The Wandering Devil
Chapter: 43
Disclaimer: I don't own High School DxD or any other universe used in this story.
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance.
(The Great Tomb)
"I don't know how I can thank you!" Gazef said gratefully, his head lowered in gratitude.
I sent him a small smile even as my eyes were firmly set on Satomi. who was once more dressed in the large armour that covered her form completely.
Satomi caught my gaze and pretended to cough into her armoured fist.
"There is no need for gratitude, I merely fulfilled the request of a job I was contracted to do and so it has been done." Satomia said, her voice surprisingly regal.
I mean, I did most of the fighting. Unless the building you slammed through was also an enemy.
The sheer lack of shame was admirable.
My eyes flickered to the other figure.
A figure wearing a plain brown cloak was waiting further back behind Satomi.
Her posture was straightened and her eyes were greedily drinking me.
When she finally noticed me returning her gaze her eyes widened dramatically, then quickly looked to be about to drop into a bow before hesitating and frowning deeply.
The smaller girl, Evileye, had shown an immense hero worship for Satomi, had quickly left for another important matter after realising the Demon Lord Gremory had been repelled.
Gazef nodded, turning to me. A bright grin adorned his features. "I must say it was a stroke of fortune meeting you. How I can repay you I will never know…"
"Don't worry about it." I waved him off. "You're too interesting to die Gazef Stronoff, though you are too humble for your own good."
Gazef replied with a cheerful smile. "Well, if it's my humble personality that made you help me. I'd say it's rather good for my health."
"I guess I can't argue with that."
His face became slightly more serious. "So I assume you wish to remain anonymous?"
I sent him a curious look.
"When you arrived you were wearing a mask and some sort of an illusion that was covering the very unique colour of hair you have, so I assume you wished to not be identified." Gazef said seriously. "A reasonable assumption with your copious amount of skill and power."
"I mean, I don't mind so much now. I merely didn't know how I would be received when defending you. So I opted to quickly disguise myself, which seems to have failed." I replied dryly, looking around at the surviving people looking at me with something akin to hero worship.
Satomi was watching me, the empty armoured slits coming directly into the line of her sight.
Gazef sent her a glance. "Mm, it does seem you are rather well connected. How did you two know each other?"
"We were part of the same guild." I answered easily.
"Were?" Satomi muttered.
"Ah, what a guild it must be. Are you sure I can't convince you to join the guard?" Gazef questioned.
Satomi's head snapped towards him.
"I'm afraid not." I replied.
He chuckled. "I suppose I can only help you keep your identity a secret. Even if I will need to tell the king of this deed… and I'm not sure I can control the general folk to keep such a thing hidden."
The last part was said apologetically and I saw Satomi shift.
"No need to be worried. I understand, I probably won't be sticking around much longer." I responded with a shrug and glance towards Satomi.
Gazef sighed. "It'll be a shame to see you go but i understand."
He stuck his hand out and I gladly took it.
"It's best I go to organise my soldiers. While the Demons have been driven away successfully due to your efforts they still left chaos within their wake." Gazef chuckled, turning to leave. "I hope I see you soon Sir Zephyrion."
I nodded, then glanced toward Satomi who had been unusually quiet during this exchange.
"Satomi...?"
"Umu." She perked up, looking at me. "Oh yes, ehem. Right this way."
We walked through the inn's corridors in relative silence. Satomi's armored footsteps echoed against the wooden floors as she led me to what appeared to be a more secluded section of the building.
As soon as we exited the view of the public, the NPC I knew to be Narberal immediately dropped into a bow. "Another Supreme Being," she said, her voice filled with awe and barely contained excitement. "This lowly battle maid humbly greets the Supreme One and pledges absolute loyalty."
I blinked, taken aback by the fervent glint mixed in a kaleidoscope of emotions that was sent my way in her silver eyes. Another NPC, further adding to Satomi's unbelievable words. I knew of the flavour text added to them but I technically wasn't a supreme being was I?
"Rise, Narberal. We have much to discuss privately." Satomi said imperiously.
Narberal stood, but kept her gaze respectfully lowered "By your command."
Satomi gestured toward the door.
"This room should suffice for privacy, I imagine we have a lot to speak about."
I merely followed her and we entered what appeared to be a private meeting room.
"Make sure no one interrupts us." Satomi ordered, getting a low bow of the head from Narberal, who further sent me one last glance.
Satomi immediately began pulling out scrolls from her inventory, placing them around the room's perimeter.
"Anti-scrying measures," she explained curtly as she activated each scroll. "What we discuss here stays here."
The scrolls glowed briefly before their magic settled into place, creating an invisible barrier around the room. Once satisfied with the protective measures, Satomi turned toward me.
"Like the scrolls in Yggdrasil?" I asked curiously.
"Exactly so." She nodded.
Satomi began taking off her armour in quick secession, revealing her true form. Which was certainly not the skeleton form she had taken back in Yggdrasil.
What greeted me was a girl my age who had pale skin with a face befitting some sort of queen, with long, jet-black hair that fell behind her. Her eyes that had been brown before were now a deep, dark purple.
Without the armour she was wearing a black lace corset.
For a moment, we stared at each other. I was mostly confused as to what was with the change.
Then she sighed and something seemed to melt away from her posture.
The regal composure, the commanding and gothic uninterested look, all of it just... disappeared.
"Zephyrion!!!" she cried out, her voice completely different from the imperial tone she'd maintained outside.
Before I could react, she flung herself at me in a massive hug, her form surprisingly gentle.
I hugged her back with a small smile, then she pulled back.
"So, just what the hell happened? I mean, this isn't the same world of Yggdrasil and you've somehow been transported with your guild?"
Has there been some dimensional God that could warp reality sitting around? If so, I may have to take Satomi and dip. I wasn't ready for that type of action.
"It's... complicated," she began, her voice losing some of its earlier excitement and becoming more serious. "You remember YGGDRASIL, right? The game we used to play together?"
"Considering it wasn't too long ago, yeah. I remember. Admittedly I didn't play it when I found you…" I replied.
"Well, I'm not surprised since it shut down." She revealed. "I had forgotten to tell you and you weren't able to make it."
"So the servers shut down?" I questioned, seeing where this was going.
"That's what I thought would happen when I was waiting in Nazarick until the very last second. But when the shutdown time came, nothing happened. I couldn't log out, and suddenly all the NPCs came to life," she revealed.
I stared at her, processing what she was saying.
"Wait, you mean you're still in the game? But you're here, in this world. And this isn't Yggdrasil besides the magic system from what I've gathered. Your body was also dead... unless it was in some sort of stasis, but even then I couldn't revive you."
"Not exactly in the game. More like... the game became real and I got transported to this world along with the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick." She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts.
So… the same thing that happened to me. I couldn't be shocked that I wasn't the only case.
"So you came here when the game shutdown?" I murmured, only feeling slightly jealous I had missed out.
Would I have become my character? Satomi had a much better start than me.
I paused.
Actually that would have been the worst situation possible. I'd presumably lose my weird ability to transport myself through worlds. Forever stuck in a character that was weaker than mine.
Though the gear Satomi had given me…
I could have kept that…
"That's all I know… it certainly came as a shock. I was actually hoping you may know what caused this. Perhaps some Demon Lord friend of yours or…?" Satomi asked somewhat awkwardly.
I smiled innocently.
"Nope. Not a clue, and if some being did cause this, they would be incredibly powerful. A God at least, and not even the Primordials of my world can travel between worlds. Perhaps they may be able to mimic the creation of a body like this... though if you have a few of those super-tier spells you used to boast about," I trailed off.
Satomi looked genuinely panicked. "But can you travel worlds right?"
"I can. But I'm an anomaly." I replied with a bashful look.
"So I have a potential level 1000+ raid boss watching over me?" Satomi said nervously.
It was probably stronger than that if we were going with those terms…
"I mean, if it soothes your worries I can't sense anyone. I could be wrong and this could be something else." I comforted her. "Different worlds have different rules."
She sighed, her dark hair falling over her face. "At least you're here. It confirms that I'm real."
"I can see why that would be a worry, perhaps it's good I'm here in that case. I'm relieved to see you're doing okay. Especially with presumably the whole of Nazarick behind you." I replied.
"While I have the whole of Nazarick behind me. I feel more comfortable around you. I've been having to put on an act and… some things have gotten a bit out of hand." Satomi replied.
I hummed. "And how exactly did I get here, Satomi?"
She froze, her expression becoming bashful and apologetic. "Iamsosorry!"
The words were quick and rushed.
I sighed. "At least it's not someone else's wanting to enslave me or something. How exactly did you do it?"
She spoke with her head lowered and her eyes shimmering. "I had Demiurge perform a summoning ritual by first drawing your summoning sigil and then abusing some of your P2W items from your room, which you shouldn't have taken! Then mixing that with the Wishing Rings. The ritual was supposed to bring you directly to Nazarick, but something went wrong with the targeting parameters. You ended up scattered randomly across this world instead."
I listened thoughtfully.
"So people can link to me with the sign of my demonic contract… I'll have to be more careful." I sighed.
"You aren't angry?" She blinked.
"No. While I would have liked more notice considering I've left a very distraught goddess behind. But… DID YOU SAY MY P2W BOX IS STILL HERE?" I asked, my brain finally registering what she had said fully.
She blinked in a momentary stupor, then burst out into a fit of giggles
Beyond that revelation, if Satomi's claims were accurate, she had the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick at her disposal. She retained all her abilities from YGGDRASIL, which made her incredibly powerful. If she wanted to, she could probably eliminate me without much effort, assuming she still possessed even a fraction of the spells she'd described.
I had suspected I recognized the magic system in this world... if it matched Yggdrasil's system, then it operated on tiered magic. First-tier being the weakest, tenth-tier the strongest, with super-tier spells existing beyond that hierarchy.
It was safe to say a massive opportunity had just landed on my lap. This world's magic alone had been surprisingly compatible, but if my P2W box was here…
I had bought an insane amount of items in an attempt to annoy Satomi, along with bragging whenever the cash shop occasionally had scrolls containing unique spells that she wanted.
"Yes, though I'm afraid your items were within your inventory. So there's no way to retrieve them," Satomi said, before a slight smirk appeared on her face. "Not that your items were much compared to what we have in Nazarick."
I grinned.
I wanted to go get my box. If I could use the Wish Upon A Star ring, the sheer possibilities would open up to me.
My hand trembled with excitement.
I had scraped my way to high-class, careful not to consume too many souls while my Falna helped develop my abilities.
Was it bad that I wanted to start experimenting?
What level of magic could I learn? Would I be able to mimic Super-Tier spells?
I paused. "Also, what's with your appearance? Aren't you meant to be a skeleton? Or was that something that changed as well."
Satomi blushed.
"I-I changed it for fun. Since I thought you were coming on and it was the last day…"
"What about your race? Do you still have everything?" I asked, looking her over.
"Yes. I'm only a… rare overlord variant of undead with a cosmetic change. All my levels, all my spells, everything is still intact. It's merely cosmetic in a sense." Satomi's voice carried a mixture of pride and concern. "I even have access to all 718 spells I learned through Dark Wisdom."
"Such a nerd." I snickered.
She pouted.
"So you're an undead now?" I asked, taking her arm. Sure enough, her skin was cold.
"Umu." Was all she replied with.
"You never did go into much about your spells, but you have time magic with that Eclipse class of yours don't you?" I questioned, genuinely astonished. "That's a seriously powerful branch of magic if you do."
She smiled proudly. "I can cast up to 10th-tier magic at will, and I have access to Super-Tier Magic, spells that go beyond the normal tier system." She leaned back in her chair. "Spells like Fallen Down, which can create a massive pillar of destructive light, or Reality Slash, which can cut through space itself and ignore magical defenses entirely."
"Satomi." I found myself saying. "You are totally stronger than me. Haaah. Why can't I become a game character? And you've even got all of your broken rings."
She smiled before pursuing her lips.
"Wait a second, you don't have any sort of defence against instant death or time magic?" Her question was sudden with an undertone of genuine shock.
"No? Not in the form of rings, artefacts like that are powerful." I replied with a hint of confusion. "I haven't encountered any need for it either, not that I could find such a thing. That level of magic is normally above my level of power."
"But you travel different worlds? Surely threats like that pop up?" Satomi further asked.
"My original world was dangerous enough, I've only been to a few worlds so far but the worlds that I have visited so far have been manageable. Though my main home right now still has gods and monsters." I replied.
"So you go to different worlds without any sort of defence?" Her frown was deep and worried.
"Yeah." I admitted.
She gawked. "Why the hell don't you have any protection?!"
"Because as I said such things are rare and powerful." I defended myself. "Like seriously powerful. A resistance bound to an entire ring? That's crazy. It's why I'm excited that the cash shop items have somehow been transferred."
"No wonder." Satomi breathed, looking around as if I was going to suddenly be smited. "We can't have that, it's a good thing I summoned. Looking closely now I can see you're about level sixty seven." Satomi said with a deep frown.
"That doesn't sound too bad and I've got ways of getting stronger." I replied with a shrug.
"I'm not having my last guild member with no protection. I wonder if your power works differently since you're from a different world. Tch, do you even have a level limit? That's so unfair. I'll have to consult Demiurge to find a way to empower you… a few ideas-" Satomi began muttering.
"Firstly, you're willing to help me?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
I expected at the best I could get some of my cash shop items. Maybe a bit of haggling and a contract over there.
The wishing rings were my biggest desire, while I didn't for a second believe I could just make myself into an ultimate class. I imagine I could use it for some nifty abilities perhaps.
She looked aghast at my question.
"Of course? You're my last friend?" She asked, genuinely confused. "You think I summoned you here to catch up? I've missed and been worried about you."
I suppressed a smile. "Thank you. Though I do feel compelled to ask… why is Demiurge calling me a supreme being?"
Her sweet smile froze and dropped.
"I'm sorry." She apologised.
"For what?" I asked.
"It was meant as a joke." Satomi replied.
"Satomi…"
"I thought it would be funny… I didn't account for reality bending and finding myself inside Nazarick with conscious NPCs." Satomi said, waving her hands.
I stared at her.
"I thought making every NPC in Nazarick obsessed with you would be funny. And I kinda did a few things to try to embarrass you, because you kept teasing me." Satomi revealed.
My stare became flat. "I thought you said you didn't want to spit in your friend's legacy by messing with their NPCs?"
"B-but you told me to loosen up and they weren't around to celebrate on the last day. It's not like they would know." She said, a hint of bitterness.
"So… the NPCs are obsessed with me? What does that even specify?" I asked slowly.
"Right, well... that's one of the modifications I made. Since you're part of the guild now, they automatically recognize you as a Supreme Being. And Demiurge thinks you're his creator because of how the system works. As for Albedo and a few of the other female NPCs..."
She shifted.
And I could tell exactly what she had done.
"I may have thought it would be amusing to edit the Guardian Overseer's settings right before the servers shut down. You know, as a joke. But seeing how... intense she's gotten about it when you were reported missing, I'm starting to realize that wasn't my brightest moment. And some other minor things to some other NPCs we looked at specifically." She finished.
"Why would you make Demiurge think I'm his creator?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You're both demons?" She said as if she wasn't sure.
I blinked slowly. "I mean… It is kind of funny. But why are you sounding like this is a bad thing? I can think of things worse than loyalty."
Satomi smiled hesitantly. "You've got a tomb of overpowered obsessive beings who would burn down the world if you showed a slight interest in the prospect by accident. Beings who believe that going for a casual stroll is dangerous without a full guard and being constantly monitored."
"Fuck…"
-{Freya}-
Freya stood in the shadows across from the Hestia Familia manor.
The perfect mask of innocence for bystanders that walked past her that she wore revealed nothing of the turmoil churning within.
There was a change.
The Hestia Familia was searching frantically for something and more importantly, Zephyrion was gone. She had observed them for hours, watching as they combed through the mansion with a glimpse through the window.
Hestia looked around with increasing desperation.
They were looking for something, an object perhaps?
Her carefully laid plans had crumbled to dust.
She had planned to infiltrate their ranks in her Syr form, gained access to the magically protected mansion, and even spoken directly with the object of her obsession.
Zephyrion had been within her grasp, so close she could have reached out and claimed him then and there.
Restraint had been necessary. She had planned it all so thoroughly, waiting for the second recruitment batch, positioning herself perfectly to join their familia legitimately.
Only to have it cancelled the moment she arrived, her elaborate schemes rendered worthless in an instant.
Now she stood outside like a common stalker, reduced to watching through the magical bars of the gate that surrounded the estate and sensing magical disturbances.
Her divine senses had picked up a rift of energy that had been lingering.
It was a hole, one that was sealed. And it had been hard to find.
Requiring her to simply stand outside for hours.
Hestia was running about in a panic, barking orders at her children while her usual cheerful demeanor cracked under obvious stress.
The sight should have brought Freya satisfaction, but instead it only fueled her growing unease.
The goddess of beauty considered her options, her limited divine power straining against the magical wards surrounding the property.
She could break through them, tear down whatever protections Zephyrion had erected around the estate. Her familia would follow without question if she commanded it, but it could break her plans if Zephyrion was in fact still there and it wouldn't do her any good to react rashly.
Worse, it might drive Zephyrion further from her reach.
A full day had passed since she had first noticed the disturbance.
Twenty four hours of watching, waiting, hoping for some sign of his return.
Her plans, which had taken months to orchestrate, lay in ruins around her feet.
Something needed to be done.
-{Zephyrion Gremory}-
It could be a lot worse.
Having people who wanted me to be safe was a nice change of pace.
"So..." Satomi began, her excitement barely contained. "Do you want to see the guild base?!"
I blinked, then chuckled. "Of course."
"Is it the same as it was back in Yggdrasil?"
If so, it was a fortress that not even I could breach. I hadn't gotten to visit it all, but I knew it was insanely strong. The fact that it could potentially exist in the real world for nothing but time spent on a game felt like cheating.
I wondered if it was worth trying to get back to her original world before discarding that thought. If there was a being powerful enough to do this, I didn't want to meet it yet.
"It's completely the same besides being in a different location. It seems everything under Ainz Ooal Gown has turned real," Satomi smiled excitedly.
I was speechless for a moment.
"Satomi... Do you still have the World Items?"
The world items had been boasted by Satomi a great many times. Essentially Longinus class weapons that could alter the world around them in the same aspect.
"Yes." Satomi's smile turned even brighter.
Suddenly the prospect of modified, obsessive, powerful NPCs didn't sound as daunting.
"Is such weaponry known in your world?" Satomi asked curiously.
"Yes. They are incredibly rare and powerful, but they exist," I replied seriously.
"Oh?" Her eyes glinted with that look I knew belonged to an obsessive hoarder who liked to collect powerful items.
"So you have eleven World Items? Just like that," I said, genuinely astonished.
"It seems that way," Satomi replied. "Here, it's best I show you. I was in a state of disbelief when it happened, but my racial modifier that allows for calm thoughts in the face of overwhelming emotions helped me."
Yeah, I had no such thing. If what she was saying was correct, she essentially had eleven items that could be deemed Longinus-class in their own right.
She poked her head out the door where Narberal still waited.
The maid immediately straightened.
"Supreme ones," Narberal greeted reverently.
"Narberal, I need you to remain here and ensure no one disturbs this location," Satomi commanded, slipping back into her imperial tone effortlessly.
I observed Satomi. There was something different about here, maybe she was just acting?
Disappointment flickered across the maid's features. "By your command, Ainza-sama."
She turned back to me, waiting for the door to shut before her imperial mask slipped off into excitement. "Let's go, you should see the throne room first. Then we will have to work on getting you some protection."
"Lead away." I commented.
Satomi raised her hand, magical energy swirling around her fingers. "Gate."
A shimmering portal of purple tore open in the air before us.
"After you," Satomi gestured grandly.
I rolled my eyes but obliged, examining the spell that I had seen used in my brief time playing Yggdrasil with her. It was no surprise that I wanted to learn tiered magic, the proper kind I had seen Satomi use.
It would make life easier if I could move around without constantly having to make a demonic circle to do so.
I stepped through the portal and immediately felt the difference.
Immediately I was greeted with a massive hall that led to a grand throne practically radiating power. Ancient stone walls stretched up into darkness, carved with intricate designs.
This was definitely Nazarick, but experiencing it in person rather than through a screen was overwhelming. The very air felt cool against my skin.
Satomi quickly joined me, looking at me almost anxiously.
"This is insane. I mean it's one thing for this to be in a game, but to actually have this…" I said, looking around.
"Welcome to the Great Tomb of Nazarick," Satomi said proudly. Does this compare to your Devil Clan home?"
"Definitely. This is probably more fortified, though the house or what's essentially a palace does have a city protecting it." I replied, looking over my memories at the Gremory Manner. "Then again, the sheer amount of Devils protecting it are also in for consideration."
"Your world has multiple gods right?" Satomi asked, obviously interested.
"Yeah. It had multiple dimensions as well." I replied casually.
"How strong would you say I am in regards to that world?" Satomi asked intensely.
"Definitely in the Ultimate class."
"Ultimate class?" She asked with a hint of amusement.
"Yeah I know, I didn't choose the names. It's a wide realm of power that separates the strong from the super strong." I replied, going over my basic devil lessons.
"So I'd be considered the strongest realm in your world?" Satomi wondered.
I paused, then chuckled. "No. There's multiple classes above that. The ultimate class is a definite tide breaker that can decide battles, but you have the leadership above that. The realm of Gods and the realm above that. Even travelling the world I still have yet to find a world as dangerous as mine."
Satomi looked horrified. "And you aren't wearing any sort of protection?! I can't imagine living in a world like that, didn't you say you're trying to go back? How strong are you considered?"
"That's a bit of a tough question, I'm in the High-class which is below the ultimate class, still considered powerful in its own right. I had an incident when I first used my power to travel worlds and got lost… due to a seal on me I was weak. But in the last year my power has risen rapidly." I tried to add.
Satomi looks genuinely furious. "So you got stuck alone, as what is essentially a level one character. Due to a seal placed on you? Who placed that seal and is it gone? I'm sure Demiurge could find a way-"
"I was able to remove the seal." I quickly comforted. "But it was my family who put the seal on me due to that power you saw me use to counter Demiurge's rather destructive spell."
"How come you were so weak? Don't you come from devil nobility?" Satomi asked with a soft, concerned frown.
"My sisters interrupted with my training to keep me in the house longer… and I wasn't a level one more so so a level twenty." I replied bashfully.
She sighed. "Your sisters sound infuriating."
"They just wanted to coddle me in fairness and my ability wasn't known." I tried to defend. "The Gremory clan has never had an ability like that and in fact it's never been recorded in history. So I'm not surprised they thought I'd be safe in the middle of their home."
Satomi looked at me with a complex emotion and obviously noticed the way I referred to what should be my home.
"We are going to need to make you stronger somehow. I'm glad you hadn't come in the game with me since you had only gotten up to level thirty. So there's not much lost. I wonder, do you have a level barrier of a hundred? Or can I turn you into a world enemy?" She began muttering to herself. Before I could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridors.
A figure in elegant white robes appeared, moving with inhuman grace and speed. Long black hair flowed behind her like silk, and golden eyes with vertical pupils fixed on us with intense focus.
"Zephyrion-sama!" the woman called out, her voice filled with pure joy and devotion. When she saw me, her expression transformed into something between ecstasy and worship. "My beloved, you have finally returned to me!"
"…"
Satomi suddenly became blank faced.
Albedo.
She rushed forward, stopping just short of embracing me as propriety demanded, but her golden eyes were bright with tears of happiness.
"Forgive my enthusiasm." She dropped into a perfect curtsy. "I am Albedo, as the Overseer of the Guardians and your devoted servant, Zephyrion-sama, I greet you welcome. I live only to serve."
"It's... good to see you too, Albedo," I managed, trying to process this development.
The way she looked at me wasn't just respect or loyalty. It was the look of someone completely and utterly in love, bordering on obsession.It was fascinating to see a former non-sentient being act so… alive.
Her face lit up at my acknowledgment. "Shall I prepare a grand welcome ceremony? The other Guardians must be informed immediately of your glorious return!"
Satomi stepped in quickly. "That won't be necessary right now. We have many things to attend to. As you may be able to see, Zephyrion is weakened."
Albedo's face dropped and I could see the thought process go through her mind.
I certainly wasn't angry at having an insanely beautiful succubus dropped on my lap, but beyond physical attraction I didn't feel anything. And I wasn't so shallow to take advantage of that.
Nevertheless she nodded eagerly, though her face was twisted and she never took her eyes off me. "Whatever Zephyrion-sama desires is my command. I have maintained your quarters in perfect condition."
"Lead the way," I said, genuinely curious about what my supposed room looked like and most importantly the box of items that could help my desire for power exponentially.
As we walked through the corridors, I marveled at the craftsmanship while trying to ignore Albedo's constant glances and barely suppressed excitement.
"Zephyrion-sama," Albedo said softly as we walked, "please know that having you return to us honour us. Your safety and happiness are my highest priorities." The possessiveness and worry in her tone was unmistakable.
Satomi caught my eye and mouthed 'I'm sorry' behind Albedo's back.
So they were worried about me leaving? That was going to be awkward. I was already making a way to bridge a gateway like my connection to the wizarding world though.
We arrived at a set of ornate double doors marked with a sigil I recognized as my character's personal emblem. Albedo pushed them open with reverent care.
"Your chambers, my Lord," she said, gesturing me inside.
The room was massive and luxuriously appointed, but what caught my attention immediately was a simple chest sitting in the corner of the room inconspicuously.
My P2W box.
A wide grin spread across my features.
I walked over to it in genuine disbelief, running my hands over the familiar surface. "So it really is here…"
I ran over all the items I had bought as a joke, the items that I had barely used becoming crucial to forming plans in my mind.
"Every item you left in Nazarick has been preserved," Satomi said proudly. "Including all your cash shop purchases."
I opened the chest with held breath and inside were dozens of scrolls, potions, and magical items that had cost me ridiculous amounts of real money. Items that could seriously change the way I had been gaining power.
"This is insane," I whispered, pulling out a scroll that I remembered cost me a ton of credits. "Do these things actually work now?"
"They do." Satomi agreed. "Considering we had to use two of your wishing rings."
The wishing rings.
Perhaps the most powerful of the P2W items, a ring that can perform the wishing super tier spell without any cost. The only limit is the effect has to be under the effects of the World Class.
Albedo stood by the door, merely watching the both of us.
Dozens of scrolls containing powerful utility spells, many time glasses that made spells quicker to cast, some items that wouldn't be much of use like giftable emoji packs.
The rings caught my attention. A ring that could consume two rings allowing for the max of ten rings to be bypassed. Which was also an extension pack that I wasn't sure if I'd be subject to. Originally you could wear five rings of powerful effects.
A gem that could double the power of an enchantment.
It was filled with various items that while not powerful in their own right could be combined to make seriously powerful effects.
"It seems your attempt to tease me has paid off." Satomi smiled, still in her act with Albedo close by. "It'll be useful in our new priority objective."
"Objective?" I questioned.
Satomi smiled. "Of course, to… regain the power that was… taken from you."
I blinked and my eyes slowly trailed towards
Albedo who looked positively enraged, yet kept her silence.
Still, I knew what she meant and I couldn't help but feel excitement. This trip had been majorly unexpected and even annoying at first to be pulled away.
But it had quickly proven itself to be a major boon and incredible lucky.
Perhaps the Gremory Luck had finally manifested?
I took in the wishing rings.
It was starting to feel like it.
-Scene Break-
I settled into the comfortable chair, acutely aware of the Nazarick maid's intense gaze from across the room.
She hadn't moved in the past hour, simply standing there watching me with that mixture of awe and devotion that all the NPCs I'd encountered seemed to possess.
I hadn't seen many residents besides Albedo and the maids since arriving. Satomi's quest to transform me into a 'pro player' and 'world enemy' had become her primary obsession. She'd immediately begun experimenting with my ability to use tiered magic.
Learning about the worlds I'd visited only fueled her determination to push me further, which had actually made me appreciate her more. Even without becoming an overpowered undead queen, I genuinely liked her company.
We sat within a comfortable but expensive-looking room. Satomi was across from me, wearing a purple and golden dress that hugged her new curves unnecessarily.
Perhaps it was for the best she had abandoned her skeleton form.
For the past twenty-four hours, that had been my sole activity. The learning curve became apparent quickly, each tier was exponentially more difficult than the last. Satomi was fascinated that I could seemingly learn tiered magic without gaining it through Yggdrasil's traditional methods.
This led her to present me with increasingly powerful spells from each tier.
The progression felt steep rather than gradual, and tier 7 had hit me like an absolute wall.
At least with the time we had available.
Satomi frowned thoughtfully while I read another detailed scroll on tiered magic, in Yggdrasil these were consumable to gain the spell but considering this was no longer a game, it merely provided a detailed way to learn it.
It had been a day and she hadn't left my side once.
In that time, I had managed to learn several spells.
And It was safe to say I wanted to learn higher tiered magic after this. But that had quickly come to a halt as attempting anything in 8th tier felt like trying to break through solid stone with my bare hands.
"You're able to learn spells quickly but you can't learn above the eight tier." Satomi muttered. "That's a serious nerf, shitty devs."
"I'm not sure if the devs have anything to do with this." I pointed out.
Satomi snapped out of her thoughts.
"I suppose, don't you have imagination magic? That's what should be allowing the learning of all these magics." Satomi mused. "Even creating your own magic with ease."
"It's strange… in theory I can, but developing a spell above the sixth tier with pure imagination is hard and costly, along with having a larger casting time." I explained.
"I guess I can understand, spell mechanics must be hard to visualise in steps if you want to do something beyond pure elemental blasts and the cost for such a thing goes without saying." Satomi nodded. "I'm just confused as to how you can learn so many magical systems and why is that different?"
It was a question I had been asking myself as well.
Perhaps a mixture with this strange world travelling ability?
"I think I've found a way!" Satomi announced suddenly, her eyes lighting up.
"Yeah?" I questioned lazily.
"The wishing rings..." Satomi declared.
"That is the most obvious answer, but they're limited. I'd rather not waste them. Would they even be able to do something like that?" I asked with a frown.
"It can't hurt to try. Tier 8, 9 and 10 are the most important for truly powerful magic. While I'm not sure if the wishing ring will be able to grant super tier magic, I'm sure I can find a way to at least grant you the ability to learn the upper tiers." Satomi said firmly. "Also, we need to get you some rings. But that can come after."
I considered this. The wishing rings were incredibly valuable, but if they could break through whatever limitation was stopping me...
"I suppose it can't hurt to try, but a wish counts even if it fails right?"
"It does, but since you found it important to buy a bunch of them I think we will be fine," Satomi said dryly.
"Good point." I admitted. I leaned forward. "So what do I do?"
"I'll take care of it," she said, pulling out one of the Shooting Star rings.
The three gems embedded in it glowed softly with contained power.
Satomi dismissed the maid watching our conversation in awe and I moved to the centre of the room.
"So… what do you want me to do?" I asked, only somewhat nervous.
"Just relax?" She asked, as if not really knowing herself.
Hestia was going to kill me once she found out I'm dealing with such dangerous magic… well, not kill me. She will just gently scold me, which may be worse.
Satomi held the ring carefully, focusing her intent. "[Wish Upon a Star] I wish that Zephyrion can use all tiered magic without restriction."
The ring flared with brilliant light, one of the gems dimming as the wish was processed. A massive arcane blue circle appeared with miniature circles covering the room.
Magic saturated the air.
I waited, expecting to feel some kind of change, but... nothing.
The circle shattered.
Satomi frowned, examining the now two-gemmed ring. "It didn't work."
"I mean, that's quite a broad statement." I replied flatly.
Satomi blushed. "Must be. The magic system has fundamental rules that even wishes can't completely override." She looked thoughtful. "Let me try being more specific."
"[Wish Upon a Star] I wish that Zephyrion can use 7th to 10th tier magic."
Once more a bright circle formed and promptly shattered.
"Perhaps I can use it? It could just be incredibly hard to learn." I mused.
"I had thought that maybe the wishing rings wouldn't work with the restrictions they did in Yggdrasil, but perhaps I was wrong? I'm still operating on Yggdrasil's level barrier." Satomi sighed.
"You did say the wishing rings couldn't go above World class items effects." I replied. "Perhaps you're wording it too broadly? Why don't you try something smaller, like. I wish that Zephyrion can gain the capacity to use 8th tiered magic?"
Satomi slapped her head. "Of course, I should start out low. At least we are getting a hold of the general limits."
I hummed. "I wonder if it could increase my demonic power…"
Satomi paused. "L-let's not get to ahead of ourselves, we can try after deeming how we will allow you to learn higher tiered magic."
She held the ring again, this time with more careful consideration. "[Wish Upon a Star] I wish that Zephyrion would have the capacity to learn 8th tier magic."
The arcane circles lit up and sparked, this time fizzling into motes and surroundings. By the light faded and the third gem dimmed, I felt it immediately.
A warm sensation washed over me, like barriers in my mind suddenly cracking open. The wall that had been blocking my progression felt... permeable now.
"I think that worked?" I said, flexing my demonic power. "I can feel a slight difference but not in a physical sense."
"It seemed like it did." Satomi said, looking at the ring curiously. "Do you feel any different?"
"Not really. Besides a brief warmth." I commented curiously.
"I am pretty sure it worked." Satomi said, looking at the now dull ring. "The spell reacted instead of shattering. Then again, it is slightly different to a properly casted wishing spell."
She looked at me. "Perhaps we should test it properly then? We need to test out the other spells and if you cast them in the same manner. Which would best be practised at the Amphitheater on the sixth floor, since the higher tier spells can be rather destructive."
Yeah, apparently Satomi hadn't even been able to use a quarter of her spell repertoire.
"Sure, I've been wanting to test out the newer spells in any case." I agreed easily.
Satomi smiled.
"I'm also pretty sure you want me to see more of Nazarick considering we've mostly been working on my spells." I added.
Satomi huffed. "It was a large project."
"I'd be surprised if you hadn't." I nodded, walking out of the room with her.
We left the room and I found myself greeted with a elderly gentleman dressed in a traditional black butler uniform. The man's eyes sharply came to rest on me and widened, before the man bowed deeply.
"Zephyrion-sama, it is an honour to be able to serve you once more." The man's deep calming voice proclaimed. He then turned towards Satomi. "Ainza-Sama. I am back from my objective at Lord Demiurge's request."
"Ah, yes. A good job Sebas, your work has proven useful to my plans." Satomi nodded.
"Thank you, Sebas," I replied, noting the butler's respectful demeanor.
Satomi gestured down the corridor.
"We were just heading to the Amphitheater, do you wish to join us?" I questioned, noting his slightly longing gaze as we began to walk.
Sebas, who had been staring intensely, widen his eyes only slightly, before taking a sharp bow. "I would be honoured."
He fell into step behind us respectfully and quietly as we made our way through the winding passages of Nazarick, the architecture becoming increasingly grand as we descended.
The sixth floor's Amphitheater was a massive circular chamber with tiered seating carved from dark stone. I looked up at the night sky in mute shock for a moment.
Stars glittered in the artificial sky.
"It's beautiful isn't it? This took a lot of work." Satomi commented wisely, confusing me until i remembered Sebas was with us.
The Butler that was practically radiating power nodded wisely behind us, but said nothing.
"This should provide adequate space for testing," Satomi said, moving to the center of the arena. "Start with the fifth tier spells you've already learned, then we'll see if you can push into eighth."
Sebas didn't seem phased, so I assume there was some sort of story told about my 'lack of power' if Sebas' slightly angry visage was to be explained.
What followed was a showing of the few spells I had learnt. The lightning Dragon spell in the fifth tier, the magic arrow spell in the sixth tier and the most explosive one….
"Napalm."
My demonic power took a large dip.
What was summoned was a massive scorching flame that charged upward into the sky before manifesting as a towering column of fire that appeared directly beside my designated target area.
A shockwave blew out and I saw for a moment I was worried a portion of the sixth floor would be ruined, until I saw the amphitheater resist it with some sort of magic.
The pillar of flame engulfed everything within its reach, the intense heat radiating outward in waves that made the air shimmer.
It was multiple seconds later that the massive explosive spell dissipated.
After confirming that I could actually use them, a grueling process began. In which I attempted to learn the eight tier magic.
Hours passed as I worked to understand the spell's mechanics.
Learning tiered magic was weird. Satomi essentially gave me a scroll and I began fulfilling the instructions on how to move your magic, once that was completed something clicked and you could suddenly just use the spell…
I kinda liked it. It was certainly easier than every other magic branch I had learnt.
More time passed.
The repetitive practice was mentally draining, requiring me to maintain focus on dozens of interconnected magical processes simultaneously. But gradually, I began to feel the spell clicking into place.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of practice, I raised my hand and began the full incantation, only to be interrupted.
Albedo entered the area with a grimace. "Ainza-sama."
"Albedo?" Satomi questioned, turning to her confusedly.
"Ainza-sama, there's been a problem." Albedo said, her eyes flickering to me worriedly.
"Hm?"
A slight scowl appeared on her visage.
Sebas frowned.
"Shalltear Bloodfallen has betrayed us." She announced angrily.
-END-
Note: Canon has been pushed up and altered. Zephyrion tends to have that effect.
if you wish to read up to sixteen chapters in advance among my stories and other things please visit pa/t reon * / Snipez818, the app is charging a lot more for some reason so I suggest using the website.
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