> Welcome to Heaven, Kick Everyone Out > by The Warmaster > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter One: The Beginnings of a Legend > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adam yawned, leaning back in his computer chair and away from the bright screen in front of him, the only source of light in the dark and shadowy bedroom he was in. The eighteen-year old blonde boy checked the time via the clock on the bottom right corner of his computer screen, and his tired eyes widened slightly. “Wow… it's already 11:56?” He groaned, looking back up to what he had been doing. For the past few hours, the somewhat scrawny kid had been on the website ‘will you press the button?’ And had apparently lost track of time. “I need to get in bed… I don't want to oversleep and miss my job interview…” He sighed, moving the cursor towards the exit button. His light brown eyes quickly scanned what the next choice would have been, and paused, the cursor hovering over the red ‘x’. “Hmmm… ‘become your favorite anime character, but get transported to a new world’...” He mused over the question, the cursor moving back towards the bright red button in the center of the screen. “My favorite? So… Momonga?” He asked, his mind calling back to his favorite anime, ‘Overlord’. “So I would become an extremely powerful spellcaster skeleton, and the price would be going to a new world? S’not like this world’s any good anyways.” He clicked the button with his mouse, before immediately moving towards the red ‘X’ in the upper right corner of the screen. Just before the window closed, the bright blue screen flickered, too fast for Adam to notice, replaced temporarily by a transparent human skull, with glowing red dots in its eye sockets, before flickering back to the blue screen with the red button, before closing entirely. Adam shut the computer off, before trying to feel his way towards his bed. “Why am I speaking out loud anyway?” He mused, crawling into his bed once he found it. “It's not like anyone is here to listen…” he muttered, as he drifted off to sleep, and the clock struck midnight. A few days later… “...The man known as Adam Terrigham was discovered in his house after a family member decided to investigate after he had not returned any of their calls. When he refused to wake up from his bed, they immediately called the hospital. Once he arrived at the hospital, a doctor declared him comatose, and needing immediate sustenance to keep him from perishing through dehydration. Some suspect possible foul play, and the police have stated they will consider making a proper investigation at a later date.” The News Reporter stated, before the cameraman motioned that they were done. She sighed, turning back to the unconscious body of Adam, laid in a hospital bed. “I can't believe they consider someone mysteriously going comatose as a ‘mundane story’!” She growled, clutching her microphone angrily. “And what's more important? The weather? He could die!” “Calm down boss. It's just how things work in the company of news.” The cameraman shrugged, packing his things. “I’m getting to the bottom of this!” The reporter said, with a determined glare at the sky. “Uh… Boss?” ”Ugh… why does my bed feel like I’m laying on a rock…?” Adam groaned in his mind, pulling himself up. He felt… lighter, as if he had lost several pounds overnight. He raised a hand to his face to rub his eyebrows, but paused, his eyes staring dumbly at his skeletal hand, a long, ornate black robe falling down from his arm. Momentarily, his body flashed in a soothing green light, before the light vanished entirely. “Well, that's… new.” He muttered, getting onto his feet and looking down at himself in an unusually calm manner. His body was covered in a large robe that hung around him, suspended by two large tusk-like shoulder pads. His skeletal rib cage was exposed in the chest area, with something glowing red in the center. Rings adorned his bony fingers, gems glittering in the moonlight. “When did I get outside? And… why am I so calm about this?” He asked out loud, before taking a look at his surroundings. He was surrounded by grass in every which direction, with a massive mountain to the north that appeared to have a city on it. Next to him was a somewhat decent-sized rock, which he had been sleeping on. Also nearby was a dirt road, and the skeleton noticed a cart in the distance. “So...I'm in the middle of nowhere, I have apparently become Lord Ains, and there's a cart in the distance. Hmmm…” Adam pondered this. “Walking up as a skeleton would be really bad… didn't he have a mask or something?” He lifted his claw up, and it vanished into a black tear in reality that had appeared by his will. He fished around in the rear until he pulled out a bright red mask, and slipped it over his skull. “All things considered, this is awesome. Let's go say hi to the neighbors and figure out what's going on. Teleport.” He waited for a minute. Then two. “Teleport.” He repeated, only to receive the same result. All the while, the cart slowly slid off further into the distance. Adam’s mind was racing, trying to come up with a reason as to why he couldn't teleport. Then a thought crossed his mind, freezing him and all his other thoughts solid. “Lightning.” He said, raising his hand towards the Sky. Nothing happened, and he lowered his hand once again. “I see… it seems I either cannot use Momonga’s magic, or I just don't know how to use it yet…” The skeleton muttered, until his foot brushed up against something in the grass. Curious, he shifted, picking up the object and examining it. “Fireball and Teleport spells? Is this some sort of… spellbook?” He asked, flicking it open. Bright light flashed from the pages, blinding him as he felt arcane energies swirl into his mind, gifting him knowledge in its wake. When he could see again, the book had burned to ashes in his hand, which blew away in the wind. “Oookay then…” Adam said, raising his hand towards the rock. “Fireball.” “Granny, did you see that explosion? It was massive!” A young girl with orange-ish skin called over to the light green-colored elderly woman sitting next to her in the Horse-drawn cart. “Yeah, ah saw it, little Applejack.” The old lady muttered. “Ah hope it ain't them hooligans that attacked the village…” “But Granny Smith, they couldn't possibly ‘ave caught up to us. Ooh, ah hope mah friends are okay…” Applejack sighed, looking back the way they had come. “Ah’m sure they're fine, dearie. Once we get to our cousins place in… what was it, Ponytown? Yeah, somethin like that. We’ll get there, and then look fer yer friends, alright?” The elder said, patting the blond girl on the back. Applejack smiled lightly, tears swelling around her eyes. “Sure, Granny. Ah’m sure they're all fine.” She replied, turning towards her brother. “Hey, Big Mac… you've been oddly quiet. Are ya okay?” “Yep…” the red-skinned boy muttered, looking back on the trail they had been going down. “Ow…” Adam groaned, sitting up and looking at the massive crater where the rock had been. The crater wasn't particularly large, but Adam estimated that it was at least ten feet in diameter. “Note to self, learn how to limit MP usage with one spell.” He looked back towards the road. “Damn, the cart disappeared. Hmm…” he turned to the other side of the road. “Fly.” A blue light temporarily surrounded him, and with a thought, he lifted off the ground slowly, rising into the air. “Wow, this is surprisingly eaaaaasssyyyyaaaaah!” He yelped as he suddenly shot up into the sky, immediately refocusing his thoughts on hovering. His rapid ascent immediately halted, and he found himself hundreds of feet above the ground. “Okay… need to focus on flying. Gotcha. Now, where's the town they came from?” He scanned the horizon below him, attempting to identify some sort of light to identify a town. However, a more pressing concern identified itself to him. “Hmm… no real roads, no cars, and no telephone poles dotting the landscape.” He muttered. “This means that either this is some sort of post-apocalyptic world, or the technology here is before the industrial era. In that case, it might just be easier to follow the road to the town…” He sighed. “I really need to find a way to disable this calm spell. I'm unnerving myself with how calmly and tactfully I can process information.” With that said, he dropped down closer to the ground, to the point where he could see the road. “Now, another concern should be what to introduce myself as to the inhabitants of this world. I am mostly certain that I would get many laughs if I told them my name was Adam… then there's the fact that Adam could be an entirely alien name to them.” He muttered, flying over the road. “Well, considering I have become Momonga, albeit a somewhat unknowledgeable version of him, I should probably call myself Ains. Ah, there's the town now.” He said, noticing the distinct shape of buildings in the distance. More to his concern, however, was the multiple plumes of black smoke rising into the sky. “Fly off.” Ains stated, and a blue glow appeared, before he dropped to the ground. “Now then, I suppose I should search for survivors.” He said, looking around the clearly destroyed town. Wooden shacks had collapsed as fire burned away their walls, the copperish smell of blood mixing with the smoke and the cooling corpses of humans. Ains looked around, entering burning buildings and finding four spellbooks in the process. “Gate, Healing Light, Grasp Heart, and Dragon Lightning. All useful spells. Though, why an undead spell was in a town is beyond me. Probably a cultist though.” He sighed. “But no survivors. I might as well-” “Please, help me…” A faint voice interrupted him. Feminine and young, likely within the age of five to ten. Following the voice, which, while faint, had continued to call for help, Ains found himself in front of a collapsed house, with the depiction of a sun built above the doorway. Finding the doorway blocked, the skeletal Lich used the recently acquired ‘Gate’ Spell to simply bypass the rubble. Inside, he found a young girl partially buried under surprisingly not on fire rubble. The girl had yellowish skin, with a red and yellow mess of hair covering her head. “Please… help…” She muttered, and Ains sighed. “Kids. Apparently they can even make a skeleton feel bad for them.” He muttered, before getting an idea. “Little girl, I am going to need you to remain calm. I have a way to get you out of there. I think.” Before she could respond, Ains focused on his magic, picturing in his mind the ground beneath the girl. Once he had the image in his mind, he then also pictured the spot right next to him. “Gate.” He muttered, and a black and purple portal appeared next to him, and the little girl tumbled out, landing in a heap in front of him. “There, little one. Consider yourself officially saved. Now, I need to find the next town before it gets destroyed-” “Please, mister…” the girl managed to croak out. “Take… me with you…” “And why would I do that?” Ains asked. “You would be nothing more than a burden to me, and I cannot waste my time looking after an orphan whose family probably died.” Ains stated. “What reason would I, Ains Ooal Gown, have to further help you?” “Please… mister… I have…” She coughed, blood leaking out from her mouth. “I… have nowhere else… to go…” Ains paused, before sighing. “Healing Light.” He muttered, pointing a finger at the girl. A green coat of light covered her form, and within moments she found herself void of any injuries. “Come along, we have a lot of ground to cover.” Ains said, holding out his hand. “By the way, what is your name?” “M...my name?” The girl asked, taking his hand as he lifted her up onto one of his broad shoulders. “It's… Sunset Shimmer, Lord Ains.” “Lord?” Ains chuckled. “Huh? Do you… want me to call you something else?” Sunset asked, looking down at Ains’ mask. “No, no, it's fine, I suppose.” Ains sighed. “I just didn't expect it from a little girl I had just rescued.” “Oh, don't worry, Mister Ains!” Sunset giggled. “I am sure we will have plenty of time to get to know each other!” “Oh? And why is that?” Ains asked. “Because I heard that the nearest town is a reeeaaally long ways away!” Sunset grinned. “Oh? Well, I guess you are right then.” Ains replied. “Shall we be off? I would like to learn more of the surroundings while we walk.” “Okay, Mister Ains!” > Chapter Two: The Princess > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Ainz and Sunset walked down the road, the light of the moon shining brightly and illuminating the lands, Sunset suddenly asked something. “Umm, Mister Ainz, why are your hands and chest all… bony? Did you lose the flesh to a dragon and somehow survived?” Ainz flinched, before looking down. As Sunset stated, his ribcage and skeletal hands were exposed for the world to see. “Ah, um, well…” Ainz muttered, before a green light overcame him, and he immediately calmed. “The truth is, Sunset, I'm actually a skeleton.” Ainz said, defeated as he removed his mask, his glowing red eyes staring up at the girl riding on his head. She stared, wonder evident in her eyes, much to Ainz’s surprise. “Wow….so does that mean I can crawl inside your chest when it gets cold? Your clothes look nice and toasty…” Ainz stared at her. “You’re… not scared by me? At all?” He asked, unable to convey his confusion. “Of course not! You’re the man.. er, skeleton, who saved my life! I could never look at you and see anything but pure awesomeness!” “Of course… children.” Ainz’s groaned, putting a skeletal hand to his skull. “Anyways, thank you for notifying me of that flaw in my disguise. I'll be sure to correct it the next time we go looking for civilization.” The two walked in silence for a moment, before Sunset looked down again. “You didn't answer my question though. Can I pllleeeasse ride in you when it gets cold?” She gave him a big, glistening stare. “No. For one, having another living being inside me would be extremely weird. And two, I don't want to know what would actually happen.” Ainz replied, immune to such a gaze. Sunset pouted, giving Ainz another hopeful stare, before sighing in defeat and returning to her place on top of Ainz’s head. After another bout of silence, Ainz asked a question. “Say, Sunset, what year is it?” “Year 1000 AD. Duh. What, have you been living under a rock this whole time?” Sunset replied. “Or maybe you spent the last few years in a grave?” “Neither are correct, but I thank you. What does the AD stand for?” Ainz rolled his eyes, looking back at the child. “Umm… ‘after donuts’? No… oh! It was ‘After Disco’! No, wait, that wasn't it…” Sunset thought about it for a moment. “No, it was ‘After Discord’!” “Discord? Who's that?” Ainz asked. Sunset looked down at him. “Have you been living under a rock or something? Discord was this super-evil chaos god who tried to take over Equestria! After a little bit, the Princess used the Elements of Harmony to seal him in stone!” “The Princess? Elements of Harmony?” Ainz asked, getting more questions than answers. Sunset slouched on his head. “Ugh! You must live under a rock if you don't know the Princess! She's our immortal rulers, who uses her immense magic prowess to move the sun and moon! Celestia has guided our people for almost a thousand years now!” She looked down at him. “Or maybe you’re just so old that you've been buried since before Discord?” “Ugh… let's just find somewhere to stay for the night…” back at the destroyed town… “As you can see, your highness, the entire town has been burned to the ground. We believe that the cause may have been griffon raiders, but…” One of the guards paused, eyes wandering over a corpse. He had a dark green hair color and bright blue eyes, with a lighter green skin color beneath the traditional golden armor of the Royal Guard. “As far as we can tell, there are no survivors.” “That's impossible. My visions told me there'd be at least one survivor, a young girl with a great destiny ahead of her. My visions have never been wrong, so you must have missed her. Continue searching.” Their leader commanded. She was taller than the rest, with multi-colored hair draping down her side, flowing slightly as the wind passed by. Her skin had a light tan to it, buried under a heavy suit of gold armor, which she barely noticed as her pink eyes surveyed the scene of the ruined town before them. “At once, Princess Celestia. And what should we do about the dead?” The guard asked. “Give them a proper burial once we return to Canterlot. Find out if they have any next of kin, and break the news to them.” Celestia sighed, looking at the ruined town with pity. “And what about the ones responsible for this atrocity?” The guard asked. Celestia’s gaze hardened into a glare as she looked down at the guard. “We will find them. And they will suffer, for what they have done is blasphemy against the very existence of Harmony.” Celestia ordered “We will send for a search party right away, your Highness. If you will excuse me.” The guard grabbed his spear, before walking into the rubble and barking orders at his soldiers. Celestia sighed, before looking upon the moon above, the likeness of the mythical unicorn forever marked into its surface. “Sister… what else would you have me do? For almost a thousand years, I have searched for the ones who could free you of your curse, yet even now they continue to elude me. Where do they hide, my sister?” She asked, but no answer came forth. Two Years Later… Ainz picked up a quill, dipping it in ink before he began to write in the journal he had acquired. It has been two years since I first arrived on this world. Sunset was, surprisingly, well studied for someone so young. With her assistance, I have learned much about the world I have been thrust into against my will, but still I have yet to learn of the cause of my relocation. I can safely assume that I have been transported into a new world, as my old one never had magic. Speaking of magic, with Sunset’s help, I have learned many new spells. Surprisingly, many of the spells in this world are identical to the ones in the Overlord Anime. Ainz paused in his writing as he felt a small hand grab his cloak. He looked down to find Sunset, a small, confident smile on her face. “Mister Ainz, I've completed my homework for today.” She said, presenting to him a small stack of papers. Ainz took the papers, reading through the detailed algorithms and equations. “Can we practice magic now?” “Impressive, Sunset. I suppose this does deserve a reward… let's go outside for this.” Ainz said, standing up from his seat, putting the quill down, away from his journal. “So, what new magic have you learned today?” He asked, as they walked down the hall of their underground home. “Well, I've learned some impressive fire spells, as well as some lightning spells. I still haven't gotten past the second tier though…” “You’ll master tier three eventually, Sunset. I'm assuming that in this world, third tier is the limit for humans?” Ainz said, opening the door as they stepped out into the open fields, the sun shining down upon the small hill that hid their home. “That's correct. Only Celestia and other immortals have used spells from the above tiers of magic.” Sunset replied, moving towards their usual practice area, marked by the torched grass surrounding blackened earth. “Really? How interesting.” Ainz said, taking his place on the other side of the ring from her. “I guess I'm as powerful as your Princess then. Do you know what tier your Princess tops out at?” Ainz asked, before casting a spell. “Magic Resistance: Fire.” “Hmmm… the legendary battle against Discord depicted her using seventh tier magic… so about that much?” Sunset shrugged. Eighth tier magic is mostly considered a myth, though I've heard the Elements of Harmony transcend all tiers of magic.” “You mentioned these ‘Elements’ before. What exactly are they?” Ainz asked. Sunset let loose a torrent of flames from her hand, washing across Ainz’s view. A light aura appeared around his body and robes, protecting him from most of the flames. “The Elements are these powerful artifacts used by the Princess long ago. They embody six different elements of a good person: Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, and Magic. When used together, they can… um…” Sunset’s focus faltered, and the flames sputtered, dying off completely. “I don't really know, but they managed to turn Discord to stone.” “I see. All things considered, that would put these Elements at either Super Tier… or World Tier. I will have to look into them.” Ainz looked back at Sunset. “I believe you had more to show me?” She beamed brightly, before casting another fire spell, this one launching a tornado of flames towards Ainz. > Chapter Three: The Warrior > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Your training has gone well, Sunset.” Ainz said, patting the small girl on the head as they walked back to their underground home from the local village. “It is hard to believe you are only ten years old, yet are already able to master almost all of the second tier spells I have taught you.” “Oh, Lord Ainz, it's nothing at all! My family always considered me a prodigy in the field of magic!” Sunset grinned, leaping up in front of him, using a flight spell to match his height. “And I had a great teacher!” “You flatter me too much, young Sunset. I simply put you on the path.” He said, removing his mask after sensing the area was clear of people. “You are the one who drove your own course.” He dragged a bag of common groceries behind him, all the nutritional food a small girl such as Sunset would require for the next few weeks, along with a few extra things. “You're too humble, Lord Ainz!” Sunset giggled. “So, are we gonna test our magic on the local Flyder populace tonight? Or are we going to accept another job from the next town’s Adventurers Guild?” “I'd be happy to do either on a later date, but tonight is a special occasion.” Ainz said, and unfortunately he had long lost the ability to smile. “Really, Lord?” Sunset asked, jumping up and down in the air in excitement. “What's it gonna be for? Doing a good job in magic?” “No, no. Nothing as simple as that.” Ainz replied, waving his gauntleted hand in front of him. “It's something I feel is… more important. You will understand once we return home.” “Ooh, is that why you had me leave the house an hour before you? To set something up?” Sunset asked, and Ainz nodded. “You are quite perceptive, Sunset.” Ainz said, then turned to look at the setting sun to their right. “This world… it's amazingly beautiful, but filled with strife…” He sighed. “Yeah. The people here, while under the guise of being happy, face many struggles in this world…” Sunset nodded, following his gaze. “The woods hold terrible creatures, and the Griffonians continue to send their tribalistic brothers here to stir up trouble… and yet Celestia does nothing.” Her hands balled into fists, and her gaze turned to a hateful glare as she looked at the sunset before them. “Yes, this is all true.” Ainz sighed, shrugging his shoulders before continuing on the road. “But the only way to change anything is if someone were to take over the world… but truly, such lofty ideas are better left for those who know more than the smaller picture.” Sunset looked at the back of her mentor with a slightly shocked expression. The very thought of deposing Celestia… a devilish grin formed across her face at the mere thought of it. The smile vanished as she followed after Ainz, her hands cupped behind her as her mind began scheming. later “Happy… uh, day that I found you Day!” Ainz said helplessly, extending his arms towards the dining room, which now was decorated with red and yellow party favors. “I still need to think of something to call it…” “Oh, it's perfectly fine, Lord Ainz!” Sunset giggled, observing the decorations with a childlike glee. “You can just call it a birthday if you want. Wow, this is incredible! You got this all done in only an hour?!” Ainz coughed. “Y-yes… with only a few minor difficulties…” He said no more on the matter, eyes shifting away from the room while Sunset examined every minor detail. The spellcaster turned, bumping into a nearby table, which had been piled up with bundles of papers and books, while a single paper fell down to the floor, knocked loose from its confinement in around the top of a stack of papers. Ainz looked down at the paper, and began examining it thoroughly. “That's right….” He muttered, looking at the picture hand drawn onto the yellowing paper. It was of an armored warrior, which should be pretty common. However his armor was almost unlike anything he had ever seen in this world. “It's so easy to forget such an event…” He muttered as he thought back to a few months after he had arrived in this world... Almost Two years ago… The now-thoroughly disguised Ainz walked down the road towards one of the larger cities in the area, hoping to acquire more information on this world. That is, more than just the hearsay of an eight year old. From what she had told him, the city was called Vanhoover, and was located on the coast of the Luna Bay. “Why is this city's name a horse pun?” Ainz muttered as he trekked along the dirt road, which would eventually lead to the city he searched for. Trees surrounded the road, and Ainz, had he still been a normal human, might have felt almost closed in by the foliage. “Hopefully some of the residents of this city are more helpful than the other nearby towns…” A sudden tornado of fire sprung up from somewhere deep in the forest, and the disguised skeleton turned to look at the phenomenon in mild curiosity. “Detect Magic.” Ainz muttered, trying to get a read in the spellcaster who likely caused the event. “Impressive. The caster has such an abundance of mana at their disposal.” As he turned to continue his path, a thought crossed his mind. “Well… I suppose I could take a look at whatever is happening… it's not like I've met any other spellcasters since coming here.” He began to slowly create a path to the source of the magical flames still spiraling into the sky. Trees fell before him, before realization struck him. “I'm such an idiot… Fly.” He shot up above the trees, before rushing towards the source of the mana at a much faster pace. “I need to remember that I have flight magic… it makes things much easier.” He silently descended to the area where the fiery tornado had first sprung up, and took a moment to take in his surroundings. Burnt bodies littered the ground, blackened armor having done nothing to save its wearer from the deadly flames that had claimed their lives. The forest had begun to burn as well, blazing wood collapsing upon itself and tumbling into the battlefield at random. And in the center of the battlefield was a small group of soldiers facing off against a single flaming woman. The majority of the group wore simple and almost identical golden armor, their swords raised in front of them, as if to ward off the rising heat of the flames surrounding the woman. But Ainz had immediately noticed the one standing in front of them, his size singling him out as unique. He stood far taller than the rest, dwarfing even the tallest soldier, and likely Ainz as well. He wore a full body suit of intricate, yet surprisingly durable red and gold armor, at least a few feet thick. Ainz theorized that a normal man would be completely unable to move in such armor, yet the warrior, his left eye missing, not only moved surprisingly fast for such armor, but also held a large warhammer in his grip. He stood before the rest of the group, eye narrowed in determination as he continued to rush towards the woman, his hammer held high. She was an entirely different story compared to the armored warrior. Her ‘armor’ was quite bare boned, with only orange leather covering her chest, crotch, and limbs, providing little protection. However, there were three major differences that set her apart from what is considered ‘normal’ for humans. The first and most notable difference was that her hair appeared to be made almost entirely of fire, billowing behind her as if it was part of an elaborate cape. The second thing was the pair of white wings sprouting from her back, somehow entirely resistant to the flames of her hair. And finally, she had a long, white horn sticking out from her flaming hair. “Oh please!” She taunted to the armored warrior. “Something as slow as you could never hope to defeat me! I admit, that hammer of yours did surprise me, but I, Daybreaker, shall not be brought low by a single blow!” She cackled, raising her hands to the sky. “I hope you’re flame-proof, because I think global warming is here a few centuries early!” Her horn glowed a dark red, and a billowing ball of flames erupted from her outstretched hands, before she launched it straight towards the warrior, who, instead of trying to flee, and thus endangering the soldiers behind him, stabbed the pommel of his hammer into the ground, and held his ground, the flames wrapping around his form like a very warm blanket. Ainz watched on as the almost suicidal warrior started marching forward against the flames that continued to spray from the magic caster’s hands, though Ainz noted that he was struggling with each step. Ainz’s nonexistent ears could also barely pick up the sound of the warrior chanting some sort of prayer, the flames obviously burning his face and mouth. “Greater Hearing.” Ainz whispered, glowing slightly as his hearing range increased almost twofold. He could now hear the warrior’s words clearly, though the raging flames would likely have made a living man’s ears bleed from their new intensity. “My Emperor… let your might guard those… righteous warriors…” The proud warrior growled, taking another step despite all odds. “Who face the enemies of man… protect us from harm...” Ainz then noticed what appeared to be a very thin golden barrier blocking the flames from continuing to burn away the warrior. “A shield spell perhaps?” Ainz muttered, but continued to watch. The rest of his words were drowned out by the flames, but even as the flames once more found purchase, he continued forward, until he was finally in reach of ‘Daybreaker’. “So we… may War in your name!” The gravelly voice of the warrior roared across the burning forest, as he brought his mighty hammer crashing down towards the flaming spellcaster, who instinctively raised her arms defensively as several magic barriers formed between her and the hammer. The warrior’s strength must have been truly impressive, as the hammer burst it's way through each glowing red barrier with ease, the sound of bones breaking as the hammer made contact with her arms echoing through everyone’s ears, followed soon by Daybreaker’s cries of pain. She leapt away, hovering in midair as a green light emanated from her already mending hands. “Healing magic.” Ainz muttered, sensing an even greater buildup of Daybreaker’s mana forming above her. “You accursed worm! I shall make you suffer in the flames of Tartarus for even daring to wound me!” She raised her now healed hands once again, and a truly massive ball of fire rose from her hair, dwarfing the ball from earlier by three sizes. “It is better to die... for the Princess... than to live… for yourself!” The warrior roared, readying his hammer for what appeared to be another swing. It was that sentence that made Ainz’s decision for him. As the great flames of hell descended upon the battlefield, the disguised skeleton raised a gauntleted hand, crying out, “Reality Slash!” and swinging his arm downwards, launching an arc of almost reality bending energy straight towards the fireball, cutting it in two. The upper part disappeared into the tear in reality, though the other side, much smaller by comparison, descended upon the lone warrior, who met it with what appeared to be a smile on his blackened face as he was bathed in the unyielding flames. Ainz leapt back into the air, hovering between Daybreaker and the other soldiers as he confronted her. “What's this?” She chuckled, noticing the collapsed figure of the warrior down below with undisguised satisfaction. “Another pesky fly dares to interrupt our slaughter? Oh, this will not do!” “I shall warn you only once, witch. Leave now, or I, Adam- I mean, Ainz Ooal Gown, will be your opponent, and your end.” Ainz growled, raising his hand out in front of him. Daybreaker raised an eyebrow at him, before cackling maniacally. “Oh please, mister dark and brooding, we beg for thine forgiveness! We are trembling in our boots!” She begged sarcastically, cupping her hands together pleadingly. “Or perhaps we can see what's behind that little mask of yours?” She put a finger to her lips in mock curiosity, her horn glowing once again. “I suppose I can find the charred remains of whatever is behind it… so we might as well begin!” “Begin?” Ainz chuckled, raising his hand. “Nothing is beginning here. There is only the end!” He slashed downwards, magic pouring out of his hand and rocketing towards Daybreaker.”Reality Slash!” She ducked out of the way, reality bending around the magic as it flew past, and she stared at the disguised skeleton in surprise. “That… that was beyond Third Tier Magic…” Daybreaker muttered, flames blazing in her hands as she began to chuckle. “You've actually managed to impress me! You seem to be a cut above these irritating worms!” She launched several balls of flame, the magic fire expanding as it left her palms, becoming massive infernos spiraling straight towards Ainz. “I am glad I can impress someone of such power, truly.” Ainz commented, casting another spell. “Greater Fire Protection!” He then leapt upwards, flying above the flames as they passed under him, only for Daybreaker to snap her fingers, and the inferno exploded outward, bathing Ainz in white-hot flames that could be seen from Vanhoover. “Oh wow, what a beautiful sight!” Daybreaker cackled, watching the flames continue to expand into the sky, only for a shadow to burst out, smoke trailing from it as Ainz floated down in front of her, a small black flame hovering atop his finger. “I… but… how are you alive? Those flames could melt solid steel!” “I survived because I am far greater than any pitiful pony, Daybreaker.” Ainz said, removing his mask, much to her shock at what lay behind. “Now, little children shouldn't play with fire… otherwise they will get burned.” The small flame flew towards Daybreaker, and even though she tried to get out of the way, it contacted one of her wings. ”Hell Flame!” “Gyaaaaagh!” Daybreaker roared in pain as black flames ripped along her wing, but before they could expand to the rest of her body she acted quickly, surrounding her hand with magic and slicing through her own wing, screaming out in pain once again as she forcefully separated herself from her burning wing, which was soon consumed by the flames, turning to ash which flew off into the wind. “Now, Daybreaker, despite my looks I am a merciful man.” Ainz stated as he hovered in front of her, his eyes glowing through his mask. “I have said that I would be your end, but seeing you in such a pathetic state makes me pity you.” He leaned in close to her face, her features twisted in pain as glowing red blood dripped from her shoulder, falling to the ground below. “Leave now, or I shall finish what I have started here.” “I… we will accept your humble generosity.” Daybreaker seethed after a moment, looking to her missing wing. “But know that the next time we meet, things shall be different. We will kill you, Ainz. We know not how, but thou shalt not survive our next encounter!” She said, before teleporting away in a flash of red light. Ainz sighed, dropping to the ground and turning to the surviving guards, who had been lucky enough to be outside the radius of the flames. “I am sorry for your comrades, soldier.” Ainz stated, lowering his head. “I wish I could have been here sooner, but…” “No need, Spellcaster.” One of the guards said as they walked up, this one female. “You saved at least some of us, and for that I thank you.” She sighed, looking at the charred remains of some of her soldiers. “We were supposed to either capture that monster, or kill her… but I suppose the Princess will have to accept wounding her for now.” She looked back to Ainz. “For saving my guards, I thank you.” She turned to another one of the guards. “Initiate Armor! Take a three guards and collect the dead! We will take them back to Canterlot for a proper burial.” The guard in question saluted, his blue hair burnt and disheveled as he selected three of his fellows to begin grabbing the dead. The woman, obviously a captain, turned back to Ainz. “Again, I thank-” she stopped midspeech as she realized Ainz had vanished. Ainz reappeared on the path he had been walking along, sighing as he looked at his gauntleted hand. “That was a perfect test against some of the other spellcasters of this world…” He muttered, though the inside of his mind was much more active. ”Hell yeah! I was so cool!” He thought, before pausing. ”Wait… why don't I just use the Gate spell to teleport to Vanhoover?” He physically sighed as he realized his own incompetence, before looking back upon the road. “Gate!” He declared, thinking of the city he wished to go to. However, nothing happened. He tried again after a few moments, thinking the spell might have been incorrect, but once again he remained in the same place. “... I guess it only works for places I've seen, not just heard of…” He sighed, before continuing on his trek. “Good to know, but slightly annoying…” Back in the present… ”What drove me to draw a picture of that armored giant?” Ainz asked himself inside his head, examining the drawing in detail. After his arrival in this world, his drawing skills had seemingly improved, and the drawing looked very detailed, giving the present Ainz a good idea on how the warrior looked. “Ainz! What're you doing over there?” Sunset asked, floating onto his back. “C’mon, we've got a thing to celebrate!” Ainz chuckled, placing the page inside his clothes for later, before raising his hands and grabbing his young student, flipping her over to face him. “Of course! After all that work I put into it, it would be a shame to let it go to waste!” “Then get your bony butt over to the table!” Sunset demanded, wriggling free of his grip and flying back to the table. The Skeleton chuckled, putting his thoughts of the past behind to celebrate Sunset’s survival. But, deeper in his mind, his thoughts still lingered, wondering why he felt drawn to the probably dead warrior, and questioning why he was so different. > Chapter Four: The Cycle of Hatred > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few years later “Welcome back, Ainz!” Sunset smiled, walking up to the disguised skeleton as he stepped through the doorway, a large pack slung over his shoulder. “How was your trip to Ponehenge?” “It was long, arduous, but quite informative, Sunset.” Ainz said, putting the sack down to the side of the doorway. “I would have returned quicker, but the Royal Guard has implemented Identity checks along the train routes.” “The Royal Guard?” Sunset asked, confused. “I thought they stuck to the towns closer to Canterlot.” “No longer, it seems.” Ainz sighed, moving past Sunset to take a seat at the dining table. “So, how have you been for the past two months? I see you cleaned the place up during my absence.” He nodded appreciatively to the room, which had been cleared up of the dozens of books and papers that used to scatter their home. “Yeah, it was an incredible pain to organize everything that you just tossed about… you really need to learn how to clean up after yourself.” Sunset sighed, sitting down across from him. She had grown quite well over the years, rising up to Ainz’s ribcage, her bright red and yellow hair falling over her shoulders like sunlight shining through a bloody waterfall. Her eyes, once curious and filled with the innocence of youth, were now instead filled with the knowledge of countless spells, and Ainz didn’t feel like noticing her more womanly features. “You have shown to me that you are more than capable on your own, Sunset.” Ainz sighed, leaning into his seat. “So, what did you discover back at Ponehenge?” Sunset asked, leaning forward, cupping her hands in front of her. “Aside from its existence and the ridiculousness of its name, not much.” Ainz sighed, his glowing red eyes dulling slightly. “There were magical runes carved into each of the stones, but they were damaged by erosion and all but recognizable.” He put a bony hand on the table, before sitting up. “I could sense the traces of leftover magic from an incredibly powerful spell, but otherwise I found nothing.” “Well, that’s a shame.” Sunset sighed, continuing to eat the dinner she had prepared for herself before Ainz’s return. “I guess we were missing the key to unlocking that mystery… say, Ainz-“ Whatever she was about to say was promptly cut off as the sound of shuffling armored feet reached their ears. “What the… hey! I found a door!” Called a gruff voice, muffled by the aforementioned door between them. “What? Why in Celestia’s name would there be a door underneath a tree?” Came another, seemingly older voice. “I’m coming down to see this for myself!” Ainz and Sunset locked stares, before rushing towards the door, magic burning across their fingertips. Ainz opened the door, magic forming in front of his hand as a fireball. “Tier One: Flame Blast!” The ball of fire launched out to the guard’s surprised face, his golden armor doing little to protect him as the magic flames latched onto his neck, quickly spreading underneath his armor and burning him alive, Sunset’s levitation magic propelling him up and out of the hole and away from the tree. “What in Tartarus- draw swords!” The voice from before yelled, barely managing to be heard over the agonized screams of the burning guard. Ainz rose from the ground, his hollow eye sockets doing nothing to strengthen the guard’s resolve. Before the Sergeant could speak, Ainz struck first, magic licking off his fingers and attaching to the guard’s armor, thin lines of magic connecting the two. “Gravity Bomb.” Ainz stated coldly, and the guard sergeant crumpled under his suddenly incredibly heavy armor, his arms snapping in two like twigs against the immense weight put on them, before his neck granted him a final mercy by snapping, ending his life quickly. “Sergeant!” One of the two remaining guards cried, before pausing in terror as Ainz appeared right in front of him. He fell backwards, landing on his rear before quickly scrambling away, only to find himself held firmly in Ainz’s magic. The other guard rushed to aid his partner, sword drawn, but was sent flying as a powerful burst of pure magic slammed into him, disintegrating the guard as he flew. “You are going to tell me what you know, or I will end you now.” Ainz growled, tightening his magic grip around the guard’s neck. “How did you find this place?” “W-we were on patrol! I-Initiate Hooker fell into that hole next to the tree, then he flew out on fire!” The guard yelled, glancing at the still burning corpse of Initiate Hooker, sweat coating his face, which was contorted into a very fearful expression. “Are there any other guards in the area?” Ainz growled, and the guard quickly tried to shake his head. Ainz sighed, before clenching his fist, and the guard’s neck compressed with a sickening crack a moment later, before his corpse flopped to the floor. Sunset walked up next to Ainz, looking at the “Sunset, we need to dispose of these corpses before anyone else arrives. Remember the steps I taught you in case this happened?” Ainz said, looking down at his skeletal hand. As Sunset nodded, taking a moment to look down at the corpses, before rushing back into their home, Ainz contemplated his actions. “My first murders… and yet I feel nothing.” He sighed, before grabbing the corpse and dragging it away. “Ainz, we really need to talk about how to deal with other people.” Sunset sighed, watching as the last of the corpses were burned away in the furnace, the magic fire turning even their bones to ash, yet barely gave off any heat. “Oh? And why is that?” Ainz asked, closing the furnace and turning to look at her, dusting off his skeletal hands. “We didn’t have to kill those guards.” Sunset deadpanned. “I could have kept them busy talking while you put on your disguise, and then we could have simply erased their memories of this place.” Ainz paused, before shaking his head. “There is a chance that they would have barriers protecting their mind from all forms of magical interference. We couldn’t risk revealing our existence.” Ainz countered. ”Dammit, I didn’t think of that at all!” Sunset gave him a quick inquisitive look, before sighing, returning to her seat. “I guess that makes sense, but next time we shouldn’t be so hasty.” She returned to eating her food, but paused, lowering her fork and instead pushing the plate away. “Ugh, all that killing has murdered my appetite. You’re on dish duty.” She got out of her seat, quickly walking off to her room. “Of course I am…” Ainz sighed, picking up the plate and tossing her leftovers into the fire with the corpses. “I still wish refrigeration was a thing in this world…” “Oh, and make sure to put them in the proper place! If you don’t, I’m going to see if I can steal one of your leg bones!” Sunset called, before Ainz heard the sound of her door closing behind her. Ainz sighed again, a green light flowing around him, before he moved over to the sink, carrying the plate with him. “The mighty Ainz Ooal Gown, doing dishes… this isn’t any different from my previous life.” He muttered, using a spell to create water. “Waterfall.” He suddenly paused, the water flickering but continuing to flow as an idea struck him. “I wonder… is it possible for me to create an NPC like the ones in Overlord?” a few days later Ainz sat in the ‘library’ area, which was mostly just a majority of the two resident’s books strewn about in neat and tidy piles. He was reading through several spell books, having long since learned how to keep them from burning as he looked at them, and was trying to find any information that could aid him in creating life. He closed and tossed the book away, reaching for another one, when a shockwave shook the underground home, causing books to fall from their places, and fall onto Ainz’s hooded head. Growling, he rose from his alcove, walking towards the door. “Sunset! Was that you?” He called, and the girl appeared around the corner. “No, Ainz. It wasn’t me. Maybe it was an earthquake?” She shrugged, before another shockwave hit, throwing her off her feet, and she soon found herself sprawled across the floor, dazed. “I’m going to go check outside.” Ainz said, and Sunset nodded, before slowly pulling herself off the floor. Ainz pushed open the door, exiting his home. “Fly! He stated, a faint blue light appearing around him, before vanishing. He rose out of the ditch to find at least three dozen guards clad in gold in front of him, their weapons pointed at him. “The Monster has shown itself! Attack!” A guard with a red plume roared, and Ainz’s vision was filled with dozens of magic projectiles hurtling towards him, ranging from fireballs to spears of ice. The projectiles either dispersed or shattered against his ribcage, and finally he could see the guards rushing towards him, swords and axes raised. Ainz shifted out of the way of the first strike, the axehead falling into the ground, and the guard tumbled slightly, giving Ainz ample time to drive his bony fingers into the soldier’s eyes, sending him screeching to the ground in agony, tears of blood trailing down his face. He dodged another strike, bathing the assailant in wall of flames. “For the Princess!” A guard cried, his hands trembling as he stabbed his sword into Ainz’s back, the blade passing through his clothes and ricocheted off of his spine. Ainz flipped around, his eyes glowing bright red as he grabbed the frightful guard by the neck, crushing it in his grip before leaping away. “Sir, this Lich is far stronger than any we’ve seen!” One of the attackers cried, before he was silenced by A shard of ice impaling his throat, deflected by Ainz. “Dammit…” The Sergeant growled, turning around. “Mages! Switch to fire based spells and destroy that damn thing!” The line of guards in the back stiffened, before raising their hands. Bright flames danced in their hands, before launching towards Ainz, and within a moment, Ainz vanished, the flames passing through where he had just been and slamming into the tree. “You would do well to defend your Mages a bit better, Sergeant.” Ainz growled, reappearing in front of the line. “Hell Flame.” A small ball of black and purple flames appeared on the tip of his index finger, slowly making its way over to the terrified mages in front of him. The moment it made contact, the mage burst into flames, frantically grabbing at the other mages, and incidentally catching them aflame as well, his cries of agony soon being joined by a crescendo of similar screams. “R… retreat!” A soldier cried, dropping his weapon and turning to the open fields, soon followed by dozens of his fellow soldiers. Ainz cut through those that stood their ground, magic flying from his hands and burning them alive, freezing them solid, or simply cutting them in two. As the last of the soldiers fled into the treeline that led to Vanhoover, Ainz finally turned to head back to his and Sunset’s home. The tree was on fire, smoke rising from the underground doorway, and Sunset slowly crawled out, coughing and gasping for air as their home burned. “Sunset!” Ainz called, rushing over to his student and helping her up, moving away from the blazing tree. “D...dammit all…” Sunset gasped, balling her hands into fists. “Damn you, Celestia!” Ainz watched her cry out with rage, somewhat stunned at her sudden outburst of anger. He looked back to their burning home, and felt a twinge of sorrow as his and Sunset’s home burned to the ground. Years of memories went up in smoke, and hundreds of years worth of magic spells and books burned away. “Why…?” Sunset asked, anger burning in her eyes like the fire destroying their home. “We’ve done nothing to deserve this… why in Tartarus did the Princess send all those soldiers after us?” “The guard’s we killed earlier must have had a secondary squad deployed further back… or there had been someone further back on the road.” Ainz muttered, before shaking his head. “No, they would have gone to Vanhoover and the Adventurer’s Guild for help if that was the case…” “Celestia…” Sunset growled, shaking off Ainz’s support and stepping forward, though Ainz noticed a slight limp in her step. “She’s responsible for this… she will pay. We will topple her from her throne!” “Sunset, I understand your anger, but we cannot fight an entire nation. We are only two people.” Ainz stated, stepping closer and putting a skeletal hand on her shoulder. “We can just leave Equestria, flee into the western region.” “No, Ainz. We aren’t just two people.” Sunset said, looking at him. “We can build an army of the undead, and conquer Equestria for ourselves.” “But Sunset-“ Ainz began, but was silenced by a glare from Sunset filled with such intense rage the likes Ainz had never yet seen from his student. “No, Ainz. You and I both know that Celestia’s rule has brought nothing but suffering for the poor, while the corrupt rich bathe themselves in splendor. We can, no, we need to overthrow Celestia, for the good of Equestria.” Sunset stated, determination in her eyes. “You are one of the strongest magic users in the world, you could do it.” “I’ll… consider it.” Ainz sighed, turning back to the rising cloud of smoke and ash. “But right now, we need to head into the western regions that have yet to be explored. There, we will have time to plan and prepare.” He turned back to her. “Is that alright with you?” “Fine, Lord Ainz.” Sunset growled, before quickly trying to pacify her building emotions, knowing better than to let them control her. “Let’s go…” > Chapter Five: the Raven Black Hero rises > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few years later Ainz sighed as he entered his home, glancing around curiously. “Sunset, I'm home!” He called, his deep and menacing voice echoing through the underground building. Only the first floor, however. He had dozens of skeletal creatures working on digging out several new floors below Floor eight. “Welcome home, Ainz!” Came the cheerful call of the young woman, who ran up to the disguised skeleton, coming to a full stop in front of him. “How was the trip to Vanhoover?” “Good, I managed to strike a deal with one of the merchants, and managed to acquire us some more food to last till summer.” He removed his mask, placing it next to the door before removing his armored gloves. “Also, apparently the old Adventurers guild has sprung back up again, so I need you to promise me to not attack anyone who wanders too close to the house. Understood?” “Yes, Ainz…” Sunset sighed, grabbing a carrot out of his basket, nibbling on it happily. “And how have things been for you?” The skeleton asked, moving towards the kitchen area to deposit the groceries. “Good, but mostly boring…” Sunset sighed, following Ainz inside. “We haven't managed to get any new spellbooks, so I've had nothing to do!” “Well, next time I'll be sure to get something for you to occupy yourself with.” Ainz said, casting several spells to keep some of the foods refrigerated, before placing them into the container the two used for a fridge. “So, what's for dinner?” Sunset asked, looking up at him as she sat at the table. “Some carrots, potatoes, and a slice of pork… I'll whip something up.” Ainz said, before finishing up putting away the stuff he wouldn't be using right now. The Next Day… At the base of one of the mountains that surrounded Vanhoover’s inland region, the armored warrior stirred. He groaned, lifting an ironclad hand up to his helmet, blocking the glare of the sun from the slit in his helmet as he sat up. “Where… am I?” He asked, examining himself. He wore a suit of dark blue armor with gold lining, covering his entire body in the cold embrace of metal as he stood up, feeling a heavy weight on his back. He reached backwards to find two large broadswords placed into specially designed greaves in the armor to accommodate them, while a bright red cape flowed lightly in the wind. “What am I wearing…?” He muttered, grabbing one of the swords and pulling it out, surprising himself with the ease in which he held the blade. “C’mon, Momonga… what happened to you?” He racked his brain, trying to recall what had happened before all this. “Uh… let's see… I was preparing to go to sleep… and…” He paused, a crucial point connecting in his mind as he soon began attempting to look inside his armor. “W-wait a minute, I'm a girl! Why does my voice sound so…masculine?” The armored identity crisis put their thoughts to the side quickly as they heard strange sounds in the distance, and, telling himself that he'd go back to that train of thought later, rushed to discover the source, hoping for civilization. What he found was a man dressed in a white robe, twirling a wooden staff with ease to combat a small humanoid dog wielding a sword. The man swiftly kicked the dog into a sharp, broken stub on a tree, impaling the creature. After his victory, the man sat down. “U-um, hi?” Momonga called out cautiously, his hand twitching slightly as he subconsciously tightened his grip on his sword. The man turned around as he stood up. Momonga could make out that he had blue hair and eyes, but was young for someone to be fighting with a staff. “Hello. What brings a traveler wearing so much armor out to this area?” “Uh, w-well, I kinda just... woke up nearby…” Momonga replied, unsure of what to say. “Where exactly are we?” “Five miles south of Vanhoover, in Diamond Dog- well, formerly Diamond Dog territory.” The smaller man said in a kind voice. “Do you require a companion? Or do you prefer to travel alone.” “Um, I don't really know where Vanhoover is… so if you, uh, would be kind enough to help me find my way there, I'd be very grateful.” Momonga replied, realizing just how un-feminine his voice was in contrast to his actions, as he lightly fidgeted in place. “Hmm… You seem lost. In more than location. Where are you from, traveler? And can I have a name to go with the armor?” “Momonga… as for where I'm from… I don't really remember.” The ironclad person said, sheathing his sword. “Like I said, I just woke up not far from here.” “Heh, your story sounds a lot like a friend of mine. Perhaps once you get your bearings, you may be interested in joining the Adventurers Guild as a Wood or Bronze member.” The man said. “My name’s Brother Comet Tail, Priest of the Sun.” “Priest of the Sun?” Momonga asked, now more relaxed than earlier. “Adventurers Guild? What are all of those?” “A collection of adventurers. Two types, fighters and explorers or pacifists. The former is exactly what you think it is, those who adventure the slay trolls and dragons, while the latter are for alchemists and map makers. We have a little something for everyone, but we’re mainly a protective agency. And I know how looney it is, but meet the boss and she’ll elaborate… Or if you want to hear a young fool’s half, I could talk your ears off.” “As tempting as that is, I think I'll just talk to the boss…” Momonga chuckled, before gesturing in front of him. “Lead the way, mister priest.” “Please, just Comet Tail.”  The priest said as he gestured for Momonga to follow, showing off that one of his arms were armored. “Sure thing, Comet.” Momonga nodded, before following after him. As they walked, Comet Tail made idle chatter about the surroundings and general trivia about Equestria, and to and extent, Vanhoover. He never spoke of the guild or himself, however. They reached a point where they could see the pristine city not too far away. “And here we are! Vanhoover- oh… Lovely…” Comet said as he noticed several guards surrounding the entrance. “They grew spines and moved here against the mayor's instructions…” “Huh? Are you in trouble with those people or something?” Momonga asked, tensing slightly as he saw them. “No, they’re the royal guard. Vanhoover’s protected by the Adventurers Guild and police. They have no reason to be here.” Comet grumbled. “I may be a priest, but even Celestia can forgive a little bitterness against the new captain, Gabriel.” “So… what do they want?” Momonga asked, drawing his sword. “Nothing to do with us, and as long as they don’t try to absorb the guild into the guard, we’ll be fine.” Comet said, making his way to the city. Once they made it to the entrance, one of the guards halted them. “Halt, we’re looking for a fugitive. She’s highly dangerous, has pink hair and two horns.” One of the guards said stiffly. “Haven’t seen anyone like that around here. I’d have taken her in for the reward.” Comet said. One of the guards snickered at him, which annoyed the Priest. “If you're finished with the interrogation of my friend, we have business to attend to.” Momonga stated blandly, only now realizing that he towered over the guards, and even Comet. “He was guiding me to the Guild, so if you will excuse us.” The guards nodded and parted, allowing the two to enter. After exiting vocal distance, Comet turned to Momonga. “You were pretty intimidating.” “I-I was?” Momonga yelped, before lowering his head. “S-sorry… I didn't mean to be.” “Might as well. Never said I disapproved. An adventurer travels their own path. As long as the damage is minimal, the end game is worth the risk. That’s my life motto.” Comet said. “As long as you don’t kill people, I’m fine with it.” “Right. Those are good words to live by.” Momonga glanced around, observing the other people passing by. “So… which building is the Guild?” “It’s the giant building over there.” Comet pointed to a massive building, at least three stories taller than the other buildings. At the front was a sign advertising the guild with an overly excited little girl shouting into the crowds about the guild and how they can do anything. “Right in here is the mostly glorious guild of over a hundred adventurers in both parts fighting and otherwise.” “Wow… it's a lot bigger than I expected.” Momonga muttered, looking back to Comet. “How about you introduce me to your boss?” “Oh, she’s right there.” Comet pointed at the little girl shouting at the crowd. She had blue hair and wore what Momonga could only assume was a school uniform. “Sayaka! I’d like you to meet someone!” The girl waved and dropped what she was doing before running up to them. “Heya Comet! Was just inspiring the city to support the Adventurer’s Guild!” “Hello, I'm Momonga.” The armored giant standing next to comet said, extending his hand out towards the girl. Sayaka took it excitedly. “It’s wonderful to have you aboard, Momonga! I’m Sayaka Miki, founder of the guild and current number one Platinum member! I see you’ve met the best healer in Equestria.” “Honestly, I’m nowhere near that status. You only call me that because I’m free labor.” Comet jabbed Sayaka’s ribcage causing her to burst out laughing. “Also, why would you need to spread moral? That dragon you slayed over townsquare should’ve been enough.” Miki just shrugged. “W-well, Comet here told me you could tell me about the guild… also something about me having a similar story with a friend of his…” Momonga shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. “He woke up without memory of being in Equestria before.” Comet added, which surprised Sayaka. “So wait, are you from Earth?” The bluette asked. “Um… the name sounds familiar, but… my memories are still really hazy.” Momonga replied, shrugging helplessly. “If that’s the case… Well! We’ll just have to get your memories back! Maybe traveling will bring up some memories!” Sayaka said with a grin. Momonga nodded, looking over to Comet. “So, now what?” “Come on inside, I’ll give you one of the bronze beds until you can earn enough for a house. After that, well… We’ll talk about the guild. Everything else we’ll work on tomorrow.” “I’ll let you two go. You owe this priest for bringing you this far. I’d say a drink would do.” Comet said as he began to make his exit. “All right, bye!” Momonga called, waving as Comet left, before turning back to Sayaka. “Well, I suppose you're my caretaker for now…” “I prefer guide.” Sayaka said. They went into a metal box that had glowing numbers on a pad. Some were brown, some were silver, some were yellow, and seven were blue. “Press any of the brown buttons.” Momonga did as she was told, and pressed the closest brown button. “So… what's this for?” He asked curiously. “Watch.” Sayaka said, before the two were blinded by a bright light. When the light faded from Momonga’s eyes, she say she was on a different story of the building. “I invented the concept a long time ago, and most recently have I implemented it. I call it an elevator.” “Isn't that… something from Earth?” Momonga asked, finding the term was familiar. “Yes. I based it off of it, since Vanhoover’s a mostly old times-y place.” “I see. I'm guessing this isn't very widespread…?” Momonga asked, walking out of the box. “Not really. There are some places in Canterlot that developed legitimate elevators, but I find the magic based one superior.” Sayaka grinned. “So, I'm guessing this is the floor I'll be staying on for now?” The armored human asked, glancing around. “Yes. The bottom floor is where you’ll collect quests, and after you complete five initiate quests we’ll move you up to either Bronze or Wood, depending on the jobs. But you look like a Bronzy to me!” “Probably… but I wouldn't really get my hopes up. I doubt I can fight very well.” “Bronze are fighters. Wood are pacifists. Now, make yourself at home, and we’ll talk later. I have some things to deal with.” Sayaka said. “Right… which one’s my room?” Momonga asked, noting the multiple doors. “Pick one without a name and add your name.” Sayaka simply said with a shrug. “Thanks.” Momonga nodded, glancing at the slates on each door. “Can you help me with a few more things tomorrow?” “You… do you. Trust me, we’ll help you with whatever you need.” Sayaka said, smiling proudly before she left via the “elevator”. Momonga sighed, before finally finding one without a name and, after finding a writing utensil inside, wrote his name down on the slab in the door, before going inside and falling onto the bed, sighing. “Well, I suppose I had better figure out how to take this armor off…” Momonga muttered, looking down at his armored chest. Momonga was risen from his bed at the sound of Sayaka banging at his door. He had been unable to remove his armor last night, so he had given up and slept inside of it. So Sayaka had been slightly surprised to have him open the door in full armor. “Couldn’t get it off?” Sayaka asked, a frown replacing the smile she had before Momonga opened the door. “Unfortunately not. But it doesn’t matter, I managed to sleep rather well despite it.” Momonga nodded. “So, how are we going to start today?” “Well, if you’re going to be adventuring with me, I need to know if that armor’s the only thing keeping you from getting massacred.” The bluette said casually. “So sparring.” “Sparring… alright. Do you have an arena or something for that?” Momonga asked, grabbing his weapons from inside the room. “Backyard’s what we use, it’s very big and perfect for slight alterations to… Well, to put it simply, we put things barricades or non-lethal traps in to make it into whatever we need for training.” “Ah! That’s quite an efficient use of space.” Momonga applauded as he followed Sayaka. The two went through the hallways, down the four flights of stairs until they arrived at ground level. Sayaka took the door to her right, and exited the building, beckoning Momonga to follow. He followed, and found himself in the building’s backyard, some obstacles and barricades of sorts scattered about. “Impressive indeed, for what little space you have.” Momonga said, continuing to follow Sayaka until they reached the middle of the yard. “Alright, let’s see what you got.” Sayaka said, getting into position and drawing her weapon. Momonga followed suit, unsheathing the twin longswords from his back. The two stood there for a moment, eyeing each other warily, before they both lunged forward, and the sparring fight began.