4 『Whim of Preservation』

Whack. Jack's eyes opened slowly, a frown printed across his lips as a dainty set of digits rested on his face. Glancing to the side, his sights rested on the small homunculi that was nestled into his right wing.

"Eve?" His eyes rested on the short hair of her head, his hand reaching up to grasp her wrist and remove her hand from his face.

"Hmm?" Her eyes stickily opened up half way, her blue hues staring up through him through her natural lashes as she rubbed one of her eyes with a fist of her own.

Rolling his eyes as he sat up on the bed. His eyes gazing about the room, it was trashed and not in a good way. Books were thrown everywhere, scrolls and other materials too. "Seriously?" He turned his focus back to the girl who was pressing against his wing, trying to keep it down as a body pillow.

"What? A tornado came through. I swear, it wasn't me." Her tone was unbelievably sarcastic, a subtle grin across her lips.

Jack shook his head. He knew that none of this stuff was in his room prior. It was clear she had just thrown everything out from her item box and into the room around him while he slept. "Put it all away," he placed a hand on her head and shoved her off his wing so he could slip off the side of the bed and stretch.

Rolling his shoulder, he glanced over towards her as she rolled on the comforter making a strange whining sound in an attempt at getting out of doing the chore itself. "Stop being a brat."

"Brat, who me? Never." She wore this innocent looking face relative to that of an old lady who acts out. Yet here she was, a smug little homunculi. "I'll never stop."

"Guess you're not going outside with me and Momonga-san today," he teased as he fixed his tunic, ridding it of wrinkles, as she pouted in return. That's when a knock emanated from the door of the bedroom.

Shifting his eyes over to the door, "Come in?"

The moment the door opened, Sebas Tian took a step into the room and took a bow. "Momonga-sama has ordered me to retrieve you, he wishes for you to join him."

"Oh?"

Jack would nod before turning to his sister's homunculus clone. "Stay," She sat up on the bed and huffed with one cheek inflated, her arms crossed over her chest.

Rolling his eyes, "I'll see you tonight," he would walk out the door while following Sebas Tian to where Momonga currently was. There his friend was, sitting in front of the Mirror of Remote Viewing which was a scrying tool used to gaze upon the outside world.

The mirror was surrounded by a copper frame and was at least one meter in length with an ovular shape to it. Though as both of them knew, the item could be avoided with a light anti-search spell. Not that they knew if the people in this world were all that sophisticated and aware.

His eyes rested on the mirror for a moment as he walked passed Sebas and stood beside the Guild Master. "Hm..." Jack's eyes watched as Momonga was scrolling about the lands surrounding Nazarick. It was definitely easier to see things close up with this rather than flying well enough above these locations.

When the Mirror beeped a few times, Sebas gave a brief applauding set of claps.

"Well Done, Momonga-sama," Sebas commented on the skill that the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown was showing with the remote reviewing mirror. Seeing as he could now use it with ease.

Momonga looked over towards Sebas, "Thank you, Sebas. Sorry for making you do this with me, and sending you off after Cipher, all the same."

"Staying by my Masters' sides and following their orders, that is the butler which Lord Touch Me created and my reason for existence." Sebas spoke in a matter-a-factly tone, with a very serious and almost deadpan expression on his face.

Whilst Momonga was being distracted, Jack reached over and began searching the nearby villages. They had been getting attacked recently, so he wanted to see how far off an enemy quite could be. And they'd be able to test the strength of the opponents while protecting the disadvantaged party.

"What is that...?" Jack asked as he pointed towards the village which appeared to be under attack. He could see smoke, he could see the blood, even before Momonga took a once over.

"Hm?" Sebas Tian's eyes moved to the Mirror from the Master of the Guild.

Momonga at first sight didn't seem to notice what Jack had seen, "It looks like a village... Could it be a festi--"

"Momonga-san, that's definitely not a festival..." His eyes narrowed on the knights as they beat a man down to the ground who was shouting and yelling. Only to sink a sword into his back, killing him near instantly while he was already out for the count.

Jack would turn his head away from this, the corner angle of his lip twitching. He was somewhat expecting this after seeing the outside a few days ago. "I'm going."

"Sebas, we're heading out." Momonga agreed due to his friend wanting to act as he immediately stood up from the seat he had been occupying in front of the mirror as the two men would make their way out of the room. They'd make their way to the Throne room and when they got there, Albedo was standing there awaiting orders.

"Armor up," Jack ordered his armor appearing over his body in a poof of black smoke and dispersed slowly. His eyes was covered by the bright blue eyed visor of his helmet.

Albedo bowed her head, "As you wish Cipher-sama."

The moment Albedo went off to adorned her set of dark black armor, Momonga opened up a gate with silent magic. Revealing a portal to the outskirts of the village in the forest, where two of the villagers had been cornered. Jack would be the first to step through.

With a blade raised upon his head, a Knight was about to cut down two young sisters. The oldest one was holding onto the other. There was already a sizable gash on her back from an earlier swing.

When the Knight chuckled and went to bring the weapon down on the woman, he stopped the moment he saw the Angel standing there. "An… An-angel?" The massive killing intent which radiated off of the winged being caused him to shake lightly.

The man was beginning to remind Jack of a chihuahua, a dog that would shiver even in eighty degree weather as if it were freezing to death. His companion Knight was also almost motionless.

'If the god(s) they worshipped saw them now, what would they think? Did they have god(s)?'

Jack just glanced down towards the two girls, "..."

The two girls both looked at him, a man in armor with large wings sprouting from his back. He spread them open and wide like a predatory bird.

Stepping out from the portal behind him was Momonga of course, accompanied by Albedo.

Both of the girls appeared to become instantly afraid of his undeath appearance and even more intimidated by the horned lady beside him.

Jack inhaled and could smell the blood which was oozing from one of the girl's backs. He glanced over her for a few moments before walking towards the group.

The Knight went to put the weapon down in a diagonal swiping motion, only for Jack to catch the weapon between his index and middle fingers. He took it as if he was going to kill the girls. "Wai--"

"How about no?" The Seraphim frowned as he drew 'Seraph' from his item box, 「Devour」, was the spell he would cast almost immediately. The sword, the armor and the entire being of the knight would begin to contort as if being crushed and twisted about by an invisible force.

This Knight screamed in agony as his bones cracked and shattered, it didn't end until finally his neck snapped and his entire body began to compact in on itself to the point that all that was left was a small cube of jello.

Jack stared at it for a few seconds before squishing it in his hand. The jello-like substance would vanish, being absorbed into his very being. Language skills and all of the Knight's knowledge, skills and jobs flooded his mind.

"Hm..." Jack turned to Momonga and nodded, "You can take it from here, my friend." He'd then kneel down in front of the girls and wrap spread his wings around them.

「Heal」 Jack would cast, a warm green glow surrounding the girls, near instantly curing everything from preexisting conditions to the wound on the oldest girl's back.

"Th-thank you..." They said quietly.

Just as the other Knight went to turn away and run, finally getting the balls to do so, found himself stopping in his tracks as a pang of pain rippled through his chest cavity. Slowly he turned his head, his eyes widening as he saw a visage of his own heart in the Overlord's hands, only for the undead to crush it. Dead, the man was dead instantly; unable to resist the darkness that came for him, as he fell to the ground.

Jack peered out from behind his wings, watching as Momonga summoned an Undead, a member of the Death Knights. A small chuckle arose from his throat as he watched the dead body transform. "Didn't know it took dead bodies to make those things."

"Neither did I..." Momonga was used to the game where they would just come out of a black shadowy goop on the ground. It was nothing like this when it was still YGGDRASIL.

"Death Knight!" Momonga began to give orders to the monstrous creature which stood before those present in the forest. "Kill the Knights attacking the village!" The monster was supposedly a defensive summon, yet the moment it was given an order, it charged off to fulfill it.

Jack just looked over at Momonga who seemed shocked at the action. "You ordered it to kill the Knights… Don't be so surprised," he chuckled a bit before turning his head to look towards the girls who were looking terrified at the appearance of Momonga.

Momonga hadn't been ignorant of this and made a mental note. Clearly the people of this realm didn't like the undead, much like in the game world where they were considered outright evil.

Just as he did so, both of them wrapped their arms around his head. The side of the smallest one's face pressing against his helmet while the other's chest pressed against it. He just remained kneeling there for a few moments before raising a brow.

Within the interior of the helmet, he had a full 360 degree view around as if it was a virtual suite. To him the Helmet was practically just a windshield from the inside.

"So… Um… What're your names?" He asked as he remained there, not moving as Momonga and Albedo moved forward, flying off into the distance.

With the absence of the Overlord the girls seemed much more capable with producing their voices.

"Nemu!" The smallest one cheered as she released his head, her eyes wandering in the direction the deadman had gone. She swallowed slightly.

Jack tilted his head to look at Nemu as she had taken a step back, to keep watch. "He's a good person, no need to be afraid of him."

"Bu-but..."

"He seeks justice for your village, and those you may have lost." Jack said as he began to stand, causing the older one to let go.

"My name is Enri, Enri Emmot. It's a pleasure to meet you…?"

"Cipher, call me Cipher." Jack said before taking out an object from his item box, the Flute of the Kenku Master. Essentially it was an item which allowed the user who blew into it to summon humanoid-birds incapable of flight. They made perfect spies, assassins and thieves. However he also gave her a Horn of the Goblin General. "These items will call forth beings to defend you should you use them, but use them sparingly."

Enri stared down at the flute and then over towards the Horn. She held them in parallel hands. "Wha--" She could hear the screaming from the Knights being slaughtered in the distance.

Pointing to the flute, Jack would inform her that, "This one summons a 'murder' of Kenku, think flightless crow people. Where I come from, they're known to bring prosperity wherever they settlement." Of course he was talking about the guild bases in the game of YGGDRASIL, not earth or Dungeons and Dragons. Then he'd tap the horn, "The Horn of the Goblin General. It'll summon a certain amount of Goblins to defend you."

"Crows and Goblins?" Enri raised a brow, she was somewhat skeptical, but she didn't let that stop her from gazing over the two items. If he was telling the truth, they were worth a large amount of gold. In one form or another, these would protect her village or make it a target.

Jack nodded before looking to the little sister before lightly patting her on the head.

"I'll be joining my colleague now, would you like to come along?" turning away from the two of them, he began to casually walk in the direction of the Village.

Blinking a few times, the two quickly followed after him as they looked at their surroundings. They didn't know if there were any Knights out here waiting to ambush them.

So as he made his way back to the Village with the two of them in two, he folded his hands behind his back. His wingspan was spread out at full capacity and held high above his head so he could launch himself into the sky at any given moment.

As they were making their way down, they could see the events going down at the Village. Slane Theocracy soldiers dressed as Imperial Knights were sewn across the grassy plains that made up their home. A few of them were running away, obviously going back to their superiors.

It took them about fifteen minutes until they arrived at the edge of the village and began walking towards Momonga and Albedo. So when they arrived, the first thing Jack noticed was the fact that Momonga was now wearing armored gauntlets over his hands and a mask over his face.

Jack and the two girls awkwardly stared at him, Jack being confused and the girls just the same.

"Don't you have another mask?" Jack chuckled a bit, as he asked, which immediately took Momonga's attention away from the villagers. Though his wings stole their attention from Momonga, pretty quickly. A holy radiance seemed to be shining from behind his head, a mesmerizing halo.

Momonga turned his body to face his friend and rolled his eyes beneath the mask. "You're really asking that now? It's..."

"Ainz-sama~" Albedo called Momonga's new name that Jack was currently ignorant of, quickly diverting his attention briefly from his friend.

The Overlord would raise his hand for silence.

Jack raised a brow slightly when he heard Momonga being called by the Guild name. Why was he using the Guild name as his name? Thinking about it, the Guild was incomplete. Two people didn't make a Guild and the Guardians weren't true members in the sense that they weren't players.

Could it be that Momonga wanted to use the Guild as an alias in order to spread its name? It would be quite a bit more impressive to spread a name of a single person of impossible feats, rather than a group of people. Plus, the name Momonga didn't sound at all that imposing compared to their name.

Jack shrugged slightly, his eyes following Albedo for a moment.

"Enri, Nemu." Jack turned his attention to the two girls, "Join the other villagers."

The two of them nodded and rushed over to the kneeling Villagers.

Momonga seemed to eye the two as they had rushed over to the other Villagers, they appeared to be smiling even after what had just happened. Though he was quick to think of wanting to silence them so they didn't speak of the face they had once seen.

Jack shook his head slightly, before walking launching himself into the skies above. He knew where the enemy was, or at least the gist of their plans. Annihilation of the village and the death of the Kingdom's Head Warrior. So as he gained more and more altitude, he would begin to encircle the parameter of the village like that of a vulture.

As Jack vanished from the sight of commoners, Momonga's eyes rested on the two items which were now at Enri's waist. A flute and a horn, both items which Jack had prior to their transfer to the world.

Momonga placed a hand on his chin.

Jack was a Seraphim from YGGDRASIL, but in the real world they were celestial beings known for spreading the Good Works of God in Abrahamic religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He despite being primarily a PvPer in the past, was one of the few neutral~good 'natured' members. So his insistence on coming to help, even on his own, without thinking of the pros and cons wasn't beyond him. Though Momonga himself knew that the man was no hero, being good didn't always make you a Hero or beloved by those around you.

Perhaps he could use Jack and his angelic appearance in someway to set their standing in this world? As he thought to himself, he had the Village Chief gather the people around his residence, as he wanted to discuss 'payment' for saving their home and their lives.