Chapter 3 - 『Floor Guardians』

As the light over his perch was disturbed, his eyes opened slightly in time to see Momonga make his appearance. Standing over Jack as he was laying down on the stands. The Seraphim could only smile up at him despite there being no expression really on the face of a skeleton other than that permanent smile made by the bare jaw.

Part of him kind of missed the fleshy face behind the skeleton already, as he wasn't quite sure if they were ever going to get out of this game. If this was still a game. He was already highly doubting it was.

As everything had become too real…

His eyes shifted over towards Aura and Mare who were standing on either side of the Overlord. He nodded to them slightly before sitting up and crossing his legs. The wings on his back fluttered slightly before folding and being at rest.

"Are you doing alright, Jack-san?" Momonga asked, which caused the two elves to look up at him when he called Jack by his true name.

Jack shrugged. He didn't know how he was feeling, but it wasn't good, whilst it also wasn't really that bad either. It felt like he was floating on an incorporeal hill. He closed his eyes part way before reaching into his item box and taking out a glass jar of Asgard apricot preserves. He stared at it for a few seconds before popping it open.

Aura, Mare, Momonga and Jack all tensed up at the smell. It's scent was so much more potent than the stuff from the real world. Jack and Momonga just stared at the gelatinous orange goo in the jar.

"That… Wasn't expected," Jack uttered quietly before digging a finger into the jam and putting it to his lips. Flavors that he never thought he'd taste in a game, shot through his taste buds. His heart began to race.

"I… I can taste the food," Jack muttered under his breath before holding it out for the two elves to try.

Momonga's gaze remained on the jar however, envious of Jack as he could taste the food. He didn't even have a tongue or an actual throat. Not even a stomach to digest it. Momonga was truly just a skeleton with magical powers.

Aura took the jar as it was offered for her to take and the twins went to town. There was tons of sugar in there, but also tons of apricot chunks.

Jack smiled seeing the two of them enjoying the sweet treat before suddenly a gate opened on the other side of the Arena. Both Momonga and Jack glanced over towards the gate, seeing Shalltear Bloodfallen come walking out into the open.

At first glance, one may say she was cute. Yet her personality was incredibly skewed. She was sadist and a masochist rolled into one. At the same time her high number of kinks was by far more disturbing.

He watched as the Gothic Lolita started her way towards them. And as she was grinning and taking each step closer, other gates would appear, allowing the other guardians to enter the Amphitheater.

Even though he couldn't see all their faces. He could clearly see that they were both excited and delighted to be there. They were happy to see that there was not just one Supreme Being, but two, who had stayed behind to be with them.

Jack would let out a soft chuckle, his eyes turning towards Mare and Aura again. They were licking their fingers, each others fingers.

"While we wait for Sebas Tian to come back, I'm going to go up to the surface and see for myself what is outside," Jack informed as he would push himself to his feet and look up towards the skybox which surrounded the area.

He could only imagine how it would be like for someone to come down here into the dungeon and think they were outside. It was rather depressing to think about, especially when they'd finally realize that they were still underground. That they had no where to go… That they were trapped, and they were going to die. The despair they'd be feeling.

Shaking his head at the thought, he snapped his fingers fashionably as the Guardians were assembling around him and Momonga. "Off I go."

"Wait, Cipher-san," Momonga raised a hand as he stopped Jack from leaving. "We'll go out together, once we're done here."

Jack blinked a few times when he had gone back to calling him by his alias. "Sure," he said reluctantly before sitting back down and resting back where he was once perched on his back.

The Guardians all stood there before them, introducing themselves.

"Now everyone, To our Supreme Beings, the ritual of fidelity!" Albedo proclaimed for all to hear.

Stepping forward was Shalltear, "The Guardian of the first second and third floors, Shalltear Bloodfallen." Like Albedo she fell to one knee and held a hand over her heart while closing her eyes as she spoke. An open fanged smile across her lips. "I bow before the supreme ones." she'd say before looking up at the two men, her piercing red eyes searing through them.

"The Guardian of the fifth Floor, Cocytus," was a massive insect being who's staff was probably much bigger than Jack alone. Just being near him gave just about anyone the chills. "I bow before the supreme ones," he'd recite as he bent to one knee.

Stepping forward in front of her brother, Aura spoke. "The Guardian of the Sixth Floor, Aura Bella Fiora," she announced her full name to the duo, a cheeky smile across her face. She was clearly filled with pride in herself and Nazarick itself.

Joining his sister nervously, "A-also the Guardian of the sixth floor, Mare Bello Fiore." Spoke Mare with his staff in hand.

"We bow before the Supreme Ones," both of them bowed before the two men. It was definitely a sight to see even though to Jack this was a meaningless ceremony. It was Jack's understanding that they'd obey the them as they were the members of the Supreme Beings.

Demiurge the Arch-Devil, dressed in a red suit and tie stepped forward. His face decorated with round bifocals and small gold earrings on his pointed ears.

"The Guardian of the Seventh Floor, Demiurge," he'd announce his identity. He held this smug look on his face, he seemed to believe he was important, essential. That was the way he carried himself as he went to one knee with a hand over his chest like the others. "I bow to the supreme ones..."

Jack's eyes rested on the Devil, then he turned his eyes to Momonga as Albedo spoke.

"The Leader of the Guardians, Albedo..." She then fell to one knee, a hand over her heart. There was a faint blush on her face as she kept her sights on her beloved Momonga. "I bow before the Supreme Ones."

That was when suddenly, "The Guardian of Big Brother, Eve!" The homunculi who had run off to his bedroom was now kneeling directly between the twins. The two of them both staring at her as if she had appeared out of no where. "I bow before the Supreme Ones!"

Both Momonga and Jack both face palm, laughing under the breath.

"Oh God… You have got to be kidding me," Jack shook his head and lowered his hand to his side. "You're not even a Guardian."

Eve just shrugged at this and stood up, folding her arms behind her head, blatantly turning on her heel and wandering off towards the exit. None of the Guardians could even hear a single footstep she made.

Demiurge watched her as she left. Both him and Albedo wanted to speak out, but due to the knowledge of what Eve was to the supreme being standing beside Momonga was, they didn't dare.

"Other than the Guardian of the fourth floor, Gargantua," Albedo began to speak once more as if nothing had happened. She kept her eyes to the ground and her lips without much emotion. She spoke in a flat-tone, sharing objectivity. "The guardian of the eighth floor, Victim, all the guardians have gathered to bow before you, the Supreme Beings."

Raising her head to look upon her Masters, Albedo continued, "Please bestow your orders upon us, Supreme Ones." She spoke in absolute, any order would seem to do. "We offer our complete loyalty to you both."

Jack kept a patient smile across his lips. While he liked the idea of roleplay, this was getting a bit awkward. Even when he did roleplay with the other members of the Guild, it didn't go this far.

Just like this however, Momonga got pulled into it, taking on the role quickly.

So hours had gone by and Jack went on his own to the top of the Great Tomb. His eyes scoured their surroundings. It was… Beautiful. The world around the ruins were so green, not rotting and dead. He licked his lips slightly and clasped his hands behind his back.

He started down the flight of stairs, casually looking up to the sky as he did so. It was rise, approximately the same time it would set on Earth according to the clock.

Spreading his wings to their true colossal full length, a single movement sent him towards the sky. And many more brought him above the clouds. He could see villages off in the distance. Trees, mountains. Even a city with a fortress overseeing it.

There was so much around them, yet so little. Everything was spaced out.

He wanted so much to visit each and everyone of these settlements. Discover its people, their defenses, their cultures, their lore. His breath shook his ribcage with excitement.

That was when he paused, narrowed his eyes on smoke several miles away. The smoldering remains of villages could be seen.

Was this territory at war with someone? His eyes gazed as far as they could see and he just raised a brow. There were no battlefields, no evidence of mass warfare. Yet there was plenty of evidence of someone pillaging and attacking villages. There were at least than two destroyed village in this region.

Using the Guild Ring, he teleported back inside the Great Tomb of Nazarick. This time he was in his room, staring at the dresser by the door as he was standing by the bed on the other side of the compartment. "Hmmm..."

Momonga knocked on the door, before walking in.

Jack looked over at him, his violet-blue eyes tracing over that milky white skull of his, before locking on those red orbs that seemed to float in his pitch black eye sockets.

"I'm sorry, I took too long..."

"It's fine," Jack smiled and waved it off as if it was nothing. "We all get caught up in things, but we have to talk. There are smoldering villages in this region. We have to hide the Tomb, and quickly."

Momonga's jaw parted slightly before nodding. "I'll get Mare to use magic to hide the Tomb and terraform the area around us. That way we won't be spotted, not without someone actually looking."

Jack nodded in return as he scratched his chin. "In a couple days, I'd like to scout out some of the villages. Maybe go into the nearest City."

Momonga nodded lightly, "Then I shall company you once we find out more information about our situation. Please, be patient with me this time." The overlord let out a steady chuckle.

"We'll see," Jack grinned at his friend before walking over to the mirror on the dresser and leaning onto the smooth dark stained yew wood. "I guess all those working hours, self-starving and buying a house, wasn't worth it."

Momonga placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "At least you don't have to sit at a desk all day anymore." His hand would pat softly before falling to his side. The two of them gazed at themselves in the mirror. "And now, you may just have a chance at making a family here."

"Perhaps..."