Momonga saw darkness, not absolute, but as much darkness as an ordinary person could conjure.
He never opened his eyes, not his actual ones, nor his mind eye (focus). The sound of the timer stopped, and the forced logout occurred.
Eyes still closed, he felt the all too familiar feeling of the return of his extremities. Momonga was lost in the feelings of nothingness, the sadness wasn't there, not yet at least.
It was a moment of peace, he wasn't going to ruin it by opening his eyes. The feeling was a bit foreign to him, but also a bit nostalgic. It wasn't happiness, not sadness, but something in between, like a tranquil state. So tranquil was this state that his fatigue, soreness and misery were nonexistent.
Memories.
His childhood, when his mother woke him up in the morning to get ready for school. This feeling, was familiar to those few seconds of complete relaxation after a hard day, the hardness of childhood. When one didn't have to worry about the future, the strive, the responsibilities...
— The misery!
He ruined the tranquility, and depression came like a wrecking ball. It hit him, HARD. His hands clawed.
But, something was different, very different. The intrusive thoughts didn't come, like something was keeping them at bay?
No, the emotion felt...forgotten?
His hands clenched as the feeling of depression still lingered, festered, intensified. It was hard, until it wasn't, like something just washed the vile emotion away, far away, but the memory still remained.
His hands unclenched, but the sensation was a bit different than he remembered. So what? The tranquil was back. Momonga still didn't open his eyes and opted to focus on nothing, on the silence.
Panic.
If there was something good about this world was the ability to maintain absolute silence, frightening silence, almost eerie. In his rush to enjoy the last hours of YGGDRASIL with his 'friends' he failed to switch on his noisemaker.
A boon, until he failed to hear the beating of his heart. He frowned, at least he tried to, nothing.
Momonga opened his eyes and a familiar sight greeted him...
... The Throne Room?
No, something was different. Momonga didn't know what it was but something felt like it was missing, or not missing? What was it? He focused, intently, but nothing came. The itch still remained though, a sense of deja vu.
It was odd how much he was paying attention to something so trivial. Why wasn't he happy that YGGDRASIL was still operational. That he could still hang on to his 'toxic' hope.
— The traitors.
Momonga was shaken by the pure malice contained within the thoughts alone. It wasn't 'Satoru' who thought that, it didn't seem like him.
The sensation came again.
Suspicious.
It clicked, it all clicked. He was still in the game, so why did he feel the return of his extremities, and the clearness of his vision was odd, everything looked so vivid, vibrant, almost...
"Realistic."
Momonga's voice echoed, and the vibrations? His teeth? He was oddly attentive to absolutely nothing and everything. And the calmness, dismissals. Something was wrong with him.
"What's going on here?"
Momonga half stood from the Throne before something caught his eye. The NPCs were looking at him, faces full of confusion and worry.
The cooling sensation came again, erasing his anxiety. He was calm again, and he sat back down.
"Is something wrong, Lord Momonga?"
That voice? It was sweet, worried, but most of all, it was tempting, in more ways than one. He didn't want to turn, nor look, nor pay attention to it. Yet he did, and his suspicions were confirmed.
Beautiful. It was Albedo, not the one Momonga remembered, but still someone more beautiful nonetheless. The features were the same as the Albedo he remembered, Tabula's masterpiece. But now she looked like creation's secret project.
Everything was there, where it was supposed to be, where it was meant to be. And those boo...
———{The Saint: I think that's enough of this weird style of writing, I will switch to a style more immersive.}———
Momonga reigned in his thoughts before they started to wander to places he didn't fully understand. Oddly enough, the process wasn't difficult, the unseen aid was helping him again.
His salacious mood was quickly dampened as his thoughts journeyed to more important matters. Even so, he didn't miss the part of him that felt absent, but time didn't allow him to focus on that matter, not yet.
— I need to discern the situation first.
Why? The missing part definitely felt like something that warranted his utmost attention, it was the type of thing that drove people to suicide whenever it stopped working, even a little.
Momonga still felt like it wasn't important, at least not yet.
He looked at the lifelike NPCs, and his eyes narrowed. Discerning a few things via sight seemed like something even he could do. Of course, he made sure to exclude the winged woman while doing so. Something about her felt, off?
Momonga wasn't sure about it too, but it felt like something was warping his sense of... perception? It could be thinking? Or reality itself. For a moment, a split moment, he felt like she was perfect.
— That's obviously weird seeing how she has horns, and wings on her waist.
Still, it didn't dismiss the fact that for a second he felt like that was where wings belonged.
Attraction?
It couldn't be that instant. Momonga was no expert when it came to matters of the heart, in fact he was downright clueless. Nevertheless, he was certain that he wasn't attracted to Albedo, right?
Momonga's thought process paused.
— Albedo? From NPC to Albedo within a few seconds.
It was weird, not to mention he was focusing on trivial matters again.
He noticed that he was still looking at the now anxious NPCs.
"Huh?"
He unconsciously exclaimed. They were lifelike, too lifelike, this only served to further the absurd hypothesis that plagued his mind.
— I should say something, before things get even more awkward.
He already ignored Albedo, and could feel her worried gaze upon him. Momonga noticed Sebas.
— Touch Me's 'Pride'.
The paladin had assigned his creation to Momonga, it was a gift for his birthday. He was happy back then, but the butler was ultimately an NPC, a quickly built one now that he thought about it.
This was when the bitterness showed itself, or at least that was what was supposed to happen. Momonga only felt pity, not for the World Champion, but for the butler. He was just so lifelike, so alive. Given. And the look in his eyes hinted at the need to serve.
It was evident in all of them - he still avoided the winged woman - but there was also a hint of worry, worry for him, his well being. So genuine.
Was he so observant, calm and focused before? This should be something that weirded him out, or at the very least made him panic. The only thing that seemed to remind him that he was still himself was the ever-present sense of betrayal. Even so, something was replacing it, and quickly.
It was hope, not the toxic type but real hope, the promise of a better tomorrow, a better future, a...
"Light."
The word escaped him, but Momonga immediately responded by suppressing the need to reach out and grab on to his... bright future. It was there. Like the brightest star, it was blinding.
Happiness? Not yet, he still needed to confirm a few things, and this time he wouldn't be distracted by trivial matters.
Truthfully, only about 20 seconds have passed ever since Momonga's extremities returned, his emotions just made it feel like an hour or so.
He cleared his throat, and put on the most commanding mask he could conjure.
"Sebas? I have an order for you."
He was taking a chance that could backfire at any moment, but he needed to confirm a few things, even if it meant embarrassing himself.
"Lord."
The butler responded, his lips moving just as he expected.
— So not NPCs, not anymore.
Albedo had actually confirmed that fact for him but Momonga was still too reluctant to look at her.
He pondered what order to give the butler. It didn't take long for an idea to come to mind. He could have Sebas confirm the state of the outside. This would also serve to see if movement restrictions still applied. Something told him that wouldn't be a problem, Momonga was always the cautious type. The type of person who wouldn't believe something unless he saw it or heard it himself.
Yes, he was that type, the unbending type. Headstrong and stubborn, only someone like that could think 5 years of absence wasn't abandonment.
"Exit the tomb and survey the surrounding area, limit your radius to one kilometer. Do not engage in combat, should you encounter any hostile beings, retreat immediately."
The words flowed out like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I will do as you command, My Lord."
The respect and admiration was evident within the butler's tone, and it somewhat put Momonga's nerves at ease.
Sebas stood up and left, the elegance practically overflowed from him. This once again supported his absurd hypothesis about this situation being actual reality.
Naturally, Momonga was already convinced that he was stuck in the YGGDRASIL game. Well, he had actually read crazier things.
Momonga retracted his gaze and looked at the kneeling... maids? Something was wrong with the uniforms they wore. It almost looked like armor.
— Six?
These weren't the maids he was used to, Momonga didn't frequent the 10th Floor that much, its NP... denizens were a bit unknown to him. No, he forgot them. The number sparked something though.
"Pleiades."
He said reflexively. It was the name for the battle maids created by certain 'members' of the Guild. Despite the name 'battle maids' the creations bolstered some of the weakest combat prowess he had ever seen.
They were obviously created for role play purposes. Momonga entered a cognitive state for a bit.
— Stallers.
They were made to act as shields, when Momonga was casting during the final battle for Nazarick.
— Why did those bastards die on the 8th Floor?
It was almost impossible for players to group up after that failed invasion. The risks were too high. Momonga and his 'friends' even managed to snatch two world items from that skirmish.
A skirmish? What else could he call it when the group even failed to fight one of the Ainz Ooal Gown members.
He was proud back then, until everyone left. With no one to invade, the guild felt desolate. Momonga had to take the initiative and hunt for players, destroy minor guilds, and defeat a few area bosses by himself.
He fed the gauntlets. It was only appropriate since there was no way for him to get stronger. Although the memory is unpleasant now, it was fun back then.
— There's definitely something wrong with me, that I'm sure of.
It was understandable for him to be suspicious, a while ago, he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and now he was acting like someone who had it all together.
Momonga suppressed the thoughts and looked at the approaching maids. Elegant and graceful, he was pleased with their movements. If only they could maintain their expressions like Sebas, but that was asking for too much.
It was weird, not the judging, that seemed like something more passive. No, it was the way he was unaffected by their clear beauty, especially the four older ones. Especially the two with oddly revealing outfits.
Momonga watched as they reached the front and knelt. The grace was natural. He hummed in approval.
"Pleiades, protect and support Sebas in his task. If something that warrants caution appears, one of you should quickly come and report to me."
Again, the words felt natural when they left his mind.
"We live to obey."
Their words felt practiced, only that would explain the unity in response.
Eerie, too eerie. This made Momonga wonder about their lives prior to the 'weirdness'. Back when they were...ones and zeroes?
He needed confirmation, he needed assurance. Did he turn digital? Or was digital now reality?
These questions were the sense of his worries. It was weird, really weird. A part of him even missed the...fractures. The depression. At least it was understandable.
— Don't even entertain the thought.
Satoru's resolve was just fictional, his mind was already made. No, he tried to be better, but the pain was ultimately too much. It wasn't difficult to predict what he intended to do come daybreak.
— What am I even saying?
It felt like he was separating himself from Satoru. He was confused, too confused. But the sensation came again, taking away his worries.
Momonga looked at the fleeting figures of the Pleiades. A sense of pride filled his heart for reasons unknown. He didn't question it, just bathed in it.
Until the doors closed...
...until the voice came.
"Is there something I can help with, Lord Momonga?"
The emphasis on his name was unquestionable. This was temptation, true temptation. It dwarfed the 'dark thoughts' allures by a wide margin.
The sensation came again, and he was now calm. Momonga resolved his heart, and turned his head gently, careful not to let his virgin mind embarrass him.
— Virgin against virgin, ha?
He read her description, intently. And the change, these must be the results.
"Albedo?"
There was something about the way he said her name that caused a reaction in her slit golden eyes.
Momonga swallowed, at least he tried. The realization of his physical state finally registered.
"Ah..."
He was stuck in his avatar.
Relief. For now at least. A grin formed on his skeletal face as a way to confirm if this was YGGDRASIL or a game came to him.
"Come here for a bit."
She was happy to oblige.
Perversion.
It seemed like they both had it in abundance. The Thirst. The need to rid themselves of the purity, or maybe just taint someone else's.
The salacious mood was back, but it was less aggressive and more relaxed, like how one would feel when the need to preserve the bloodline came. The need to court and impress upon the fairer sex. To be a romantic.
Albedo darted towards him, the way she moved was inviting, as if trying to enchant him. Courting, wasn't that the male's part? No, she wasn't actually trying to impress upon him, it was just the way she moved, her perfection.
Momonga hummed. The winged woman was definitely beautiful, incredibly so, but the more he looked at her, the more he got used to her, not her beauty, never her beauty, but her alluring nature. It was SECURITY.
A selfish part of his heart told him he had nothing to worry about.
Albedo reached him, and a sweet floral scent entered his nose. It was hard to describe, it didn't smell sweet like a flower, or perfume, but it was pleasant, too pleasant. Her perfection again?
It had to be, but Momonga wasn't going to deny it now.
Warped.
He noticed it when the others' beauty failed to register. He did notice their beauty, but they failed to entice him, not even a bit. Now he only had the winged woman? This...thing? She was too perfect to be classified as... Well, it didn't matter.
Momonga was taken by her, trying to deny it would be childish. But, now wasn't the time for that.
Albedo stood before him, a radiant smile on her face. Momonga was just gawking at her, like a true virgin.
The sensation came again, and focus was once again available to him.
"Ahem.."
He cleared his throat, or at least tried to.
— What do I do now?
Lewd and impulsive thoughts led to him calling her here, but now he was lost on what to do or say. What was the point again? Confirmation.
"Ah..."
He exclaimed out loud, but quickly recomposed himself. He already confirmed that smell was something now. His world was advanced, but even it wasn't able to include the final three senses into virtual reality.
How was he able to smell? He didn't know, not ready to find out that mysterious part just yet.
— Focus.
The salacious mood was gone, a bit regretful, but it did allow him an opportunity to actually take things seriously.
"Albedo, give me your hand."
It didn't feel like a request the way it sounded, it felt more like an order. An instinctual act, but one he failed to notice.
Momonga had focus now.
"Sure."
Albedo extended her hand, Momonga reached for it. He was going to touch her, Albedo's hand. The hand of a living beauty.
Living? He paused and remembered something. He was undead, an overlord to be specific. The negative touch. He might hurt her.
— Confirm it!
His rational nature won over him, but not after he confirmed that he could deactivate the effect at will.
A fraction of a second, that's all it took.
Momonga grabbed her hand and focused on her expression. Albedo's face showed a pained look. He quickly deactivated it, never letting her hand go.
"Forgive my negligence."
Momonga apologized, his voice was monotone, attention still on the hand, the pulse.
— Definitely not NPCs. Not anymore.
Jarring? Not really, he expected this. Momonga had already concluded a few things within his mind, but like a scientist, he needed solid confirmation.
The coldness, the calculative nature. It felt weird, but pleasant, as if it was something...natural?
Momonga let go of Albedo's hand. He looked up at the winged woman, her cheeks were flushed. Her beauty registered again.
— Adorable.
He was gawking again, the coldness was gone. There was no sensation this time, the threshold wasn't reached.
Unconsciously, definitely unconsciously, his eyes went to her chest. HUGE. Her heaving was definitely contributing.
— YGGDRASIL didn't allow actions that violated their policies, although many actions fall under this guideline, only one definite action can assure swift dismissal.
Excuses. Who really cared at this point? Albedo and the others were obviously oblivious to the situation, his acts to confirm must have registered as something else entirely to her.
Only Sebas's report would determine if he would remain a horny pervert in her eyes or not.
— But that's her chest, violating that part of her will warrant responsibility.
Momonga paused. That thought? It felt...childish, almost stupid. It wasn't him, he could never be so oblivious.
How does fondling warrant responsibility? Definitely not him. Satoru?
— Tabula's daughter.
He remembered Peroroncino, what he did to her. And the others.
Their children?
Momonga frowned, Hard. While the expression was lost on his face, the mood in the room changed. Albedo took a step backward.
Anger. That's what Momonga felt. The weakness that shackled Satoru was trying to reach its clutches to his new life. With memories of those...traitors no less.
"NO!"
It was a roar, a loud one. Producing something akin to a shockwave. The sensation came, thrice.
— Not their children, never their children.
He rejected the notion in its entirety.
Momonga looked at the winged woman and saw her eyes wide. Even in this state she was beautiful. There was shock visible on her face, expected, and there was something else... Pride?
"Ah..."
The words, she was near enough for them to reach. And the changes.
Her expression, the assurance. Momonga felt relieved.
— I guess no fondling, not yet at least.
"Guardian Overseer Albedo, I have an order for you."
Dutiful, almost practiced, she fell to her knee and her hand went to her heart.
"I await your orders, My Beloved Momonga."
He felt it, the existence of another. The INTEGRATION. The ability to... DEFILE!
The Saint: I think this story is going to be longer than I expected. But what can I do.
This chapter was inspired by the fanfic: Tiamat: The Goddess of Dragons. Early Elements from that fanfic are also included, notice them, and I will post a teaser chapter about the FUTURE of my fanfic.
This was originally supposed to be Albedo's POV but that just felt stupid, I mean I barely developed Ainz/Momonga/Satoru.
Anyways, Bye bye.