Tears of Nazarick

"I. Have. Faced. The. Half-Elf. In. Combat. Inside. The. Tomb."

There was a crack at the Insectoid's words. A subtle change in pressure, slowly building-up inside the Throne Room from the gilded seat itself.

Not letting himself betray his master's expectations further, the Insectoid did not let eyes falter from the Overlord's own, keeping his head held-high even with the burning gaze of his peers scalding his back with certain doubt and curiosity.

With the crushing pressure emanating from the throne, of course, none of them would voice their questions until Ainz himself spoke up first.

"Have the security measures in the 5th failed? I believed the frozen prison to be our best bet at restraining candidates of her caliber, but if even those were blown through…"

An anxious hail of frost had been released from Cocytus upon hearing his master's displeasure. He immediately lowered his head further, not letting his own resolve be the one to break Lord Ainz's trust in his hardworking subordinates of the Frozen Wastes.

"Lord. Ainz! Forgive. This. Imprudent. One's. Recklessness." He bowed with such immediate force that even the elf twins behind him were startled. As his head hung low and the discomforting hail slowly dissipated, Cocytus struggled to continue with his words.

Still, he had to face the consequences of his whims. With a click of his mandibles, he turned to meet Ainz's gaze once again.

"I. Was. Drawn. By. The. Captive's. Fighting. Spirit." The Frozen God remained true to his convictions, not daring to mask what his intentions were then, even to make himself look better in front of his peers. "She. Believed. Me. To. Be. Her. Executioner."

A certain Vampire seemed to find amusement at the Insectoid's words. "Ha-rumph! It seems that little one doesn't know yet how Nazarick works, Ainz-sama." Shalltear scooted closer to her Lord, smiling jovially as she hung onto the throne's armrest. "Death is the most compassionate gift an intruder like her could hope for, arinsu~"

Ainz remained still as he spared Shalltear a glance of approval. 'Well, she's not wrong about that. That's how we treated everyone so far, but that's really only for the weak of this world.' While his gaze still pierced through Cocytus, Ainz reminisced over the few people he met since Nazarick's abjuration that would warrant this caution. 'That Riku Aganaeia would be hard to control as well, I had no intention of truly making him a subordinate. And even the Elf King himself would be troublesome to restrain. Not impossible, just troublesome.'

A dark thought suddenly crossed through Ainz's mind. 'I wonder if there's enough left of him to tempt resurrection.'

Motioning back to reality, the Overlord noticed the anxious stance the proud insectoid held as he lowered himself in front of him. It was not the first time one of his subordinates acted out of their own will, and Ainz didn't believe Cocytus would be foolish enough to unshackle a prisoner if they had any possibility of escape.

With that thought in mind, Ainz Ooal Gown lifted his palm, drawing the attention of all subordinates away from Cocytus.

"Cocytus, do you remember the day when Nazarick was first transported into this world?"

The question caught the insectoid off-guard. Of course he did! To be free of the shackles that chained his limbs and tongue, to be able to speak freely and counsel with the most Supreme. To even suggest he wouldn't hold such a day to heart…

"Yes, Ainz-Sama. I. Would. Never. Forget. The. Day. You. First. Graced. Us. With. Your. Magnanimous. Aura."

He genuflected further, releasing an exhale of chilling frost. Still, he couldn't grasp the meaning hidden behind the Overlord's words.

"Then." The bony palm lowered itself into the golden armrest. "If I recall correctly, you were the first to realize you guardians were no longer limited by Yggdrasil's laws…" Ainz held his words in for a moment. "You immediately set yourself out to improve your swordsmanship, and still you hone your technique to this day. Am I right?"

The guardian of the fifth floor perked his head up. "You. Speak. The. Truth. Ainz-Sama. But-"

"You did so without my input. In my eyes, there was no room for improvement for a LV. 100 being, yet your training clearly proved otherwise." Ainz balled his fist up, an expression of determination to the rest of the Floor Guardians. "I wouldn't be as effective as Momon if not for our sparring together, and Nazarick's defenses would stagnate in this world if we didn't learn to fight by it's new rules!"

Ainz hammered his fist into the throne's arm as his emotions flared. This world wasn't up to Nazarick's standards of sheer strength, but even Ainz knew the PVP insight and experience he relied on drastically guided every encounter he ventured outside the Tomb, and the children of his dear friends came into life bearing none of it.

At the other side of the Throne of Kings, Shalltear couldn't help but swoon at the passion shown in her Overlord's words. Though that admiration soon turned lamentation in a moment's notice. She had already grieved far too much for her past transgressions against her Lord, but now she mourned having the memories of their clash stripped away in her resurrection.

'To get to experience Ainz-sama's magical carnage first-hand, to be the target of his own calculating, terrifying mind! Ahh, maybe those memories would be too much for me after all….'

As the guardians held their tense silence absorbing the Overlord's will, Ainz continued on trying to lift Cocytus' spirits.

"Time and time again that same 'recklessness' you described helped further Nazarick's ambitions, be it mediating the Lizardmen or simply holding your fellow guardians to your own standards, you haven't failed me once, Cocytus, because you always held Nazarick's honor at heart!"

Ainz suddenly let his aura out, standing up to hit the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown on the floor below, causing the guardians to nearly drop to their knees from pure instinct.

"That's why, Cocytus! Don't ask for forgiveness for acting out your own will, instead, strive to never diminish yourself again! A servant of Ainz Ooal Gown will not demean themselves to imprudence in front of their master!"

"Yes, Ainz-sama!" A chorus of approvals rang out, not only from Cocytus, but from his fellow Floor Guardians as well.

Turning his back once more with royal flair, the Overlord sat back at his gilded throne.

Letting out a breathless sigh, Ainz stared Cocytus down once more, now more comfortable pursuing the topic as the anxiousness left the guardian's body.

"Now, tell me, Cocytus. What potential have you scoured for the Tomb this time?"

The Frozen Insectoid step-forth once more, six gelid eyes staring resolute at the trio which occupied the steps to the Golden Throne.

His mind clear with the weight of his words, Cocytus reminisced his encounter in the Frozen Prison with Antilene Heran Fouche.

"Had. I. Known. Her. Origins. Beforehand. Her. Battle. Prowess. Wouldn't. Have. Come. Off. As. A. Surprise."

When Cocytus originally met Antilene in the frozen cells of the 5th Floor, he had the same degree of intel everyone else had before this meeting – The Half-Elf was an important prisoner who was captured facing off against the floor guardian Mare Bello Fiore. Coming out alive from that confrontation was noteworthy enough.

"It. Was. Her. Fighting. Spirit. That. Sparked. My. Desire. To. Fight. Her." The Insectoid let out a blow of chilling air, basking in the afterglow of the fight. "She. Had. No. Qualms. About. Being. Executed… In. Fact. She. Lamented. I. Had. Not. Come. There. To. End. Her. Life. Myself!"

This loud declaration from the Guardian of the Fifth painted differing reactions in the eyes of the Floor Guardians.

"Now now, Cocytus." A dapper devil began before wiping sweat off his brow. "It's natural for our many prisoners to eventually embrace the idea of death, when their eternal punishment toils too much on their frail mortal bodies, but…!" Demiurge's words died on his demoniacal throat before he could continue, both because he realized the continued mistakes of his judgement, and because…

"Could she have wanted to perish before letting out more secrets of the Theocracy? That would mean her allegiances still linger, which would be a detriment to us keeping her around…"

The dark gaze of the Overlord settled down beyond the eyes of the Frozen God as he contemplated his next move. If they were wrong in their speculations of the half-elf allegiances then…

"Wait. Ainz-Sama!"

Cocytus raised his head further as he beckoned his lord, a sharp contrast to his submission when asked of the defenses of his floor.

"I. Beg. You. To. Consider. Something. Else."

Before Ainz had even cast his judgement upon Antilene, Cocytus had raised once more to speak further on his encounter with the God-Kin. By that point, he could only feign ignorance of the scalding gaze that Pandora's Actor and Shalltear Bloodfallen weighing immensely on his shoulders, and the anxious swinging of a Devil's tail behind him eager to know more.

The Overlord of Death, himself, only nodded at him to continue.

"Humph. The. God. Kin. Had. Become. Bitter. When. I. Expressed. I. Was. Not. Her. Executioner." The Guardian of the Fifth recounted in earnest. "When. I. Pressured. Her. For. More. She. Said…"

"But after that? I'm only a weapon for the Theocracy. I spent my life looking for someone stronger than me, and this is where that got me."

"...It was never my choice. It's how I was raised to be. I don't know if something else was ever in the cards for me, but at least I would be fighting others for my own sake, and not for the Theocracy."

"It wasn't even that good of a match…"

Not daring to look away from the Overlord's gaze, but still lingering back on those memories inside his own mind, Cocytus continued.

"I. Could. Not. Hope. To. Understand. Her. Sentiment. With. Only. Her. Words." The vermin lord exhaled another wave of frost. "That. Is. Why. I. Challenged. Her. Fighting. Spirit."

The Throne-Room had become silent in Cocytus' mind. Before him, the thoughts and expressions of his peers were moot. All that mattered in that moment were him, and the Supreme Overlord who would judge his actions as either dignified, or wasteful.

"And what did you find, Cocytus?"

Under the gaze of Ainz Ooal Gown, the Vermin Lord was resolute. Lifting his head up in remembrance for the match, he spoke.

"Her. Fighting. Spirit. Was. Glorious... She. Could. Hold. Herself. Better. Than. Any. We. Have. Met. In. This. World. So. Far."

Cocytus landed his gaze forward as he continued. "Her. Use. Of. Martial. Arts. Was. Immaculate. Even. As. Her. Body. Started. Deteriorating. She. Continued. Her. Assault… Not. Just. Mindlessly. Attacking. But. Dodging… Reacting. To. My. Skills… Every. Move. Sure. To. Kill. Her. Was. Avoided. With. Grace..."

"So she can dance well enough to impress even Cocytus, arinsu~" It was Shalltear who broke the Vermin Lord out of his glorious stupor. "Even so, I doubt she would last long against any of us were we fighting seriously, right?"

The bloodthirsty gaze of the Vampire Queen was enough to make even Cocytus flinch, and in some corner of his mind, he remembered just how similar of an expression Antilene had made during their match.

"Please wait, meine Kaiserin!" It was the Doppelganger opposite to the throne who spoke up. "If what Cocytus-sama recounts is true, that means the God-Kin was fighting to a higher standard even without her equipment!" Pandora would know that, of course, since he has hoarded her armor himself inside the treasury. "Isn't that worth taking into account, meine lord?"

Ainz had sunken deep into his throne listening to the three talk. In truth, he didn't feel either of them were against keeping Antilene around, but Pandora's overreaction made Ainz think the Doppelganger already had plans in his mind for the half-elf girl…

'Her equipment, huh? Well, I know I wouldn't even begin where to start if I was in my level one prisoner rags again. Too many data crystals went into these robes!'

Raising his hand for silence once more, the Overlord set his gaze on Cocytus once and for all.

"I trust your judgement of the God-Kin's combat prowess, Cocytus. Even more, you don't seem to believe she holds allegiance with the Theocracy. Still, there is one thing I wish to know more than all."

The Vermin Lord met the gaze of the Overlord, two pinprick flames shining in the darkness of his eye-sockets.

"What was the end result of the battle?"

A cold air suddenly seemed to seep into the Throne-Room. All guardians present, even the Pleiades flinched for a moment, expressions locking-in to the Vermin Lord prostrating before the Overlord.

After all, the result should have been obvious, right?

'Cocytus couldn't have possibly lost against her, even with all the praise he commended her for her above-average skill. If so, why would Lord Ainz-sama ask such an obvious question? Unless…' Demiurge's tail continued swaying as his heartbeat raised anxiously, his mind clawing at an unresponsive void for answers he had no access to.

The Frozen God struggled to answer for a moment, knowing his silence to his fellow guardians was near tantamount to having admitted defeat, he straightened himself to answer.

"I. Did. Not. Allow. Her. To. Land. Even. A. Single. Hit. On. Me."

The chill grasping at the hearts of the guardians dissipated in one moment, Cocytus could even have imagined a sigh of relief coming from one of the Pleiades before she was struck in the back of her head.

However, Cocytus knew there was more that Lord Ainz wanted him to tell.

"However. Even. After. Pushing. Her. To. The. Very. Limits. Of. Her. Body. She. Refused. To. Give. In." Cocytus almost let pride seep out into his voice, clacking his mandibles before continuing. "Though. Her. Bones. Were. Brittle. And. Broken. Her. Lust. For. Battle. And. Proving. Herself. Did. Not. Allow. Her. To. Lay. Down. And. Bleed. To. Death."

Taking a step forward that surprised even himself, Cocytus lowered his head to his Overlord, ready to make a selfish request.

"I. Do. Not. Believe. My. Words. Do. Enough. Justice. To. What. You. Want. To. See. Ainz-Sama." Mandibles clicked in anticipation. "Please. Use. Your. Memory. Magic. On. My. Meager. Shell. To. See. For. Yourself."

The air hung heavy around the Throne as Cocytus' words settled in on Ainz Ooal Gown.

"Cocytus… You don't think I mistrust your words, do you? You have never given me reason to doubt your judgement. Using a [Mind Control] spell on you would be…"

'Seriously, what has gotten into him? The only one in Nazarick I ever messed with using Mind spells was Shizu, and that's because she's an Automaton! If there's any chance it could break their minds, I could never…'

Cocytus, however, only let out another wave of cold breath as his mandibles clacked once more. "I. Would. Not. Dare. Defy. Ainz-Sama's. Judgement. However. I. Simply. Believe. This. Is. The. Correct. Course. Of. Action. To. Further. Nazarick's. Ambitions."

Whatever it was the pressure of the confrontation, or Cocytus' coldness seeping even more into the room, no one could tell.

"What. Happened. In. That. Fight... I. Wish. For. Lord. Ainz. To. See. With. His. Very. Own. Eyes."

Backed into a corner by his very own words, Ainz had no choice but to respect Cocytus' determination in addressing him directly.

Slowly ascending from his gilded seat, the Overlord of Death took measured steps until he was standing over the kneeling insectoid, carefully raising his skeletal palm until it hovered over Cocytus' head.

"I won't hold back in my magic, Cocytus. You'll have to deactivate your resistances against mental attacks for me to get the best view. Are you still sure you want to do this?" Speaking lower in a voice only he and the insectoid could hear, Ainz continued. "I won't hold it against you if you change your mind now."

Ainz knew he was saying that more for his own sake and guilty conscience than Cocytus', but the Vermin Lord was adamant in his desire.

"IF. IT. IS. TO. PAIN. ME. THEN. I. WILL. ACCEPT. IT. AS. PUNISHMENT. FOR. ALL. MY. EARLIER. TRANSGRESSIONS."

Respecting Cocytus resolve, Ainz let out a breathless sigh only he could hear as he mentally readied himself for the tenth-tier spell, the tenseness oozing off the remaining guardians palpable.

"Umu. Here goes nothing. [Control Amnesia]!"

…

It didn't take long for Ainz to ground himself in Cocytus' memories. He didn't need to go too far back to find what he was looking for, and he certainly didn't need to edit his profile – His very essence.

"Wow…Has my executioner come at last?

I almost wish I could have fought someone like you instead of that little druid."

"I'm. Not. Your. Executioner."

'I see, so that's how it happened…'

For Ainz Ooal Gown, experiencing someone's memories from their own point of view was something he felt oddly accustomed too. Perhaps, that familiarity came from his life as Suzuki Satoru, living on DMMORPGs, playing on the role of an avatar…

"Prove. It. To. Me. Then."

"[Flow Acceleration]!"

The fight wasn't half-bad of a spectacle. Being in Cocytus position but being unable to react, Ainz could get a first-hand impression of how Antilene fought.

'So she's starting off with a martial art. Cocytus said she was proficient with them, but- Woah!'

In the fraction of a second, Antilene was right on Cocytus' face, her strike completely parried as he used his arm to defend his chest.

" Looking. For. A. Weakness?"

I. Promise. You. That. Is. No. Weak. Spot."

" [Vidyārāja Strike]!"

'Tch, not good!'

" [Instant Counter]!"

'She really is no joke… Though, I wonder if Cocytus perceived things this quickly in reality too.'

As Ainz was witnessing their battle in real-time with [Control Amnesia], he had no way to gauge how the mind of a Warrior like Cocytus would operate. He knew things like thought acceleration existed, and the reaction time of LV. 100 beings would be sharper than anyone else.

'Still, for that same reason, the fact that the God-Kin can react to Cocytus' move, even inhibited to match her pace is no laughing matter.'

The fight continued on, and as Ainz was watching, he kept waiting for the moment the girl would collapse from overexerting herself.

'Casting [Regeneration] on herself is one thing, but the amount of Martial Arts she's using is ridiculous! I saw her leg nearly snap out of place when she dodged that [Ice Pillar]!'

If Ainz were watching through a mirror of remote viewing, he would be digging his phalanges at the edges of the screen right now.

For Ainz who was watching in real-time, it was hard for him to believe the level of acrobatics Antilene displayed dashing up on the wall, leaving a trail of blood behind her as she practically flew over the obstacles Cocytus sent her way.

Worst, still, was the crazed smile she gave-off when she landed in the last pillar. Completely bloodshot eyes, there was only one other time Ainz saw someone giving-off that much thirst for blood.

"Do you understand now Shalltear? Everything went according to my plans."

Ainz parried the Pippete Lance with ease, Shalltear's strikes growing more and more desperate. Her battle cries just another show of dominance that Ainz's plan was working.

"A super tier magic attack can't take you down when your HP is full. Doesn't that mean I just need to bring your HP down to the point it can?"

Fear. Fury. Hopelessness and Admiration. All showing in Shalltear's eyes as she readied her last  desperate  assault.

…Ainz did not like thinking back on those memories, but the girl before her was just as much of a battle-freak as Shalltear was.

When the two pillars came to intercept her, she easily made work of them with another Martial Art, slashes of light much like the ones he once saw the warrior-captain use cutting through Cocytus' magic.

'...Ho-oh, she even got Cocytus to pull out 'God-Slaying Emperor Blade'. If she hits that strike, could she actually pierce through Cocytus' defenses?'

Unfortunately for Ainz, he'd never get the answer for that as Cocytus was quicker to summon another [Ice Pillar] to hammer her away towards a nearby wall. The ice cracked along with her bones as she splattered on it and onto the floor below.

'This must be where this ends. I have to commend Cocytus for giving her a quick end… Ho?'

With her bones making a nasty popping noise as she struggled to get up, Antilene refused to back down, even in the bloodied state she was in, her body more bruised than pale.

She continued surprising Ainz even after Cocytus commended her – and called her out on her skewed talent pool – 'Seriously, whoever trained her should get an earful, she'd never get anywhere with a build like this in YGGDRASIL'.

Still, the show had to end eventually. Cocytus promised to break all of her limbs and Ainz was curious on how things were going to end up.

'She has no way to strike at him in this state, but I doubt she's just going to drop down and bleed out either. If this girl knew the right time to give up, she would have bent the knee to Mare back then.'

And like Ainz believed, she had one last trump-card. One last martial art that secured her "victory", at least in keeping herself in one piece.

Dropping the katana to the floor behind her, Ainz could tell she was barely managing to stand up as she began laughing in triumph.

'That Talent proves to be more and more troublesome. At least with magic there's no way for her to learn the spell she uses without having the proper classes, but with Martial Arts? I have no doubt she could pick up on that [Field] in no time at all after that, no matter what weapon she equips.'

The mental fatigue of keeping the [Control Amnesia] spell was finally starting to set in, with Ainz feeling the edges of his vision slowly unraveling into a blur.

'I can only hope it's not as bad, or even worse, for Cocytus right now. Still, he wanted me to watch this to the end, and I will respect his resolve! Now, God-Kin, will you show me one last ace under your sleeve- What?'

The battered half-elf girl, who was laughing triumphantly with her hands on her hips, suddenly stopped all movement. Her face becoming a frozen dead stare, like her body had suddenly caught up to her multiple injuries – the rivers of blood flowing freely from where her eyes had been the most telling of the bunch, but that wasn't it.

'Is she receiving a [Message]? No, that would be impossible for a multitude of reasons. Her wounds could have finally caught up to her, but she'd simply collapse if that were the case. If her mind has-'

"STOP! P-PLEASE STOP!"

"I'LL- I'll GET STRONGER, PLEASE! STOP HURTING ME!"

The girl suddenly screamed out, holding her hands defensively over her stomach (Which Cocytus hadn't even hit) while her body squirmed, finally falling on her knees before dropping to her side on the cold, stone floor below.

Before the [Control Amnesia] dissipated, and as Antilene's [Regeneration] finally caught up to her eyes, Ainz could swear he heard her muttering one last thing before passing out, her pleading glare unfortunately staring right through him.

"M'sorry…"

In a wink, Ainz was standing back on the Throne Room. He could feel the worried glances of the Guardians staring ahead as the magic circle hovering Cocytus' head suddenly shattered, Ainz himself stumbling back for a moment before landing on the Throne of Kings, his skeletal body unceremoniously thumping on the backrest.

"Ainz-sama!"/"Mein Vater!"

From both his sides, Shalltear & Pandora's Actor rushed close to him to protect and treat any injury if necessary. Shalltear's eyes even glimmered blue for a moment, indicating the use of the [Mana Essence] spell.

'Ainz-Sama's mana is almost out! If anything worse happened…'

Shalltear's expression suddenly turned scornful for a second as she looked back at Cocytus, still frozen in place. For the vampire, it certainly didn't look like HE was experiencing any pushback from this!

Before she could open her mouth, however, Pandora's words called her gaze back into attention as the Overlord slowly settled into the armrest.

"Mein Lord, Ainz-sama! Are you truly feeling alright? We can postpone the rest of this meeting if you so desire!"

Ainz himself, finally getting a firm grasp of his surroundings once more, slowly lifted a bony hand to quell the Guardian's worries.

"I'm…" Everyone's worried gaze had suddenly become overwhelming, especially coming from the elf children. He never showed such weakness in front of the guardians before! Faking a cough into his hand, Ainz continued.

"Umu. I'm fine, Pandora's Actor. The spell [Control Amnesia] simply eats mana at an alarming rate, it won't ill me any further if I don't use it."

Looking ahead, his words seemed enough to reverse the frowns in the faces of Mare and Aura, while Demiurge just let out a sigh of utter relief as he glanced to the side.

"A-Ainz-sama!" Shalltear squealed next to him, a pout on her face as her eyes glimmered blue once more. "We can handle things for you if you need to rest! Me and Pandora should be more than enough, right?" She was practically sitting on the armrest now as clutched tightly onto his robes, as if afraid he was going to disappear if she let go. "Or… Maybe just Pandora, arinsu~?"

It would have brought a smile to the Overlord's face, could he emote, but seeing Shalltear pleading at him like this, his mind was still reeling from what he witnessed in Cocytus' memories.

'The daughter of the Elf King… Her martial prowess is unmatched compared to anything we've seen in this world, and having her talent would surely come to benefit Nazarick, but…'

"...Ainz-sama?"

"Ah, right. Apologies Shalltear, it seems I spaced out."

Before the pouting vampire could continue her protests, Ainz swiftly landed a palm over her head, his phalanges petting her hair so he could soothe her worries.

"A~A~Ainz-sama…" Shalltear whimpered in absolute pleasure, her thoughts melting into one sinful desire after another.

Having successfully defused Shalltear's worries with just one hand motion, Ainz returned to address the Floor Guardians in front of him.

"Cocytus, I understand now why you wished me to witness these events for myself. You have brought us good information."

"I. Thank. You. Ainz-sama." Cocytus mandibles clacked slower than usual as he released a new wave of frost.

"Has the [Control Amnesia] spell left out any mental injuries or detrimental status effects you can tell? I did my best not to touch anything while I was there." Ainz motioned a claw grip with his free hand while the other continued petting Shalltear.

"I. Only. Feel. Tired. My. Lord." The Insectoid took a step back to ground himself, as if waking up after a week's long rest. "My. Mental. Resistances. May. Have. Been. Compromised. As. Well." He admitted. "Nothing. A. Warrior's. Rest. Won't. Fix. Though!"

Ainz chuckled darkly at Cocytus' optimism. If that's the worst of it, then he worked the spell better than he expected. It would be far more troublesome if he had seen too far back or accidentally changed something he wasn't meant to.

"Though. There. Is. Something. I. Want. To. Ask. My. Lord."

"Ho-oh? Is it about the God-Kin, Cocytus?"

"...It. Is. As. You. Say." Clicking his mandibles together, he continued. "What. Fate. Awaits. Her. In. Nazarick?"

At the Vermin Lord's question, the other Guardians suddenly perked their heads up, curiosity overtaking them as they stared at Lord Ainz.

The Overlord himself, expecting the question from his subordinate, only held his head up as he answered.

"...The Half-Elf girl shows promise. We already know much of her martial prowess and her talent, but taking out her relation with the Elf King and her questionable allegiance to the Theocracy, we're still left in the dark."

'M'sorry…Please stop…'

Twin pin-prick flames suddenly shone brightly inside the Overlord's eyes, his next move clear in his mind.

"I would like to meet her myself soon enough. After she has had time to heal, I, Pandora and Demiurge will be paying her a visit, I'm sure she'll have a lot to talk about."