Overlord: Advent of the New Gods

The nightmare that was the demonic invasion of the capital was pretty much over but the damage sustained was devastating to anyone still around. At least two thousand people had perished and about half of the city's population had fled or were unaccounted for.

Yet Lakyus couldn't think about it as her mind was elsewhere. She stood, surrounded by her team, and was helped to stand upright by Tia. Evileye had a lot taken out of her and until a large meal and proper sleep was provided, she couldn't even begin to recover. But even this didn't bother her, it was something else entirely that had shaken her to her core.

All that she could dwell on was the truth that seemed to elude her. Was her God a false one? And even if he wasn't, there was a large chance that the Six Great Gods were tyrants and the history was falsified. It was the truth that she had never felt this divine tinge in church nor when praying to her God. But she was a priest and without her belief, she was nothing, little more than the average noble girl. Even worse, it was this belief that not only held back the darkness in the sword but in her heart as well, serving as the foundation of her sanity.

"You look so pale. Are you unwell?"

Lakyus practically jumped on the spot. Renner had somehow managed to sneak up on her and now questioned her in that kind and concerned voice of hers she always had.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Nothing a good sleep can't fix," She replied.

"I think the Emperor of Nazarick should arrive any moment. I trust your uncle will be good as new." Renner let her optimism shine though. Something Lakyus desperately needed at the moment.

She glanced at the eight deceased bodies laid out on wooden stretchers, their forms mangled beyond belief. These were deemed to be the most heroic people who gave their lives to save others. Neia and her team stood nearby. She, after all, had been guided to find most of them. Lakyus wanted to approach the girl and talk with her, but Neia's fierce expression gave no room for a casual approach even if she was the leader of a more accomplished team.

So she settled for someone she trusted completely. "Renner, can we talk in private?"

"Of course. Let's just step aside." The former princess nodded and offered her shoulder to lean on.

Outside the small crowd waiting for the arrival of Ainz Ooal Gown, there were no other people in the area, just empty space. Just taking ten or so steps away was enough to have a private hushed conversation with the proper precautions.

"Renner, you have always been the smart one. What do you think about what Lord Ulbert revealed?" She asked.

"You ask me? You are the priest, you should be the one lecturing me on matters of gods. Of course, they are." Renner let out a good-natured laugh.

"How do you know they are not lying?"

"I… you know, when Lord Ulbert first came to talk with my late father, the moment he entered the throne room I just… knew I guess. There was this feeling I could not place at the time, but after meeting more than one, I know they are." Renner explained with hushed tones, rapidly glancing around to not be overheard. "At least you can openly choose who to revere."

Lakyus understood what her friend meant. Renner was a political figure and needed to act according to the king's will superficially, and thus if Barbro declared the new gods evil, Renner would have to do the same or at least remain silent to avoid being disposed of. Still, she couldn't help but continue to question the former princess and hope that the conversation wasn't being overheard.

"And about demons, free will, and the rest?"

"Honestly, I don't know. The fact is that a Slane Theocracy cardinal is responsible for the loss of countless innocent lives and these new Gods helped us. I am inclined to believe them, especially if they are real Gods, if they want to destroy us they have a multitude of other ways to do so."

"It's all so strange and confusing. What if we are just pawns for their games and there is no one in the right?" Lakyus decided to voice her worst fears about the whole situation. Something that had nagged her through this whole ordeal. A faint whisper of uncertainty plagued her heart from its deepest recesses for a while despite all the signs showing that the new Gods were at least willing to lend their hand to humanity despite likely being seen as monsters due to their appearances. Ulbert was some sort of goat-man, Buku was an Elf or at least taking an appearance of one, and there was no telling what the God of Life and Death really looked like.

Renner put a hand on Lakyus' shoulder in a rare moment of physical affection someone of her stature should not express publicly. "Please don't worry too much. If that is the case, then it would be better to play along. Trust me, I know what it means to be a pawn for the games of others. Resistance can be futile."

"Sorry! I didn't mean to-" Lakyus sputtered in response as it dawned how insensitive her comments were. She, after all, was an adventurer who could decide her destiny as she wished while Renner was shackled by the obligations of her birthright.

"I know. Don't worry. Looks like the god is about to arrive." Renner released her shoulder and pointed at the swirling darkness appearing in the middle of the street.

She nodded and quickly rejoined her team with Renner in tow. The first to come though were two angels, one in crimson armor and the other in shining polished plate, each radiating sheer power everyone could feel. Their neutral, unmoving expressions only confirmed Ulbert's words about angels being machines made to follow orders and nothing else, designed as tools to execute their Gods' wills. Both entities hovered at the sides of the gate with the one in the plate waving her hand and transforming the street into a solid polished rock instead of packed mud.

'They are so stunning, so divine. No one deserves such a fate.' Lakyus hoped that there was a way to give them a chance to live their own lives according to their wills and that the new Gods were working towards such a goal, not just using them as tools.

The next to step through was a woman of divine beauty, clad in a pure white dress with large black wings on her lower back, moving gently with every step. Lakyus would have assumed this woman was another angel if not for the white curled horns growing out of the woman's head, signifying she was a demon.

Despite this demonic trait, Lakyus could only stare in stunned amazement at how divinely gorgeous the woman was. If there was an absolute perfection of female form then she was staring at one right this instant.

"Looks like the boss found her type." Gagaran chuckled, nudging her.

"What…" Lakyus responded dreamily without even reacting to teasing, only affirming what Gagaran said, much to the others' amusement.

"Empress Albedo, the Goddess of Love and Family." The crimson-clad angel declared as the divine woman stepped on the stone plates, a gentle loving smile on her face. She glanced around and for a brief moment, Albedo's eyes met hers.

Lakyus felt the heat wave flash over her body, and her repressed desire for a partner bubbled up on the surface against her will. The fact that she was only attracted to women was one of the factors why she decided to relinquish her titles and become an adventurer as it let her escape the obligation to marry a nobleman and continue the family line, given that she was still contributing to the family this way by technicality. This Goddess had shone light on her repressed desires that were now plainly on display for her friends to see. They of course already mostly suspected what type of partner she would want but now had gotten a full confirmation.

"You're drooling, Evil Boss," Tia remarked as she was pushed behind the rest of the team so as not to embarrass herself even more.

"Wha?-" Lakyus snapped out of her shameful demeanor and shrunk down to not be visible from the crowd, as she wiped her mouth only to find out that Tia was pulling her leg. Yet the Goddess somehow noticed and gave her a momentary knowing smirk before returning her attention to the group of nobles led by Zanac and Bolloupe, waiting for the Gods.

Then came the Emperor and he couldn't be more opposite to the Empress. As he emerged from the gate, the crowd let out frightened gasps and whimpers, rippling across the city. The skeletal visage clad in a midnight black robe was the very embodiment of death and fear, seemingly made of nightmares. His presence was so overwhelming even the most seasoned adventurers shuddered in his presence, fighting the instinct to flee on the spot.

"Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown, the God of Life and Death." The angel in the plate armor announced. Gone were the golden mask and the white robes described from the E-Rantel incident, replaced with a midnight black gown and paired with even more intimidating with massive shoulder plates. The entity was the very picture of death, an all-encompassing entity like how death eventually came for everyone.

'Is this some sort of warning?' She couldn't deny that the pair were Gods, not anymore. Her entire being attested to this truth, yet she wanted to flee with all her might and to forget that she had ever seen something so terrible as Ainz Ooal Gown.

'Perhaps this is some sort of test or a lesson to not judge by appearance.' She reasoned as she steeled her resolve to not outwardly show fear.

The Undead Emperor walked forward with a measured stride, gliding past the line of cadavers. There was not a single incantation or magical circle present but the once-dead people began to stir by being in Gods mere presence. Her honed instincts detected obscene amounts of magic in the air so there was at least a spell cast, albeit well hidden. Enough magical power that it struck something deep inside her, reassuring her that the world was now under proper protection.

Lakyus' gaze fell on her uncle as he was the closest one to the noble delegation and last in the row, slowly regaining control of his limbs. Ainz Ooal Gown stopped before him, his ever-burning gaze set on the man who was slowly regaining his senses.

"A leveling gear from Yggdrasil? Might I inquire where you got it?" The dark God spoke in a deep, regal tone that reverberated across the entire area.

Azuth gasped, scrambling to his feet as sparks flew out from the hole in his armor. Luckily, one of Azuth's teammates had the sense to run up to her frightened uncle and give a quick rundown before dashing back.

Azuth regained his composure, glanced up at the Emperor, tilted his head, and replied in a smooth voice. "It was a gift from its previous wearer, your Imperial Majesty. You have my gratitude."

"You proved extraordinary bravery and valor in the face of overwhelming odds. If more heroes like you walked this world, the Gods would have no need to be involved in matters of the mortals. It seems the armor is damaged. If memory serves, repairing it requires a particular item." Ainz Ooal Gown sounded pleased with Azuth's response, bending slightly.

"Could his Imperial Majesty provide me with details of what sort of item is required? I would be most grateful." Lakyus could see her uncle still retained the manners to properly converse with a God despite his rather free-spirited endeavors and propensity for using escorts and women of questionable reputation for entertainment. She was also curious about the items that could repair such mysterious armor and no doubt a player would know such things, considering that many renowned smiths had tried and failed at understanding how the legendary gear was even made.

In a sense, she had the luxury of being present in the time of myth-making as each new player revealed would bring more to the world, both good and bad, and the wise would use the opportunity to learn what they could, and the wisely ambitious would rise like never before. Evileye, though close-lipped about the topic, from time to time had spoken about her interactions with players a century ago, enough to give her enough information to barely comprehend what was truly happening.

"I doubt you will find such items in this world." Ainz paused, a small metallic polyhedron appearing in the God's skeletal hands, floating with mystical power. "You will owe Nazarick a favor."

"Deal." Azuth accepted the object and the moment his hands touched the metallic surface of the polyhedron, it disappeared and the hole in his armor grew over with a strange buzzing sound, repairing itself within seconds.

'What would the Dark… New Gods ask of my uncle?' Lakyus was still suspicious of the players. Why it was so she couldn't tell, only a feeling that something was just so off about their behavior.

'Maybe I'm just paranoid. They helped the kingdom when they could just conquer it through brutal might.' There was a historical precedent of players doing just that across history, slaughtering all those who stood in their way. The Eight Greed Kings were the most villainous players who had ever walked this world and had caused unimaginable damage during their short reign, slaughtering thousands upon thousands to the point that most historians were still unsure of how many had been slain. Perhaps her distrust stemmed from the New Gods being more monstrous than the ones she revered, but then again, Surshana, the God of Dark, was an undead, just like Ainz, the God of Death and Life.

'I need to refrain from judging.' She pushed the intrusive thoughts away, returning her attention to the scene in front of her. The Undead Emperor had reached the three nobles as they were the ones greeting the ruler of the new empire instead of a king, which could be seen as a grave insult and potentially cause dangerous strife. It should've been King Barbaro meeting Emperor Ainz, but the king had fled to his deepest quarters, angry at the gods ever since the Goddess of War, Buku, had pushed him away.

"Your Imperial Majesty, on behalf of the Kingdom of Re-Estize and His Majesty Barbro, we thank you for lending a helping hand," Prime Minister Zanac spoke. The younger brother of the king was becoming more of a public face by the day and gaining a reputation as a fair and intelligent administrator. Lakyus hated to admit but until now she had a poor opinion of the short chubby man who possessed the air of a sniveling noble around him. Yet Zanac was the one standing before the most terrifying of Gods and greeting him as a proper ruler should without as much as a sign of fear, an immense feat.

"A good start for a long fruitful corporation, don't you think so?" Ainz replied.

"Indeed. I would like to send a representative to Nazarick and receive one from your fine empire as well," Zanac continued.

"You will receive my representative tomorrow and we will expect yours at Carne Village. One more thing, if more followers of the Six start causing problems, contact us immediately. Their bothersome attempts to return and enslave mortals need to be snuffed out at its core, or a lot more mortals will suffer for their careless actions and desperate attempts to regain what they have lost."

And with that, the God and Goddess returned to the swirling darkness and disappeared, the angels following shortly after as the portal disappeared. Their job had ended and now the people of Re-Estize needed to pick up where they left off and start rebuilding the ruined capital, bit by bit.

Editing by aidan_lo.

Proofreading By fvvck, Stac, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, Omnax, mfkz_rocker, and aidan_lo.

Link my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2)