A heavy storm hung over the city of Kami Miyako and the coastline upon which it was built, blotting out the sunlight that often danced atop its roofs of alabaster and obsidian, ruby and aquamarine, emerald and sapphire, and dulling the water's blue brilliance to a drab grey. Kami Miyako sat on a small peninsula of land jutting out into an inland sea. Its streets were dimmed in a veil of cloud, fog, and rain, contrasting to the usually warm and clear autumn months. Only three days had passed since the declaration of war by the Sorcerer Kingdom and its allies and vassals, and already the city was bustling with liturgies to the Six, the din of soldiers arming themselves for battle, the ritual summoning of angels, the stocking of supplies for a long siege, and the evacuation of non-combatants. Those were few in number, for shame would be laid upon them if they did not take up arms in the name of the Six Great Gods.

Kami Miyako was divided into several districts, the innermost and the greatest of which was understandably the Sacred District. Here dwelt the Pontifex Maximus, the Cardinals, the Miko Princesses, and the members of the Scriptures. Here was stored the true glory of the Theocracy. It needed not the extravagant pomp and circumstance of its ceremonies or bedazzling structures of precious stones. Held deep in the consecrated vaults of the Treasury, wherein it was said no evil heart could beat nor wicked eyes see, was power enough to slay demon and god alike, left to them by the Six of old.

While the artifacts within the Treasury were potent and could only be matched by the Wild Magic of the Dragon Lords, the Six Great Gods left humanity a far greater gift than some mere trinkets and items. They gave humanity their seed, taking spouses to themselves and creating children who bore their sacred blood. Known as the God-kin, these demigods wielded the power to cast down dragons and ruin empires. As such their power was rarely called upon. The power of the greatest of the God-kin had never been demonstrated before. Born an unwilling union between a God-kin and the late Elven King, the mightiest God-kin was granted the title of Extra Seat of the Black Scripture, serving as their last resort, their ultimate weapon. Deploying her to the field would be seen as an act of war. She was pale like a diamond, with hair reaching down to her upper back, black on the left, silver on the right. Her eyes were also mismatched, black on the right, silver on the left. No true name was given her, as perhaps she herself had forgotten it. All knew, however, that her presence was Certain Death.

She had whiled away most of her life guarding the Treasury, as she did on that bleak and dreary day. She leaned against the wall of the First Ward, the Ward of Life. In her hands was a small cubical puzzle, another gift of the Gods, apparently made by one of their own kind. The Cube of Rubik. She spent her hours there, trying to arrange the six colored sides to match. Two was easy enough now, but she could not get three sides to be a solid color.

Between solving the Cube of Rubik, Certain Death had little else to do guarding the Treasury. Her father had been murdered several years before, a rather shocking affair involving his nature to take what and who he wanted, and a timid elven blonde, no more than seventy-two, carrying a wooden staff and wearing white. Apparently, the Elven King made his move, the girl defended herself, and after the battle, the elven maids spent rest of the week scrubbing the late King's brains from the walls, ceiling, and floor. What's more, the girl even had a brother of the same age. At least now Certain Death knew there were people who could at least challenge her in this world.

Certain Death rubbed her stomach beneath her loose white sweater, gleefully imagining the god-like children she could give to the elf boy should he beat her in a battle. The great doors to the Vault swinging open disrupted her fantasy. A solitary figure entered, one of the eight authorized to approach her at all. Tall and pale and youthful, with long black hair, the Captain of the Black Scripture leaned his spear over his armored pauldron. His other arm had tucked his great helmet beneath his armpit. He's cute, but he's no match for me.

"Does Rubik still frustrate you?" he asked, politely.

"Afraid so. But no matter. So… we're at war with the magic caster who fought the Sunlight Scripture, the Archfiend, my father, and the Dragon Lords? The Sorcerer King, is it?"

"Yes. All the Scriptures have been marshalled in the city. War was declared three days ago, but we have yet to see any sign of the Sorcerer King or his forces."

"I would like a go at this Sorcerer King. He seems quite strong."

"He may be."

"And if he is? What do the Cardinals have planned?"

"Guerilla warfare. The Slane Theocracy will not suffer have its own Katze Plains if we can help it. If we cannot stop the Sorcerer King here, we will retreat south into the mountains, the desert if needs be, fighting his forces every step of the way."

"Oh? Is that all? Quite sad."

"I have been sent to retrieve the first Four Legacies, and all the Holy Artifacts."

"Ah… of course you have."

{Some short distance from Kami Miyako...}

The coast near Kami Miyako was dotted with low rolling hills, filled with farmland, the breadbasket on which the Holy City sustained itself. Those farmsteads and field had been evacuated recently, given the state of war between the Sorcerer Kingdom and the Theocracy, and even then it was winter, so there was no grain or crops to worry about for the time.

A [Gate], a magic door to another place, opened, and through it stepped the Sorcerer King and his entourage of Guardians and vassals. Ainz wore the same radiant white robes he had worn to receive the Holy Kingdom envoy all those years ago, appearing like an Angel of Death, majestic and radiant. Along with his Guardians, Albedo and Shalltear, the latter wearing her elegant white dress and mask, Cocytus and Demiurge, in his half-demon, frog-like form, Aura and Mare, there also came the two members of Darkness, Momon the Black Knight and Nabe the Sorceress, as well as the former Imperial Wizard Fluder Paradyne, now Ainz's informal apprentice, and also the leaders of the Sorcerer Kingdom's many vassal states and allies; Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix of the Baharuth Empire, High Chieftain Pe Riyuro of the Quagoa, Mayor Enri Bareare of Carne, the archer and orator Neia Baraja of the Holy Kingdom, Marquis Elias Raeven, and the wielder of the magic sword Frost Pain, Zaryusu Shasha. The Dwarves were exempted from attendance to continue producing runic weapons, as was the Elves to the south, as their government was still recovering from its late despotic ruler.

He raised his bony hand, and circles of bright shining runes and incantations surrounded him. A column of light shot into the sky. He reached into his inventory, drawing out a cash shop item to shorten the casting time of the Super-Tier magic. He held the small hourglass in his other hand, fiddling with it, while the other hand was still raised to the heavens. The complex circles of light and enchantments slowly revolved around him. He did not feel the magic target show him anyone automatically. No Players.

"Ainz-sama!" said a voice, pleading in tone.

"Useless scum! You interfere in the work of the Supreme One, and you have spoken His name without leave!" roared Albedo. Two people struggled against each other for a moment. He turned, seeing Neia Baraja kneeling immediately to his left, eyes cast down to the earth, with the Pure-White Devil looming over her in murderous fury, her dark weapon 3F in hand. CZ Delta held her rifle in a guard position, interposing herself between the Overseer and Neia. CZ would stand no chance in a fight against Albedo, given that the former had less than half of the levels Albedo did. "How dare you oppose me, Delta! This is-"

"Albedo! Stand down!" he said. She bowed her head in shame, retreating a few paces to contemplate her error. Three minutes until the casting of the spell. "Ms. Baraja. You have three minutes until I cast this spell. Speak quickly."

"Ainz-sama, Your Majesty. If it pleases You, Lord, let us lowly servants and vassals prove our worth to You. I beseech You, Ainz-sama, save Your strength for more dangerous foes. Let us fight this war on Your behalf! Let us show them Your Justice, Ainz-sama!" The other vassals spoke up as well, some perhaps enthralled by the music of the Faceless One's voice.

"Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, if you implement this suggestion, I will pledge all eight Imperial Legions and two auxiliary Legions in one week's time!" exclaimed the Emperor. Two birds with one stone, as the divine proverb goes. Not only would our loyalty be beyond question by fighting a war on his behalf, but I would also be able to stop unnecessary bloodshed, he thought. I might be able to convince a large portion of the Theocracy's more valuable inhabitants to defect to us.

"Emperor Jircniv, my friend in peace, and my brother in war! Where you and your people fight, so too shall I," said Pe Riyuro, setting his hand on the Emperor's shoulder.

"Let me gather even just fifty of my people, and we will show what we are made of! As we fought for our old way of life against Cocytus-sama, so will we fight for You, God of Death!" pledged Zaryusu.

"I will do anything His Majesty asks of me," said the Marquis forlornly. "Anything for peace and prosperity. All that I have is yours."

"Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, you saved Carne Village, Enfi, Nemu, and me many times. It's only fair that we try and repay that debt!" urged Mayor Enri.

Ainz looked back at his vassals, all determined to fight for him. "An interesting suggestion, which I will consider. I admire your thinking, Ms. Baraja. I should inform you that I do not intend to destroy the Theocracy here and now. That comes later. But you have convinced me to do something slightky different. Rise." Neia obeyed, rising to her feet and backing away. The magic circle of the Super-Tier spell faded and vanished. Ainz returned the hourglass item to his inventory, turning back to face his followers. He reached forward with his hand. "[Widen Maximize Magic – Waterwalk]." A blue-green aura surrounded all who were present, and then vanished. "Follow me," ordered the Sorcerer King. He stepped onto the water, its its reflective surface rippling but bearing his weight. So it was for all of them. Fluder chuckled as he set foot on the water.

"Incredible, Your Majesty! I have known this spell for over a hundred years but I have never been able to cast it on so many people at once! Absolutely wonderful!" the old man exclaimed with joy.

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"What tier of magic is this, Gramps?" asked the Emperor.

"3rd tier! I don't think I ever told you how I learned it, did I, Jir? It was an interesting story, actually. It all started when-" It was a comfort for Emperor Jircniv to know that Fluder's humanity hadn't completely left him, and that the old man still remembered him.

"This seems like a bad time, old man," the Emperor said, looking down at the water upon which he walked. Any further conversation was cut off, as Ainz began casting more spells.

[Magic Caster's Blessing]

Ainz glowed blue for a moment, and returned to normal. Unseen by the others, Momon glinted blue as well. Ainz continued casting.

[Widen Boosted Magic – Shape Earth]

[Widen Boosted Magic – Shape Water]

[Widen Boosted Magic – Control Weather]

[Triplet Boosted Magic, Create Flames]

With the first spell, a wide wedge-shaped rock, like the prow of a ship, rose out of the ground, extending several meters up into the sky. The second spell fashioned stairs going up to the top of the great rock. The third spell created a gale, which shifted the clouds away from the sun, letting its gentle rays touch the whole area. The change in the temperature was tangible. The fourth spell created a colonnade of fire behind the flat area of the raised earth.

Ainz ascended the steps, passing through the pillars of fire, as his Guardians and servants followed behind him. With a wave of his bony arm, a great throne, the Throne of Kings itself, appeared behind him. He sat down.

[Twin Magic – Create Greater Item]

Two banners, bearing the emblem of the Sorcerer Kingdom, appeared on either side of the throne, black on red, fluttering in the cool wind. Ainz reached into a void with his hand, withdrawing from it his great staff, fashioned in the likeness of six snakes coiling around each other, each with a different colored gem in their mouths.

[Boosted Magic - Heavenly Aura]

Ainz's pale bones and white robes seemed to positively glow with holy light. At the same time, a crushing, all-consuming darkness appeared around Ainz's body and robes. With its emergence, it all clicked in Neia's head. She wanted to respect the majesty of the Sorcerer King with silent composure, but her elation at figuring out the symbolism behind his spellcasting was too much. Tears started to appear from beneath the rim of the Visor Mirror Shade she wore, marking a path down her cheeks and around her joyous smile.

Ainz removed something from one hand, a simple ring, before raising the same hand. A host of floating undead appeared in the air around him, each a mass of tortured, twisted faces trapped in a horrendous darkness. The howling wind from [Control Weather] now carried aloft the unbearable din of these suffering messengers, the howling agony and painful cries. The Floor Guardians, as well as Momon and Nabe managed to withstand the terrifying cacophony without trouble, but the others shut their eyes and covered their ears uselessly to blot out the horror. The undead messengers floated away, hovering over various areas of the city, where their message was proclaimed, loud and clear.

{The streets of Kami Miyako, at that time…}

The soldiers and commoners not yet evacuated ducked to the nearest cover, as the ominous aura of the floating undead hovered above them. Sounds of the weeping and gnashing of teeth soon followed, followed by a host of tortured voices, which nothing could block out. The sound grew even louder than before. The peoples' screams as their ears bled were drowned out by the piercing cries of the messengers. Soldiers fumbled painfully at their helmets to remove them, the shattering noise reverberating inside the metal. Windows everywhere cracked and shattered.

Panic found its way into the Inner Sanctum of the Basilica of the Six. The great stained-glass windows cracked, and shattered, the many shards tumbling on the floor of the sanctum. The cold wind blasted in, as the Cardinals and the Pontifex gazed upon the great formation of rock which Ainz raised, surrounded by swirling steps of water, and pillars of red flame. They looked upon the dark and majestic throne, and upon he who sat upon it, who shone brighter than a living angel, and yet cloaked in eternal darkness. The leaders of the Theocracy gawked at their Holy City being thrown into disarray, with soldiers running to and fro in terror, innocent civilians cupping their ears to blot out the screeching noise and contain the bleeding of their ears.

Cardinal Santini incanted the spell [Muffle], which reduced the din to understandable, if grating words.

"We bear the words of the Supreme One, Ainz Ooal Gown! The Master of Eleven Legacies, to whom the elements of fire, air, water, earth, life, and death bendeth the knee! In His mercy, He will ignore the state of war betwixt His realm and thine this once, so He may parley with thee! Send unto Him thy emissaries, who can answer for the grievances that He has come to avenge. Wrongfully has the Theocracy made war on peoples and lands under the Supreme One's protection! Wrongfully has the Theocracy sent spies and agents into the Supreme One's realm, with the purpose of undermining and infiltrating the realm's administration, and wrongfully has the Theocracy assaulted a Child of the Supreme One, and by devious design caused the death of this same! These offensive acts have not been answered for, by word or by deed. Send forth thy ambassadors with haste, to render unto Him proper reparation for these offenses, and to thee and thine shall the Supreme One give mercy and forgiveness! Delay only serves to rouse the wrath of the Supreme One."

One of the figures standing near the great Throne, a short blonde young lady arrayed in white, eyes hidden behind a masquerade mask, gave a single clap of her white gloved delicate hands. Each of the undead messengers flashed with holy light, bursting apart, destroyed. The wailing noise ceased, and now a deathly, oppressive silence ensued. Cardinal Santini lowered the [Muffle] spell.

"Is this the end of mankind?" whispered Cardinal Partouche. "To destroy so many undead with a single gesture… To twist the powers of the Six to make a throne for himself… He mocks us."

"We have no time for talk," said the Pontifex. At that moment, the door to the Sanctum burst open. The Captain of the Black Scripture charged in, fully-arrayed for battle with spear in hand. Behind him stood the Fifth Seat, One-Man Army, a well-dressed young man with short blond hair and pink eyes, and the Seventh Seat, Thousand-Leagues Astrologer, a short woman with light brown hair and orange eyes, wearing a mahogany blazer, a white pleated skirt, and glasses.

"Your Holiness! Your Eminences! Are you alright?!" shouted the Captain, as he closed the distance. He moved to stand between the leaders and the window. "My Lords, we should evacuate you to somewhere safe," he said calmly, looking across the city at the great Throne. Thousand-Leagues Astrologer and One-Man Army took positions beside the Captain.

The Astrologer's eyes glowed blue momentarily, reflected in her glasses.

[Widen Magic – Mana Essence]

Thousand-Leagues Astrologer began to tremble, taking a few unsteady steps back, before steadying herself.

"Quaiesse… take the Cardinals and the Pontifex to safety," ordered the Captain. The blond man nodded, and bade the Cardinals follow him. The Captain moved to stand side-by-side with Astrologer. "What is it?"

"We're dealing with something greater than a Dragon Lord or the Demon Kings of old. I've never seen someone with so much mana. Knowing the Imperial Archmage's love of magic, it's no wonder he defected."

"The weapons given to us by the Six have never failed us. Our operations in the Elven Kingdom proved that. My faith is in the Six, in my Ancestors. You should trust in them too. They will not let us fail to a mere undead."

"You didn't see what happened on the Katze Plains… the sheer power… this undead's threats are not empty, Captain! I don't know if even Certain Death can defeat him."

"We will defeat this Ainz Ooal Gown, even if we all die in the process. I swear by my divine Ancestors, we will make those bones bleed before we are finished."

{Before the Throne of Kings…}

"Ainz-sama. Five minutes have passed without answer. Shall we begin the attack?"

"No, Albedo. We will outwait them. A contest of patience, if you will."

"My Lord, Ainz-sama…" said Neia, drawing Albedo's warning glare. "Will You permit Your lowly servant to speak?"

"Speak," said Ainz.

"I want to praise Your ingenuity, Ainz-sama. You raise the earth like it was nothing, control water like You might clay, tear aside the veiled clouds and stir up the winds and gales, and summon fire to adorn Your throne. You create undead and destroy them with ease. You're showing the Theocracy that their Gods are dead as are the ones I used to believe in. You haven't attacked a single man of their nation, but You've stabbed at the very soul of the Theocracy. You-"

"Thank you, Ms. Baraja, but let me stop you before you get carried away. You are most observant. Indeed, you have grasped one of the goals of my plan. To wound the faith and morale of a Theocracy is quite the blow."

"Ainz-sama. May I speak to You, alone after this? There is a small matter I wish to discuss."

"[Extend Magic – Time Stop]. What is it, Albedo?" The world around Ainz froze. Only Albedo could move and speak.

"Twice already has this human girl spoken out of turn. I admire her spirit but this lack of self-control cannot stand, especially in the presence of others. I recommend administering punishment."

"Request denied, Albedo. This girl has been instrumental in our policies towards the Holy Kingdom. She is our primary supporter, deflecting any suspicion of our... involvement away from us. Furthermore, I would have thought her dedication would have impressed you enough to inspire leniency. Few humans act in such a worshipful manner towards me."

"I am impressed, Ainz-sama, by how thoroughly You were able to deceive her. Only a Supreme Being could have made such a change in another's life. But her faith in You is built on a lie. Lies prove a poor foundation for respect and obedience in the long run. I think she will turn against us if she finds out the truth, and I request permission to eliminate her before she can end up in a position to divide the realm."

Shit, Ainz thought to himself. That cut deep. He felt his emotional inhibitor kick in to muffle his rising feelings of guilt at having to deceive his beloved Children on an almost daily basis.

"Your request is denied, Albedo. The truth will remain contained. Demiurge has that task well in hand. Unless that changes, we have nothing to worry about from Neia. I consider the matter closed."

"Your judgment prevails, Ainz-sama. Thank you for hearing my misguided concern." Albedo bowed reverently to Ainz, then looked back to the white walls of the Holy City, pondering something behind her smiling façade.

"I understand your concern completely, Albedo. Thank you for your input."

The Sorcerer King released the [Time Stop] spell. And they waited. Some impatiently, some anxiously, and one with no emotion whatsoever.

After ten minutes, noise broke out on the walls of the Holy City.

"Your Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown! We have heard your demands! We will speak for the Theocracy," someone called out.

"[Shape Earth]," a platform of stone rose out of the water, forming a descending staircase from the crenellations of the wall, before flattening out below. "Come forth!" said Ainz. "Show us your faces!"

Five figures walked briskly over the wall and down the stairs. One, clad in elaborate robes, carrying an adamantite crozier and wearing a mitre inlaid with black gems, and wearing round glasses, led the group. Three others, guards of some sort, appeared. Ainz recognized them as members of the Scripture that fought his Primal Elemental. The Black Scripture, he recalled. He remembered them well: the tall young man with long dark hair and red eyes, arrayed in ornate armor, and carrying a spear, as well as a brawny red-haired man with a tower shield and destructive fists, and another man with short black hair, a black tattoo on his head, wearing black and yellow, wielding a luminous chain. The final member of the envoy was a common soldier, carrying a flag of the Theocracy, emblazoned with a blue candelabra on white. They stopped at a distance, close enough to make out the faces of Ainz and his entourage.

"I am Maximillian Oreio Lagier, Cardinal of Death, devotee of Surshana, God of-"

"Silence!" Demiurge commanded. "『Kneel.』" The Cardinal of Death, the brawny warrior, the tattooed man, and the flag-bearer fell to their knees, involuntarily kowtowing before the Throne. The armored man with the spear remained standing, unaffected. Ainz felt indignation boil up from the Guardians behind him. He saw Albedo brandish 3F in his peripheral vision. The spearman took his weapon in both hands, assuming a guard position. Ainz raised a hand quickly.

"Ignore the spearman. Demiurge, release the others."

"At once.『You may move.』" The four humans relaxed, rising to their feet.

Ainz addressed the envoy. "This is not a sign of forgiveness from me, only an act of courtesy. Speak wisely. Your nation is on trial here. And thus far, you have been found wanting."