Chapter 3: The Gathering of Guardians
[Imagine Raven Branwen's raven form in the empty space next to Cocytus - her massive corvid silhouette perched beside him. If you've forgotten what her raven form looks like, refer to the "Bio" chapter.]
Momonga's POV
"My, my, it appears I'm the first to arrive," Shalltear announced with her characteristic elegance.
(Shalltear: A true vampire who guards the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.)
"Oh wow! Lord Alucard!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she spotted my best friend.
As Shalltear glided toward Alucard, I couldn't help but mentally chuckle at his predicament when she embraced him.
"The one man I could never rule above—my eternal beloved!" she declared dramatically.
I heard Alucard's amused chuckle in response. "And hello to you too, Shalltear, but umm..."
"Stop, Shalltear! You're starting to slobber on him," Aura interrupted with obvious disgust.
Without even glancing at the dark elf, Shalltear released Alucard and replied coolly, "Hello, half-pint. I didn't realize you were here."
I watched Aura grit her teeth as Shalltear continued with mock sympathy, "Having such a foolish sister must be difficult, Mare! However do you manage it?"
Mare glanced nervously at his twin, clearly sensing Aura's rising temper, until she delivered her counterattack.
"Miss fake tits," Aura said with a smug grin.
Shalltear gasped, covering her modest chest with her hands. "What?!"
"Just as I thought!" Aura's grin widened. "That's why you went through the trouble of using a gate! You were in a hurry to see Lord Alucard, but since you overstuffed your top so much, you worried they would shift if you ran here!"
Shalltear made an indignant gasp as I heard Alucard snicker at the verbal burn. She quickly retaliated, "Watch it, elf! You've got nothing but a boy's chest!"
"True, I'm only 76 years old! I can still develop, whereas you're stuck in an undead body. Maybe you should accept those bug bites," Aura shot back.
That was the final straw. Shalltear screamed, "How dare you! I'll make sure you regret that!"
As Shalltear charged toward Aura, the two began arguing like siblings. I chuckled and said to Alucard without looking at him, "Talk about nostalgic. They act just like Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama, don't they?"
"Yeah... no kidding. It sure brings back memories," Alucard agreed.
"What a ruckus! Stop acting like children in front of the Masters!" Cocytus commanded, his authoritative voice cutting through their bickering.
(Cocytus: Guardian of the 5th floor and the virtual personification of the word "warrior." His warrior spirit led him to ask Alucard to train him.)
"I'll stop when this elf bitch pays for her lies!" Shalltear snarled.
"Try it, vamp!" Aura challenged.
Just as Cocytus was about to freeze them both, I felt an overwhelming presence of darkness. I knew immediately where it was coming from as shadows began to writhe around me. Both Shalltear and Aura dropped to their knees, struggling to stay upright. Looking over, I saw Alucard in his released form, his crimson coat billowing as dark energy radiated from him.
"SILENCE!" His voice carried the weight of centuries and countless battles. "Shalltear! Aura! We don't have time for such childish displays."
They both bowed their heads ninety degrees in unison. "Forgive me, my lord."
"I'm glad you're here, Cocytus," I said, trying to restore some normalcy.
"I will always come when you and my mentor call," Cocytus replied respectfully.
"Good work," I acknowledged, noticing Alucard nod approvingly.
Suddenly, I saw Alucard's lips curl into that familiar, sinister smile—a look that actually made me uneasy—until I heard a familiar voice.
"Sorry everyone, I hope you weren't waiting too long," Demiurge announced as he arrived.
(Demiurge: An insanely powerful demon and Alucard's first apprentice. Guardian of the tomb's 7th floor. If Nazarick is ever in crisis, he and Raven Branwen lead the other NPCs in its defense, with Raven as guardian of the throne... wait.)
"Alucard, where is your guardian? I should have expected her to be here rather quickly, given that you gave the order," I inquired.
"While you were thinking earlier, I used the message spell to tell her to remain at her post. Since she's always our reconnaissance asset, it makes sense to have her on standby for the moment. And since she and I share a bond through her raven familiars, everything I see, she sees," Alucard explained.
"Ah, that's an excellent idea. I'm glad I have you always thinking ahead for me, even when I'm still a bit behind."
"You would have figured it out either way, Momonga," Alucard replied modestly.
Albedo stepped forward with formal grace. "My lords, we the guardians pledge our fidelity."
The formal introductions began:
"I am the guardian of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors," Shalltear said, kneeling. "Shalltear Bloodfallen. I serve and obey!"
"The guardian of the 5th floor, Cocytus. I serve and obey!" the insectoid warrior declared.
"I am the guardian of the 6th floor, Aura Bella Fiora," the dark elf announced.
"I am her brother and also a guardian of the 6th floor, Mare Bella Fiora," the shy druid added.
"We serve and obey!" the twins said together.
"The guardian of the 7th floor, Demiurge. I serve and obey!" the demon proclaimed.
Finally, Albedo concluded, "The leader of the guardians, Albedo. I serve and obey. Other than Victim, guardian of the 8th; Raven Branwen, who guards the throne and Nazarick itself; and Gargantua, who faithfully guards the 4th—all the guardians have gathered as requested and have pledged their undying loyalty."
As they all bowed to their overlords, the scene began to fade, and the opening credits rolled.
The world of the massively popular DMMORPG Yggdrasil drastically changed after its last day of service. Though magic can still be used, various rules have changed, and the NPCs have begun to move of their own volition.
"Raise your heads," I commanded.
A rather melancholy black aura surrounded me as I spoke. (Geez, could I look any more depressed and hopeless...)
The guardians raised their heads to bear witness to their overlords' words.
"We are very pleased that all of you have come," I said, my gratitude genuine.
Aura and Mare gasped lightly at their lord's sudden thanks as Albedo spoke for all of them.
"Your thanks are wasted on us. We have pledged ourselves to you both and live to obey, my lords. I fear that our abilities may not meet your expectations. Despite this, we will strive to meet them in honor of the Supreme Beings—our blessed creators. This we vow!"
"This we vow!" all the guardians echoed.
I opened my jaw to show them my joy, while Alucard's dark aura pulsed around him, making him appear even more imposing and regal.
"Most excellent, my guardians! I have no doubt you will fulfill your duties without fail!"
The guardians all smiled at their lords' words of praise. Alucard spoke with his aura rippling like liquid darkness, his tone carrying the authority of an ancient vampire lord.
"Now then! The situation outside is entirely unknown to us. With this in mind, I've had Sebas survey the surrounding area." He looked over behind a pillar. "Report."
As Sebas gave us his findings, I had a hard time believing what I heard.
"Grasslands?" I questioned.
"Yes, my lord. I'm afraid the swamps that once surrounded the Great Tomb of Nazarick are nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, I cannot confirm a single building, human, or monster within one kilometer from here. It seems we are completely isolated," Sebas reported.
"Very good, Sebas. You served us well. As Alucard clearly suspected, it appears Nazarick has been transported to unknown lands by equally mysterious means."
(It still shocks me how Alucard can adapt so quickly to this. He's shown power and regality with everything he does... Heh, even now he still maintains that noble bearing at heart, and I'm glad he's here, or I might have become more depressed over time.)
While I was thinking, Alucard spoke, interrupting my reminiscing about our times together.
"Floor Guardian Leader Albedo and Defense Leader Demiurge, I have an important duty for you two."
"My lord?" they responded in unison.
"Fortify our defenses and work on a way to strengthen our information gathering. Although Raven would normally handle that, I cannot risk humans seeing her raven form or her portal abilities with so little knowledge of this world. The rest of you, follow their lead!"
"My lord!" all the guardians acknowledged.
"Mare, is there any way to conceal the Great Tomb of Nazarick?" I asked.
Mare replied sheepishly, "Y-yes! Though it will be difficult if all we use is magic, if we covered the walls with dirt and vegetation, I think it would help camouflage us from intruders."
As soon as Mare finished, Albedo replied, clearly annoyed, "You want to smear the Nazarick walls wi—"
Choking sounds
Before Albedo could finish her comment, I saw Alucard's hand shoot out, grasping her throat with vampiric speed as he spoke with a voice dripping with menace.
"Momonga didn't call your name, wretch... and if I ever see you disrespect Mare again, you will experience true terror!"
Knowing this was going too far, I raised my voice at him. "ALUCARD, ENOUGH!"
As he looked back at me, I told him firmly, "She has learned her lesson. Do not let your protective instincts corrupt your judgment in a time of crisis."
I noticed Alucard release her instantly. As she coughed and gasped for breath, he slowly made his way toward me with his head down, crimson eyes closed. He stood by my side in silence.
To make the situation less awkward, I addressed Mare. "Are you confident the dirt will be sufficient, Mare?"
I noticed Mare had a slight blush after Alucard stood up for him. "Y-yes, I am, as long as you allow it, of course. Except..."
"Right... one random mound would look unnatural." I looked at Sebas. "Sebas, are there any hills around the tomb we could blend in with?"
"No, the area is barren—nothing but flatlands as far as the eye can see."
"Fortunately, the land can be molded to suit our needs. Would making dummy hills suffice?"
"Yes, I do believe we would blend into such surroundings," Sebas confirmed.
After moments of silence, Alucard spoke in a much more controlled voice. "Momonga, I recommend caution. While the flatlands can be molded to our needs, we cannot rely upon that alone. We are new to these lands, so we don't know if this part of our location has yet to be discovered. As such, we should find a human settlement to give us more insight. We must abide by the teachings I have learned through centuries of warfare: 'There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent. Do that, and you will meet your final death.'"
Looking at the guardians, I saw them gazing at Alucard with slight awe at his ancient wisdom. "Yes, then that is what we shall do. Afterwards, we will use illusion magic to hide the open areas we cannot cover."
"O-of course, my lords. It will be done," Mare stammered.
"Lastly, there is a question I'd like each of you to answer. First, Shalltear—in your own words, tell me what kind of person Alucard and I are to you."
"Beauty incarnate. Nothing living or undead can compare with your radiant glow. As for Alucard, he's a man of true nobility, always protecting those around him, even those he considers beneath his station," Shalltear replied.
"Cocytus."
"A man whose strength is unrivaled by any guardian. You are truly worthy of ruling the Great Tomb of Nazarick, always and absolutely. While Alucard shows true honor and mastery of combat to any and all who have faced him in battle—he is truly the definition of a noble warrior."
"Aura."
"Compassionate, and you're always three steps ahead of everyone else. Lord Alucard is regal yet commanding."
"Mare."
"You're a leader who is kind as well as merciful, and Lord Alucard is very protective and looks out for others no matter the consequences to himself."
"Demiurge."
"A man who makes wise decisions then acts upon them efficiently and without any form of hesitation. Also, your enigmatic nature makes it nigh impossible to predict you. My mentor is by far the most powerful vampire to ever exist, and I myself believe him to be a true lord of darkness!"
"Sebas."
"You are the head of all the Supreme Beings along with Lord Alucard. Even though the other creators have left us behind, only you two mercifully stayed in Nazarick till the very end."
I sweat-dropped as I said finally, "And lastly, Albedo."
"You are the highest-ranking member of the Supreme Beings, with my beloved Alucard as your right hand and most trusted general—our ultimate masters and the rulers of Nazarick. As well, Lord Alucard is the one to whom my heart belongs!"
I recoiled from her declaration. "Y-yes, I see. We have heard your thoughts and given you your orders. Go work faithfully in our name!"
"My lord!" all the guardians responded.
I placed my hand on Alucard's shoulder as we teleported away.
## Alucard's POV
"Sorry about what I did..." I said quietly.
Momonga looked at me seriously. "Look, I understand you care a lot, but that was too far."
I lowered my head, speaking with a voice heavy with centuries of regret. "I know... I literally couldn't control myself. Ever since I came here, being what I am makes me feel more... monstrous."
"Maybe you should go rest for a bit while I deal with this. I'd rather you not lose yourself to the darkness," Momonga suggested with concern.
I smiled at him gratefully. "Very well. When you need me, wake me—either come yourself or send Solution to awaken me."
As I finished speaking, I teleported to my guild room and settled into the ornate coffin that served as my resting place.
"Well, they were sure devoted in their praise, but I think it's best I rest," I murmured to myself.
(Gonna need my strength tomorrow for those poor, innocent villagers...)
As the screen faded to show Alucard's silhouette, only the faint glow of his crimson eyes in the darkness was visible.