The majestic hall of the Great Tomb of Nazarick shone with opulence and extravagance worthy of the finest guilds in YGGDRASIL. The walls were adorned with paintings depicting epic raids, triumphs over world bosses, and even the dreams of the members of Ainz Ooal Gown, from giant dragons to utopian worlds. In the center of the hall sat a massive table, behind which sat Momonga, the Lord of Death, whose skeletal visage hid a storm of emotions. He slammed his fist down on the table — bam! — and sure enough, the number "0" flashed above his head. Damage? What damage, this was his own table!
"And this is how it will end?" Momonga's voice trembled with suppressed disappointment. "Our adventures, raids, protecting Nazarick… will all of this just disappear?"
He sighed heavily. YGGDRASIL wasn't just a game — it was his life. Here he found friends, albeit motley, sometimes hopelessly slovenly, but so close. Together they fought hordes of enemies, conquered the Enemies of the world disaster, built Nazarick brick by brick. But now... Hero-Hero had just left after a long conversation, and the others had not even come in to say goodbye. Momonga lowered his head, feeling the emptiness squeezing his non-existent heart.
BAM!
The hall shook with a loud, almost theatrical voice, making Momonga shudder and turn around sharply.
"What's with the sour face, Momonga? You're sitting here, sad as a skeleton in a cemetery!" - the greeting sounded playfully, with a slight mockery.
She was standing in front of him. Or was he? No, now it was definitely she - Maylena, the embodiment of beauty and provocation. Her avatar was a masterpiece: a graceful figure in a black dress with an orange pattern, long hair decorated with black and orange rings, and eyes that sparkled with mischief. She didn't look quite human, but rather a demonic muse, created with obvious panache. Momonga still remembered asking how much Mal had spent on this avatar. Hearing the amount, he almost gave up the ghost, although it was difficult to do so as an undead.
Mal - or now Maylena - was one of the original members of the guild, a friend who, like Momonga, lived by Yggdrasil. He also turned out to be a hidden game master, which shocked everyone. Well, almost everyone - the guild just shrugged: "Typical Mal." Especially when he, using his GM privileges, changed his avatar to a female one to "make a joke." These "jokes" usually ended with a mass facepalm and his infectious laughter.
Momonga covered his eyes with his bony hand, already anticipating a headache. Maylena was not just a mischievous girl - she was a walking disaster, whose sense of humor could make even the undead twitch.
"Maylena," he began, trying to sound calm, "how are you?"
"In a bun, old man!" she winked, picturesquely throwing her hair back. "It's a shame, of course, that the game is being closed. I told them: extend it for another year, add 18+ content, without censorship - and voila, the online would have taken off! Naked elves, demonesses in bikinis... Oh, the dreams!
To make it more convincing, Maylena squeezed her chest, making it jump with such physics that Momonga froze, his mouth open. His emotion suppression kicked in automatically, and he covered his face with his hands again.
"Look at the animation!" Maylena giggled. "It was worth the effort to add these... details. At one time, it even raised the online in Yggdrasil, by the way! And these old developers are snobs, they don't see money and opportunities!"
"This..." Momonga coughed, trying to regain his seriousness, "breaks a bunch of laws and ethical standards! 18+ content would lead to chaos, not to mention... well, all sorts of obscenities!"
Maylena waved him off, as if he had said something boring.
"Pfft, you can always find a loophole. They just didn't get any money, that's all."
Momonga's mouth twitched involuntarily - or rather, he tried to, because his avatar was motionless. But his voice gave it all away: a mixture of irritation and involuntary admiration for her impudence.
"Okay, don't be sad!" Maylena suddenly perked up. "Do you want a present for the last time?"
She started taking out inventory items. World items. Ouroboros, Overcoming the Five Elements, Savior of the World... Legendary documents, for which guilds worked their asses off, spent millions of money and spent hours in dungeons, fell from her hands like confetti. Momonga mentally coughed up blood, clutching his heart - or rather, the place where it could have been. His bony hand was shaking.
"Are you... are you serious?!" he squeezed out.
"Oh, relax!" Maylena chuckled, adjusting the ring in her hair. "You're so serious, it's boring. Let's go for a walk, hang ourselves before closing! We wasted so much time on Nazarick!
Momonga's mouth twitched again. "Wasted" was putting it mildly. The one who invested most of the money into Nazarick was Maylena, a damn rich person whose wealth was simply unfathomable for an office worker like Momonga. And the fact that she was also a shareholder of Yggdrasil? It was completely unfathomable.
Maylena hummed a cheerful tune and headed towards the exit, her dress swaying as she walked. Momonga, therefore, muttered something about a "walking disaster" and followed her, still grumbling under his breath. The last evening in Yggdrasil promised to be... luxurious.
Momonga trailed behind Maylena, lost in thought about who Mal was. Once upon a time, he was just one of them - a guy who threw barbs, shared their camaraderie, their victories, and even their dark times. Oh, those days… Momonga couldn't help but chuckle, remembering how their guild suffered from collective chuunibyou syndrome. Theatrical speeches, pompous poses, nicknames like "Lord of Darkness" — they were unbearable back then. Most had outgrown it, but Momonga, glancing at Meiling's graceful back, shuddered. It turned out that her chuunibyou had not only remained — it had mutated into something frightening. His avatar couldn't tremble, but everything inside him shrank from a mixture of delight and slight horror. Meiling was friendly, the soul of the guild, but her synergy with Perochinko and Ulbert… Oh, this trinity, nicknamed the "Chaos Triad," was Momonga's nightmares. Their results — from raids on other guilds' lands to criminals arranged in Yggdrasil — made them a legend. And not always in a good way.
The corridors of Nazarick were resplendent with splendor. Momonga glanced at the statues of the 72 Demon Pillars, created with obsessive detail and their own sculptures. He mentally chanted: Maylena insisted on completing this project despite the astronomical flows. Even Luci★Fer, known for her stinginess, refused such ideas, but Maylena? She didn't care about the budget. A rich woman, damn it. As he passed by, he noticed an employee in a black uniform with a spider emblem on his chest. Momonga chuckled - a reference to some old anime. When the guild decided to find out, they grabbed their heads, calling him ancient, but he just waved it off, calling them hypocrites and himself a "connoisseur of culture". Culture, yeah. Momonga mentally chuckled, remembering that mess.
They reached the throne room. Maylena, who had her own pathos, opened the doors with such theatricality that Momonga would have rolled his eyes if he had eyelids. She struck a pose with her hands on her hips and proudly stepped inside. Momonga watched this performance with an inner smile. In front of them stood the Throne of Kings, the symbol of their guild, surrounded by the glow of the floating Scepter of Ainz Ooal Gown. Next to it was a second throne, Maylena's personal quirk. GM or not, she always liked to make choices. Momonga mentally twitched his lips: "Show-off."
On the throne stood Albedo, the creation of Tabula Smaragdina. Her white dress with an inner slit, demonic horns and yellow eyes with predatory pupils emitted a captivating aura. Momonga involuntarily gulped; Tabula clearly put her heart into her design. But then Maylena, without wasting any time, walked up to Albedo and… started massaging her breasts! Momonga froze, his jaw metaphorically hanging open. He hit his forehead with his bone hand, suppressing the urge to scream. Only Mel, with his damned GM privileges, could so unceremoniously "play" with an NPC.
"Maylena!" he squeezed out, but only she giggled and, letting go of Albedo, plopped down on her throne. Lazily leaning her elbows, she dangled her legs, creating a picture that was both futuristic and absurd.
Momonga sighed and took his throne. As the guildmaster, he had the right to do so, although the formality was general. Since Maylena took hers, why not? He settled down more comfortably, leaning on his bone hand.
"It's a shame the game is ending," Maylena said lazily, twirling a lock of hair. "I just added the 25th floor! I furnished it, threw in enemies that even the Enemies could envy. And yet, I still have to close it..."
Momonga's mouth twitched again. The 25th floor? Nazarick was already a hellish dungeon, and Maylena had turned it into a nightmare where even the top guilds broke their teeth. He remembered how, at the peak of the online, Mal acted like an ordinary player, not standing out. But when the online began to fall, his GM nature blossomed in all its glory. New floors, improvements, monsters - all this appeared with her light hand, and the rules of the game were just a recommendation for her. Momonga couldn't help but chuckle, looking at her relaxed posture. She was chaos in a beautiful wrapper, and yet... he was glad she was here.
Momonga settled down on the Throne of Kings, still trying to digest Maylena's antics, when she suddenly leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Listen, Momonga," she began with a sly smile, "are you still a virgin or something?" Momonga choked. His avatar remained motionless, of course, but inside he felt his face burning with embarrassment. Maylena burst into laughter, leaning back on her throne.
"Come on, don't be shy!" she giggled. "With the title of Mage King, you're guaranteed any beauty!"
Momonga mentally twitched his lip. Those old references again! He himself had dug into ancient anime and manga, wondering how Mal managed to dig up such relics. Who the hell was he anyway? But Maylena didn't let him get lost in his thoughts.
"Since you don't have a wife or a harem," she continued with a theatrical sigh, "let's at least arrange a personal life for you in the game!"
Momonga froze, sensing a catastrophe. Maylena snapped her fingers, and Albedo's dress instantly changed into a dazzling white wedding dress, with a lace train and a thin veil. She fiddled around with the interface, adding some settings, and then spread her arms with pathos, pointing at Albedo, as if presenting a masterpiece.
"Ta-dam! Your wife as a gift!" Maylena proclaimed, tying a red ribbon around Albedo for added theatricality, like a New Year's gift.
Momonga's mouth metaphorically dropped. He touched the bridge of his nose with his bony fingers, wishing he could sink into the ground. This was absurd! He had just ruined Tabula's creation, but... somewhere deep inside, a warmth stirred. Maylena, with all her madness, took care of him - in her own style, of course. Momonga remembered how Mal always looked after him, helped him on raids, encouraged him in difficult moments. He wasn't just a friend, but almost an older brother whose support meant more than all the treasures in Nazarick.
Maylena, still pointing at Albedo with a sly grin, waited for his reaction. Momonga sighed. Time was running out, the game would soon be over. Why not play along? For once, leave behind happy memories instead of sadness. He rose from the throne, straightened up pompously, and stood next to Albedo.
"Well, then," he began, trying to sound majestic, "come on, Maylena, conduct the ceremony!"
Maylena beamed and enthusiastically began reciting the "wedding vows", full of ridiculous phrases like "in sorrow and in raid" and "until the mana runs out." Momonga's mouth twitched, but he couldn't help but glance at Albedo. Her golden eyes and graceful figure made him think: It would be nice if such a girl existed in real life. He shook off his fantasies immediately - it was just a game, nonsense!
The ceremony ended. Maylena clapped her hands, Momonga followed her, and even Albedo, as a programmed NPC, joined in sync. They returned to the thrones, and Maylena, lazily stretching, asked:
"Well, what would you like for the last time, Momonga?"
He thought, looking at the majestic hall.
"Yggdrasil 2," he answered half-jokingly. "So that everything would continue."
Maylena grinned, her voice became mysterious.
"Yggdrasil 2, you say? Maybe there will be something interesting..."
Momonga waved it off. GM or not, Maylena will not divulge secrets - it is against the rules of confidentiality. But deep down, a hope glimmered that it might continue. Time passed, the timer inexorably counted down the last seconds. Momonga prepared to switch off, already planning to go to bed, when suddenly...
Tick-tick-tick...
The timer continued ticking. Momonga opened his eyes in shock. What the?! Maylena's mad laughter broke the silence. He turned to her, meeting her beautiful eyes that seemed to look straight into his soul. Albedo's voice, full of anxiety, brought him out of his stupor:
"Lord Momonga, what's going on?"
In front of him stood Maylena, still laughing, and Albedo, whose eyes now emitted not the program emptiness, but... awareness? Reality around him trembled, and in Momonga's head one thought was beating: What the hell?!
***
Momonga wasn't just surprised - he was stunned, his mind was floundering in chaos. The world around him was shaking, and Maylena, standing up from the throne, began to perform some kind of ridiculous dance, humming a melody.
Damn it, Mal! - flashed through Momonga's mind, but he didn't have time to finish the thought. Albedo, with anxiety in her eyes, stepped towards him.
"My husband, are you okay?" Her voice trembled with excitement.
Momonga froze, his jaw metaphorically dropped. What husband?! She looked... alive. Real. Suddenly, his nostrils were filled with smells - flowers, metal, even the scent of her perfume. This was not Yggdrasil! Emotions overwhelmed him, but a strange relief replaced the panic. Albedo looked at him with such concern that he swallowed inwardly. Deciding to check, he asked in a trembling voice:
"Albedo, come closer."
"Yes, Master!" She jumped up enthusiastically.
Momonga touched her hand. Pulse. Warm skin. Is she alive?! Shocked, he, obeying the impulse, touched her chest with his skeletal hand. Albedo gasped, her cheeks turned pink, her breathing quickened. Momonga froze - this was 18+ content! But then another hand - Maylena's - unceremoniously squeezed Albedo's chest, causing another moan.
"Albedo has awesome boobs!" Maylena declared, squeezing her breasts for comparison. - But mine are clearly better!
Albedo gasped louder, and Momonga opened his mouth in shock. "Mel, you're not helping!" he mentally screamed. The suppression of emotions worked, and he pulled himself together and barked:
"Maylena, stop it!"
She stuck out her tongue, calling him a prude, but she backed off. Momonga looked at Albedo - her misty eyes were burning with hunger. He shuddered. Maylena, giggling, added fuel to the fire:
"She would fuck you, even if you were all bones! But we will fix this."
Before Momonga could protest, black slime enveloped him. His lungs burned, panic overwhelmed him. When the slime dissipated, he felt... flesh? Looking at himself, he saw a young black-haired guy whose beauty could outshine the heroes of the Xianxia. Albedo, wasting no time, rushed at him, furiously trying to pull down his pants. Momonga, in complete shock, fought back, and Maylena burst into laughter.
"Faster than all the Isekai heroes who were raped in another world!" she laughed.
"Maylena, stop! Help!" Momonga howled.
Maylena, still laughing, touched Albedo's face, burning with desire, and said softly:
"Not the time, my dear. Be patient."
A green glow enveloped Albedo, and she calmed down, stepping back. Momonga, breathing heavily, collapsed on the floor, still in shock. Maylena extended her hand, helping him up. Her skin was soft, and Momonga couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She playfully wiggled her eyebrows:
"Have you fallen in love already?"
"Stop it!" He muttered, but Maylena continued, squeezing her breasts for effect:
"Momonga, you're a friend, but those boobs are for ladies only. No offense!" — and winked.
"Stop joking!" He exploded. " Mal, where are we? What's going on?"
Maylena giggled.
"Call me Maylena. But for you, so be it, Mal is a privilege." She pompously struck a pose. " Thank you!"
Momonga hit his forehead, making a facepalm. Pulling himself together, he cleared his throat and turned to Albedo:
"Gather all the guards on the sixth floor."
Albedo, still reluctant, nodded and left, her footsteps echoing in the hall. Maylena commented:
"Gorgeous ass."
"Maylena! — Momonga barked.
"Hypocrisy," she chuckled, humming a tune and heading somewhere. Momonga, still confused, trudged after her.
"Mel, what's going on?" he asked, barely keeping up.
"Didn't you want Yggdrasil 2?" she replied with a smile. "Here it is! Your isekai, Momonga. What's not clear?"
"Isekai? Yggdrasil 2? What nonsense?!" he exclaimed, but Maylena only cheerfully threw out the world items like trash. Ouroboros, World Savior — everything flew to the floor. Momonga, picking them up, felt like a beggar dragging himself after a rich woman. His heart ached with indignation.
"Maylena, stop throwing things around!" he howled.
She just giggled, and soon they found themselves in a spacious room with a huge table. Maylena plopped down on a chair, and Momonga, sighing tiredly, sat down opposite her. She began to take out... food? The table was filled with dishes that made Momonga's eyes pop out of his head. Roasted dragon, elven fruits, dishes that he had only seen in art. The aroma hit his nostrils, and his stomach growled traitorously.
"Eat," Maylena chuckled. "Questions later."
Momonga, still in shock, looked at the feast in front of him, realizing that this New World was something more than he could have imagined.