His mind was quiet as he hovered above the former elven kingdom. Ainz's gaze lingered on the Astralroot Scepter which had been implanted right in the middle of the invisible barrier Azazel had constructed. It had taken a moment to recognize the item as it wasn't anything powerful or useful.
The only reason he remembered it was because it was a unique item that was given to the player during a quest. A dungeon opener, which supposedly led to a World Enemy. Of course, Ainz Ooal Gown had never encountered a World Enemy during that questline, so most had just finished the quest and had the Astralroot Scepter destroyed at the end.
He was rather surprised to see it again, now out of all times and places. Ainz wondered what significance this scepter had for the ward Azazel created. Was this part of his background? Did Hermorah give him the scepter as part of his role-play? His friend certainly never mentioned something like that.
His gaze wandered to the fortress, which Azazel had created. This fortress was strange as well. It looked similar to the one created through the spell [Create Fortress]. However, it felt distinctly more powerful even if his analysis and observation spells conveyed that it was just a normal fortress.
Of course, this wasn't the only thing strange about Azazel's actions and apparent access to knowledge and items. His attention turned to the ward that covered the rift toward Yggdrasil. The ward wasn't visible to the naked eye and could only be seen if Ainz used [Spatial Analysis], a 10th-level spell usually used to identify teleportation traps or locks.
There was a faint bluish shimmer covering the rift toward the World Tree. All of this was too strange for him to ignore. It was like he couldn't see the depth of Azazel anymore, especially if he considered his behavior. If he considered his background, his personality could be explained, but what was it with his knowledge and usage of spells and items?
Was it truly possible that the lore had such a great effect? Ainz shook his head, trying not to think about it any longer. There was something of even greater importance that he needed to consider. Yggdrasil...
Ainz wondered what would happen if he returned to the World Tree's worlds. Would he wake up in his body again or would it remain a reality separate from his human life? Should he return? ...Could he find his friends there?
These were all questions that weighed heavily on his mind. He was reluctant to think about these things as the consequences could be too severe for him to accept. Fortunately or unfortunately, there was only one person who could answer this question for him. The angel that had been acting too strange ever since he became real.
"Ainz-sama, do you want a status update from his highness? I will retrieve it immediate-" Demiurge began before Ainz raised his hand to silence him.
"That won't be necessary." Ainz decided. "Let's return to Nazarick." Against the Floor Guardians' wishes, he had exited the safety of his tomb and observed the spectacle from the moment Azazel set up the ward. They wanted him to watch from the throne through a Mirror of Remote Viewing, but most clairvoyant items were easily blocked by some anti-divination setup.
He also heavily doubted that he would be able to infer anything from the most powerful entity of the game Yggdrasil, the World Tree itself. He didn't want to find out what kind of backlash it would cause if he decided to spy on it. He needed to see the situation with his own two eyes. In the end, he had worried for nothing. The situation was under control.
Azazel kept his word and managed to stop any invading forces before they were able to enter. If his prediction were true, they would have several months until his ward broke, and they would have to go against the mightiest of raid bosses. The pressure was heavy, but for now, he would retreat.
Although he had many questions for Azazel, he could only trust him for now. A moment later he walked through the teleportation gate and disappeared into the depths of the tomb again. The floor guardians had returned and vigilantly overlooked their territory with the only exception being the twins, though they would retreat at a moment's notice.
If the need arose to retreat to the tomb immediately, they were tasked with using the elves as disposables. They were also both given World Items, so theoretically nothing was capable of hindering their retreat. His mind ran through the situation, wondering if he had missed anything.
Their current circumstances weren't perfect. Even he had noticed some flaws in his approach and their current setup. What he should have done, was hide away in the tomb and close any connection to the surface. However, that would leave Azazel out in the open, alone. Albedo and his crew had been adamant about joining him outside, they hadn't as much as asked for his permission. They had told him they would protect him if there was any trouble regardless of any of his orders.
He wouldn't have stopped them of course, not that he would be able to. Similar sentiments were coming from the Pleiades and maids, though their determination wasn't as radical as the others. They weren't allowed to exit the tomb for now as they would be needed inside. Besides, only the Pleiades would have been capable of helping, but the Homunculus would be a burden instead.
Shalltear and Tatsumaki were ordered to stay in the tomb as well. Albedo had tasked them to remain, so they could keep Azazel's retreat safe. This fact was a bitter pill to swallow, but they had agreed in the end. Just after he sat on the throne, a call connected with him.
"Lord Ainz," Azazel called out solemnly.
"Azazel… Everything alright?" He directly asked as he leaned back on the throne and closed his eyes to block out the intense stares from the NPCs.
"The array is set and Yggdrasil's forces won't be able to attack us for now. The array is also protected by a barrier, so nothing should be able to mess with it as long as I'm here. Until then we should keep any physical interaction to the minimum. Although I'm able to bring someone in from the other side of the barrier without opening it, I want to keep the interaction only with my most trusted personnel."
Ainz thought about it for a moment before nodding only to realize that the angel couldn't see his action. "Umu. I assume Fubuki will handle the arrangements?"
"Yes, Lord Ainz." The angel acknowledged, which calmed him a bit. Fubuki was Azazel's assistant, so she ought to be the one to handle something like this, also he was still calling him with honorifics even though they somehow sounded different than those the other NPCs used. Usually, he wouldn't have picked up on it, but now he did.
Azazel spoke up again. "Ainz," It almost felt like a whisper even if they were magically speaking with each other. "I have a plan. You just have to trust me." He reassured and implored, making Ainz halt for a moment before sighing.
"Azazel, what are you planning?" He couldn't be kept in the dark. Although he wanted to give the smartest people of Nazarick reign, there was a lot more to a raid than smarts. They didn't have the experience and for all their intelligence he feared that they made some fatal error without his input.
"We shouldn't discuss this over this connection. It would be best to talk in person-"
"Then we will do that. In two days, Demiurge and I will enter the barrier protecting your array." He decided. It was best to have all the information as soon as possible. Azazel mentioned that two days would be enough to discern the situation of his ward in the beginning, so they should meet and have their exchange.
As for why he wanted to take Demiurge to be with him? There was no way the others would agree to let him out without protection and even though he trusted that Azazel wanted to defeat or escape from Yggdrasil's grasp, he couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't be at the cost of taking over.
Hermorah might have been his savior in his eyes, but it was clear that Azazel didn't want to die just yet. If he wasn't confident that Ainz was capable of keeping him safe, why wouldn't he want to take the resources he needed as he saw fit?
Perhaps he was too paranoid of someone who had been nothing but supportive and loyal. However, despite everything, despite every positive exchange he had with the angel, something was lingering in the back of his mind that there was something wrong.
Even Albedo, the Royal Maids, and the two telepathic sisters, who were all clearly putting the prince as their top priority didn't give him the same odd feeling.
"Will the others-" Azazel began before stopping himself. "No, I'm sure you can convince them. I will tell Fubuki to arrange everything. See you in two days, lord Ainz."
"See you soon," Ainz responded before cutting the connection. The throne room was quiet and even Demiurge, who stood at attention on the side didn't make a noise. It felt like he was alone with his thoughts as he went through everything, pondering over his next steps.
He needed to prepare and he had to do it regardless of what the NPCs thought about him. He needed to take action, there was no denying it any longer. He would also need to prepare that a rebellion will form amid Nazarick.
…
Enri looked into the sky with a terror-stricken expression on her face. She could feel it. The Wrongness. The sight of this otherworldly tree wasn't something that she should see. The tear in the sky revealed a terror behind their normal blue sky, the colorful lights coming from the tree splashed against whatever veil that beam had created as it shot against the rift, the dots that under closer inspection revealed themselves to be a myriad of races, everything was so far off to what she imagined the world to be.
The sheer sight didn't compute in her mind. Such a large tree that towered above anything she knew, and the individual dots made up an uncountable amount of people. Even though she wasn't able to sense the threat level of beings with certain strengths, she instinctively knew that this tree wasn't something that could be opposed. It felt like she looked upon a constant, a natural existence that stood beyond the reach of space and time. An existence that would remain the same even after thousands of years.
However, despite her ignorance and her daily existence as a farmer girl, she knew what this beautiful tree symbolized. Deep in her gut, she understood that their world was under attack by an entity coming from beyond the rift. Something was trying to invade their world. Her mind flashed with memories that she had hoped she had forgotten.
The soldiers of a different country invaded and attacked their village, slaughtering her people without a second thought. With this gruesome memory, she remembered the hope and relief their savior had brought as he saved her and her sister from certain death. As her mind calmed with the memory of her love, she couldn't help but attribute the light shining into the sky, blocking the invading force with the angel.
Her hand grabbed the choker that symbolized her status and immediately calmed down enough to close her eyes and pray, reassured that her god would save them again from whoever their enemy was. Several moments later she glanced around the village, wanting to calm the others, but found them to be silent.
The villagers, her neighbors, and friends knelt in prayer. Although she wasn't one to force her opinions on others, she relished in the fact of their firm faith. She had openly promoted it with the priestess, Neia Baraja's help, and with their history it wasn't difficult to let them see the light. Her people weren't praying to the tree but to her- their god, praying for protection in the trying times that were upon them.
Even though the situation was dire, with her community revealing such a sight she could only smile happily. Her gaze turned to Neia, who was similarly happy to see such a deep faith that could prevent panic from rising even when seeing such an apocalyptic sight.
"I have to return to Kalinsha, make sure they are okay, and guide them if necessary," Neia spoke solemnly and Enri wasn't going to stop the other woman, so she just nodded. The female paladin immediately set off with the two paladin bodyguards and headed toward the cave.
With the help of Lady Fubuki, Azazel's wife, they were able to establish a stable spatial tunnel that connected their village with the savage lands of the Abellion Hills. The Holy Kingdom had established a camp around said cave and kept a safe route towards the wall that protected them from the beastmen.
With this connection, Enri was able to communicate with Neia, a prominent priestess and paladin, who was preaching about his grace, Lord Azazel. Although they hadn't exchanged much during their first interaction, they were able to connect deeply during their first godly session. They intimately connected well and had kept in touch through the cave.
Enri's eyes turned toward the goblins before signaling them with her eyes to follow and protect her until she safely reached their destination. A squad directly turned her command into action and set off with Neia.
With Neia on her way back, she sent a prayer for her and their entire world. 'May Lord Azazel bless you.' She then went to her bed to start a long 'praying' session.
…
The Platinum Dragon Lord's heart sank as he saw the sky rip open, revealing something that had been previously just an irrational fear come true. No, it was so much worse than whatever he had imagined. An entrance was made to the place where the Players existed. Just a casual glance at the invading force sent shivers down his scaly spine.
"Are all those players?" He muttered in pure shock. Dots that numbered in the millions covered the sky. If each of those creatures heading to his world was truly a player then there was nothing which could stop them. Each of them was a catastrophe in their own right, but together led by… this- gigantic tree that defied everything he had thought he had known.
Dread pooled in his gut as he was stunned into silence, not knowing what to do to stop this invasion. Was there anything he Could do? As his mind spiraled down as despair spread, he saw the beam shooting into the sky. A divine pillar seemingly intending to hold up the sky for the world.
He watched with bated breath as the beam slammed into the rift and spread into a shield of sorts, barring the otherworlders from entry. He gulped nervously as the light coming from the tree headed toward the shield only to splash harmlessly against it. His sight turned to where the beam originated from and quickly discerned that it came from the elven kingdom.
"Did they know of its arrival?" His voice echoed in the empty hall with no one answering his question. There were many questions that needed to be answered and he needed more information to prepare. Honestly, the only thing that was truly on his mind was to ally himself with the one who created this shield. The creators seemed to be the only thing capable of stopping the invasion.
His mind connected to the armor in the corner and directly moved it toward the Elven Kingdom. Of course, he wouldn't travel there with his physical body. The elven country must have prepared for this for hundreds of years with no one being the wiser.
Such magic could only be realized with the resources that were gathered over hundreds of years. They must have gathered the resources with no one even noticing it. Not to mention that the magic used to block the other side wasn't something one could just look up in a book and apply it.
It needed to be thoroughly used to work this flawlessly. A magical savant would need decades to be able to use it and to create it would require generational effort. Even the Players from the other world for all their might don't have such extensive knowledge to create or even use such magic.
Even he himself wasn't confident in understanding something like this in a short period of time. As he gazed upon the veil protecting this world, he guessed that the elves must have hidden more aces up their sleeves. So despite his intent to ally himself with them, he wouldn't enter their territory with his real body unless he wanted to be put in an unfavorable position.
Tsaindorcus Vaision was many things but foolish wasn't one of them. He also wasn't naive to trust the other party to welcome him without strings attached. Hopefully, they would keep an open mind, considering that they used their magic to stop the invasion, they ought to understand what was at stake, so surely they wouldn't outright reject his help, right?
…
The revelation of the tree caused the world to hold its breath, seemingly instinctively realizing what the appearance of the tree signified. Fortunately, a magical beam shooting into the sky seemed to ease their tension. Just like many could feel their imminent doom, they also realized that something was protecting them.
Most turned their gazes toward the Elven Kingdom, wondering if that long-lived race was able to shoulder the weight of the invading force. Many hoped and prayed for them to close the rift and have the world return to what it was before, but when the rift remained many subconsciously knew that they weren't safe just yet.
The reaction was manifold. Many scholars dived into research of what they were seeing. The courageous veterans armed themselves, prepared for a battle that might decide the fate of their world. The nations send emissaries to the Elven Kingdom, wanting to find out more. Even those who were hostile to the nation previously sent people with gifts to inquire more about the situation.
Many rumors sprang up and it didn't take long until one became the most prominent. The magical beam was reminiscent of the reveal of the true angel walking among them not long ago. This theory was quickly proven right when the emissaries and ambassadors of different nations spoke of their experience after arriving at the beam's origin.
A dome of impenetrable and invisible barrier with a magnificent fortress in the middle of it. Although they weren't able to get close or divine inside the barrier, they occasionally were able to get a look at who resided inside of it. An angel. Even at a distance, they were entranced by the figure, like it held the truth of their life.
Many prayed and some were terrified out of their minds, babbling about piercing eyes that judged them and countless ginormous wings surrounding these eyes in a circle as if it was a sun made out of wings.
This news quickly spread across the world and even distant countries got to know of this through divination and the occasional traveller. Many started pilgrims, but most calmed down after a while, only able to wait with bated breaths for what was coming next. The peasants looked to royalty or churches for guidance, waiting for them to announce what this tree represented. How would this influence their everyday life?
Unfortunately, the churches and governments of most nations couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer, which inevitably gave space for a new religion to take root in these uncertain times. A religion that claimed to have the answers.
Of course, many sects and ambitious people were trying to do the same, but only this one had the backing of the very angel who was said to have created that protecting veil. Most flocked to it and prayed for the angel to keep holding up the sky.
Despite the grievance of those who were seeing their people and followers turn to another organization, they couldn't completely stop it as they didn't have a better alternative, though they did their best to suppress it or misdirect the information to keep their followers' loyalty.
The entire situation was a mess for those in power, the risk of offending the savior of the world and the uncertainty of it all gave the leaders countless sleepless nights. However, for all the trouble the mortal races had gained, they still could somewhat relax when the invading forces were stopped.
Someone was shielding them from the trouble after all, it gave them time to process things and prepare for a possible war. Of course, they wouldn't keep the situation as it was. They wanted control and information about the situation. The communication between countries increased and the entire world started to appear more united than ever. Old grudges were suspended and hate across races was ignored for now. For a moment, it looked like the entire world had a chance at peace. At least for the mortal races.
Then there were those that had hidden themselves from the public eye. Those beings of immense power, those that lived for several centuries gazed toward the rift and the Elven Kingdom as well. However, they did this for another reason. The moment the invading force was stopped their unease didn't stop.
It persisted and even intensified. It didn't take them long until they realized it wasn't just because the invasion was ongoing. There was something more to the magic that protected the world. With their extensive knowledge, they tried to analyze what caused their inner unrest, but from a distance, this research was doomed to fail, so they decided to close in.
The accumulation of the darkness and the light of the world started to converge in an ancient forest, while the surrounding nations remained unaware of these groups' arrival.
…
Two days had passed and Ainz stood in front of the barrier, which separated the outside world from the only thing that kept Yggdrasil's invading forces at bay. Azazel and Albedo appeared in front of them just inside the barrier. With a wave of Azazel's hand, two angels were summoned.
For a moment, he wasn't sure what he was doing before a magical sigil appeared beneath their feet. Two below the angels and two below Ainz and Demiurge. In the next moment, their point of view appeared a couple of steps ahead. Ainz glanced over his shoulder and saw the angels having been swapped with their positions.
The activation and looks of the spell were similar to the [Teleportation Swap], a Super tier spell that even ignored barriers and spatial locks. Azazel's activation of the spell suggested that he used some item to cut down the casting time, but Ainz hadn't noticed anything.
"Let's go into the fortress," Azazel said before opening a gate through which they arrived in front of two couches and a table. "Please, have a seat." Azazel sat down and pointed at the couch in front of him. Demiurge was about to say something but was cut off with Ainz' raised hand.
Perhaps if he hadn't doubts about Azazel, he would have completely missed the implications of these actions, but now they stood out to him. In a different mindset, he would have even appreciated the gesture. After all, to be seen as an equal was rather refreshing these days. Ainz sat down, while Demiurge settled down behind him as Albedo settled behind Azazel.
They should have settled next to them and not take sides like this. Even though Demiurge had voiced some questions when Ainz told him to prepare for a possible battle, it wasn't until this moment that the devil realized who he might be battling.
The tension in the atmosphere was thick and felt suffocating, but Ainz did not attempt to lighten the mood. He didn't feel like dancing around the subject, so the moment he sat down, his gaze intensified as he looked at the Prince of Nazarick.
"Let's get this out of the way. Are you planning to take over Nazarick?"