"Herohero, what's wrong? You've been staring at that maid this whole time."
"Blonde hair, looks like a slime-type race… wait, don't tell me she's an NPC you created?"
Naohara looked at him in mild surprise. To be honest, he had almost forgotten that this friend of his had created an NPC as well.
"That's right. Solution. That's her name," Herohero said softly. "I gave her that name myself. She's an NPC created perfectly according to my preferences."
He watched her figure disappear before finally snapping back to his senses, letting out an involuntary sigh.
His feelings toward the NPC he had created were complicated. Strictly speaking, she could be considered his daughter, since everything about her had been given by him. Yet her appearance and figure were designed entirely to suit his tastes. She was exactly his ideal type.
Herohero didn't know how he should face her.
As a father?
As a master?
Or as a lover?
Earlier, he had even suggested killing all the NPCs. But the moment he truly saw Solution again, he understood something clearly.
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
"For us now, time doesn't really mean anything," Naohara said, patting him on the shoulder. "You can take your time thinking about it."
There wasn't much else he could say. This was something Herohero had to sort out on his own. At the same time, Naohara couldn't help but think of the NPCs he himself had created.
Both of their moods grew complicated in an instant, completely failing to notice Momonga frantically signaling at them from the side.
"Momonga-sama, what should I do next?"
Albedo's beautiful eyes were fixed firmly on Momonga. The blazing affection on her face made it hard for him to endure.
Momonga was internally breaking down.
Why had he ever modified her settings back then? Now look at this. He had dug this hole himself.
He glanced down at his own body and closed his eyes in despair. There was absolutely nothing he could do.
"Albedo, you… go and notify all the guardians," Momonga said at last. "Except for the two special guardians on the Fourth Floor and the Eighth Floor. Tell everyone else to put aside whatever they're doing and gather at the Sixth Floor Arena."
A flash of green light passed over him, and Momonga regained his composure, speaking to Albedo with authority.
Although he had tested the loyalty of Sebas and the others earlier, that didn't mean the rest of the NPCs would be the same. He still had doubts. After careful consideration, he decided it would be best to gather all the Floor Guardians together and test them at once.
Now that the three of them each possessed multiple World-Class Items, and still had the trump card of fusion, there was no need to be overly cautious anymore. If any NPC dared to resist, they would be eliminated on the spot. That alone would be enough to deter the rest.
"Understood, Momonga-sama."
Albedo cast one last lingering look at Momonga before quickly leaving. The command of a Supreme Being had to be carried out immediately.
"Phew…"
As the door closed, Momonga finally gave in and dropped straight down onto the floor.
He had spoken with extreme caution, forcing himself to maintain an imposing demeanor while enduring Albedo's intense gaze. The love in her eyes felt as if it were about to pierce straight through him, sending chills down his spine. If not for his Forced Calm passive and his skeletal appearance, he would have completely given himself away.
"Tabula Smaragdina… I'm sorry," Momonga muttered to himself, recalling how he had once tampered with Albedo's settings. A deep sense of guilt washed over him.
What had started as a momentary whim had turned into this. He had never imagined that they would actually transmigrate.
A single line spoken in the past had now transformed into an overwhelming, suffocating love, leaving him unable to breathe.
"Momonga, what's wrong with you? You're even muttering Tabula Smaragdina's name."
Having finally calmed down, Naohara and Herohero looked up, only to see Momonga sitting on the ground, acting strangely and murmuring something about Tabula Smaragdina.
"Ah—n-no, it's nothing!!"
Momonga jumped in surprise and hurriedly got to his feet.
He couldn't say it. Absolutely couldn't say it. If they found out, he might as well be dead.
He would definitely be laughed at. Herohero and Naohara would mock him mercilessly.
His thoughts spiraled out of control, his emotions reaching a breaking point. A flash of green light appeared, and that familiar suppressive sensation washed over him again, pulling him back into Sage Mode.
"Nothing. I'm just a little nervous," Momonga said flatly in Sage Mode. "We should head to the arena. I already had Albedo notify the Floor Guardians to gather there."
"Forced Calm?"
Herohero and Naohara exchanged a glance. They were very familiar with that green light. It was an Undead racial skill that soothed emotions. In the game, it granted control immunity.
It worked much like Naohara's Dragonic Will as a Dragonoid, or Herohero's Black Heart. The only difference was that Naohara and Herohero could choose to disable their passives, while Momonga couldn't. After all, what kind of short-tempered undead mage was there?
In a flash of light, the three of them vanished from where they stood and reappeared in the arena on the Sixth Floor.
The Sixth Floor was the largest of all Nazarick's layers, featuring plains, artificial lakes, forests, and other varied ecosystems. The arena sat right in the center of the forest and had originally been used by guild members for PvP.
Managing the Sixth Floor was a pair of Dark Elf twins, one male and one female, whose appearances were completely opposite.
The elder sister wore men's clothing and had a bold, lively, and outgoing personality. The younger brother wore women's clothing and looked timid and weak.
The sister's name was Aura.
The brother's name was Mare.
Their creator was Bukubukuchagama, a slime of a special defensive-enhancement type. The twins' design was also born from her peculiar sense of humor.
They looked meek and easy to bully, but once a fight started, they turned ruthless. To put it simply, they were the type to greet you politely while breaking your legs, committing the cruelest acts with the most timid tone.
"Momonga-sama, Naohara-sama, Herohero-sama, welcome to my floor."
The moment the three stepped onto the ground, a lively voice reached their ears. Aura had already jumped down from the arena's platform and was greeting them cheerfully.
"Mare, hurry up and come down. Don't keep the three lords waiting."
She looked up toward the platform she had just leapt from and called out impatiently.
"I—I can't do it, big sis…"
A head peeked out. It was Mare, staring down below with a terrified expression.
"This is extremely disrespectful, Mare. Even if you're my brother, I won't forgive you."
"I'm sorry… I—I'm coming down now."
Mare squeezed his eyes shut in fear and jumped. With a cloud of dust, he landed safely on the ground.
"Um… Naohara-sama, Momonga-sama, Herohero-sama, welcome to the Sixth Floor."
Mare greeted them weakly, only for Aura to immediately punch him.
"Don't act like that in front of the Supreme Beings, Mare. Be sincere. Your voice is way too soft."
"But I really am trying, big sis…"
"Honestly, you…"
Aura looked at her brother with a headache-inducing expression but didn't press him further. After all, this was exactly how Bukubukuchagama-sama had designed him.
"My apologies, Supreme Beings. Mare's personality is just like this. Please don't take offense."
After scolding Mare a bit more, Aura bowed deeply to the three. Seeing this, Mare hurriedly bowed as well.
"It's fine," Naohara said with a laugh. "I know Bukubukuchagama's settings. She's always liked this sort of mischievous design."
Naohara stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Mare's head, patting it.
"Ah… Naohara-sama!"
Mare's face instantly turned red, and he lowered his head.
"So warm… Naohara-sama really is a gentle Supreme Being," Mare thought quietly to himself.