"Sorry Momonga, you know how work has been. That coupled with my daughter, the wife has gotten impatient with me playing these dumb little games."
The platinum-draped warrior was to meet the guild in a special ceremony the Overlord had been preparing in secret, but it looked like plans had been changed last minute.
"Touch-San, can't you really stay just for a few more days…No, I understand. You have more important things to do."
Momonga waved with a pensive emote, no doubt wishing his guild mate would change his mind.
"Thanks for understanding Momonga. Here, maybe this will help fill the gold reserves for the guild."
"Wow, I had almost forgotten what your avatar looked like under there. I never thought I'd have [World-Champion] gear in my inventory."
"Well, you're the Guildmaster, it's the least I can do for all you've done for keeping this place up."
She could only bask in the silence of the Supreme Beings, unable to react or express herself, as she had only been a doll up to this point.
"It's getting late, I better go now. Goodbye, Momonga-San."
"Wait-"
It was too late. Touch-Me's avatar had etherealized in silent stardust never to return, a form of teleportation unknown to her that Supreme Beings who left the Tomb would sometimes use.
It was not the first time she had witnessed this scene unfold, and like every other time, she hoped it would be the last. She could only hear the Overlord's words uttered only for himself in the lone throne room.
'...Dumb little games? Is that really what Nazarick has amounted to for you?'
"Sorry Momonga-kun, I got a new job opportunity I just can't pass up! I hope you can put up with my dumb little brother in the meantime."
"It's fine Bukubukuchagama-san, at least I'll still be able to hear you if I ever come across your work."
"Ah! But that would be...I mean, I'd rather if I could talk like that to you in person! No, I meant…Aaahhh! See you later Momonga!"
The pink slime blew kisses with an emote before vanishing, leaving with Momonga only a promise that would forever go unfulfilled.
He had only a sigh to offer in return.
"It's such a shame, but the [World-Disaster] must depart this realm of YGGDRASIL! Unfortunately without the World-Item that would bring ruination to the nine worlds!"
"Umu. I'm glad you're still in good spirits at least, Ulbert-San."
"Ah! Don't make me too emotional, man. It'll ruin the roleplay! Ahem. Alas, at least I can depart with my heart at ease, knowing one such as you will remain in my place, the King of the Supreme Beings!"
"It's really a shame. Ulbert Alain Odle, your efforts to Nazarick have been tremendous, we wouldn't have achieved these heights without your contributions. It's with great sadness and respect that I'll bless your farewell, may you show no mercy to those who'll cross your path!"
"It's only natural! Don't fret though, the burning scars I've left on this world will never disappear! Remember me every time you bring ruin to the enemy, Momonga-sama!"
The Demon vanished in a blazing spell as his avatar faded away. As the vanity embers flickered out, Albedo could only see the shadow of her master reaching out into the fires, before even the last particle flew off into the nothingness
"Momonga-Sama."
Oh no. No no no no no no
"We both knew this time would come. I don't want to make it difficult on you, on the both of us."
She couldn't do anything. She couldn't beg. She couldn't drop on her knees. She couldn't offer her life as atonement for the crime she didn't even know she had committed.
"Just as I've came into this world, it's time for me to depart. YGGDRASIL has nothing it can offer me anymore."
What? Why?! Have I not been doing what I was created for? Did I disappoint you in any way? Why won't you look at me? Why won't you kill me? Why why why why
Why are you abandoning me? Why are you abandoning us?
"Tabula-san, wait-"
"This is goodbye, Guildmaster-san"
Her creator did not even spare a look at her before abandoning them forevermore.
"Kuh!"
The floating piece of land that blew past barely struck her, magnetized to her presence as it was. The Succubus was quick to summon her bardiche to strike it in half, leaving only scattered pebbles to be dragged off behind her.
Sigh.
Such was the nature of the Twisting Nether. Albedo had been brought out of the trance like state that was reminiscing over her memories.
'If the others had been in my position...They would understand...They would understand why I loathe the Supreme Beings who abandoned our lord…'
She fully believed her own words. The other guardians know their creators have abandoned them, but none besides her were there to witness it. Such was the burden of the Overseer, forever stationed in the throne room as the last defense.
"But still… I'm the one who ended up here…"
She had no one to blame other than herself. She schemed behind her Lord's back, trying to keep a childish plan of revenge that, even if successful, would still turn the other guardians against her the moment they found out. And if Lord Momonga discovered it too…
'I would not exaggerate to say I would depart from this world, if I knew I lost the chance to meet them once again.'
She trembled, her legs threatening to give out.
It would ultimately be the destruction of her. No, not just of her, of all of Nazarick.
"So foolish… I even had Pandora's Actor on my side, but would he truly follow the plan? He turned his back on me the moment I lost my status as overseer, maybe he was just being cordial with his ranking…"
Another floating piece of rock tried to hit her from behind, but just as before, she turned around to crumble it in one hit. After the dust settled, something caught the attention of the succubus.
Or rather, someone.
A spinel pair of eyes, staring down the previous overseer from behind a nearby hill. They mimicked a curious child, one peeking at their older sibling from behind a wall.
There was the oldest sibling, her butchered face a far-cry from the kindness in her heart.
There was the middle sibling, her divine beauty could ravish the heart of all sexes, yet it only masqueraded a jealous and spiteful soul.
And then, the youngest one.
She was the painted picture of innocence. Her long, uncut hair flew behind her back, only a few bangs covering her shoulders. Her skin was pale, unmarked by blemishes or scars, almost like a doll. Wearing only a simple dress that matched the colors of her maroon eyes, she looked akin to a simple girl, untainted by the woes of a perverse world.
In truth, her powers were the most wicked of all. Should her Lord ask for it, she'd deliver this world as a pile of corpses beneath her feet, their blood raining down from a sundered heaven of her own creation.
This was Rubedo, the innocent child, and strongest being of all of Nazarick.
She only stared down the Twisting Nether for a moment, almost as if curious on why her sister inhabited the place of her creation. Once, the Overlord instructed her to follow her sister's orders, but that command had recently been revoked, just like her overseer privilege.
Her curiosity seemingly satisfied, she left the marveled succubus to her own devices once more, eager to return to her aimless wandering.
The Wilderness was her home, the only one she knew. She scampered past the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, looking up to the angel dolls that resembled a Supreme Being of the past, and the tailed fox girls that roamed below them. They were all under command of Aureole Omega, someone Rubedo felt a small inkling of familiarity with, both being the littlest sister.
Maybe she'd even take the offer of filling the missing seat of that tea party.
At the same evening, an arch-devil could be seen uncomfortably swinging his tail side to side in a catlike manner. This man of impeccable logic had taken a rather depressive spiral at the bar.
"I just don't get it, Cocytus. There is no logical conclusion to her scheming, even in her blind love, I can't see why she would come to that decision."
He was accompanied by the frozen god of the fifth floor, who barely fit in the chair the barkeep had offered him.
"It. Makes. Me. Appalled. Too." The barkeep had some drinks lined up that could benefit from the vermin lord's exhales of frost. "To. Stain. Her. Image. As. Overseer. With. The. Blood. Of. The. Supreme. Beings."
It sent a chill down Demiurge's spine just thinking about it. He couldn't fathom turning his claws against any of his masters.
'They are the reasons we exist, we devote ourselves to them even long after they left us! Does she truly feel as vindictive enough to want revenge for the abandonment we ourselves caused?'
An eerie silence took over the bar after that. News were not divulged yet about Albedo's betrayal, but even with Demiurge's sound countermeasures to the few other beings present, they could still feel the anxious, wicked aura that erupted from the demon.
They wouldn't be alone forever though, as a butler well-acquainted with them would soon join the ninth-floor commodities.
The butler of steel walked in, surprised to see the commotion at this time of the day.
"Masters Demiurge and Cocytus, I didn't expect to see the two of you at this time."
"Pay it no mind, Sebas. Things have been compellingly difficult for the Tomb today."
"Ho-oh? Is there something I need to know about?" The well-dressed butler felt a strand of sweat fall down behind his neck. It's not often he would see his comrade-rival so distressed.
"Sit down with us, Lord Ainz had already informed me I could divulge this with you."
Sebas listened intently to the words of the arch-devil, widening his eyes at every declaration brought to hand.
"Truly? Why would Lady Albedo do such a thing?!" Sebas lost his composure only for a second, almost lifting himself from his seat before backing down. "Ah, forgive me, this revelation just caught me by surprise."
The Devil, finding at least amusement in his reaction, answered him in earnest.
"It's just as you say, friend. I couldn't tell you why she did it either."
"She. Has. Been. Duly. Punished. For. Her. Transgression."
Sebas looked down at the bar's counter, still reeling in the disbelief. Sebas was reminded of his own defiance of the Tomb's wishes back then, but compared to this…
"What punishment did Lord Ainz choose for her?"
Demiurge and Cocytus took a second to answer, the latter only exhaling another wave of frost.
"She has been banished, stripped of her position as Overseer and exiled to the eight floor."
Demiurge readjusted his glasses after speaking, still surprised at the tactics of their leader. Was this punishment backed by cruelty, to make Albedo suffer for her actions, or did their Lord truly believe she could be redeemed one day? The thought couldn't pass through the Arch-Devil's mind.
"So she's paying the due course of her actions…" Sebas weighed the things he heard in his mind. He could never fathom turning his fists against the supreme ones, much less his own creator. Could her love for Ainz-Sama pervaded her mind to that degree?
'It's not impossible, but it's not my place to utter these thoughts.'
Silence would befall them once again, only broken by Sebas ordering two drinks, one for him and one he could bring to Tsuare later. It was only then another thing slipped his mind.
"Huh, doesn't that mean Shalltear-sama has no competition for being Lord Ainz's wife now?" He declared it while bringing a hand to his chin. Unknowingly to him, such words turned Demiurge's world upside-down.
'That's it! That's what I overlooked all along!"
Before he could confirm it though, Cocytus followed Sebas' comment through.
"Humm. Lord. Ainz. Did. Say. He. Would. Visit. The. Graveyard. After. Our. Sparring. Match. To. See. Shalltear."
If Demiurge were standing, such a blow to his intellect would immediately have brought him to his knees. Sebas and Cocytus only watched as he grimly giggled to himself.
"Of course! This is what Ainz-Sama must have realized all along! Now that Albedo is unfit to make a claim for our absolute lord, he can fully devote himself to bringing Shalltear to his side!"
"Humph. This. Makes. Sense. Demiurge. Lord. Ainz. Has. Also. Already. Brought. Shalltear. Down. In. Combat. He. Dominated. Her. Spirit. And. Body. Mating. Her. Is. The. Only. Natural. Follow. Up."
Sebas was the only one raising an eyebrow now, unsure if Cocytus views held the same meaning as his when he thought of bringing women down to claim them for oneself, but he knew Shalltear was no helpless maid either. He simply must be unable to recognize his friend's view on honorable combat.
"So, Demiurge, do you think Lord Ainz will grant Shalltear the honor of being his official wife?"
"I don't see why he wouldn't! It's only natural to appoint a new position for the Great Tomb of Nazarick after the Overseer has been revoked. We may need to make preparations for serving a new Queen in the near future…"
And just like that, Demiurge was already scheming again. Sebas could at least appreciate seeing his irritable rival back to his usual self.
"Sebas, I must truly thank you for bringing this revelation upon me! I don't like admitting it, but you pointed me in the right direction when I was truly lost."
'Now this is new. He's never been that earnest with me before.'
"It's of no mind, Demiurge. We're all working for the good of Lord Ainz, aren't we?"
For just a brief moment, the iron butler and the arch-devil weren't at odds with each other. The two coworkers shared a nod and smile of approval before each went their own way.
After Demiurge vanished with [Greater Teleportation], Sebas finally gathered the two drinks the Sous-Chef had prepared for him.
"Don't worry Sebas, I made sure a human would not have trouble drinking it this time.