Inside the Great Tomb of Nazarick — one floor below the Throne Room — Nigun Grid Luin stirred awake.
The first thing he saw was… slime.
No, not just slime — an enthusiastic, overly affectionate, and worryingly giggly slimewoman in a red uniform. A blob of shiny flesh with two bulging eyes and the unmistakable scent of disinfectant.
"Welcome to your new home~!" she chimed, pulling out a clipboard and a… toothbrush?
Nigun tried to scream.
"No no, no screaming yet~! You haven't even met my favorite tool! I call him 'Mr. Pokey.'"
And somewhere far above, on the throne, Ainz Ooal Gown, now in his Raizel-esque human form, rubbed his temples with a tired sigh.
"Neuronist has him?"
"Yes," said Albedo, who was clearly suppressing a smile. "She was… delighted."
"Of course she was," Ainz muttered.
Maybe he'll talk just to make it stop.
Earlier – Just After the Teleport
Back in the outer halls of Nazarick, Narberal had handed over the unconscious Nigun to a pair of golems. Ainz (still thinking of himself as Rein while outside) walked with exaggerated calm.
He sighed deeply when no one was looking.
Okay. Let's take inventory of mistakes:
One, I overused Negative Burst and made it look dramatic. Two, I used "Grasp Heart" on Dominion Authority and scared the guy into a coma. And three…
I introduced myself as freaking Rein.
He winced.
Why did I say that!? Why didn't I just say Ainz!? Or Momonga!? Anything but Rein!
Ughhhhhh. Okay, okay. I panicked! My brain was like: "Say something cool!" and my mouth went "Rein!" because it sounded mysterious and kinda vampire-y.
It was supposed to be temporary! A placeholder! Now Gazef probably thinks I'm a wandering dark prince or something. I bet someone's already painting portraits.
He paused.
…Although, "Rein the Crimson Sovereign" does sound kind of badass. Maybe I should keep it.
NO. No, I should definitely drop it before someone asks for my last name and I blurt out something like "Bloodfang von Doomcastle."
He sighed again.
"Albedo, schedule a report later. I want Demiurge, Cocytus, and… unfortunately, Neuronist."
"Yes, Ainz-sama. Should I prepare the throne room for formal questioning?"
"No. She'll do the questioning. I… I need a break."
From talking. From improvising. From my own dumb mouth.
Elsewhere – Dungeon Level B4
Nigun screamed.
Neuronist giggled.
Another slime tool was unscrewed.
Back in the Throne Room
Ainz sat back on the throne, posture perfect, hair annoyingly flawless.
Albedo stood nearby, ever-smiling.
"May I say, Ainz-sama… the name 'Rein' suits you," she said.
He didn't move.
She definitely knows I made it up on the spot. This is going to haunt me forever.
*******************
Level B4 – Interrogation Chamber, Nazarick
Nigun Grid Luin stirred, only to find his limbs bound to something… squishy. Fleshy. Damp.
His eyes fluttered open.
A pair of bulging eyes blinked back at him—too close, too cheerful.
"Awake~?" asked Neuronist Painkill, her voice syrupy with affection. She tapped her clipboard, then leaned in a little too close. "We're going to learn so much together."
Nigun stared in blank horror as something—alive, pink, and wiggling—was retrieved from a metal drawer.
"I-I'll talk! I'll tell you anything!! Just—what is that thing?! Why does it have a name!?"
Neuronist tilted her head. "Because everything I love has a name."
Nazarick – Strategic Planning Chamber
The scrying orb projected a muted image of the interrogation: Nigun shaking, sweating, babbling. Neuronist hovering gleefully with a pen in one hand and a tentacle in the other.
"She's very effective," Demiurge noted, watching with analytical interest.
"I gave him to her to avoid a mess," Ainz said, seated at the table. His expression was unreadable.
And because no one talks faster than someone being hugged by Neuronist's favorite mop.
Nigun's distorted voice echoed from the orb. "I-It wasn't divine! It's from a cave! A ritual site! I swear! I don't even know how it works!!"
Ainz's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A cave…?"
Demiurge clasped his hands together.
"A relic site, perhaps. If that angel—Dominion Authority—is truly from Yggdrasil, then this is more than coincidence. Someone is unearthing our old world."
The room fell into thought.
Albedo finally spoke. "Your decision to capture him… was beyond brilliant, Ainz-sama. You anticipated this."
Ainz gave a slow nod, posture regal.
...I didn't even anticipate Neuronist owning a chair that squishes. But sure. Let's go with that.
Elsewhere – Carne Village
"She said his name was Rein…""He didn't even chant. Just raised a hand, and angels exploded.""He's not a man. He's a figure from legend."
The villagers whispered stories into the night—of the handsome noble whose eyes glowed crimson, who moved like a ghost, and destroyed divine beings without blinking.
Back in Nazarick – After the Meeting
Ainz returned alone to the throne.
He sat without ceremony, one leg crossed neatly over the other. Silence fell again—peaceful, heavy.
Rein. I said it because it sounded cool. That's all.Now Demiurge is probably sketching conspiracy diagrams and writing it into scripture.
He closed his eyes.
I'm not a ruler. I'm a tired man in cosplay. But if they believe I'm more… I'll become more. I have to.
******************
The war room in Nazarick was quiet, save for the steady scratch of a quill.
Demiurge stood before a floating whiteboard enchanted with illusions, where diagrams hovered—magic circles, cave symbols, outlines of angel wings, and the word REIN written in stylized crimson.
At the head of the table, Ainz sat motionless.
"Let me be blunt," Demiurge said, tapping a hovering glyph. "The appearance of a Yggdrasil angel is not accidental. Nor is the location. The Slane Theocracy must have discovered a lost fragment of the previous world."
The other Guardians sat in rapt attention.
Albedo nodded. "A cave hidden away, holding power not meant for mortals. How fitting that only Ainz-sama could unveil it."
Cocytus rumbled. "Yggdrasil… leaking… into this world."
Shalltear crossed her arms, red eyes flashing. "How dare they touch something so close to Nazarick's glory."
Ainz leaned forward slightly. "And… what do you believe this means, Demiurge?"
Demiurge's eyes gleamed behind his glasses.
"That this world is layered. What we assumed was a simple transfer may, in fact, be an integration. The appearance of Dominion Authority proves that fragments of Yggdrasil were embedded here long before our arrival."
He looked directly at Ainz.
"Which means… your coming was not an accident."
A long pause followed.
Albedo stood suddenly. "A destined convergence…! The world sensed your divinity and bent itself to prepare!"
...No. It was a server shutdown and I panic-bought a skin.
I was literally eating instant noodles when it happened.
What 'destiny'?
Still, Ainz gave a slow, regal nod. "A plausible theory."
Never disagree with Demiurge when he's excited. That's how you get an invasion plan in three hours.
Later – Private Hallway, Nazarick
As the meeting disbanded, Ainz walked quietly toward his chambers, Narberal following behind like a shadow.
His mind was full.
So now we've got angel summoners, mysterious caves, and Demiurge inventing fate again. I'm one nod away from being declared a literal god of convergence.
He sighed.
...And all because I said my name was Rein.
He stopped in front of a mirror—one of Nazarick's decorative hallway relics.
The reflection that stared back still surprised him. Crimson eyes, flawless skin, a presence somewhere between imperial and unreal.
At least it looks cool.
He turned and stepped forward.
Time to prepare. If they're right, and Yggdrasil is bleeding into this world... then I need to know what else might be waiting beneath the surface.
Meanwhile – Outside Nazarick
In the distant capital of the Slane Theocracy, a group of elders knelt around a cracked stone tablet.
Golden runes pulsed faintly across its surface—Yggdrasil runes.
"…The Dominion was destroyed," whispered one priest. "By a man with red eyes and black hair."
"A sorcerer?" another asked.
"No," the first replied. "A demon in noble skin. The villagers called him…"
A pause.
"…Rein."