Bygones be Bygones?

"Oi… How does this thing work…" That was when he saw Sebas Tian from the corner of his eye, approaching with the full force of the Pleiades walking single file behind him. All of them were moving about on their own volition, he could see it now, with all the things he had said about Touch Me behind his back coming to haunt him. He closed his eyes and lowered his head in wait.

"Ulbert Alain Odle-sama," Sebas bowed before him, the others doing the same, before raising his head. "You are the last Supreme Being in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, If I may, what are your orders?"

Opening one eye, Ulbert's jaw nearly dropped, "Eh? Umm..." Ulbert fake coughed, putting a fist in front of his mouth as he nodded, "Of course. I — uh — order you to reinforce the throne room while the Floor Guardians move to the first floor. Should the rest of Yggdrasil be alive, we have to be prepared to overwhelm any who dare to enter the tomb!" The Throne room was the place where his guild mates always planned to hold their last stand against any invaders who had the ability to get past the eighth floor, but sadly, that never happened. If the enemy conquered their dungeon, all hope was lost for Ainz Ooal Gown and its creations. Now that they were alive though, it didn't quite make sense for them to suddenly stop existing, yet who was he to know how the universe worked in the first place.

"As expected of a Supreme Being," He turned and pointed the Pleiades towards the door to the Throne Room. "I shall carry out your command down to the letter, Ulb—!"

He interrupted the leader of the Pleiades Maids, not afraid anymore now that he found that these guys were all loyal. There was no grudge. At least from what he could tell there was nothing between him and the grey haired buffoon. "Just call me Ulbert, my name is too long to say so many times in a row, alright?" He demanded with a cheeky grin, "Make sure everyone knows to call me Ulbert."

"Understood, Ulbert-sama." With that Sebas was off, following behind his subordinates. Lupusregina Beta, CZ Delta, Entoma, and the lot, soon vanished behind the massive doors of the Throne Room.

Returning his much needed attention back to his Guild Ring as Albedo came walking out of the Throne Room, he tried focusing on the ring and where he wanted to go. It felt almost natural, as if he was onto something. Then in a flash of light he reappeared within the confines of the first floor amongst thousands of caskets. For a moment there he just stood in the middle of roaming corpses, skeletons and liches, that roamed within the first floor.

"I… felt something different when I used it this time," Completely surprised, he stared at the guild ring as he saw a faint glow surrounding it. Not the normal white sheen, but more of a superficial aura that faded in and out depending if he focused on using the ring or not. Quickly though his thoughts changed directions and he strolled through the graveyard-esque grounds until he stopped in front of a pair of large stone doors, the entrance of the tomb. "If that's the case my magic and items should work the same way, by focusing…" In a couple small movements he nudged at the door, pushing it ajar, so he could peer out the mouth of the tomb. What he saw next made a small "Baaah!" sound escaped him unexpectedly, as there was a different sky out there. A thought came over him, as he stepped forward one foot at a time, until he was walking out into the open. "This is impossible… Where did the swamp go?" His eyes dropped from the sky and drifted along the new surroundings that put Nazarick in its place. A forest, grassland, a large and flat area, as if it was the perfect place to settle. "What kind of place is this…? Surely this isn't Yggdrasil."

"Ulbert-sama~!" A high pitch voice erupted from behind him, once more breaking his train of thought. Peering over his shoulder as he tipped his hat slightly, he found himself looking into the pair of crimson eyes with slitted pupils. It was none other than Shalltear Bloodfallen, a young lady with platinum blonde hair and ashen skin. A vampire, a true vampire. "What are you doing out here de~arinsu?"

"Ah," He couldn't help but snicker internally at the girl using the geisha way of talking with him. Though it was rather sad she did not look the part. Before him was not a geisha, but a not so humble bundle of fetishes that Pero, his friend, likely never thought of coming to life. "If it isn't Perorocino's creation, I was not expecting you to follow me out here — the rest of the Guardians should be at the first floor soon."

"Oh~? Even that little brat?" Her eyes seemed to narrow, speaking of someone in particular, "And her wimpy brother?" Now he knew who she was talking about, his mind immediately going to the two elves.

"Oi… Mind yer words Shalltear — as Creations of us Supreme Beings — you cannot be intolerant to each other… That understood?" The last thing he needed was for them to bicker with one another, or alas turn on one another like rabid dogs.

"As you command, Ulbert-sama…" Curtseyed the youthful Shalltear Bloodfallen. Easy to submit to his command, he raised a brow as best he could at the display, this too was not something he expected. "Would you allow me to accompany you de~arinsu?"

"Hm. Of course… We're no longer in Yggdrasil, but we don't know if there are any other players here." Using her as a shield may by him some time, she was a powerful presence amongst the various floor guardians, so anyone who dared attack him could be easily slowed or defeated. But what caught his attention more was the surroundings. This was not a normal place. This was not the game. "Though I am curious…" He walked over to her and jabbed one finger into her chest, his finger sinking into her breast the more he pushed in, only to reinflate as he pulled out. 'So Perorocino really had that kind of flavor text…No wonder he was complaining about that artist not being able to draw flat chested girls, hah.' With a shake of his head, "Say — if I were to order you to stop padding your chest, would you?"

Shalltear's face was turning a bright shade of red and her lower jaw quivered at his action, she did not respond at all with hostility. Shalltear nearly squeaked upon getting the hypothetical order, "Y-Yes, I will try my best, de~arinsu!" She intertwined her fingers in front of her, the very fact that she did this proved something else. If he gave her an order, or any of the other Floor Guardians an order, they seemed to follow those orders compulsively. Which meant, he could get away with doing just about anything. That was appealing, nevertheless it also disgusted him. People in power who abuse their privileges often pulled that kind of stunt. Low-born people like him, they often got nothing even if they worked hard, he was always in the group of those who got taken advantage of. Sexual harassment in the workplace was no joke either, he knew plenty of co-workers who had been exploited.

"Good," Ulbert placed his hand on her head, combing her hair as he patted it calmly, "Good girl." It was like telling one of his younger co-workers they did a good job, a gradual sigh left his lips, happy he was not returning to such a place if he was stuck here. He already did not want to leave. "Let's see if there are any camps nearby."

Placing a hand on her shoulder he silently cast <Fly> as if it were something natural he could do. Had his spells become skills now? He wasn't sure but that didn't matter for the time being, it felt good. For a short time he watched as the ground beneath his feet began to pan out further and further, and without further adieu Shalltear followed suit. Raising his head, his gaze settled on the forest as he continued to rise at a moderate ascent. When he finally came to a stop, he narrowed his gaze, he was about a hundred meters in the air and he could see over thirty-five kilometers away.

As a member of the Devil Race, he could see far and wide; and darkness didn't affect his vision.

Demons and Devils were effectively different races, but had a lot in common, they originated from two different abyssal worlds in Yggdrasil, Muspelheim and Helheim. The difference between them was that Demons were often the brutes, the brawn, while Devils were the intelligent schemers that commanded them; but truthfully through lore they never actually got along. Demiurge, his creation, an Arch-Devil, a creature that was a man of its word unlike a demon who follows through only until it suits them. He embodied his fascination with evil, something that, for the most part, was uncanny. Seeing how both Albedo and Shalltear's personalities were, he could only assume that his creation also followed the settings written for them.

"Ulbert-sama~! Look over there, I can see something de~arinsu~!" Shalltear who was hovering beside him pointed ten kilometers to the west where there was a faint glow hidden amongst the natural form of the forest. "I'll go ch—!" He placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from going forth, he could not let any of them cause chaos until he knew what this world was like, and what he wanted to do with it.

"Not so fast, little blood drinker. Momonga-san might still make it here, so we'll wait a day before going anywhere. Until then, we must observe remotely and get used to this foreign place." He too could see the village on the edge of the forest where nature seemed to hook around farmland and stone buildings, some of which were lit primitively by lanterns. "Though I am surprised you found that, good job."

When the others arrived at plains below, both the Vampire and him landed, enjoying the brisk breeze that passed over them out in the open. There had been no enemies waiting for them outside. As if no one knew they were here. It was strange. As whenever he thought about the common media back in the old world, people were usually summoned, not dropped in the middle of nowhere without a hint of what to do next. Though there were some exceptions, most of which had an excellent display of what it meant to be human, or whatever they came to the New World as. Considering… this was a New World, he wanted a name for it. Whether or not the people of this world had one though, made him curious. There were so many unknown things here, kinda like how the game of Yggdrasil was an explorer type RPG that thrusted its players into danger at every turn.

"The Floor Guardians have arrived, Ulbert-sama!" Albedo was the first one to kneel before him, along with the rest of the guardians following suit. As if it was only natural for them to bow to him. To service him. But his gaze was not on the black haired beauty, but the black-haired bifocal wearing devil in a suit and tie who so lovingly held an arm across his chest as he remained in reverence toward him. "May we begin a pledge of fealty!"

"Stand my beloved fiends–adorable elves—rejoice in your autonomy!" Ulbert declared, his dominant hand outstretched, a sheepish grin across his lips as he saw their heads raise filled with smiles. "You need not openly pledge your fealty to me, for I know you are loyal, loyal to Ainz Ooal Gown, and to me!" He dare not claim to be one in the same. Ainz Ooal Gown was the ideals of forty-one beings, friends, and those who were essentially a surrogate family… if not a dysfunctional one. A family he missed greatly.

"Ulbert-sama," Demiurge stepped forward, his posture as sturdy and superior as he had always had it. Never was he hunched over, or with his head lowered to those who were beneath him. He was evil. The moment he pushed his glasses to the bridge of nose, his iconic grin gave away his thoughts, "From my estimates it has taken over an hour for us to organize on the first floor and greet you here, outside. I believe you should be protected at all times, you need a constant escort…" His gaze flickered over Shalltear who had joined them during the attempted pledge then back toward Ulbert, his jeweled eyes shining in the moonlit demesne. "And Momonga-sama has yet to show his face… None of the other guardians saw him on their way here, and he was not here upon transfer to this new... plane. What is it you wish to do?"

That sheepish expression on his face became a bit bitter, but he nodded, it was just a hope. And something to hold them off until he could actually think of a plan. He was not all knowing and if he appeared to be a god, well, all manner of things may go wrong simply because they'll interpret plans differently than one another. Or assume there is a plan when there isn't one. The thought of it was just a nightmare waiting to happen.

"What Ainz Ooal Gown always does — adapt and overcome — to collect information… coming here makes me feel… strange." Ulbert touched his snout for a moment, feeling at his soft knotted fur but it offered him little comfort. He missed the feeling of smooth skin, despite being imperfect and laced with scars from working a harsh life of an average-loser in the grim reality that was Earth. "I need to plan."

"Sasuga, Ulbert-sama~! As expected of a Supreme Being, my creator, my god. What are your orders?" Demiurge clasped his hands, as if he was ready to do anything for him, slaughter heedlessly, turn it into a form of art. Yet his goat-like eyes just stared at the fellow devil in a red italian suit. "Ulbert-sama…?"

"I need information, and I will gather it myself through scrying, until everything is known, no one leaves the two hundred meter boundary around the Great Tomb of Nazarick… As for my protector," For a split second he sized Demiurge up, and then the Overseer, then shook his head at the thought. As a glass cannon, a sorcerer of Ainz Ooal Gown, his best backup would be a warrior. He turned his gaze to Cocytus who had yet to speak.

"I. Am. Here. To. Serve." The giant blue beetle hissed out frost from his exoskeleton with each word.

Then his gaze dropped down to Aura and Mare, granting him the strong urge to pat their heads. "We'll do our best, Ulbert-sama~!" Aura chimed, with a thumbs up while forcing her other arm around her brother's neck, pulling his close. In a way, he saw Buku and Pero in the two of them, of course, he'd never want to see Pero in a skirt. "Right, Mare~?"

"Y-yes… Sis…!" Mare's voice cracked.

The twins were a good choice if he really wanted a solid, balanced, defense. Mare used Area of Effect attacks and Aura was crowd control, using her beasts and ranger abilities to take out her enemies who are otherwise preoccupied. At the same time he remembered the times in the Old World where children did not have a childhood, or at least not a very good one. The question was, were they going to let him, let them live a worry free childhood? Will they be able to make friends? He stared at their little faces before scratching the side of his head, his body tingling from anxiety as he became all the more anxious from the situation.

His emotions were trying to break out of the little container he kept them in, he could hardly stop himself from sinking deep into them, but for now he could hide them, keep the walls from breaking. After closing his eyes for a few seconds, he turned his pair of golden hues to Shalltear who stood there in that padded Victorian Dress. "Shalltear Bloodfallen may serve as my retainer, for the time being."

"As you wish, de arinsu~!" As she had done during her arrival, Shalltear curtsied before him, before tilting her head back to face him. "I will do my best to protect you, Ulbert-sama~!"

All attention was now on him. Eyes wide with anticipation. There was no true hint of who he was going to choose. Nor did he know who he was going to choose, at least not right away. Unlike most, he wasn't familiar with a number of the Floor Guardians, but he did know which ones were the most intelligent based off of their flavor roles. Once more his eyes glanced over his creation, Demiurge, "And for the time being my primary advisor shall be Demiurge – I hope my thoughts don't disappoint me."

"Ah, to be able to see my creator plotting, what a glorious day… May I prove your machinations fruitful." The Devil bowed before him, his grin growing beyond that of Ulbert's imagination to the point that he himself found himself smiling. As if it were something contagious.

A deep laugh resonated in Ulbert's throat, but he did not laugh out loud, "Good… Good… Now," His golden eyes traced over the surrounding area then settled on the upper sections of the Mausoleum. Though he knew this place was supposed to be a tomb, it looked more like a desecrated temple. The aqueduct-like structure clarified that thought well. A place where his fellow guildmates and him used to wait for people to come and attempt an assault on their virtual home. "Aura. Mare. I have a task for the two of you…"

"Yes, Ulbert-sama~!" The two of them cheered, Mare grasping at his stave and Aura her bow.

"The exterior superstructure of our Great Tomb is exposed – for all to see – that cannot continue to be…" Placing one hand on top of Mare's heads and the other on Aura's, he grinned devilishly. "The best camouflage is nature itself. Would you two be able to expand the forest around Nazarick's perimeter?"

The fact that there was a forest here, made him feel guilty for he was the only one of his friends to see it. To smell the grasslands, to — he stared down at the elves before leaning down and sniffing then peered over to the other Floor Guardians. No longer overwhelmed by his thoughts he began to notice more had changed. His sense of smell had intensified. The cold air emitted from Cocytus made his nose dry up, meanwhile Demiurge had the odor of volcanic rock or the subtle scent of rotten eggs. Albedo was accented with the sweetness of fine wine, something he had never tasted. The twins though smelled like pine trees from the Sixth Floor. And as expected, Shalltear smelled very much like after sex pheromones. Victim, on the other hand, didn't have a scent or specific odor per say, or at least not something he could pinpoint but for some reason he could tell it was a boy.

"We can do it~!" Aura snorted as he ruffled her hair, "Right, Mare~?"

Mare's face seemed to have this strangely permanent sheepish smile as he nodded, "Y-yes~!"

That's when they went to run off towards the forest, Aura in the lead, dragging Mare in tow. It was in a way rather cute to see. Like seeing siblings going off to play with one another, though in this case, the two of them were working as per ordered. He decided then and there though, he was not going to put them in any dangerous situations. "Cocytus — guard them at a distance as they work. They're your charges as of now."

"As. You. Wish. Ulbert-sama. I. Will. Keep. Them. Safe. At. All. Costs." Cocytus drew his weapons and marched after them, gradually, keeping his distance as ordered. Though at the same time, Ulbert was sure he saw some sort of starry eyed look on that beatles face, which was strange since the bug couldn't make any sort of facial expression.

Turning his attention back to the other Guardians, he peered over Albedo, Victim, and Demiurge. "Huh," He scoffed at himself, seeing as the two of these three were without overall tasks. He reached forward with his palm and fingertips to the sky. "Albedo – Overseer of the Floor Guardians – heed my orders… Oversee the Great Tomb from the throne room once more..." Ulbert's ear twitched as once he finished speaking, Victim spoke in an otherworldly language which caused him to lid his eyes partially. Although he heard something that was nothing like Japanese, he understood exactly what it was saying. His gaze gradually settled on the floating embryo with googly eyes. It was a strange sensation looking at the Angel. "You are not to sacrifice yourself — or make yourself a martyr, Victim, you must always choose life. Now you must return to the eighth floor as well. Go — Go forth to the wilderness."

Not long after everyone was dismissed, he stood there with Shalltear and Demiurge watching as the twins and Cocytus worked near the forest edge. "You heard that language, right? It didn't sound – uh – normal."

Demiurge fixed his glasses and nodded, "Joyously so, Ulbert-sama, our perceptions have changed. We can understand languages different from our own, as our own. However, the cause I wonder what it is. Perhaps I shall hold some experiments to learn more... with your permission of course."

Just as he was thinking, his creation thought the same exact way, which was more horrifying than anything else.