers at him with those fierce eyes of hers.


    Shaking his head lightly hearing her words, he once more had no idea who she was talking about. He had never heard of a Guild Leader with that name, or anything similar to it. "Calca? Like Calculus? What kinda name is that...?"


    Clenching her jaw the best she could, she gave him a once over as that is all she could do, "You would insult the Holy Queen? Have you no Sanctity? You are a holy man, are you not?"


    Coming to a stop as they entered a forked path, his gaze matched hers for a few seconds before looking to the greyish-blue lifeless sky above. "A holy man? Just because I am a Battle Priest, does not make me a Holy Man."


    After a brief moment, what looked like a woman clad in red armor could be seen flying overhead with a pair of draconic wings sprouting out from her back.


    Neia held her breath, never having seen such a sight, though she had heard of the humanoid Dragon Queen of the Dragon Kingdom who could cast Wild Magic.


    Could this person up above them be the same? Though they weren''t, there was no way of her knowing. She simply waited until the being passed.


    A Dragonoid and much like the man who held her gave off a Holy Aura of sorts. She had enthralling crimson hair with shined lustrously, accompanied by dashing deep blue sapphire eyes. The woman even had fair skin and light freckles that weren''t even visible from a distance.


    They however just continued to pass overhead, a number of high dragons following her above the treetops. It was as if they were patrolling the general area, but mostly the forest itself.


    Once the redhead was out of sight, he looked forward again, and went marching on down the right pathway. That was of course after looking down at Neia as she let her held breath swiftly escape from her mouth with a gasp for air.


    "That''s not healthy, you know."


    Blinking up at him, Neia wasn''t expecting health advice.


    Her eyes began to travel, about the direction her face was stuck looking in. The trees were rather uniform, though some of them had faces carved into them while others didn''t. There were even some pumpkins that had faces and candles inside of them randomly sewn along with the oversized roots.


    They were unlike any trees she had seen before, especially the ones with faces, as it reminded her of treants written about in books. "Beast! Where are you taking me?"


    "Silence girl, before I bite out your tongue," Jakku looked down at her again as he continued walking, both of them hearing the trees shift about behind them. The maze was capable of changing itself, like mixing up a puzzle.


    Now afraid of him once more, she even started to believe they were indeed treants that surrounded them now due to the sound of movement. If she listened to his words, she wouldn''t lose her tongue... That was what he was leading her to believe, yet his hands remained gentle.


    After about thirty minutes to an hour of being carried, she could feel her legs and arms becoming free. Except, she didn''t want to move in fear that he would cut her down before she had the chance to escape.


    Then suddenly she found that they were now standing in a different biome all together. Behind them was the forest, but in front of them looked like a desert wasteland with massive sandstone walls leading into another maze of sorts.


    The smell of toxic tar and sulfur farts reached their senses, immediately causing her to squirm within his arm. This definitely alerted him that she was capable of movement, but he had already known the cooldown of the spell he used.


    "Can I put you down without you running away?" She was trapped, there was no getting away. However, he wanted to make sure she wasn''t going to kill herself by trying in the first place.


    "You have me cornered Jakku-dono... With all my might, I would likely die before I can return to my homeland, wherever that may be... This place, was that archway, a gate to another realm?"


    "Welcome to Hel''s Citadel," snorted Jakku as a reply to her question which immediately caused her to pale. She definitely didn''t get the reference, which made it all the more hilarious in his eyes.


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    "H-hell!?" She was shaking under his arm before he dropped her to the dirty sand-covered dirt between the seams of the two biomes. She had landed on her shins and forearms, before pushing herself up to stand on her knees. Those sharp eyes of hers looking over the new landscape in a mix of utter terror and awe.


    From where they stood now though, they could see a singular tower reaching up to the skies above. and abruptly vanishing as if the sky was really a ceiling.


    "Not the Hell you''re thinking about," he placed a hand her head of blonde locks, giving her pats.


    Still shaken, she looked up at him with widened eyes, "What is this place then? Don''t lie to me!"


    "It is a place that I built," the man retorted with a sneer as he lightly gave her head a shove, but not enough to send her to the ground. Like a weighted punching bag, she swayed back into place without bothering to break eye contact now as she kept them wide open. "A place you, the betrayed, now have the honor of seeing... But may end up never leaving."


    "What are you... Some kind of God?" The idea of never leaving this place, made her want to shrink away. Her mother, her father, she wanted to see them again. They were her everything, her world, her aspirations. "Or some sort of demon wolf?"


    "Hehe... I say, You''re not too wet behind the ears, for a human." A small grin formed over his lips hearing her words. She had called him a god for having created such a scenery and the things within it. "I am the Divine God of Wolves and Shadows, and you my dear are my prey. What will I do with you?"


    Hearing him speak of her as his prey, she immediately sprung to her feet, her hand moving to her sword only to pause. The squire could clearly recall how he destroyed a holy sword with his bare hands, he was not susceptible to her weapon.


    Her hands fell to her sides, her eyes gazing to the sand, imagining her carcass sewn across it. "Nothing, I am not capable of fighting for my freedom, or outrunning a beast as fast as a god." Her eyes narrowed upon him now with a sense of true fierce integrity, "What will you do with me?"


    "I do believe I''m in need of a Squire," his head pitched down towards her tiny form, "You who have been betrayed by your fellow Paladin, your overseers, will you assist me?"


    A self-proclaimed God had asked her to assist him, asking for her to be his squire. This was a chance to escape, but at the same time, it gave her a chance to really prove herself. She stared up at the man-beast who had chased off the other Holy Knights.


    "Only if you answer me this, as the being who created this place... What is your true name... God of Shadows?" Though skeptical of the claim, this realm in which she could see was stretching on toward the horizon and he had made it.


    "Fenrir, I am Fenrir..." He adopted the name of a famed Wolf from Norse Mythology who was ultimately the child of the god Loki and giantess Angrboda.

 3 『Fenrir the Divine One』

    With a callous, otherwise blank, expression he turned his gaze away from her.


    Neia blinked a few times having heard of his proclamation. His true name was Fenrir? It didn''t really ring any bells to her, but she could only assume that it held divinity behind it. Her eyes traced over towards the false sky above.


    It was hard to believe this place was created, but there was no other explanation for a place that looked bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. The sky had begun to change, like a day and night cycle.


    She could tell it was much quicker than the actual time outside, she knew that for sure. She stroked her chin with her fingers, seeing how lively the place was becoming a night befell the strange realm.


    A set of blood-curdling howls could be heard from every direction, even behind them. It was just like the one he had released earlier, but in many more numbers, overlapping with one another.


    It nearly sent a chill down her spine. Were they his brood? Or were they his pack? Had he created them too? Her eyes set on the man who had captured her, paralyzed her and even threatened her with death. Yet, he had only walked with her under his arm like she was a piece of lumber.


    She didn''t know to be amazed or to be insulted, but all the same, his Godly touch had graced her. How many humans did one know, who had been touched by such a being?


    Had she been the first human to ever come in contact with such a thing? One day, she had achieved so much more than she had ever done in the Paladin Order. Even though technically she had never left them as she was but a Squire.


    "As your Squire..." She began speaking as she gestured a hand towards him, immediately taking his attention as her voice reached him. Neia was surprised by his attentiveness, but all the same, he was no longer smiling like he had been when talking moments ago. He still seemed lost to her.


    "Yes?" The eight-foot-tall self-proclaimed God shifted his entire body to face her alone. His two-toned eyes, ashen blue and firey ember hues, animately rested upon her face in a mild glare.


    Oddly enough, their glares seemed to match as it was part of her habit to the same. Though his eyes were not as murderous or villainess hers, they were beautiful to look at, even captivating. It was as if she was staring into the eyes of a hungry beast, a confidant predator, a wolf staring back at a humble sheep.


    "What do you expect of me, Fenrir-sama? You are a God, I am but a mere human being compared to your divinity... You even spared my life, despite my trespass into your magnificent home." Neia used his true name, or at least the one he had given her. She knew of four gods, or six if she counted that of the Slane Theocracy. If this was going to be another addition to the pantheons, she would be his devote follower as he was a living God unlike all the rest, Neia could be his Paladin.


    The First Paladin to follow the God of Wolves and Shadows, God made Flesh.


    "I expect you to serve me and entertain my whims, there is much you haven''t seen here, girl." The imposing figure didn''t take her eyes off of her, and yet it felt so empowering.


    That was until the words that he shared rang in the back of her head, "M-More? There''s more!?" She raised her voice slightly, somewhat horrified at the realization that there was more than just this plane of existence within the tower she had entered.


    Her gaze moved towards the ''tower within a tower'' and was mystified. More Floors like this one? How different were they going to be? Was she going to explore them...? The excitement of adventure reverberated against her ribs from the very depths of her heart.


    "Excluding this floor from the full count, there are ten others, all of which have traps waiting for intruders..." His eyes drifted away from her and moved back towards the sandstone Labyrinth. "If those Paladins of your Order went further in, they would have surely perished."


    "They left me for dead," letting her eyes fall to the dusty ground at her feet, eying the sand and the dirt as it overlapped one another. "Tripped me in order to survive, took my task away from me." Her fingers balled into fists, their nails digging into her palms lightly.


    "And you will be avenged," his eyes left the sandstone structure and went to her sword which was sheathed at her hip in a plain scabbard. "First, I must see what you can do, where your talent lie. Only then will I know how to use you, what to take from you and what to give."


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    "What to take from...?" What was there to take from her that she already hadn''t lost? She never had anyone''s respect. Her eyes had cursed her since birth, and her mother beat her when she complained about it, as it was something she inherited from her father.


    Nonetheless, she looked up to her mother, and even more so to her father who was part of the most elite group within the Paladin Order. Again, she thought, what was there he could take?


    What would he take?


    Hesitantly her hand trailed along with the knob to the hilt of her sword, before grasping onto it. Drawing the weapon from its sheath, she clasped her other hand beneath the other. Moving into an offensive stance.


    "Do not hesitate, your weapon is harmless towards me. Now, steel yourself, strike me." What he was about to see next, he didn''t expect, she swung at him with the intent to strike just as she was ordered and yet... The use of her sword was informal, low aptitude. Catching the tip of the blade between two fingers, his gaze remained down at her. "Are you able to pull it from my grasp?"


    Neia gave the weapon two distinctive tugs, using all her weight to do so. They didn''t move. She wiggled at the hilt, twisted at it. It was as if the weapon had impaled itself inside that of a rock, it wouldn''t budge aside from the natural flexibility that kept it from breaking. She couldn''t even raise or lower the hilt, let alone slip it out from between his fingers.


    "N-no..." Was the only answer she could give before he yanked the weapon from her hands, putting her almost in complete disbelief as she stumbled forward. A second later his hand steadied her and she centered her gaze on his face as he proceeded to toss the weapon over his shoulder as if it were a piece of trash.


    It wasn''t even sharp enough to penetrate the ground as it landed and immediately fell flat.


    "That is what I will take away, it''s useless to you. Your form, sloppy. Training without the latent capacity for such a tool doesn''t suit you," Fenrir shook his head as he remained cool-headed.


    A frown decorated her fragile-looking lips, her feral gaze once more falling to the side. "People have scolded me and told me I ought to focus more on training up my sword skills," she shook her head as she seemed utterly disappointed with herself. "Though I am better with a bow, I can hardly call myself an Archer."


    "I am well versed in three types of combat. If you find your talent at something, you focus on that. Sometimes, you will never grasp the full meaning behind a skill and sometimes, it comes naturally."


    Neia blinked at what appeared to be advice that contradicted those of others, rather than looking down on archery, he was pointing her towards her.


    "Sword and Shield, they are not what makes a Paladin incredible, let alone a Holy Knight. If your skills are not pliable, you will fall in battle."


    "Are you saying, Fenrir-sama... I should focus on Archery and ignore swordplay?" She didn''t quite understand why he said she should go towards what she finds herself innately good at, while others had scolded her for such things or even looked down upon her.


    "Tell me, Neia, what makes a Paladin? Their Vow, or their sword?" His turn of phrase was almost philosophical and something that may be asked by many who did not understand a Paladin.


    "My father always said that a Paladin is a person who expresses their belief in Justice through their Actions. A Sword does not define its Paladin, for a Paladin should rush into battle with just their fists for what they believe in," Neia wanted to sound just as worldly as he. Though when she shared this little bit of information about her father, she began to wonder if her mother beating her was actually justified punishment for her complaints of her father.


    Chuckling lightly at her tone of speech, "Interesting," he reached out and pat her on the head. This patting turned into ruffling, more so enjoying the action himself, as she had answered the question far better than he expected. Her description reminded him of a friend, Touch Me, from the Guild of Ainz Ooal Gown when he was once part of their virtual family.


    A sad look danced on his face as he continued to feel her hair beneath his hand. It was soft, perhaps she had washed it, or it was always that way. "Correct... One''s Actions define them."


    Neia was never used to someone touching her head, especially for this long. Eventually, she just let her head lull side to side with his hand, giving a slight smile due to the praise.


    Fenrir then paused for a brief moment before withdrawing his hand, letting it fall down to his side. For a brief instant, their eyes locked liked they have done prior, though this time she wasn''t afraid.


    The admiration for a God, a creator of such a place of where she stood, was beaming up at him. At the same time, however, her eyes still managed to glare right at him due to her inherited ferocity from her father.


    When he broke eye contact and began reaching into his item box, Neia blinked. Was that some sort of magic he was using? He wasn''t hiding it from her, it was almost as if it was some sort of treat. Within a split second, he withdrew his hand and revealed a small ring before holding it out towards her.


    "What... What is that?" Neia flushed in the face at the thoughts that immediately came to mind. She didn''t understand why he was holding out a silver ring with a blue gem embedded upon it.


    "It''s a magic item called the Ring of Sustenance, it''ll allow you to remain awake for days without being affected by the lack of sleep, food or water. You might want to try it on, girl, it''ll match your tunic," Huffed Fenrir with a raise of his brow, he sounded callous and stern again, even after being proud of her for answering the question correctly. Despite how cool was being though, Fenrir didn''t sound bitter at all.


    Short of timid, she slowly reached out and took the ring into her hand as it was given to her. She stared at the item for a few seconds, before turning her gaze to him.


    He was giving her such an item? Wouldn''t it be super expensive, an asset worth keeping?


    Neia''s eyes wrestled with the reflection of stars from above that caused the ring to glow briefly before she slipped it over her ring finger of her right hand. Almost immediately she felt as if her hunger, exhaustion, and thirst had been stilled completely.


    The ring was real! In the fact that it worked, her eyes widened at the effects which she had never felt before. It as truly a magic ring. It was as if this ring was a sign, to her, that she was truly accepted in his eyes.


    An instant had gone by when she heard him pull something else out of what appeared to be nothingness, his item box. She could only stare at a weapon which he held out to her, a bow.


    Not only was it a bow, but it didn''t have a string. Its design was sleek, gilded in shimmering gold with Celtic designs etched into its exterior and after a few seconds of staring at it... She swore she saw little vibrant arching tendrils of holy light flickering about as if it was reaching out to her.


    Just like the ring, the bow was imbued with some sort of magic power.


    To Fenrir, this weapon was nothing but a mere low-data magic bow, but judging by her level in which he had discerned, it would be more useful to herself.


    "Fenrir-sama?" She looked up to him as the weapon folded into in two as if to be sheathed within her scabbard before he nudged it out towards her direction. "What kind of weapon is this?"


    Even before he answered, she accepted the weapon in both hands and stared at its craftmanship.


    "That bow will replace your sword, use it to express your belief in Justice, for it will aid you in becoming stronger in both your defense an the defense of others." Though he had no idea what her sense of Justice was, he still encouraged her, in order to enable a change.


    Shifting the item into one hand, the bow folded outward again, revealing its sleek Celtic form. Her eyes widened as when she reached her other hand forward, she could feel the magic power building up in the weapon. As she grasped at the air with her fingers, she pulled her hand back as if she were notching an arrow.


    A beam emitted from one end of the bow to the other, an arrow forming strongly as she continued to pull. As she was turned in his direction, so was the bow. Fenrir reached over with two fingers and lightly guided her weapon away from facing him.


    "Don''t pull it too far back," he warned as he could see the reflection of the glowing arrow in her eyes. She was fascinated, taken in by the sight alone.


    She could feel the power running through her and into the bow and from the bow and into her. It was as if this very weapon he had gifted her along with the ring, was connected to her, recognizing her as its host. Lowering the bow, she eased the arrow as the magical energy then dissipated. Neia could only stare at the weapon as she now held it to her side, this was a treasure, one that she never wanted to throw away or allow anyone else to get their hands on.


    Her attention immediately snapped to him, her cloak shifting in the wind as she turned so swiftly. "Fenrir-sama! I, a mere commoner, cannot express my gratitude... But isn''t this too much?" An aura of determination had appeared to surround her as she then dropped to one knee. "Divine One, how do you value me this much...? I''ve invaded your home... I... Why do you spoil me?"


    That was when he gave a smile, whether it was going to stay on his face though was another question, "You are the only one who knows my name. It is only right for you to be rightfully equipped to spread it."


    "I..." Neia didn''t know what to say, she couldn''t with a God. He saw value in her in which many didn''t see in her. They saw her as creepy, weird or strange, maybe even talentless and weak. "In the name of Justice, I will be the one who spreads your name. I will become stronger under you, your enemies will be mine, and should I stray from this taken path may my God strike me."


    It was an Oath, one that completely caught Fenrir off guard, lips parted and his eyes a quite a bit wider than before. Despite all the roleplaying on YGGDRASIL, nothing at all up until now felt real.


    An Oath of Fealty, so formal and direct. She gave him permission to strike her should she stray from the path in which she had just chosen.


    After a brief staring contest between the two and a feeling of awkwardness filling her chest, he finally spoke aloud, a subtle smile visible upon his lips. "Rise, my Squire," Fenrir proclaimed with a kind gentle gesture of his hand for her to bring herself to her feet.


    Without question, Neia rose as she was ordered to, sheathing the weapon away into her scabbard. It fit almost perfectly, though not all the way in.


    "Now... As I have said before, you will tell me everything you know about your homeland and the other lands that surround it. Don''t leave anything out," Fenrir wasn''t threatening her this time, as he held out an arm to hook onto. "In the meantime, let''s go to the next level."


    Slightly confused as to why he wanted her to take his arm in order to go to the next level, she reached out and hooked her arm with his. That''s when she noticed a ring on each of his fingers.


    There was one in particular though that appeared like a motif representing the tower itself.


    Suddenly the item on his finger gave an indistinct glow before she knew it, they were no longer between the two sets of Mazes. Instead, however, they were in the center of an arctic region surrounded by mountains. Snow was falling from above, and in the distance was a cabin.


    Back when this was just a game, the cabin itself was just a prop, but the interior was decorated nicely through the impassable window. Now, he could see inside of it as if it was fully functional, a real house.


    Fenrir was surprised at the sight and as he marched forward, the snow crunched their feet. It took a few seconds, but he was able to jiggle the door open and lead her inside where it was much warmer. Though it was clear to him, the cold wasn''t bothering him at all, but she was shivering...

 5 『Children of the Gods』

    Neia was on her knees, sitting in front of the fire out in front of her beneath the mantle. They had talked for what seemed like hours, and it seemed, he was cementing the facts and clarifying her claims. It sounded like he wanted to deny he wasn''t within the realm of the Gods, as if everything had been an accident, he didn''t mean to come here. That look, that feeling, of loss was still in his eyes but it was becoming clearer and clearer that he wasn''t going to let that define him.


    Her God was no longer alone. Her God was surrounded by the children of his lost and fallen friends, friends that formed a Fallen Pantheon. They had all created a part of this place that she now stood in. To think that they had created Angels, rather than summoned them. Only God could do such a thing. The more she learned, the more he told her and the more she told him... It gave her all she needed to believe in him as some sort of all-powerful being.


    Yet this was also Heresy. The Paladin Order, their Temples of the Gods, her Kingdom would not accept him widely as the Holy being that he was. She clenched her jaw in secret as her eyes watched the flames flicker wildly in front of her.


    Her cloak had since dried, and while the sting of betrayal still burned in her heart, she was now filled with a cause far greater than any Paladin''s she had met. She now wondered what each of those children were like, if they were humanoid just like him, or if they were monstrous like Pelleon.


    The young blonde let her hands clasp together over her lap, letting her ears settle in on the howling of the wind outside. The fact that this place wasn''t a world on its own, it was strange how it emulated so much from the outside world.


    She remembered her first winters, blizzards, how people in lesser villages and towns froze to death. Neia was small when she first saw her parents slaughter a house filled with undead, people who had frozen to death and later reanimated with a seething hatred for the living.


    Perhaps they hadn''t deserved to be alive, for her neighbors had frozen to death and they had done nothing to help them. Selfishly they kept their blankets to themselves, their holeless ceiling, their glass windows, their insulated walls.


    This fire symbolized what it was like to live, and outside the cabin, was what it was like to die.


    Though her glare was intense, she could feel that Fenrir or Jakku, whoever he was... He wasn''t in the slightest put off by her appearance. Even if he put on a facade of callousness, a warm felt smile or an encouraging speech... He didn''t make a comment of her being murderous, crazed or even feral. Even though he was so high up, he respected her as she would respect just about anyone else of the same standing as herself.


    He must''ve been used to being in the company of Gods and their children. Perhaps he was just confusing her with them, or he saw everything that was within the grasp of Justice as his. He had, of course, spoke of Justice, Paladins, how they should be and their power.


    "I believe we''ve waited long enough," his words broke through her thoughts like an icepick.


    She nearly jumped out of her skin, startled, as she felt his hand go under her arm and help her to her feet. His strength was immersable, she felt no struggle to lift her once more, as his grasp was so gentle she could hardly tell what he was doing.


    On her feet, Neia''s eyes met with the tall figure. He was eight feet tall, a giant compared to herself. Though she had seen many a giant, as they were employed by her people, and he was truthfully still dwarfed by them.


    "Are we going to your throne room?" As his squire, she asked this with a polite and sturdy tone, but it had a decent softness to it, "Fenrir-sama."


    Fenrir nodded lightly to her question as he placed the hand he had used earlier onto her shoulder, close to where her neck connected with it. Feeling his bare hand on her skin, made her almost shiver.


    It was warmer than any person she had ever felt. It was welcoming, it felt as if he was just embracing the slightest of touch. Her eyes wandered to his other hand which held his glove, then looked up to him curious.


    Merely touching a peasant like herself so freely, she had never met a noble who would do such a thing. Awkwardly though, it felt like he was grasping at her heart now that she was under his influence.


    Seeing the ring on his finger glow ever so slightly, that was when their surroundings suddenly changed. No longer were they in the secluded cabin of a winter wonderland. Instead, they were now standing in a giant colosseum, littered in statues of chess pieces.


    No, this wasn''t just a colosseum filled with chess pieces. As she looked around at the surrounding area, she found that the entire floor was that of a giant game of chess itself. Her eyes widened in disbelief at the life-sized game that now surrounded them.


    The structure of the colosseum consisted mainly of smooth black bricks that gave a light glistening green shine, a luster that was often seen in Adamantite. Not all too far above them overlooked the entire plane of the board.


    Giving the chessboard another once over, it was clear that it was all made from the same material. Perhaps it wasn''t Adamantite? Perhaps it was something entirely different, but she wasn''t quite sure. Either way, it was breathtaking.


    The next thing she noticed though was that there was no one here, at least not visibly.


    "Welcome to the Final Floor! I trust you have treated my father well, Mortal!" Boomed a young woman''s voice and the fluttering of wings, soon enough a Seraph appeared. Blonde long locks of hair, gentle almond-shaped crystal blue eyes with subtle signs of bags beneath them, a small palm-sized black pointed crown upon the side of her scalp. What Neia saw now hovering in front of the throne, was a slender and pale looking woman. A single pair of superficial black wings displayed from the base of her lower back.


    It had to be Lucifael, the Seraph in which Fenrir had named. Her beauty was stunning, even for her own eyes. Neia took in the simple design of her dress, black secondary layer over a white underdress. Her stockings were made of black wraps that were undone around her dainty bare feet. Her form was the epitome of elegance, it felt as if she was staring at the center of the universe.


    She was meeting a true angel? An Angel that was close to God? Her eyes moved to Fenrir as he said nothing, but a smile was there printed across his lips. This smile spoke legions as she looked forward once more.


    Two portals opened up at either side of the Angel, Pelleon appearing from one of them, and another angel emerged appearing to be entirely composed of over several dozen wings. Her mouth nearly dropped open as she needed to very much correct that observation.


    This one had to have been Nidrennyius, the Ophan, they were all counselors of the First Sphere... Creatures that had never even been thought to have existed!


    Nidrennyius was a giant black orb surrounded by purple and blue flames, the orb was about the size of her torso alone! The Ophan had a bright pink iris and hot pink sclera, its pupil was an upside-down black triangle, the eye itself located in the center of the sphere. In a way, the dozens of wings that sprouted out from surrounded him reminded her of a flower.


    Though she wasn''t quite sure whatever the Ophan could be classified as, be it male or female. But she was quickly aware that the singular eye was not alone. At a closer inspection, even from the ground below, there were thousands of smaller eyes of varying sizes which stared down at them silently.


    "This is the Squire?" The Ophan finally spoke, his voice overlapping itself supernaturally.


    "Yes... Fenrir-sama''s personal Squire." As Pelleon replied to his fellow Guardian, it was clear he had heard their conversations prior to appearing back in the snow biome on the second floor.


    "Interesting..." Nidrennyius mused as he studied her from afar, his eyes moving to the Supreme Being and then back towards the human creature. "Are you sure it is a Squire? Subaran-sama would''ve most definitely paired him with such... Hm... Prey."


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    Lucifael blinked looking over towards the Ophan, her fellow Angel and raised a brow as she whispered, "Are you trying to ship my father with a mere Squire? Hmph!"


    "Lucifael-sama... He is touching her bare skin... His glove removed." Pelleon whispered with his naturally raspy voice, smiling creepily. It seemed he agreed with the Ophan''s observation.


    Then that was when both Pelleon and Lucifael both paused and looked to the Ophan created by Subaran, one of the Supreme Beings of the Citadel.


    Lucifael crossed her arms over her chest. "Nidrennyius-dono... Did you just say prey? Knights such as our Lord and Creator do not eat their Squires or their underlings."


    If the Ophan had a mouth, it would most definitely be grinning almost manically.


    Seconds later a number of other portals began to open all around the colosseum, each one being opened by someone of high caliber skills and power.


    Neia''s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she watched an Arch-Devil, Beelzebub, a towering humanoid beast of twelve feet tall come shambling onto the board. His overall structure looked almost like an entirely human muscle, made of rocky alabaster grey material instead of flesh. He wore a horrific and terrifying face that caused her heart to quicken in fear, displaying expertly sculpted jagged death and a pair of horns upon the top of his head. Those of his were glowing like embers.


    With him, he brought his own light, as his hollowed torso lined by his ribs was filled with bright yellow and red crimson flames. There above his head was a black halo hovering. Down his back, along his spine, was producing bony structures that appeared to defensive spikes of a monster.


    What caught her off guard though was what held in his hand. In that hand of his was something she could only describe as his very own beating heart, but he was wielding it like a weapon.


    This fiend served a God, no matter how unholy it seemed, it was there and serving Fenrir.


    A black-winged crow harpy gliding in freely from above, her talons glistening from the simulated stars from the sky above, having ejected herself out of a portal at high speed. "Raaah! Raah~! Nyriane, Champion of Darkness, Queen of Harpies! Raaah~! Here! Here!" Her face seemed to be the embodiment of innocent and youthful beauty, she wore nothing by brown burlap rags that hardly covered her hips or her shoulders. Despite her slender form, she was no doubt a mature adult and had since stopped growing. The Harpy had big blue, a sharp jawline, and soft delicate features. It was as if she was designed to lure men to their deaths.


    It felt like the creature would soon lure her forward as well if it weren''t for Fenrir''s hand on her shoulder. Even as she felt its gaze on her as it flew, circling overhead, she found it hard to pull her attention away from it.


    Next was a pair of black and white cat folk entering from another portal, holding hand in hand as they did. They had a dubious appearance, they were tall and strangely lithe. Each step they made, had no sound, and as they moved it was hard to keep her eyes focused on them.


    They were Ninjas, masters of disguise and tricksters. They used illusions and tricks in order to remain untouched and quick to take down their opponents. Though she couldn''t see their eyes, she could feel them on her, scrutinizing every bit of her human body, as if they wished to take it.


    The very sensation made her shiver.


    "Pay heed! Anima has arrived!" Shouted a self-absorbed tone of woman other than Lucifael, dragging Neia''s attention over towards a new figure that had appeared.


    A Valkyrie came strutting into the center of the room. She wore tight-fitting blue, almost black, armor with skirting down her backside. In her scabbard was a long sword that appeared to be derived from the body of an automatic rifle, a weapon she didn''t recognize.


    Anima then turned and looked towards Neia, before freezing seeing the iconic feral gaze. "Such Rude eyes this one has!" She shifted onto one hip as a hand on her hip, looking over the Squire.


    Neia smiled awkwardly seeing what looked like another human taking a gander at her. It was as if this one was picking out all of her imperfections without saying a word about it. She ignored the comment as it seemed Fenrir didn''t mind them.


    "Don''t pick at my Squire, Anima. You all exist because of me, and so does her continued existence, she will be no different from you... My Creations, Children of the Gods... Children of Hel." Fenrir commanded not just the Valkyrie, but all of those present and to be present, with his voice.


    Unanimously they united around his words alone.


    "Of course, Fenrir-sama..." Anima immediately bowed her head, before silently joining the two lithe cat people who were standing off in the corner of the Colosseum where they''d talk amongst themselves.


    A snaking body of blackened brimstone and flames came slithering into the room, its upper body held high. A Primal Fire Elemental, named Helibrimin, towered over the many creatures within the gathering. His chest sculpted in stone, as was his head which showed vague impressions of eyes and a mouth. His hands were clawed with massive swords.


    It was clear that this creature was not of a holy or an unholy element. He was clearly that of pure flames! Just like all the others, though she couldn''t discern any expression of his, it was curious.


    The next sensation confused her greatly. It felt as if something was now standing on the bare skin of her left shoulder. Nothing was that small, right? Neia''s head slowly turned to the side, her peripherals being greeted by a pleasant glow of phosphorescent blue wings.


    It was a tiny girl with a white dress, about the size of her whole hand, with long blonde locks reaching down to the backs of her legs. Neia could only gasp soundlessly as a fairy was standing there, staring back at her with a soft smile across her lips.


    "Ah, Hello Lemonbite," Fenrir chuckled seeing the fairy standing on his Squire''s shoulder, examining Neia''s face closely as if inspecting her for any imperfections.


    "Fenrir-sama," the fairy playfully stuck her tongue out at the massive Supreme Leader.


    "Is she a..."


    "Yes, she is a Fairy... A Fairy Queen to be exact." Fenrir said as he reached over and pat the top of the Queen''s head with his finger. "The Crow Harpy above is the Queen of her race as well, she is the Champion of Shadows."


    "Ah... Fenrir-sama, so there are more of their people here within the Citadel?" Neia asked curiously, as it seemed there were a number of non-human beasts here, even heteromorphic or demihumans.


    "Yes, depending on which floor they rule their particular species presides." He apprised her of the information she sought to obtain as he watched Lemonbite flutter her wings. Soon enough the Fairy Queen was on up to the top of Neia''s head, where she nested herself.


    Neia stood awkwardly still, facing forward as the Queen was seated in her hair.


    That was when the last guardian entered the room. It was like watching a pillowing steady stream of black smoke flood into the room. It didn''t fill the room though, it collected itself into a mass that could only be defined as the embodiment of Shadows.


    "What is... That...?" Neia exclaimed as she could see dozens of smoky hands protruding from an incorporeal mass of darkness. Sharp white blazing eyes smilingly glared down towards her with their crescent forms. It reminded her of the particles which were seeping from him in his Nightmarish Werewolf form. She felt as if she''d die if she even looked away.


    "Archona, the Shadow of Death, an ancient spirit and one of the oldest here aside from Lucifael." Fenrir informed just as Gravelyn stumbled in through a portal.


    Her wings were retracted into her back as she was dressed in her crimson armor, that matched her hair. Those blue eyes of hers narrowing on the young woman beside Fenrir, then looking to the Supreme Being. "Greetings, Fenrir-sama... I saw you down on the ground floor, it is good to see you were alright. Please, forgive me for not stepping in against the Apostates who attacked your sanctuary." Almost immediately Gravelyn dropped to one knee in a bow of fealty, asking for obtainable forgiveness.


    "It is quite alright, Gravelyn, you may rise. Your father would be proud of you, as your heart and sense of duty are in the right place," Fenrir gestured for her to rise as he asked her to do so, a faint smirk across his lips as he turned to everyone else as they began to gather.


    "This is Neia, my Squire as you''ve heard!" Fenrir announced, introducing her to everyone at once.


    Lucifael was the first to come landing in front of them. She was about the same height as Neia herself, if not an inch taller. Forcefully taking the girl''s hand, the fallen Seraph grinned cockily. "Welcome to Hel, don''t let the frozen hearts of the Draugr bother you too much."

 6 『World Atlas』

    Surrounded upon a battlefield lined with pawns, knights, kings, and bishops stood Fenrir. His Heterochromia eyes staring over the various faces of the beings created by his friends. Each looked to him for his support, his approval and his guidance. Their leader, the ruler of Hel.


    He was the only one who remained here, for this was his quiet place. Now, it had become his home and they were now in extension some form of his family he couldn''t recognize. His eyes wandered over Lucifael, his creation, a being he written in as a character who saw itself as his daughter.


    Now with these beings being given life by this freakish incident of being sent into another world, he was no longer alone. How could he suffer if he had so many to lead?


    Fenrir had taken on the role of a God, how should he take this...? A small chuckle escaped his lips as his thoughts roamed. He had made YGGDRASIL sound as a realm that belonged to the Gods, Gods in which warred with one another time and time again.


    As the Guardians parted like the red sea the moment he took a step forward, it was quite the sight to see. There was no way to deny the fact that all of his Guild''s creations were alive. There was no room for doubt there. They had voices that he could hear, scents that he could taste, they had emotions he could see.


    Their high caliber quality of existence could be seen through their very eyes.


    Fenrir continued forward he moved in haste toward the throne that oversaw the Amphitheater grounds. His hand still fixed on his Neia''s neck, he wore a faint smile across his lips as he could hear his Guardians formed up behind them.


    His eyes rested to the peripherals, looking to Neia, his Squire. She seemed to be keeping close to his side, but at the same time appeared comfortable? He couldn''t quite tell as she then turned her gaze up towards, locking their sights together for a short time before his gaze went forward again.


    Just as they were about to reach the edge of the arena floor, he used ��Teleport��to bring himself and the young girl beside him to the throne above them.


    "Whoa!" Her wild eyes darted around, looking over herself and to her hands as she shifted in place. Neia had never been teleported from one point to another before. It was clear she was disoriented by this, maybe even a little uncomfortable, but at the same time there was excitement in her eyes.


    With their attention moving forward, Fenrir grinned seeing his throne.


    Standing before him was a potently dark throne made of mysterious materials, lined in silver trim with gilded armrests and majestic blue cushions. On the right arm of the chair was a jeweled golden chalice, filled with water. On the left of the throne, however, was a wide circular surface that displayed a miniature construct of the current surroundings. People moving, carriages being drawn, monsters moving in the forests. Everything was so clear but so small, a perfect interactive map that allowed someone to look at part of the world.


    It reached far into the ocean in one direction, revealing a fleet of maritime ships of the Roble Holy Kingdom, and reached all the way over to a City known as E-Rantel far off in the Re-Estize Kingdom.


    Neia just stared at the map. It was white as sheet snow in a winter wonderland, or perhaps even plain marble. Its magnificence was found within its extensive details and miniature moving pieces.


    To Fenrir, this was more than enough proof that they were no longer in YGGDRASIL, concreting the facts even more than before. He licked his lips slightly, having already accepted this.


    If they were still within YGGDRASIL, he would''ve seen the tower surrounded by the realm of Niflheim. Yet instead of seeing that, it was the New World as described by the Squire.


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    In a way, even though he had no more hope that this world had been in the game, it still hurt the fact that the woman he loved was no longer within the same realm of existence.


    His eyes then shifted back on over to the Chalice before he twisted around on his heel and sat on the throne. Having kept his hand on his squire''s neck, he pulled her along with him, directly into his lap.


    Neia flailed her arms and legs at this, as it happened too fast for her to protest properly. "Fenrir-sama?" Shocked, nearly stammering over her words, by the fact he had pulled her onto his lap. "Th-this is inappropriate, I''m not even on the same plane as you, I couldn''t possibly take up your lap! Why have you placed me here upon you like a seat? Isn''t it degrading to hold a mortal so close?" She appeared to be fidgety, uncomfortable, and above all confused. "A-are you intending to spoil me? You can''t. It wouldn''t be right, even if I am to be the first of this world to stand beside you!"


    Lemonbite who was nestled in Neia''s short blonde hair laid upon the girl''s head as if lounging, amused by the current situation. "Wolves do tend to graze upon their sheep, I suppose you should be grateful that Fenrir-sama hasn''t devoured you~."


    Neia froze for a moment as she heard the fairy speak from on top of her head. The voice was cute and high in pitch, making her think of a little child, yet the words themselves sounded frightening.


    It sounded like a wolf stalking sheep, livestock, and then devouring it should it leave their grazing grounds or separate from the rest of the herd. Or in this case, perhaps he ate his own following?


    No, the words she couldn''t take literally. If he wanted to devour her, he wouldn''t have shared so much. If he wanted to eat her, he would''ve done it already. He wouldn''t have given her the magic bow or even spared her.


    That was when Neia''s mind went blank, feeling his hand move from her shoulder slowly wrap itself around her lower torso.


    Fenrir grinned as he pulled her closer, letting his Squire rest the back of her head against his chest. "You are my squire, so you are thereby an extension of my will, are you not?"


    He was entirely amused by the fact that she had since become stiff within his grasp. Was it fear? Had he been moving too fast? It didn''t matter, she could deny him all she wanted, but she didn''t have the strength to resist him.


    "Y-yes it is," Neia acknowledged hesitantly as she then looked up to him.


    Those thoughts that were hidden within those feral eyes of hers, they could be seen as she tried to scan over each of his own two-tone colored eyes. "Under me, you will become so much more than you are now."


    Reaching over to the Chalice, which in reality was the Holy Grail, he stared at the object as he brought it in front of her. "This is the Holy Grail, an item of immense power and ritual purity. Should you drink from it, thereby immersing your blood, you will have committed mikva."


    Mikva was a Jewish tradition, similar to baptism, that involves ritual immersion to achieve ritual purity. This particular tradition was also used to convert others to Judaism, however, Fenrir has merely stolen its name for a similar function.


    Inscribed with the lore to give the one who drank it eternal youth and sustenance in infinite abundance, though otherwise used to heal and resurrect those it is used upon.


    Though he wasn''t entirely aware of how much lore of items now affected the new world, or the effects it bestowed upon others, he wished for her to drink from it as some form of ritual cleansing.


    Fenrir was supposed to be a God, and she was supposed to be his first Chosen, his squire.


    He watched as her head nodded as if she understood the words he was sharing with her. As if she knew what he was saying, what he intended for her, and what it all meant laid out.


    The Grail was one of eight World-Class Items secretly acquired by Fenrir during his time in YGGDRASIL, including the World Atlas beside the Throne.


    The very first World-Class Item he acquired on his own, the one he had obtained after leaving the Ainz Ooal Gown, was the Pelt of Fenrir the God-Killer. The pelt came in the form of his white furred tattered blue cloak. It was an item he had since been often using as an accessory.


    It was a defensive World Item which gave him a nearly impenetrable defense from the rear, forcing adversaries to stand in front of him during their attacks. It also buffed the strength, dexterity, and agility of its wearer.


    One such world item being the Crown of Paracelsus, a world item capable of bestowing the levels and knowledge of a Master Alchemist, ultimately ignoring the user''s job and racial class level cap. This item, in particular, rested on the pile of now real treasure behind the throne itself. It was a dark ochre and grotesque crown with rounded red ruby-like jewels encrusted into it, which were in actuality Philosophers stones. An additional function of this item allows the user to transmute regular minerals into Prismatic Ores.


    On the opposite hand from the one which housed the Guild ring, was another ring. The ring was dark alabaster grey in color and visibly robust, with a Star of David depicted upon it like that of a signet ring.


    This particular world item was known as the Seal of Solomon. With its lore following the myths of the ring, it allowed the user to be capable of controlling demons, by extension devils. It also bestowed the ability to talk with animals among other otherwise unnatural things.


    Gained from group effort was the Nightmare Circlet of Hel, an item in which his Guild was gifted by the developers for conquering the dungeon for the first time on the first try. Not only did it protect the mind from mental interference such as confusion and fear, but it also allowed the user to summon or control armies of Frost Draugr regardless of their necromancy build proficiency. This item was currently in the possession of Gravelyn, the First Floor Guardian.


    Another world-class item was identified as the Fleece of Karma, a World Item which effectively voids the consequences of one''s actions that would sequentially change the user''s Karma value. Much like the Pelt of Fenrir, it was also a powerful mantle that could be used for pure defense and karma adjusting spells from hostile attackers.


    One of the last items that had been within the Blue Citadel''s grasp was Ouroboros, an item that granted a wish directed at the game company that owned YGGDRASIL. Fenrir had ultimately used this wish-granting item to unlock his level cap in order to learn new classes and gain more levels.


    World Items were rare and as such, many guilds kept it a secret that they even possessed them. His guild was no different. Though they still had plenty less than the Great Tomb of Nazarick.


    So as Fenrir was bringing the Holy Grail in close to Neia, he lifted a brow as she gradually raised her hands to grasp the gilded vessel. He could hear her heartbeat quickening as she stopped questioning him. Excitement, filled his eyes as he watched her every move, her every labored breath. Just from looking at her he could see she was taken back by the supposedly holy relic, something that only existed as myth and legends on Earth.


    Patience and self-interest are what kept him from forcing the girl to drink down the hallowed water. He completely believed she would do it on her own, without being hastened.


    Once it was entirely within her hands, in her control, she stared down into the water which seemed to mystically glisten for her and her alone. Her fingers curled against the glided surface of the item, leaning back into Fenrir''s torso as she did so.


    He could tell she was thinking, pondering and yet he could see the belief that shined in her eyes. Tilting her head back slightly she brought the chalice to her lips and poured the water into her mouth.


    It tasted just like water, nothing special. Yet as she consumed the water, swallowed it down, a tingling sensation ran through her. Any fatigue or pain was gone, she no longer felt hungry or even thirsty. It was as if she had been delivered nutrients for an entire day.


    Not only that but she felt a flood of positive emotion wash through her mind, she couldn''t help but wear a smile, she didn''t feel the need to smile. It felt almost perfectly natural.


    Resting the empty cup down unto her lap, she stared at it before looking to her hands. Opening and closing them, they appeared to have softened. She moved those very hands up to her hair, finding that the strands had been brighter, full of life and clear of any split ends.


    "What... Kind of magic is this?" She was aware of the Holy Queen''s magic used for beauty treatments but never had she heard of something that could do this much at once.


    "The Grail is a powerful tool, capable of many miracles, healing being one of them." Fenris moved the grail back to the arm of the chair, before lightly brushing the back of his left hand across her cheek. "Eternal Youth, happiness and great sustenance... Perhaps even Resurrection."


    Her eyes widened briefly at this at the information, "You''ve created such an item?"


    "It took over Thirty Gods to create such a thing," Fenris told a white lie, as it had been dropped by a World Enemy that fought over thirty, level one hundred, players.


    Neia stared at the item as it was refilling itself slowly with water once again. "You are not going to have everyone commit mikva, are you?" It didn''t sound realistic to make his entire flock immortal. She was having a hard time bending her head around the reason why he had her do this.


    It was a gift, and a curse, she had never expected. Despite the fact that she remained felicitous and filled with delight, due to the effects of the Grail, she was still confused.


    "Now from this Grail, no my girl, but from another hallowed vessel... One far less powerful..." His fingers moved beneath her chin, feeling the soft skin just above her larynx under her jaw.


    Lemonbite shifted on Neia''s head as he was speaking, sitting cross-legged as her wings playfully fluttered. "So he wishes to keep the lamb, or is she a lucky rabbit I wonder. Hm," wiggling her bare feet, she looked down at the silky blonde hair that donned Neia''s head.


    Neia shivered hearing her being compared to a lamb or a rabbit, both of which were often victims of a wolf, similar to that of a sheep she had been referred to as before. "Please don''t make it sound as if Fenrir-sama is going to eat me, Lemonbite-dono, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth."


    "Did... You just..."


    "Ignore it Lemonbite," Fenrir chuckled as the fairy suddenly became angry, her eyes sharp. "You were the one teasing her first, let her get a shot at you."


    "Uh..." Neia groaned slightly as she leaned to the side, the forced happiness fading shortly after. However, it seemed the other enchantments remained in effect, making her a level one immortal.


    "Now," Fenrir uttered as he then let his forearm rest across her tight black leather pants, he toyed lightly with the rims of her boot. "Before we bless your people with my existence, you will have to become stronger. Even if you''re immortal, you can be easily slain like any other human being. While I can resurrect you, it will be much more laborious to do so if there is no corporeal body."


    She was aware that he wanted to make her stronger, but this had become an unexpected twist.


    "Should you travel outside of the Citadel without me, Lemonbite will act as your guardian, and keep you safe from harm to ensure your well-being will never be at risk," Fenrir informed the girl of this and the Fairy Queen of her new duty at the same time.


    "Awe!" Lemonbite fussed, crossing her arms with an obnoxious pout of playfully sarcastic protest, though nonetheless, she would follow through with his wishes. "As you wish Fenrir-sama..."


    "Good my pint-sized angel," Fenrir grinned down at the fairy, who in turn smiled at him in return.


    "What did you just call me!?" Lemonbite immediately fumed.


    "I called you an angel," Fenrir grinned wider at this.


    "Fenrir-sama, please don''t anger her while she is on my head, she might get tangled in my hair!" Neia panicked slightly as she could feel the Fairy Queen moving about on her scalp.


    "I''ll try not to," Mused he would lightly straighten out her tunic as she remained seated upon his lap. It was clear she wasn''t going to move since he had placed her there, likely trying to avoid disrespecting a proclaimed God such as himself.


    Letting out a sigh of contentment, Neia reclined the back of her head against his chest, her eyes appearing to be glaring at his hand which was across her lap.


    Lucifael and the other angels hovered on up to the Throne, before perching themselves upon the ledge overlooking the board below. "Oh? I guess you weren''t wrong, Nidrennyius... Stupid Ophan," Uttered the fallen angel under her breath, her arms crossed in annoyance.


    "What was that just now?" Fenrir pursed his lips teasingly as he rested his eyes on the three high standing Angels that were now before him.


    "Oh, nothing, Father. The idiot Ophan simply cannot keep his observations to himself, as I am sure you know. Hmph..." She turned her head and closed one eye, resting the remaining on her ''father'' in which created her.


    "Hm... Yes, the God that created him did indeed have a habit of doing the very same thing... I do have to say though, he was really good at making puzzles out of the ordinary. Considering the Twilight Floor." Fenrir''s eyes shifted over the Ophan for a few seconds as he chuckled aloud, enjoying the presence of others.

 8 『Dear Daughter』

    Three days had gone by since the Paladin Order assigned to the wall had sent couriers out to notify the rest of its members. An order to sortie and prepare to defend against a monstrous beast encountered from within, capable of destroying their holy swords in a single bound.


    From Hoburns, the Capital of the Roble Holy Kingdom, A distinguished covered wagon, drawn by four six-legged horses came at an impressive state of urgency.


    It hadn''t even slowed down when one side of the carriage jumped from one of its wooden wheels hit a stone. Due to its speed, the large wagon nearly flipped over on the gravelly path to the Great Wall that separated the Roble Holy Kingdom from the rest of the world.


    "Hold!" One of the men on board shouted to its passengers who gripped onto the interior, to keep themselves steady. No one in their right mind wanted to fall out of the speeding vehicle.


    One man in particular who was sitting near the front, peering passed the driver, in silence. He wore a stony deadpan face, an unchanging expression as he daringly stared ahead over the driver''s shoulder. Those eyes of his locked on the imposingly grand structure that dominated the Wall.


    How many years would it have taken to build such a structure? Why did its architecture look so foreign? This man couldn''t answer his own questions, as he quickly noticed the frosty fog that was crawling over and onto the wall.


    Taking in a deep breath, he nearly coughed in the dry air as the temperature began to drop once they made it within a hundred meters of the thing.


    His eyes were maddened, even murderous, and narrow just like his daughter''s. Pavel Baraja had heard his wife and daughter were out on patrol along the wall. The moment he got this news, he didn''t think twice and his unit was immediately dispatched to the Wall.


    Wearing enchanted leather armor that increased his resistance to various types of attacks. Visibly it had an owl embroidered on his left peck and the emblem of the Kingdom on the right side of his chest. It was clear Pavel was equipped with a number of magical items, a sign of prestige and power, recognition by the Kingdom itself.


    The bow on his back gleamed with a faint light of magic energy. His boots kept his movements silent, hardly detectable by ear. Upon his finger was a Ring of Deflection, an item that deflects incoming projectiles. On his shoulders was the mantle of Shadows, a cloak that allowed him to remain hidden amidst ambushes.


    If he couldn''t find his wife, his daughter, he would charge into that tower to retrieve them. That was what his unit was thinking as they were the only things that could make his expression change. All they had to do was mention their names, reference them in any way.


    Orlando, a powerful man in his own right with bulging muscles and stout neck, watched over him. He was a fellow member of the Nine colors. Having taken the seat across from him within the wagon, he couldn''t stop himself from matching his gaze.


    His own unit was in a wagon several meters behind, a group of delinquents that he commanded who loved violence and battle just as much as he did.


    Eight standard edge swords, a small rounded shield on his forearm and Heavy Leather Armor which his muscles could still be felt through. He was prepared for an all-out assault, for battle, but the courier''s letter had very little information on their probable enemy...


    The only thing they knew was that whoever, or whatever they were, the individuals were stronger than they had ever seen. And the environment within the tower was bewildering, it was large on the inside as if it was an entirely different plane of existence.


    The way it was described gave all the men chills, all except for the Archer, Neia''s father. His fears were far different from theirs, as he saw his daughter as fragile and gentle, someone who could easily be hurt in such a situation as this.


    While he didn''t necessarily know why she would ever want to be a Paladin, and that he wanted her to simply be a normal girl, fall in love, and get married. it didn''t seem like anything was happening as he wanted.


    Still, he knew how far she was willing to go, even if she couldn''t use a sword... She had a talent with a bow, and she had told her to garner her talent, just like he had.


    Pavel glanced down at a doll his daughter had whittled out of wood for him when she was younger, it was his good luck charm. A small smile etched itself across his lips, though the doll looked more like a monster than anything else, it still reached his heart.


    "Boss," Orlando turned to the Mad-Eyed Archer, "Your smile is going to scare the rest of your unit," he chuckled lightly as he leaned forward a bit as the bumpy ride continued.


    Returning to his stone-faced expression, his eyes shot through Orlando like daggers. "Not as much as your ugly mug," though sounding serious he was completely kidding on the matter.


    "Is that so?" Sneered the man as he leaned back upon the inner wall of the wagon, his eyes tracing back towards the massive citadel. "Whatever made that thing appear out of nowhere, must be powerful, wouldn''t you say?"


    "No doubt," Pavel returned to gazing at the good luck charm, hunching forward in his seat, as it rested in both of his hands. "That report had no losses recorded, but it also didn''t detail the encounter either."


    "You''re not wrong... It''s as if they encountered some sort of man-beast..." Orlando grinned to himself, clearly imagining himself in battle. "In the case, it being able to break a blade with a graze of its hand..."


    "Is it not strange there were no losses in such a scenario? Did it not fight back?" Pavel caressed the wooden doll with his thumb before closing his eyes, listening in for their approach.


    Orlando blinked at the questions that Pavel had asked, it made the brute think. "I''ll assume we''ll find out when we get there?" He spoke in a questioning tone, becoming perplexed.


    Not long after, they did come pulling on up to the outer wall stables. One after another, his Unit jumped out the back of the wagon. Orlando''s unit followed suit as well, moving to their more appropriate positions.


    After sending his unit onto the wall, Pavel entered the commander''s tent where most of the Squires were being used as couriers to relay commands to each sect of the Order.


    He came to a stop however as he didn''t see his daughter. His eyes resting upon the second in command of the Order, he raised a brow, clenching his jaw as he narrowed his eyes on a leather-bound book that laid out open on the table.


    The drawings, the style, and handy work were that of his daughter''s. He could recognize it anywhere he went. Yet as it was there, he did not see an inkling of her within the tent or outside in the field.


    "Pavel Baraja the Black!" Gustav Montagn��s greeted him, taking the attention of the room and plastering it upon one of the strongest members of the Nine Colors.


    "Where is Neia...?" Pavel centered his gaze on the Grand Master''s second in command, rolling his jaw side to side. He still didn''t see his daughter in the tent even as a few more Squires entered. "Where is my daughter?"


    Gustav soldiered through the turbulent glare of the man, "She was part of the forward team that went inside the citadel after the exterior was secured to gain more intelligence." Placing a hand on the book, and pushed it across the table situated in the center of the tent and over to the man. "She didn''t make it out, according to witness accounts, she is presumed dead."


    Pavel didn''t give the book another glance, there was no hesitation as he darted out of the tent, barreling right past his wife. His boots dug into the frosted ground with each stride, he didn''t stop as he shoved just about anyone who had gotten in his way onto their backsides.


    Slowly he came to a brief intermission, standing in front of the gaping mouth of the massive tower. The entrance looked like it had been made for something massive to enter.


    Those sharp eyes of his trailed over the inscriptions he recognized from Neia''s drawings. The intelligence she had gathered. His eyes then moved forward towards the corridor ahead. From where Pravel stood, it looked almost... Endless.


    "This... Place," Pavel breathed out seeing his breath. Turning his head side to side, he could see eyes within the fog watching him. "They said it was secure," he uttered to himself, believing himself to be surrounded by predatory creatures at the sight of the blue glowing eyes.


    Without a second thought, he returned to running, this time directly into the corridor. No matter where his daughter was, no matter if she was alive or dead, he would find her.


    + + +


    Fenrir nestled in his throne, watched as Neia had gone back to training. It had been three days since he had introduced the routine, and she didn''t fail to perform.


    Due to the Draugr being from the center of the Niflheim, they were much harder to kill than any zombie she had encountered. However, just like anything else with a soft spot, their eyes and mouths were the targets. Just like when dealing with a dragon, its scales protected it, but its eyes were its structural weak points if one didn''t have the magic to slay it outright.


    Despite her improvements and his gifts, she seemed timid of him. Fenrir wasn''t ignorant as to why either, she was essentially his prisoner who was given special privileges. The likeliness of her actually trusting him was low, as she feared retribution should she offend him, considering she saw him as some sort of God due to his creations and power alone.


    His wolf-like ears perked up however as he overheard Anima make a sound of pondering, a low-pitch hum in the back of her throat which resonated with his sense of hearing.


    At first, though he ignored it, seeing as if she saw it to be important, she would report it. That was responsible, right? His eyes drifted over towards the control node which was to the right of the throne, otherwise hidden by a number of draping fabrics and almost only being able to be seen when the viewer is seated.


    "Hmm..." Reaching over he rested his hand on the node, holographic screens appearing before him. Mercenary spawning, floor viewer, and other management tools were there before him.


    "Fenrir-sama!" Anima swiftly made herself known, directly in front of him, standing stiffly ready to get a report of great urgency.


    The shout that emitted from the woman, it pulled Neia''s attention from her training and caused her to lower her bow. Out of curiosity, she could be seen creeping back on over to the throne, the bow folded at her side.


    "Do not hold back what you''re going to say, so say it now, Anima Espa." Fenrir kept a stern disposition about himself, his two-toned eyes wondering over the dark Valkyrie and then over towards the smaller blonde that was now standing behind her.


    "Panic had occurred after the arrival of one of the wagons bringing in more Paladin units. What appears to be a single human archer has entered the Citadel''s main corridor... After shoving a number of his compatriots out of the way after they tried to stop him." Amina gave an objective statement, based on what could be seen, since one could not use the Atlas to hear anything. "What will your choice of action be? I can eliminate him before he reaches the Labyrinth if you so please..."


    "That won''t be necessary," Fenrir waved his hand in dismissal, "I''ll take care of it..." Reaching over he would open the floor viewing controls and switched the screen over to the first-floor corridor.


    Neia moved alongside the left side of the throne, to see over his shoulder what he was looking at. Her eyes fixated on the screen immediately, widening at the sight she saw.


    The man charging down the corridor was none other than her father. His eyes dead forward, a look of determination across his face. He was coming for her, his fragile and gentle daughter.


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    Her eyes fondly rested on the item in his hand, the wooden doll in which she had carved for him, an item she had made to remind him of who he was fighting for. Then that''s when she noticed from her peripherals... Fenrir''s had animalistic ears twitching on the top of his head.


    "I can see where you get those eyes from," Fenrir uttered as he faced her, locking his gaze with her own. "Assuming that is your father?" A small grin formed over his lips as he reached over and grazed the back of his fingernails across the side of her delicate throat. All he needed to do was swipe his fingers and she''d be bleeding out on the floor, though the idea as it sat in his mind, left a bad taste in his mouth.


    Neia tensed at the feeling of his hand, goosebumps propping up along her skin, as she could hear Anima go and resume her observing of the Atlas once more. "It-it is my father... Yes..."


    "Do you trust me to deal with him?" Fenrir spoke in an ambiguous tone, meaning either killing him or taking him prisoner or even talking him down. Yet he didn''t emphasize.


    "What...?" Neia felt like there were knives being sent into the back of her head from the words that had left his mouth. The smile he had planted on her lips on a number of times, was nowhere to be seen. "No..." She shook, having to force out an objection while taking a step back from the throne.


    "You don''t trust me!? Hah, You wound me, girl..." Sarcasm rang from his lips, "After all I''ve given you," his eyes shifted over her as she had made space between them. "Do you want to trust me?" Holding his hand out to her, he narrowed his eyes. "Or are you afraid to trust anyone?"


    Tensing her jaw as he spoke of trust, she relaxed her brows but continued to center her glaring eyes upon him. They looked like one big question bubbling over in her mind.


    Since her arrival, he had been lax with her and even friendly as if they were both on the same level. Fenrir had begun training her, seeing her as a future follower and pupil.


    "Even though you had sworn fealty, you are hesitant to trust your Lord, the one and only one who had spared you from death." Fenrir retook his stern demeanor as he leaned back in his throne, letting his hand remain elevated from his side for her to take. "Gravelyn would''ve killed you all without question, should she had been the first to encounter your Paladin Order..."


    "Please, forgive me for what I am to say, Fenrir-sama... I implore you, please do not take offense... But you... You spared me in order to gain knowledge of the outside world that surrounded your tower, you kept me because you''re alone even when surrounded by people who worship you." While her voice remained low in volume, its impact made him more aware of her impeccable observations, but she was somewhat wrong in her findings.


    "...For one, yes. I did want information as to why a bunch of unknowns had entered my sanctum. Where they had come from, and as I came to realize it, where I have come to be." Fenrir exhaled slowly with a cold gaze still resting on her. "I could''ve captured any one of them... But when I saw you betrayed in such a manner, I found a kindred spirit in you. The information taken from you was a bonus."


    Neia''s gaze faltered for a moment as the god which spared her, explained his actions. He had no reason to do such a thing and yet he clarified his intentions and his sentiments. Fenrir has tasted betrayal, though it wasn''t necessarily all too life-threatening as hers had been.


    "...Kindred spirit? You have been betrayed... By another God?" She questioned freely, feeling weight being pushed off of her chest.


    "Other Gods, former lovers, and colleagues..." Fenrir subtly cleared his throat as he rested his hand upon his leg. "Betrayal has slighted me more times than I can count."


    Neia understood betrayal and neglect, emotional distress and destruction. Her childhood ''friends'' had kept a distance from her. Though she didn''t try, her eyes still managed to push people away. She was never good at interpersonal interactions, let alone long-term relationships.


    To be able to relate to a God, a being who stood so much higher above everyone else, seemed to calm her down even more. Her eyes drifted down to his hand which he had once offered her.


    "Do you want to trust me?" Fenrir recited his question, keeping his gaze settled on her face. "Have I ever slighted you?"


    "..." Time was limited, he wasn''t just going to let her father stumble any further into the Citadel. And if her father made it to the opening, he''d surely come in contact with three powerful beings that he even as one of the strongest soldiers in the Kingdom, wouldn''t be able to defeat.


    Hesitantly she held a hand out towards him, "You won''t kill my father...?"


    "Do I have a reason to?" Fenrir''s hand met with hers, giving it a light squeeze as he stood up from the throne.

 9 『Fathers Daughter』

    Pavel could hear their feet, the tens of them. His unit wasn''t far behind after they saw him soldiering into the citadel''s front entrance alone. Learning that his daughter was not with the other Paladins, or patrolling with his wife, it was clear he sought to do this alone. What was the purpose of risking other men for his own family? If his daughter was dead, oh, his daughter...


    He didn''t slow, not deliberately. Pavel kept his pace, but he didn''t want to be tired by the time he encountered some sort of otherworldly monster as described in the notifications sent out.


    At the same time, he was still wondering why they hadn''t reported that there was a Squire missing in action, or let alone killed. Had she been betrayed? Or had she sacrificed herself for others to escape? He didn''t know, personally he didn''t want to know.


    "Sergeant!" a voice echoed loudly from behind, from approximately fifteen minutes back where he came from. This corridor made everything strange. He couldn''t tell how far he had gone, but he was sure he made progress.


    How fast were they making progress? He wasn''t going to look back, there was no reason to. If there were no enemies in this passageway, there was no reason to be concerned about them, right?


    The air was dry, and as he heaved, it felt like it was biting away at his throat. Not only was it drained of moisture, but it was sharp and hoarse on the lungs.


    Even as he was pacing himself, it felt like he was being slowly and deliberately drained of his stamina, purposely weakened to lag behind. His eyes shifted to the runes that adorned the walls, the glyphs which his daughter had etched onto the book that was on the table back at the camp.


    There seemed to be meaning to them, though he didn''t get a close look at the journal, it was clear that she had circled things and written down notes. Deciding to slow down to a quick stroll, he refused to stop moving and maneuvered himself closer to the wall on the far right side of the passage.


    There were a number of wolf-like illustrations, things that looked akin to undead, disease, and others that looked more like after-life references and bonafide greatsword wielding warriors.


    Finally, he came to a stop as he pressed his hand against the wall. The air was still cold and dry, stale even. Looking down either direction all he saw was the glowing runes fading to darkness.


    There was no hint of the entrance he came in through, nor any of the rooms that might be ahead. Just total darkness which kept him from seeing either end. "How is this corridor so long...?"


    He started back up again, running a hand along his neck as he secured the good luck charm his daughter had made, the wooden doll she had carved for him especially. Taking on a jog once more, he neglected the continued echoing sounds of his unit calling after him. There was no use in returning their calls, waiting for them could lead to Neia''s death if she wasn''t dead already.


    "What... The hell is this place...?" Though he couldn''t hear his footsteps due to his enchanted boots, the man could very well feel how heavy each of his movements had gotten. "It''s like it is the gateway to hell or something, but why is it so cold?"


    "Hm, you''re not wrong, but you''re not right either," an aristocratic voice sounded behind him, one he didn''t recognize, which caused the ranger to draw his magic bow and skid to a stop. Using his momentum while bringing his body low as he drew back the bow string as he turned around.


    Now facing a man who appeared to have manifested out of nowhere, he raised a brow as he had his weapon aimed directly at the being. The first observations he took note of was the dark half-plate armor, blue robes over and underlaying it, along with a white-furred tattered blue cloak.


    His appearance seemed almost elegant a noble like, he even had a short clean vandyke-styled beard. Pale peach skin and two-toned eyes. Yet the thing that took his eyes the most, were the two wolf-like ears that protruded from the top of his head.


    Every part of him looked human until he got to that one little detail in his appearance.


    "Who are you!? Identify yourself!" Pavel snapped as he rose to a half-crouch, ready to move out of the way of any probable attacks. He could see his breath whilst he exhaled calmly out from his nose.


    "So... You are the one related to the Squire, how quaint." those gold and blue hues traveled over the much smaller human ahead of him. "What sharp eyes you have, Baraja. Very much father like daughter, wouldn''t you say?" His words caused the one known as The Black or the Mad-Eyed Archer to tense up, he knew who he was.


    "Where is my daughter?" His fingers were tightening around the bow string. "What have you done to her?" Then, he paused lightly seeing the man staring back at him unflinching. This humanoid being, with wolf ears, seemed to see him as nothing more than an annoyance. That was the scary part, he wasn''t showing fear nor great aggression, but he was egging him on.


    Seeing as Pavel had taken the bait, he grinned a devious grin, "Your daughter''s safe... For now." It seemed the ranger was taken by his emotions, far too distracted as wasn''t a battlefield, it was a personal matter.


    "For now...? What are you planning on doing to her?" Pacing in a slight semi-circle, the creature''s form shifted to compensate, as if he was compensating for his backside. Glaring his eyes at the being, he was curious about what he was covering.


    "If you wish to see her alive, you will surrender your bow to the ground in which stand on. Otherwise, you will die here." Fenrir didn''t care very much for the man''s questions, but he was going to be blunt and straight up with the man. "You don''t want that, now do you?"


    "My Unit will be here at any moment, you think you can threaten me into submission?" Pavel tightened his grip on his bow once more, fire clearly being seen in those feral eyes of his.


    "I really like those little blue orbs of hers," the wolf uttered aloud as his tongue would then travel along the inner walls of his lips, the tip poking out along the way. The very gesture proposing a sexual inclination.


    That''s when Pavel let two arrows free, sending them directly at the wolf''s chest, only for them to dissipate into the air upon contact with the armor itself. "What...?" He felt a tinge in his chest.


    Fenrir didn''t move, he was completely unfazed by the attack, he just remained smiling towards the human ranger from the nine colors. "You have about five minutes to surrender. Make your choice wisely, for I am sure your Unit will also depend on your answer."


    "You would slaughter my men, simply for following after me?"


    "Your Paladins decided to attack me after entering my home, I didn''t kill any of them, despite how much I wanted to." That was when it struck Pavel, this creature hadn''t been the aggressor at all. At least not from the words it had shared, and its intelligence... He couldn''t call it a beast, now could he? Lowering his bow slightly, he stared at the being.


    "Is that your surrender, Baraja?" These words had the man drop his bow to the ground, surrendering it as if literally following the man''s words. He even removed his scabbard from his belt, dropping it to the ground with the weapon still sheathed inside.


    That was up until he turned his head to the side slightly as if to look behind himself.


    At that moment, Neia peered out from behind the cloak. Father and daughter matching gazes near instantly, it was as if they were looking into a mirror thanks to the untamed seeming eyes they shared.


    "Eh...? You''re alright?" Pavel was slightly confused, his eyes tracking back to the strange eared man. "What is the meaning of this?"


    "Oskar Luminus tripped and shoved me to the ground, in the process of taking my book, to be eaten by the man who chased them off." Tears were welling upon in her eyes, making them glossy. Neia then took two steps out from behind Fenrir, to move beside him, only for the eight-foot-tall being to place his hand on her shoulder. It was as if he was telling her she was going far enough. "Those cowards didn''t even use Detect Evil before attacking and retreating!"


    "Betrayed by her superiors, her comrades, she was left to my mercy and I could''ve done anything I wanted." His head slowly lulled to the side, as his eyes trickled back on over to her. This was something she already knew, considering he had coped a feel when he first picked her up.


    Pavel''s eyes were going back and forth between the two of them, before resting her eyes on the bow which was in the scabbard at her side. It didn''t look like any sword he had ever seen.


    There was even a ring on her finger, something that he didn''t remember her having despite hardly ever seeing her. His gaze then moved to the other man''s hands, noting two rings.


    "Who are you... Even...?" Pavel stood there with his arms dangling at his sides, he wanted to run over and take his daughter by the hand. Part of him wanted to entirely embrace her.


    How long had it been since he had seen his daughter? How long had it been since she had hugged him the moment she saw him? She had become independent, she had grown so much and yet... As he watched those tears roll down her face as she could only look at him, kept in place by a single hand that was on her shoulder, very close to her neck.


    It was as if she was on a leash and he was behind a glass wall.


    "How rude of me... My name is Fenrir, Fenrir the God-Killer, Patron God of Wolves and Shadows. You are in the Citadel of Hel, my home. If you wish for your wife to survive, you will help identify her if the Paladins storm the Citadel, or you... Could you walk back outside and join her?"


    Pavel stared at the man as he had given his name and his titles, his epithets being rather offputting, to say the least for the mortal man. "Patron... God?" In a way, he didn''t quite believe this man to be a God, despite the fact knowing whoever had moved this massive construct here had to be a being of power themselves. "You''re aware of what is going on outside?"


    "I can see as far as the Re-Estize Kingdom''s furthest territories, and well past the Holy Kingdom''s maritime fleet. I can even peer into that of Theocracy''s Capital and the Elven Forests..." Now it just sounded as if he was boasting, but it was true, for the most part.


    Pavel''s gaze moved to his daughter, who seemingly nodded as she wiped her tears upon her tunic''s sleeve. His eyes then fixated on the thumb which was caressing the bare area where the stump of her neck joins with her shoulder.


    Was Fenrir comforting his daughter? Pavel couldn''t quite tell if that was an advance or otherwise. If he could pick up his bow and take aim, he was sure he could end the probable threat. At the same time, there were doubts that this creature would even give him the time to act.


    Fenrir could see the expression deeply rooted within the elite warrior''s eyes, he was scrutinizing his touch, it almost made him openly chuckle. Instead, though, he slowly released his hold on Neia''s shoulder.


    Immediately the Squire looked up to Fenrir, batting her eyes up at him curiously, before taking a short sprint over to her father. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug.


    "I''m so glad you''re alright!" Pavel sighed as he held the back of his daughter''s head, squeezing her tightly within her arms. "When I saw you weren''t in the camp by the wall... And learned you were left behind, I couldn''t..."


    Slackening his hold slightly, he began to observe the change in her hair and the complexion of her skin. She had changed since he had last seen her, but she seemed much different.


    "Bare the thought of losing your little girl?" Fenrir huffed as he finished the sentence of the Ranger as he walked over and placed his hands on their shoulders.


    Her hair was softer, it had a brighter light to it and her skin seemed almost flawless. Had she been using beauty products or going through treatments of some sort? His eyes moved to Fenrir once more before he noticed a strange aura about him. Something that he had missed during their immediate confrontation due to his emotions getting in the way.


    That was when he heard a loud snapping sound, and the ranger glanced down to find his magic bow which he had placed on the ground was broken in two. His eyes were wide at the sight of this.


    "You won''t be needing it," Fenrir uttered under his breath, clear enough for the human to hear.


    Without a second more, their surroundings had changed in a hardly noticeable flash of color. They were now standing in the center of what appeared to be a solid black road with white dotted lines, with concrete curbs, green grass, and homes coated in plastic sidings.


    Powerlines littered the area above their heads, along with a brilliant false sky, similar to the one Neia had seen on the first floor but very much different. There were a number of clouds lining the edges. It was clear the floor was circular in shape as if they were in the center of a snowglobe. The sky above was stuck in perpetual twilight, stars dotted the skybox above. It was unlike anything either of them had ever seen before.


    The two humans parted from one another and looked at the sights around them. It was like looking at an alien terrain. "Twilight..." Uttered Neia as she stared up at the sky, then over towards Fenrir. "This is the place you called ''Twilight Zone,'' the floor Nidrennyius oversaw?"


    "The Floor?" Blinking Pavel hardly understood what he was seeing, "What is this place...? Who is Nidrennyius?" He was obviously confused and he had every right to be considering how disorienting Hel''s Citadel was designed to be.


    "You''re still within the Citadel, this is my creation, and it is no illusion." Fenrir gave a slight gesture towards the homes which had driveways and full modern-day appliances.


    The Twilight Zone was one of the most detailed data hogging floors within the entire citadel. It turned a modern suburban center into a massive maze. Though after learning from Nidrennyius, it appeared that this entire place had become real, even the fruit-bearing apple trees.


    "So... Because you created this, you fancy yourself a God?" Pavel scratched his chin at this before narrowing his eyes on a massive Angel which consisted of dozens of wings, hovered overhead.


    It was Nidrennyius, a First Sphere angel known as an Ophan.


    "Father... He has Angels who serve him, ones that can speak. They''re nothing like the ones the Paladins can summon, they have a mind of their own..." Neia spoke from her own accounts. She had met each one of them, heck, she had been practically living in the Throne room since her training began. At least except for when she was in the hot springs.


    "You are a God...?" Pavel was letting everything catch up, and he could see that his daughter believed in the very facts she was spewing. "You created those angels?"


    Fenrir simply nodded with an unamused expression, it didn''t look like he felt to need to spell it all out for the human. Though it was clear the ranger was still bitter over the broken bow.


    However, it would give his unit good reason to believe he had either been killed or taken. It was all the more reason to get their troops moving outside, wasn''t it? A faint smile could be seen across his lips.


    "Why did you bring us here, Fenrir-sama?" Neia asked as she balled up her hands at her sides, her gaze occasionally leaving him and observing nearby curious trinkets and props like a random pink flamingo.


    "Throughout the duration of his stay here, until the situation is resolved, he will choose one of these dwellings as his temporary housing. They are optimized for families of four to six individuals," Fenrir was now speaking analytically and he was hardly trying to sell it to them.


    "You want me to stay in this strange place?" No matter which way Pavel looked, this place felt far too organized and looked easy to get lost in. Though he doubted he would be lost for long if that did occur. "Will my daughter be staying with me?" He narrowed his eyes on Fenrir.


    "That is up to her, but she will continue her training under me during normal hours of the day." Fenrir crossed his arms over his chest as if expecting this Pavel guy to try throwing his fists, which would be inevitable as useless as his bow had been earlier.


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    "Do you really have any intentions of letting us go?"


    "Us?" Fenrir looked over the man, "Your daughter is now MINE. The only one I will let go is you." He emphasized the idea that Neia was now his, as she had recited an oath to him even if it was merely to appease him.


    "What do you mean by yours...?" The corner of Pavel''s mouth twitched.


    Neia moved between the two of them, sensing continued discord, "Father please..." She had her hands out in front of him as if to calm her father down as she used a pleading tone, he hesitantly began to step down.

 10 『Hand of Intent』

    Thud. Pavel lay there unconscious in the grass, his chest slowly rising up before deflating as he let out his breath. Sprawled out on what appeared to be the front lawn of a small rancher property, the elite ranger was hardly moving.


    "F-Fenrir-sama! What did you just do to my father!?" Neia stared down at her father as she put a hand through her blonde hair, turning her head to look over at Fenrir, her eye wide and accusingly glaring at him.


    "Put him to sleep," Fenrir scratched the side of his head with one finger looking down at her. "He wasn''t being cooperative, so pacification seemed to be the best route to take."


    Pinching the bridge of her nose hearing the information he was spewing, before throwing her hands out in front of her, somewhat panicked as she pleaded. "You told him I was yours, obviously anyone in their right mind would assume..." She let her arms drop to her sides, "I...I suppose I should be grateful you didn''t kill him..." Neia turned away from the tall werewolf, looking over her father who seemed to be peacefully sleeping there in the middle of foreign terrain. "He had talked back to a God, even after seeing what you created..." Squatting down by her father''s head, she ran a gloved hand through his hair. She then tilted her head back to look up at Fenrir, pursing her lips.


    While in a way his assessment and actions were thought out, for the most part, this was only a temporary fix for a long-term problem. Fenrir had given him two choices but forced the first one when he didn''t give an immediate answer.


    Then he took her father prisoner, gave him a place to stay which was far better than a jail cell, but then also told him he pretty much owned his daughter. That he owned her.


    In a way, Fenrir could very much get away with owning her, either as a slave or as a lover. Neia didn''t really think that she was that kind of material, at least as a lover. She was modest, she couldn''t see herself on the same level as him and the social construct she had observed all her life was near obscured by the way she was being treated by him.


    Fenrir was Scholarly, but he was also arrogant, at the same time he was far from ignorant. This God knew what he wanted and could get away with just taking it. Instead, he had been trying to wedge himself into her heart, into her mind, and into her good graces.


    He wanted her trust and she wanted to give it, but only if reason permitted it. Gods were not inherently good or evil, which was well represented in the Theocracy''s pantheon of Great Gods.


    The one thing that sat well with her though, was the fact that he wasn''t turned off or away by her eyes. If anything he had locked his gaze with her own. Not many people would do that, not with her. Did he like her eyes? Neia began to wonder, what did he want out of her other than leading some sort of faith that involved Shadows and Wolves?


    Her eyes rested on those ears on the top of his head, they were twitching. A light blush formed over her face as she thought about touching them.


    Fenrir clearly heard her heart rate quicken for a few seconds and saw the heat rise to her face, and began to stroke his beard. Though still, he said nothing as within a minute of that blush appearing, it was gone as she broke her gaze from him.


    "If I wanted to kill him, I would have done it in the very beginning, rather than capture him and bring him deeper into the Citadel. Though I doubt he is a threat, he is essential."


    Parting her lips, Neia believed she understood his words, "Because... You want my trust?"


    "No, because it would destroy you if I were to kill him," Fenrir''s eyes transversed over her face, as it contorted into an expression of surprise, before tracing over her collarbone before letting out a sigh. "Or it would completely turn you away from me, or even against me."


    Neia could analyze his stern tone in which he used, he was completely serious with his words. "I am a Paladin. I swore fealty to you, Fenrir-sama, if I were to go back on my oath, what would that make me?"


    "The Roble Holy Kingdom really doesn''t deserve you," Fenrir shook his head as she raised to her feet. It was clear he was praising her with these words, but she still admired her kingdom. She saw its glory, its power, and even though it wasn''t as powerful as other nations... It was still her homeland.


    "Perhaps," Neia rubbed the side of her face with her hand. "It is my home though, and I will fight for it, even if I have to fight just a portion of it in order to save it." Her eyes traced over God''s face, trying to see what his response would be. "So please, Fenrir-sama... Don''t spoil me with your praises."


    "A patriot, it''s been a long time since there had been one of those..." Fenrir seemed to have softened eyes from the words she had shared and the ones he had given in return.


    Neia simply blinked up at him when hearing this though, not sure whether or not being such a thing was good or bad to him. Seeing his eyes told her, he was actually happy to hear about it, but she didn''t really understand why.


    As if seeing her slight confusion, he spoke up again with a question that caught her off guard almost immediately. "If I were to spoil you with praises, would you trust me less?"


    "No... Not necessarily?" Neia gazed up at him inquisitively, not understanding why he was asking this question in particular. Resting her palm against the bow which was in her scabbard, she shifted to one side as she stood in place. "Why were you so adamant about me being yours...? To my father, I mean. Does it have something to do what you said before? About seeing a kindred spirit in me?"


    She had to admit, that sounded romantic if anything it was as if she was reading into a synopsis of some sort of epic. A god falls for a peasant girl who struggles with a sword. At the same time, she again had a hard time believing this God as it seems he was, liked her in such a fashion at a first glance.


    "I... I don''t know if I''m crossing a line by saying this, but I think you and my father... Could get along... If you both find something in common, perhaps he''ll accept you." Her eyes turned back towards her father as Fenrir too looked at him with an absent look in his eyes.


    "I could erase his memories and start over." Taking a step forward, Fenrir looked over to his Squire, raising a brow to see her reaction.


    "No," Neia flashed her gaze right back at him again as he came up with the idea of wiping her father''s memory of him. "Do not try erasing my father''s memories," she massaged her temples as she couldn''t help but shake her head at this, "Please don''t."


    "Huh..." Fenrir knelt down and picked Pavel off the ground, carrying him towards the closest suburban house and opening the front door. The living room had a dark maroon carpet, vanilla white walls, a television box, and a sofa. There were plenty of stock photographs and paintings on the walls as well.


    He rested the man down on the sofa, before turning to look at Neia who was standing in the doorframe to the entrance of the house. Her eyes rested on him before she crept further inside.


    Her gaze immediately went to the television and her brow raised, before going to the ceiling fan and over to the direction of the kitchen with no door separating it. She walked passed her father and Fenrir and looked it over. Waxed wooden floors, a small dining table for at least five people, and granite counters. The cabinets seemed to be made out of dark wood and the refrigerator was something she had never seen before, it as bigger than any icebox or pantry she had seen.


    "What... Kind of house is this, Fenrir-sama?" Her head turned to look at him curiously as she could hear the water heater going in the basement, despite how subtle it was.


    "Hm... Judging by the design... Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, one kitchen, one common area, and a basement which I assume has a personal laundromat. It''s a small family home." Crossing his arms, he raised a brow at her. From what he knew from her they were not a technologically advanced civilization, but they were more advanced than the Medieval times of Earth.


    "That''s not what I meant... What are these things?" She gestured her two hands out to the electric stove, then towards the microwave and the fridge, to the television as she stepped outside the kitchen and then towards the imagery that obviously weren''t paintings.


    "That''s a stove, the area beneath it that opens up is an oven. That''s a microwave, it''s utilized for warming food up, that''s a television and these are photographs generated by light and ink."


    "Photographs..." Tasting the word on her lips she shrugged lightly and began to wander around the room, looking at pretty much everything. Neia padded on over to a jewelry box and picked it up in one hand.


    "What''s in this?" She tossed it up and down slightly, feeling that it wasn''t empty.


    "Not sure?" Fenrir crossed his arms.


    "Fenrir-sama, Had... uh," she paused as she was caught in thought before continuing to speak, "People ever lived here before?" It was a normal question to ask, considering all the personal junk laying around.


    "Not from my knowledge, no one lived in these houses, they were built and furnished for show." This was truthful, in one way or another. As the house wasn''t originally something someone could enter normally.


    Hearing his answer, Neia could only nod in acknowledgment. Gods creating something because they could don''t sound too far fetched. Though she was rather curious about the clothing and the things she saw in the photographs. One thing added up though, the photos were not all of the same family.


    Turning her attention back to the jewelry box in her hand, she pursed her lips. Popping the lid open with her other hand, she nearly jumped as a song came into motion with a tiny dancing ballerina rotating inside. This caused her to fumble the box, before catching it and accidentally slamming it closed.


    "What...?" Slowly opening it, she peered inside as the Ballerina stood up and begun to spin once more with the song. The clicking from the gears was scarcely perceptible, but she could recognize there was something inside making it tick. Closing the box, "Can I have this?" Neia inquired as her head turned to face Fenrir.


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    Fenrir seemed pleasantly surprised by the things that seemed to be inside the house, and what could be in the others as well. It seemed everything, according to the Ophan''s report, has undoubtedly become real.


    So when she asked if she could have it, he simply nodded and turned his attention over towards her sleeping father. He had used the ��Sleep�� spell on him, nothing too advanced.


    "Thank you..." Neia smiled lightly to herself, looking down at the box and opening it again after having closed it for a second time. The ballerina was heavily detailed, despite how small the face was. She was sure her mother would love something as delicate as this and began wondering if the other houses had similar treasures, or maybe even the other rooms.


    Padding over to her father, she placed the box down on the ground beside her as she crouched to his level. "How long is he going to be asleep, Fenrir-sama? You''ll have about three days until the Paladin Order storms the Citadel with their full force..." Her eyes drifted over to him, "Knowing Grandmaster Remedios-dono."


    "And...?"


    "If you can talk it out with the Order, there may be a chance of there being a peaceful resolution for all of this... If you allow it, I can have my father deliver a message to them" Neia in a way didn''t want a number of the Paladins to die in vain, but at the same time, they''d likely still see him as an aberration. At least Remedios would, especially if she saw the massive furball he could be.


    "We can try it your way, of course, but if it doesn''t work they will run right into their deaths..." Fenrir warned as he frowned as he knew from past events in earth''s history, that humans rarely accepted the unknown. It was clear she had accepted his divinity due to his accomplishments and likely his holy aura.


    He doubted though, that everyone was the same as her. Her mind seemed different, and she appeared fixated on wanting to have someone or something to believe in.


    "Trust me, Fenrir-sama, and I will learn to trust you more," Neia shared a smile with him as to allow her words to appeal to him.


    Fenrir felt a sensation of nostalgia wash over him as he heard her words, though there was no real apparent expression on his face. He could recall the times in which he first joined Ainz Ooal Gown, the Guild which had Conquered the Great Tomb of Nazarick.


    He remembered how he learned to be apart of a team, and for the most part, become friends with everyone he played beside. As they had gone off on dungeon raids and farming, he was often told to trust in the plans of others.


    At first, he didn''t really like the idea of working with others and didn''t trust anyone with his own life. Even if it was just a game, he had led a life that always had someone looking to take from it


    There was only one person he couldn''t become good friends with though and it was that Evil Chuunibyou. While he could find his dark romanticisms quite comedic, he didn''t like the man too much either. Thinking back on it, he wished he could''ve made up with Ulbert, even if it didn''t mean much. Their communication ended when he had left Ainz Ooal Gown, as it did with most of its members except for Momonga and Buku''s brother Peroroncino.


    Fenrir silently thought to himself as his eyes remained on Neia... How was Kazeumi doing? Was she alright? Had he died in the other world? If he did, was she sad? He briefly remembered reports of people disappearing, but he wasn''t sure if it was even related to this at all.


    Picturing her with tears running down her face, his expression contorted and morphed into something equivalent of self-condemnation and grief. A vacant look in his eyes, a strange stinging feeling of guilt making a lump in his throat. He was almost taken by his own imagination.


    "Uh..." Neia raised a brow seeing him this way, not having seen him like this for the past few days that she had known him. "Fenrir-sama?"


    His line of thought interrupted by her small voice, the image in his mind vanished and he resumed a more presentable expression. "Hm?" Hearing her address him by his newly assumed name, he raised a brow. "What is it?"


    "...Are you all alright? You were making a very... Painful expression." She creased her brows as she stared up at him, he was still an impressive figure as he was able to tower over her. His emotions while they were normally hidden behind a stern wall or an arrogant exterior, had been far too clear.


    Seeing as he just nodded in response, she parted her lips before hesitantly moving on, "Can you wake up my father...? Leave me alone with him, so I can talk with him?"


    "Ah... Yes, but I''ll leave the door open," waving a hand over the man, Fenrir cast a spell using silent magic. Without waiting to see Pavel''s eyes flutter open, the proclaimed God was walking out of the house and onto the front lawn.


    Neia remaining by her dad''s side, watched as the man left the house, before turning her gaze to her father once more. Seeing his eyes open, she smiled lightly, "Hey..."


    Nearly immediately Pavel''s arms captured her in a strong embrace, a hug, something she hadn''t gotten or felt from him in a long time. Even though she had gotten a similar embrace earlier when it was revealed she had not been killed.


    "My daughter... Neia," Pavel''s gaze shot forward over her shoulder at the strange box television that was sitting on top of a stand of some sort. His eyes then roamed around the living room, "Where..." His eyes drifted to the open door where the man who had put him to sleep was standing several meters away from in the middle of the yard. "What happened? What did he do to me?" Massaging his eyes with his thumb and index fingers, he sat up on the sofa.


    "He used a spell to make you fall asleep... Fenrir-sama means you no harm."


    "He means me no harm?" His eyes flickered from her to the man outside, then back to her again. "The man-beast didn''t even hesitate to put me under. He threatened your life in order to..."


    Neia was just staring right through him with the very eyes she inherited from him, a deadpan expression, "He''s not a beastman, he''s a God. He didn''t threaten my life Fenrir-sama is just..." Her head turned to look at werewolf, "Lost."

 13 『Price of Peace』

    Gustav''s heart and ambitions were in the right place, it was his solemn duty to protect the Roble Holy Kingdom. Avoiding hostilities between the two groups, the Paladin Order and the Angels, was a genuine choice for the best. A decision that he made before anyone else could make a different one.


    Neia had undoubtedly expressed her Justice and punished the man who had tried to kill her in order to live just a little longer. Death, capital punishment, didn''t bother Fenrir at all.


    His blood was still moist in the air and something Fenrir never expected happened, his mouth was beginning to water. The God swallowed his saliva subtly, hiding the buildup of fluids.


    Back in the Arcology, people died all the time from various things and unrest was settled rather casually. In upper management, he saw it all the time and how swift it was dished out. Rebels were rounded up and permanently removed, corporate espionage ended with death, or something even worse. Human experimentation wasn''t exactly unheard of, considering the technology which had been developed such as the Dive Gear used to play YGGDRASIL in the first place. What was the point of keeping people in prison if they weren''t productive anyway?


    This hadn''t been his first time either, seeing someone die. It was, however, the first time that the sensation, the scent of it, made him hungry. He remembered the first time he saw someone die, he nearly hurled out his morning nutrient paste supplements.


    Poking the tip of his tongue out of his lips like clockwork, his eyes danced over the Paladins before flashing over Neia. Those tears that stained her cheeks, at least they had stopped.


    "Now that the pleasantries have been dealt with, let us get on with these... Negotiations," Fenrir kept those two-toned eyes of his narrowed on the Vice-Captain.


    The Paladins and Neia''s parents both looked to Gustav as the proclaimed God spoke, unsure of how this was all going to pass. Were they ever going to see the true sky above again or just the convincingly false one which made up the ceiling above them?


    "You have come here in order to maintain the peace that has been here since prior to my abrupt... Appearance in your plane, Midgard I''ll assume it is." His eyes were like daggers, his pupils the shape of a hungry wolf''s, but he made no move to lung, showing a great deal of self-control. He didn''t so much as have a twitching lip or irritated spasm of the brow.


    "That is my gravest concern, Fenrir-sama... May I call you that?" Gustav was clearly nervous, though he wasn''t clutching at his stomach anymore. The situation was in his hands after all.


    "Yes, that suits just fine... Now, from what standing would I have by maintaining peace with a politically unstable country?" It was common knowledge amongst perhaps even the Paladins that the South and the North did not get along. From his talks with Neia, he was able to learn a number of things about her country, but it wasn''t everything. She knew too few names, but she wasn''t a master of trivia nor a living encyclopedia.


    "I..." Gustav furrowed his brows hearing those words as if he was supposed to sell his country to a God. He was a Vice-Captain, he was all for his country, but he was no merchant. "We have the support of the Holy Queen, the rightful ruler of the Roble Holy Kingdom. She is far more suited to engage in political affairs pertaining to trade and allocation of resources than the Southern Nobles could ever be. She is beloved by the people. We also conduct trade-off of the continent through our harbors, it would give you the opportunity to reach out toward the greater world."


    "The people do outnumber the Nobility, though I am sure many of the people in the South are sheep..." Fenrir assumed that those in power in the South had a large amount of influence over their people. Their beliefs may be solid on the Four Great Gods, but how would they react to a fifth one coming to power? If she were to endorse him, wouldn''t that cause civil unrest?


    Gustav nodded slowly at the words he spoke. He couldn''t help but agree as people who were under-educated or not educated at all were notably easily influenced by word of mouth.


    "Now..." His pupils were sharp like daggers as he continued to keep his eyes focused on the singular Paladin in front of him. Ignoring all the rest, he would place his elbow on the arm of his chair, leaning his cheek into his fist. "I will be blatant, what matters most to me is knowledge and optimization. Your writing system is different from mine, I need academic material to learn it and maps pertaining to areas outside of my view." Fenrir gestured towards the World Atlas which was not too far away from the throne where Anima Espa was standing, watching over it. "Your skills as well, they work differently... And the way you create magical items differs greatly. This plane''s mechanics interfere with our own."


    In the end, Gustav found that offering information had been and will always be the greatest currency. Everything that he implied he needed from them, was information and knowledge. If he denied them this, he could easily just take it, but that wouldn''t benefit his homeland at all.


    The visitors looked to where Fenrir had gestured towards and stared at the construct, a heavily scaled-down animated world that reached into their neighbor''s territories. If they looked close enough, they''d be able to see the beastmen moving along the treeline to observe the tower they were standing in.


    They could even see the Harpies that they had lost track of following the messenger into the Re-Estize Kingdom. What they couldn''t see however was that there was even a semi-solid mass hovering along the windows of the Valencia Royal Palace.


    It seemed he had already taken on measures to get information on the other Kingdoms.


    "Fenrir-sama, if I may, those flying women... What are they exactly?" Gustav asked as he could see the pieces hovering above the board, just like any other bird or flying animal that was present.


    Taking in a slow inhale through his nose, he could smell the blood still. The Draugr were hacking away at a corpse, the sounds though were merely disturbing to him due to his inclination towards enjoying the silence. "Svartr Harpies, lead by the Champion of Darkness Nyriane, their Queen."


    "Svartr?" Gustav and the others tasted the word on their tongues, not quite sure what it meant.


    "Black. It references the color of their feathers and the title in which their Queen holds." His voice sounded rather dull as if it was just reciting something he had already said a thousand times over.


    "Darkness..." Gustav centered his attention on the title in which the Champion held. "Forgive me for trying to quench my curiosity," he gave a smile of anxiousness, he was clearly nervous.


    "While some say curiosity killed the cat, it can sometimes be a regrettable course of action to try and suppress one''s thirst... Especially if your superiors ask you the same questions." Fenrir understood the chain of command and what one''s high-ups may favor to ask. "That being said... As things are right now, would you be able to deliver these requested items for the peace you so wish to keep?"


    "Those... Are the only things you wish to obtain through this meeting, Fenrir-sama?" Gustav was rather surprised to hear this considering how powerful he was and the things he could gain.


    "You are a mere Vice-Captain of a militant institution supported by the Kingdom it serves. Knowingly so, your powers of reach are far more limited than your Queen." Fenrir felt like he was playing some sort of political roleplaying game, "I can only assume everything must be finalized through her... Am I not correct?"


    "Umu," His head lowered at this observation and keen assumption, he wasn''t wrong. The only one who could authorize something such as this, no matter how menial, was the Queen herself or an official ambassador sent by her Holy Majesty.


    "There is however one thing that you can permit right away... I wish for Neia Baraja to be my personal Squire and my assistant." Fenrir could hear her heartbeat pick up in pace in his ear despite how many feet she was away from his head. "She will act as a liaison between the Roble Holy Kingdom and Hel''s Citadel until one is properly prepared." This wasn''t a request, with his tone, they could quite tell he was informing them rather than asking.


    "F-Fenrir-sama?!" Neia blurted out in surprise, he hadn''t told her any of this until he had spoken of it just now. Though she was technically already his squire due to her kneeling before him, it was clear that this was indeed an odd makeup.


    "I look forward to working closely with you," Fenrir grinned the girl who was wearing the defensive jacket and gloves he had supplied. So far all they had done was small talk and training, but mostly training.


    "With the power invested in me, I am capable of making such arrangements," Gustav tried not to chuckle at the flustered Squire. "Since her induction into the Order as a Squire, she has proven herself useful time and time again serving under her peers."


    "..." Pavel looked over his daughter for a short, brief, instance before giving a mental sigh. She was having responsibilities dropped right onto her without being told beforehand. He supposed this was what it means to see one''s child growing up, especially as she was becoming flustered.


    Her mother didn''t very much like the scheme, the only person that a Paladin could serve is their ruling sovereign. While she couldn''t argue that the responsibilities he was placing upon her were bad, she didn''t see her following in her footsteps... Not in the way that she assumed she would.


    "Good..." Fenrir hardly really gave her parents a second glance, but he could tell that neither of them were comfortable.


    Pavel seemed to be a doting and protective father and her mother seemed to be a loyal Paladin who followed the rule book considering she hadn''t been the one to rush in to try and save their daughter who was presumed dead.


    "Now, in regards to the Holy Queen," his eyes shifted towards the Northern Capital on the fully simulated Atlas of the surrounding world. "How quickly do you think you''d be able to process these requests through her?" It was clear his eyes were showing impatience as they almost lifelessly came floating back over to Gustav like driftwood.


    "It would require several hours in order to return to the Capital, if not longer than a day, on horseback. Then it may take weeks in order to... Days in order to gain an audience with the Queen." Gustav didn''t seem to like the way that he had been giving a glance in the direction of their holy city.


    "And if I were to want an immediate audience with the Queen? Where would I go?"


    "Fenrir-sama, you''re not going to kidnap the Holy Queen are you?" Neia muttered under her breath, but despite the fact that she had said it so quietly, the wolf could still hear her as plain as day.


    Letting out an amused chuckle hearing her, it seemed as if life reclaimed his gaze as he looked to her. "Now why would I do that?" His tone was no longer dull but instead became light and near-mellow. Though if he did go through with kidnapping the Queen, just how much could he gain?


    "Eh!?" Neia shook her head in surprise, "Forgive me, Fenrir-sama, I meant nothing by it..." As her voice faded out, it was as if she was losing the ability to speak just from the fear of offending him.


    While her fear was justified, he had no reason nor desire to harm her. At the state she was now, she was nothing more than a flea if he really wanted to crush her.


    Reaching over as he lifted his cheek from his fist, he grasped the sleeve of her tunic between his thumb and knuckle of her index finger, she nearly flinched. "No need to apologize. As you are my Squire, you may speak freely with me, just mind your tongue during sensitive matters."


    Neia slowly dipped her head and rose it once more, agreeing to mind herself before speaking.


    Gustav could see the favoritism in the way Fenrir acted towards her compared to him and the rest of the Paladins present. Though at the same time, he didn''t seem to sense any animosity which he supposed was a good thing.


    "The Royal Palace of Hoburns," the Vice-Captain reported as he raised his hand to point to the specific building upon the World Atlas. "Captain Remedios Custodio of our Paladin Order must''ve been directly dispatched from there..." His eyes rested on the dozen or so horses that were arriving near the wall. It appeared that his Captain had arrived earlier than expected.


    Fenrir''s gaze followed the finger in which it pointed to, matching the target. Then his gaze traced over to where Gustav was actually looking as he was pointing. There where the small figurines were moving along the Great Wall was a singular female with a bobbed hair cut.


    "That must be Captain Remedios," with his sharp vision he could see that she wasn''t very pleasant. She seemed to be shouting at a Paladin that reported directly to her before she went up onto the wall in order to view the Citadel itself much closer.


    From the corner of his eye he could see the Vice-Captain was grasping at his stomach.


    "Is that a preexisting condition... Gustav-dono?" Fenrir asked as he raised a brow.


    "Ah... Yes, I''ve been trying my hand at learning Divination Magic in order to heal it," Gustav was rather forthcoming, but his eyes never left that of the Captain which was glaring at the tower.


    Reaching into his item box, the movement caught the Captain''s eye especially when Fenrir pulled a red potion out of thin air. "These should work here just as they had done in my previous plane..." He tossed the vial towards the human male.


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    Gustav threw his hands forward to catch it and started fumbling the glass object filled with irregular red liquid. "Wh-what is this!?" He finally caught the item in both hands, his eyes wide.


    "Healing Potion, a minor one, another matter in which this plane of existence has interfered with. The refining process doesn''t work the same here." Fenrir almost growled at this but refrained from doing so. It was as if this world was fighting against him, but in reality, the world had been here far before him so it was quite the opposite.


    Nodding slowly at his words, Gustav assumed he would be getting academic literature referring to such topics for the man to translate and learn from. Popping the glass lid to the potion, he brought the liquid to his lips and downed at least half of the crimson red fluid.


    Near immediately he felt the stomach cramps fade away as a green-hued light briefly overtook him. It was an interesting sensation, but he felt the potion had been entirely wasted on him.


    Gustav felt entirely renewed by this thoughtless gift. His eyes darted from the potion bottle and over to Fenrir who sat there looking him over. It was as if he had given it to him intentionally to see if it actually worked! It didn''t matter though, because it did work, even if it was probably temporary especially as he turned to look at the great wall once more.


    It was as if he could hear his own Captain cursing at him for not waiting and acting on his own.


    "How well versed is the Queen in using the spell ''Message'' to communicate from afar?" Fenrir inquired once more, curious if the people of this world could use such a skill.


    "Ah... That particular spell has a bad omen following after it," Gustav shook his head lightly as he returned his attention to the man on the throne. "There had been wars fought because of a misinterpreted message in the far east of the continent. Though those nations have since fallen, we have learned from their mistakes."


    "Oh..." Fenrir''s eye twitched slightly at this, "Wars you say?"


    "Was that the reason why you asked for our Queen''s likely location, Fenrir-sama?" Gustav gave a faint smile at this lowered his head lightly, letting it bob subtly in place.


    "Partially, but it also allowed me to know where to go if I ever wanted to..." Fenrir snapped his fingers and vanished from sight, before he placed his hand on Gustav, revealing he had teleported beside him. The Vice-Captain had nearly jumped out of his skin, as he had lurched forward from the touch. It was evident though that he could quickly stop himself and turn his head to see his host.


    When he had reappeared like this, the others only naturally took a step back in shock.


    "...Make a surprise visit," the werewolf said as he closed one eye, as he had revealed what he could do in a split second. He could''ve killed them all before they even blinked, not only that, but he could suddenly just appear in the Kingdom''s capital... Or even the Royal Castle.


    "I... I see..." Gustav hesitantly spoke in acknowledgment of his few words.


    "Back in my old world, I was known as Fenrir the God-Killer, but I am also known as the Holy Sovereign, Seeker of the Holy Shadows a byproduct of Light and subsidiary of Darkness." Fenrir let his hand slip from the Paladin''s shoulder and fall to his side as he padded along back to his throne and rested back down into his seat almost casual-like.


    "As this is an informal meeting, I still expect the words we shared to be upheld for if you want the peace to be upheld in return... Gustav-dono, you have five days as your deadline." Drumming his fingers on the arm of his throne, he smirked at the Paladins present along with Pavel. "The Barajas may stay if they wish, but if not... They must leave with you."


    Gustav nodded lightly and went to hand the bottle back to him, but Fenrir simply raised a hand. "No need to return it... Have your potion makers analyze it all you want... Think of it as Goodwill and in hopes that you deliver on your promises on time..."

 14 『Backward Talent 』

    "Are you retarded!?" The voice of Custodio rang out in Gustav''s ears, boggling his mind and bothering his stomach with perpetual cramps.


    In a blink of an eye, he had returned to the Great Wall overlooking the base of the Citadel of Hel. The three paladins and Pavel the Black that had accompanied him before were standing beside him, flanking him at either side.


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    As his superior was shouting at him, his eyes flickered down to the red potion in his hand, nursing it as he rolled his wrist. Debating on drinking it as his free hand grasped at his stomach. He was pretty sure Fenrir had done this on purpose, probably even watching as all his went down.


    This was surely stress-related and despite this potion being somewhat of a cure-all it definitely did not stop him from getting upset or from his conditions worsening. His eyes rested on his superior officer as she went on screaming at him.


    "You went ahead and negotiated with a beastman!?" She growled, seeing as there was no reason to negotiate with something that she saw as the embodiment of evil incarnate. "What kind of world do you live in, that you think this is okay? Do you think negotiating with a beast will stop him from climbing our walls, and murdering our people? Wasn''t the whole point of mobilizing the Paladin Order to kill the demonic beast that attacked our troops!?"


    Gustav let out a sigh hearing her argument which was inherently flawed at nearly a hundred percent. They hadn''t been the ones to had been attacked, but the ones who had attacked him. It was completely backward and yet she saw it in a completely different way.


    Keeping his calm, Gustav spoke to the woman, he had no problem talking to his superior Captain. "The one known as Fenrir, the beast you claim is evil, didn''t kill a single one of our Paladins."


    "What about the one that didn''t come back...? The Squire, if I am not mistaken." Her eyes flashed over towards Pavel the Black and then over to the Paladin that was standing beside him. Those were the parents of the girl. Her eyes moved down to see that Pavel was holding an extra-sword, one which belonged to a Squire as it was not imbued with holy magics.


    "Was that Squire not eaten or killed during the first expedition?" Remedios seemed to be trying to compose herself as there was hardly any reaction to her outburst and Gustav''s claim. His words meant something to her at least, and she wasn''t going to throw them away, even if she disagreed.


    "She was presumed dead," Gustav started as he shook his head lightly, "But she is very much alive and serving as a liaison between us and him. You know of Pavel the Black, yes?" He gestured towards the member of the nine colors which was standing beside him, "It''s his daughter."


    Remedios eyes drifted over the father of the Squire and raised a brow of her own, "Where is your bow?" She was curious about this as she knew of his exploits as a Nine Color due to his rankings.


    "Under orders, Pavel was sent into scout out the situation further, but he was expected. Somehow the being known as Fenrir appeared behind him... Showing he was capable of teleportation. After that, we didn''t see him for hours until his return... Fenrir released him, and that''s when we learned the truth. Our people entered his domain and attacked him without proper provocation." Gustav spoke as he kept a calm disposition visible to those around him and the woman before him. He could no lose his cool here, he knew that much.


    "That doesn''t answer my question, what happened to your bow?" Remedios wanted to know the answer to her question and she was ignoring Gustav who was offering an explanation. He had neglected to answer it forthright.


    "He destroyed it, Captain Remedios, he had be surrender my armaments and broke it under his foot." Pavel''s lip twitched lightly at the remembrance of such a thing happening to his weapon.


    "Oh?" Remedios looked him over for a few moments before crossing her arms, "And your daughter is alive inside that tower? What exactly had she offered him to grant such mercy? Has she become a traitor to the Paladin Order? Her incompetence with a swo-..."


    "That''s enough, Remedios. There is nothing she could have told him that he wouldn''t have already known," Gustav put a hand up to silence his superior before she could go on an abusive rant. "And with all due respect, you should consider her more of a captive in this regard."


    "Captive?" Remedios blinked at the idea of the Squire being held as a hostage. Though who exactly would hold back for a Squire? It would be one thing if it was a child, but a teenage combatant?


    "He has a particular interest in Pavel''s daughter, she is quite literally the only reason he did not obliterate our forces surrounding the Citadel of Hel." Gustav was convinced of this even though Fenrir hadn''t said a word indicating as such.


    "Hel? As in Hell? The..." Her eyes slowly shifted towards the tower once more, seeing all the frost which covered the ground and crowded up along the exterior of the wall. "Hell is supposed to be covered in hell''s inferno! I don''t see any demons here!"


    "It''s not the Hell we''re thinking of," Gustav scratched the side of his head lightly, "He comes from another Plane... He didn''t go into much detail, but I''ve seen the angels who serve him."


    "Angels?" Remedios tucked her fingers under her chin, not quite buying the whole idea of angels serving something as evil and crooked as a beastman. Though seeing as the creature had not only taken a Squire captive due to having an interest in them, and sparing the rest, it was almost as if the individual had the mind of a human or even a heteromorphic creature. "How many Angels did you see?"


    "Two," Gustav sweatdropped, "One in the main corridor and one in the throne room that has a false sky above. It was rather convincing until one spotted the shattered moon... There was also a woman with red dragon wings protruding from her back, similar to the Dragon Queen. Other than them, there was only one other human there, she was watching over a massive map that allowed instant surveillance of Our Territory, the Re-Estize Kingdom and a large portion of the Theocracy. He can even see us now..."


    "Wait, he can see us... From in there? That''s preposterous, I don''t even see any windows!" She looked to the massive fortress, it was as if the construct was built solely for structural integrity. "Such a magical item would be... Invaluable in fighting against the enemies of our nation. To think such an Evil creature has his hands on a thing capable of greatness..."


    "He proclaims himself a Holy Sovereign and his official title as the God-killer," Gustav said blankly as to try and turn her away from believing that this being known to them as Fenrir was in fact, not evil. If he had been such, he wouldn''t have held back, he would''ve just taken what he wanted.


    "God-Killer? Is he looking to kill the four Gods? Hah! As if the Holy Queen would allow him to just waltz into our realm and destroy our temples!" She completely twisted it around to fit her world view, "And Holy Sovereign? What kind of bullshit is that? How can a beast be holy? His kind sees us as food! Our Queen is the only Holy being alive who can stand over us..."


    Pavel and the Paladins behind Gustav just watched this go on. This woman was arrogant and clearly had something wrong with her mind. Many of her peers thought this and they weren''t alone. Even Pavel had to disagree with what the woman was spouting.


    Fenrir looked human, aside from his animalistic ears and the probability of a tail tightly tucked into his armor. He spoke as a human and aside from the fear that he inspired in Neia should she come close to offending him, well, he couldn''t see the werewolf as a blood-lusting monster.


    "You are completely misunderstanding what I am saying, Captain, he does not want to kill our gods. He is a God, expelled from the same realm ours came from! There is no other way to explain what I saw inside that Tower..." Gustav tried not to hiss towards his leader and instead raised his voice ever so slightly. This at least let her know that she was currently moving things out of line and likely creating an unnecessary problem.


    "What you saw? What could you have seen that would make you believe he is a God? Did he do something to your brain, Gustav?" Remedios crossed her arms tightly over her chest, hardly believing in the idea that a being such as a wolf could be a god of any kind.


    "It''s bigger on the inside..." Pavel reported as he stepped up beside the Vice-Captain, "It has false skies as Gustav has said..." His gaze shifted to the top of the tower.


    "The first level of the Citadel is a massive forest with a giant tower in the center," one of the Paladins spoke up as well and stood on the opposite side of the Executive Officer. "What you proclaim to be a beast, started out as a man who stood at least eight feet tall. He was capable of transforming in several seconds."


    "Transforming...?" Remedios could hardly understand the idea of a human being becoming a monster and then reverting back afterward. This had to be some sort of trick right? That was what she thought at least, "It must''ve been some sort of trick in order to lull you into thinking otherwise. So you would approach."


    "No, that''s not what happened," the Paladin huffed under their helmet as the woman seemed adamant of villainizing the self-proclaimed God. "Remedios-sama, He went from being eight feet tall, two twice the size of a full-grown horse. It broke a holy sword with its bare hands... Then it let us go..."


    "Tch," the Captain of the Paladin Order simply stared at the subordinate who spoke up to her. "And even if you say Angels were following him, what makes you think they weren''t just Devils in disguise?" She shook her head as if blowing everything away, twisting it to make sense in her mind.


    "...You have... Yet... To Meet... Fenrir-sama..." These words were eerily echoing from behind her, the voice was raspy and it didn''t sound all that human, to begin with, other than the speech used.


    Remedios narrowed her eyes forward as she knew there was no possible way someone was standing behind her. There was the half-wall that kept anyone from falling over onto the grounds below. So, who was it who dared go behind her?


    Turning her head, she was nearly face to face with a very unholy looking angel. Its wings and body seemed shriveled, it looked more undead than it did divine, "��Detect Undead��!" She immediately spouted out a spell, there were negative results, it was not an undead. "��Detect Evil��!" Once more, the Angel was not evil.


    "Such... A... Rude Mortal..." Pelleon wasn''t happy, even with its raspy voice, that was distinctively clear as the tone had almost become violent. However, the Angel itself remained stoic, not that it could make much of an expression anyway with its flaky exterior.


    The Captain nearly panicked, moving to draw her sword, "What is this thing!?"


    "That is an Angel, I believe it was the one in the corridor that teleported us directly to Fenrir-sama''s location..." Gustav had automatically started using the honorific the moment the creature had appeared. It was clear he feared its wrath, especially the kind he saw in its inhuman eyes. He rested his hand on Remedios, trying to stop her from doing so. "If you draw your sword, it might slay you instead! Keep your head!"


    "Listen... To your... Commander... Captain..." Pelleon uttered as it reached forward and placed its bony hand upon the teeth of the low barrier that lined the upper half of the Great Wall. "Or... You will... Be exterminated for looking down on..." The Angel paused in mid-speech before leaning back and turning its head away.


    Pavel and his wife were now walking away, leaving the others alone with the heteromorphic being. It seemed they didn''t want to get involved in that, especially if it got out of hand.


    As sweat began to bead down the side of her forehead, Remedios glanced over towards Gustav who was nodding to her. Essentially helping her calm down and regain her composure.


    Facing the Captian of the Paladins once more, the Angel put a finger under its chin. It was looking over Remedios for a split moment before shaking its head. "... Fenrir-sama has... Offered you an invitation... To view the Atlas... Will you accept...?"


    Remedios stared at the being, still not really believing this thing was an Angel. All the Angelic summon she had seen followed some sort of uniform appearance. This creature? It wasn''t donned in white-robed armor, while it had a stoic face, it didn''t look holy at all! Her fingers tightened into a fist on top of the pommel of her sheathed weapon.


    "The thing he is using to spy on our nation and the rest of the world? Hah!" Her head turned to the side as she glared to the ground, this was an opportunity, but it could be a trap.


    Letting her eyes fixate upon the disgusting looking being from Hel, she rolled her jaw, feeling her chin in thought with her free hand. "Why does he offer this now? Is he watching me at this very moment?"


    "He... Has... Been since... Gustav... Was returned..." Pelleon answered in hushed slow and raspy speech, though not one of subservience, but one of irritation and blatant annoyance. "Alliance... Or depart..." Its eyes moved to Gustav, "Would you... Prefer a direct... Portal to... The Capital City...?"


    "Portal?" Remedios was confused as to where the Angel''s attention was now going after uttering Alliance or depart. She could only assume that it meant if they didn''t kneel, they would perish. That is how it sounded to her. Though it was more so if they didn''t form an alliance, there was no reason to tolerate them near the citadel. Nor would there be a reason to protect them either.


    "If Fenrir-sama is offering transportation, I don''t see a reason to decline his offer," Gustav took out a piece of parchment that had been handed to him prior to his ejection from the citadel. It had a list of what he wanted, written by Neia, rather than God since he could not read nor write in their native languages. "It would make meeting the deadline much easier..."


    With her eyes locked on him, Remedios didn''t like the fact that he was using such honorifics towards a being who was not even human and was evil in her eyes simply due to his description.


    With the casting of ��Gate��, a portal opened up a few feet away from Gustav, a popping sound ripping through the air at the very moment of its appearance.


    When they all turned to face it, they were greeted by a swirling mass of magical energy. It could lead to just about anywhere, and they could assume that, even after the Angel had told them where it went.


    Running a hand through his hair, Gustav gave his potion one last glance, before resting his eyes on the mysterious portal that the Angel had likely summoned. "This goes to Hoburns...?"


    "Yes... it does... Please, step forward..." Pelleon gestured with its hand as if acting friendly.


    Gustav let out a sigh before letting his eyes rest on Remedios, "Would you be willing to come within order to see the Holy Queen? I am sure she would be eager to hear your thoughts on the matter."


    "Naturally!" Remedios spoke almost pompously before marching through the portal without a seconds hesitation. Mentioning the queen was probably what got her to freely enter the portal in the first place, and he knew this.


    Giving the Angel a once-over, he bowed his head before turning away and walking through the portal after his commanding officer. Leaving the next highest-ranking official on the wall in charge.


    With a wave of his hand, the portal vanished and Pelleon let out a slow exhale. His eyes turned towards the Paladins which were now watching it from a distance.


    To them, it had just emerged from the mist and held a conversation with their superiors. It was a monstrous-looking thing that had made them vanish after walking through a portal of some sort.


    There was obvious animosity towards Pelleon due to his non-angelic features, due to his appearance being the representation of decay and pestilence. "How... Unnerving..."


    Its eyes wandered over the face of many Paladin, and soldiers who had arrived for the mobilization. Its gaze resting on Orlando and Pavel, along with the man''s wife, as they were talking in a secluded area by the main tent behind the Great Wall.


    They hardly even gave him a glance, not that it really meant much if it did. Others seemed to be sharing information, communicating. However, because of Remedios blowing up as she did, there were plenty of rumors already going around despite this.


    Gustav going traitor, Remedios being fucked in the head and ready to get them all killed, the creature inside is actually the devil. There were plenty of things going on that the angel could hear ever so subtly. Yet it said nothing as it turned and began to hover back towards the open mouth of the citadel. It was returning to the first floor, its assigned location, as it no longer had a reason to be outside and putting itself at risk.


    This was the first time it had seen the exterior, and Pelleon, he found it considerably enjoyable.

 15 『Impatience is Virtue』

    Meanwhile, at the Royal Palace of Hoburns, it seemed a pair of individuals had arrived beforehand in advance.


    Frowning as she stood beside a man clad in robed half-plate armor, Neia had her white wolf eared hood up, her eyes blacked out to those ahead of her by the metallic visor that covered the upper half of her face starting from her nose. Her black cloak was once more adorned on her shoulders, and the bow had been moved to her lower back. The scabbard to her previous sword had been replaced by a much smaller one, fit for a brilliant Mithril bladed turquoise green Tanto that had a solid black hilt decorated in True Silver notches along the grip.


    Fenrir ran his hand through his short black hair, his two-toned eyes focused forward.


    "Fenrir-sama, is it really necessary that we stand here? If we''re standing here by the time the Captain enters the hall of the Royal Palace, she will surely fuss. Even if her sister told us to wait here..." She spoke in an overly hushed voice, composedly peering over the man, clearly seeing his impatience as he dragged the bottom of his foot along the Palace floors.


    Smugly turning his gaze to look towards the girl, Fenrir raised a brow, "Don''t you wish to see the woman squirm? The one who has only gotten her position through her talent alone?"


    Neia blinked hearing the words that traveled out of his mouth and into her ears. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. This god, Fenrir, wanted to make someone squirm just because she didn''t like them? Was he trying to curry favor with her? No one has ever done such a thing, let alone teleported them from several miles away and directly to the Royal Palace.


    Her eyes shifted forward as she stood there, both as his Squire and as the Liaison between the Roble Holy Kingdom and Hel''s Citadel. It was definitely awkward, that was for sure.


    That''s when it came to mind, the only person who would recognize Fenrir would be Gustav. If Remedios came, she wouldn''t even know who she was looking at! Glancing over at Fenrir once more, she narrowed her eyes on the top of his head to see that the animalistic ears were gone.


    A humble smile formed over her lips, now understanding a bit more why he chose to stand here of all places. The one thing that made her curious though was the reaction she might see, she felt anxious and even excited, but only a little bit.


    He had been training her to the bone, revitalizing her and having her go at it again. While she enjoyed her meager breaks whenever he let her be, allowing her to savor peace, she couldn''t help but see that he was following the oath in which she had given him. He was making her stronger, preparing her for her promise.


    "You needn''t appease me, Fenrir-sama, I... I implore you, If you spoil me too much, what will others have to say? This humble servant will faithfully serve you, with or without your gifts."


    Fenrir''s gaze rested emptily on the female who was standing there beside him in the center of the Grand Hall. "Hmmm... You assume I care that you''re from common origins, or what other people think. Does a god choose between noble and commoner, peasant and slave? You are my personal squire, my devotee, my champion. I order you to drown in my affections. Any objections, Girl?"


    "Uh..." Before Neia could even fathom a response to Fenrir''s exchange, she stood there with her mouth agape as the doors of the Great Hall abruptly burst open.


    Remedios came trudging in through the massive double doors, her armored boots attacking the floor with each step she made. One could only imagine how much harder she needed to bring down her feet before the world metaphorically cracked open beneath them to swallow her whole.


    Gustav was close in tow, clearly keeping her from seething over like a boiling pot of water. "Captain! We''re in the Royal Palace, we need to calm down... We can''t see the Queen in such an unfit manner. Please, we have to..."


    "Who are you!? Move to the wayside!" Remedios stopped several steps behind the armored man and the female wearing a wolf-themed hooded gambeson. It didn''t quite register right away it seemed, and Fenrir also didn''t move an inch. "We are on urgent business to see her Majesty the Holy Queen! Be out of our way, Sir Knight!"


    "Eh?" Gustav stared at the two of them, not able to say a single word as in his free hand was the written details of the negotiations.


    "Urgent business? Hm. Your Priestess said to wait here out in the hall, we are merely following decorum. Shouldn''t you do the same?" Fenrir asked without turning his head completely to see the lady, resting his ice-blue eye on the woman.


    His eye took in her short bobbed brown hair, every detail of her sharp chin and heart-shaped face. She looked very similar to the priestess he had just met, confirming their relations.


    Nearly growling, "I am the Captain of the Paladin Order, it''s Grand Master! I serve directly under her Majesty... I have not seen you before, but the Queen will not have a Knight serving her that does not recognize greater authority, no matter the quality of your armaments!" She pointed at him as if she was standing so much higher above him on the hierarchy of life and death. There was no fear in her eyes, even as she saw the singular eye rest its gaze upon her.


    "Oh? So this is what passes as a Paladin these days? Hmph," Fenrir scoffed in her face as he turned to face her and just then the back of her armor-plated glove clashed with the side of his face. Letting his head move with the force she had struck him with, not even a single red flush appeared across his face as he turned to face her once more.


    A sweatdrop formed over Gustav''s brow.


    Remedios who noted the hardness of the man''s bone and overall density tensed as she looked to her sword hand. Pain surging from her wrist and up her arm, she tried to shake it off. "What... Are you made out of?"


    "You would have to be over a particular level of ability to do any memorable damage to me... This only bolsters my inquiry... Are you even qualified for your position?" Fenrir''s ran his tongue along his incisors, sucking on the back of his teeth. "How could a Grand Master such as you lose your cool so suddenly?"


    "Wha-?! Do not patronize me!" Remedios painfully curled her sword hand into a fist, holding back from wanting to hit him for her own sake. So instead she pointed at him with her other hand, "How dare you speak to me like this!"


    "Captain..." the Vice-Captain of the Paladin Order went to raise a hand to her shoulder.


    Remedios shrugged off her second in command, "Not now Gustav!"


    "But..." Gustav winced lightly as he rested his gaze on the back of Remedios''s head before sharing a gaze with Fenrir for a couple of seconds as he was clutching his stomach.


    "Not now!" Remedios barked towards him with a permeating frown across her lips.


    "Your Commanding Officer seems... Emotionally compromised," Fenrir kept his gaze on Gustav now, turning around to fully face them both, revealing his two-toned eyes and most of his extraordinarily handsome sculpted features. His eyes then rested on Remedios alone, "How unprofessional. Controlled by your convictions and self-righteousness... to the point that you''re blind. Don''t strain yourself too much now."


    "You''re definitely doing this on purpose..." Remedios gnarred angrily wanting to attack him, but surely had no means other than the draw her sword. She couldn''t do that here, not on the Palace grounds. "You dare to come to the Royal Palace and slander me! Such disrespect does not belong in this holy place!"


    "Oh? So you''re one of those ''Holier than thou are'' types? I find your lack of faith disturbing..." Fenrir reached forward, his hand moving faster than the trained Paladin could react, and grasped her throat.


    Hoisting her into the air with one hand, she watched as she squirmed a couple feet off the air. He wasn''t choking her, but she was still kicking her feet about, bashing her gauntlet against his arm to no avail.


    "Put me down! Now! Gustav do something!" Remedios coiled her legs around his arm, and yet she still couldn''t break free. His fingers weren''t budging no matter how much pressure she applied!


    After a few minutes, she let her legs just dangle as she uncomfortably hung there.


    Snickering, Fenrir raised a brow, "Are you finished having a tantrum?"


    "What did you just say?" The woman''s face darkened at his words as he was calling her an unbehaving child. Though it wasn''t really all that far from the truth.


    "Are you finished?" That was when Fenrir''s ears perked up from the top of his head, revealing who he was almost immediately. His eyes seemed to let loose an ominous glow as she could feel his fingers slowly tightening, but not enough to break her.


    As her airways were beginning to become constricted, she nodded, "Y-yes...!"


    Fenrir released her throat after lowering her slightly and allowed her to harmlessly land upon her feet. Watching as she coughed and felt at her neck, he could see those hateful eyes on him.


    "Aberrant Abomination... You dare set foot in our Royal Palace?! Let me cut those ears off, so you look less inhumane!" Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, "Demi-humans are not permitted here!"


    "...You compare me to such creatures... You''re acting no different from them, go ahead and draw your sword, I''ll smite your delusional ass!"


    Gasping at his words, she nearly drew her weapon halfway from its scabbard, only for Gustav to halt her weapon from leaving its sheath. "Uwah!? WHY DO YOU MENTION MY BUTTOCKS?!"


    Laughing, Fenrir shouted back at her in kind, "Because it should''ve remained snapped shut, the perky thing that it is! Respect your Gods before your fine form breaks down and crumbles!"


    "You are no God! Saying otherwise is Heresy!" The shouting from Remedios echoed through the great hall. "...Wait... What?" She was completely thrown off by his last line, having only noticed it after she called his claim to godhood heresy. "Did you just..."


    Turning her head to the side, Neia finally glanced over towards the red-faced Remedios, who was now at a loss for words. He had just been on a campaign of insults and degradation, only to compliment her looks in the middle of it. Trying not to smile at the occurrence she turned forward once more, not facing them at all as she fiddled with her Tanto on her belt.


    "And you!" Suddenly Remedios turned her attention to Neia, now able to identify her due to the company she was kept by, "You dare betray the Kingdom in which you serve for this heretic!? I will have you--"


    KAKAKACRACK!


    Fenrir''s fist was planted within the nearby wall, between Remedios''s gaze and where Neia was standing. That ominous aura had begun to increase, his passive aura of fear instinctively activating.


    Everyone seemed to be frozen in place by his action.


    Neia could feel a tingling sensation running through the back of her head, but she was not being held in place by the aura of fear like it had once done before. Her eyes slowly shifted to the side.


    "This is only the first taste of my aura... Do you wish to experience true horror?" A shadowy mist began to seep from his shoulders and dissipate about a foot into the air.


    Remedios felt like a gimp, her legs wouldn''t move on their own and they were like jello, her legs were shaking within the metal tins that were considered plate armor. Her lips parted, almost quivering, getting the feeling she would be devoured at any moment by the giant wolf that hid in human skin.


    Gustav himself had been just like Neia when she first came across him, staring like a deer in headlights, unable to move even if their life depended on it.


    Deactivating his passive, Remedios dropped to her knees, having since released her sword in favor of holding her head. Her breathing was somewhat labored, her body was covered in goosebumps and her gaze was matched with the floor only.


    "Insult me as you wish. Do not threaten, do not bully and do not snub those who are MINE," Fenrir''s jaw hastily snapped at her before he retracted his hand from the wall, his gaze shifting towards it for several seconds.


    Gustav holding his stomach, sighed as his legs were subtly shaking still, he was struggling to stand. His eyes moved to look to Neia, rather surprised to see her relatively unaffected.


    Remedios had lifted her head when he had declared that Neia was his, her eyes widened. To her, it sounded like Fenrir claimed ownership as if Neia was his slave or an object he held possession over. Demi-humans, beastmen, did the same and he had referred to her as the very same. Yet, if that came to reason, what did that make him in return?


    "��Restoration��," cast a single spell upon the wall, a spell used to fix a broken object to their original unbroken forms using the divine spell school, a spell from YGGDRASIL for fixing low to mid-level items. Within seconds a sudden and abrupt flash of green light briefly engulfed the gash in the wall. The moment the lumination cleared away, the wall had been reverted to its previous state.


    Yet on the floor, there were still fragments of the wall littering the ground at his feet.


    "Nee-sama...?" Kelart''s voice smoothly entered the hall as she was standing several paces ahead of the Holy Queen, Calca. Her eyes were fixated on her sister who seemed to be trapped on her knees, "When did you return from the Great Wall? We haven''t been expecting you for days... Is something wrong?"


    Remedios, using Gustav as support, forced herself noisily back onto her feet as her armored shifted around her legs. "I... I am fine," her words didn''t sound convincing but her tone was most definitely stubborn. Drifting her gaze passed her sister, she stood straight, "Calca-sama!"


    "Remedios!" A cheerful voice saturated the elongated room, "Welcome back. I assume matters have been handled along the..." The Holy Queen''s talk faded out as her gaze was set upon the twitching wolf ears upon the top of Fenrir''s head, his back to her. "...Great Wall?"


    She had taken notice of the ambient Holy Aura which surrounded him, it seemed to highlight him in an almost supernatural vibrance. Kelart had noticed this before, but Remedios had blatantly ignored it.


    Turning on a dime and in a bow, Fenrir was now bending in subservience, but merely formal respect. He then corrected his posture by raising himself perfectly. "Her Majesty," he addressed the Queen.


    "...You must be the one named Fenrir, right? I couldn''t help but hear the shouting, I am sorry if my subjects have been rude to you," Her voice was sweet as honey, matching the gold bangs that hung over her forehead, those long blonde locks decorating her back. She was dressed in a white and blue dress with a crown of royalty settled just above her forehead. "What brings you here in such urgency?"


    Including his head briefly before straightening it out, he replied in earnest, "Yes, I am Fenrir, and I am here to announce my presence, as my dwelling has graced your wall, Fair Queen. I hail from YGGDRASIL, the Nine Warring Planes of the Gods. It is a pleasure to meet your Acquaintance."


    Blinking at his proclamation, she wasn''t quite sure how to take someone who was proclaiming themselves a god before her. Though there had been many gods in the past, the Four Great Gods were the ones primarily worshipped in her Kingdom.


    Courtesying before him, "I am Calca Bessarez the Holy Queen of the Roble Holy Kingdom. Your dwelling I hear is masterfully great in comparison to our wall." It was clear she was trying to be forthcoming and polite, "accept my humblest apologies for the disturbance my Paladins may have caused within your home."


    "In order to halt hostilities in their tracks before they could begin, the Vice-Captain, Gustav offered negotiations." He turned his head slightly seeing the man who he was speaking of rush passed him, bowing and presenting the written note to the Holy Queen in a formal demeanor.


    Taking the parchment from the Paladin, she removed the letter from the envelope and rested her eyes on the contents. For reparations for intruding upon his homestead and being attacked, seemed relatively low. Nearly everything pertained to information gathering, rather than asking for materials or demanding a one-sided pact of any kind. Her eyes drifted from the note and to the proclaimed God from a place called YGGDRASIL. Considering the Tower appeared out of nowhere, it was hard for her to dismiss such a claim. Though even then, there was doubt, but if it were to bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to her people... Why not go along with it?


    Her eyes then cast themselves upon the young female who stood beside him, wearing that visor that covered her eyes. She raised a brow slightly seeing her bow loyally and subserviently as she removed her hood; revealing her eyes.


    "Your Majesty..."


    "You are... The Daughter of Pavel the Black?" The Queen knew the Nine Colors as she had recognized them as elite Warriors of the Kingdom.


    "Yes, Calca-sama!" Suddenly Remedios spoke up, "This is Neia Baraja, a Squire of the Paladin Order. She is currently acting as the Liaison between Hel''s Citadel and our Kingdom." She was now reporting proudly, seemingly trying to save face despite the things she had said before.


    Fenrir just gave her this expressionless gaze, clearly calling her out, only for the Queen to clear her throat. As she had known Remedios had been the one mostly shouting prior to her arrival, she wore a rather sheepish expression.


    "I hereby approve of these conditions, preparations will be made shortly," she stuffed the parchment into her sleeve after folding it back up. "You don''t have a deadline... Do you?"


    "No, not at all..." Fenrir''s head cocked to the side as he looked over the Queen''s face. She seemed almost impossibly clear of blemishes as if she had been treating herself with beauty products. "Hm. Interesting..."

 16 『Shadow of Death』

    ��Fourth Day of Transition to the New World��


    Like an ominous omen, the Shadow of Death had arrived in Re-Estize two days ago and has been stalking the very inhabitants of the Ro Lente Castle that oversaw the City itself. Noble and Knights within the halls of the Royal Palace were ripe for the picking, a perfect host to satisfy Fenrir''s qualifications, even members of the Royal Family showed themselves to be likely applications.


    Black marble floors, royal blue carpets with bright yellow trim, white angelic walls with dark golden trim. The corridors were filled with decor exhuming the air of wealth and royalty. It boasted the former influence over the entire country that the family once held, not soiled by the corrupt nobles and politicians of the Re-Estize Kingdom.


    Dark and aged oil paintings dotted the walls, surrounded in embellishing silver frames of massive sizes. The walls and floors were spotless, to Archona''s observation, the maids had done their job without fault.


    It seemed the Royal House has yet to fall into full-on disrepair.


    So much information existed here, especially the leaks of intelligence and state secrets. It took less than a day for Archona to figure out who could be of use and who wouldn''t be. That and who would be a liability and those who could be utilized for the betterment of Fenrir-sama.


    There was no one better than the Crown Prince as a host. For he not only had a large number of Nobles backing him but for the time being, was the first in line for the throne.


    Not only that but he was quite the looker, with a neatly trimmed beard and a thin refined mustache. He even wore his blonde hair short upon his head. In a way, his appearance reminded her of Fenrir, except his hair color was the polar opposite.


    Not only that but after following him for only a few hours, Archona learned of his ill-intent towards the King himself, along with his animosity towards those he preserved as threats. What his plans were for the future, for his half-sister the Golden Princess.


    His demeanor though was what she had been watching, what she had been observing closely.


    For those two days that the Shade known as Archona had arrived, it had followed many prominent members of the nobility. Simply from a glance, she could tell, the world to these nobles was far too small and their very foundation was corrupt at its very core.


    It wouldn''t take much to throw this entire country into a civil war, which would ultimately leave it in a state to be easily taken by an external force. These ideas were formulating within her mind, as she remained lurking in the Prince''s own shadow.


    What would Fenrir-sama want though, out of this? This new question came to her mind as the Crown Prince Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself transverse through the winding corridors.


    Information was something that came in abundance here, and Fenrir asked for someone with power, someone of use. Taking the Crown Prince wasn''t all that much of a bad idea, if anything, he''d be easy to emulate. His arrogance towards commoners such as Climb, the Princess''s bodyguard and even the outright disrespect towards the Head Warrior Captain. It was all too easy, and he surrounded himself with useful pawns.


    While he in a way was intelligent when it came to governing, he was far from being fit for a King. Possessing him would give her access to everything he knows, and a soul to assimilate as a shade.


    She didn''t need his permission to enter his body either, she could just take it...


    That was when he met with a rather wide fellow, who appeared middle-aged and had a scar over his eye. It was one of the Marqui in which followed the Prince and was the apparent leader of the Noble Faction. Otherwise, the man appeared to have served in many military engagements due to his scars, something that was surely boatable. It turns out he even married his daughter to the Crown Prince, which assured Archona that their relationship was far from just acquaintances.


    "Marquis Boullope, why don''t you come in so we can talk?" Barbro spoke fondly as he marched into the room, which appeared to be his reception chambers.


    Nodding with a grin across his lips, "Prince Barbro, I don''t see why not..." Without a second of hesitation, the Noble followed the man into the room.


    Within his shadow, she watched as he sat down at a small brown wooden table and rested comfortably in his chair. "How much have you learned about the Royal Faction backing my father?" He asked as he crossed one leg over the other, his forearms sprawled over the armrests as he inclined his head whilst keeping his gaze on the man.


    "Nothing, we haven''t been able to learn which of the nobles in the King''s faction truly leads them," Boullope sat down across from him on the otherwise of the table, his eyes immediately taken as a young maid came into the room from a side door with a tray of tea.


    Barbro''s eyes wandered over the girl as she placed the tray down and onto the table. A smirk forming over his lips as her upper lip seemed to quiver at the sight of him. It was clear something was off, that was for sure.


    However, despite this Boullope didn''t notice all that much about the girl''s demeanor as he focused on the tea. Taking hold of a cup, he brought the fragrant liquid to his lips and smelled it, before taking a soft sip. It was hot, it burned its way down his throat, but he was used to it by now.


    "From what I can tell, it isn''t Marquis Blumrush, that man would sell his family for a measly copper coin," Boullope sneered in disgust at the fellow noble''s corruption despite the amount of influence the individual held due to owning the majority of the Kingdom''s mines.


    "Schemes for monetary gain may be his favored pastime, but he is one of the most slippery patriots I''ve ever seen..." Recalling how the shrewd Maquis always disappeared quickly from mandatory meetings and hardly appeared if given a choice, he shook his head. "It makes me wonder why my father doesn''t abdicate the throne, and it makes me worrisome that he doesn''t dispatch those types of cowards from his inner-circle." Barbro seemed to growl lightly in disapproval of his father not giving him the throne as well as for the company he kept.


    "In six months, there may be an annual war, my Prince," Boullope shook his head as he placed his cup of tea back onto the table. He hardly moved as he heard the door of the room close, the maid had exited the room in quite the hurry and remained silent about it too.


    "Oh? And what about the annual war?" His eyes narrowed on his supporter, his primary sponsor other than the Eight Fingers Syndicate. "Do you plan on allowing my father to be struck dead by the Imperial Knights?" Though he spoke in a hushed tone, he could only chuckle to himself, amused by the Marquis words implied.


    "If our faction pulls back to E-Rantel, while the King fends off the Imperials, we''d be able to effectively take over the Kingdom. But the Risk is too high..." His eyes wandered to the ceiling, "That commoner that stands beside our King is another obstacle all together."


    "Yes... The Head Warrior," muttered the Prince as he plucked the fanciful cup from ahead of him and brought it to his lips. Dipping his lips into the small vessel, testing the temperature, he slowly sipped from it casually. "A commoner holding such a title... If our father gave him the title of Knight-Captain, it would show he is fairly unfit to rule... Giving such a dog power."


    "You are not wrong my Prince!" Laughed Boullope, before resting his gaze on the surroundings of the room. "Once all of the Kingdom is yours, there will no longer be any worry, the nobles will be united behind you."


    Barbro nodded with a subtle smirk across his lips, a smirk that held a very deep-seated secret. The nobles that support him, that will place him on the throne, he knew their true intentions.


    They wanted to use him as a puppet ruler, but they had no idea what his plans were. Taking inspiration from the Emperor of the Bahamaruth Empire, he wanted to purge the noble faction.


    That was when there was a dainty knock on the door and the two of them froze. Not expecting anyone, the Prince turned his head to look to the door. "Enter," his voice stern.


    The white double doors were pushed open by a single petite female, wearing a blue dress and a circlet on her forehead. She had similar features to himself, blonde hair and blue eyes, but she was only partially related. It was his younger half-sister, a female he was planning on marrying off as nothing more than a mere decoration despite her political and governing genius.


    Standing behind her was a young man in composite plate armor with blonde hair and blue eyes. His hair was short, similar to his own, but he didn''t even have a patch of hair on his face. It was Climb, his sister''s bodyguard.


    "Ah... Princess Renner!" The Maquis stood up from his seat as he bowed his upper torso ever so slightly and not an ounce more than he had to, "If you''re here to see your brother, I will be taking my leave."


    "Maquis Boullope, you may go," Barbro spoke as he gestured towards the door, but didn''t bother to rise to his feet for his sister. He saw no need, as his eyes locked with hers.


    For the past couple days that Archona had been here, Renner seemed the most valuable as an ally rather than a host. She had influence, but if her personality changed radically, some individuals would notice.


    On the other hand, the Crown Prince wanted to keep his position would allow her to mold the body into a fine specimen to reshape the Kingdom. To those ends, she had negotiated with the Princess an easy alliance. Knowing the Brother''s plans along with many other items of interest, Archona had been able to make a deal with the woman.


    "Brother," Renner spoke quietly as she stepped into the chamber, Climb remaining outside as the door closed right as Boullope left the room. "We have something to discuss..." A smile was covering her lips, one that gave the prince a shiver down his spine.


    Just what was he seeing here? Her eyes seemed to almost inhuman, having discarded her facade of the Golden Princess simply for this moment. She planted herself in the chair Boullope had once seated himself upon, and grinned across the table at him.


    Her fingers danced over the rim of the teacup.


    "How unusual for you to leave your toy outside the room," huffed the Prince as he sipped at his tea once more, attempting to give a false face of amusement. "Is it something you don''t want him to hear, hm?"


    "No, Dear Brother. You have always seen me as lesser and inferior, you wanted to take my love away from me." the Princess shook her head. "I just needed you alone."


    "Love?" The Prince raised a brow at this, scoffing at the idea of someone loving his little half-sister. His eyes then narrowed forward though when she had said she just needed him alone.


    It wasn''t her that needed protection, it was him? This statement confused him up until he sensed movement in the room. Goosebumps ran up his arms, dotting his skin under his uniform. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a cold draft seemed to wash over him.


    "What kind of trick is this?" He grinned at the girl across from him, but that is when he noticed her eyes were no longer on him. In front of him, his sister was looking directly above his head. "What are you looking at...?" Creasing a brow he turned his head to see a massive collection of what appeared to be souls that took the form of a semi-solid black mist with demonic shining white eyes. The ability to scream was torn from his lungs as the monstrous form poured into his eyes and mouth, his body spasming and falling out of his chair with a soft thud upon the tiled ground.


    "Hehehe..." Renner snickered seeing her brother hopelessly flopping about on the ground like a fish. It was as if he was drowning, or being strangled to death. He clawed at the ground with his filed fingertips. Drool poured out of his mouth as he soundlessly screamed in agony.


    Veins seemed to be apparent as they become stressed all over his body after a short several seconds, only to calm down as the body of her brother went limp. The sound of his body being reworked subtly met the Princess''s ears. Hearing it was like listening to the sound of pop-rocks. His body was mutating to sustain the creature that now inhabited it.


    A few inches were added to his height, his blonde hair became slightly darker and his blue eyes did the same. It was hardly a notable change, but having watched this... It was as if his very soul had been devoured and another had taken its place.


    Letting out a light groan, the Prince''s eyes fluttered open and his body sat up.


    "Now... That was a new experience..." Uttered Archona, now as Prince Barbro, stood up by planting a hand on their knee as they did so. "Such an interesting addition..."


    A shade was a composition of multiple souls, so as Barbro had been replaced, his soul had essentially become a part of Archona. His consciousness no longer existed, his individualism was gone, but everything he was she was now him.


    "Princess Renner, you have done this being a service that you will not regret," using the Prince''s voice, they grinned to the young woman who nodded in return. "When the time comes, you will marry Climb." His eyes shifted to the door where Climb was before the door shutting, "I will inform you of my next contact with my Master... He will be pleased."


    "I look forward to hearing from you big brother," Renner''s demeanor had completely changed as she spoke with a heart-stealing tone, clearly she was an actress, adored by the people. "Today''s talk has been extremely insightful for the future of the Kingdom. I... Only hope that your relationship with our brother can be mended as soon as possible..."


    Her smile went from natural to the way it had been before, yet the personality hidden behind Renner''s mask didn''t at all faze Archona and the now reborn Barbro. "I look forward to your wedding to Climb when I have become King, don''t forget to invite us." A domineering smile formed over Barbro''s lips.


    "Of course!" Renner nearly squealed as she grasped the skirt of her dress, returning to her feet as she moved to the center of the room. "The Blue Roses should be waiting for me..."


    "Ah, the Blue Roses," Barbro chuckled, "the one in the red hood detected my presence earlier." Summoning a Ring of Life Status from their item box, they slipped the enchanted jewelry onto their ring finger. "Her name is Evileye, correct? Sounds... Unusual."


    This particular ring was silver with a ring of dark onyx encrusted into its slender form. It was capable of hiding the user''s contrarily undead status.


    "Yes, what about her, brother?" Renner blinked as he was speaking of her current tools to reshape the Kingdom that would appease the smile of Climb. She loved the face he made when he recognized the good she was doing, even if the good didn''t truly matter to her. "It might not be her true name, but it is the name her friends address her with."


    "It is my understanding something is about to happen shortly... Their party may be needed for, but I assure you, I can make their absent worthwhile." Barbro folded his hands behind his back, walking over to Princess Renner, towering over him with his height alone. "You''ll know what it is."


    Suddenly the doors opened, Climb stumbling into the room, "It''s an emergency! A messenger from the Roble Holy Kingdom has arrived, your father has asked all of us to report to the throne room."


    "All of us?" Renner blinked at her obsession before looking up towards the inhabited body of her brother, as it smoothly marched out of the room. Raising her skirt slightly so she wouldn''t step on it, the three of them made their way out into the hall, their destination being the throne room.


    "Is this what you meant?" She was quick to be by her ''brother'' which was rather strange for Climb to see, but at the same time, seeing them get along was for the better. A matter a factly, It was something he could shrug off. "The coincidence of your words was far too close to this occurrence."


    "Yes, a messenger has been sent before my arrival here, you will soon learn of my master''s identity," Barbros was speaking in a quiet tone, Climb and no one else being able to hear it.


    Renner nodded at this after giving her accomplice a long look, then kept her gaze forward. It wasn''t long before they entered the throne room from a door to the right of the throne. The two royal heirs were ushered into the room and they quickly took their seats by their father.


    Before their four thrones, was a man on his knee, he appeared tired and restless.


    "Your Royal Highnesses, Your Majesty, I hail from the Roble Holy Kingdom with the news! A massive construct has appeared between our border and Abelion Hills. It towers above our walls... This is our report, the Paladin Order is to be mobilized to investigate the possible threat."


    Ramposa the Third stared down at the mere squire who was an acting messenger, hearing the words that came out of their mouth. It was clear things sounded dire. He brought his hand up to touch his chin, he had just sent his right-hand man off to the frontier zone to protect villages from an unknown threat. To him, this sounded rather convenient.


    Renner blinked at the news, Zanac was outright confused, and Barbro was wearing a soft grin.


    The Six Great Nobles who were standing near the thrones were looking to one another, speaking silently. It was clear they were trying to try and make use of this message. Time just wasn''t on their side, however.


    "Father forgive me for speaking out of turn, as our Warrior Troop has been halved, I do believe we should send a group of Adventurers to help our closest neighbors with their investigation." Barbro tapped his finger on the arm of his throne that was lesser than his father''s.


    "That may be a good idea, my son, it has some merit. Do you have any suggestions?" He looked fondly to his older son, as he cared for him dearly, and although some of his features had darkened...


    The King his father hardly noticed the changes that had befallen his eldest.


    Zanac quickly snapped his head to the side as he was seated directly beside Barbro, his polite tone had changed, but it seemed to be a smart decision as well. What happened next caught him off guard as he heard his sister begin to speak up.


    "I have the perfect adventurer party for the job," she was well known for her use of the Blue Roses to combat things that her own nation''s military refused to handle. The Eight Fingers being their primary adversary in the war against drugs and slavery. "The Blue Roses may be able to investigate the tower, it would help us gather knowledge on what is going on as well.


    "Oh? That is an excellent strategy," looking over the young squire, the King nodded lightly. "I approve of this notion, there are only benefits if we learn that this is indeed a threat to our sovereignty and our people," Ramposa spoke wisely as he let his eyes flicker on over to his daughter, someone he wanted to live freely without being tied down politically. "Once you get in contact with the Blue Roses, I leave everything to you."


    "Of course father, leave it to me." Renner giggled with her standard happy expression which many adored.


    Even more strange than before however, as Zanac began to notice, was the way his brother was still smiling as he was facing Renner. It was as if they had created an alliance and he was in the center of it, that was something he was beginning to fear in the back of his mind.


    In his mind, he couldn''t even compute when they had ever been this close. Or even when this hypothetical alliance yet occurred. If these two were working together, then that would mean trouble, but at the same time, he saw it as something he could use.


    Zanac wanted to compete for the throne, his brother-in-law supported him, so he could indeed become the next crown prince and take his other brother''s place. However, his ambition was different and to the point that he may give up on the throne if the Kingdom itself may prosper for it. The idea of the entire family working together rather than working against one another, it was almost as if things could work.


    Could they save the Kingdom this way? Or would it ultimately be destroyed? Was this alliance a fluke, a fake, or was it true and something that may endure the coming conflicts ahead?


    He needed more information...

 17 『Landfall Chronicle』

    "And that''s when I crushed a Theocratic Knight''s head with my bare fists! Hahaha! He didn''t stand a chance!" This massive muscular woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes was telling their story for the second time today. This story, in particular, depicting the occasion in which the Blue Roses had led a skirmish against the Sunlit Scripture, a special operations group from the neighboring Country known as the Slaine Theocracy.


    This mysterious and beautiful muscular woman was known as Gagaran.


    Evileye, a young blonde with her face hidden behind a white-masked encrusted with a singular red gem, along with black linear designs, sat there across the table from the muscle-head. Her red cloak encompassed entire being, her short and petite stature apparent.


    They were currently at their favored Inn within the Re-Estize Capital City, an old friend visiting them, wanting to know about their recent adventures.


    "That is quite the tale, Gagaran," an old lady seemed to chuckle at the woman''s words. Whether or not they truly enjoyed the story was left to a mystery.


    Evileye had known this woman for far longer than anyone in this group. She had been a member of the original thirteen heroes, legendary beings who had fought the evil deities that had threatened the realms two centuries ago.


    From what she knew, her name is Rigrit, an elderly and wise woman. The lady was a skilled and masterful necromancer, one of the greatest human sorcerers known in the entire Kingdom.


    It wasn''t for this singular human being, who had lived for so long, Evileye may never have joined the Blue Roses. She would have remained in self-isolation, and at times, she sometimes thought that''d be better than watching her newfound friends grow old and perish as time passed her by.


    Ever since becoming immortal, she had watched her zombified country of Invertia deteriorate. She had watched countless people age and die, time leaving her physically unscathed.


    Immersing herself in the study of magic was her only pastime, creating new spells to combat the evil she sought to destroy. Whether or not it yet even existed, she could not allow what happened to her Kingdom happen again.


    Her youthful ancient eyes hidden behind the faceless mask let their eyelids droop partially. Her eyes were centered on Rigrit, the oldest person she knew who was alive, other than the True Platinum Dragon Lord Tsaindorcus Vaision. One day, Evileye though, she would be the last one left watching over their shriveled corpses if she did not one day let down her talent.


    She has long grey hair, braided into a long ponytail, that rested over the front-right side of her torso. She wears a long simple black robe, held in place with a red gemstone ornament over her sternum and has a black armored shoulder plate trimmed in gold on her left.


    "You''ve told that story about six times already, you big Mass of Muscle," the small Vampire let out a quiet huff as she swayed her head side to side.


    "Eh? What''s this, Evileye? Don''t bully me just because Rigrit enjoys my colorfully inflated story of our exploits. That''s just rude, how about you share some of your stories then?" Gagaran grinned as she clapped down one of her armored fists upon the table between them.


    The most disturbing thing about the musclehead was that while they had no chest, the woman wore large a massive set of crimson armor which boasted a heavy rounded metallic bosom.


    Evileye groaned lightly at the woman''s retort and turned her head away as she centered her gaze on two twins dressed in light armor and fishnets. They were ninjas, highly trained assassins and a member of the Blue Roses as well.


    Strangely enough, after coming across their tastes, she could see pretty deeply into their personalties despite their stoic exteriors. Tia, the one wearing blue, was a shotacon and a wicked one at that. Tina her sister was a lesbian on quite the same level.


    Her eyes moved towards their leader, Lakyus. She was a noblewoman and an Adventurer, and like a lot of people in this region had blonde hair, but in contrast to blue, she had green eyes. Her looks alone were charming, but her beauty was not on the same level as the Princess she believed herself to be friends with.


    Lakyus seemed to be absorbed in looking at the recently updated job board that had been posted at the Inn for adventurers such as themselves. As they were the only Adamantite Adventurer group in the Kingdom other than Reddrop, it was clear their advanced services were in-demand but also rare to come by. Many of their jobs came from Princess Renner, even though the Adventurer Guild did not like the idea of doing politically motivating jobs.


    "Maybe another time," Evileye absently spoke as she turned her head to look back towards Gagaran. She shared a glance with Rigrit before resting a hand on the table softly.


    Her mind was going back to about two hundred some years ago when her Kingdom known as the Kingdom of Inveria had been reduced to zombified creatures. Her family, the Royal Family, had become mindless creatures. She, with her talent to copy even Wild Magic, survived as a Vampire alone.


    It wasn''t until the Heroes came for her that she finally had something, someone, to fight for. If they had never come for her, she would''ve never stopped looking for a cure. Or perhaps she would have, finding it impossible and moved on.


    Letting her hand fall from the table, she pulled it back into her mantle which was wrapped entirely around herself. There was nothing of her body visible.


    Rigrit held a subtle smile towards her, knowing her pain. The two knew this pain for a very long time, though it was Rigrit who had sought after immortality unlike the Vampire who had lost everything and everyone they had ever cared about.


    "It is good to see you all getting along together," the old woman cackled favorably, keeping her arms crossed over her chest as her large sword rested upon her hip.


    "Well, you are the one that got her to join us after all!" Guffawed Gagaran as she placed her hands on her knees, peering over at the woman.


    "We all had to fight together to defeat her, as it was the only way to get her to join the team," Rigrit gave a quiet chortle as she corrected Gagaran. It took the entire team to defeat the little red hooded vampire that now sat around the same table as them.


    "I would''ve won if you didn''t fight along with them," Evileye retorted as her eyes rested upon the tabletop. Her voice was quiet, but she stated the particular fact without much of an attitude.


    "You know that wasn''t the point," Rigrit moved her hands to her hips as she looked over the small form that occupied the chair across from Gagaran.


    "What are you guys talking about?" A warm cheerful voice illuminated their faces as Lakyus made her appearance, having left the job board behind. "Talking about anything interesting? Perhaps find any new information? A new joke? Hm? Either way, it''s almost time to go see the Princess, I''m looking forward to tea." Dressed in her armor known as Virgin Snow, she was covered in vibrant blue and orange hues.


    "It looks as if the Evil Boss is at it again," Tina spoke with a casual almost stoic tone, touching her blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a blue ribbon upon the back of her head. "Sis, we have to save the others."


    "Is at what again?" Laughed Lakyus as she turned her eyes to the two twin ninjas, her teammates, former assassins who had gone out of their way to try and assassinate her and failed.


    "Save the others," Tia echoed her sister as she was crouched down beside her, looking up towards the others with an impressive gleam in her eyes. Just like her sister, she was near expressionless.


    Rigrit couldn''t help but give a sudden burst of audible laughter, this is more entertainment than she had in over a month of traveling. "It seems your team is readying to defend themselves against you, my dear Lakyus."


    "Then I guess I''ll have to show them the true power of my Sword of Darkness! Haha, let''s see you save yourselves first!" A devilish grin formed over her healthy pink-hued lips as she drew her massive sword. It was a beautiful dark blade reminiscent of the night sky with a strange otherworldly and starry sheen to it. The very grip of the weapon was brilliant and even had a black sapphire embedded within the pommel of the hilt itself.


    The weapon was known as Kilineiram, a weapon once owned by a member of the Thirteen Heroes, a Half-Demon known simply as the Black Knight. It was indeed a powerful relic capable of great destructive prowess, but their leader had only unlocked a mere fragment of its power.


    "Ahem!" A man dressed in standard military armor cleared his throat as he was standing behind the group known as the Blue Roses.


    The adventurers turned their heads to look at the man wearing a leather cowl and armored tunic.


    "Oh?" Rigrit raised a brow seeing the young man who was looking them over. Usually, they sent Climb if it were some sort of mission from the Princess, but it seemed this was a bit more formal.


    "Adamantite Adventurers, Blue Roses, I have been dispatched to fetch you and deliver you to the Royal Palace. Something urgent has come up and the King, along with the Royal Family, would like your presence at once." The man''s voice was stern, though he didn''t look down on them, he was very serious about whatever he was talking about. He also chose his words carefully rather than blurting out whatever they were going to learn about.


    Sheathing her weapon, Lakyus huffed lightly to herself as if their fun had been ruined. "And here I thought I would demonstrate my power over this demonic sword of darkness..." It was a joke, but part of her was entirely serious about her ability to withstand the sword''s supposed corruption.


    "I am not interrupting anything... Am I?" The Soldier looked over the women who were all looking at him as if their fun had been put to an untimely end.


    "No, not at all." Rigrit walked over and pat him on the shoulder, "We''ll be on our way then." This old necromancer was one of the original members of the Roses. Curious as to what their next job was going to be, she was curious as to what needed such attentions.


    Like the parting sea, the women walked passed him at either side. The last two to walk passed him were none other than Evileye and Gagaran. His eyes watched as the small form practically hovered on by almost unfeelingly so.


    + + +


    Sometime later, Lakyus pushed through the double doors of the Princess''s tea room. Around a white table was the King at one end, the Princess sitting beside him and the Crown Prince standing behind her with a cup of tea hooked upon his finger.


    For a brief moment, the group of Adventurers paused seeing the Crown Prince, who lifted the cup from its saucer in some sort of gesture telling them to resume entry. Without much of a second later, he was taking a sip of the reddish bitter-sweet flavored tea.


    "You may Approach," the King reinforced the Crown Prince''s gesture.


    After sharing swift glances, the Blue Roses started forward.


    Evileye''s gaze was fixated on the Crown Prince though behind her mask, as they were making their way into the room. It was unusual to see him here, especially so calmly beside Renner. He had yet to make a single rude remark about having adventurers serving Renner like personal pets


    Instead, he was standing there pleasantly, only a few inches from Renner who wasn''t even slightly distressed by the closeness of her brother. From last she knew, these two didn''t get along.


    "The Prince isn''t known for drinking tea in a setting such as this... Why is he standing?" Gagaran observed, muttering under her breath in question, Evileye easily overhearing her words.


    She couldn''t help but agree with the muscle head when it came to this. It felt strange, different and to a certain point, she felt as if eyes were on her the entire time. Yet the Prince''s gaze wasn''t even visibly upon her for the time being.


    Either way, Lakyus wore a smile as they approached the table and bowed in respect to the King. "We have come as directed, my King." Not only was Lakyus an Adventurer, but she was also a Noble. She wore a face of such grace as she stood before the table that separated them.


    "Good... My children will now direct you in what comes next, it seems they have a far greater understanding of what is going on than I do." Ramposa looked towards his offspring, curious as to what kind of task they would give these adventurers.


    Blinking at this, Evileye looked to the Prince as Lakyus received the item and unfolded the parchment. That was when the Prince looked down at her and winked, a display that made shivers go down her spine.


    "Dear Brother, behave before I tell your wife about what you''re doing," Renner''s eyes tracked to the side as she noticed the action.


    Innocently looking away, Barbro lifted his pinky finger as he went for another sip of tea.


    Placing the teacup and saucer down upon the table, the Crown Prince drew a piece of paper from his vibrant militant inspired tunic. "A messenger from the Roble Holy Kingdom arrived earlier today after a nonstop restless journey north. His horse died right before his arrival


    ," he held the piece of parchment out for one of them to grasp.


    As a mere human being, he was no match for her, or at least that is what she used to think. Before she could say a word, Gagaran and the twins subtly enclosed her behind their bodies as if to shield her.


    Letting out a soft sigh, the Vampire''s gaze turned to the backside of Lakyus, wondering what she was looking at.


    "A massive leaning fortress has emerged along the eastern border of the Roble Holy Kingdom, surrounded by a frosty fog filled with glowing blue eyes that watch all who enter? Its exterior design matches the architectural Era of the Eight Greed Kings," She stared at the parchment, reading the words which were there and was in partial disbelief. "Wait... How can something that can overshadow the Great Wall of the Holy Kingdom be even bigger on the inside?"


    "That is what we want you to figure out, and to learn if the inhabitants are a threat to Re-Estize," Renner spoke in a soft voice, accompanied by a smile across her lips.


    "Lakyus, may I have a look?" Evileye reached out a hand, looking up at her leader, one that she was stronger than and could defeat alone. Watching as the woman handed her the parchment, Evileye looked over the details on the paper.


    Over ten Paladins had gone in, a single squire was left behind and hadn''t emerged, but there were presumably no confirmed casualties. However, what caught her eye was the information pertaining to their encounter. A man who stands ten feet tall transformed into a massive wolf three times the size of a horse.


    "This... Sounds like an exaggeration, I''ve heard of no such man or beast," Lakyus was peering over the youthful vampire''s shoulder, continuing her inspection of the page with her eyes. "Though I doubt he could withstand the blade of my Kilineiram."


    Aware of the existence and nature of players, who she refers to as a race alone, Evileye was becoming curious about what kind of person this being could be. Was this giant wolf evil like the Greed Kings, or was he considered benevolent like the Six Great Gods or even the Leader of the Thirteen Heroes?


    The eyes in the mist also made her curious, wondering what they were. Frost, Fog, Tower. None of it made sense in her mind just yet, but there was also no visible representation either. Handing the paper back to her lead, Evileye placed a hand under her chin in thought.


    Rigrit who had been watching her had noticed this as well. As she had been a part of the Heroes as well, she too knew of players and so did the Platinum Dragon Lord they were friends with.


    With the appearance of a player, she could only assume this could end in various manners. She had only met the two now-deceased players from the Thirteen Heroes. Rigrit''s next course of action was already predetermined in her mind, she had to inform Tsaindorcus Vaision.


    Moving to be at Evileye''s level by bending down behind the backs of the others, the old woman placed a hand on the petite female''s shoulder.


    "Rigrit?" Evileye looked to her long time friend, seeing the words in her eyes before she could even speak them, and leaned her head down slightly in thought.


    "I have to go meet with our mutual friend, stay with the Blue Roses, investigate the tower but do not endanger yourself needlessly. I will join you when I can, my old friend," she spoke lowly as to keep from being heard, though Evileye was sure her own team already knew where Rigrit would go.


    "I can probably handle myself, and with the rest of the team, I doubt we''ll fall." Evileye analytically stated not really understanding or assuming how powerful the new arrivals to the world could possibly be.


    The two of them nodded to one another with a common understanding in mind before turning their attention forward to hear more from the Royals. It was strange that out of all of them, Renner and the Crown Prince were the most calm and more informed than the King himself.


    Did they get their information from somewhere else, or were they just confident in what they had?


    Evileye peered passed her friends toward the Crown Prince, her eyes narrowing on his hand as he was reaching out to retrieve his teacup. There was a new ring that curiously adorned his finger.

 18 『Tsain Vaision』

    Rigrit stood at the main gate of the Royal Capital, watching as the wagon pulled her former Adventurer colleagues off towards their assignment due south. A plain smile adorned her lips, a blank expression deep in her eyes. She had no idea where or who the Blue Roses were being sent off to, but there was danger and she was sure of it.


    "Good luck Invern," Rigrit chuckled to herself as she could see the Prime Grade Sorcerer sitting in the back of the coach she was riding within. "Don''t be too much of a crybaby," the old woman cackled to herself as she turned and began walking a different path.


    Her path was probably more traveled by, as the Slaine Theocracy was probably a much safer place for humans than the Roble Holy Kingdom. Though she had a feeling that was about to change.


    If a human player came, then wouldn''t that mean they would serve humanity first? Yes, that is true. However, if a non-human player came along, would they see the humans as the same as them? Or would a non-human see them as mere playthings and prey to devour?


    Numerous scenarios could go down and her mind was processing only those she could think of at the time. If it was an Angel, if it was a Demon, if it was some other species that wasn''t human what would happen?


    The irony that it could be an elf made her snicker to herself.


    There were many things on her mind, and too much at that.


    Her gaze kept fixed on the South East, she had a particular destination and a limited amount of mana. Though she was considered one of the most powerful human magic users on the continent, it was clear she still had limitations.


    Traveling alone was efficient, you didn''t have to wait on anyone. That was something she didn''t necessarily think of as a truth. She had been a part of a couple of Adventurer Parties, so she hadn''t been alone for a long time. At one point she was with the thirteen heroes and another two hundred years later, in which she was with the Blue Roses.


    The idea of being a hero was in her mind. Even though she chose something as hideous as Necromancy as her school of choice, she was still a good person even at heart.


    As people walked on by, she continued to let her mind wander. She needed to think for the time being, before going and doing anything rash. Teleportation a spell she could use, both she and the little vampire could use it to go just about anywhere in a small amount of time.


    The longer the distance though, the more mana was needed. While she had a large reserve, teleporting directly from one place to another would be dangerous, considering how far away the flying castle once belonging to the Eight Greed Kings was located.


    Thirty-Eight Guardians kept that place secure, the City itself was hidden by strong illusions, the castle itself was guarded by the son of the late Dragon Emperor. Vaision was one of the last True Dragon Lords still in existence as they were able to use Wild Magic.


    Magic so chaotic that it siphons power from one''s soul or other person''s soul to be used. If someone had too weak of a soul, the Wild Magic spell that was used could consume entire cities or even nations depending on how much or many were needed.


    It was truly fascinating magic, but it was also archaic compared to Tier Magic that used mana instead of the soul of its user to power it. The only reason dragons seem to have it is because their souls were not only larger than humans but also regenerated over time.


    She believed that if the Dragon Lord wanted to become the most powerful, in terms of living beings of the rest of this world, he could achieve it.


    The only thing stopping himself from doing as such was just him. The True Dragon Lord Tsaindorcus Vaision, known as Platinum when he was within the party of the thirteen heroes, was restricting himself to watching over the world. Guarding the Guild Weapon of the Eight Greed Kings that could essentially be used to tip the power of the entire continent.


    "My old friend, how long has it been since we last talked...?" She asked herself aloud as she looked to the sky above. Wondering still, if it had been the right idea to let her Blue Roses to go all that way alone. "Years perhaps... Less than a century?"


    Perhaps she could have gone with them? If she did, she could ascertain the situation and inform the Dragon Lord. Otherwise, there was a chance she would lose her comrades forever.


    Walking past a couple of farmers coming from a nearby village, she didn''t even bother glancing at them. Those who passed her by either knew nothing about her, or she was seen as a ''world-class'' hero. She rested her palm against her sword hilt''s grip, raising the scabbard behind her slightly as she did so.


    In her mind the twelve other friends were walking beside her, marching with her. The Black Knight, The Magic Craftsman, the Elven Royal, the Dwarven King, Izaniya, the Warrior Captain of the Air Giants, and the numerous others who''s faces were lost to memory and written in story or song.


    "I wonder how Leader would''ve reacted to such a place appearing in our world... Perhaps he would know who was inside of it, this wolf-like being..." She fixated her gaze forward, she was sure people were looking at her for talking to herself, but she was a two-hundred-year-old lady... Who would blame her? Plus, talking to one''s self was rather healthy, at least according to the Leader himself.


    The Necromancer went on walking for hours at a time, barely even stopping at the rest stops between Cities and Towns, or even villages. It would take at least two days for the team to make it down to the Citadel that had appeared, so there was no real rush needed.


    Rigrit was rather enjoying this walk alone, albeit in her mind she wasn''t alone.


    Since hours passed her by without her notice, she was quick to find that the sun was finally going down. Her eyes were on the horizon that was littered with trees, meadows and artificial structures. As night began to fall upon the realms around her, she smiled faintly as if the world was being engulfed in a peaceful sheet of eternal darkness.


    It felt as if someone was smiling down on her in return, even watching. Who it was? Rigrit didn''t know, but if it was someone from that tower that appeared, she could only be fearful. If someone could watch from such a distance, it wouldn''t bode well with her.


    Unknown to her, it wasn''t Rigrit specifically being watched. It was just a single person viewing and standing over a singularly massive map that remotely surveyed a large portion of human civilization.


    "��Teleportation��," Rigrit used the spell to teleport from her present position to the next desired location. For her, it was only an instant, and that was all that was needed, as she emerged in front of the entrance to the flying castle overseeing the Ancient City of the Eight Greed Kings.


    Her eyes stared at the massive doors of the Eryuentiu''s Flying Castle.


    After a short while, she did enter the building however without fail. Continuing through the great hall, she eventually found herself standing in front of a large slumbering dragon. Folding her hands in front of her pelvis region.


    His form was massive, majestic in all the right ways, in all proportions. His white scales shimmered in the light, he was like a piece of artwork, one that any being would want to get their hands on.


    This creature before her was as powerful as just about anyone if not anything she had seen or thought of. Perhaps, he could even be stronger than the player that had appeared.


    Despite his colossal size though, his sleeping face and soft breathing were far too gentle. It was too much of a contrast that it was almost comedic. Letting out a soft giggle of her own, she watched as the large dragon stirred where he lay, lounging in his dreams.


    "Rise and shine, it is time to wake," Rigrit spoke cooly with a fine grin across her lips. Her eyes had slipped across the metallic suit of armor in the corner of the room. It was in mint condition, just like the last time she had laid her eyes upon it.


    Hearing the voice of his friend the dragon''s eyes popped open, his pupils growing before forming into slits. Focusing his gaze ahead of himself, he chuckled seeing the human.


    "Ah, Rigrit my old friend..." His eyes looked over the necromancer who had seemingly appeared before him. Though she had been standing there for quite a while. "It has been a while," his eyes grazed over the woman''s finger, not seeing the ring in which he had supplied her. "Oh? That ring is gone, what transpired? I can''t envision anyone taking it from you�� But it is still an object that transcends the realms of humanity. It must not fall into the wrong hands. Especially the Slane Theocracy or the likes of the Black Scripture."


    "Hm. I gave it to a young lad who would be able to protect it and use it in a far greater capacity than I. Worry naught, for I doubt anyone would be able to pry that ring from his finger." The old woman assured the dragon who lifted its head to speak to her.


    "Hah... I trust your judgment," Keeping his head raised he looked over his friend, she seemed a little off, as if something was bothering her. "You hold trouble on your face my friend, is there trouble that I have yet to take notice of? Or are you here to share your stories of a lone traveler roaming the world''s farthest reaches?" The dragon chose to muse aloud as he continued to look her over curiously, if not completely concerned with her well-being.


    Letting out a sigh as he babbled on about what she might be here for, she shook her head. At least is first guess was correct, even though that was probably the only serious one that came out of his mouth. "There has been an appearance, Tsa, an entire fortress appeared out of thin air near the Roble Holy Kingdom. They''ve sent word to the Re-Estize Kingdom... The Blue Roses along with Evileye have been dispatched to help investigate."


    "An appearance... That seems to be relatively close to our position," the Dragon looked away for a brief moment as he thought to himself silently. The look of a ponder could be seen in his eyes.


    "There have been no fatalities, but the Paladin Order seems to have been pushed out by whatever they attacked inside." Rigrit had seemed the words written on the parchment, though there was a missing Paladin, death was not confirmed.


    "If it is indeed an enemy, it should be dealt with accordingly..." The Dragon''s gentle voice moved on as he kept his gaze on the woman before her who nodded in agreement. "The beings known as players have corrupted our world, and have continued to do so with their powers and their items... They could bring an end to the world as we know it." His eyes closed for a few seconds as he let a slow exhale through his nose.


    "... If the tremors have indeed come again after more than two hundred years... Let us hope it is something that will help the world like Leader had," she spoke sadly as she reminded herself of a hero who had died early on in their crusade against the Evil Deities.


    Nodding in agreement, the dragon wanted the best, but he knew the world didn''t always deliver on the hopes of the people. The Theocracy was only holding its place because it can''t deploy its secret weapon, its trump card, due to his more than probable interference.


    Perhaps he could use this new player in order to level the playing field? Even out the justice in the world? The idea wasn''t a bad one, but it also wasn''t a good one either, but at the same time it would remove a thorn that was in his side.


    "Do you plan on deceiving him with your suit of armor, like you did your friends, so many years ago?" A faint smile remained across her lips as she let her eyes be entrapped over her age-old friend''s appearance.


    "It''s a him? No, deceiving him with a suit of armor that is in the shape of a man, may just turn him against us. Deceit may very well be the work of sin," the Dragon remained at rest as he spoke.


    "Yes... It is a male as from the report drawn up by the Holy Kingdom, and there was only one missing, a Squire rather than a fully-fledged Paladin." Rigrit sighed as she thought about a single life being held in the tower, not knowing their fate, or what power was being held over them.


    "Hm. The other True Dragon Lords are off doing their own perversions, most in particularly the Bright Dragon, leading experiments to breed with humans. The Deep Dark Dragon Lord doesn''t even raise his head out of the ground, he''s always shut-in that giant cave of his, who knows what he is doing. The Heavenly Dragon Lord just flies around all the time," thinking about who he could call for reinforcements probably wasn''t worth it. There was no one he could call on that would even bother lifting a finger as not only did they do nothing against the Eight Greed Kings, but neither did he.


    Though since she spoke of there being no deaths, only a missing Squire, the Dragon could only assume that the player didn''t mean harm. The question was, would the human Kingdom just sit by and watch whatever they do without acting? Humans have come a long way, they would definitely be arrogant enough to keep attacking unless things became mutual.


    "Do you think he is keeping this missing Squire? Or could they already be dead?" Rigrit wasn''t necessarily completely disturbed. It would be strange if all of the Paladins had gotten out. If they had attacked whatever was inside first, then she was even more surprised they made it out alive.


    "If he is keeping them, what do you think his plan is? What would he use them for?" Vaision was curious as to what his friend could come up with. He could think of a few things a human could be useful for in this scenario, but there weren''t a great many that would end well for them in the end.


    Scratching her chin, Rigrit surmised a few things from the report that had been shared with the Blue Roses, and her by extension as she had joined them. "The report was short, it held very little detail, especially who this Squire was. Leaving out such details could imply many things, but at the same time, it could mean nothing other than a rushed report. From what I saw, the penmanship was filled with fear from the writer."


    "It is unlikely he is using them as a hostage if they''re just a Squire, if they have no political advantage over them, then what is their use?" Even the Platinum Dragon Lord wasn''t quite sure what he would do with a random human squire who happened to be captured for invading his home. "Or they could be using them for information... How old is the information?"


    "Two days at best, three or four at worst," Rigrit shook her head as she uttered her words in concern. "Though I am sure we would have heard more if all-out war broke out."


    "A war would make it far more noticeable, you are not wrong about this my friend. If they are anything like Leader, they will want information on our world... Especially since there is no leaving, not in the form in which they''d like." Vaision huffed as he reminisced over how the Leader killed a fellow player and died shortly after, refusing resurrection in death.


    "Should we get ready to disembark?" Rigrit inquired with a brow raised lightly.


    "You know that I cannot come with you, not like this," Vaision responded honestly with a huff, before gesturing his head towards the suit of armor. "I will go as this suit of armor, as your friend, which will count as an extension of myself. If this player is on the side of Good, then perhaps I will leave this place one day. Until then, I must protect this place against anyone who will misuse its treasures left behind by the Eight Greed Kings."


    Rigrit nodded solemnly, "We have a couple of days, why don''t we use them to catch up... And I must meditate to regulate and restore my Mana." The old woman chuckled to herself, "Then perhaps you may choose to change your mind."


    "Do as you will, Rigrit," the Dragon''s gaze rested on the woman as she sat there in front of him, resting her weapon over her lap with a smartass''s smile across her lips. It seemed she was not going to take no for an answer this time. If she believed that her friends were in genuine danger, what would a suit of armor do when compared to a true dragon lord himself?


    The question that echoed in the back of his mind, however, was that if this man stronger or weaker than himself. It was a hard one to answer without seeing him face to face, and having little knowledge as to who he was.


    If he came in some sort of tower as described, there was no telling what kind of beings were found within. The Very Guardians of this place were created by the Eight Greed Kings.


    There still seemed to be the possibility that the persons who lived in that tower were far greater than them, just who could they be?

 19 『The Three Musketeers』

    Staring down at the pink brush upon her furnished desk, made of the same wood that made up her treehouse, a dark-skinned elf stood in the center of her room. Her pointed ears trained downward in a depressive manner as her brown gloved hand rushed over the bristles of the brush, stealing the golden blonde hair that had remained tangled within it.


    Her green and blue eyes centered on the strand of hair, before resting back down on the brush. A deep and sharp inhale filled her torso and broadened her shoulders before she let it all out in a single sigh.


    Aura wasn''t known for spending time in the Tree House on the Sixth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as since her arrival she preferred sleeping outside amongst her pets. Her gaze shifted to the vanity mirror that stood atop her desk. A frown emanated from her lips.


    Grasping the grip of the brush, without looking down at it, she brought it up beside her head. Staring at her reflection for a few seconds, she closed her eyes briefly before opening them.


    Hesitance wasn''t something she ever thought was possible, but it was there. She didn''t want to brush her hair out, it reminded her too much of those who did it for her often in YGGDRASIL.


    Her next couple of minutes she just spent time staring at herself, in an almost frozen pose. That was until she finally pressed the bristles into her hair and began to stroke slowly. As if ironing out her hair she continued to brush it out.


    A faint smile crept over her lips, kicking away the frown that once held them hostage it was as if feeling a warmth take over a cold heart. A hot shower in the dead of winter.


    "Bukubukuchagama-sama... JakkuGurahamu-sama..." In her mind, she could feel herself sitting on Bukubukuchagama''s lap as she brushed her hair and as Jakku did the same. How they''d dress the two elves, put them in boy''s clothes, girl''s clothes.


    The secret flirting between the two of them that only she had heard and how the two Supreme One''s loved one another until they didn''t. It was hard to think of a world without them, although they had both been gone for so long. Ainz-sama seemed to have been the only one who even stayed, while Jakku had completely left the Guild of Ainz Ooal Gown completely some years prior to coming to this New World.


    With her hair straightened out slightly, the elf stared at herself in the mirror.


    "I am Aura Bella Fiora," she muttered cooly to herself, "High Tamer of Nazarick!" She raised the brush above her head as if presenting a holy blade, grinning to herself.


    An Image in the back of her head, remembering how the one she knew as Jakku, lifted her up and held her up to the ceiling while standing on the bed. Proclaiming, in confidence, that if he and Bukubukuchagama got married she''d be officially his child. That never came to be, but she could recall his voice and how cheerful it was.


    How could something that incredible break apart like that, so easily? She couldn''t help but wonder. When she saw him last, before he vanished and left Ainz Ooal Gown behind, he had been completely despondent.


    While he had indeed brushed her hair during that time, it wasn''t the same.


    If only she could''ve moved and said something on her own. In a way, she felt like a failure for not being able to do anything in his time of need. Though her creator wasn''t all that different, she seemed much more lively and attentive to her following the fallout.


    Aura wasn''t quite sure what to think, though her loyalty still remained with her creator, especially since Jakku had ended up leaving in the end. These thoughts clearly weren''t healthy.


    Maybe she could go down to the bar area and get some juice, or perhaps talk to Eclair Ecleir Eicler. There was a possibility of him being able to help her out when it came to sorting her feelings, considering their closeness to her and her brother.


    A light sigh emitted from her lips.


    Jakku had spent hours in her room, just staring into space in the same spot, as if he was hiding in the room. Or maybe he was even sleeping with his eyes open, as he didn''t move whatsoever, hardly a single spark of life insight. Then he up and vanished for a month. Still, Bukubukuchagama would come by, take her to the Round Table room and comb out her hair.


    Aura''s eyes drifted up towards the Red Musketeer Hat with a Cotton Candy blue plume.


    Memories were such a fickle thing for some, but looking at that hat, she could remember the time when he marched through the winding corridors of the Great Tomb. Jakku ahead of her and Mare following behind them dressed as the Three Musketeers. She could recall everything perfectly, the adventures, the play pretend. Even though they couldn''t respond normally or act on their own without being prompted to do so, those memories were truly significant.


    Her eyes then moved to the weapon that rested against the wall beside her bed. It was a graphite black dagger-like sword that lacked a crossguard, the blade itself was twisted with nordic runes inscribed along with it that gave a holy glow.


    Although it was a sword, the weapon itself was designed for a Tamer to wield and even had a Sympathy spell that attracts beasts. From her knowledge, Mare had a similar one, made for a Magic-Caster that buffed the user''s Area of Effect Spells.


    An indistinct smile continued to prevail across her lips, resting the brush down upon her desk.


    In a way, she was thankful for the things that he had done for and with them. It felt like she had a family, other than just the Supreme Beings being on top of them. At the same time, being treated as a child infuriated her, despite the fact that she was very much in the body and partially the mind of one.


    She saw herself as on top, the big sister, the oldest Dark Elf out of the only two in Nazarick.


    Turning her head, she glanced at the door of her room. They were on the second floor of the Gigantic Tree that was their home. It consisted entirely of wood in appearance, but it was nearly indestructible and couldn''t be completely modified.


    "Mare, are you there?!" She called out, but after a few seconds of waiting, there was no response. "Must be down in the Library again," she huffed as she placed a balled hand on her hip, "Oh well..."


    Humming to herself, the young Seventy-Six-year old elf would make her way down to the first floor, going down the spiral staircase until she stepped into the kitchen.


    There was no one here, Mare was definitely not in the Tree. Though other than the Library, he could be in the Amphitheater, but at the same time, she doubted this to be so.


    She didn''t waste any time as she went out the front entrance of her tree home, and stepped into the forests which surrounded the amphitheater. Taking in a deep breath once more, she could smell her nearby pets who ultimately came running towards her.


    "Fenny!" She cheered as she saw a Holy Beast known as a Fenrir approaching her, "And Quadracile!" She squeaked seeing her two beasts coming to her, throwing her arms in the air as she ran towards them in return. As a High Tamer, she adored her creatures and loved the idea of collecting more of them from the New World.


    Fenrir head bobbed up and down as he bound towards her, he dwarfed her as he was a giant black wolf with glossy fur and blood-red eyes.


    Right behind the Wolf was a massive six-legged green chameleon-iguana hybrid, its legs trampling the grass beneath its feet.


    As the two of them converged on Aura, they both nuzzled their faces into her as she put her arms out to hug their faces. Then as they were just finishing their greetings to their master, Fenrir used his head to throw her up into the air, having her land on its back before letting out an excited breath.


    "Aw! I love you too, guys!" Aura giggled as she rested on the back of the wolf, her hands resting behind her as she leaned back a bit. Her eyes went up to the hyperrealistic sky above.


    Her mind went wondering again, though this time to where Mare could be and what he was doing. She was supposed to be bossing him around, that''s what big sisters did, according to her creator and Supreme Being.


    After a little while of spending time with her pets, she wandered off to the Arena area of the sixth floor. Her gaze passed over the stands, the platform in which she had jumped off of to greet Ainz. A smile remained curved over those lips of hers as she turned to look towards the spot where he had given them water. How he had treated them nicely without holding back at all.


    "I wonder if Ainz-sama is back from the Village," She inquired absently as she was putting her index finger under her lower lip in thought. Then she banished the thought as her eyes narrowed upon a number of Dragonkin which were cleaning the grounds.


    A small grin formed over her lips as she imagined them wearing Musketeer Hats with little Plumes on them, whilst reciting lines from a play Jakku, Peroroncino and Flatfoot had done some time in the past.


    Personally she thought it was rather funny, another memory that she held from before she had her own free-will if it could even be considered that. Her mind didn''t ponder on the idea of her kneeling before the Supreme Beings, thinking they were Gods, above everything else.


    The simple fact was, they were.


    All of the NPCs inside of Nazarick would dote on their Supreme Beings if they were all here with them. She could only imagine how the world would be if they were all here together.


    It would be like a complete family, the NPCs finally being able to repay their creators for just creating them, making them what they were. That was enough reason to admire them, to love them, to lust for them.


    Aura crossed her arms over her chest as she began to think about the future, and how Shalltear''s bosom would never grow. Her subtle smile became a direly smug smirk, thinking of how she could rub it all in her face. A giggle escaped her as she walked in a slow circle along the arena floor. Shifting her arms from over her chest to behind her head, she huffed triumphantly.


    + + +


    Mare sat there on the counter, a book in his lap and his Divine-Class stave called the ''Shadow of YGGDRASIL'' resting by his side. Dressed as a girl in a vest, white dragon top, a skirt, and long socks. He didn''t at all seem to mind, despite his timid demeanor, where he was seated.


    Slowly his legs were dangling, lightly kicking as he read the book in his lap.


    His fingers trailed silently along with the words of the book, reading as he listened to the shuffling of the Overlords presently overseeing the Grand Library called Ashurbanipal.


    This was his sanctuary where he could relax away from the world and everything else within it.


    This place was filled with books, be it about magic or narrative. His gaze lifted from the item in his lap and over towards another entire shelf filled with books just like it. A faint simper formed over his lips.


    Titus, one of the powerful Skeleton Mages and Mare''s closest friends that inhabited the library, stood behind the counter sorting magic scrolls. His bead-like eyes watching the young Floor Guardian, with an every lasting skeletal grin across his face.


    The two of them were a lot alike, preferring isolation over overbearing social interactions. The silence was their mutual friend, something they both respected. Though they were also considered rather fond of one another.


    "Hath ever read mine personal collection?" The Skeleton Mage asked curiously, looking over the blonde-haired Dark Elf. His gaze locking with the right blue eye and green left eye as they turned to meet him.


    "N-no..." Mare smiled a bit more soft-like toward his friend as he tilted his head to the side in a not so overly curious manner. "I don''t think... You''ve sh-showed me your personal collection," albeit shyly, the young elf would slide off of the counter and land on his feet with relative ease.


    Collecting his staff, he then made his way over to the Skeleton, holding his divine weapon close in both hands tucking it slightly against his left shoulder.


    Mare could remember the first time he came here, though he wasn''t necessarily in control at the time, Jakku had brought him and Aura down here whilst dressed as the Three Musketeers.


    Smiling a bit more fondly at the memory, he continued to follow after the Skeleton as he put down what he was doing. The two would go forth, wandering deeper into the Library.


    The place alone was massive, even though it was on the same floor as the throne room and all the other things such as the Lemegeton and Room of the Pleiades Six Stars.


    "My collection should be around here, somewhere," Titus lead Mare through the metaphorical maze of books, his pearly white hand running along the decorated binds of each book-shaped item. Those eyes of his scanned over each one he passed over, reading the titles and lightly clacking his teeth together.


    Mare simply watched him, happy to simply follow his friend.


    When they finally reached one of the tallest bookcases, Mare stared up at the various colored vintage looking grimoires, skill books and narratives. This place was a treasure trove of information, especially regarding YGGDRASIL.


    "Ah, here it is," snickered the skeleton as he plucked a book ripely with his pointed bare-boned fingers. "Would thou... Like a peek?" Titus turned his gaze to his young friend and bent down to his level, holding the book out in front of him with one hand for the boy to take.


    "Umu..." Nodding to his friend, Mare grasped the book firmly before resting it in the palm of his other hand and spreading the pages open. His eyes drifted over the cover page. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Mare slowly read aloud to himself before opening to the next page.


    This was the second book that was written by Mark Twain which was available within the Library, the other being The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.


    After flicking through a few pages, Mare was rather enjoying the story so far. The comedy was gold, and the adventure was only just beginning if hardly at all. The wording of the old piece of literature kept him reading though, and ultimately, Titus was enjoying just watching the young one do so.


    "Come to think of it, my belief is that the ''late'' JakkuGurahamu-sama has a book in here as well," Titus could recall as he turned and started looking over the books within his collection.


    Mare blinked up at him as he heard the Skeleton refer to his creator''s former lover as deceased. Though quickly brushed it off as he watched those lifeless hands begin to glide over the colorful bindings of books once more.


    "Hath thou ever heard his book? Hamlet?" Titus asked as his finger came to rest over the Shakespearan book between Romeo and Juliet and the Tale of Macbeth.


    "Y-yes, I have. He quoted it often... Anou... ''To be or not to be'' I think..." Mare nodded lightly as he closed the book in his hands looking over the Shakespeare book, having never read it himself.


    Titus looked down at the young elf, "Would thou like to read it?"


    "Does... Does it end like Romeo and Juliet...?" Mare asked as he went onto his tippy toes and slid the Tom Sawyer book back into its resting place, after memorizing the page he left off. He then put his hands out for the other book.


    "My deductible thoughts are that it ends in tragedy, Shakespeare''s books never end on good terms." Titus proclaimed with a small movement of his jaw, stroking it with his one hand.


    "I... See..." Mare looked over the book before opening it to the first act. Like most of Shakespeare''s writings, it was indeed a melodrama. The King of Denmark is slain by his own brother in order to gain the crown and the brother''s wife for himself.


    His son is soon driven mad, seeing through the plot. Mare didn''t hesitate to flick one page over to the next page, over and over again. For some reason though, Mare''s eyes glossed over as he read the pages of the book.


    As he read over the events, he could see Hamlet''s despondence over his father''s death and he could see Ophelia''s own depressive state. The way things were, he could relate them to his reality and to the things he had seen in the past.


    To him, Ophelia was Jakku and Hamlet was Bukubukuchagama. His creator mad with vengeance for feeling wronged, and her former lover going mad himself, driven into misery. Though he did enjoy the romantic undertones of a love that was never to blossom past its infancy stage, Mare didn''t finish the book and instead by the second to last act, closed it between his two hands.


    "Do thou need a tissue?" Titus leaned over to the Guardian of the Sixth Floor, placing his hand on his friend''s shoulder in comfort.


    Mare sniffled in response to his friend''s comforts. "Do... Do you think they''ll ever come back?"

 20 『Crown of the Prince』

    Nipping at his glass of flavorful red wine, its stem between his forefinger and middle, Barbro stared out the window of his reception room. His eyes were resting on the young wife of his, Boullope''s daughter, who was taking a stroll through the Palace''s gardens.


    She had long brown silky hair that reached down to her flat rear, healthy soft rosy skin spotted with freckles and big doe-like brown eyes. By all means, her frame was slender and petite. She suffered from depression, kept locked away in the Palace, kept from the eyes of the public. For the first time, he had let her out to roam in the gardens, to smell the roses.


    Marquis Boullope had married his daughter to him in a bid to gain control over control him in the future. It was a political marriage, so she had no real say in it. Perhaps she had someone else in mind before the arrangement, but that was the past.


    The girl was about the same age as his sister, though that never mattered and would no longer if it did since Barbro was no longer himself. This Barbro wasn''t planning on letting her go either.


    Shifting in front of the window, he glanced over his shoulder to gaze at the room that was devoid of life. His eyes moved to his desk and contemplated with his eyes upon the stationary.


    That was when there was a knock and his eyes darted for the door, "Come in." In his military garb, and ready for generally about any type of presentation, he sat down at his desk as the door opened.


    Baron Cheneko and the Marquis came walking in through the door, nearly marching at that.


    Cheneko was a deceptively sly looking man who tries his best to win the favor of the Crown Prince every chance he got. The Baron had light brown hair styled in a quiff that would remind one of a cinnamon roll. Upon his face was also has a curly mustache and eyebrows. To Barbro, he looked like a rat and probably was one in nature.


    "Your Highness, I have brought Baron Cheneko with me today for our talks," Boullope grinned lightly, the scars on his face being illuminated by the light from the outside. Though his expression slowly faded as he saw his daughter outside the window in the garden.


    "I was just watching my wife in the gardens," the Prince brought the glass of wine to his lips once more, savoring the taste for a few seconds before swallowing. "What about the talks?"


    "Uh, hm..." The Marquis turned his gaze to the Prince from the window and nodded, wondering why the woman who he had sired was outside on the Palace Grounds. "About the Nation''s future, your highness! You are the Crown Prince of the Kingdom after all. we must make plans in order to act on them when the time is right."


    "Your Highness! By all means, if you wish for us to leave you to your wife, we will come back another time," Cheneko who would want favors from him in the future spoke hastily.


    Barbro grinned lightly hearing the Baron and nodded slowly, "No. You came today, grab a seat, any seat and we will talk," lifting the glass to his lips he downed the rest of the wine before placing the glass down on his desk.


    "Your Highness..." The Marquis started as he pulled a cushioned chair over to the desk, sitting down before the Crowned Prince. "Is it wise of you to be drinking at this hour?"


    "We are talking about the future of the Kingdom, why must I be sober?" Without hesitation, the Prince seemed to make a soft quip, with a rather stern tone accompanied by a smile.


    "Good point, Your Highness!" Baron nodded his head in quick succession, seated in a chair beside the Marquis, as he spoke.


    "Be careful about nodding your head so much, Cheneko... You might give yourself a concussion," the stern expression overtook his smile to match the tone of voice the Prince used.


    The Marquis simply shook his head as he looked over the Prince, watching as the royal heir leaned back in his chair. "This is the first time I''ve seen my daughter outside, does she have any attendants, Your Highness?"


    "They''re by the doors," The Prince chuckled at the father-in-law, "Now... Tell me, what is it you really want?" Barbro''s tone had changed towards a darker tone as he leaned to the side, resting his jaw against his fist with his below on the arm of the chair.


    "Your Highness?" Boullope kept his gaze on him, confused about his question.


    "I''ve been thinking about this for a while," Barbro''s hand shifted from his cheek and caressed his chin, feeling at his blonde beard. "You married your daughter to me... You''ve done me favors, sponsored me when I needed the coin. When I become king, what is your desire? Of course, you would want my support, but what other than that is there to gain?"


    Boullope stared at the young prince with his pug-like eyes. With a shift of his jaw and a subtle movement in his seat, he nodded firmly. "Your Highness, what does this have to do with..."


    "It has everything to do with the future of this Kingdom, as it does for the Future Queen," Barbro cleared his throat as he glanced to the side to look over to Boullope''s daughter. At that very moment, they locked eyes with one another as she had turned from the roses to face the window.


    Boullope watched as his daughter was almost startled by the gaze, and immediately turned away. "She is still shy with you despite it being a year already! Heh, she should know better..." Nearly stood up before the Prince raised his hand to stop him. The Marquis saw no reason for concern, he had intended on punishing his daughter for disrespecting the Crowned Prince.


    "She is no longer yours Marquis Boullope," Barbro reminded the nobleman of the Nobility Faction affiliated with the Six Great Nobles. "She is my Princess Consort."


    "O-of course, Your Highness. Forgive me for my offensive conduct," Boullope quickly sunk back into his chair with his head lowered in a bow.


    "This offense is forgiven," uttered the Prince and shook his head as he looked to Cheneko for however briefly before turning his attention back to the Marquis.


    "The King has sent out the Head Warrior out to the fringes of the Kingdom in order to combat an unknown threat that has been attacking our frontier villages," the Marquis informed with a frown. "They entrusted a mere commoner to the job and glory of a noble!"


    Slowly nodding his head, Barbro didn''t give much response to this news. "If the Head Warrior were to die... Who exactly would protect the King? Would it be you?"


    "You surely jest your highness!" Laughed the Marquis, "I am in no position to protect the King. My place is on the battlefield, not guarding the King''s side from his enemies, but the Kingdom itself..."


    "I do wonder why the King, my father, hasn''t offered him the Status of Nobility for his deeds and friendship. While he may be the Noble of Pigsblood should it happen," the Prince carefully eyed them as he conversed, "he could gain the title of Knight. As would his children''s children."


    Raising a brow at the words used here, the Marquis was trying not to burst out into a fit of laughter. The title alone was something to behold, especially as he tasted it on his lips, "A noble of pigs blood?"


    "A commoner who has gained the right to passage into nobility. Before nobles were born, they were made," the Prince snarled in a light scoff, "Obviously." His eyes then trailed to his empty glass.


    "That is so..." Boullope straightened his back against the chair. Normally the Prince poked at the Head Warrior because of his common-blood and how he was not a true Knight of the Kingdom.


    It was the Nobility Faction themselves which were stopping the King from appointing the Head Warrior Captain as a Noble.


    A small frown could be seen decorating the Prince''s lips as he was still looking over his wine glass.


    That was when Baron Cheneko shot up from his chair, grasped the nearby open bottle of wine and stood beside the desk to pour it into his glass.


    Chuckling softly, Barbro looked to the rat who had begun to fill his glass. "Perceptive of you, Baron Cheneko," he mildly praised the baron as he filled the glass and put the bottle down before returning to his seat.


    Reaching over the Prince plucked the glass back up into his hand and sipped from it.


    "If there is a mole in the Kingdom speaking with the Empire, I want you two to find them," Barbro spoke with a frown across his lips. "My own ears had found that they''ve been too well informed."


    "Your Highness?" The two Nobles furrowed their brows.


    "When you find them, report them to me directly. They must be found out before the annual war approaches..." Nursing the glass between his fingers, the Prince was looking at them with serious ice blue eyes. "Both parties of the nobles must be combed through, every last drop."


    "What will become of the one who is found to be the traitor, Your Highness?" Cheneko asked as he leaned forward with great interest, being given credit for taking out a traitor sounded like it would come with an immense reward.


    "Their land and properties will be auctioned by the Royal Family, their families stripped of their noble status, and the perpetrator likely hung for treason." Letting out a huff at the end of his sentence, the Prince swallowed half of the contents within his glass before folding his ankle over his knee. "Of course, the one who accurately investigates and reports the traitor will be rightfully rewarded. However, if the noble accused of treason turns out to be innocent... There will be complications, that is obvious."


    "Your Highness... If the traitor is one of the Six Great Nobles, how will--" Boullope was cut off by the Prince as he rose his hand to silence the Marquis.


    With a grin across his lips, Barbro lulled his head to the side as he leaned into his chair a bit more than before. He was beginning to relax as he then went on to address the noble''s question, "They will be dealt with accordingly. If you two play your hands right, you won''t only save the Kingdom, but make a hefty profit off of doing so..."


    "Your Highness, do you know who we should look into?" Cheneko queried anxiously.


    Barbro looked over them callously, as if they were looking to be fed hints, "I know who is clear of any suspicion. Marquis Raeven, Margrave Urovana, Panasolei Gruze Day Rettenmaier, and my brother-in-law Marquis Pespea are not traitors."


    "That makes up the majority of the opposition..." Boullope leaned back into his chair, caressing his chin in deep thought. It looked like his brain was going to go into full nuclear meltdown as he was sifting through the little information that was available to him.


    This left several Nobles throughout the Kingdom that could potentially serve as a threat to their own people and the crown itself. The future of the Prince depended on it, and Boullope wasn''t going to let it threaten his wager.


    "I want you two to begin your investigations a week from now. You''ll need to get your people and resources in order, at least I would think..." Barbro took another sip of his wine before pushing himself up and out of his seat. The two nobles did the same seeing their prize card stand.


    "Your Highness, if I may ask, what made you ask this of us? Was there reason to suspect a traitor amongst the nobles of our kingdom? It is a heinous act." Marquis Boullope again decided to question the man, not wanting to be turned astray by promises of treasure that could ultimately lead him to the gallows instead.


    "Looking over various records of our Annual Wars with the Empire, it is clear someone has been feeding them information... It is either being sold through merchants or directly through surrogates who dispense the information at their own discretion to a particular source." The Prince seemed to be rather adamant about this. "Now leave, the next time I see you, speak nothing of this unless there is something conclusive to report."


    The two nobles nodded to him and as quickly as they came, the two went befittingly out the door.


    About thirty minutes later, the side door would open and his wife came walking in slowly, peering over to see that her husband was alone and on his third glass of wine.


    "Took you long enough to return, Sienna," the Prince tsk''ed his tongue at her before turning his gaze to meet her. Not at all affected by the wine he drank, Barbro placed the glass upon his desk once more.


    "W-what did my father want?" His consort asked as she stared at him from across the room.


    "Do not stand so far away when you talk to me," Barbro neglected to answer her question as if completely disregarding it as if it had no meaning at all. He listened to her dainty feet as she made her way across his reception chambers and up to a couple of feet away from him.


    "That''s better, now ask me again," raising a gloved hand she nearly flinched but held still she felt his digits lightly dragging along her skin.


    "Your Highness..." She swallowed, "What did my father... Wish to speak to you about?"


    Letting his hand move from her face and into her hair, he gazed over her timid persona, she was afraid of his authority "Would you believe me if I told you he was asking about you?"


    "No... Not necessarily," Sienna''s eyes were to the floor as she spoke, "Your Highness."


    "Call me Andrean," his fingers encompassed the back of her head as he pulled her in closer to whisper into her ear, "I hate the name Barbro, Andrean is a name far more befitting of a future King."


    Blinking at his proclamation, her eyes wandered up to his chest as her head lifted slightly to gaze upon his face. The arrogance that he usually aired, seemed to be hidden behind a genuine smile. Though he reeked of wine, he seemed somewhat more pleasant than all the other interactions they''ve shared.


    "He sees me as nothing more than a tool for his ambition," this small murmur leaked from her lips.


    "There is no other reason for him to pool all his resources under me if he didn''t have any purpose behind it," the Prince spoke in a slow and quiet manner as he retrieved a dagger from his desk.


    "What are you doing with that?" Blinking at his actions, she wanted to back away. If he wanted to do away with her, he surely could and cover it up. Yet she couldn''t find the ability to move, even as his fingers were tightening around her hair.


    Her eyes watched as the glistening blade was moving closer and closer to her person. Without an answer as he moved the blade close to her face, she closed her eyes tightly as it was the only thing she could do.


    Sienna was expecting to be stabbed, her throat slit, or something along those manners yet none of those had occurred. She didn''t quite understand what was going on at all.


    Parting her lips as she then felt a light tug, the strange sensation of her head feeling light came to her attention. Surprised by the occurrence, she opened her eyes, centering her gaze on the dagger as he was planting it back on the desk. "Wha..." Confused she reached behind her head and found her brunette locks had been reduced to jaw-length.


    In his free hand was the length that he had cut from her head, held in his fist. Carefully taking a string out from one of his pockets, he wrapped hair with care before placing it down beside his dagger.


    "What was that for, your-- Andrean?" Sienna''s gaze kept jumping from the dagger and to the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, all the while letting her hand fall to her side.


    "Undress and meet me in my bed chambers," He gave her soft right cheek two little playful slaps. "I''ll be there in a few minutes," he folded his hands behind his back as his blue eyes stared through her.


    Rapidly bobbing her head in a nod, Sienna was quick to escape the room, though he was sure he could see a faint smile across her lips.


    "Now then..." He listened for the door to click shut behind her as she left.


    With his wife now gone and he doors secured, he silenced the room before using, ��Message��.


    "Archona, is that you?" Fenrir''s voice sounded through the Shade''s mind.


    "Yes, Fenrir-sama," They spoke with Barbro''s voice which caused an instant brief and awkward silence. "Fenrir-sama? Are you there?"


    "Ah, so it seems you found a worthy host, Yes? Who is it that you''re using I wonder." Fenrir seemed curious, as he had not seen inside the building as the Atlas did not show it.


    "As expected to know I, Archona the Shadow of Death, have chosen a Worthy Host such as the Crown Prince of the Re-Estize Kingdom. He has quite the face... And quite the wife. Am I being spoiled?" The Shade questioned its master curiously as it crossed its host''s arms.


    "Oh? So one of my Floor Guardians gets married before I do, it seems you are being spoiled..." Fenrir retorted with a chuckle, clearly amused by the antics of the Shade.


    Deviously grinning, the dark spiritual creature inhabiting the body of Barbro nearly squirmed feverishly in glee, "Fenrir-sama... Give me one word and I''ll take their souls... Just one word. One way or another I will hand you the Kingdom on a silver platter, piping hot but still bleeding."


    "All is well, Archona. You have gained a regal position within their government, use it to gather influence and subtly eliminate those who work against you if you cannot bring them under your control." Fenrir ordered with a callous tone, no longer joking around. "Thank you..."

 21 『Adamantite Snow』

    Over sixteen hours of travel, followed by a four-hour stay at Re-Lobell, the Blue Rose Adventurers had continued on their journey to the Roble Holy Kingdom after switching out the horses. That short rest could have been longer, but there was no time to waste. The fact a tower had appeared means that they automatically had a stronghold and finding out their intentions was paramount to the Re-Estize Kingdom and their well-being.


    It had only been a day ago that they had seen a flock of blackbirds high up in the sky, strangely enough holding humanoid forms. At first, she had only assumed they were some sort of birdmen, but that wasn''t the case when she used magic to get a closer look. They were a group of women with the arms and legs of birds and while they seemed to have noticed her, they ignored the wagon.


    Evileye''s mind has been stuck on that, considering their actual power levels that she honestly couldn''t hope to comprehend. This was the reason why they needed to get there faster, there was no time to stop.


    "Our shorty seems to be all bothered about the creatures high above us, perhaps we''ll play a game to pass the time? Hm." Gagaran the muscle head spoke up as she laughed from her bench, looking over the red-cloaked Vampire who was sitting at the back end of the wagon.


    "Game? What do you have in mind Gagaran?" Lakyus, from the front of the coach, peered over to the large woman in bulky armor.


    "I spy, with my little Evileye," Gagaran grinned.


    "Hey!" The small Vampire groaned out as she shifted her head to the side, looking in the direction of the behemoth of a woman, "Who said you could name a game after me, Mass of Muscle?!"


    Grinning widely, Gagaran feinted fear in a sarcastically playful manner, "Uwah! So scary! Evileye has been offended, may the Gods save us all!"


    Completely flustered under that make of hers, Evileye threw her fists down at her sides. "That isn''t funny! I can make this journey on my own if I so wished it, all I must do is fly my way there." The young vampiress snapped sharply towards her friends, though she knew they were playing around.


    Tia and Tina sighed to one another, before looking to their ''Evil Boss'' with a curious glint.


    "Gagaran is bullying Evileye," Tia droned aloud as she informed Lakyus.


    "Oooh?" The amused noblewoman turned Adventurer continued to look over her friends before giggling to herself. "I am sure that Gagaran meant no harm, Evileye, but if you want to go on ahead... We won''t stop you."


    Evileye''s lips parted as she looked over their leader before letting out a sigh and putting her hands on either side of her head. "You people are confusing sometimes, you know?"


    "We know," all four of the others answered in unison.


    Shaking her head lightly as she peered out the back of the wagon again, Evileye didn''t know how she felt about this assignment. While they had seen another messenger from the Holy Kingdom pass by them, they would not reveal any news to anyone but the King.


    Turning back around would have been a waste of time and effort. At the same time, it may have served crucial. Ultimately, however, Lakyus had chosen to keep going as the intelligence they needed could be obtained by talking with the locals. Then again, they could also go all gungho directly into the mess of things, not that it was a good or bad idea in itself.


    "What do you think those feathered women were doing yesterday? You know, the ones we saw in the air," Lakyus''s fingers stroked along the blackened blade of her Sword of Darkness.


    "Who knows..." Evileye seemed to calm down by now as she was asked this question, one that allowed her to think. "Possibly scouting out the world the being of the tower has found himself in. Perhaps he has limited divination powers. It''s too early to speculate what he is planning, we''ll just have to find out ourselves, possibly through just asking him."


    "Asking a giant beast such questions doesn''t sound like it will end well," Gagaran gave a soft chuckle, not quite sure of a beast''s response to being subjected to an inquiry.


    "Fighting one without knowing its strengths would probably be bad..." Evileye let out a sigh as she knew what players were capable of. How the Six Gods of the Slane Theocracy had made sure that Humanity''s future was secure and the Eight Greed King''s conquest of the Continent. Even if it was just one man, on the person, it could mean the difference between the annihilation of mankind and its salvation. The fact that their children are known as God-Kin told just about anyone else who knew the term of their power compared to anyone else in this world. "And if we started a fight with such a person or being, without knowing its true intentions, we could meaninglessly destroy ourselves."


    "This is a deep conversation," uttered the driver of the wagon.


    "We have several hours left of this trip, so we should use that time to prepare ourselves. I''ve already gathered what we needed in Re-Lobell if we were to go into combat," Lakyus proclaimed as she was smiling down at her weapon which was being presented proudly in front of herself.


    Evileye''s mind had gone on to think about this possible player that had appeared. Just like her mind had been stuck on the harpies she had seen, her mind was on this person who chose not to bring about any casualties upon his arrival despite trespassers within his home.


    He sounded trustworthy, or at least of good blood, she just wished there was more to go on.


    The idea of someone having such power, made her want to bet on how many human women would throw themselves before the beast simply to be protected. Or would this beastly form described be too repulsive for a woman to throw herself before him? Either way, Evileye let out a small huff of silent laughter through her nose as she shook her head.


    As her eyes went off towards the sky above, before drifting down to the disheveled road that they traveled upon, she just let her legs dangle off the edge of the cart. Even as the wagon shook slightly, it didn''t bother her at all, such a fall onto the road would do little damage.


    In the past when it was her and the thirteen heroes, she could hardly fathom the Platinum Dragon Lord''s true capacity as they were exceeding her judgment and she had yet to see his full power.


    Yet as her thoughts moved onto her friend, she could only assume that it would be bad news if the player turned up to be on the same level as the Greed Kings. With so few True Dragon Lords left to fight against a player of such caliber, there was no doubt that they''d go unrivaled.


    Still, a frown did not permeate her lips as she continued to reflect and meditate on the future that was coming closer and closer. Reaching their destination would only be one part of their long journey.


    She counted each stone that passed under her feet, each ditch that caused the wagon to dip. There wasn''t much to do other than to converse, and it seemed Gagaran was all too happy to poke fun where there was no need.


    Letting out a sigh, Evileye''s gaze drifted over to the ocean to the West, then towards the lands to the East.


    From thirteen to two, from two to six and then down to five. Even though both she and Rigrit shared a similar trait of immortality, she wasn''t quite sure how she felt about it. She saw her potential to grow as forever increasing as she had almost all the time in the world. That is until she came across a man or creature in which could slay her.


    She could make entire Cities sink into the ground, hence her name of Landfall. However, she had lost a little too much on her travels. She felt like a box that was chained shut.


    Her dainty hand reached up and grasped the lock-like mechanism on her chest and lightly fingered the item. The girl''s attire wasn''t the most humble, and she usually always kept her red cloak wrapped around herself. A short black dress with tattered ends, detached sleeves with holes lining along her forearm, and thin tight-fitted pants that traveled dressed her legs.


    Part of her secretly longed for someone like the Leader to appear, someone with a good heart and talented. At the same time she feared that if this came true, they would die just as early.


    For the past two hundred and fifty years, she had watched people be killed or just die from the natural passing of time. It was a depressing existence, ones that allowed her to be emotionally wound.


    Some hours later, the wagon began to close in on what appeared to be a fortress on the border, a checkpoint which lead to the strip of land belonging to the Beastmen Enclave. This area was ruled by beastmen who viewed humans as a food source, cut off from the Beastmen Nations further East passed the Dragon Kingdom.


    "Once we enter through that gate, there is no stopping. If we slow down..." Lakyus was in the middle of talking when she paused. Even though they were about several more hours away from their target, the Tower could be seen off in the distance.


    "That is one big tower..." Tia commented quietly as she stared at it from her seat.


    "If something powerful enough to build such a large structure exists, it would be a bad idea to make it angry..." Pursing her lips, Gagaran could only stare at the magnificent structure despite not being close enough to make out most of its many identifying features.


    Tina muttered to herself while seeing it through the gate that leads into the enclave territory, "To think you''d be able to see the Tower from two Borders away... Quite the impressive sight."


    "I wonder how many floors that colossal thing has... It looks well Fortified." Lakyus didn''t entirely comprehend what she was seeing off in the distance, but for some reason it made her feel cold for just laying her eyes upon it.


    Evileye moved along though the canopy-covered wagon and to the driver''s perch, peering over the shoulder of the driver towards the general direction of the tower. The sight itself made her eyes go wide as she got the same strange feeling of coldness, at the same time, she felt something watching them more intently than before.


    Tilting her head back slightly, she rested her gaze on the empty sky above. Nothing was hovering above her, watching them physically, but it felt as if they had always been there... Watching since their departure from Re-Lobell.


    "Halt!" one of the Guards shouted, as the wagon came to a stop in front of the closed gateway, it seemed there were several guards already awaiting their arrival.


    Dressed in leather armored with metallic chest-plating. They were significantly weaker than the Adventurers by far as most of them were around silver ranked adventurers or even lower than iron. They were exceptionally low leveled individuals if they were conscripted into duty.


    "Ah... hello!" Lakyus popped her head out from the Canopy, looking over the men, her weapon on her back. "We''re Adamantite adventurers just passing through to the Roble Holy Kingdom to scout out the Tower off in the distance there," the noblewoman cheerfully pointed out.


    "Oh," the guards looked at one another before the Captain of the group simply nodded.


    "We''ll make sure to do our routine inspection quickly if you don''t mind. We can''t have you breaking down midway through the region." The Guard informed with a few simple hand gestures to reinforce his sincerity, "We wouldn''t be able to help you should your party get surrounded by beastmen."


    "O-of course," Lakyus nodded with a sweat drop over her brow, before retracting her head back under the canopy. She sat down on her seat and looked to the other members of the Blue Roses. "It''ll only take a few minutes."


    "Is this even Necessary?" Gagaran chuckled, feeling as if she was ready to match up against a demi-human of any kind that may attempt to challenge them.


    "If the Evil Boss declares as such, there shouldn''t be a problem," Tia and Tina shrugged to themselves, though they too didn''t care much for this regulation.


    Evileye, on the other hand, couldn''t care less, it just gave her more time to prepare.


    As the Guards approached the way, they started doing their routine inspection. There were very few goods on board with them. Just the average food supply for travel and other menial equipment.


    After everything passed inspection and their wagon was ready to pass through the territory, the gate was lifted and with a crack of the whip, the horses were drawn forward.


    Personally, it was a good mark for a second day of traveling to end. Now all they had to do was reach the wall so they could meet safety with the Paladins and the Army guarding it.


    Evileye who remained at the open end of the wagon looked off towards Abelion Hills, the main territory separating the Roble Holy Kingdom from the Slane Theocracy from one another.


    There were more eyes on them the moment they entered this stretch of road. So her gaze was centered on where the most likely direction an enemy should appear from. There were woods, mountains and hill covered terrain which gave her multiple blind spots to contend with.


    A beastman spell caster could very well be waiting in the shadows for a convoy to pass through here. Luckily the Re-Estize Kingdom usually used ships to trade with Roble Holy Kingdom, so there weren''t all that many routine ambushes on trade shipments.


    With the wagon going as fast as they could, they probably had a little more over an hour to get to the other side. Hopefully, it was going to be a cakewalk. They weren''t carrying that many people, so that meant there wasn''t much food onboard. If it wasn''t in a convoy, it would also tip the Beastmen off that there was little value in attacking it. The question was, would they simply ignore such a thing going through their territory?


    Just as they were about to hit the halfway mark, suddenly the entire wagon stopped moving, lurching to an almost unnatural stop and sending Evileye tumbling into the center of the carriage.


    Hitting her head with a thud, Evileye stared upward at the ceiling as she could see the glow of magic raise beneath them from under the wooden planks that made up the floor. "Oh..." Half expecting an explosion, a flash of light engulfed the vehicle, only to be replaced by a thick frosty mist that would fill the cabin.


    Movement resumed as normal as the driver brought the entire wagon to a quick halt. "What just happened!? How did we get here already!?" The Driver didn''t seem at all calm as it was evident they had passed over a Teleportation Mine Spell that connected to places together.


    "Thank you for bringing us all the way here!" Lakyus gave the driver their fair before the members of her party disembarked into the mist to regroup.


    Evileye was the first to sight the glow from the open mouth of the archway leading into the citadel. Her gaze was filled with curiosity as she could make out glyph-like shapes.


    As the small Vampire girl made her way towards the archway, her teammates followed behind, matching her pace as best they could as she hovered over the terrain by a few inches.


    "What are these?" Evileye came to a stop as she passed through the archway, her very sights set on the glowing glyphs that lined the inner walls of the long winding corridor. They reminded her of the ruins belonging to the Eight Greed Kings, which verified that the individual or individuals who inhabited the structure were indeed players.


    Walking closer to the Glyphs, her eyes washed over the tales of the Afterlife and the story-like origins of the Citadel of Hel. This place was the home to the Goddess of Death, an exceptionally powerful Dungeon Boss from YGGDRASIL that once manned the Citadel.


    Reaching forward to touch one of the Glyphs, Evileye paused for a split instant before lowering her hand. "��Detect Magic��," she''d cast allow her to see the hidden teleportation circle right in front of her face. "How did they know where I would touch... This doesn''t make any sense," glancing down the passageway laid out for them, "Were they expecting us...? Guys, we should--"


    That was when Gagaran playfully smacked her hand against Evileye''s back, "What did you find there?!"


    This simple smack on the back caused her to fall forward in surprise. Evileye couldn''t avoid her mask from colliding with the wall along with her hands as she tried to save herself. Just then the Vampire let out an inaudible grumble as she sensed the activation of the magic being used. Being unable to do much of anything, the light engulfed all five of them once again.


    After a few seconds of disorientation, the group once more finds themselves in a different setting.


    Tina and Tia find themselves nearly immediately shivering from the cold due to the lack of insulation. There was snow everywhere and powerful winds that gust on by. This place, it was a winter wonderland and it was inside of the Citadel!


    Evileye''s mouth nearly dropped at the sight of the place. She could hardly tell where the borders were if there were even any in the first place. "...What have you done Gagaran!?"


    "This doesn''t look like anywhere near the Roble Holy Kingdom, could it be some sort of pocket dimension of some sort of frozen deity?" Lakyus breathed out, sharing at there breath in the cold air.


    Gagaran on the other hand just stood there in her scarlet armor, looking around as snow pelted her breastplates. "I don''t think we''re in the Holy Kingdom anymore..."


    Hugging onto one another for warmth, the Twins were using Gagaran''s large form a as shield against the environment. "Evil Boss, we must find shelter!" The two of the stoically whimpered out.


    Before another word could be said, Pelleon''s malformed halo peaked out from beneath the snow, before the head slowly rising out of the snow until the neck was visible. Its hollow eyes gazed at the newcomers silently.


    Evileye, as well as the others, had gone quiet and just started staring at the creature.


    "...Hello..." Its voice felt as if it was echoing in their minds as it spoke.


    "Uuuh..." Lakyus stared at the creature as if confused by the powerful Angelic Aura that it was emitting. "Hi," she tried to show a smile towards Pelleon, despite his rather skeletal looking features covered in dark leathery skin. "What are you doing down there...?"


    "...Making... Snow... Angels..." Pelleon responded cooly as if it was supposed to be a joke, as it then rose the rest of its body from the snow it had been submerged within. With its entire body exposed, the angelic presence stared down at them.

 22 『Thou Commands』

    Using Gagaran as a human wall to hide from the frosty gusts of wind, that pelted them with clumps of snow the size of ping pong balls, was not working all that well for Tia and Tina. The climate alone was making their already quivering lips turn purple, and their limbs to involuntarily shake as the body wanted to keep itself warm.


    "Do you perhaps know where..." A sweatdrop froze on Lakyus''s forehead as she stared up at Pelleon, as she could not only see one Angel in the sky but a total of three.


    An orb with a massive singular purple eye featuring dozens of wings and surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of miniature eyes of similar design. A girl in a black and white dress with several pairs of black wings sprouting from her back.


    The Priestess could only stare up at the sight in awe as she knew she was in the presence of true intelligent angels, unlike the ones that could be summoned by the likes of New Worlders.


    "I sense a dark presence from that sword..." Lucifael uttered under her breath as she stared down at the humans that had entered the domain of their God, their creator. "Father would be most interested in it."


    Evileye raised a brow as she could feel the effects of their powerful essence alone, though it wasn''t damaging, it wasn''t a feeling she could ignore. While she knew the female angel was speaking, however, she could not make out what she was saying over the loud howling gusts of wind.


    "Evil Boss," Tia called to her leader in a shivering voice, "We need to find shelter."


    Tina nodded to her sister as the both of them moved out from behind the metal shielded giant, who was likely much colder than them, to begin with.


    "Father should be expecting you," Lucifael said as she came hovering down in front of the group f five women. Her eyes surfed over them before resting on the Vampire for a few seconds, as she was wearing an enchanted ring that hid her status as an Undead. "Follow me," she gestured for them to follow with her hand laid out and her fingers curling inward towards her palm.


    Without much hesitation she would continue to hover through the cold, virtually unaffected by it.


    In awe, the four original members of the team moved forward, while Evileye lagged behind the others ever so slightly. Her eyes were scanning and scrutinizing over each detail of the area she found herself in.


    For some reason, she felt as if she was inside a giant snow globe, though in actuality she truthfully was. At the same time, she could sense a large number of undead creatures, but couldn''t see a single one due to the thickness of the storm that coated the area. The Undead themselves were above her level.


    Trembling from the cold as she was hugging herself for warmth, the noblewoman adventurer spoke up to their supposed hostess who wished for them to follow, "My name is Lakyus, we''re--"


    "We already know who you are," Lucifael gave a sly simper before turning her head to look at the adventurers, a smug smirk upon her lips. "The Adamantite Adventurers of the Blue Rose: Lakyus, Tia, Tina, Gagaran and Evileye," she spoke in a monotonous voice and didn''t give them much room to introduce themselves.


    "I... I see..." Lakyus sighed as she trudged through the snow, remaining quiet as to conserve energy though she was finding it rather hard to keep herself in silence.


    Evileye who was curious as to where they were going, gazed up towards the sky once more. The other Angels did not seem interested in following. So without much hesitation, she began to increase her altitude, but that was a decision that she was quick to regret.


    The higher she went, the greater the wind and the heavier the snow.


    As soon as she got three meters off the ground, the pressure of the air itself was pushing her right back down due to her insufficient level to maintain that height of flight.


    "Aaah!" Evileye came crashing down into the snow, face first and laid there for a split second before pushing her hands into the snow before standing back up.


    "Shorty?!" Gagaran shouted out as she turned her head, to see if their friend was alright.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry about me you overgrown meat muscle!" Evileye shouted back with her typical sharp demeanor as she began hopping through the thickly laid out sheets of snow.


    "Okay! Don''t cry about it later then, Evileye, if I don''t ask if you''re alright when it truly counts!" Laughed the giant muscular blonde, as out of all of them, she was having little problem walking through the thick partially frozen mass that carpeted the area.


    Rolling her eyes at her friends, she watched as they continued over a hill and vanished from sight shortly thereafter. From her calculations, it wouldn''t take all that much time to get to them wherever her friends had gone. So she continued walking, swiftly learning that the further she moved forward, the easier it became to move. As she reached the other side of the elevated ground they had been walking upon, her gaze dropped down a slope that leads to a cabin that her friends were being led into.


    Unperturbed by the cold, she pulls the cloak she wore tighter around herself, the two tattered red flaps hovering over her shoulders. "A cabin in the middle of a winter wonderland, how quaint. Let me guess, there''s a fireplace...?" Her eyes narrowed on the roof, noting the bellowing chimney. "So there is, it seems like it will be warm enough." With her gaze resting on the Angel who opened the door for her friends, she watched as her human companions vanished behind the door.


    "Teleportation," Evileye attempted to use the spell to close the distance between here and the cabin, but it ended up fizzling out and not working. She stood there perplexed, "There''s a dimensional lock? Someone doesn''t want us escaping..."


    "Fly!" She used this spell to close the distance faster than just walking, and made her way towards the cabin as the Angel continued to hold the door for her. Once she reached the door, she rested her booted feet upon the wooden panel floor. Then just as she went to turn around to thank Lucifael, the Angel walked in behind her, slamming the door shut.


    "Father!" Lucifael called out towards the man in the center of the room whilst approaching him.


    Evileye''s head snapped aside and narrowed her gaze upon the man. Her big red eyes blinked several times seeing a tall eight-foot male. As she inspected him from where she stood at the door, she could see he was partially armored. He was wearing what appeared to be a black turtleneck, baggy black pants with quilted white and gold skirting with four silvery armor plates.


    There was a young blonde girl dressed in a long white and blue padded-armor Jacket with feral looking eyes tending to various parts of armor laid out on a tabletop.


    As she traced her eyes over the armor, she could see there were etchings upon it that made the Cuirass and shoulder pieces appear to be made of solidified white fur. There was plenty of gold trim and linear gilded decoration. The pouldrons themselves incorporated cloth and sapphire eyes, scrutinizing it closer, she could easily see the impression of a face belonging to a wolf.


    As her eyes moved towards the front of the chest piece, she could see there were Celtic almost metallic floral designs. Just by looking at the armor, she could not tell what kind of substances it was composed of. However, she could see that it was higher quality than anything she had seen outside of commonality.


    Turning her eyes away from the man who had his back to them, she set her attention to the other four members of her party. Tottering over to Lakyus, she stood beside their leader as she peered up to her. "Why are we just standing here watching him put on some fancy set of armor and what exactly is going on here?"


    "Ah, so it seems all of you are here," Fenrir spoke in a soothing yet authoritarian tone just as Lakyus was about to open her mouth to respond to her friend''s inquiry. "I''ve been expecting you..." Turning his head to the side, revealing his ember colored eye and gracing them with his elegantly sculpted face. "Once my outfitting is complete, I will--"


    Evileye''s attention remained on Neia, the girl who was now picking the cuirass off of the table, "Hey! That girl there is wearing a tunic from the Holy Kingdom! Isn''t that the Squire that was reported Missing in Action? Are you holding her here against her will!?"


    "Missing?" Fenrir raised a brow as he looked to Neia, who shrugged before placing the cuirass against his torso as she fastened it into place. "She doesn''t seem to be missing, it seems you didn''t come here with up to date information," he shed a knowing grin across his lips.


    "Pardon my friend here, she can be a bit immature at times... However, I''m going to be blunt," Lakyus gestured a hand out in front of herself, her eyes narrowed on the man as he turned to face them with his arms out anatomically. "We were sent here by the Princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom to ascertain your intent.." Her fingers curled in towards her palm as she hadn''t gotten his name.


    "Where are your manners..." With Neia standing behind him, Fenrir cast a spell known as ��Greater Command�� a singular spell belonging to his Holy Sovereign Class. It was a mind-affecting magic spell that forcefully compelled multiple subjects to follow a singular order, "Bend to one knee."


    All the humans within the Blue Roses fell to one knee just as they were ordered with the simple phrase alone.


    Surprised at this as she couldn''t rise to her feet, Lakyus looked up to him, "What is the meaning of this!? Why can''t I stand."


    Gagaran seemed to struggle but soon ceased as she wanted to hear an answer.


    The twins, on the other hand, were already looking at him, awaiting an explanation, or to hear some sort of ultimatum.


    Initially ignoring her question, Fenrir rested his eyes on Evileye as Neia continued to finish up putting the armor parts upon his arms and around his neck while standing on a chair. His Squire was wearing an item that protected her from being influenced by the spell. "So, you''re an undead," Fenrir pointed this out due to knowing the immunity towards mind-affecting powers that an undead has.


    "W-wait! An undead?" Neia nearly fell off the chair upon hearing this.


    "And you''re a player..." Evileye narrowed her eyes on the male, before looking to her friends. They knew of who and what she was, it was clear they didn''t discriminate.


    Neia was puzzled by the word that was used to describe Fenrir, "Player...?"


    Evileye turned her gaze to the Squire, "Players are a race of beings that possess the potential to be God-like beings. The Four Gods were the same race, even their offspring are known as God-Kin by the Slane Theocracy," her eyes then flickered on back towards Fenrir, "As were the Eight Greed Kings."


    "Oh," Neia blinked several times at this realization and was still able to see that he had already reached his Godly potential. While he had not shown his glory in battle yet, he has indeed shown his ability to create powerful items and even sculpt the supernatural interior of the Citadel.


    Appeased by the Vampire''s words, and even pleasantly surprised by the information shared freely, the powerful being chuckled mutedly to himself. "My name is Fenrir, I am known as the God-Eater, and by extension, God-Killer." The werewolf gave his head a light tip as if to nod towards them, "Address me appropriately."


    "..." Evileye stared up at his form as he took two steps forward to stand in front of her.


    Raising her head a bit more as she spoke, "I apologize for addressing you such an improper manner, Fenrir-sama... Would you allow us to stand?" Lakyus felt like her eyes were floating in a weightless vacuum as she was looking to the supposed God-like being. This man, she realized, could make even her drop to one knee with only a couple of words; if not just one.


    Part of her wanted to mumble about how she could resist the calls of corruption by her demonic blade, and yet she had been conquered by a man of light. It was a sensation she wasn''t quite fond of, but it was hidden quite well behind her voice.


    Fenrir''s gaze shifted to Lakyus as she referred to him in what he saw as the correct manner. "You may rise," his words unlocked the compulsion''s hold upon them, allowing them to raise as they so pleased.


    "It''s rude to wear a mask whilst we converse," Fenrir stated as he held out a hand for her to hand it to him, "It will be returned to you prior to your departure..." His eyes narrowed on what appeared to be a crack in the mask that had recently formed.


    Taking a step back, Evileye wasn''t sure if she should hand over her mask, but as she attempted to discern how powerful he was with magic... She quickly found herself stumped, not only did he not hide his status, but he was beyond her comprehension. He was so strong that he may as well be able to challenge her friend, the Platinum Dragon Lord.


    Slowly the small Vampire reached up and grasped the very edge of her mask, before pealing it from her face and holding it up for him to take.


    In that brief moment, Fenrir didn''t see her face as he was focused on the mask. His finger ran over the black visor and the ruby red gem implanted within it. "��Restoration��," was the spell Fenrir decided to cast, ultimately repairing her aged mask into its prime.


    Evileye with her golden bangs and big red eyes visible parted her lips seeing as the crack she hadn''t noticed before was sealed over. Dirt, grime, and scratches on the mask were completely gone.


    "Think of that as a reward for listening to my demands," Fenrir stated without looking at her as he then placed the mask he just repaired into his item box before clasping his hands together.


    Evileye gasped slightly and reached out for where her mask had once been. It was just like the former Leader of the Thirteen heroes! The idea of losing one of her belongings caused her to freeze up for a split second, and in that second, Fenrir''s eyes matched hers.


    His gaze traced over her baby face, taking in the way her eyes sparkled and her long golden locks framed her unparalleled features.


    What happened next was almost completely out of character for the tall fellow in ivory white and heavenly gold-colored armor made from Stary Silver a level Seventy Prismatic Ore.


    Within a single lunge with his high leveled agility in her direction, his hands scooped under her armpits and lifted her into the air like Simba in the Lion King on display. Of course, that was only for a split second before he brought her into a hug, nuzzling his face against the side of hers.


    "You''re so cuuuute~! You''re like a little red riding hood!" He spoke adoringly as he swayed side to side. Even though he was out of character, he took in her scent, registering it as a vampire despite the ring that hid her status.


    Wide-eyed, the action in itself shocked Evileye as she found herself involuntarily lifted into the air by the man. "Eehh!?" With her mouth snapping open from the surprise her fang-like eyeteeth were visible. "What do you think you''re doing...!" She hissed as her voice started as a mighty roar, while she pushed her upper torso back by pressing her hands to his chest, only for her voice to fade out as she noticed the two wolf ears pop out the top of his head. Then her eyes moved down to the strangely affectionate smile across his lips, then when they shifted up a bit more on his face to get a look at his eyes, she blinked.


    She quickly found she wasn''t able to hypnotize him at all.


    Gagaran who was covering her mouth suddenly Burst out laughing. "Hah! Shorty''s got a God for an Admirer! How befitting of a former member of the Thirteen Heroes!"


    "H-hey!" Evileye looked to Gagaran as she squirmed uncomfortably in the man''s hold.


    "Thirteen heroes!?" Neia blinked several times before narrowing her gaze on Evileye, a tad bit of wanderlust filling her mind as the tales of the Thirteen heroes came to her forethought as she had always wanted to travel the Continent.


    Using the spell��Command��, Fenrir turned his gaze to Gagaran, "Silence."


    Her laughter was quickly put to an end, even though the rest of her team were muffledly still giggling to themselves in the form of covered smiles.


    "Now that is something I want to hear about..." Fenrir''s attention turned back to Evileye as he seemed to have calmed down, returning to in character as it were, but he still didn''t put her down. "Until then though, if you wish to learn of my intent... You all must take part in the challenges I set forth for all of you."


    "Challenges? You speak of challenges at a time like this!? Put me down already before I tie your ears in a knot, I am not some damsel in distress to be manhandled!" Evileye couldn''t even comprehend this man''s strength, she couldn''t even budge from his grasp as his arms shifted over her lower and upper back to bring her closer.

 23 『Challenge Accepted』

    "Challenges? You speak of challenges at a time like this!? Put me down already before I tie your ears in a knot, I am not some damsel in distress to be manhandled!" Evileye couldn''t even comprehend this man''s strength, she couldn''t even budge from his grasp as his arms shifted over her lower and upper back to bring her closer.


    A soft grin remained on his face as she could still hear her friend''s muffled giggles. "You wouldn''t dare," Fenrir jeered as he knew she couldn''t do any real lasting damage to him at her level.


    Wrapped snug in his arms, Evileye reached forward and grabbed at his face, pulling at his cheeks. "Release me!" She turned her head to face the others, "Don''t just sit there and laugh! Help me out here!" Part of her was all too clearly having fun with the situation, pulling at his cheeks that reacted elastically, but at the same time, her tone had some sort of urgency. She didn''t want to get used to the feeling of being held this way.


    "Heh, If we do anything, he might make us do more than just kneel..." Lakyus uttered as she watched her friend being hugged unto. "And I can''t unleash Kilineiram''s cursed full potential in such a small room, even if I am the only one who can control it."


    "Is it that hard to control?" Fenrir''s gaze rested on the leader of the Blue Roses who had said this and raised a brow as she was claiming to be powerful enough to control a cursed blade. His eyes hovered over the hand of hers which was resting on the hilt of the weapon.


    "God doubts my word?" Lakyus seemed to grow a smug look across her lips as she drew the mighty Dark Sword from her back and held it out towards him blade first. The point hovered in the direction of his left shoulder.


    "I thought you weren''t going to use it!" Evileye shuttered in Fenrir''s arms as she knew what that weapon was capable of, considering the owner of the weapon had been one of the Thirteen Heroes.


    "Oh? Perhaps I''ll try it out before sending you all off on your challenges..." His eyes drifted over towards the blonde-haired vampire in his arms. His attention focused on those crimson eyes of hers. He felt like his heart was going to be sucked into them, even if she wasn''t centering her gaze on him as she had her head turned to the side. The Wolf didn''t seem at all bothered by the girl''s hands still on his cheeks, continuingly to harmless pinch and pull at them.


    There was no getting him to let go, and she was beginning to find that out the hard way. She would only be free from this man should he so choose to let her be. Her hands fell to his shoulders and she glared up at him.


    "Now, don''t look at me like that," Fenrir''s odd-eyes remained on those crimson orbs of hers as the command spell used on Gagaran wore off. He hardly registered her snickering at the sight, before he leaned forward bringing his face close to Evileye''s neck.


    Evileye tensed slightly, hearing him take small little sniffs as if trying to take her scent. She could feel his heartbeat drumming through his chest as her arm resting on it. The beat got even heavier as his closeness to her neck pushed down her hood, her golden locks in her face.


    "W-what are you doing getting even more excited over this!?" She snapped at him trying to get him to back his face away, but that was when she felt something warm and slippery quickly rush across her skin.


    Goosebumps ran through her entire body along with a strange tingling sensation. It hadn''t felt bad, but it didn''t feel good either, it was just gross.


    Chuckling nervously and a bit out of character, Fenrir slowly withdrew from her neck, his face being grazed by her hair on his way back. "Uh-oh, my Wolf instincts got the better of me due to my excitement."


    Quickly after recollecting herself, she shouted, "EEEH?! THAT''S ALL YOU''RE GOING TO SAY AFTER YOU JUST LICKED ME OUT OF NOWHERE!? Aaah! That''s so freakin'' gross!" She reached up to wipe it away with one hand, while the other balled up on his armored shoulder before she hissed, "Put me down!"


    Gagaran pointed upon hearing this, "Hah! Shorty just got licked by a wolfman!"


    "...Evileye got licked by the wolf~!" The twins both burst out into laughter after a brief pause.


    "Was that supposed to be some sort of kiss, where you come from? Or were you just grooming her neck with your tongue...?" Lakyus asked as she lowered her weapon, a sweatdrop forming on the side of her face as she sounded her second question that seemed a bit concerned in tone.


    "Uh, hm..." Fenrir looked down at Evileye whose eyes were looking up at him with this glossy look of embarrassment embedded within them. He then glanced back towards Laykus, "The majority do not kiss like this where I come from, no."


    "Pffffff!" Lucifael was standing there with a cheeky grin across her face, her middle and index fingers over her lower lips, "Father... Did you just mark a Vampire as your potential mate?"


    Though this was the first time of Fenrir hearing of this, he was instantly intrigued.


    "DON''T I GET A SAY IN THIS!? What in the seven hells is wrong with you!?" Evileye nearly blew a gasket, her face burning with anger, embarrassment and a hidden glint of flattery.


    The room went silent, all of their eyes were on the ''God'' which was holding the vampiress in his arms. Even though she was undead, the small being in his arms was turning as red as a cherry tomato.


    Gagaran exploded into a howling laughter and broke the silence near immediately, holding her stomach with both hands as she could hardly stand straight. "Ahahaa! This is too much! Shorty... Our Shorty is finally being picked up by a man!"


    "Shut up!" Evileye threw her hands in the air as she growled, wanting her friend to silence herself and partially wishing Fenrir''s spell hadn''t worn off. "Shut up, before I cast you into oblivion, you big nonsensical Mass of Muscle! Stop laughing at me!"


    Fenrir was sure that Gagaran was going to pull hernia from going far too hard with that laughing fit of hers.


    Neia, on the other hand, was blinking several times at the scene that had unfolded.


    "I thought you were into your lovely little squire girl," laughed Lucifael before looking to Neia who was also flushing red in the face. She then paused for a few seconds, only to peer towards her creator with a brow raised as she kept her grin across her lips. "What''s this?"


    "I told her I intend to drown her in my affections," Fenrir pursed his lips slightly as he finally let Evileye down unto her feet before letting go. He then corrected his posture, "though since I''m at it..." In a single glorious stride, he approached Neia.


    "Uh..." Nearly able to take a step back, Neia wasn''t quick enough as she felt his hands clamp down on her shoulders and his massive shadow engulfed her. Within seconds, almost like a predator coming in for a bite, his upper body was leaning forward and his tongue grazing across the side of her right cheek. "F-Fenrir-sama..." Her hands tried moving out in front of herself, her mind flustered and confused.


    "Oooooh! Evileye has competition!" Gagaran wiped her eyes as she stood up straight, a snicker leaving her lips as she did so.


    "HE CAN HAVE HER!" Evileye flipped the nearest chair.


    "Oh really? Guess I''ll have two potential graceful spitfires as my future wives, then. So glad you agree to this, Evileye." Fenrir snickered to himself as he watched her.


    Tina and Tia both sweatdropped looking at their shorter friend, before glancing over to Gagaran who seemed to be having too much of a good time with this. "Evil Boss," they spoke in sync as they pointed to Evileye, "Should we do something...?"


    "Ah..." As she went to speak, her eyes flickered over to Fenrir who was now standing in front of her. Immediately she moved her blade to fit between them, her green eyes glaring at him now. "Fenrir-sama, you may be a god, but I only serve the Four Great Gods. Should you try and lick me, I will remove that soft slimy bit myself!"


    "While your beauty is surely impressive and attractive, for a heavenly mortal," Fenrir stated as he implied the Squire was no longer a normal human, "I can only see us as mutual friends..." His finger trailed along the flat face of the dark blade, "But the future holds many secrets."


    "Oh. Evil Boss was rejected," Tia covered her mouth.


    "She was, she was..." Tina acknowledged as she scratched the side of her head.


    "...Am I not your type?" The leader of the Blue Roses, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, blinked up at him in a confused manner.


    "I did say that the future holds many secrets, didn''t I?"


    Tina raised her hand slightly and said, "I''m a wicked Lesbian," as if it were some form of deterrent.


    Lucifael grinned even wider hearing this as she cocked her head to the side, training her gaze upon the Ninja. "Oooh?"


    Tina blinked in a stoic manner at the Angel who was ogling her.


    "Just because you''re the Angel of Sin, does not mean you can commit it whenever you want..." Fenrir snickered lightly as he looked to his daughter from the side of his lips. "There is a time and a place."


    "Fatheeer~!" Lucifael cried out as if he had ruined her fun before it could even begin.


    "Now that this has been over and done with," He lightly tugged the weapon from her hold with minimal effort and took a step back. Fenrir tossed the blade into the air, allowing it to just barely reach the high standing ceiling.


    Lakyus''s eyes had grown as wide as grapefruit as she watched her weapon go airborne, reaching out for it as to not let it clamber upon the ground.


    Yet just as the young adventurer was about to successfully catch her weapon, Fenrir snatched it, gluing his grasp around the weapon by the hilt.


    The instance in which he grasped the grip of her hilt, his eyes widened. "Uwaaah! I can feel it! This cursed weapon threatens to trample over even the mind of a God such as I! I commend you, young mortal... For having the Mental Constitution to resist such a Dark Relic..."


    Starry-eyed, the barer of the Virgin Snow exclaimed, "A God outside of the Pantheon Recognizes the power of a Priestess such as me?! This only solidifies my righteous claim that only a woman who serves the Gods like myself can hold back its full power..."


    "The Evil Bosses are multiplying~!" Tina and Tia both echoed one another.


    "I suppose I do, don''t I?" Fenrir offered a friendly chuckle especially to that of the twin''s reactions. His gaze then moved to Evileye who had calmed down now and was standing over the fireplace. Shifting the weapon between his fingers, he held the grip out towards the Priestess to take her weapon back. "Since that is all said and done, it is time to issue the challenges."


    "What kind of challenges are you putting us through...?" Evileye set her eyes on him after turning away from the fireplace, letting her locks of blonde hair glimmered like gold as the light of flames shown through them.


    "Four of you will pull straws in order to determine the maze or Labyrinth you''ll be undertaking," Fenrir informed as he walked over to the table by the window, where he had sat with Neia days earlier. Plucking the cup found in the center the table up into his hand, he peered over the three sticks within it, before turning his gaze to the four other members of the Blue Rose. "And the strongest Sorcerer within the group will face me in a spar..."


    Evileye blinked several times hearing the words that spouted out of his mouth. He wanted to fight her? Though he knew that she was probably beneath him in power, he was likely wanting to see what she could do. How much interest would he get out of seeing this? It could only make her wonder.


    "Pulling straws?" Lakyus asked as she looked down at the sticks. There were only three of them, "Aren''t there four of us taking these Challenges?" She asked as she raised a brow.


    "The Ninjas will be taking whichever Maze they get together," Fenrir informed as he held the cup out for her to take a stick. "Once you take a stick, you will be brought to the designated Arena. In order to make sure nothing lethal happens, the two of the angels will be watching over the main Floor."


    "Spar?" The Vampiress asked as she walked between him and her friends, unable to block her friend''s hand from curiously taking a stick. "Lakyus, wait!"


    At the very second Lakyus grasped her stick, and gave it a glance, she vanished into a blur of light as she was teleported to the lower floor and into the Forest Labyrinth that surrounded the level.


    "Where did she go?!" Evileye shot her gaze up at him.


    "To the Forest Labyrinth on the first floor, near the entrance. Her primary opponents will be Werewolves that dwell within." Fenrir informed as he tilted his head to the side as Gagaran walked over to him, scrutinizing the simple-looking green cup and the marked sticks within.


    "Hm. Two choices remain," Gagaran scoffed to herself as she raised her large muscular arm, outstretching her forefinger and thumb to grasp one of the sticks. As she lifted it from the cup, both Evileye and Fenrir peered at her curiously before she vanished in a similar fashion to their Leader.


    "And... Where did she go?" Evileye asked as she crossed her arms lightly.


    "Gagaran was sent to the Desert Labyrinth, the second ring of the First Floor, after the Forest. Her primary opponent is Blazvataan, a Primal Sand Elemental." Fenrir huffed lightly at the question as the two twins walked over to the tall man, looking him over then to the last stick available in the cup.


    "Where will this take us?" The Twins asked as she looked up at him, then back to the cup.


    "A generic stone dungeon-themed maze, your primary opponents will be twin shapeshifting Catfolk. They''re stronger than Gagaran''s opponent and typically use deadly illusions..." His eyes trailed over the twins as he was still curious as to what use the fishnet had, or what its appeal was.


    After the two took the stick after hearing the brief and vague information he had to give, the twins vanished from sight as the other two humans had done just moments ago.


    "All alone~" Lucifael drew out her voice as she grinned looking over the small Vampiress whose friends went off to take on potentially painful challenges separate from one another.


    "Uh-huh," Evileye huffed quietly as she took a handful of paces away from Fenrir as she peered over the Cabin. It was a pretty sturdy looking place despite the simple almost romantic interior. Her gaze then matched his as he was watching her from where he stood, "Do you have any rules for this spar?"


    "First, I would like to know about you, your real name, and your life before the thirteen Heroes." Fenrir found it hard to believe that ''Evileye'' was her actual name, let alone the Vampire Lord ''Landfall'' either from the Legend of the Thirteen Heroes.


    She had not expected him to ask for or of this information, or at least say he was interested in knowing it. Most people who hear that she had been a companion or within the group of thirteen heroes, often wanted to hear the true exploits of the group through her. Hardly anyone was interested in her life prior to the hunt for the Evil Deities, of which she was one.


    Though if he had indeed ''marked'' her to be his mate, she could only assume it was natural to want to know about her, right? She bit her lower lip as she thought about how she didn''t have the ability to even deliver babies, she was undead. How she wasn''t well-developed physically and had the uncanny smooth body.


    "If you really must know, my name is Keno Fasris Invern... I was the Princess of the country once known as Inveria that fell two centuries ago. As the sole survivor, I was blamed for that and thus named the Vampire Lord Landfall..." She took in a sharp inhale as she found her eyes trailing back over to the fireplace she had stood in front of not too long ago. The crackling of the flames kept her entertained, and for the most part calm as she revisited the past once more.


    Fenrir said nothing, as pity usually didn''t sit well with people who weren''t looking for it. However, his brows still raised in a sympathetic manner.


    "I couldn''t find out what caused it," she felt the side of her face with her gloved hand, "But because of my talent, I am forevermore a Vampire until I release the spell that was used."


    Pursing his lips hearing this last bit, he nodded as if he understood this. "You captured a spell with your Talent? That''s an impressive feat," he said as he was truly impressed by the fact that she had such a power.


    "If I release this spell, however, I will become a mindless undead, a zombie." Taking a sharp breath at this she looked to her hands as she lowered them in front of herself. She didn''t want to picture herself as something so disgraceful and trapped.


    Hearing these words resonated in his mind, the sympathy on his face never leaving and instead intensifying. It allowed him to even consider using super-tier magic Cash Items in order to attempt and cure her. The only problem that went along with that is either it would cure her, or it wouldn''t and there was truly only one try if she were to actually release the spell.


    "And you''re saying that your entire nation was taken out in a single swoop?" Fenrir asked curiously as he looked over her petite form.


    "Yes... That''s exactly what I am saying," the girl now known as Keno now realized what he was looking at in her shortened tale of life before adventuring with the Heroes.


    As it all aligned in her mind just because he pointed something so simple out, she bit her lower lip. "Super mass-scale magics that could destroy an entire Kingdom, only Players could be capable of..." she paled at the thought that she hadn''t even had two hundred years ago. "Though there is also the case of a True Dragon Lord using Wild Magic, but that''s also not for certain."

 24 『Behold the Labyrinths』

    The sound of singing birds greeted her ears, the warmth of a sun raining down upon her face. Lakyus opened her eyes and stared forward at the sudden change of scenery. The last thing she remembered was picking a stick from that green cup Fenrir had held out to her. "So this is teleportation?" She softly chuckled to herself as she looked around smugly, taking in the trees which seemed to be very much alive. Subtly noises of the trees rearranging themselves in timed synchronized sequences caused her to raise her brow. "So the Labyrinth moves on its own?" A frown formed over her once smug looking grin.


    Without fear, she looked to the sky. While it was indeed convincing and very similar to the sky outside of the tower, it was far different in color than theirs. It was a different shade of blue, and the sun was going in a different direction.


    Folding her arms over her chest, Lakyus turned her attention forward after inspecting her floating swords that hovered just behind her back. Without worry, she began walking in the direction she could only perceive as north. There was little to no wind, it was hard to tell where she was going. However, what she could see off in the distance through the treetops that loomed overhead, was the massive tower that leads into the sky.


    "This place... Is abnormal," Lakyus couldn''t help but state aloud as she could hardly believe where she was standing. A forest inside of the tower. It looked so much bigger on the inside than the outside gave credit for. "Potential my foot, only a being on the same scale of a God could create this place..."


    Her gaze now on the trees, she traced her sight along the ground, and even the areas between the trees. She was quick to notice the undergrowth and shallow patterns. Narrowly avoiding what appeared to be a drop trap, she stared at a green hand that traveled beneath the fungal growth at her feet. It nearly brushed passed the tips of her boots, before sinking into the dirt.


    For sure she felt as if she could have died should that thing had touched her. And as she looked to the side, her thought hadn''t been all too far wrong. Setting her eyes upon what appeared to be a giant tree trunk patterned set of spikes pointing out at her, she nearly turned blue in the face.


    Without a second thought, she picked up the pace whilst scanning the ground and her surroundings for suspicious or maybe even elaborate traps designed to mislead those who were paying a little bit too much attention to the bigger things.


    It was as if something had been running around through here. Creatures of varying sizes, but all similar to a pack of wolves. It was clear she was not alone, she knew that much. As she stepped over oversized roots, she could hear the trees behind her beginning to shift aside.


    Where she had come from was no longer a viable option to retreat to and moving forward was the only option. She mentally cursed at this, but even then remained calm and collected. "A holy woman such as I should not fear such a puzzle!" She huffed to herself, "For I am the only one who can wield this cursed sword." Her arms left her chest as she reached back and drew her weapon at the sound of paws scurrying some distance away.


    The area smelled like a wet dog, and the scent alone was as potent as could be, it was a clear sign she was being stalked. Yet no matter where she took her gaze, she saw no sign of wolves, only small hints of their presence with her other senses.


    That pungent smell of wet fur was becoming even stronger the farther she went.


    "Jeez... How many of them are there?" She asked herself as she narrowed her green hues on the nearby trees, briefly coming to a stop. "Based on the tracks there has to be about thirty of them, are they beast-men or something else entirely?" Her mind went back to the report about the massive wolf that was twice or three times the size of a horse. The very idea of a pack of those things chasing her sent shivers down her spine. "Not happening..." She uttered to herself before hurrying along the set course, her weapon held idly against her shoulder now as to keep it drawn and at the ready to swing.


    A monstrous howl called out to the sky as what appeared to be day was fading into a sunset, as it seemed that time here was suddenly far quicker than the outside world. One by one, blood-curdling howls sounded from all directions as if someone was calling for a hunt.


    "You have got to be kidding me!" Lakyus immediately picked up the pace, her feet hardly touching the ground before she was lunging forward in long strides.


    Each time she gained a meter, her heart felt like it was going to skip a beat. She didn''t look behind her, only kept her eyes up ahead. As she rounded a corner, she could see from the side of her eye several abnormally sized black wolves giving chase behind her.


    "They aren''t as big as the one described, that is for sure!" She laughed nervously with an upbeat tone, drawing in and releasing her breath at a steady rhythm as she kept herself paced. The last thing she wanted was to be overrun by these creatures. Even if Fenrir wasn''t going to let them outright die during these challenges, she was sure he had no problem letting them get hurt in the process.


    Kicking up dirt as she moved, dropped and slid across the ground, narrowly evading a broad-sized stick that came out to hit her. Jumping back up to her feet, she glanced behind her as she was picking up her speed without stopping. It seemed not only did the trees move on their own, but they also attacked people.


    "This just isn''t fair!" Lakyus huffed before she peered forward to see a lighter brown patch of dirt than the rest of the trail. It felt like a trap, but she had no idea what it was. Pursing her lips, the girl decided to jump over the patch as she refused to halt.


    In that very moment, thick wooden spike-like branches protruded from the dirt ground of the patch. These sharpened edges of the branch arms scratched against the bottoms of her boots.


    Rolling upon the ground as she landed, she moved onto one knee with one hand on the ground and the other on her thigh. Her green hues narrowed upon the spikes that animately began to swivel right back into the patch of dirt, kicking up dust. When they were fully retracted, there was no evidence that they had ever been there.


    "If I hadn''t jumped at exactly the right time... I would''ve been seriously hurt! This God is not playing around, is he? Or is he some sort of Sadist?" Lakyus looked to the sky and noticed there was one of the angels she had seen earlier. It was the giant floating orb-thing with hundreds if not thousands of eyes. Though its main eye wasn''t looking down at her, she could most definitely feel its gaze.


    No longer reserved, she began to run once more as one of the werewolves skidded around the corner. It had glowing amber eyes and fierce-looking fangs dripping with murky fluids.


    "Nope!" Lakyus sneered at herself, listening as the creature was catching up at a high rate of speed. Any time now she knew the wolf''s goal was to catch her, or at least subdue her in some fashion. They seemed to be the only real living obstacle!


    She didn''t even think twice as she ducked, letting the monster pass over her and land on all fours several meters ahead. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" As the werewolf turned to face her, she screamed whilst charging it, her weapon held high with both hands on the hilt''s grip.


    The werewolf didn''t just sit there as she charged him, instead it charged her in return.


    All four of its sharpened claws digging into the dirt, it was much faster than she was. Each muscle on its back twitched under the fur. It was as if she was charging at a massive wall of muscle!


    Just before she was about to swing, and just before it was about to jump, she threw herself to the side and rolled passed the Werewolf before it could swat her with its clawed hand.


    Bringing her weapon out to the side, she swung the weapon at an angle directly towards the being who attempted to turn around once more. Just as she thought her weapon was about to make contact, its right clawed hand reached out and grasped the flat sides of the weapon with its fingers.


    "Eh!?" At this point, she was now able to tell that this creature was physically superior to her in physical aptitude. It was also far superior to any beast-man she had fought prior. "What is this...?" And not only that, it was not a normal wolf, not having noticed the humanoid arms before engaging it.


    Snarling, the wolf growled at her before bashing the dark blade aside and out of her hands. "Lowly little human! Don''t even bother trying to fight back!"


    Dodging a swipe from its left arm, the Adventurer took several bounds backward. "You can talk!?" She laughed excitedly as she glimpsed to her armament which was now laying on the ground.


    "Don''t try it!" The Werewolf charged forward before leaping int the air, raising a clawed hand to bring down upon her as he came in for a landing.


    Just as the werewolf was about to land on top of her, the girl just lept to the side, pushing herself off the trees before stumbling toward her weapon. As she fell to her knees, having twisted her ankle from the sudden movement, she winced and her eyes became wide as she could hear the rest of the pack. Dragging herself over to the weapon, "Kilineiram! Give me your demonic power!" She shouted as she grasped the hilt and pulled herself to her feet, a grin widely forming over her lips.


    "You''re mine, you crazy little witch!" The creature spouted after hearing the girl shout to her weapon.


    Just as she was about to turn around to face the werewolf, the cursed blade began to emit a dark misty aura. With a singular swing of the weapon, she intercepted the airborne werewolf, smashing the flat face of the blade into his snout.


    + + +


    The air was dry, arid and the path in front of Gagaran was much hotter than the floor she had just been on. A soft chuckle left her lips as the majestic giant of a woman stepped forward.


    "This should be a piece of cake," her blue eyes scanned the passageway in front of her as she moved forward as her armor was shimmering from the sunlight above.


    Drawing her war pickaxe known as Fel Iron from her back, the woman looked over the sandstone walls of the labyrinth. Then her gaze moved up to the massive tower that leads into the sky that was far off into the center of the floor.


    With one hand at the neck of the weapon and the other on the lower grip, she continued to grin to herself. It looked like the labyrinth was inhabited. Patterns that looked akin to slithering trails could be seen to have been left behind by large snakes were present here.


    "Large serpents? Perhaps they''re Nagas... Those can be rather tricky to deal with," huffed the warrior sarcastically as she noted the stone floor the farther she wandered in. Keeping her movements animate compared to her still surroundings, it was like she was flaunting herself like a target. She was confident since she could take on a Basilisk in a solo-match should she be rightfully equipped against petrification effects and enough healing potions. If there was anything more powerful than that here, she knew though, that she wouldn''t be able to handle them.


    She wanted to see who her enemies were and be able to run if that was at all possible.


    Just like in the forests that Lakyus was in, these walls could also be heard moving about at random intervals and different areas. "I could only imagine living in such a place as this," as her eyes drifted to the sky she could see the decrepit looking angel they first met in the polar floor. It was just hovering there, staring down at her. "I have to say, that is one creepy being of Divinity..."


    Pelleon either didn''t hear or care about the words she was using. There was little to no reaction from him at all as she was moving through the area unopposed by very much.


    After an hour of following the first path she had started on, she stopped and peered behind herself. The walls had completely changed the way she had come as if the whole place was alive.


    "That is unsettling," she observed as she then looked to the sky above. She was unsure whether or not that creature watching her was controlling the maze or not. However, the idea was rather unappealing, meaning it could change the maze so much that she''d be wandering around for days.


    Was that what Fenrir wanted?


    Gagaran shook her head, "not going to beat me with such menial tricks." Now then as she turned around, she came to notice that the area ahead of her had also changed. The passage ahead of her had been split in half, revealing a ravine with toxic goop at the bottom of it. It smelled like sulfur farts, especially whenever a bubble exploded. "By the Gods!" The hand holding the neck of her weapon released it and went up to fan her nose, "What is that smell?!"


    "It surely wasn''t me..." An ancient scratchy growl emitted from above as a shadow overtook her, sand-like drool coming down upon her shoulder.


    "..." Lulling her head back, Gagaran narrowed her eyes on the living ochre yellow construct above her. Its mouth was guarded by six dark grey stone-like tusks that appeared to act as teeth. Massive horns decorated its crown, and it had a very turtle-like form, aside for the lack of shell.


    It was surely not a Basilisk, but it was much larger than one, and that was for sure. Basilisk didn''t talk, at least the last time she checked!


    "Now who might you be!?" She shouted enthusiastically, drawing one foot backward as she was getting ready to run while holding her pick readily in both hands once more.


    "Blazvatan!" As its mouth opened agape, she could see its glowing purple interior filled with elemental energies. "Guardian of the Lamia and their Labyrinth! Now prepare yourself, Adventurer, for this may be your last breath!"


    With those last words, Gagaran was already on the run with one foot in front of the other as she ran along the side of the ravine. A powerful gust of wind rushed passed her, whipping her short hair that framed her face around wickedly.


    The massive being had turned into a sandstorm!


    Up ahead she could just make out someone peering around a corner. They looked human, at least a first. White hair, Miko-like robes, violet-red eyes, and pale peach-toned skin. Even for a woman such as Gagaran, she was magnetized by the otherworldly beauty of the being.


    When they abruptly darted across the intersection, however, that bridged over the ravine below, Gagaran could clearly see their lower half was that of a snake! Then following behind her were about a dozen smaller snake-human people.


    They were different from Nagas, as their upper halves were completely humanlike! They even wore fashionable clothes. This was the first time she had ever seen Lamias, distant cousins of the Nagas.


    + + +


    "This wasn''t really what I was expecting," Tina said as she stood beside her twin sister Tia, her eyes settling on two passageways laid out in front of them.


    They were standing in a lobby of sorts, their hands by their hips. The room was dimly lit, orange flames on torches lighting the way. This place, the way the walls looked, seemed like someone had painted the surface with a brush. Intricate designs of moss and what appeared to be dampness and mold lined the corners and the surrounding alabaster grey colored brick walls.


    "How do you think Evil Boss is doing with her challenge?" Tia asked as she looked to her twin blankly, giving her a few blinks of curiosity.


    "...We can''t underestimate her, she is more wicked than we are." Tina responded with a slight nod before the two of them crossed their gazes over one another, resting on the opposite archways.


    The entrances into the maze from the lobby seemed to be very narrow so that only one person can take the lead and anyone who follows behind them would be at a disadvantage. However, based on what they could see from where they stood, the corridors seemed to spread out like funnels, eventually widening enough till the point that they conjoin. Then there was enough room for at least four people to walk down the center without even getting close to the walls.


    Looking at each other for a few seconds, they nodded and approached the two passageways.


    Stopping in sync the twins crouched and examined the entrances.


    "If you''re looking for traps..." One voice started up and faded out.


    "... You''ll have to try better than that," had faded in from another similar voice, but was distinctively different. Their presence though was entirely anonymous and unfelt.


    "They''re here..." Tia uttered before both of the twins shot onto their feet and rushed silently into the maze in front of them. There was only one direction they could take as shadows of cat-like creatures ran along the walls, following right behind them!

 25 『Spar of Fates』

    Fenrir stared at the helmet that was held in his hands, directly in front of him. With his arms bent obtusely, his gaze was substantially trapped on the keen tear-shaped eyes of the head ware.


    Six meters ahead of him Evileye stood, watching him with her crimson red eyes glistening. While she figured her power was unlikely to do much harm to him, this would allow her to learn how effective she credibly was against a being such as he. That and she needed to figure out if she capable of even resisting him should he coerce her into doing his bidding. Just how powerful was he?


    If he had been a necromancer, she certainly knew there was a chance for him to overpower her sense of self with considerable magics used to enslave undead creatures. Thankfully it seemed he was almost a pure Paladin.


    They were outside, directly outside the mist that surrounded the Citadel. On the Great Wall, several Paladins were beginning to gather, along with priests and the normal military troops.


    He doubtlessly heard their unspoken inquiries, ones that weren''t entirely clarified, though due to their division they had, only, to assume this was going to be some class of engagement.


    "Are you ready?" Fenrir asked as he raised his eyes from the helmet, remembering the day he arrived of how he had placed the virtual reality headset on. Now, the atmosphere of being in this world took its place. There was no dive helmet, this was reality.


    "If you think I''ll go easy on you because you''re new to this world, you''re sadly mistaken!" Evileye seemed to chime, happily at best, and annoyed at worst, her tone ambiguous to how she was feeling. She indubitably saw what he was using this performance for, knowing all the eyes she felt on them.


    "Good," He said quietly as he placed his helmet upon his head, his mix-matched eyes glowing through the helmet''s visor. "Come at me with everything you''ve got, and I''ll defend myself."


    "If you say so," huffed Evileye as she looked over his stance which was severely lacking for combat. He didn''t even draw the weapon at his side, a blue bladed weapon that seemed to have robust qualities on its own. Bending her legs slightly, Evileye began rushing in a counter-clockwise semi-circle around the proclaimed God.


    Raising a brow, he didn''t shift his head to follow her.


    "��Maximize Magic, Crystal Lance��!" As she cast this spell out loud, a blue magic circle appeared in front of her outreached hand and a massive blue sharp-edged polearm came flying at him.


    "Oh?" Fenrir merely raised his hand in the direction that he heard it be cast from, assuming from her stature from what kind of angle it was going to approach him at. In all likelihood


    he heard the conjured object that was sent flying towards him, allowing for him to react quickly and without fail.


    In the next few seconds, the Lance impacted against his palm, shattering to pieces.


    "What?!" Evileye quickly noticed that he didn''t use any sort of skill to nullify the magic attack, it simply broke against his gloved hand which was thin enough to be almost bare.


    Continuing her encirclement of the single male, she kept reciting the Crystal Lance spell, even going as far as concentrating Crystal Dagger on him. Every time she cast a spell, she assumably had no choice but to only watch as they shattered against his hand.


    Paladins up above were watching in amazement as the female sorceress''s attacks were meaninglessly deflected. It was clear it wasn''t his armor protecting him, he was simply immune to low tier magic and physical attacks!


    "What are you even made of!? Adamantite?!" Evileye quickly shifted to a clockwise direction, getting a bit closer, assuming there was a feasible way to apply a bit more force if she was within a certain proximity of his outstanding defensive prowess.


    "That mid-grade rubbish?" Laughed out Fenrir, hearing her ask about one of the most precious metals and their highest rankings within the Adventurer''s Guild. "Try again!"


    Getting a few meters closer, she threw her hand out towards him, "��Shard Buck Shots��!" The moment she said this, another magical circle appeared in front of her hand different from before. A multitude of sharp-looking shards came flying out towards him, but all the same, they shattered against his armor and even his forehead. The armor didn''t even get scratched!


    His armor was stronger than Adamantite!


    Her red eyes widened, feeling her undead heart skip a few beats. In a way seeing how his attacks weren''t coming and her own didn''t faze him, she knew there was a long way for her to go. At the same time, she was excited. It had taken the whole Blue Roses team to defeat her, now she found someone who was a Monster among Monsters, a player who was by no doubt stronger than the deceased Leader of the Thirteen Heroes.


    "Aren''t you going to draw your sword?!" Called out one of the Paladins.


    "Strike back at her! Are all you going to do is block!?" A priest seemed to shout out loud, though it appeared they approved of defense is the greatest offense.


    "This isn''t working..." Uttered Evileye, mostly to herself, as she decided to lose more ground between them, returning to six meters away.


    Fenrir shifted his world item that was worn properly on his back, feeling the soft silver-white fur that surrounded the shoulder bound edges of his cloak. "Oh? Retreating Petit Rouge(Little Red)? That would probably be for the best," pointing this out, he would bring himself down on all fours, getting into a running stance as if he was about to go on a marathon.


    "Hahaha! He''s going to charge her!" Some of the Paladins starting cheering, but none of them seemed to be interested in betting with one another. There was no point in doing so.


    Just as Fenrir kicked off the ground, the next spell she recited rang in his ears.


    "��Maximize Magic, Sandblast��!" Evileye said as she turned to face him, a golden yellow magic circle appearing in front of her. and sending a high-pressure blast of sand in his direction.


    With a grin over his compressed lips, Fenrir tensed his fist tightly, his hand beginning to radiate a holy hue. Then just as he was about to meet with the sandy attack, he brought his fist forward. "Haaaaaaaaaa!" He let out a howl, demonstrating his physical strength and vocalizing it all the same.


    Like the wedged blade of an ax, he split the current of sand in two as he traveled through the attack unhindered.


    At a closer glance, one may see that the sand that had been thrown at him, had turned into glass. The grounds around him, as the spell came to an end, sparkled with shards.


    Directly in front of her face, Evileye stared at the glowing open palm which stood only a few inches away. Holy power capable of obliterating her had only been a few seconds away from killing her before he stopped.


    Her crimson red hues glared up at him, sensing that smug smile of his under the helmet. "Er... Wipe that smug smile off your lips! I can''t see under that helmet of yours, but I know you have it!"


    The Paladins were completely silent seeing that yet another attack was completely useless. That and the Godly being had almost defeated the powerful Adamantite Adventurer with just his hands.


    "Zero to One," Fenrir spoke teasingly hearing her words before summarily using a simple teleportation spell to return to his starting location without even reciting the spell itself.


    Blinking at this, she sighed and began walking slowly in a semi-circle again. Her attacks up until this point had been able to test his defenses. Conceivably her only assumption was that he was on the same level as the Platinum Dragon Lord, if not higher. There was no telling how powerful he was.


    "Not cute at all," Evileye uttered under her breath as she rolled her lips inward briefly.


    "Hm? You''re the cute one, not me." Fenrir snickered from his position, flexing his fingers at his sides, waiting for her to make the first move once more as she was observing him in return.


    There had to be ways effectively feasible for her to try to harm him. She knew over a hundred spells, some of which she had made herself due to her hand dabbling in sorcery. Some of which she swore had to have some effect on him!


    Using ��Fly��to gain a vantage point above him, Evileye hovered in the air. Imaginably she felt his gaze on her, he wasn''t turning his head to gaze at him. "Hmm..." Still, she didn''t attack but instead continued to move around him as she had been doing before.


    Fenrir just watched her, reflecting on what actions to do next following what had currently transpired. It was starting to get boring quickly, mostly due to their difference in power.


    Part of him wanted to use Greater Break Item on her equipment, but at the same time, that served no purpose at all. Perhaps it was his inner sadist? Shaking his head to himself, he continued to ponder.


    What is the realm of possibility should he use in this showing, that wouldn''t outright kill her?


    That was when his attention was taken by something approaching their general position.


    "Don''t turn your concentration away from me just yet!" Evileye shouted as she began to prepare for a spell, one in which she held in high regard, one she had created on her own.


    "Fenrir-sama," the voice of his Guardian, Anima Espa, overlooking the World Atlas echoed in the back of his head, "An armored form with an elderly woman is at a steady approach from the South East. What are your orders?"


    "Do not act," Fenrir stated in return as his attention had moved from Evileye and over to the suit of armor which had reached the Citadel after suddenly teleporting. "Let them spectate."


    The very second he gave this order, Evileye recited one of her original spells, one that he had never heard of. His eyes immediately narrowed on her, his head turning to face her at last. "��Maximize Magic, SandField: One��!"


    Finding himself surrounded by sand and a light pressure holding him in place, Fenrir raised a brow. Sandfield was a magic spell she had made and it surprised him, despite the fact it had little effect on him due to its low tier of five.


    "Interesting spell..." Fenrir uttered as he found its effects useless against him, but enough for him to regard what the spell itself unquestionably might have been able to do to him if he were of a lower-tier being. It silenced its target, blinded them, dazed them, and immobilized them.


    Nonchalantly he just stood there without making a single move, thinking that there was a possibility that she may as well believe it was working. He was right as, through the cloud of sand which engulfed him, several cold Crystal-like objects came crashing in against his armor and its skirting.


    Poking his tongue out against his lips, he tasted the sand as he grinned from ear to ear beneath his helmet.


    "It seems Evileye is fighting a man in armor," Tsaindorcus Vaision uttered through his armor as Rigrit stood, levitating in the air, at his side. "However, I can''t quite tell if her spell is working."


    "It isn''t," Rigrit crossed her arms slightly looking over the pair as they continued their approach to the duel between what appeared to be a Paladin and a Vampire. Then she paused, feeling the man''s sight on her and the suit of armor controlled by her friend. "It isn''t working."


    "What do you mean?" The helmet of the armor suit turned to look at her.


    "He''s looking right at us," Rigrit exclaimed before beginning to lower to the ground at the edge of the mist. The armor itself was following close behind, landing not too far away from her.


    "Would that make him the player? If so, then he is certainly more powerful than the Leader was, and based on what I can sense, he isn''t an undead." Vaision, the True Dragon Lord who was controlling the suit from a distance, was able to surmise by simply giving him a gander from the range they kept. They weren''t quite sure what was going on, or why he was just standing there if this spell wasn''t effective.


    Using��Dispel Magic��, the cloud of sand which surrounded him faded into nothingness.


    "Im-impossible! You were able to cast dispel amidst being caught up in my Sand attack!?" Evileye exclaimed loudly as she watched as he had been completely immune or resistant to her attack. He hadn''t been blinded, and it seemed he didn''t need to speak to evoke a spell!


    There was no doubt, she saw this was an impressive feat, despite already knowing he was far above her level of comprehension.


    "You must be drained from all that spell casting," Fenrir pointed, though he didn''t bother trying to use magic to monitor her status. "Rest or continue, it is your choice," he offered as his hands reached up and removed his helmet, staring up at her rather than looking to the newcomers.


    Letting herself place her feet upon the ground as her flight spell wore off, she looked him over, not even a scratch. Holding out her hand, her palm facing him, she recited "��Maximize Magic, Crystal Rain��!"


    A multitude of blue magical circles appeared in front of her, sending a large number of physical cold, small, and sharp objects in his general direction.


    "Oh?" With his ears perking up from the top of his head, he could hear Rigrit gasp at the sight of them. Chuckling, Fenrir threw his legs out to the side, acrobatically dodging a number of the shards that were raining down at him all the while slipping his helmet into his inventory. Just as he landed, however, that was when they came piling down on him.


    In the cloud of crystalline shavings that now surrounded his position, blocking sight of him in every and all directions, his silhouette began to move as his armor became one with his body.


    Rigrit stepped forward as a sudden burst of aura pushed the film away, revealing the transformation Fenrir had gone through. The old woman''s eyes widening even more than before.


    Standing where a humanoid Paladin once stood was a massive wolf about four times the size of a horse, it far different from his first detailed appearance. Heterochromatic fur with a base of black and squirrels of white covering almost half of his now furred four-legged body.


    It was truly a magnificent and elegant looking beast as its odd-eyes gave off a radiant glow.


    "Brat, get out the way!" Was the only thing Rigrit was about to shout before Fenrir launched into the air, closing the distance within seconds, before coming down to pounce the small Vampire.


    "It''s alright, I got this!" Evileye shouted as she quickly dove to the side in a roll, feeling his massive paws come crashing down on the terra firms behind her. It shook her very being as the miniature shockwave traveled through her. "Stay back and don''t interfere!"


    Her eyes like saucers as she stumbled forward, she turned around, walking backward as she did so. "Now that is one big dog!" She exclaimed as her eyes picked up every detail along with its wiry yet soft looking pelt. "Want to play tag with me, huh!? Two can play at that game!" Evileye seemed to giggle a bit, imagining herself being carried on his back as if he was some sort of majestic stead.


    "If you insist," Fenrir spoke in his canine form, his mouth not moving as he turned to look at her. His eyes were glowing far fiercer than before as he then darted in her direction as his paws kicked off the dirt.


    "��Shape Earth��!" Evileye recited a spell, her hand facing down toward the ground. Suddenly like a springboard, the dirt beneath her feet sprung up, sending her flying up into the air several dozen feet.


    "As if that''d work against me!" Huffed Fenrir, jumping up on the now elevated ground and thrusting himself into the air after her a few seconds after she began to fall back down to earth.


    With his mouth open wide to catch her red cloak, he snarled aloud.


    Knowing this was her last chance, seeing as he may be vulnerable, she went to cast one last spell only to notice his mouth closing. It was too late, he knew what she was doing, but it didn''t matter.


    Just as she went to cast her spell, he cast one of his known as��Miscast��which caused an enemy spell caster to unintentionally cast the wrong spell despite the evocation they used.


    "��Teleportation��!" Evileye nearly squealed in surprise as an explosion of buck shots erupted between them, initially blinding her of his continued approach. Before she could do anything however, she felt his fangs take hold of her right shoulder and shallowly dig into her cloak.


    Then on their way down she could feel one of his clawed paws on her opposite shoulder, readying to keep her pinned. Yet despite knowing what was to come, she could do nothing.


    Thud! She felt the cold hard ground beneath her back as she was being pressed down by his snout, his jaws locked on her arm. Her red eyes stared up at his large odd-eyes that were looking right back at her like florescent mirrors.


    "That would be Zero to Two," Fenrir squinted his eyes at her smugly.


    "...H-how did you change my magic spell? How was that even possible!?" Keno, Evileye, couldn''t help but be curious about what he had just done. Causing her to misfire a spell was something that had never occurred to her before in a battle, especially against that of a Paladin.


    "Teach me, and I''ll teach you?" Fenrir unlocked his jaw before leaning over and licking the side of her face teasingly.


    "Fine, fine... I''ll teach you whatever you wan--" Evileye raised a brow at him before she took the brunt of the first lick, "Blah! Stop that, that''s gross!" She twisted around under him, knotting her dainty fingers into his mane. Even as she pleaded, he continued to lap his tongue at her face, "Sto-Stop Slobbering on me! Shtaaaaap~!"


    Rigrit snickered at the beast''s actions as it was seemingly torturing the Vampire with a strange bout of affection, "What is this? Has Invern stolen the heart of such a creature that uses the guise of a beast?"

 26 『With Heart, With Spirit』

    Leaning on her blade, Lakyus had been running for what felt like several hours, though it had probably only been over a little more than one. Those damned werewolves weren''t giving her a single moment of peace, no time to think. If her entire team was together, she knew they''d be formidable, but each of these werewolves was equal to one of her roses.


    It felt like her heartbeat was reverberating throughout her skull. Was this excitement or was this fear? At the moment for her, these two feelings were completely interchangeable as it felt like she was in flight.


    The Priestess let out a soft sigh as she found the dirt that the tip of her sword had hardly penetrated, was even firmer than the furry hide of the wolves. Her Virgin Snow armor was dirtied and torn from superficial injuries, while her skin was covered with bruises.


    "By the Four Great Gods... Where is the finish line?" She breathed out to herself in endeavored laughter, "I am the only holy woman able to handle this demonic weapon... How hard could this possibly be to find the end of this maze?"


    It was much harder than she thought when she first arrived here. The trees moved, the Werewolves always seemed to know where she was. She was careful not to kill them too despite how much more powerful they were than her in packs.


    She could only imagine what Gagaran was going through even though she was all the more likely to have a better time. At least that is what she thought, as she had no idea if Gagaran was dealing with the same beasts or if she had something even more powerful on the physical side.


    Hearing the howls of the pack catching up to her again, Lakyus looked down at her worn legs before turning her head to glance over her shoulder. She could hear their panting and wild snarls. They seemed to be getting a kick out of chasing her around, but she was sure they wouldn''t kill her.


    "I will rise above this!" She proclaimed before pulling her weapon from the dirt at her feet. Without a second thought, she began to bound off in the direction that seemed to be towards that of the tower in the center of the floor.


    As she rounded a steep corner she could hear the creatures closing in. Their claws digging into the dirt far easier than her weapon of corruption. For beings she had never seen before, she couldn''t call them beast-men or demi-humans.


    They moved on all four legs, but they could use their front ones as hands. They could grab her weapon, take it from her, and from what she had seen of their physical prowess... All they had to do was swipe their claws and she knew that it had to be the end of her.


    She didn''t focus on all of that, however, and just kept running. Every step she made she could feel, as well as hear through her very bones. Every movement she made, every turn she took, she memorized the feeling well.


    Lakyus didn''t want to think about death, or what this maze was to be like for an actual intruder to enter. For right now she believed that these wolves were only toying with her. If someone were to have come in here to get to the beings inside, she knew that they were in for a bad time.


    It was one thing to fight a single member of mighty foes, it was another to be swarmed by them. What she wanted to know though was, how many of the people here were players, and how many weren''t.


    As she slid around the corner kicking dirt up in puffs of dust, she saw in the corner of her eye those creatures were catching up. Without any time to stall or waste, she kept moving.


    Their panting was getting closer and it was almost as if they were fanning their breath down her neck. A tingling sensation ran through her spine, feeling a partial killing intent and she started going faster, as fast as her quaking legs could take her.


    Then just as she was about to make another turn, the ground came out from under her and she found herself flying through the air... Descending towards a pit of despair. THUD. Her chest hit a wall and her arms went bucking out in front of her from the impact, the cursed weapon skidding across the ground after leaving her grasp.


    Coughing from the loss of air, she tried pulling herself up, kicking at the wall with her feet as she grinds the soles of her boots against it. "C''mon..." She muttered under her breath, not wanting to look down, not wanting to know what should greet her if she fell completely.


    Another blood-curdling howl emitted in her direction, she could feel those golden lamp-like glowing eyes on the back of her head. They were there, on the ledge behind her.


    "Ahahahaha! The puny human''s going to fall!" Laughed the leader of the pack, licking his teeth in anticipation.


    "I AM NOT!" Lakyus called back to them with an ardent eloquence as she sharpened her green hues on them, having turned her head to the side to face them. That was a mistake, turning to see their faces which seemed to be contorting with hunger and the desire for flesh. At the same time from the bottom of her peripherals, she could see the hands which were reaching out for her down below.


    It was as if hell itself had opened up and was waiting to pull her limb from limb. A low whimper escaped her lips as she turned away from the creatures and continued her struggle to climb. "NO WAY! NUH-UH! Not Today!"


    Grasping at a tuft of onion grass, she pulled harshly, lifting one side of her form so that she could get at least one leg up on the solid ground. Sweat burning her eyes, she grinned as she clenched her teeth together in triumph as her knee finally clung to the surface.


    "The girly is going to make it!" One of the other wolves commented, as if in despair at the fact that she was going to survive, though they didn''t sound all too convincing.


    While some swore profanity, others outright mocked the priestess as she grappled with the ledge to pull herself back up onto the ledge she clung to. It took her several minutes even after she had gotten one foot over to pull herself back.


    On all fours, she glanced over the side and stared down at those hands once more. Her eyes then shone up to the wolves with a glimmer in her eye. "Let''s see you get over that one, huh!" She flicked her fingers out from under her chin in a provocative manner, as if telling them to get lost before rushing over to her weapon.


    Once the cursed sword was reacquired, she stood up and began to run again, especially as she heard the sound of the hole in the ground begin to close back up. She got several dozen feet before she heard the howling charge of the wolves coming after her once more, their pace and sounds making them out to be royally pissed off.


    Looking off towards the tower, it looked reasonably larger now. She was sure she was getting closer to the end of the labyrinth, or at least that is what she hoped. The last thing she wanted to be was kibble for a bunch of overgrown mangy mutts.


    "Almost..." Was the only word that left her mouth as she felt a large furry hand-decorated in long sharp claws impact her side. From the corner of her eye she could see the carnivorous gaze of a predator, even as the rest of her body was sent barreling through the air, she kept her gaze on the wolf.


    With her back smashing into the nearest tree opposite to the side of which she was hit upon, she let out a grunt before falling to the ground. Her weapon, however, not leaving her hand as she lay there exhausted.


    "That was disappointing..." The creature uttered as it glared down at its prey, leaning over and kicking her over onto her back. "I didn''t even get to see those Martial Art Skills I''ve heard about," the wolf placed a foot upon her pelvis as it was standing on its hind legs.


    "[Greater Fortification]! [Divine Strength]!" She aroused two of the templar skills, her body gleaming green and then flashing yellow indicating her newly augmented endurance and physical prowess, as she then proceeded to shove the foot off of herself and bounce back onto her feet. With her armament in hand, she beamed towards the wolf who had merely stumbled back in gleeful astonishment.


    "Now that! That is what I''m talking about!" Growled the Leader of the Pack, the rest of the wolves arriving shortly after, keeping their distance for the time being.


    "...You want to see who is stronger?" Lakyus questioned curiously, peering over the heteromorphic beast.


    "Yes!" Cheered the wolf as he went to storm forward, only for one of Lakyus''s flying swords to intercept the beast at her command. The weapon once again causing the creature to stumble, a long cut making itself known across its chest making it a bare and tender wound as blood gushed out. "Oh?" The werewolf eyed the six golden blades behind her back as the one withdrew to its original position, "So they''re truly not for decoration..."


    "Truly," Lakyus held her primary weapon at the ready as the rest of her swords spread out behind her like fairy wings, needles ready to pierce her opponent. "Care to try me just a bit more?"


    "Before we continue," the Werewolf pack leader dropped his battle-ready stance just briefly enough to match his words, "Despite your condition and the traps you''ve fallen into... How were you able to keep moving forward? Why are you so determined to finish the labyrinth even if it is an optional objective of the challenge?"


    "To prove myself to a Rising God, and use all that is given to me, even a challenge, to make myself stronger!" Lakyus proclaimed as she pointed her large weapon towards the creature, her eyes glistening with truth and valor.


    Snapping in excitement, blood still pouring from its chest, the pack leader seemed happy with her answer and at the same time completely amused. The wolf placed his hand on the end of the weapon, tickling the pointed bit with his fingers. "You''ve already reached the end of the Labyrinth, child. You just can''t see it, because your spirit won''t let you."


    "My spirit...?" Lakyus went to move her weapon away from him but found it stuck within the grasp of merely just his fingers. He was stronger than her and that was for sure. Glaring at him, she pursed her lips, "What is the meaning of this?"


    "You have one final test, pure one, the one of the Heart," the Werewolf grinned deviously with all of its canine fangs apparent, "Think you can endure?"


    "I am the leader of the Blue Roses, of course, I will persevere throughout this test!" Scoffed Lakyus, "I am the wielder of the Sword of Darkness, Kilineiram, I do hope for your sake that you don''t underestimate me!"


    The leader of the Pack grinned at her words, not wanting to be underestimated because she was merely human. He knew that humans shouldn''t be underestimated, otherwise none of them would''ve made it to the fourth floor in the past if they had truly been a collection of weaklings.


    Lakyus herself had some trump cards up her sleeve as she hadn''t even used the true power of her weapon yet against these beings. She had been saving it till the point she truly needed it.


    "Can you use your unbound heart to find the true path to your salvation, or finalize this challenge with your failure?" Unlike the last few words that he had shared with her, these words seemed to have more of a meaning than anything else. To unbind her heart, felt like some sort of riddle. Salvation likely hinting at the end of the labyrinth.


    Curiously she lowered her weapon looking at the beast, "Your intentions were never to kill me were they?" Her words left her lips before she thought them through. She was aware if they were trying to kill her, there was no way she was going to survive. Even if she took a number of them down with her, there was a moot point if she were going to die here.


    Her question was answered by a far from an average predatory smile, "Perceptive. You were paying attention to our God''s words when he said you need only participate in the challenge, but need not complete the labyrinth."


    Blinking at his words, that was when she finally realized that she didn''t need to complete the Forest Area. It was constantly moving to intercept her and it was getting harder and harder to escape. These wolves weren''t making it any easier either...


    As she shifted her head to the side, looking away from the wolf, she gawked at the opening that now presented itself to her. She could see the desert maze not all too far away. It was strange how the trees themselves had probably moved out of the way without her notice, or if it had been a high tier illusion spell she hadn''t had the power to notice.


    "My word..." That was the moment she stepped away from the werewolf and towards the apparent opening. Two steps, three steps, four steps, five. She was almost to the clearing when she came to a complete stop as she mumbled something inaudible, a splash of color engulfing her in a brief few seconds glow.


    "Hm?" The Werewolf squinted his eyes at her backside as she stopped her advance.


    "You asked me to open my heart," Lakyus turned her head to the side slightly, without looking towards him.


    The opening she had just been walking towards vanished, revealing a just pitfall trap filled with carnivorous plants, a strange pink gaseous mist emanating from its maw.


    "You almost tricked me into walking into a trap?" She nearly purred as if amused by the attempt to have her drop into the mouth of a creature that would do nothing but devour her. It seemed the mist itself that she hardly detected was some sort of illusion inducing pheromone.


    "It seems common trickery does not work on such a woman as you..." The wolf was grinning ear to ear as its hair was standing on end, dropping onto all fours ready to chase her once more. "Your heart was unable to trust my words, and you survived. What does your heart tell you of the being who stands over us?"


    Raising a brow at the words given by the wolf, Lakyus stared at him before her gaze traced over to his brood. "This Fenrir-sama seems to be a powerful and righteous being, if not benevolent for he hasn''t allowed you to kill me, but even like our Gods, he too may have flaws." A faint smile was retained over her lips as she glanced in the direction of the Tower.


    "Hehe..." The wolf shook his head lightly as if he had gotten exactly what he wanted to hear out of her. "Then I suppose that means you''ve passed the challenge," all of the wolves as he finished talking begin to change in shape. Their bones and muscles contracting, filling the air with the sickening sounds of their bodies morphing freely without restraint. While it sounded painful, there was none.


    In the next few seconds, Lakyus found herself staring at several men all dressed in varied garb akin to Vikings from Earth which consisted of earthy colors and brown furs.


    The pack leader she had been talking to was a bucky blonde male with a braided beard and piercing blue eyes. His head was entirely shaved bald and dark blue tribal tattoos littered both his face and his chest which matched the rest of his tribe.


    A big burly smile spread across his lips, "I am Sven Omega. Area Guardian of the Forest. It was an honor to have done combat with you, Lakyus of Aindra. Perhaps you will share the secrets of your Demonic Sword the next time we meet." He held out his right hand, which was carrying a crude-looking Viking war ax, heavily decorated in Norse markings, with its pointed eye of the ax pointed directly towards her.


    "Huba...Huba... I mean! We''ll see, Sven-dono," her head cocked to the side as she scratched the back of her neck. Her face turning a slight red before she placed her weapon upon her back.


    "In that case, I am to give you this," Sven who was now in a human form, took a scroll out of his item box and gave it a glance. It was a tan piece of rolled-up parchment made out of the fifth tier hide. In this world, it was rather valuable, especially to those who weren''t feasibly capable of casting fifth tier magic.


    However, without very much thought, Sven then tossed it towards the girl.


    Catching it after giving a little jump into the air, she gave a soft groan from the feeling of her legs almost giving out from the small hop. "You really know how to run a girl bare..." She mumbled to herself before looking over the item he had tossed to her.


    "It''s a teleportation scroll, it''ll take you to the next meeting place," Sven gestured towards the light tan piece of parchment in her hands.


    Nodding slowly, as she opened the scroll with both hands, Lakyus channeled mana into the scroll and activated it. A magical circle appeared under her feet and with a sudden burst of bluish light, she was gone.

 27 『Legions of Shadow』

    "These two are adorable..." Otherworldly voices and whispers invaded the shallowly lit halls of the corridor. The bitter-damp scent of mold increasing the uncomfortable and heavy pressured atmosphere.


    "...You can say that again, Niisan." Another whisper echoed the last, it was just like before, with a similar but distinct voice belonging to another being that was hidden completely from view.


    The Darkness that surrounded the twins reverberated with voices that came from no direction, no origin. The torches that lit their path flickered between life and death, watching Tia and Tina as they guardedly made their way down the corridor. The damp air did them no favors.


    "Who was that...?" Tia caressed her upper arms with her bare hands, an emotionless scowl across her lips, and her sharp eyes tracing over the never-ending sea of bricks that made up the maze.


    "Likely the two shadows that followed us in here over an hour ago," sighed Tina as her gaze picked apart their surroundings. The traps were well hidden, hardly capable of being detected by normal means. This place was specially prepared for them or at least that is what it seemed.


    "Haha, Niisan, she sees us as shadows!" A golden shine from a cat-like eye peered out from behind right hand turn several meters ahead.


    A tingling sensation ran through Tia''s body as if she was being sized up by a predator, and although she had felt things similar to it before, this was the first time it actually bothered her.


    Whoever was ahead of them was far stronger than anyone they had ever encountered before.


    "We can''t fight them head-on," Tia said with a straight face as she pulled out a handful of kunai from her attire, getting ready to start running. As if mapping their passage ahead, she could see that this maze doesn''t change as one moves forward. The only problem was the low light and as she felt the breeze coming from all directions, she couldn''t tell which way lead to the end.


    "We just have to compete, no need to finish the challenge," Tina responded with a nod of her head, her gaze looking to her sister before raising a brow.


    There was a pair of golden eyes peering at them from the solid wall beside her twin. It was a strange sight to behold as the glow made it appear as if the wall itself was not there, to begin with. Smelling the air as she breathed in an ambient fashion, the found the bitter scent of the mold was becoming sweet.


    Her senses were becoming confused, but at the same time, her eyesight sharpened and those eyes that were peering at her from the wall were now gone. "They''re using some sort of illusions."


    "Are you sure?" Tia trusted her sister with her life, but if they were using illusions, then they were slightly in their element. The question was, however, was how much of this place was real.


    "I can''t see any traps ahead, let alone sense them. They''re using far more advanced techniques than our detection abilities. What I can sense though, is their mischievous nature... It causes shivers to go down my spine," Tina spoke plainly as they shared glances before looking forward once more.


    "How uncanny..." Tia nodded as they abruptly darted forward, lunging without warning, Tina doing the same with near-identical movements. "But no matter what, we have to stick together."


    There were many generic traps they had sighted in this maze, especially after spending over an hour advancing through it without an aim of where to go next. Each step they made trickled into their ears, resonating only after a few milliseconds after their movements had already been made. It gave an eerily and lonely feeling to what they were doing despite standing beside one another.


    Hardened Ninjas didn''t whimper, Assassins didn''t back down from a challenge, and these rogues weren''t going to let down their Evil Boss. They came here with the purpose of learning this man''s true intentions and yet, all they''ve come across was a man who was interested in a two hundred fifty-year-old vampire and his quirky following of unique angels.


    From the corner of her eye, Tia could see something creeping along the wall, matching their speed. "What is that...?"


    "What are you talking about! Keep your eyes forward," Tina turned her gaze towards her sister, just in time to feel something brush across her cheek. "OH SHI--" Cut off from what she was about to say, the twins were thrown aside as the entire passageway lost its mind.


    Like a bridge solely made of rope, the bricks twisted and turned, screaming from the broken physics that tried to keep them in place. Was this illusion or was this reality? The girls couldn''t put two and two together.


    Tia''s right foot got caught with Tina''s left, quickly the two of them fell over and face planted upon the ground. That wasn''t all as the ground around them split apart, Tia was immediately swallowed by very floor she laid upon. Like the mouth of a living being, the breaks spread open and closed down around her. In a matter of seconds, she had vanished from sight and not even a scream could be heard from the other side.


    "Tia~!" Tina cried out, her heart trembling at her sister''s absence only for her to pause. The excitement had already ended, the corridor was as it was... As if it had never moved an inch before as if its movements hadn''t given stress to the brick formation that surrounded her.


    "Oh? So one of them fell through the floor, out splendid!" One of the voices giggled, but the one that had been accompanying it earlier was nowhere to be heard.


    "Where are you?" Tina pulled herself to her feet, coming in close to the wall. She doubted her sister had been done in so quickly, there was no feasible way she died just like that.


    On top of that, she knew that the creature that owned this tower, the wolf that had been described in the note wouldn''t have wanted them dead.


    "Kekeke... If you knew where I was, what would you do?" Peering out from behind a number of passageways were a handful of golden eyes. They were all watching them a calm eery manner, but they all looked the same.


    "Shadow clones..." Tina was now convinced that she was pitted against these people on purpose. Ninjas versus ninjas, it was far too convenient. Pulling sticks from that cup gave them the illusion of change, and she was fully convinced of that even though it hadn''t been up for debate earlier.


    "Where, oh where, could I be?" Giggled Moki playful with glee as all of the yellow eyes shrank into their respected corridors, vanishing from sight much like how Tia had just moments ago.


    With the voice of the being coming from all different directions, Tina remained calm and composed. Now was not the time to panic, she needed to find her sister. Having a Kunai in one hand she began moving ahead again. The idea of her sister dying here was in the far back of her mind, all the same as her eyes shifted from one pathway to the next as she went passed them at a steady pace, she determined to find her sister.


    Nothing was going to deter her, nor was she going to let a pair of golden eyes get in her way.


    "Ooooh~ Such persistence," Moki''s voice for some unidentified reason sent shivers down Tina''s spine. Was it a killing intent? No, that wasn''t quite right. There was a strange sense that if a killing intent from the guardian here were focused on her, there was no probable outcome where she came out alive.


    Coming to the fifth corridor on the right, her entire body involuntarily buckled forward at the same time of feeling something warm and fuzzy shove her in the back. "Eh?"


    One dart flew passed her head, the other just crazy by her back and the other just missing her throat. Her entire body stiffened as an entire barrage passed her by as if she had been pushed out of immediate danger.


    "Why didn''t I sense these...?" Tina muttered to herself and stared down the corridor. It was a dead-end, several holes in the wall at the very end. She then glanced down at the floor, seeking a trigger mechanism or pressure plate.


    "If you''re searching for a pressure plate, you''re not going to find one... Hehee..." Moki emitted from behind the Ninja, causing her to turn on her heel, ready to strike only to find pitch darkness.


    The torches behind her had gone out, and although she had trained to see in low-light, she could tell it was far too risky to venture back into her previous steps. It was as if her entire body was warning her that more dangers now existed beyond the veil.


    Creeping backward, continuing into the light, she watched the torches the farther she went the more torches went out. The darkness, the darkness was following her... Was this to stop her from doubling back!? She had no idea where to go next. All of her choices were finite, if she went one direction, she reasoned that she couldn''t go back to try another.


    "What kind of maze is this?" Tina clenched her jaw, remaining stern in expression.


    "You want to find your sister?" The voice was no longer distant, nor was it coming from all different directions. Half expecting the being standing right beside her to be a lithe cat folk with gold glowing hues was not what she imagined, "Choose a path."


    Tina turned her head to the side, expecting to see a lithe cat-like being like those she had seen peering at her, her eyes widened at what she now saw.


    A woman with fragile doll-like features with radiating purple hues for eyes and white hair stood before her. Though their presence alone was hard to make sense of, let alone sense, she could tell that this female was very much real.


    "I am Moki," the ''girl'' reached forward as they extended a hand towards the fellow Ninja. "Your challenge has just begun." A passionate smile appeared across the female form''s face.


    "Where is my sister?" There was no rush to the tone Tina used, but her eyes were sharp.


    "Kekeke~ Now what fun would it be if I told you where to find her? What kind of game would that be?" Moki''s eyes gleamed as the torchlit corridor dimmed lightly in response to their words, a breeze washing through the halls like a cold flowing river of ice.


    "Hm..." Tina''s gaze dropped down to the hand which had been offered to her, then back up to the gleaming eyes that had been shared with her. The thing that stood before her, she knew wasn''t their real form, but it was cute.


    "Kek... Now as the Gingerman once said, catch me if you can~!" Without warning, the being with silver hair and a feminine build darted around the Ninja and made its way down the corridor.


    Tina gave chase, there was no holding back here. Digging her toes into the stone bricks beneath, she soared forth through the growing darkness that raged behind her. Torch after torch blew out with a quick and precise breeze. It was like everything was being consumed.


    No matter how much ground was gained, it felt like the floor was moving beneath her and the cat who dared her to give chase was unnaturally slipping away from her.


    Her face turned red with irritation as she continued to run for over half an hour. She was moving just fast enough to keep the woman within her sights. No matter how many times she thought she was passing the same area, she told herself she wasn''t. It felt different every time.


    Lunging forward as the cat began to slow down, she went right through the silvery-white hair that decorated its back. Shadows dispersing in all directions and into the cracks of the wall, like monsters retreating from the light. Catching herself before she fell forward, Tina whipped her head side to side, not seeing a single hint of the creature she had been chasing. "Where did you go!?"


    "Did you think it was going to be that easy?" Once more the darkness was filled with gleaming golden eyes, but this time from behind her as Moki''s voice reverberating off the walls.


    Following the sound of a loud thud, the entire maze around her began to tremble. Something was coming, something massive. Gradually her jaw began to slacken and hang open ever so slightly, her eyes locking onto something moving within the darkness.


    At first, she only thought it was her mind playing tricks on her in the dark, but the trembling got louder. Loose pebbles began to lift from the ground from the reverberating presence alone.


    "You have got to be kidding me..."


    Coming out of the darkness, fading into view, was a massive spherical object made of pure stone. As if this had been bad, what appeared to be the entire maze began to shift downward.


    Without any other choice, Tina didn''t even wipe the sweat from her brow as she turned on her heel and ran. She no longer heard the shifting of her pants as the sphere roared over the brick-like floor.


    There was still a breeze up ahead, she could tell there was no dead end. It just kept going, but this also meant there were more likelihoods of additional traps. She absolutely distrusted the idea that this particular corridor had the ability to drive her all the way to the very end of the maze. As she kept going, this was becoming clearer and clearer, still as she had no time to stop and catch her breath.


    With burning lungs, she kept going even if it meant going blindly.


    Moki grinned from the shadows, watching her from an indiscriminate place as if he were one amongst the mass of darkness that was closing in around her. However, that wide grin that glimmered in the black behind her slowly faded.


    Tina took a sharp left, kicking off the wall as she vaulted over a stone that was elevated a centimeter higher than all the rest. As her feet came slamming back down to the ground, she didn''t dare pause, there was no time for it. The rumbling hadn''t stopped even after she had turned to change course, the giant sphere was following her!


    She kept running, pushing off wall after wall as she made several turns, but she couldn''t shake the massive stone construct off. If one wasn''t watching closely, it would appear as if she was randomly touching certain places and jumping over or avoiding others.


    Had she seen a pattern? Moki couldn''t quite certain what she was doing either, but it appeared as if the Ninja was taking note of everything and learning very quickly. "I shouldn''t underestimate this human��" A grin filled with needle-like fangs took shape upon Moki''s lips.


    Moki then narrowed his gaze forward, curious, and cautious of what was ahead of them. Tina wasn''t evading triggers for traps, those things were too easy to see and identify, and he knew this. Even when she failed to circumvent false traps, she still narrowly escaped true ones that she couldn''t feasibly detect with her meager level compared to theirs.


    ''There has to be a way out of here that that bolder can''t follow��'' Was one of the few things that stayed constant in Tina''s mind. So far every turn she made, so did the sphere. So even as her gaze watched the walls, the traps that sprung out at her, she didn''t see an escape right away.


    Slowing to a jog, the Ninja glanced over her shoulder towards the bolder that was closing in on her. Even the form that she could just barely make out the hidden movement within the dim shadow it cast on the ground it had contact with.


    The instant she went to turn forward to pick up the pace once more, she caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. Almost cracking a smile, she bounced on her feet as she ran for the wall to the left.


    Within the moss-covered grey stone brick was a small opening, just large enough for her to crawl through. "A crawl space!" She exclaimed to herself, throwing herself to the ground in a fashion that she would slide right into it.


    Briefly having the wind knocked out of her, the Ninja held back a smug grin as she heard the sphere slow down right outside the hole. "Can''t squash me in here�� Now can you?"


    With her arms in front of her, she pulled herself along the damp floor, grasping at the cracks between bricks. She moved slowly and carefully, but the further she went the darker it got.


    By the time Tina glanced behind her she found the lights had all gone out, the entrance was lost. Letting out a light sigh, she turned her gaze forward. The walls had a faint glow, accompanied by a strange translucent blue moss.


    "What is this stuff��" She uttered quietly to herself, scraping her fingernail against the stuff. Staring at her finger, she found it was now giving a faint glow. "Liquid?" Rubbing the nail of her index finger against her thumb, she smeared the stuff and raised a brow. A sigh escaped her lips as she exclaimed, "This isn''t all that useful in this situation."


    "Is that so?" Suddenly a handful of the moss splattered in her face, coating the side of her cheek. Moki was laying prone directly in front of her with a devious look on their face, still holding the human form they had used prior.


    "How did you��" The Ninja glanced over her shoulder, before looking to the creature in front of her as she abruptly felt the water rising in the crawlspace. "Where did��" Clenching her jaw, Tina looked to the cat folk who''s tail rubbed against the ceiling of the crawlspace.


    "Kekeke~ To think you made it farther than any other contestant, you should be proud," Moki announced her defeat, as she had failed to complete the maze, but still broke an unknowingly existing record.


    Tina''s eyes widened, peering over the cat''s shoulder into the eternal darkness that would greet her eye. She then turned her attention to Moki once more, "You''re not going to let me pass?"


    "You were only to participate in a challenge, not complete the challenge, though that is one and the same�� Is it not? Keke..." The cat giggled as it reached over and grasped her wrist, "Congratulations."


    In an instant there was a magic circle rapidly forming beneath them, illuminating the rising water with a turquoise glow that was reaching just under her shoulders.


    "Eh?" Tina blinked as she soon found herself engulfed by the light.