Within the bottomless pit, mountains of demon corpses gave off a nauseating stench.
The corpses came in all shapes and forms. Some were missing limbs, others had been burned to charcoal, and still others...
Without exception, their eyes remained wide open, as though expressing their endless pain and resentment.
Jet-black threads coursed through the pit like dark pythons, coiling tightly around the demons' corpses.
The threads shimmered with an eerie light, seemingly absorbing the flesh and magical power within them.
Countless ghostly green flames drifted among the bodies, flickering restlessly. Souls had been turned into kindling and set ablaze, while silent, agonized screams echoed endlessly throughout the pit.
Golden ripples descended from above, intertwining in three concentric rings. This was the mighty power of faith.
At the bottom of the pit, a faint dark-red glow could be seen.
The light brightened and dimmed like a beating heart.
With every pulse, a deep heartbeat rose from below, like a summons from hell that sent chills down the spine.
At the edge of the pit, which resembled the gaping maw of an abyss, Naohara's armor and Demiurge appeared like ghosts.
"How has he been lately?"
Naohara's gaze pierced into the depths below as he calmly asked.
During the recent celebration, Demiurge's latest report had specifically requested instructions regarding the future plans for this place.
Confirming the progress of the various projects and providing guidance for their future development were merely secondary reasons for Naohara's visit.
His main purpose was this pit, or rather, the being sleeping beneath it.
[Lord of the Underworld, God of Judgment!]
"He is stable for now, but I would still recommend strengthening our precautions, just in case."
As he listened to the wails of his demonic brethren below, Demiurge's expression remained completely unchanged. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying them.
The screams of the strong were indeed far more pleasant than those of the weak.
Demiurge delighted in cries born from suffering.
He preferred simple physical agony to mental torment, though he did not dislike the latter.
"Oh? What concerns you?"
It sounded as though Demiurge had some reservations.
"It may be insignificant to you, Naohara-sama, but I would still like to prepare for every possibility."
"After all, faith and Catastrophe are intertwined, while the bloodlines of demons and dragons have been fused together. Such an extreme combination carries far too much uncertainty."
When the Supreme One questioned him, Demiurge lowered his head and answered respectfully.
As he had once said, nothing in this world was absolute, with the sole exception of Nazarick.
There was no doubt that everything remained under the Supreme One's control, but that did not mean Demiurge should simply follow orders without thinking.
Addressing the minor details that the Supreme One deemed unworthy of attention was also part of his duty as a subordinate.
"You're worried that he may lose control someday?"
Naohara immediately understood Demiurge's concern.
Beginning with the Dragon's Source, the flesh and magical power of countless demons had forged his body like steel. Boundless resentment had shaped his spirit like raging waves. Faith had taken root like a towering tree and altered his will, while Catastrophe devoured everything like a ravenous beast and turned it into sustenance.
With both the Power of Faith and the Power of Catastrophe present, he should theoretically never lose control. Even so, no one could predict what the future might bring.
After all, so many tangled and complicated forces had been mixed together, filling the process with uncertainty.
Perhaps one day, those powers would suddenly react with one another like an erupting volcano, building until they completely exploded.
"Exactly. In my view, loyalty sustained by loyalty alone is as fragile as thin ice."
Simple loyalty might appear as solid as stone, but once faced with a devastating upheaval or a sufficiently tempting offer, it could collapse as easily as a crumbling building.
"In fact, I have been conducting a special experiment recently. I released a group of test subjects into the Sorcerer Kingdom for observation."
Demiurge changed the subject and continued at length.
"Conviction is an extraordinarily subjective force. Perhaps we could incorporate a portion of it as an additional safeguard."
Aside from devils, no creatures were better at manipulating hearts than demons.
Demiurge had previously conducted a special experiment on the captive Lizardmen under his control, arranging for two of them to produce a unique child.
That individual was named Zaryusu Rusha.
Demiurge first allowed him to grow up in a warm and nurturing environment. Then, at a crucial moment, he suddenly exposed the child to malice and instilled in Zaryusu Rusha the belief that he had to keep moving forward without pause, for the slightest hesitation would condemn him beyond redemption.
The immense pressure and terror bore down on him like a mountain crushing an egg, igniting a blazing conviction within Zaryusu Rusha.
He had to become stronger.
Judging by the current observations, the experiment was proceeding quite smoothly.
For intelligent beings, conviction made them safer and more reliable to control.
"Hmm. An excellent idea."
Naohara nodded, expressing his approval and admiration.
Although he only partially understood the reasoning, that did not matter. Demiurge had undoubtedly considered the matter carefully.
"This demonic essence is your reward for your work during this period. As a fellow demon, absorbing it should benefit you greatly."
With that, Naohara took a reward he had prepared in advance from his inventory.
It contained a portion of the demonic essence of the Seven Deadly Sins extracted from one of the Twenty, and could greatly increase a demon's power.
At those words, excitement flashed in Demiurge's diamond-like eyes.
He understood how precious this reward was. It represented the Supreme One's recognition and approval of his efforts.
Naohara watched Demiurge's excitement. This was his reward for all the work he had done.
"Keep up the good work, Demiurge. His existence is vital. It concerns the future direction of Nazarick, as well as a vision once conceived by your creator, my dear friend Ulbert."
Ulbert-sama?
Demiurge froze when he heard his creator's name.
"For Ainz Ooal Gown to conquer one of Yggdrasil's Nine Worlds and claim a world of its own. What once sounded like a joke may now become reality."
Memories of the past flooded Naohara's mind as he murmured softly.
Ulbert possessed an extraordinary imagination and could never remain idle. His mind was always overflowing with strange and original ideas.
He loved role-playing and often immersed himself so deeply that he could not pull himself away, enjoying every moment of it.
Ulbert and Peroroncino had once proposed creating a No-Pay-to-Win Alliance and enthusiastically invited Momonga to join them.
However, the alliance was short-lived. Peroroncino was the first to break his oath, causing it to collapse almost immediately.
Ulbert had also helped name Momonga's NPC. The distinctive name Pandora's Actor had been his suggestion.
Momonga had originally considered naming him Surprise Box, but ultimately accepted Ulbert's proposal.
"...I see. I understand, Supreme One."
Demiurge nodded slightly, wisdom gleaming in his deep eyes.
He pushed up his glasses as thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning.
The information hidden within the Supreme One's words was like a key, unlocking many of the questions that had troubled him.
He recalled the Dragon Creation Project from not long ago. Everything had originally been progressing according to plan, but the project had suddenly changed, requiring demon genes to be added at the last moment.
Although he had harbored doubts at the time, he had not asked any questions.
Now, the Supreme One's words finally revealed the reason.
War was coming.
A war with the entire world as its stage!