Before leaving for battle, Momonga wanted to ensure his subjects were left in good hands, the best possible guides they could afford at the moment. Without the oversight of Nazarick's elite, dealing with the evacuation and other matters would fall on the shoulders of the various race leaders, and that left many opportunities for inefficiencies and chaos. If disputes were to arise, there would be no superiors to mediate, as Nazarick's inhabitants so often did for Tempest's elites.
With the colossal task of rapidly transporting millions of people and countless supplies into the specialized shelters on the designated floors of the Great Tomb, Aureole Omega would have to manage the opening and closure of hundreds, if not thousands of gates at pre-designated areas, with local leaders handling things from there. The Tempestian military also had a small detachment at each future portal location to maintain peace and order, and to work with leaders to smoothen the evacuation.
With Albedo clad in her full-plate armor beside him, he set off to meet the immortal human NPC. The girl was waiting for them in the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, where she usually was.
To her benefit, she wasn't left alone with the near-impossible task. The Pleiades, whose typical routine these days amounted to just training maids, were all present to assist where they could, and so was Shuna, who had become extremely well-versed in the fundamentals of Nazarick magics. Pandora's Actor had also assigned all of them with high tiers of Thought Acceleration while Momonga had broadened their magicule intake from Nazarick to allow for quick and efficient mass casting.
Learning the gate spell wasn't that hard for many, particularly higher-tier monsters, since they all were natural casters, but Shuna stood above the elites by a considerable margin when it came to support magic. In the short time of just a few days, she had managed to master and optimize the spell for every user to utilize, enabling easier and cheaper castings.
And that was just her most notable achievement, as she had worked with Albedo and Kagali in the recent past to greatly enhance the power and efficiency of dozens of other minor spells for Tempest. Despite not being a Nazarick native, she more than deserved to stand beside them.
Momonga had personally introduced his now adopted daughter to Aureole a few days ago, and both had clicked instantly through their shared tastes in clothing and food, with their similar calm personalities only reinforcing the budding friendship. Moreover, because ogre culture was heavily influenced by a Japanese otherworlder, and Aureole as a creation was based on shrine maidens, both found commonalities very quickly and even began bonding over magic.
"I hope everyone is ready. If we fail to stop Hinata during the initial confrontation, time will be of the essence for the follow-up." Momonga addressed the small gaggle of girls.
"We will do our best Lord Momonga, you can count on us." Aureole confidently proclaimed as the whole group bowed in unison.
"I am pleased with your determination and have prepared additional assistance. Please use them at your leisure." Momonga waved his right arm as ten skulls clad in rainbow auras appeared before him.
These high-level caster-type undead, elemental skulls, were the best help he could offer beyond what he had already given. Summoned one by one over the past week, they were not only capable of casting gates alongside their users, which takes tremendous pressure off, but more importantly, they could transfer their magicules as well, acting as handheld batteries for Shuna and the Pleiades battle maids.
Casting hundreds of gates in short succession all over Tempest's territory was a daunting task for anyone who wasn't utilizing Ultimate skill prowess, so they needed all the help they could get. Momonga wanted to supply them with more resources and assistants, but he already had his hands full with bolstering Nazarick's armies as well as his personal power, and he had to be at full strength for the upcoming battle.
"Thank you. You are too kind, Lord Momonga." Aureole bowed once again, her soft voice filled with gratitude and loyalty.
With a magnanimous gesture, Momonga swung his dark robes in the direction of the area guardian. "Think nothing of it," he said. "Now then, shall we?"
The hooded woman quickly threw open a gate for the whole procession to march through, arriving moments later in the main hall of the council building, where dozens of representatives of various species and subspecies awaited them. While the main hall paled in comparison to Momonga's new throne room, it was still one of the grandest technological constructions outside of Nazarick.
Before anyone could begin to react, Albedo barked out an order, "Skip idle pleasantries! There is no time!" spooking everyone present, including Momonga.
Usually, she was one for proper protocol and manners, but it seemed that even the Guardian Overseer's nerves were acting up today. Things had to get done, even if it meant sacrificing her rigid adherence to formalities.
Momonga knew how worried she was for his safety and the possible dangers Hinata posed while wielding the mysterious weapon, one that Yuuki had supposedly created while tapping into powers beyond his control. The Overlord had done his best to alleviate her concerns, but his efforts proved to be fruitless if her eye bags were anything to indicate.
{ Albedo, everything will be fine. We will stick to the plan and retreat if Rubedo fails. } He repeated the sentence for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
{ I will do my best. I am your shield. } Albedo replied resolutely, but her tone still betrayed her.
{ Albedo. This is not a suicide mission. We are coming back from it… All of us. }
He was painfully conscious of the fact that his head consort would sacrifice her life for his sake without a second thought, and that troubled him deeply. Albedo was designed as a tank, and her special armor was built to withstand any kind of hit thrice, breaking only one layer at a time if critical damage was reached. That's how it was in Yggdrasil, but now because of that, she was more than willing to leap in harm's way.
{ My beloved, it is my duty to protect you no matter the cost. }
{ You know that if you perish, I'll have to deal with Shalltear and Shion fighting for the head consort position, and I'm sure you don't want that happening. You promised to guard me from all danger. } Momonga tried to lighten the mood, offering the strongest - albeit flimsy - justification he could.
A low, quiet growl from her showed that he might've missed the mark. { Those two… } She suddenly broke into a smile. { You are right, darling. That bitch with the stupid sword would never compare to the dangers you would be facing from them. }
With Albedo having regained her composure, she addressed the assembled crowd once more, "Let's keep this short and to the point." the Succubus said, then stepped aside to let Momonga take the spotlight and shine.
"Thank you, Albedo." Momonga stepped forward, emanating as regal an air as he could. He had picked up a few tricks from Veldora about controlling auras and he would put them to use.
The various races' representatives took Albedo's outburst surprisingly well, as well as anyone could without soiling themselves at least. According to the Guardian Overseer, that wasn't a rare occurrence whenever she ran the meetings. The newer members often took any criticism as a sign that they were about to be publicly executed with their race being removed from the face of the world. Many maids needed to be on standby to clean up the inevitable release of bodily fluids whenever the aforementioned meetings were held.
Momonga didn't envy Albedo for having to deal with such nonsense, but at the same time, he internally admitted that he would rather die than deal with ass-kissing for hours on end. However in this case, the members were afraid of angering the prime minister, someone who had a rather fearsome reputation for stomping into the ground anyone who dared to question the leaders of Tempest. When you see a representative of a strong race, such as a wolf lycanthrope, getting their bones broken like they were twigs with the flick of a finger, it tends to leave a mark or six.
Thus, Momonga delegated himself to appear before the council once a month for a ceremonial speech, where he would take the worship in one big burst and then conveniently forget it for a while. From what Ranga reported, the other race leaders treated it like the main event of the month every time.
Naturally, this occasion was no different, as the crowd stared at him in awe, even ignoring his seemingly out-of-order appearance. Usually, he arrived first and not last when it came to these meetings. Nonetheless, he was their Supreme Lord, and that meant respect. Taking a cursory glance around, he quickly spotted some new faces among the group, most likely due to smaller tribes, races of monsters, and demihumans gradually joining his nation over time; Tempest was still expanding eastward and was incorporating village after village by the week.
The main hall had been rebuilt over time to accommodate the various sizes of those who used it, from the tiny halflings to the massive orcs, and everything in between. When Tempest announced that it would unite everyone, it meant it, and the nation would ensure every race had its place.
"I will be blunt," Momonga began. "Tempest is facing its largest threat since the nation's inception. That said, my main priority now and always will be the safety and prosperity of my subjects," he paused, letting the point sink in. "Now as we, your leaders, face the church's mad crusade, I entrust you to ensure that every member of your respective races gets to safety in case of fighting a prolonged war. Be prepared to act on my or Albedo's command without hesitation - for every second's delay is a possible life's loss."
After finishing his brief speech, he stepped back and motioned for Aureole to present herself to the gathered council. "This is Aureole Omega, and she will be in charge of the evacuation process. Follow the instructions of her and her team to the best of your ability, as they shall be your immediate superiors regarding the evacuation."
"Y-You can count on us, Lord Momonga." Rigurd, Albedo's main assistant when it came to council matters, responded, lips quivering as he spoke.
If Momonga didn't know any better from past observations, he would've assumed that the massive hobgoblin was afraid; in truth, he was merely feeling emotional at meeting his master, as well as his master's master, sooner than he ever expected. Some of the more experienced council members were also undergoing similar emotional turmoil as he spoke.
'Well then…' Having accomplished everything he set out to do here, his part was done. Aureole would reveal to the representatives the locations of the dedicated shelters and the need-to-know information on how to rapidly guide their citizens to the correct sections. They had dozens of sections and not much time left.
From that point, the final preparations for the siege would commence. The upper, exposed world of the surface would, unfortunately, remain as is for so long as the threat of Hinata existed. However, they could rely on Demiurge's shadow demons, Ranga's Shadow Step direwolves, and Souei's Shadow Squad to ensure that no looters and raiders would rise up. Eurazania and Fulbrosia could also always turn on them, even if it was unlikely.
The human armies would be eliminated, no matter the result of the battle with Hinata, thanks to this world's ludicrous power scaling. Furthermore, the invasion of Falmuth would proceed as planned unless the worst of worst-case scenarios occurred. The humans would pay for their hostile transgressions either way, slain to the very last.
Momonga made his way out, followed by Rubedo as Auroele took over the spotlight, with Shuna opening up a gate for the representatives to enter. He knew they were in good hands, but he was always nervous, always paranoid of things going wrong. Perhaps a survey of the positive results Demiurge achieved would do him some good.
X
The sound of teeth grinding against each other could be heard from a certain tent. Razen was furious. The complex spell designed to locate and track each of his three otherworlders had failed once again. His most expensive assets were reported missing hours ago, lost during the bloody chaos of the crucifixion calamity. Kirara and Kyoya had probably betrayed him, using the other deserters as cover, while Shogo had gone to who-knows-where, likely after that berserk Hinata in his drive for revenge.
He had invested a lot of time, effort, and resources into them. In a few years, he would have stolen Shogo's physically fit form, compounding their Skills with his own and regaining his youth. His current body, taken from a despicable prisoner who had attempted to murder him a few decades back, was rapidly aging. His joints ached as they hadn't in years, and his hair had long since gone gray.
Razen had completed body jumps multiple times, collecting Unique and Extra skills as he did so, something that sustained his status as Falmuth's legendary defender for centuries. Shogo's Berserker would have been his, and Folgen's Spearhead would've complimented Kyoya's Unique skill to enhance the wizard's already impressive might. He would become near-indestructible, both magically and physically, among base evolution humans, perhaps even capable of winning against evolved Enlightened!
But now this plan was threatened, jeopardizing his goals, as it depended on the missing otherworlders. Sure, he could make a request to the royal family to summon a new batch at the turn of the decade, but not every summoning in the past had been successful, nor had they been satisfactory.
After yet another failure to locate them, where his spell fizzled out and his magicules scattered into the air, he finally leaped out from his sleeping bag and paced back and forth, needing to burn off his tension. Shortly after, he marched out of his tent, basking in the sunset as he cleared his mind.
"I will find those brats sooner or later. This whole thing must be because of the damned, vile monsters who have covered this entire forest in the first place." He quietly muttered under his breath.
With Hinata gone after her storming off hours ago, the army's movement had been suspended until a suitable supply line could be established. The camp was facing hourly hit-and-run attacks targeting supplies, healers, and officers, meaning progress was agonizingly slow at best and backtracking at worst. Scouts came back poisoned left and right, if not near death, and healers kept finding themselves overworked.
The strategy the monsters employed was clear for everyone to see, and even the most dimwitted soldier or courier could tell. They wanted to destroy the army's fighting capabilities without entering a battle on equal terms, choosing to wear them down as much as possible. Morale had somehow managed to plummet even further since Hinata left, with Razen's magicians actively working around the clock to restrain defectors, heal the wounded, and reproduce vital supplies despite their limited numbers.
As he contemplated his options, pacing circles around his tent and fuming at the current situation, the camp descended into cacophony once again. The horrendous cries of the wounded and the characteristic shrills of metal on metal filled the air, interrupting his thoughts.
Messengers and healers rushed to the area past Razen as he stood there, irritated at the audacity of those who attacked them. He moved to speak, to reassure those around him that everything was under control, when a voice cut him off.
"There goes another one of those suicide attacks." It was one of the nearby soldiers who spoke up, wariness in his tone, as his comrades stared in the same direction.
"Sir Razen, the monsters may attempt to target you as well, thus we request you to return to your tent."
The other soldiers quickly nodded, knowing their necks would be on the line if the great mage of Falmuth perished under their watch. Razen, however, had other ideas.
"I am counting on it, boy. They would be foolish not to target me due to my contributions. But to do so would end up working against them. Did you forget my prowess?"
There was no doubt in anyone's mind that a strong Majin or monster would eventually be sent to get rid of him, whether through kidnapping or murder. He offered too much in support of the army, and was one of the linchpins holding the legions together with his reputation and magics.
As a cautious man, Razen knew of his importance and could imagine how Tempest would approach him. He had ensured there were no rumors or publicly available information reflecting his current abilities, and his nuclear magic was only known to him, his best friend, and his king. No monster would be able to survive his barrage of that type of magic, which could tear apart hazard-class beings and assailants with ease.
If lady luck smiled upon him, he should be able to capture at least one of his would-be executors and gain valuable information that way. He was the bait, hook, and string all in one, hence why his tent was unusually off-centered compared to the other commanders' choice of residences. They were badly losing the information war, and if Hinata's ramblings of monsters located in everyone's shadows were anything to note, they were being decimated beyond belief.
The main problem was figuring out when and where the ideal attack would occur on him. None of the Ten Saints chose to remain by his side, preferring to delve into keeping the camp's order and reinforcing the perimeter when needed. This meant that he wasn't the only prime target for the monsters to focus on. As the pinnacles of humanity in the western hemisphere, they could stand against the Demon Lord Council, the antithesis of humans, and win. They were the largest well-known threat to Tempest, both due to their prowess as well as their outnumbering of the nation's leadership.
Additionally, if the monsters did decide to attack him, he wanted to ensure minimal collateral damage to the surrounding areas since nuclear magic was very dangerous for anyone unaccustomed to it. But this was less important; the loss of a few dozen lives for crucial intelligence was more than worth the trade-off.
Mere hours later, as the stars were blotted out by the smoke of campfires, he entered his passive surveillance state. He was sitting, cross-legged in deep meditation. Sleeping was out of the question ever since their greatest defensive asset, Hinata, had abandoned the encampment. He had to remain aware while regaining his mental faculties at the same time. There wasn't a need to rely on inefficient practices such as sleep to restore his energy in the first place. Meditation had been utilized for millennia by those interested in alternatives, and it was more suitable for his surveillance demands after he had perfected the art many centuries ago.
And only mere minutes later did his prediction come to fruition.
A creature with a heavy demonic presence entered his tent without a sound, its magicule rating on par with demons he had slain in the past, albeit on the higher end.
Razen slowly opened his eyes, nuclear magic primed to explode through his yoni mudra-shaped hands, a type of meditative pose he had picked up from a past otherworlder, as he glimpsed at the intruder's chest.
Before him stood a demon, dressed in a red-striped formal suit and tie as its spiked tail lazily swung back and forth. This was no mere greater demon, this was an archdemon of at least Special A rank, awaiting his response with seemingly no hostile intentions.
"You must be the demon called Demiurge," he spoke calmly, engaging in conversation to gather intelligence. 'Let's see what he's capable of.'
"Indeed. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir Razen. I must say, your reputation precedes you, even in demihuman lands." Demiurge replied, lightly bowing with a smirk.
It was time to make a move. Razen was S-rank, more than capable of destroying this archdemon if push came to shove. "I have protected humanity for a long time against the likes of you. What do you want?"
The demon's expression remained unchanged, but his crystalline eyes glowed with malicious delight, a tail rapidly swishing behind. "Arrogance is often the downfall of capable men. Your pets told me a lot about you, your abilities, and your personality. I must admit, the cruelty you inflict upon your kind intrigues me. It's rare to find an individual like you outside of Tempest."
"Is there any point to your rambling? You're alone, and I have dealt with archdemons before, and I can do so again if you wish." Razen spat back, empowering his magic further.
'Why is the demon stalling? Does he know I'll strike him the moment he attempts to make a move? There's something off. I can't pinpoint it. No matter, I have him.'
The demon, emanating smugness, chuckled in response.
"I will have to disappoint you, for I do not belong to the lesser classes you have defeated in the past. But let us not drag things out. However, before we proceed, I believe it would only be fair for me to offer you a chance to willingly join the ranks of Tempest and serve its Lords."
'Oh, of course, the demon would spin a tale about its nature and produce an offer to switch sides. But… what if it's true? This whole encounter feels too abnormal for my liking,' His usually reliable instincts were screaming at him to retreat and gather more information. Perhaps accepting wouldn't be a bad idea. 'But my loyalty and oaths to Falmuth shall not be torn that easily!'
"A tempting offer, but first, prove yourself!" Razen glared into the demon's crystalline eyes and activated his magic, blasting a white beam straight through Demiurge's torso.
The demon instantly disintegrated into ash, its glasses falling to the ground.
"So much for that. Honestly, I expected more." He shook his hands, replenishing his magicules.
"As did I."
Demiurge had materialized behind him, leading Razen to leap in surprise as he channeled his detection-type abilities. But there were no illusions, no bending of light, meaning the archdemon had survived.
"You will have to endeavor a lot harder, Razen! Such a pitiful attempt at magic will never harm me," The laughing demon retorted. "Try again, and give it your all this time," ending with a mocking taunt as his horrifying grin grew.
Razen scowled, empowering his magic to his absolute limit as he created dozens of magical circles around him. There was no other choice besides disintegrating the demon again, given that nuclear magic was his strongest ability. From what the wizard could guess, the demon had a unique ability to instantly split his body, or to teleport, as unlikely as that was, and that's why he couldn't sense any deceptive magic. If it was the former, each hit would gradually weaken the demon as a whole, and if the latter was the case instead, he had summoned dozens of circles for a mass area of effect- to use an otherworlder term - type attack to increase his chances of landing a successful hit.
The beam once again impacted Demiurge, but this time ricocheted off the demon and tore through his other magic circles, burning away his tent in an instant. It was like he had become an insanely durable mirror, reflecting any attack thrown his way as Razen launched more beams.
He unleashed a final flash of continuous attacks on the demon and was nearly blinded by their overwhelming luminosity. As his vision slowly rekindled itself, so too did the shadows around him burn away, and he gasped at the sight he found himself looking at.
The landscape had changed entirely, with no soldier in sight. The forested field had become a blazing wasteland, his attendants replaced with flame and magma.
'W-what!? How? Did they destroy the whole army…? No! He moved me elsewhere! But such a feat without me even noticing… How irrational of me!'
He had to think quickly to salvage the situation, "I-I see that you were not bluffing. I admit that I've been bested and would like to negotiate your previous offer," said the old man, inclining his head.
"I am afraid that the proposal expired with your surprise attack. The basics of negotiation begin when you still have your cards in your hand, and frankly, you offer very little." Demiurge uttered, overly polite as his smirk grew once more.
Razen glared at the demon, "Then I won't go down without a fight!" he declared as he prepared to summon his most powerful elementals. They were the strongest spirits against demons, and his mastery of the art allowed him to summon in a matter of moments what would take other wizards entire weeks.
Said demon lazily leaned back, using its tail as a chair as it twirled a miniature magic circle between its fingers. "Feel free to do so, if you can break out of this place, that is."
'This place!?' "What do you mean?!"
"I placed you within this realm three hours ago, created by one of my Skills. I assure you, only those that possess Ultimate skills would ever be able to break out," Demiurge responded. "And this is your final test."
'Ultimate skills? Those must be … oh no … if power exists even beyond Unique skills, it is no wonder I wasn't able to detect anything! What a fool I've been…"
His resolve cracked at the realization of how deep he was in shit, and the depths of power that Tempest's forces had. His magic circles sputtered out, being lost in shock.
Someone had walked up to him. It seemed that his captor was no longer sitting. "Indeed. Humans are weak. But don't worry. You and everyone else with any semblance of power have the wonderful opportunity to be my test subjects and become something more. You, in fact, were the last noteworthy individual from the invading army we picked up before Lord Momonga harvests the rest personally." The monstrous demon sounded more gleeful by the moment, with his tail happily swinging back and forth.
"Harvest?" Razen had to do a double-take. The demon spoke as if the hundreds-of-thousands-strong army were a field of wheat. Even he would have difficulties going all-out against an army of just a few thousand, and the demon became ever more delighted as it continued, reading the old wizard's thoughts like an open book.
"Their bodies and souls will be put to good use for Tempest, and the world will finally see the true power of the ones who stand above all! For now, however, your 're-education' begins! By the end, you will serve, just like the rest."
With those words, Demiurge disappeared and Razen was left alone in the hellscape he had been brought to. There was no food besides the rations he had stuffed in his pockets, no fluid besides the rivers of magma flowing nearby, and no shelter besides the massive fissures within the land.
Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, he wasn't about to obediently kneel and perish to a demon of all adversaries. He would try to find his way out of this illusionary realm; it was human nature to go against the impossible and succeed where others couldn't.
And thus his endless journey through the barren lands began. There were no real landmarks, no resources, only massive amounts of heat and magicules. It wasn't like he could teleport out, nor did his summonings or other magics work. He only had his body and his equipment, both of which wore down over time.
He lost track of time as he endured the harsh environment. Sleep was impossible, and meditation offered no relief. His body grew ever-weaker and his mind grew duller. Razen felt his sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch fading away from starvation and dehydration. He was barely alive, but he refused to give up. He had a dream to fulfill, one that he had worked on for centuries of his life. Clinging on to this last shred of hope was the only thing he could do.
Then the people appeared. People whom he had led to their deaths in the past, people he had abused with his great status, powerful otherworlders he had summoned and enslaved, innocent mages he had trampled over in his early days, anyone he had oppressed or exploited. They all showed up as he meditated, taunting him for finally getting the karmic retribution he deserved.
Ironically, they became the sole reason for his staying sane, knowing they were the ghosts of his past coming back to haunt him as his prided mind degraded. They fed on him as he fed on them, somehow managing to stave off the sensations of starvation and dehydration.
How long had it been? He couldn't tell. He vaguely remembered being cast into this realm by a demon and only hoped that it would perish soon so that this relentless monotony would finally end.
Editing by aidan_lo
Proofreading by Zprotu, aidan_lo, Sluethen, FantasyTroll, Malguis, Cakeeight, and Clagan.