The atmosphere was tense and Demiurge could understand why, after all, they were up against the mightiest of enemies they could possibly have. He wasn't too sure about the details, but from what he could deduce through Ainz's hints was that the World Tree's target was their prince, Azazel.
Demiurge knew that the prince was different from the rest of them, but despite prodding Tatsumaki, she hadn't revealed anything about the time Ainz had visited Azazel. He wasn't going to snoop into what had been said and how it linked to Yggdrasil. Ainz had deliberately revealed some clues but not everything, so it was clear that he wasn't meant to know everything.
Though more importantly, the prince had been able to stop the World Tree, but for how long was anyone's guess. Although the estimation was at a few months, there was no saying how long it took for Yggdrasil to find a way.
At least, he wasn't one to underestimate the tree that made up the reality of several worlds. Due to the circumstances, Demiurge had been busier than he had ever been. Though his heart was filled with worry and anxiety for what was to come, he was immensely fulfilled that he was contributing to Nazarick's most important battle.
Ainz-sama had told him to prepare for a battle, so it appeared like some of Yggdrasil's minions or influence had passed the array Azazel-sama had created, or perhaps Ainz-sama and his Highness were able to predict the World Tree's next moves-
"Let's get this out of the way. Are you planning to take over Nazarick?"
His master spoke and instantly all Demiurge's thoughts came to a standstill. The arch-devil couldn't help but hold his breath. Did he mishear Ainz-sama? It sounded like he was accusing his Highness, Azazel, of a coup.
The idea was so ridiculous that it literally couldn't be processed by Demiurge's mind. It wasn't surprising as he felt helpless against the prince's intellect and if someone like that entertained the idea of a coup, Demiurge wouldn't be able to see it before it was too late.
The room was silent and Demiurge could feel tension in the air increasing severalfold. If it had been tense before, it was now on the brink of snapping.
After the moment of shock passed, his thoughts brought up the last two days of Ainz-sama's efforts and preparation. How could he have missed it? The battle Ainz spoke of was against Azazel-sama! Although the idea was still unable to take root in his mind, his gaze snapped toward the prince, whose eyes were glowering a darkness that Demiurge knew the angel usually had hidden deeply.
The devil's grip on the World Item, Hygieia's Chalice, tightened. Was this truly it? Was it truly coming down to a fight? There was no way, he would be able to resist the angel. He had witnessed the might of the prince and even had a mock fight against him. These few glimpses had been more than enough to reveal how helplessly outclassed he was.
How could he possibly fight against his Highness- No, he wasn't here to fight the prince. His eyes shot toward Albedo, the Overseer of the Guardians but more importantly, the wife of Azazel. If someone was loyal even through a rebellion, it would be her and the other followers of Nazarick's royalty.
Albedo returned his gaze and there was a coldness in them that he hadn't experienced before from the woman. There was no hostility, but it was clear that she wasn't going to hesitate to kill him. She was also holding Ginnungagap, revealing that they were going all out.
Was this real? The Great Tomb of Nazarick was in front of its greatest crisis and the prince wanted to use it to overthrow Ainz-sama? This couldn't happen- This didn't make any sense. He knew of Azazel-sama's loyalty! He too had been worried about Ainz-sama's abandonment... or was he anticipating it?!
Without saying anything Azazel-sama stood up with a dark expression. The prince was irritated that much was clear. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Azazel-sama, the prince of Nazarick, the angel whose every move was elegant and charismatic to the extreme, spoke out with a snarl. His words usually with calculated precision now spat out into the silent room.
It took everyone in the room by surprise, so much that they didn't even react when he walked past the table to stand in arm's reach in front of Ainz-sama. "Stay back!" Just as Demiurge finally reacted, activating the world item to heal Ainz-sama of all damage, Azazel-sama had already slapped across Ainz-sama's head.
The World Item churned with energy as the activation was waiting for Demiurge to target someone. However, the activation didn't come.
…
Ainz-sama's jaw opened slightly, only letting out a tone of bafflement, "Eh?"
"Don't 'eh' me! What do you mean, 'Do you want to take over Nazarick'? How the hell did you get to that conclusion?!"
'Azazel was angry,' Ainz thought the obvious. Even though he should be thinking about talking his way out of it, it was clear that Azazel wasn't finished. Besides, for some reason, Ainz felt like a child being caught with his hand inside the cookie jar like he was going to be chewed out by their parents. In an instant, he was once again a junior at his company again after having messed up.
"No, I mean seriously. How? I already told you how Hermorah had saved me and that I was glad to be in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Did you think I would turn around and spit on his good intentions by taking over Nazarick? The fuck kind of thought process did you lead to that conclusion?" Azazel scolded with a fierce expression on his face and Ainz honestly didn't know how to respond.
He felt guilty and buckled under the prince's stern gaze, "Nope, don't look at them. Look at me." The prince knelt in front of him, so their eyes were at the same level. "No, stop. Don't look at Demiurge. Focus. This isn't a theoretical question and you aren't going to talk yourself out of it. Why did you think I would want to take over Nazarick?"
Ainz froze and just sat there for a moment before coughing as a way to release the anxiety bubbling inside him, "Well, with Yggdrasil being so close I thought that you were getting more desperate. With the possibility that my orders would slow down your plans, I thought you would try to remove me from the equation, so things would run smoother under your rule." Ainz admitted and tried his best to ignore the sounds of bewilderment coming from the demoness and devil, though for some reason it was followed with a chuckle.
"Stupid," Azazel pronounced the word, which seemed to pierce all the way to Ainz's core. All the fear of being found out, all the anxiety that was in the background with every complex question thrown his way bubbled up and burst, bringing it to the forefront. However, he wasn't sure why, despite being unpleasant, he was strangely looking forward to it.
"Why would I be so stupid and do such a thing? If it come to light, I would have a civil war on my ass and if it didn't, it would at least demoralize our troops. Besides you have shown full support for my plans to the point where you just handed over the Caloric Stones from our treasury. You said you would stay by my side, not wanting to leave behind family…"
Azazel sighed as he stood up again and at this point, Ainz couldn't keep it any longer, "That was why… If you truly had the throne in mind, I would have relinquished it for you to do as you please." Ainz admitted to which Azazel raised his hand and flicked his finger against his forehead. Although it shouldn't have caused any damage, Ainz's forehead throbbed slightly from the flick.
"Did you memorize that sentence?" Azazel sighed as he scratched his head, while Ainz remained quiet, not wanting to affirm his question. The prince continued, "What I want is a peaceful life. Honestly, I have no desire for the throne and all I want is to tie my women to my bed and give them the fucking they deserve."
Ainz ignored the 'Awww, what a romantic~' coming from Albedo because this didn't sound romantic at all!
"Seriously, you are too paranoid for your own good and you need to check your imposter syndrome. A great ruler doesn't need to be the best to rule, they only need to know who to turn to when needed. Besides among the other Supreme Beings, you weren't the smartest or the most skilled, were you?"
Ainz's eyes would have widened at his words if he didn't have glowing orbs as eyes instead. He shook his head. No, he wasn't the best by any means in the guild yet he was made the guildmaster. He himself had never understood it and the only answer he had gotten from one of his mates was that he was the best fit for that position. Everyone could turn to him and he would have an open ear.
He still didn't think that was the best reason to place someone as their leader, but getting down to it, he didn't have more authority when they decided to plan since they usually decided through votes. Regardless, he always tried his best to find a middle ground, so most people would be heard and satisfied.
"Seriously, you are too hard on yourself and too scared to disappoint. So, what if you aren't the smartest in the tomb? You are still the ruler of Nazarick, pick up your chin and walk proudly to know that we will support you regardless of your competence."
"I-" Ainz stopped, not knowing what to say and he allowed himself to glance over to Albedo, who had an amused smile on her face, and Demiurge who similarly smiled while pushing up his glasses as if he had unraveled a great mystery.
Azazel leaned in and whispered, "I swear, I will always have your back, Suzuki Satoru." The name Azazel uttered was like a lightning bolt illuminating the dark. It shook him to the very core and he wasn't sure how to process it.
"What? How?" He whispered back completely stunned by the revelation, though only got a sly smile in return as the prince took his seat again. Ainz just looked at the other, not knowing what to think or believe. How did he know that name?
Did he pick it up from his conversation with his friends? Although that was the most likely case, his nonexistent gut told him this wasn't it. Azazel knew it from somewhere else.
Ainz wanted to ask more questions, but as the silence rang for a moment, he calmed down enough to glance at the floor guardians again as Demiurge began to laugh, while Albedo chuckled delightfully.
"Demiurge," Azazel called out with a smirk. "Why don't you share with the class to what conclusion you've come to." The devil pushed up his glasses, causing them to glint in the magical light.
"Of course, and before I start, I have to say that your intellects astound me. I wouldn't have realized it if I had been in Azazel's position. Certainly, after I understood what the real situation was, it was heartwarming and simultaneously hilarious, especially with how Azazel leaned into your play."
What?
Demiurge coughed as he readied himself for whatever explanation he had in mind.
"Ainz was just joking. It should have been obvious since everyone knew how dedicated Azazel-sama was, but I only realized it when Ainz-sama revealed why Azazel would want to start a coup. I mean, Azazel getting desperate, Ainz-sama's orders slowing down Azazel-sama's efforts to combat Yggdrasil, implying that Ainz-sama would be liable to such blunders, are all such ridiculous ideas." Demiurge chuckled heartedly as if those scenarios were ludicrous scenarios.
He- he was serious about that conclusion, though, Ainz thought helplessly.
"Honestly, without it I wouldn't have realized the joke, especially with the atmosphere you two had purposefully created, fooling even me. No wonder Ainz-sama hadn't explained the situation clearly." The devil shook his head as if to berate himself.
Actually, he was just not sure whether he would go through with it in the end or whether Demiurge wasn't on Azazel's side. Even if the three in the room had been against him, he would still be able to escape to Pandora's Actor…
"It's truly impressive how Azazel-sama could just look through the pretense and immediately assume the position of the lecturer, while Ainz-sama took the role of the paranoid fool."
Ouch, that hurt more knowing that Demiurge was honest with that evaluation. Ainz wanted to clutch his heart but opted to 'close' his eyes. He didn't even trust himself to utter an 'Umu' in fear of his voice cracking.
"Right," Azazel interjected. "What do you say, my dear? Anything you want to add?" The demoness chuckled as the attention turned to her.
"Fufufu~. Considering the timing of this little joke, the purpose of this was to make us less tense and convey how confident Ainz-sama is in my husband's countermeasures. He knew the array would hold and that there was no need for us to be too solemn when approaching our talks in the future. I wasn't aware that Ainz-sama was such a comedian on top of being an excellent ruler." Albedo added and Ainz just wanted to crawl into a hole.
Was that what the three most intelligent people of Nazarick thought happened just now?? Azazel's berating had been hitting too close to home though! He still felt bad and chastised from the talk and here they made light of it. They chuckled as if they were in on the same joke, while Ainz just joined in hollowly.
He felt like he had just run a mental marathon. Was he the only one that had been fearing for his life, right now? What the hell did his friends write into his background to come up with something like that? No, what kind of mental gymnastics did Demiurge and Albedo go through to come to that conclusion as well?!
"With this impressive act out of the way, we should focus on the important things, right Satoru?" Azazel asked as if it held a double meaning that eluded Ainz's mind. However, Ainz decided not to take it to heart- No, perhaps he did take it to heart as he focused on what he perceived to be the most important aspect of his question.
Suzuki Satoru was his name when he was still a human. Even though it had only been a few months, it felt like it had been years since he was a human. "How do you know that name?" He asked solemnly as he leaned back into the couch as if to gain support from it.
To be honest, he felt like collapsing even though as an undead he should be fine. He also shouldn't have asked this with Albedo and Demiurge around, but he couldn't help himself and see how it would play out. Maybe he should just take the win of them still holding onto that preposterous good image of him, but he was too mentally exhausted to care.
Although he dreaded the moment the truth came out, it was also something he yearned for. At least, that was how he felt at this moment. This conversation had been more than enough to point it out to him. He was tense and scared of what would happen, but he also felt a sense of anticipation.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the mental gymnastics the two floor guardians went through made it clear that he could say whatever and they would come up with a plausible explanation.
Azazel leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees, "Do you truly want me to reveal it?" His mannerisms conveyed a mysteriousness as if he truly had a great secret to share.
There was also a sense of threat in his voice, which would have filled Ainz with dread had it been any other time, but now he only managed a snort followed by a, "Go ahead."
"Lord Ainz," Azazel began, though Skeletor knew he wasn't being addressed. The two smartest people of Nazarick were the audience. He should interfere but his curiosity won out. He wondered what the prince would come up with this time. It was time to give Azazel the benefit of the doubt. Besides, whatever he could come up with probably wasn't worse than their 'act'. "and the other members of Ainz Ooal Gown for that matter come from the world, Earth."
Aaand he already regretted it. There was just no way! How the hell did he know about this? Ainz closed his eyes again, trying to scrap together everything he knew about the backstory of Azazel, everything his friends had written into it, and what apparently was added by Hermorah.
"Earth, the world of the Supreme Beings," Demiurge called out in awe, though to the devil's surprise, the angel shook his head.
"Not quite." The smirk on his face was something Ainz had grown familiar with. If someone asked him whether he would find it infuriating, he would respond with 'Yes, but it's more trauma than anything else'. It was the kind of smirk before he said the most outrageous stuff. A shudder ran down his spine.
"It's not only the Supreme Beings, but every Player's world." He actually knew of it, about them, the truth that they are just lowly humans in their world. No. This was it. "Indeed, and it had been my world as well."
"W-what?!" Ainz exclaimed as the shock couldn't be reeled in by the emotional dampeners in time. The two floor guardians didn't seem to notice and opted to stare at the prince stunned as well. Of course, they weren't as shell-shocked as he was. Such a revelation was much more profound to him than it was to them.
Perhaps, they only saw that Azazel, who was already royalty and closest to the Supreme Beings, was just a step closer to them than they had previously thought he would be. However, what did it mean for Ainz? Azazel was a Player- no, a former human just like he was?
Before he could begin to question him, he continued, "Indeed, when Hermorah saved me from Yggdrasil, I wasn't just an infant angel coming into existence- No, my soul isn't originally that of an angel." All the interactions that Ainz had with Azazel suddenly made sense, all the conversations where he thought the other was screwing with him were truly him messing with him!
"No, my soul is originally partly Player as well..." Azazel leaned back into the couch with a smug smile on his face, though it only left Ainz confused.
"Partly Player?" Albedo echoed, asking what he also had in mind.
"Indeed. You have to know Earth isn't just the world of the Players, but also of a far more formidable race or rather evolution called Developers. While Players are god-like immortal beings that could inhabit a myriad of worlds, Developers are those who can shape the world to their will or even create entirely new ones."
"Ahhh." Ainz collapsed onto the couch, not having the strength to argue as he blankly looked at the angel. He wasn't sure what to think about this revelation. It was clear that Azazel wasn't a Player, but it was just part of his background story. Though he had to give it to Hermorah, despite how ridiculous it sounded, "It's not wrong," Ainz muttered absentmindedly, which made the two guardians shudder and instantly made him wince in response. He really should keep his mouth shut.
"Yes, my soul had been partly a Developer from my conceptions. Although every Player could ascend to the ranks of a Developer, few could, and only after countless years of incredible effort. It was why the World Tree feared me, my future as a potential Developer of reality would leave it helpless against me."
"Wow, sasuga!" Demiurge exclaimed in admiration.
"That's my hubby!" Albedo leaned down and gave the prince a passionate kiss disregarding the other two. After a short while, she gave him another parting peck, "My powerful Developer."
"Stop, you're making me blush. It's embarrassing when you say it like that." Azazel did in fact turn red, which was a rare sight, but Ainz couldn't bring himself to care. He just gave the three an empty smile as he felt the years of his immortal lifespan shrink by at least half due to this conversation.
"S-so, does that mean Azazel-sama is also a Supreme Being?" Demiurge asked carefully as he glanced in Ainz's way, though before he could even dread to think about an answer Azazel spoke again.
"Don't be ridiculous. There were many Players and even developers in Yggdrasil alone yet we don't address them as Supreme Beings. Only our creators, the ones that had built this place could be called like that. Besides, if I were being honest, I would rather be your prince than a Supreme Being."
He wasn't sure where he pulled the motivation from, but Ainz nodded slightly and responded, "Of course, if you change your mind in the future it would just be a formality." What else could he say? Deny his words and explain what players and developers really were. Wasn't that just asking to be killed? Besides he had already admitted that his explanation was the truth, so he did what he could do best. Go with the flow.
"There is more to what Azazel had said and since you weren't born into our world there are some things you couldn't know. If you have any doubts you can come to me and I will help you hone that power you possess." It was honestly a genius moment that Ainz would pat himself on the shoulder for. With this, he would have some leeway in the future.
Azazel nodded gratefully at his offer of help, "Thank you, lord Ainz. I will keep it in mind."
"I see." Demiurge pushed up his glasses for the nth time during this conversation. "This is why you were able to set up this invisible wall to prevent Yggdrasil from entering this world."
"Indeed my origin allows me to break the limits of existence. During my years in Yggdrasil, I honed my abilities and crafted items through the power of an ancient tongue, the language of assembler. It's a system of ones and zeroes to manipulate reality."
Ainz just wanted it to stop!
He couldn't take it anymore. Why was the nonsense the prince spouting making sense? Also, did he mean binary code? Even as uneducated as Satoru was, he knew this archaic language that formed the basis of the early attempts at creating computers. It was an old 21st-century technology that one of his friends went on about.
"Alright, that's enough of this topic. Knowledge about it is a dangerous slope, so be careful what" -misinformation- "you spread the word of." Ainz interjected before the conversation became even more abstruse than it already was.
Azazel coughed apologetically, "You're right, Lord Ainz. We should talk about the next few months. Although I already have a general plan on what I'm planning, I think I should fill you in, so we can better synchronize our efforts." The angel spoke more solemnly before he conjured up two additional chairs and made the reluctant guardians sit next to them.
They formed a circle before he began to tell them his battle plan.
...
As the upper ranks of the Great Tomb of Nazarick conversed about the future conflict with the world-ending threat, Yggdrasil, the rest of the world didn't stand still.
In just two days after the rift's appearance, the gazes had already turned toward the former Elven Kingdom. However, the gazes of one organization consisting of individuals that could raze entire nations effortlessly stared fervently toward the Elven Kingdom.
Their existence would spread fear among the nations. They were so powerful that one might think they wouldn't be lacking for anything and even if they did, they could just take it. However, at this moment they looked toward the Elven Kingdom with hope.
In their desperation for the increasingly erratic actions of their boss, the evil organization, Corpus of the Abyss looked hopefully toward the territory of the angel. Somehow they should be able to use him to regain their freedom.