If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter. I do not own Overlord. All property rights belong to their respective creators. Let's begin the story!
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Chapter-31
Múspellsheim,
Yggdrasil,
Earth – January of Year 2138,
Overlord Verse;
The day of the End of Yggdrasil,
The Eternal Flying Garden of Utopia – Avalon:
With not much time remaining, Kai blazed through the fourteenth floor, El Dorado. Its floor guardian, a golden dragon named Aurum Artha Dorado, as named by Kindred Star. 'Itsuki and Azusa… both of them had weird naming sense.' Kai mused as he took a look around the golden city in the centre of a desert, with summoned Griffins guarding the desert.
Accompanying the Griffins were Sphinxs, that Kai had bought during an event. Their statues that came to life, upon sensing intruders, similar to gargoyles around the city.
And he finally arrived at the last floor, Arrow of Time. Being that his guild base is a World Item, Kai had set the last floor in constant state of
Modelled after the Beerus' planet, it didn't have any floor guardians. Golems based on his guildmates avatar and build, guarded the floor. They did not move until any intruder set his foot in the floor. Their bodies crafted using Caloric Stone and other prismatic ores. With the constant
Locked out of his guild base, not accessible through normal means, it was a perfect place for Kai to store the World Items in his guild. With dozens of World Items they had collected, the floor had been dedicated to storing World Items.
[00:47:15]
With still a bit of time left, Kai returned to the ninth floor.
******
Kai looked around the floor and the throne room he had designed and sat on the throne, waiting for Shouko, as he messaged her to hurry up and received a thumbs up.
'There is still a bit of time, and the condition of bridge was barely fine…' Kai pondered, as he thought of a plan. Since, there was barely any time left for the server of the game to shut down, Kai thought of trying his luck, one last time, before everything ended.
Retrieving [Fallen Dreki's Heart] he invoked GM call.
******
[00:08:36]
Kai sat on his throne, awaiting Shouko, as he checked his character sheet [Refer to Auxiliary Chapter].
Satisfied with his upgrade he smiled, unable to contain his excitement. World Items that granted players strength comparable to World Enemies, like [Fruit of Yggdrasil], [Fruit of the Fallen World], [Fallen Dreki's Heart] and [Ymir's Blood] were inherently incompatible with each other. A player could only use one of them according to the rules of Yggdrasil.
As, the game system alerted the player who had used or consumed [Fruit of Yggdrasil] – the location of players who had consumed the other World Items, in path to become a World Enemy, in case they were both in the same world.
'Though I could have looked for [Ymir's Blood] but it wouldn't have been of much use to me, except for preventing other players or beings from taking possession of it. But with this, I have broken a rule of World Item to host two World Item, essentially becoming a true World Enemy, as Kayaba worded it.' Kai mused, 'Now, I am truly immune to World Items.'
He checked his inventory, before retrieving his phone and dialling Shouko, for her to not receive the call.
Kai had been a bit worried till now, but his emotions flared all of a sudden. Unable to keep his anxiety in check, worried for her safety, Kai kept on messaging her, while he kept an eye on the timer.
[00:05:12]
Kai got relieved to finally get her reply, after his numerous attempts. He would have logged out to reach her out, if not for his condition.
[Shouko: I have a bit of a problem, but don't worry….]
Before she went silent again. Kai, fingers drumming on the armrest of his throne, as he tried calling her repetitively, yet there had been no response.
His attention shifted, as he received a message on his mobile, an item that according to its flavour text was fuelled by magic, and all he had to was cast a spell, charge its magic array embedded on the device. As, it also came with a restore spell, and was classified as divine-tier item.
[Shouko: There is a slight problem…]
Kai stared at the screen, wishing to reply back as soon as possible, to tell her hurry up. Yet, as he read the message, an ominous feeling took root in his heart.
As he silently stared at the screen, and the message spree continued.
[Shouko: It's better to bet on a life in some other world away, than to die.]
Even after staring at the message, Kai remained quiet. His body had frozen, as he struggled to command his body to move, to get his mind out of the trance.
[Shouko: I hope you live a happy life, but then to risk your life in this world, where the chances of you surviving are negligible.]
[Shouko: So, take your chance.]
As, he read the texts, his stomach churred. While the timer continued.
[00:00:17]
[Shouko: I cannot bet our life on a dream…]
[Shouko: I am sorry.]
Time ticked, waiting for none.
[Shouko: But I cannot accompany you to this New World, if exists.]
[Shouko: I hope you find a new life there.]
[00:00:00]
[Shouko: …]
The animation played, as the screen displayed [Shouko is typing…], while the timer ran out. His console had disappeared and so had the game; while Kai found himself in the New World. As he gained sense of his new body.
With his phone, clenched tightly.
He remained seated without uttering a word, his face expressing emotions that it had failed to before, as his face remained clouded.
All his efforts in Yggdrasil had now been rewarded, yet he felt empty, questioning whether his gains offsetted his losses.
Time passed, while he remained seated on his throne, before he slammed the phone on the floor, ahead of him.
As, a demon he was inherently designed to be cold and calculative, whilst his emotions had been amplified. Albeit, only when they corresponded to any sin.
Now, he felt the rage, to a degree, he had never felt before. He doubted if he had ever felt such a loss, grief and anger as he did now.
Kai clutched the armrest of the throne, ignoring the phone that lay in pieces distance away, he stood up and yanked, uprooting the throne that had been built into the floor, made from prismatic ores, and threw it across the throne room. His aura dangerously heightened, as the whole floor vibrated from the after effects of his passive skills and the mana that flared corresponding to his emotions.
His cry, resonating with his rage, echoed through the throne room.
Kai's different auras of seven levels, bearing down on the guild base, that would have ruptured the guild base had it not been a world item. The pressure of a World Enemy, second only to World Devourer was inflicted on the NPCs of the guild and on the base.
Many NPCs struggled to remain upright, as his passive skills and aura effecting floors present in other dimensions within the confines of Avalon.
Despite the anger, Kai felt emptiness, questioning if he deserved such fate, had he been destined to cast aside his body – Reincarnating, whilst losing what he loved.
******
Tokyo, Neo-Japan;
Earth – Year 2143,
Overlord Verse;
A beautiful woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties, wearing a business suit stepped out of a limousine, while the driver held it open for her. She wore a mask, as the dark clouds blotted the afternoon sky. Walking across the cement road, she came to a stop in-front of a gate – what appeared to be a school.
School had just let out. Children spilled through the gate in unruly waves, racing toward cars, guardians. While, she patiently waited, by the gate.
When the rush of children thinned, a man in a charcoal suit approached and stood beside her.
"I see you have come, Ryuga," the woman said without turning.
He nodded before replying. "Can't afford to offend my princess, now can I."
A faint smile touched her eyes. "Mm. I suppose that's how it is."
Ryuga glanced up at the school, "Time's funny. It wasn't long ago, when you and Kai used to attend this school, as did I." He muttered, feeling nostalgic, a faint pain in his eyes.
"The things that happened, yet you look the same as before, Shouko." He muttered, looking at the crowd.
Before she could answer, grabbing their attention were two overlapped voices.
"Mom!"
"Dad!"
Two girls broke from the crowd of students, belling toward Ryuga and Shouko. The taller of the two girls, beamed as she wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. While, the younger launched herself at Ryuga's arms, dangling.
Taking a look at her surrounding, the taller girl, leaned back, tilting her head politely toward the man, "Hello, Uncle Ryuga" she muttered.
Ryuga chuckled, his hand gently ruffling her hair. "Still as polite as ever, aren't you, Yukino? You've grown taller since last time."
While, the younger girl, who had been dangling off Ryuga's arm, looked up at Shouko, with a grin. "Hi, Aunt Shouko." She announced.
Shouko smiled beneath her mask, crouching slightly to meet her niece's gaze. "You're the same as ever, Yui. Still full of energy."
Meanwhile, Yui, the younger girl, looked up at Shouko with gleaming eyes.
"Aunt! Dad said I can eat five ice creams today! You and Yukino should join us" she muttered, before continuing. "Mom said she will also be eating."
Shouko arched a brow, amused beneath the mask. "Oh? Is that so, Yui?"
Ryuga feigned innocence, shrugging with a helpless grin.
"Well, you know how she negotiates. She's worse than any corporate deal I've had this week. I can't bear to upset my little princess."
Shouko chuckled at his response, "Well, I am sure Kanade must be having trouble managing you both."
Ryuga sighed, patting Yui's head. "I'm… it's fine."
The four of them stood there for a brief moment, letting the breeze blow through the silence. The world had changed so much, yet somehow this scene felt nostalgic to Ryuga, it reminded him of the past, back when Kai had indulged him, fulfilling his wishes.
Ryuga smiled, at the nostalgic feeling, and replied. "Well, it's not every day I get to meet my nieces. Besides…" His voice lowered, almost lost in the breeze. "It's good to be a bit indulging."
Shouko nodded, brushing Yui's hair back gently before glancing towards Yukino, who looked up at her innocently. "Yes. Let's enjoy the small things, while we still can."
Ryuga nodded, picking up Yui, "So, can I hope to expect you two, this evening?" he muttered, looking over to Yukino, who looked up at her mother, expectantly.
"Fine, I'll let you enjoy it." Shouko muttered, unable to bear her daughter's twinkling eyes.
"Well, I'll inform Kanade of your addition." Ryuga muttered, before glancing at his watch. "It's time, I'll take my leave." He muttered looking over at Shouko, as he brushed Yukino's hair. "I'll be waiting for you, Yukino."
Exchanging their farewell, the two girls of nearly same age, parted ways each going with their parent.
While, Shouko held her daughter's hand, as they both walked toward their car. When Yukino, muttered, with Shouko raising her eyebrow at her daughter's question. "Mom. Remember Yui had showed me the wall of fame at grandpa's place. And we were talking about it during our self-defence class today. Is it true that papa never lost in anything and he even beat you in everything?" She muttered with a puzzled look.
Shouko sighed at her daughter's question, "Well it is true that beat me, but there were times when I beat him as well." She muttered, a bit pride swelling up inside her, with her remembering the times when she sent him to respawn.
In response to her mother's answer, Yukino tilted her head, and mused, "But, in every image that you were there in the wall of fame, you were either second or third."
"Well, that is his wall of fame, so obviously, you wouldn't find his loses there, would you?"
"But grandpa and uncle Ryuga said that papa never lost in anything." Yukino muttered.
Causing Shouko to groan, when she resorted to pull the record of all her winns. "Well, I have beat him in a fight, Mm… multiple times."
Her answer had caught the attention of her daughter, as Yukino looked at her with shining eyes. Being the daughter of Kai Kurenai, she held his legacy, at least that's what her teachers told her. Expecting great things from her, while she wondered about her mother, who raised her. As, she always appeared to be over-shadowed by her father.
Yukino was proud of her father's legacy and the expectations teachers had with her, the respect she earned with her hard work following her father's steps. As they acknowledged her geniusness and took her seriously and did not outright dismiss her.
So, to hear her father to have lost, she couldn't believe it, but for it to have been her mother. It amazed her, after all, despite her practice, she had lost to her cousin, Yui in judo.
So, if her perfect father could lose, there must be a way that her mother could teach her, so that she could gain the advantage in the next match.
Seated inside the car, Shouko looked at her daughter who looked at her with high expectations. "So, in which martial arts did you beat papa?" Yukino muttered.
Releasing a sigh, Shouko admitted to the truth, unwilling to lie to her daughter. "It was in a game, where I have beat him multiple times."
The answer wasn't what she was expecting, but was also intrigued by the information she gained, 'Papa lost in a game.' She mused.
Seeing the downcast look of her daughter, gazing at her daughter who from her perspective was losing admiration and respect her daughter had for her, she gritted her teeth, and finally muttered. "You know, there was this one time when I did defeat him in real life. And he couldn't even move and didn't even have strength left to surrender. He stood frozen in front of me, as I yanked him." Shouko proudly declared her victory story to her daughter, who listening to the incident had gained hope.
"Really?"
"And, why would I lie to my own daughter?" muttered Shouko, in response.
"Then how did you did it?" questioned her daughter, as Shouko proudly declared, "It was by using my special technique and exploiting his weakness."
Yukino's eye sparkled, hearing about this special technique, urgency filled her. As, she requested her mother to teach her. "Can you please teach me this technique… please mom."
As, Shouko turned her attention to the window, muttering "It is too soon for you to learn it."
With Yukino requesting to be taught the technique, all the way to their home, albeit Shouko reached an agreement to teach her after she is ready.
Much to Yukino's disappointment, Shouko would be the one to decide when she was ready for the technique. Left with no other choice, Yukino promised to continue her training, while she would concentrate in other fields, till her mother taught her that technique, when she would beat Yui. As, she also wondered about this weakness of her father.
******
AU: This chapter marks the end of Volume-1 and I'll going on hiatus; till first week of August. With this mass update, I've uploaded 31 chapters.
Until next time, and please do drop a review. I'll try to reply and it would serve as a good benchmark for my fic, for me to take feedback on and for the improvisation, I can make in the Volume 2 of this fic. Volume 2 will take place in New World.
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**The End**
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