Chapter 46

Not long after Tabula's meeting with the other Gods, he and his apostle sat in the central laboratory. No experiments were planned for the day as everyone awaited his answers. Nfirea in particular sat near his master with an 'I will ask a million questions' expression.

Sazrasas was first to arrive and quickly joined the pair. "I heard a revelation of important news is in order."

"Yes, my friend. You felt it too?"

"Indeed, I did. His voice tried to invade my mind to no avail; the artifact from Yggdrasil did its job magnificently. Although there may be dragons who gave in."

"I see."

"Did I miss anything?" The overly energetic voice of Sophie ended the calm conversation between a God and dragon, as she barged through the doors so fast Nfirea feared she had broken them again.

"No, please calm yourself." Tabula said in a scolding tone.

"I'm sorry, master." Sophie said with an apologetic bow and sat down as well, practically shaking with anticipation.

The last one to arrive was Mariposa. She flashed a warm smile and sat down in her husband's lap, establishing dominance over the rest of his crew with ease.

"You may start, dear." she said with a calm tone, leaning into Tabula.

"Ahm, yes. As some of you already know, the being, known as the Great Old One, has awakened. Our top priority now is to oppose him. It is safe to assume that the underwater empire will strike our nation. Additionally, the outcome of Slane Theocracy's mass slaughter of slaves has granted enough fuel to summon four additional players."

"What is this Great Old One?" Sophie asked. It was the first and the most glaring question she wanted to have an answer for.

"It's the original ruler of the world. His presence is too strong for mortal minds and the result is always the same; madness. Orgies of both sex and violence were far too commonplace in the old empire. Only my kind was strong enough to be in his presence. We were his favorite pets millennia ago."

Sophie's already pale face grew a few shades whiter as she exclaimed, "But…But what can we do? I don't want to be some mindless animal doing who knows what!"

"The influence of my friends and I will work as a countermeasure. Being near me shields you more than the average citizen of the empire, and even they will be relatively safe. Only very weak minds and only those very resistant to our worship are in any danger."

Sophie stood up and dragged her chair closer to Tabula, earning a curious raise of an eyebrow from Mariposa.

'The girl is very afraid to lose herself. I wonder why. What dark desires does she hide from others?'

Sophie noticed the succubus looking at her and quickly turned her gaze elsewhere.

"What of the other two beings mentioned in the meeting?" Nfirea asked, using the uncomfortable silence as his opening.

"I assume you mean Lilith and the traveler. Lilith is an Infernal Lord who has agreed to help us. After I deal with the summoning of my friends, we will plan out the ritual to create her a suitable avatar body." Tabula explained. Not wanting to be interrupted and scolded for talking too much, he tried to keep the answers short.

His wife's presence in his lap was also pleasantly distracting. He could feel both her fear of facing the unkillable abomination and the excitement of meeting the Great Mother once again.

"What's an Infernal Lord?"

"Infernal Lords stand above Gods. If you consider that copies of identical Gods exist in many realities then the nature of an Infernal Lord is rather clear. It is a higher dimension amalgamation of the same God. For example, Lilith exists in countless realities and many of them are the part of greater self all forming the one singular being…"

Tabula stopped realizing that Nfirea was looking at him like a three-year-old who had advanced mathematics explained to him. As brilliant as the boy was, he had no understanding of the terms the God of Knowledge just used. A far simpler analogy was needed.

"If you take a tree for an example. Each leaf would be a separate God and the Infernal Lord would be the tree holding them. We, as beings of lesser existence, can only interact with individual leaves, but the entire tree would be aware of the experience the single leaf had with us."

"Hmm, it is safe to assume that this Lilith may hold the knowledge that will be instrumental in our victory." Sazrasas remarked.

"Unfortunately, she didn't know how to kill the Great Old One when we last spoke with her, but the Great Mother is cunning. She could help us find a way to neutralize the abomination." Mariposa said with a clear reverence in her voice.

"What about the other one, the traveler?" Nfirea asked.

Tabula's and Mariposa's expressions darkened at the mere mention of the word, as Tabula spoke. "The less you know about them the better. Travelers are unbound by the laws of reality and can do whatever they please. It's best not to even think about such beings."

"But what do we do if we need to face one?" Nfirea asked a follow-up question. He had seen his master annoyed or angry before but the expression on his face chilled him to the bone. There was something off about those beings and he needed to know how to face them and if need be, to protect those he cares about from them.

"Nothing. We can't pose any meaningful opposition to them. The best cause of action might be to reject the deals they offer, although from what I understand it might be impossible as they are master manipulators and know when to offer something no one can resist."

If there was a moment when he wished to know less, then it was now. The concepts of beings that even Gods could not oppose was far too much for him to wrap his head around. An Infernal Lord was already something he could not properly imagine, and if there was far above that and the existence was much more complex than countless worlds and afterlives, he could not even begin to fathom just how vast reality truly was.

"It's best not to overthink such matters, Nfirea. Concentrate on the steps you can take and don't try to see the end of the stairs. When it comes to understanding deeply abstract topics, it is best to get proper knowledge of simpler things before moving on. Only madness awaits those who reach beyond what their minds could understand." Tabula spoke with a kind, fatherly tone.

It was a mistake he had made more than once, barely escaping with his mind intact. Nfirea was much more careful than him and so he didn't have to worry too much about him. The boy was almost like a son to him. He and Mari acted as godparents to Nfirea and Enri, and often found the young couple in need of their advice.

The boy seemed to take his advice to heart as he offered the God a small nod after a moment of silent contemplation. Sazrasas, on the other hand, was ready to explore the wider existence with insatiable curiosity. As a dragon, he was likely much more resistant to the various mind-shattering dangers that lurked just beyond the threshold.

With at least some explanations given, Tabula could turn his attention to the next set of business, namely, the summoning of his friends. The soul-gathering crystals were all safely returned to the underground vault hidden deep beneath the laboratory and were ready to be emptied, and the sooner the better.

Unlike the previous times when he performed this feat, doing so alone in the past, this time Nfirea would be his assistant and see how the summoning process worked. Just as he announced his intention, Mariposa dragged her fingers over his tentacles saying in a low voice "Don't stay away for too long, I'll be waiting."

"Of course, my dear." Tabula responded after shuddering from the pleasant sensation. She always knew how to push the right buttons. With a graceful movement, she got up from Tabula's lap and walked away with a devious smile on her face.

Tabula leaned back in his chair, preparing to leave his body as his apprentice did the same, while Sophie sat near them with envy oozing out of her. Despite her best efforts, she was still unable to perform the astral projection, and that aggravated her to no end. She hadn't grasped the mindset of being fully alert but not too excited to actually perform the feat.

The dragon, on the other hand, had his own interests to pursue and quickly departed to his own personal testing area.

Tabula quickly stepped out of his physical body, arriving in his personal astral dwelling, with Nfirea showing up moments later. The boy had been there before during his training and had no problem locating it.

"We can start." Tabula said, waving his hand as a golden ball with many thin threads appeared in front of him. "This is an anchor. I have found the rest of the players beforehand and marked them down. We start with this one, be ready to follow me." his slim fingers grasped a single thread.

"I am ready, master. Where are we going?"

"To the world from where I and the other players came from."

To see the polluted, wasted homeworld was not the most pleasant experience, but he was far too used to it, and his apprentice needed to see it as well.

Both appeared in the middle of the street as cars zoomed past and even through them. Nfirea flinched as one harmlessly went through his astral form. He looked around at the figures walking in protective suits, at the countless flashing ad signs, and at the dark ominous sky.

"Master, this is…" he searched for the most diplomatic term to describe what he was seeing and not offend the God.

"Poisoned, destroyed. This world is beyond saving by those who live in it, despite all the wonders they can create."

"I don't understand."

"We were not Gods here. This… hell is where my previous physical form dwelled. The form I possess now came from a smaller world created within. If we ever find a way to come here, in the flesh, this world will be cleansed and rebuilt."

"Can something like this happen to our world?"

"We will prevent it. Technology is not the problem by itself. It is the greed of short-sighted leaders that plunged this world into darkness."

Nfirea looked at his master. The brain eater's face was not the easiest to read but Nfirea could see that his master felt ashamed of the state of this world. He looked away from Tabula and saw the figures hiding in the side street. Their suits were old and too worn down to properly protect the wearers. Their exposed skin was covered with blisters.

'No better than Re-Estize before the Gods came to rule over it.'

"Come, I located our target. He lives nearby."

"Yes, master." Nfirea quickly responded, following the God.

'Find a way to this world to cleanse and rebuild it. How many such dark worlds are out there? Maybe I should make explorations of my own. Master surely isn't against it.'

Both entered a tiny apartment and looked around. No one was home.

"Looks like we need to shift time." Tabula remarked and waved his hand.

At first, Nfirea didn't see any change but then the door swiftly opened and a large man flew in. Within a blink of an eye, he was out of the protective suit and sat in a small kitchen chair devouring a meal. It was clear that time flew by in an accelerated motion as hours in the physical realm took only minutes to pass.

A woman arrived as well and the pair got in bed. Nfirea quickly turned away, not wanting to peep on their private time as his master just pushed time forward, not particularly caring about what was happening in front of him. Then the woman stormed past him, grabbed her protective gear, and left the apartment in a hurry.

It took about a minute for the large man to fall asleep. Tabula quickly shifted the scene, invading the man's dream. Both stood in the arena as the man battled someone with a sword.

"This will take too long." Tabula said and with a motion of his hand erased the man's opponent.

"What?"

"Takegawa, I have come with an offer." Tabula said, walking closer to the man.

"Offer? You look familiar… Wait a minute this is from Yggdrasil…Tabula Smaragdina, you son of a bitch" Takegawa shouted and pointed the sword at him. "Come face me!"

"I am sorry my friend, but that will have to wait. You are in a dream right now and time is of the essence."

"Dream?" He asked, confused as the scenery blurred and started to disappear.

Tabula, unconcerned, stabilized it again. "Yes. We need you. The world we occupy is in grave danger and we need your strength, Warrior Takemikazuchi."

"Huh, wait a minute, If this is a dream…man, don't confuse me. What is going on?"

"This is not just a dream. If you agree you will be transported to a different world and remade into your avatar."

Takegawa looked at him for a moment unsure how to even respond. Everything felt too real to be just a dream. If what Tabula said was true, he would jump at the opportunity, but a game avatar made the whole thing just silly. Then again he had heard some of the old guild members had died in mysterious circumstances.

Then it clicked. "Wait, wait, am I going to die?"

"Your old form will be left behind, yes."

"Yui...shit, she left me…that…argh. Look, man, explain all this in simpler terms. I am not signing anything until I know what is really going on."

Breaking up with his long-term girlfriend was not a surprise as she wanted kids and he didn't. Why they stayed together so long was beyond him, but with her gone, so was the last reason to stay. If there was a place where he could be more than just a human, he was not about to just pass it.

"When Yggdrasil ended, Buku, Pero, Ulbert, Momonga, and I were transported to another world as our avatars. I urge you to embrace it as well."

Nfirea just stood a distance away trying to wrap his head around what was going on. The whole astral anchor and transportation ritual was not that hard and he could perform it himself, but why was this player a human? He was under the impression that they were looking for a Nephilim, which was a giant monstrous creature.

{ Nfirea my, apprentice. I see your confusion. All players were humans once. Even my form was created in a world within a world. You may look at a human now, but the powerful player we seek is within his mind and will be recreated. } Tabula sent a message to him.

A world within a world. What a strange concept. It meant this race of players had created smaller realities to escape the hell they were living in. The nightmarish adversity they lived in made them perform feats of Gods while living like mortals. Nfirea thought he had a basic understanding of what was going on, but more information was needed. He surely could ask his master for a deeper explanation later.

"You are not pulling my leg right now?" Takegawa asked Tabula.

"No. If you agree, you will become what is within you."

"I guess…You know what? Sure… But if it turns out to be boring, I'm kicking your ass."

"Your rebirth as Warrior Takemikazuchi begins." Tabula exclaimed and the scene shifted again. He and Nfirea stood by the soul collector. Tabula made the ritual circle with his mind and raised his hand, with his apprentice observing and learning the ritual.

The human form from before appeared in the middle of it in a trance state, twisting and changing, growing larger and much stronger. The power was palpable around it as a million souls encircled it, slowly being absorbed into the form. When the last final one jammed itself into the massive Nephilim, he disappeared. Tabula held a thin thread in his hand saying.

"It is done. He is in Roble. We can return to our bodies, Nfirea."

"Yes, master." the boy said, and quickly returned to his physical form.

Sleepily opening his eyes, he saw the familiar laboratory and let out a long breath. His Master had shown him how to transport and reshape souls. A knowledge no mortal should possess. The revelation quickly caused another question to arise. Was he even a mortal anymore? With an infinite lifespan and the master's promise to be resurrected on the off chance something kills him, Nfirea could consider himself immortal and standing above what was considered a human.

"Rest a bit. We are going after the next target soon." Tabula said as he stood up and teleported away.

Nfirea stretched and did the same before Sophie could assault him with questions. Same as his master, he planned to spend some time with his wife who lately was grumpy from the lack of his attention.

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

With the onslaught of the new knowledge presented in the meeting, Renner could not wait to talk with her God. Summoning additional gods, strange beings called Infernal Lords, and travelers, her horizon of what existed was expanded once again.

With nervous anticipation, she knocked on Lord Ulber's office door and immediately was greeted by the master's head assistant, Melibourius.

"Ah Renner, just in time as always. Please come in."

"Thank you." She responded with a charming smile. The old habits of putting up appearances did their work as the demon stepped aside with a smirk.

"...Twelve cases thus far. The affected ones revel in the treatment they receive no matter how damaging." Demiurge's polite pleasant voice caught her attention.

'The predicted effects are already that noticeable. This may cause a change of strategy. I wonder what Lord Ulbert has planned.' Renner quickly approached God and his son. Both sat at the end of a long table looking over a pile of reports.

"Lord Ulbert, Lord Demiurge." She said with a quick bow and sat beside Demiurge, quickly skimming over the reports sitting at the top of the piles.

The most affected were the small villages and the prisoner population. The places and people far away from the Gods. There was one report about the situation in Robble but it firmly sat under a few other papers and the Apostle didn't dare to pull it out without permission.

'If only I could…'

"Renner, you can read them. If I wanted to hide something from you, it would not be sitting on the table."

"Thank you, my Lord." Once again she didn't account for God's ability to look into her mind. By all means, it was a small mistake and would not compromise her in any way. After all, one of her deepest desires was to be the best servant Lord Ulbert could ask for.

Quickly skimming over the pile of reports she noticed a clear pattern. Most cases of cult activity were close to the shores of the coastal nation. Not surprising considering that this so-called Great Old One resided somewhere deep under the sea.

'Even the churches of the new Gods help to prevent the spread of opposition.'

"My lord, wouldn't it be beneficial to rapidly spread the worship of you and the other Gods in Roble?" Renner asked.

"If we had more time, yes it would, but in the current situation, we would just make additional problems by enforcing another religion in an already rather fanatical kingdom. Better to let them cull their own. Especially if we can accuse any opposition we need to get rid of." Demiurge said.

'A perfect disguise for false flag operations. My master's presence in Roble is rather minimal. If I could…'

"You will put your attention to keeping our own territories stable." Ulbert said to Renner, interrupting any possible plans before they even took root in her mind.

"As you wish my Lord. I will put all my effort into cleansing our own lands."

'But who will organize the operations in Roble? Lord Demiurge surely will have more important things to do.'

"My Lord, if I may?"

"Sure. The ones taking care of Roble should arrive any moment."

'Who could…? No. I must be patient and not disturb Lord Ulbert by thinking about it.'

Renner turned her attention back to reports, particularly the ones concerning Re-Estize and Baharuth.

'I could make appearances in the most problematic areas and do some work on their primitive minds. The small scattered settlements would still cause concern. I wonder if I could summon demons with similar abilities to mine. By all means, they should exist.'

With a swift motion, Renner took a sheet of paper and started scribbling down some of the priorities. First, of course, was the research into demons. A consultation with an archdemon should be enough and not that hard to arrange. The next step would be the public slander of cultists. Even if they were already not particularly liked, additional made-up atrocities would escalate the participation of citizens in exposing them.

The involvement of other Apostles was not only necessary but also beneficial to strengthen their bonds. It was the perfect opportunity to work on Lakuys' perception. She was still naive enough to be manipulated into having a more positive opinion of her.

While she silently worked, Lord Ulbert and Lord Demiurge continued discussing their own plans. It had little to do with her, as their priority was the integration of four new Gods and the development of safeguards against the Infernal Lord, Lilith.

'It is safe to assume it will be impossible to trick or manipulate this Lilith.'

A quick realization made her alter the current plan. Above all, Renner needed to learn to control her thought process perfectly. If there was even the smallest possibility that Lilith could read her mind, it was paramount to not give any sensitive information to her by accident.

At the same time, she knew better than to even attempt to hide anything from Lord Ulbert. Although she was trusted, any sort of duplicity towards her master would threaten her position as the Apostle of Trickery, and no amount of potential benefits outweighed the possible loss of her current status.

How exciting it was to consider all the possible angles of approach. Her life was so much more exciting ever since she made the best choice in her life and became the servant of Lord Ulbert.

With a subtle smile, Renner continued to write down her plan of action as there was a knock on the door. She quickly looked up just as Melibourius let two figures in. The first one, which she recognized immediately, was Hilma. The second woman closely following was unknown to her.

She looked rather nervous, but by her body language, it was safe to assume she was not subservient to Hilma. Both newcomers bowed and took their seats at the Lord's request.

"Welcome to the Empire of Nazarick, Kelart. As I understand it, this is your second visit." Ulbert said, answering Renner's curiosity about who the woman was.

'Kelart... Oh, she is the high priestess of Roble! How interesting. The clergy surely would fall under my Lord's domain.' A good priest is a politician and a cutthroat by nature.

"Thank you, my lord. I prepared the list of targets as you requested." Kelart said with a slight bow of the head as she handed over a scroll.

To be in the presence of the infamous God of Trickery was an interesting experience for sure. Her friend's rule needed to be ensured, especially considering the recent events. The coastal cities were under daily attacks from various sea monsters and the Slane army was practically at their doorstep. If not for Nazarick, Queen Calca would not keep her crown in the rising turmoil.

The southern provinces were in open rebellion and needed to be culled. As Calca's and her unease grew, one of the Gods extended his helping hand towards them, one that could use methods hidden from the public.

"Excellent. Is the Paladin order prepared to switch their faith?" Ulbert asked.

"The majority are receptive to the idea. Most have already fought side by side with Nazarick's volunteers and the first seeds of the true faith are sown." Kelart said.

"Then work on converting the grandmaster. I need him fully on our side as fast as possible. Those who are against Nazarick need to be discredited and removed from the order or sent on suicide missions."

'Suicide mission. Those are good men and women, they just need to realize the truth. A shame to waste them, but orders are orders.'

"It shall be done, my Lord." Kelart said. If her sister could be tossed in prison, so could any other paladin as well.

Satisfied with her answer, Ulbert turned his attention to the blonde woman sitting beside her. "Hilma, you can order your agents to start spreading the propaganda. Any potential opposition needs to be silenced."

"The Eight Fingers are ready to start their work, Lord Ulbert." Hilma responded in an enthusiastic voice with a wide smile.

'So the leader of the crime syndicate serves the dark God and is a fanatic on top of that. I need to be careful around this one.'

After receiving a folder with orders, the blonde woman left. With the only other human besides her gone, her unease grew. Being in the presence of a God was stressful as is. What scared her the most was the former Re-Estize royalty. There was something seriously wrong with her. The young woman's subtle smile was just as cold as her piercing blue eyes.

"Renner, could you return the high priestess back to her home?"

'Why her? Get it together. She is an Apostle. Befriending her is beneficial.'

Kelart quickly returned her expression to a pleasant smile and stood up with a bow. All she needed to do was to leave a good impression. Quickly following Renner, she left Lord Ulbert's office.

"I have heard of you, Kelart."

"Good things I hope."

Renner smiled as she walked beside the priestess "You would be better fitted to serve Lord Ulbert than to be a direct follower of Emperor Ainz."

Was there some sort of infighting? She had to be very careful if that was the case.

"You can worship as many Gods as you like of course. I am speaking of more practical direct servitude. Your Queen would serve the Emperor and you be her second in command, dealing with everything that needs to remain in the shadows."

'Oh, that's what she meant. I have to agree that Calca can be too soft sometimes. This monster is well informed. I must be vigilant around her.'

"My place is to be beside my Queen and aid her to the best of my ability."

From what she knew about the Apostle of Trickery, few could match her in a game of wits, but as someone who had watched the Queen's back for years, she was not so easily pushed around as well.

"My, this will be interesting." Renner remarked with a smirk. "For now, let us agree to work together on the common goal of benefiting the Empire."

'Benefiting the Empire. So that is my next task. Roble must become part of the Empire. Should be easy enough once the opposition is eliminated and Slane's armies arrive.'

"Indeed, such a goal unites us. Would an Apostle have advice for a mere priestess?"

"Don't use flattery. It will do you no good around the followers of Lord Ulbert."

Maybe giving such a vital piece of information was a risk, but her intuition told her that the priestess was someone worth putting faith in. More Gods were coming, and they will need their most devoted. Maybe one of them would find a perfect servant in the young high priestess. If not, she would be an excellent servant for Lord Ulbert.

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

Takemikazuchi blinked as a small village came into view. Some kind of commotion was going on further ahead. The human turned to him and with a scream ran away.

'Where am I? What happened?' Everything was so confusing. He went to sleep. Had a weird dream with game characters and now he was here.

'Is this still a dream? I can think clearly. The light is kind of bright. What is that smell?' He instinctively looked at his hands. They looked a bit weird, almost like…

"Wait a minute. This is my old game avatar!"

"Monster!" someone screamed. Takemi chose to ignore it for now. The first order of business was to understand what was going on.

'I agreed to this, right? Tabula…Dream…Why does it feel so real? Eh, better just play along for now.'

His attention fell to a commotion nearby. A group of humans fought weird-looking sea creatures. By all means, being near humans as a heteromorph was bad, but this wasn't a game so he could at least go talk to them before choosing which side to help. Besides, he lacked a weapon and equipment.

Quickly locating the leader Takemi walked in his direction.

"What is that?" A plate-clad warrior shouted to one who seemed their leader. The man was tall and strongly built, clad in dark armor with a strangely familiar crest painted on the chest piece.

'Where have I seen it? I'll figure it out later. I better say something before they gang up on me.'

"Hello, humans..."

'That was lame. Oh, I know, I will offer help to deal with the beasts. They clearly are some thrash mobs, not players.' "I could provide assistance if any of you has a spare weapon."

The man turned to him and stared for a moment. There was more of a look of curiosity and confusion on his face.

'I just asked a human to give me a weapon. I am so out of it. Of course he will not give me one.

"Cover me while I deal with this." The man shouted to his companions while splitting in half a large crablike creature. Once he was free to turn his attention to the giant beside him, he asked "Who are you, stranger?"

"I am… Warrior Takemikazuchi. I seem to be lost."

"A warrior…I am Gazef Stronof, we are fighting these mindless sea monsters on behalf of Lady Bukuma. You are in The Holy Kingdom of Roble."

"I see. Who is this Lady Bukuma? That name sounds familiar."

"She is the high commander of armies belonging to the Empire of Nazarick."

"Nazarick! Do you work for Ainz Ooal Gown then?"

"Yes. We all serve the emperor as well."

'He? No matter.'

"I am from Nazarick as well. Hey, Gazef, could you lend me a weapon? I could use a good warmup. Looks like these crawlies are giving you and your men some trouble."

Gazef hesitated for a moment and then handed his backup sword to the giant. If there was a small chance this was some previously unseen Nazarick's higher up, it was better to do what he asked. Besides, his instinct screamed not to anger the monstrous creature before him.

"A bit small but it will do." Takemi remarked, feeling up the weapon in his hand.

'Time for a warm up.'

With a swift motion, he closed the distance between him and a bipedal fishlike creature. and cut off its head with a single motion. Not wasting any time, Takemi moved to the next target, dispatching it just as quickly. Feeling the rush of adrenalin, he just picked up the pace. Opponent after opponent fell by his blade.

First ten, then fifteen, the body count went up fast. Too bad the fun ended as there were no more living creatures besides the humans left.

"A decent blade. Not what I would use regularly, but it did its job well." Takemi said, handing back the sword to Gazef.

"Thank you for your assistance."

"Don't mention it. Now, can you tell me more about Nazarick?"

He needed to know more. The strange feeling that this wasn't a dream didn't leave him. What if it really happened and he was his old game avatar in some strange world? Surely it was his friends who ran Nazarick then. But who was calling himself Ainz Ooal Gown and who was this Lady Bukuma? It surely sounded awfully similar to Bukubukuchagama.

"Didn't you tell me you were from Nazarick?"

"Well yeah…"

"There you are Takemi!" a woman's voice shouted from behind. Before he could react the small group of warriors kneeled. Swiftly turning around he saw a good-looking elven woman clad in plate armor.

"Hey, there sweetheart! Do I know you?"

"It's me Buku."

"Wait a minute. You were a slime…"

"Yes, I was." Buku growled back before he could finish his sentence.

"Sorry, was that a secret?"

Buku let out an annoyed sigh and said. "Not really, I would prefer if you didn't shout out to everyone though. Anyway, good to see you."

"Same. Is this real?"

"Didn't Tabula explain to you anything before summoning?"

"Ohh, it is real. I'll be damned."

Buku just shook her head and then started to take out from her inventory various pieces of armor. "Here, let's gear you up."

"My old set." Takemi exclaimed while putting on the armor. "Do you have my weapon as well?"

"I have only Takemikazuchi MK 8 for you. It wouldn't be fair to take your gift away from Cocytus." Buku said to her friend and then addressed the still kneeling warriors. "You all may rise, good job."

"MK 8 will do just fine. By the way, what is going on? What is this world?"

"There is a lot to explain. Come, let's go to the imperial castle, and I will explain everything."

"Sure thing." Takemi said, following Buku through the portal.

Gazef couldn't believe that he just met another player. This time at least it wasn't a life or death situation, as his small regiment could easily dispatch the sea creatures, and if there would be any trouble he was authorized to retreat and call for reinforcements.

There was something particular about this new player. Despite his monstrous appearance, he saw a kindred spirit in him.

Bonus Story - Sisters.

It must have been weeks since she last spoke with anyone. Remedios sat in her tiny dirty bed, looking out of the small hole in the wall that served as a window. There was no point in doing anything anymore. This was her life now, a fate of a forgotten traitor.

She knew now that the punishment was not the tiny cell or the disgusting food, not even the disgusting state she was in. The real punishment was the anguish she felt for her actions. In her zealous devotion to the Four Gods, she had attacked two of the closest people she had in her life.

Her own sister and her beloved Queen. They had sold themselves to the monsters. Or so it seemed. Maybe it wasn't the outward appearance that made one a monster? She surely had done something that a true monster would do.

The guard put the plate with her daily meal on the small sill in the door. Strangely he didn't push it too far as usual and for one she would have a meal that wasn't stained with the dirt.

She quickly jumped at the opportunity and snatched the plate.

"Eat fast, prisoner. You are going to the washing area in ten minutes." the guard said through the door.

'Why are they so nice all of the sudden? Has my sister or the Queen done something to warrant this?'

Thanking her unknown benefactor, she quickly devoured the porridge and awaited the guards with chains. Even without her equipment, she was strong enough to overpower multiple guards with relative ease and thus too dangerous to move around unchained.

Ten minutes later the door opened and the guard barked.

"Come prisoner, and do not make sudden moves!"

With no other option but to follow the order, Remedios stood up and walked out of her cell for the first time in weeks. The six plate-armored guards led her to the first floor of the prison. Her walk ended in a rather large room with a well in the middle.

One of the guards handed her a fresh set of clothing and said. "You have ten minutes to wash yourself. Move!"

Of course, they would not give her any privacy. Although it didn't matter to her, she was considered very beautiful. Remedios tried to ignore the predatory gazes as she soaped up and scrubbed off the layer of grime. Her body was not tainted by a man before and she intended to keep it that way, even if all six guards attempted anything.

Luckily, they didn't try anything else besides watching her. The cold water felt so good on her skin. To be clean again felt like a gift from whoever was merciful enough to give her this luxury.

Once she returned back to her cell, it was obvious that it was cleaned as well. Even the bed had a fresh set of linen bed sheets.

There was no need to wonder for long as to what was the reason for all this as a lone visitor came into her cell. "Hello, my dear sister. How are you doing?"

"Kelart!" she exclaimed and jumped to her feet to embrace her sister.

"Don't come closer!" Kelart said in a threatening tone.

"I… Sorry." Remedios said, taking a few steps back. The reaction was understandable. The last time they talked, she was attacked by her after all.

"Why have you come?"

"Can't I visit my sister?"

"You can. Thank you for coming." Remedios said, looking away. The guilt of her misdeeds flared up again, making her unable to even face her sister.

"How are you doing?" Kelart asked in a gentler tone. Despite everything, Remedios was still her family. The state the common prisoners were held in was horrid to say the least. She could barely stand the stench. It was a fair guess that the cell her sister was held in was cleaned just before her visit.

"I am fine…"

"Proud as always."

"What? Do you want me to beg for a better cell?" Remedios asked, looking away. "I know what I did and what I deserve, 'dear sister'. Anyone else in my position would have gotten the rope."

"No, I just hoped you would have at least thought about your actions."

'Thought about my actions… I have done nothing else.' Her anger grew. Her own sister didn't even consider the possibility that she had already realized her mistakes.

"I have done nothing else other than regretting what I have done!" Remedios shouted. "What pride could be left in me living in this?!" She waved her hands around the tiny cell "...my own filth. Just say what you have to say, and let me rot away here as I deserve!"

It was her sister's short temper that made Kelart take another step back. This time Remedios didn't unleash her anger on Kelart, but the target of her rage was herself.

'She could not have faked this outrage to save her life. She understands what she has done! She has learned from her mistake!'

"Sister, I could talk with the Queen, get you better conditions."

"Don't! I don't deserve it." Remedios said, sitting down on the bed and looking away.

"As you wish. I will visit you again soon. If you have anything to say to your Queen. You can write a letter." Kelart said, walking out of the cell. With quick orders to keep her sister in decent conditions and let her write letters, she left this place of misery.

Edited by Edgy.