How Unexpected

Heavy rainfall poured upon two servants of the Knight Classes, as their noble phantasms clashed with another explosion impact.

The servant of spear was feeling very exhausted after dealing with so many enemies right now. He was promised to fight against the opponent fair and square, and he got his wish.

He desired to die serving tge greatest master and he got that wish.

He wished to protect his master and win the Holy Grail for him, and he would get that wish as well.

Trading blows upon blows with the Saber servant, Diarmuid felt like his every desire was going to be granted in the single night and he was very close to win the war itself.

With a master like his, any servant would feel blessed to serve. Charismatic like a king, wise like a sage and perfect in magecraft than any he had seen in his past life, it was like whatever God was up there has fulfilled his wishes.

At this point, he had no problem losing here. But the master wished for the Holy Grail and it was his duty to fulfill his wish as well.

So far, he had beaten the assassins who ambushed him from every direction, but with his Knight's Strategy, he was one step above them.

Though he didn't get their names, his mind was too focused to count the number of corpses around him, who were vanishing away into magical motes of light.

"I swear upon my knighthood that I will give my all to win this War!"

With that declaration, he thrusted his cursed spear onto the Saber...

(Scene Change : Gilgamesh POV)

The storm over the ocean was brewing at apocalyptic scale. Though there were no humans to witness the battle between two literal natural disasters, Gilgamesh was calculating the every move of the skeleton he was facing.

So far, the Sha Naqba Imuru recorded every single "possible" magecraft of the said lich.

The lich was capable of flight, teleportation, elemental attacks, elemental control and lot of resistances towards his Noble Phantasms. His resistances were also extremely high, as he shrugged off the electric, fire, water, blunt, slash, pierce, projectile and explosives as well. The lich even had the resistances against the anti-undead Noble Phantasms!

'Is this even a lich at all?'

Gilgamesh was not sure whether the entity in front of him was even under the category of liches.

Liches were powerful magi who used the magecraft to put their true soul inside a phylactery which they later hid into the most dangerous place. This way they could secure their unlife. Even after being killed, the liches could come back to their true form and power in few days. By eating the souls, they could extend their powers and their minions as well. Such creatures were dangerous to all of the mankind.

There was already those Dead Apostles who could do such stuffs to save themselves from the death and continue their existence in the world.

Calm and unforgiving, they had terrorized the world of mortals for power and control only. If not dealt fast, they would end the world for their own sake.

'But how am I going to deal with this? He is far different than a normal lich. He is not going down and resisting every single attack of mine. It is like that I am fighting a whole different alien itself. Something like this should not be able to exist!'

He threw another barrage of weapons upon him. This time, all of them were A+ Noble Phantasms and belonged to highest level of legends in the entire world. Not only that, but the lich had some protection and counter scrying power that blasted him away. Had he put extra effort to finfmd his true nature, Gilgamesh was sure that the next blast would be potent enough to bypass his Battle Continuation skill with ease.

Then there was also this rank reduction that constantly weakened him as he tried to appraise his robes and jewelleries from Sha Naqba Imuru. But when he tried to scry at the red crystal sphere, he felt a chill in his spine. It was like a warning to not even think about it.

Yet the lich resisted, dodged and evaded them very well. He fought like an experienced fighter himself rather than a coward magus. He deserved to be remembered by him atleast.

Gilgamesh smiled and stopped the barrage of weapons around him. Still wary of him, the skeletal mage stopped as well. Not using his alien magic anymore, he looked at him with suspicious gaze.

"Amazing! It's been a while since I have watcher such a display of magic from anyone. You are no mere lich, but a master of magic and warfare. I don't think calling you just a lich will not be right. What's your name?"

The undead mage stared at him for few minutes, before answering his question.

"You better remember this. My name is Ainz Ooal Gown!"

"Ainz Ooal Gown... such a magnificent name. If we have met in past, then I am sure that I might have become your friend. But I have promised to him that there will be no friends of me other than Him only. Such a sad fate."

He remembered the promise that he had taken with his beloved friend that he would never have a friend other than Enkidu. It made him very alone after the loss of Enkidu. But that was also the same promise which enlightened him as well. Therefore, he could not call it a curse too.

He stared at the undead who was nowhere to be seen and found that the undead had left him on his own.

Instead of being angry over Ainz, he chuckled at this.

"Hahaha... you really are amusing. Oh well, I need to finish my business here. It is finally the climax time. Let's end this battle once and for all."

He spoke aloud with a bit of melancholy. Clearing the sweats upon his forehead, he stared at the woman he had abducted. But he knew that she was not a human at all, but a homunculus. She would either become one of his trump cards to defeat Ainz, or just his reward for this Grail War.

He frowned at the prospect of not getting his Saber, but he would have his chances later in the future, there was nothing to lose anymore. He would go direct with him and end him right away. For giving him the enjoyment that he never thought anyone could give him, Gilgamesh now wanted to give him a painless death.

He deserved to be remembered by the Throne Of Heroes. A fine addition in the Throne unlike any other Heroic Servant.

"Let's end this Holy Grail War right now."

(Scene Change : Ainz POV)

Teleporting on the border city of Brazil, the Overlord went to his secret base where many of his stolen items were awaiting for him.

This was the country where he was actually transportation by the World Item. When transported here, he met some terrorists who were secretly trying to cross the borders, but intercepted them. Those terrorists were trafficking the young girls and boys for their new recruitments. All them were talented in specific field and the police was searching for them all over the country, but didn't find the clue.

At first, he was going to leave them on their own, but the faces of these children reminded of his friend Yamaiko's life. Like how she lost few her students because they chose the wrong path and destroyed their future. She always felt herself to be inadequate to teach them, but it was neither hers or her children's faults. It was fault of society and the situation they got themselves into.

For not the sake of their cries, but for the sake of these children's future which Yamaiko wished to be saved, he decided to help them.

And so, he slaughtered them without taking any pleasure. He made sure to send them back to their parents or gaurdians. Thanks to those talented children, he got the idea on where he was transported into and he felt relieved at first. Until he met the first magus of this world and soon realized that the world had something hidden underneath its veil of modern sciences.

From there, he began his journey to gather as much general knowledge he could find about various major events and personalities. He studied about its past, it's present powers and how much the world had developed from here.

This was the room where he had accumulated all sorts of items and gears that once belonged to the magus families whom he had mugged and looted. They didn't deserve these items for some human experimentation and to have fun with the daily lives of common folk. Seriously, those magi reminded him of the high status families who could do anything with the poor folks and nobody would bait any eye over it.

Ainz sighed in his mind and started to store all of then in his inventory.

He was going to leave this place and use these items for the welfare of his Sorcerer Kingdom. There was no need to waste such valuable things in the hands of some disgusting pigs.

"Oh? It seems he ha crossed the defense alarm of the western coasts. I must prepare for my final battle as well."

Ainz wanted to thank the Slane Theocracy for their collections of talents and how they helped him, indirectly to make him capable to hold his ground as well.

Instant Recharge, a very special Talent that was once possessed by the Theocracy's mage. This Talent allowed her to use magic without any worry of going low on MP. The Talent would instantly recharge the MP like one had never used it at all.

It was one of the many Talents that Ainz had under his arsenal of powers, that helped him to remove his game restrictions, all except one.

It was his level limiter.

Despite having so many talents and powers, he was still a level 100 player. Yes, he was now more akin to a raid boss than a player, but that was not the point. He was still weaker than a World Enemy, whose power and might surpassed him. He still needed the power to reach that level, yet—

"Come out, making a king to wait will not be taken lightly to you, Ainz Ooal Gown."

'Ah, so he has already arrived here.'

Shaking away his previous thoughts, he decide to open the gates to give him a proper welcome.

He teleported out of his bunker and saw the golden in all his glory.

All around him were the portals, with weapons inside of them, prepared to strike down Ainz. The King of Heroes was standing there with rather calm look on his face.

The very same white-haired woman was chained into the golden chains which once tried to bind him. But always missed him due to his movement restriction immunities or some random resistances. Though he was slightly surprised to see the woman being in chains than standing like a proper master.

From his perspective, she had quite a huge amount of mana in her, but she didn't seem to be of any value for Gilgamesh.

'I wonder what relation he has with her.'

He shut his curiosity down and stared at the contemplating king in golden armor who sighed like he was under a heavy burden.

"Before we start our battle, I wish to know few things about you. I don't think that is harmful in anyway."

"Hmm, yes, I don't really have any problem though. Ask away."

Ainz gave his affirmation over his question and waited for it. Though he was aware of the servant's question already.

"Who are you? What do you wish from the Holy Grail?"

These were the questions that Gilgamesh asked to him. There was no double game on his part as his curiosity had reached its limit.

Hearing his questions, Ainz thought for few minutes and then he answered,

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown, and I wish to return home."

"Don't bullshit with me!"

Gilgamesh stomped at the ground, causing a minor earthquake around him. He didn't take his words very well. He demanded the explanation from him.

"That doesn't seem like you are talking to me. What kind of mage wishes to return home? You can just ask for more power, and then worry about your home later! Speak the truth, or else you will lose the Holy Grail!"

He pointed his fingers at the chained woman, which further made Ainz to look at him with confusion.

"Holy Grail? Sorry, but I do not understand your words. What are you implying with this woman? Isn't she you master?"

"Pffhh.. hahaha..."

Laughing at those words, Gilgamesh tried to control himself, but couldn't.

"My master? Have you not done your homework well? This woman is a homunculus of Einzbern family. She is the sacrifice who would become the physical manifestation, the vessel for the Holy Grail."

"What?!"

Ainz exclaimed in surprise and stared at the woman with new gaze.

'This woman is the vessel of Holy Grail?!'

While staring at her, Ainz saw the ignition of fire over her entireself, as she started to lose her flesh and bones, the true form of the Holy Grail manifested at the spot, she previously had.

Gilgamesh lifted the Grail and stared at the small cup, while looking into the sky.

"So Saber has died already. Tch, and here I had plans for our marriage."

Sighing like he lost something very special to him, Gilgamesh stared at Ainz and continued,

"I can kill you and your servant right now. You won't be able to return your home and I will wish for me and Saber being together. Or..."

He smirked evily at Ainz and threatened, "... I will remove the possibility of yours returning back to your home."

"You dare?!"

Anger bubbled up, as Ainz felt his Despair skills to activate on their own. He didn't care whether someone was going to die, or being maddened by his aura, Ainz would murder him.

"But... I am a generous king. I will let you have the Holy Grail, if ...you tell the truth this time. So, what do you say?"

Ainz's inhibitor started to take effect and he thought calmly again. Yet, there was still some anger left.

"Fine by me. So listen carefully..."