…typing slowly, his fingers dragged over the keys like lead. The fluorescent lights above hummed faintly, washing the cubicles in sterile white. Papers littered his desk, half-finished reports mocking his exhaustion. Reio rubbed his eyes and stifled another yawn, the sound echoing faintly in the otherwise quiet office.
He glanced at the clock. 8:47 a.m.
'Already?' He groaned. His mind—normally sharp—felt fogged, weighed down by fatigue no amount of caffeine could fix. The spreadsheet before him swam, the numbers blurring as he squinted to focus.
"Maybe if I just… close my eyes for a sec—" he muttered, leaning back in his chair—
—and then pain. A sharp crack, skull meeting something hard.
But the fatigue was gone. Completely. The fog lifted all at once, replaced by a clarity so sharp it burned. His heart thundered as something alien surged into him—memories, symbols, words not of this world. Spells, battlefields, names that weren't his. Power that shouldn't exist.
Reio gasped—and opened his eyes.
Only, they weren't his eyes anymore.
Twin crimson orbs gleamed faintly, reflecting off the polished floor. A cascade of golden-blonde hair spilled over his shoulders, brushing the edges of a white dress trimmed in gold. A crimson cloak draped across her back—her back, because Reio realized with a jolt that this wasn't his body.
Then she felt them.
A whisper of movement—like silk unfurling. Two great, black wings flexed behind her, scattering faint motes of light. The air itself trembled, every breath heavy with power.
"What… the hell…?" she whispered, her voice melodic, confident, commanding—foreign.
The office was gone. In its place stretched a vast throne room bathed in golden light, divine and suffocating in its grandeur.
Then came a voice.
"Lady Lufas, are you alright?"
Lufas froze. The name—and that voice—hit like lightning. Slowly, she turned, and her mind nearly crashed.
Albedo.
That was definitely Albedo.
'Wha—no. No way. I'm Lufas Mafahl—but also not? And that's Albedo from Overlord… WHY? Oh god, I feel like crying… but that's not an option right now.'
Her new instincts screamed for composure. Every memory she'd inherited lined up like an execution order, confirming the absurd truth:
'If this is right, I've become an alternate version of Suzuki Satoru—Momonga—Ainz Ooal Gown. And that damn nerd made Albedo love him here too!'
A deep inhale. A calm, regal exhale. Her wings shifted as she forced her expression into cool authority.
'Okay. Deep breath. Do what Momonga would do—fake it till I make it.'
"Y–Yes, Albedo," she said smoothly, voice steady despite the chaos inside. "I am… fine. Merely adjusting to the situation."
Albedo's concern softened, then sharpened into vigilance. "What situation, my Lady? Is Nazarick in danger? Are you in danger?"
'How could you, Momonga—she's adorable! Anyway, time to steal your best idea.'
Lufas straightened, tone slipping into that imperial cadence Momonga favored.
"Sebas," she said, turning to the butler who stood behind Albedo, "scout Nazarick's perimeter. Sweep a one-kilometer radius. If you find irregularities, report immediately. Should the changes be obvious, expand the search by one kilometer behind the tomb—symmetry is key. Maintain discretion."
Sebas bowed deeply, calm as ever. "At once, my Lady. I shall return with a full report."
Lufas's gaze instantly swept to the Pleiades, her voice ringing through the throne room. "You six—guard the entrance. If anything slips past Sebas, stop it."
Yuri Alpha bowed crisply. "Understood, my Lady."
The others echoed in perfect sync, moving out like clockwork.
Then Lufas turned to Albedo—and faltered for half a heartbeat when their eyes met. Her chest tightened, unsure if it was panic or awe.
'Holy—no, guess it's unholy. Heh. I made a pun. Anyways.'
Recovering, she smiled. "Albedo, be a dear and summon Shalltear, Cocytus, and Demiurge to the sixth-floor amphitheater."
Albedo flushed lightly, bowed, and exited. As the door closed, Lufas sighed and rubbed her temple. Her gaze drifted to the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, and she groaned.
"[Message (Lufas): Aureole Omega, please come—or send someone—to retrieve the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and return it to the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary.]"
The reply came swiftly, Aureole's voice calm and precise.
"[Message (Aureole Omega): Understood, My Lady. I shall dispatch a subordinate at once.]"
Moments later, a gate unfurled in midair. From it stepped a kitsune, silent and graceful. She took the Staff with reverence and vanished back through the portal.
Silence fell. Lufas's eyes dropped to the ring on her finger—and then it hit her.
No incantations. No gestures. No runes.
Just will.
Omni-Element Manipulation. Absolute Gravity. Absolute Sound. Meta Space. Meta Time.
'If this upgrade's real… then I definitely need to test it. Guardians first. Pandora's Actor after. Then the rest of Nazarick if needed. Yes—let's start there.'
Standing tall, Lufas raised a hand.
And in the blink of an eye, she was gone—teleporting to the amphitheater without so much as touching the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown.
(Amphitheater Entrance)
The moment Lufas appeared near the twin dark elves, a flutter of anticipation stirred in her chest.
'I'm right, aren't I? Oh, this is great. This is fantastic. Especially if I'm not in the New World—which is looking more and more likely the longer I think about it.'
Before she could take another step, Aura sensed her presence. The dark elf leapt from the balcony, flipping through the air in a burst of acrobatics before landing perfectly.
"Nailed it!" she declared proudly, throwing up twin V-signs of victory.
Lufas had barely set foot inside before Aura dashed up to her, beaming.
"Aura," Lufas greeted, her tone regal but composed.
The elf immediately performed a showy bow. "We're honored to have you, Lady Lufas. Welcome to the Sixth Floor Amphitheater!"
"I'll only intrude for a little while," Lufas replied, voice clipped but polite.
Aura gasped. "You must be joking, right?! You're the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick—your power here is absolute! There isn't a single Guardian who'd ever consider you an intruder, least of all my brother and I!"
"Speaking of Mare," Lufas interjected smoothly.
Aura blinked, realizing her brother wasn't following. She turned and shouted toward the stands. "Mare! You're being rude to Lady Lufas—stop cowering and get down here already!"
From above came the timid reply. "B-but, sis! I'm scared—come on!"
Aura was about to yell again, but Lufas raised a hand to stop her.
"No. Let me test something with Mare. I have to confirm a gut feeling. Stay here."
Her wings unfurled as she ascended toward the trembling boy. Mare squeaked, freezing as she landed beside him.
"I'm not angry, Mare," she said gently. "I just need your help. Hand me your staff first, and listen carefully."
Mare hesitated but obeyed, offering the Shadow of Yggdrasil. Lufas accepted it and stepped closer, her tone calm but commanding.
"Alright. I want you to visualize a staircase leading down from this balcony—without casting any spells. Don't chant, don't move—just will it into being."
Mare's brow furrowed. He hesitated… and then the ground rumbled. A staircase of polished stone rose smoothly from the earth, forming step by perfect step.
Aura and Mare both gawked.
"Good," Lufas said softly, nodding. "Now, one more thing. I want you to create a sakura tree in the center of the arena—again, no spells. Just visualize it. Intent and will."
Still stunned, Mare obeyed. A moment later, a radiant cherry blossom tree erupted from the earth, petals drifting lazily down through the amphitheater's still air.
Even Lufas couldn't hide a faint smile.
"Excellent. Here's your staff back, Mare. Let me carry you down."
Before the boy could protest, Lufas scooped him up effortlessly and teleported to Aura's side.
"Now," she said, setting him down, "it's your turn, Aura. I want you to transform into a griffin—specifically the kind with an eagle's head. More visually appealing to my eyes. Use your will, intent, and visualization."
Aura blinked in confusion. "Alright, if you say so, Lady Lufas."
And then—poof.
Aura's form shimmered and shifted, feathers and fur weaving together until a majestic, menacing griffin stood where the dark elf had been. The creature spread its wings wide, radiant and proud under the amphitheater's light.
"To revert, think 'I'm normal,' with intent and will," Lufas instructed.
Aura nodded and focused. Her body shimmered again—light and shadow rippling over her skin—until she stood once more in her usual form, clothes perfectly intact.
"Woah… I couldn't do that before!" she gasped, spinning in place. "How'd you know I could do that, Lady Lufas? Or how Mare could make those stairs—or that tree?!"
Lufas met their wide-eyed gazes with calm composure, her wings folding neatly behind her. "A mix of instinct and observation," she said plainly. "But also because I received an upgrade myself. My spells… no longer feel like spells. They're more like named attacks now—manifestations of will rather than structured magic."
She paused, expression turning thoughtful. "And I'm certain the other Guardians—Shalltear, Cocytus, Demiurge, and Albedo—have experienced similar boosts. I suspect the same for the Pleiades, Sebas, and my creation, Pandora's Actor."
Aura's eyes widened before a grin spread across her face. "Wait—so that means we'll all have to train to master these new powers, right, Lady Lufas?"
Lufas nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Precisely. Power without control is waste. And I won't have Nazarick relying on chaos, no matter how vast our strength becomes."
Before Aura or Mare could respond, a ripple of violet light tore open beside them—a Gate spell. From it stepped none other than Shalltear Bloodfallen, every inch the picture of elegance and danger.
"My, my," she purred, voice smooth as silk. "It appears I'm the first to arrive."
Her eyes landed on Lufas. For a split second, the vampire froze.
'Oh no…'
Her parasol slipped from her hand, dissolving into a flutter of shadowy butterflies as she rushed forward and practically buried her face into Lufas's pristine white dress. "Oh wow, Lady Lufas! The one woman I could never place above my eternal beloved!"
Aura's eyebrow twitched. "Stop, Shalltear—you're starting to slobber on her."
Without missing a beat, Shalltear shot back, "Oh, hello, half-pint. I didn't notice you down there. Having such a foolish sister must be a daily struggle, Mare—however do you manage it?"
Aura's eyes narrowed. "Miss fake tits!"
A heavy silence fell. Even Mare winced.
Aura pressed on mercilessly. "Just as I thought. That's why you used a Gate—you were in such a hurry that if you ran, all that padding might've slipped out of place."
Shalltear's fangs flashed. "Watch it, elf! You've got nothing but a boy chest!"
Aura grinned, landing the final blow. "True—but I'm only seventy-six. I can still develop. You, on the other hand, are stuck in that undead body forever. Maybe you should accept those bug bites."
Shalltear growled, and the air between them practically crackled as their bickering spiraled into chaos—until a deep, resonant voice cut through the noise.
"What a ruckus."
Lufas turned toward the sound, a faint smile tugging at her lips. 'Ah, if it isn't Cocytus.'
"Stop acting like children in front of the master!" Cocytus thundered, his icy tone silencing the room.
Lufas sighed but nodded approvingly. "Alright, Shalltear—and you too, Aura. Enough. We have far more pressing matters to attend to."
Both immediately bowed their heads. "Forgive me, my lady!"
Turning toward Cocytus, she offered a softer smile. "I'm glad you came, Cocytus."
He straightened, mandibles clicking with pride. "I will always come when you call."
Then another voice, smooth and calculated, echoed from behind.
"Sorry, everyone. I hope you haven't been waiting too long."
Demiurge and Albedo were walking toward the group, their footsteps measured and in perfect sync. They arrived together, and Albedo moved forward, lowering her head reverently.
"We, the Guardians, pledge our fidelity."
The others immediately followed suit, bowing low before Lufas in solemn unison.