On the border that marked the precipice between the Roble Holy Kingdom and the Demihuman Country, tens of thousands of spectators stood in wait before a massive stage built upon a small cliff face at the edge of the Holy Kingdom.

The massive crowd bustled with a mixture of awe and excitement. An invisible furor permeated the atmosphere, and the sound of countless whispers filled the air as the people talked amongst themselves in a great circle of shared anticipation. The morning sun shone down upon the crowd, casting bright rays filled with a rejuvenating warmth. The crystal blue sky shimmered with a soothing brilliance, like an enchanting testament to the spectacle to come.

All of a sudden, the sounds of the people dissipated at once in a miraculous unison of silence that blanketed the entire scene. The crowd watched with bated breath as a lone female figure emerged onto the stage.

The woman was dressed in a simple dark green robe that highlighted her short golden hair as it glistened in the morning sun. An ornate silver visor covered her eyes, and clutched in her right hand was a crystal ball. The woman was not particularly tall, and yet she exuded a massive presence that swallowed up the massive stage upon which she stood.

She held the crystal ball high into the air.

Finally, she spoke.

"Today you stand before me enticed by the promise of an eternal Truth. The Truth of the Deathless….."

The woman began her speech with what was barely a whisper, but through the magical transmission of the crystal ball, it reached the ears of all who were present.

"One hundred years ago, His Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown disappeared from this realm. Much was lost that day. The Sorcerer Kingdom crumbled, returning to the same pathetic state of disunity and stagnation that plagued this world before His arrival."

"His Majesty brought with him the opportunity for a future where we could live free from the sin of weakness. But the Slane Theocracy chose instead to spit in the name of our Great Savior, to reject the great Gift he would bestow upon this world."

As her voice began to rise, the audience could feel the throbbing of their hearts increase in tandem.

"But do not be fooled. His Majesty showed no weakness. I have told you all before that Justice is Power. But today I propose a different question: what is the Power of a God? What is the Justice of the Divine?"

The woman allowed just the slightest hint of a cold, hot fury to creep into her next few words as they rang out in the crisp morning air like the sound of distant thunder.

"Is it childish folly masquerading as compassion and virtue? Is it the impudence of a mongrel seated upon a worthless throne of black and white?"

"No, the Power of a God is one that reigns from beyond the grave. It is a legacy that pervades the essence of our very souls, one that has dominion over the whispers in the dark and burns so bright that it consumes the light."

The pitch of her voice reached a crescendo, sending faint ripples of power scattering in every direction. The audience watched in awe as the very air and sky seemed to pulsate and blur under the influence of the woman's voice.

"THAT is the Power of a God. It is a supremacy that lasts forever, a spark that kindles the hearts of the fallen. The Truth of the Deathless is this: the Fall was only the Beginning. Through the sacrifice of His Majesty, we have inherited the legacy of Ainz Ooal Gown: to go beyond death, to create a world without weakness."

She spread both her hands wide, stepping forward towards the crowd as she did so. The voice enhancement of the crystal ball disappeared, replaced with nothing but Neia Baraja's personal tone as it reverberated from the stage with absolute sincerity.

"So join me, people of the Holy Kingdom. Join me, descendants of Carne Village and E-Rantel. Together, we shall forge a new destiny. Embrace the banner of Ainz Ooal Gown, uphold it in this quest eternal. In the name of the Church of the Deathless, His power shall dawn upon this world once again."

She finished her speech, staring down at the masses of people as their passions soared and their voices cried out in unison.

"Long Live the Church of the Deathless!"

"To the Glory of Ainz Ooal Gown!"

After his reunification of the Northern and Southern parts of the Holy Kingdom over a century ago, King Caspond I became known as the "Great Unifier," beginning a new chapter in the Holy Kingdom's history.

The Caspondian Dynasty was born, with its seat of power in the Royal Capital of Hoburns.

However, even with the southern nobles subjugated and the beastmen hordes no longer in the picture, a third power continued to flourish throughout the Northern Kingdom. The Cult of the Faceless One, which Caspond I had initially supported as a means to support his rule, had grown too powerful.

They had the backing of the Sorcerer Kingdom, and thus Caspond I could make no move against them as their influence grew by the day.

Yet by some miracle, the "Great Vanquishing" happened and the Sorcerer King was no more.

Without the support of the Sorcerer King, the Holy Kingdom could finally move freely against the Cult. Caspond I drove what remained of the cultists out of the Holy Kingdom, where they regrouped and set up base within the Demihuman Enclave to eventually rise again as the Church of the Deathless.

Eventually, Caspond I passed away, and Caspond II ascended to the throne. He declared open hostilities against the Church of the Deathless, and fiercely persecuted any and all found to have ties to the Church within his borders. Recently, there was even word of him launching an assault into the Demihuman Enclave itself.

At least, that was the official story.

In the King's Office at the Holy Palace of Hoburns, Doppel-Caspond II leaned back in his chair with a devious smile. He had stored three different appearances for the role of the Holy King: young, middle-aged and old, hand-picked among his best-looking blonde subjects to serve as whichever age group best fit his role.

At the moment, he was wearing the appearance of a middle aged "Caspond II."

He stared at the set of ornate wooden doors on the far side of the room, as if awaiting a certain person's arrival.

Sure enough, he soon heard a loud knock on the door.

"Come in."

The wooden doors swung open, and Neia Baraja strolled inside, the Visor Mirror Shade concealing what little expression she wore on her face.

"Fine work as always, Archbishop." drawled the Doppelganger as she walked towards him.

Neia gave an indifferent nod at the casual compliment, replying: "I've come to report to the Demon Hand."

Caspond II grimaced as he heard this, but no look of surprise crossed his face. He sighed as he stood up, making his way to the center of the large office, where a large circular red sigil had been engraved onto the marble floor. He muttered as he walked, a hint of amusement in his voice:

"I don't know why you humans enjoy giving the Floor Guardians such strange epithets. Although, I suppose…."

Upon reaching the center of the red sigil, the Doppelganger morphed his thumb into the shape of a claw before drawing a thin cut across the tip of his index finger. He allowed a drop of his black blood to fall down upon the sigil below him.

"...you stopped being fully human a long time ago…."

The ground beneath him sizzled upon contact with his blood, and the sigil began pulsating with a faint red glow. The Holy King stepped off of the altar before extending his hand in an invitational gesture towards Neia.

Neia made no reply towards the Doppelganger's remarks. She silently stepped on to the glowing red sigil as that circular section of the floor suddenly began to shake and sink underground like a strange makeshift elevator.

Neia stood in several seconds of darkness as the section of floor beneath her feet descended smoothly underground.

Soon, however, the "elevator" reached a halt. Neia gazed forward to see a long dark hallway leading towards an open doorway at the far end that emitted an eerie green light.

She made her way across the hall, entering through the doorway and into a small chamber.

To Neia's right was a brazier burning with a bright green flame, illuminating the right half of the room with a haunting glow while a murky shadow covered the rest. A lone figure could be seen sitting at the conjunction between the light and the shadow. The flickering emerald light reflected off his glasses in a sinister gleam as Neia gave a deep bow before him.

"Lord Demiurge."

Seated cross-legged at the center of the room was none other than the 7th Floor Guardian of Nazarick, Demiurge himself.

The demon maintained a perpetual stillness that made his shadowy figure seem almost artificial, like a demonic statue erected in worship of a forbidden god.

But Neia knew this was no mere statue. The sheer pressure that Demiurge exuded and the malevolent aura of power that rippled from his body revealed the true nature of an unspeakable monster.

"You may begin your report, Archbishop."

Neia gave a respectful nod before speaking:.

"I'm afraid we have made little progress in regards to the search for the missing members of the Pleiades Seven Stars. Narberal Gamma has yet to be located, while Lupusregina is still a prisoner of the Theocracy. The Great Tomb remains dormant, and we have yet to find any evidence that Yuri Alpha, Entoma Vasilissa Zeta, Sebas Tian or Aureole Omega have left its walls."

Demiurge merely nodded, an unsurprised look on his face. There had not been any updates on the Pleiades for quite some time now, and these reports had become more routine than anything.

"Lord Demiurge, I recall you mentioning that you were on the brink of more or less understanding the nature of what happened to the NPCs of Nazarick, would you h-

Demiurge interrupted her before she could finish, already knowing what the Archbishop was going to ask:

'When Lord Ainz disappeared, it seems that the functions of me-and I assume the other floor guardians-were reverted to a stationary "guard" status, one of the basic settings that we obeyed before coming to this New World. You can think of it as something similar to the story I once mentioned regarding Lady Shalltear, when she was under the effect of an interrupted mind control attempt."

"However," the demon continued, "unlike with Shalltear 107 years ago, I have retained my ability to think and speak. I can be moved by an external force so long as it does not cause me physical harm. I can also perform most motor functions that do not involve attacking or stepping away from this spot, unless an enemy engages me first. Based on that, I think we can rule out the "passive" status, which would render me essentially defenseless until the setting was changed."

A tone of confusion crept into Neia's voice as she asked: "So what exactly caused such a change to happen? Did His Majesty change your "settings" before he disappeared?"

Demiurge shook his head. "While I am not fully aware of the full range of commands that Ainz-sama has access to, I believe that manual NPC settings such as passive, guard, and assist were no longer available after our transportation to this world. Instead, Lord Ainz would give us verbal orders or allow us to act autonomously. No, it seems that some kind of power connected to the Great Tomb has forcefully scaled back the NPC functions so that we'd return to the command functions we abided by before coming here. Luckily, I was still overseeing the operation of the Holy Kingdom's reunification and was not present at the Theocracy. The Twins in the Elf Country are most likely in a similar situation, but they unfortunately share borders with the enemy."

"Would it be possible that Lord A-Ainz..." Neia's heartbeat sped up as she used the more familiar manner of address. "..his absence automatically caused all of your "settings'' to have been changed due to the lack of a person giving orders?"

"I recall that Lord Ainz himself gave you permission to address him by name before his..disappearance?" Demiurge gave a sad sigh. "He has recognised you as a member of Nazarick, and you have indeed served faithfully for 100 years after fulfilling the requirements of the Apostle's Sphere. You should speak his name with confidence."

Neia dipped her head, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I've already considered the possibility you speak of," he continued. "But I'm afraid the effects are too specifically tailored to have been automatic. Lower level NPCs such as the Doppelganger you know as Caspond and the Homunculi Maids have apparently not been affected at all. The Great Tomb appears to have been sealed under a different set of rules independent from those on the outside. And then, of course, there are the Pleiades…"

A sad atmosphere fell upon the room, but it quickly faded, replaced by the barest hint of a cataclysmic fury buried deep beneath that stony countenance.

"And your progress on the Slane Theocracy?" asked the demon.

"Our people continue to seep into their inner circle." quickly replied Neia. "Now that peace and stability have more or less been restored, the faith of the people are at their most vulnerable. We will shake their belief in their Supreme Chancellor, and when the time comes, the Fireborn and the Leviathan shall launch the first strike. As you've stated, rescuing Lupusregina and the Staff will be our first priority."

Demiurge nodded in satisfaction. "While we do not have tools of pain comparable yet to those of Nazarick, the Witch's preparations beneath the New Re-Estize Kingdom should prove….adequate."

Neia hesitated a moment before speaking: "Are you certain that we can trust the Witch? Her personality makes her loyalty...hard to predict."

Demiurge's immaculate jewel-like eyes stared through the lens of his glasses and straight at Neia, causing her to feel a tingle on her spine.

"A hundred years ago, your faith was shaken when you learnt about the truth of Jaldabaoth, and the fake war we waged for the glory of our master-the war that claimed the life of your father. You made a choice then, and you chose the Apostle's Sphere, to cast away your doubts and live an eternal life of servitude."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"The Seeds of Corruption* are no different. Renner and Climb are beholden to Nazarick for eternity. The Witch knows it, even if the Myrmidon does not. Besides, the Orphan watches over them in the dark with the Shadow by their side, and the Orphan's intellect is almost as formidable as that of the former princess."

Neia nodded, her worries temporarily dispelled. "I have one more piece of information to report. The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown has indeed begun showing activity once again. The Aura of Despair has been activated without a wielder, and a dark red aura pulses from the guild weapon."

A massive look of surprise dawned on Demiurge's face. The malevolent power he exuded grew stronger in his excitement, causing Neia to wince as the demon sought urgently to confirm the truth of her words.

"Is this true?! I merely told you to keep an eye out for the faint chance of any kind of activation. But to think…."

He looked away from Neia, starting to mutter to himself as he did so.

"What could this mean? If my theory is correct…." Neia watched in astonishment as a rare expression of agitation emerged on Demiurge's face. "Ah, Lord Ainz, if only you were here to guide me, your unworthy servant…."

He finally composed himself, looking back at the confused Neia.

"Do not make any move on the Staff for now. Our former plan regarding its extraction has been put on hold. It is safest inside the Theocracy. Keep a close eye on its activity, and report any changes to me immediately. The extraction plan has now shifted exclusively to Lupusregina. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord." Neia quickly replied.

Demiurge took a deep breath. "Leave me. I have much to think about."

Neia bowed and left, leaving the demon alone with his thoughts.

I've lost my touch…

Demiurge grimaced. There was a time when he would never so easily allow his emotions to show before a subordinate, but the last century had slowly whittled away at his patience and confidence.

Lupusregina's ninety years of imprisonment was unacceptable. His inability to immediately rescue her clawed at him like an unshakable affliction.

The missing status of Narberal only compounded his frustration. An entire century of searching and not a single word about battle maid.

Cocytus, Albedo and Shalltear...sealed away at the edges of the world by the Slane Theocracy.

The status of Pandora's Actor, Aura, Mare and the Great Tomb of Nazarick...all still a mystery.

He concocted countless schemes from the shadows, and with the aid of the human servants the Supreme Being had amassed, Demiurge managed to create a massive shadow organisation that spanned multiple nations and slowly acquired enough power to rival the Slane Theocracy.

But it was not enough.

When Shalltear was brainwashed and the Supreme Being went to duel her, he too had felt powerless and out of control. However, he learned that day that no matter how bleak or undesirable the situation, his master Ainz Ooal Gown would find a perfect solution and achieve victory against all odds.

Lord Ainz served as the beacon of his inspiration. Through the Supreme Being's presence alone, Demiurge felt like his intellectual horizons could expand further than he ever thought possible. A single word or phrase from the Supreme Being could ignite countless ideas and strategies in the blink of an eye.

But now...all of that was gone. Lord Ainz was no more.

Right after his settings were changed, Demiurge's ability to think and speak were temporarily stripped, and he transformed into a simple lifeless statue for an entire year, much to Doppel-Caspond's bewilderment.

Eventually, Demiurge's mental faculties returned, and upon realising what had happened, he was consumed with an overwhelming grief and rage. His hatred and anger fueled his drive to reorganise and scheme against the Theocracy in revenge, and the ensuing work served as a powerful distraction from his mounting grief.

However, after all these years, Demiurge's hatred had long sunk beneath a void of emptiness and despair. What was there to live for in a world without Ainz Ooal Gown, trapped in a body that could barely move, toiling over a world he held no affection for?

A teardrop slid down his face as he remembered the warmth and kindness his master always showed towards his subordinates. He recalled the promise he made that night below a star-filled sky, a promise he would never be able to fulfill.

I have failed you, my master…..

Ever since Nazarick was transported to the New World, Demiurge had felt in control. With his power and intellect, victory was always on his side.

In a way, none of that had changed. With his strategies and resources, Demiurge would eventually establish dominion over this world once again. In time, his forces would burn the Slane Theocracy to the ground. He had a feeling that the missing members of Nazarick would re-emerge eventually as well.

And yet, Demiurge felt no sense of triumph or anticipation. In the end, he knew that no matter what he could accomplish, no matter how much he conquered or burned…..

It could never be the same again. None of it would bring his Lord back.

But today, Demiurge finally felt something, a glimmer of hope in the void of emptiness….

"A dark red aura pulses from the guild weapon."

For the first time in many years, Demiurge felt his signature devilish grin return to his face.

He pushed his glasses closer to his eyes, a bright sheen emitting from its immaculate lenses.

He had much to think about indeed.

By the time Neia arrived back at Doppel-Caspond's office, the Holy King had already left for someplace else.

She immediately made her way to the guest quarters of the Royal Palace.

At the entrance to the guest room that was her destination, the homunculus maid Fith stood at the door waiting for her.

"Ah, Neia! You're here!"

There had been a time when Fith treated Neia with a certain degree of coldness and disdain, as she did with most of the outsiders of Nazarick. But over the years, Fith warmed up to Neia and the two of them now treated each other like dear friends.

The reason was simple. Neia visited this place every day without exception. Even on her busiest errands for the Church of the Deathless, she would make time to come here no matter what. On the rare occasion that she had to leave the Holy Kingdom for an important task, she would always contact here via message scroll.

"It's not perfect," Fith said as she handed Neia a bottle of brownish liquid. "But I think I've managed to replicate it to an acceptable degree."

The Archbishop took off her mask, revealing a pair of beady upward slanting eyes. Under most circumstances, Neia's intimidating eyes gave off a vibe of animosity or even malice. But right now, even the most jaded of skeptics could sense the pure sadness that shone through them.

For the first time that day, Neia smiled. She beamed at Fith with an expression of absolute sincerity and gratitude. "Thank you, Fith. Thank you for everything." she whispered.

Fith simply smiled back and nodded. Extra words would be unnecessary. They both understood how much Neia meant what she said.

"Come," Fith said, a hint of deep sadness in her beautiful eyes. She gently opened the door for Neia. "She's waiting for you.

Neia entered.

The room was as luxurious as one would expect from a guest quarter of a royal palace. It was meticulously clean and tidy, no doubt a product of Fith's tireless work ethic.

At the center of the room was a round table where CZ2128 Delta sat alone.

Neia walked over to sit on the opposite side of the android, placing the bottle Fith gave her on the table as she did so.

"Hi, Shizu. It's me again!"

The android tilted her head, replying: "Uwaaah….?"

Neia held back a sob. While Lord Demiurge had more or less figured out the state of the other NPCs through his skills of deduction, the plight of the Pleiades continued to baffle even a genius of his caliber.

So far, they managed to find two of the battle maids, Solution and Shizu, and both of them had seemingly lost all of their memories.

Solution, who was staying in the room next door, was not faring too badly. While she could not remember a thing, her intrinsic loyalty to Nazarick and overall personality remained the same. Over time, Lord Demiurge managed to gradually train and educate her back to something resembling her original self.

Shizu on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. Unlike the rest of the Pleiades, she was an android, which meant that her personality and behavior could not be restored through organic means. Only with access to the Great Tomb of Nazarick could her old self potentially be brought back.

That didn't stop Neia from trying. Everyday, she would come here with the hopes of jogging back the android's missing memory through conversation and physical interaction. Everyday, she would fail.

Neia placed the bottle of chocolate milk Fith had prepared on the table.

"Shizu, this used to be your favorite drink! Would you like to give it a try?"

She gently pushed the drink towards the android, who looked at the drink with an emotionless expression on her face.

"Uwahh...no liquid sustenance required."

Neia watched with a broken heart as Shizu shook her head mechanically, pushing the bottle away.

She tried another approach. Well, more accurately, an approach she had already tried the previous day and countless days before that.

She walked to the empty seat right next to Shizu and sat down. She grabbed the symbol on the pendant on her neck and held it in front of her for the android to see.

"You see this, Shizu? It's a Star Pendant. Lord Ainz gave it to me so I wouldn't have to be scared anymore."

"Uwah...A-Ainz….?"

Everytime Neia showed Shizu the pendant, the android would have the same small reaction, as if some kind of faint memory of her Lord had been triggered.

But it never went anywhere. Shizu would always quickly return to her barely responsive state as if nothing had happened.

And today was no exception.

"...?"

The android stared blankly forward as Neia threw her arms around her, tears finally streaming uncontrollably down her face.

"Oh, Shizu! I promise that one day everything will go back to how it once was. We'll play together like we used to with the whole world as our backyard. I'll buy stuffed animals for you that you will refuse to accept, claiming that they smell and that Eclair Eclei Ecleir is far better. I'll come up with ridiculous plans to impress His Majesty that will make you shake your head with robotic exasperation. We'll drink chocolate milk together while you try to put your One-Yen Stickers on me."

"So please," she sobbed. "Come back to me. Come back to me and I will never let you go ever again."

She buried her head in Shizu's shoulder, shaking as she cried in the memory of her best and only friend.