Descending swiftly to the ground, Ultron watched as greenery spread across the upturned landscape, Mare's Staff glowing a brilliant emerald with each transformation. It was a satisfying sight—grass grown from a druid's magic truly was incredible.
Landing with a resonant thud, Mare turned his head and smiled adorably, waving excitedly as he exclaimed, "Lord Ultron!" before running over in an exaggerated feminine manner.
'How the FUCK does he have a dick? I mean, look at him, so CUTE!' Ultron thought.
'Must protect...' Another thought crossed his mind.
"Why are you here?" Mare asked before his expression shifted to shock and worry. "Did I make a mistake?"
"No, Mare, quite the opposite. You've done an excellent job!" Kneeling to Mare's level and reaching an arm around his shoulders, Ultron gestured to Nazarick. "Your work to prevent others from finding our home is very important. I hope you fully realize that."
"Y-yes," Mare responded nervously, uncomfortable with the closeness.
"Good. That is why I wanted to show you just how satisfied I am with your performance by giving you this." Reaching his hand out toward Mare, a green flame shone for a moment, leaving behind a small ring with the guild crest engraved within the jewel.
"The ring of Ainz Ooal Gown! O-only the supreme beings are supposed to wear these! I-I can't possibly accept this!" Mare squealed.
"Calm down, Mare," Ultron said, rising to his feet. "Movement between floors is quite limited, but with this ring, locomotion is far more efficient. Let this ring also serve as a badge of honor for a job well done. Take it and serve Nazarick well!"
Though hesitant, Mare accepted the ring, carefully sliding it onto his finger and watching in awe as it shrank to fit him more comfortably.
"Th-thank you very much! I'll be sure to work super hard to live up to such an honor!"
"You have my complete faith that you will. With that, I will leave you to complete your duties. Apologies for being a distraction."
"You could never be a distraction, my love~" A voice as smooth as velvet emanated from above as black feathers slowly descended from the floating succubus, touching down nearby.
"Albedo..." Ultron confirmed when he set eyes upon her.
"Your presence fills those in the Great Tomb with confidence and determination to make you proud. You could never be a distraction," she said elegantly as she approached, head held high with a beautiful smile adorning her face.
"A-ah, hello Lady Albedo," Mare said meekly.
Shine
"Hello to you, too, Mare..." Albedo replied in a sickeningly sweet manner that made Mare sweat.
'Why do I suddenly feel the urge to run?' Demiurge thought before dismissing the notion. Mare, however, decided to get the hell out of there, bowing quickly before departing at a brisk pace.
"Is everything alright, my little moonflower?" Ultron asked, feeling the same urge. He decided the way to dispel it was to butter her up—she would be easily swayed and distracted, considering her borderline obsessive affection for him.
"No, everything is fine. Is something wrong?" she asked with saccharine sweetness. Though a deep blush adorned her cheeks from the pet name, she still maintained a small glare toward the young MALE dark elf. Thankfully, the tension dissipated.
'Is she... jealous? Of Mare? HAHA!' Though amusing, Ultron felt he should give her a ring as well, considering her status; such an item would be useful.
"I feel as though I should give you one as well," Ultron stated.
"One of what?" she asked innocently.
'Don't play coy with me, you little vixen!' Extending his palm forward, a familiar green flame flashed again, leaving the ring of Ainz Ooal Gown in his mechanical hand. "As Administrator of the Guardians, you require a clan ring as well. Locomotion between floors will become easier with this item."
She reached out and took it, smiling to herself as if he had just proposed.
"Thank you very much..." she said, almost breathless. Her breast caught fire, her loins trembled with ache, her breath became ragged, and her mind flooded with lust and desire. Noticing this, Ultron devised a quick way to tease her—a small punishment for her behavior.
"Demiurge, you will receive eleven rings within the hour. One is for yourself, and the other ten are for essential personnel and anyone you deem in need of the ring's benefits. I expect a list of all persons to whom you've assigned rings. If I find your choices adequate, I will give you the rest to allocate. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, my liege," the well-dressed demon responded with a bow.
Nodding, Ultron walked past the heavily breathing succubus as she struggled to keep from pouncing on him and having him take her like a rabid animal in heat. With a devilish smirk only he could feel, he slapped her firmly on the ass, eliciting a yelp of surprise and pleasure from her lips. Finally breaking, she whipped around to claim her prize and release the potent sexual tension, only to find no one there...
He had teleported away.
Later that day, the sun rose above the now-concealed Great Tomb of Nazarick. Deep within, Ultron sat at his desk, having just finished reading Demiurge's report. The Archdemon remained kneeling before him, waiting respectfully.
"Excellent work, Demiurge. Your selection is acceptable," Ultron stated, patting the small wooden jewelry box on his marble desk. The demon stood and walked over to take the box, placing it under his arm. With one hand on his chest, he bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your time, my lord," he said before spinning on his heels and exiting the office, grinning like an idiot for doing a good job, his tail swishing back and forth.
'Sigh, all done! That was so fun!' Unlike most, Ultron was the type who enjoyed reading lore and gathering information; his love for information gathering had made him excellent at strategy games requiring military tactics. It satisfied him to bring everything together, expanding bases, waging war, and claiming territory.
Speaking of territory...
"Summon: Mirror of Remote Viewing," Ultron commanded. A round, oval-shaped mirror appeared before the silver-colored overlord. Simultaneously, the side door opened, and in stepped Sebas, his gloved hands behind his back as he approached his mechanical master.
"Good morning, Sebas," Ultron said casually, not looking away from the artifact before him.
"Good morning to you, too, Lord. Is there anything I can do for you?" The dragonoid halted at his master's side, awaiting an answer, but received only silence. Ultron's hands moved as if performing a puppet show before the mirror, trying various gestures before finally getting a handle on it. Sebas began to clap softly at his master's small accomplishment.
"Ah, yes, Sebas, take this stack of papers on my desk and move it to that couch over there, would you?" Ultron said, indicating the ten-inch stack of papers on his desk.
"Of course," Sebas replied, picking it up with ease and walking it over.
Meanwhile, Ultron had used the mirror to survey the perimeter of the tomb, finding everything in order. Deciding to look around ten kilometers from his base, he moved past a great forest and came upon a village. People were running about and congregating in the village center.
"A festival, perhaps?" Sebas suggested, watching over his master's shoulder.
Ultron shook his head and zoomed in on a man being mercilessly stabbed by a knight in armor. The victim's family was dragged out by their hair to be either raped or killed, while others on horseback chased fleeing villagers like dogs. And the villagers were dying like dogs...
"No, a raid. A gutting." Even as he watched the village being destroyed and its inhabitants murdered, Ultron felt strangely unperturbed. Unphased by the murder and rape, even when part of him should have felt disgusted. He was content to let the village burn; however, something caught his attention. Two girls, possibly siblings, are running frantically. Though he couldn't hear them, he could read the lips of those present. The dying man on the ground wasn't begging for mercy or praying like a coward—he was telling them to run.
"Sebas, tell Albedo and Adam to arm themselves. We have a village to save," he declared, standing tall. Sebas looked up at his towering master and nodded, a small smile on his face. Summoning his bladed scepter, Ultron sliced downward, the word "Gate" escaping his lips as a rift in space-time began to expand.
Girls' POV
"Sissy..." the little girl in her arms uttered in shock as she watched the terrifying scene unfold. Her older sister, Enri, had just been slashed in the back by one of the invading knights. In horror, she observed the knight approaching them, raising his sword to finish the job. The older girl clutched her little sister protectively, both gripping each other for dear life, desperately hoping for a miracle. Their father had ordered them to run, but their mother was already dead, and their father was likely gone as well.
Breathing heavily and in great pain, Enri's first thought was to buy enough time for her little sister to escape. However, before she could move, a swishing sound filled the air, and a dark miasma began to permeate the surroundings. The knights froze in fear, lowering their swords in confusion. Opening her eyes, Enri saw the knights stop and looked on in shock. They were staring at something in terror...
"What the hell is that?!" one of them yelled. A metallic footstep drew her eyes forward, and she saw a dark, ominous portal that shook her to her core. A titan made of silver metal emerged, its face twisted into what resembled a maniacal grin, like that of a Jack-o'-lantern. Its triangle-shaped eyes narrowed in rage. The interior of its body and eyes glowed with a red energy that seemed to leak from its mouth and eyes. Towering over them at seven feet tall, it clutched a bejeweled, bladed scepter that radiated pure power. Whatever this being was, it was surely a god.
"Well, what do we have here..." A deep male voice, reminiscent of a demon, emanated from the titan. Observing the scene, the creature shook its head in disappointment. Nemu clung tightly to her elder sister, trembling in fear, while Enri simply gazed in awe. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Come on, lads, you weren't really going to kill such sweet little maidens, were you?" Its smile seemed to widen, and its eyes narrowed, as if taunting them.
Stepping around the girls and taking a defensive stance, the knights backed away in fear. One nodded in response to the question. "I-I-it was an order from our n-n-noble m-men! I-I-I swear!" he confessed, trembling. Chuckling darkly, the silver man raised his arm, palm facing outward, as red energy built in his hand.
"At least you're honest," he said as a powerful red beam blasted from his palm, burning a hole clean through the knight's heart. The man fell limp to the ground, dead. The silver was being scoffed at, looking at his smoking hand. "That was pathetic... I thought you'd at least have SOME energy resistance..." he said with displeasure. "I guess I'll have my fun in another way..."
Glancing at the other knight, who was shaking uncontrollably—fear gripping his heart so tightly he couldn't even think to run—the being's eyes glowed a brighter crimson. Raising his arm, his entire hand became engulfed in phantom orange flame.
"10th tier custom spell: Submit to Prometheus."
The knight was seized by an invisible force, his body writhing in agony as steam rose from him. Soon his armor burned away, then his skin, then muscle and eyes, until finally his skeleton was reduced to atoms.
The glowing ash coalesced into a ball of energy. As it expanded, it spawned a mechanical humanoid figure with a flashlight-like head, its singular glowing eye pulsing with eerie blue light. The synthetic creation's sleek, metal plating gleamed with a chrome finish, its limbs moving with deliberate, precise motions. A faint electronic chattering sound emanated from it as it communicated with something unseen. Enri looked at both beings, eyes wide with shock, while Nemu trembled in terror.
"Geth Hunter," their savior called it. "Scour the village and kill everyone with this armor design," he commanded, pointing to the dead knight. With a mechanical nod and a series of electronic chirps that sounded almost like acknowledgment, the Geth moved with remarkable efficiency, drawing a plasma rifle from its back before sprinting down the road.
Behind them, two more figures emerged from the still-open portal: a metal-armed woman with black wings at her hips and a huge axe in her grasp, and a blindfolded young man with stark white hair. The man was dressed in what appeared to be a stylized black coat that exposed much of his muscular chest, accentuated by intricate patterns of tribal-like white markings on his skin. His somber, elegant appearance was complemented by a thin black blindfold wrapped around his eyes, yet he moved with the confidence of someone who could see perfectly.
"Albedo, Adam," the silver titan greeted them. The blindfolded man called Adam knelt, his movements graceful and measured.
"Forgive us for our tardiness, SOMEONE was having a wardrobe crisis," he said, his voice carrying an eerie calmness despite his exasperation, glancing toward Albedo, who appeared offended.
Placing a hand on her chest, she scoffed. "You cannot rush perfection, especially when the Supreme Being summons you!"
"EXACTLY! When the Supreme Being calls, you drop everything and go as fast as possible. Our lord does not concern himself with aesthetic delays," Adam countered, rising to his feet with fluid motion.
"As if you know about punctuality! You were analyzing combat data instead of attending the meeting today, hypocrite!" she exclaimed as they faced off.
"Perhaps if I had received the notification through the proper channel rather than secondhand, I would have coordinated my arrival more efficiently," Adam replied, his voice maintaining that unsettling calm.
ULTRON POV
"ENOUGH!" Ultron bellowed. "You were both perfectly on time. No need to argue like children!" Sighing, he walked over to the two girls, his mechanical joints softly whirring with each step.
"My apologies, Lord Ultron," Albedo said with a curt bow.
"I apologize as well. It was... imperfect of me," Adam followed, the notion of imperfection seemingly troubling him.
"It's quite alright."
"So, what will we be doing with these disgusting lower life forms?" Albedo asked with venom, glaring at the girls who remained huddled together in fear.
"They appear to be non-hostile entities. Threat assessment: minimal," Adam observed, adjusting his blindfold slightly as he analyzed the dead knight with methodical precision, quickly deducing his master's intentions—spare the girls, eliminate the knights.
"Correct, Adam. The ones in armor are our targets." Looking down at the frightened girls, Ultron noticed the older one trembling and leaning to the left, a deep, bloody gash visible along her back. Kneeling to be level with them, he watched as they backed away slightly.
"Hello, little ones..." Ultron said, his voice as caring as his speakers would allow. The tone seemed to work somewhat, as they appeared less frightened.
"My name is Ultron, and these are my associates, Albedo and Adam," he continued, gesturing to the pair while making a beckoning motion with his hand. Adam understood, kneeling beside his master with graceful, calculated movements.
"Greetings. Identifying yourselves would be beneficial for our records," Adam said, his voice soft yet direct.
The older girl nodded and spoke softly. "E-Enri... and my little sister Nemu..."
Enri and Nemu. Data recorded," Adam acknowledged with a slight nod to his master.
"That's a nasty gash you have there. Here..." Ultron summoned a potion and offered the bottle of red healing liquid. "Drink this, you'll feel better in no time."
Enri stared at the potion, her eyes widening in shock and panic. Looking at Ultron and then Adam, who gave a composed, reassuring nod, she gathered the courage to sit up.
"I-I'll drink it! But my little sister..." Before she could finish or take the bottle, her sister grabbed her arm, pulling it down.
"Sissy, no!" Nemu cried.
"Be quiet, Nemu!" Enri scolded.
"But..." the little girl protested, trying to grab the potion.
"Just stay still!"
"Please don't!" Nemu pleaded.
Throughout this exchange, Ultron simply watched, unsurprised by their distrust.
"YOU INFERIOR LIFEFORMS!" Albedo roared in rage, raising her axe to strike. When she brought it down, it stopped mere inches from the girls—a silver hand had seized the blade.
"Albedo... Stand down." Ultron commanded in a deep, threatening tone that terrified the girls even more than the axe poised above them.
"Apologies, my lord..." she murmured, lowering her weapon.
"This is a healing potion. Do you not know of magic?" Ultron asked, amusement in his voice.
"Y-yes. A pharmacist who is a friend of mine sometimes comes to the village and uses magic," Enri answered.
"Then you understand the basic principles..." he said, shaking the bottle slightly.
She took it, unscrewed the lid, and gulped down the contents. Her wounds began to heal instantly. "Woah," she exclaimed, feeling the healing process. Looking up at the now-standing Ultron, she saw him extend his hand. Though hesitant, she reached up and grasped it. The silver figure gently pulled her to her feet, and Enri did the same for her sister.
"W-what are you?" she asked.
'What should I be to them?' Ultron thought. 'I'm helping them. Expanding my territory... my sphere of influence. To the guardians, I am a god, and from what I can tell of this world's inhabitants, that still rings true. I will bring order to this world, ensure that what happened to this village won't happen again.'
Chuckling softly, he spoke: "Has it been so long that mortals have forgotten the old gods?"
The revelation shocked the girls, who now believed they had been saved by a divine being. Albedo grinned with pride, pleased that her master had claimed the title of god—a title that belonged only to her beloved. Adam's expression remained unchanged behind his blindfold, but he understood the strategic value of such a claim—faith was a powerful tool for control, and control led to order, which was essential for humanity's preservation.
"Now, come with me... My Geth should be finishing up with those marauders." As he spoke, Ultron began to levitate, using magic to lift the girls alongside him. Albedo followed closely, while Adam materialized a pair of energy blades that extended from his forearms, using them to propel himself forward with remarkable agility and speed.
Meanwhile, Ultron decided that if he wanted to be perceived as a god, he needed to present himself more divinely.