The familiar voice called out in broken intervals.
When it sounded again, it seemed to cross the barriers of time and space, touching the most vulnerable place in her heart.
An unfamiliar feeling unlike anything she had experienced before surged through her.
It was an instinctive response branded into her soul, something that could never be erased no matter how many years passed.
"...Tabula... Smaragdina-sama..."
Albedo's voice trembled as she leaned forward, trying to get a clearer look at the figure below.
Her eyes widened, filled with shock and disbelief.
That familiar appearance, that unique magical essence. Every detail had been engraved deep within her memory as if carved in stone.
The call that resonated with her soul struck her heart like a bolt of thunder, unleashing a flood of emotions she could no longer suppress.
Albedo clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding within it.
This was a special sensation that only NPCs experienced in the presence of a Supreme Being.
An appearance could be faked, but magical essence and this instinctive connection could not.
There was no doubt about it. This was her Creator, the Supreme Being Tabula Smaragdina-sama!
"Why are you..."
Albedo's lips trembled. She wanted to speak, yet had no idea where to begin.
Tears glimmered in her eyes as she hurriedly moved to fly down, but a figure instantly blocked her path.
"This is no time for a reunion."
Albedo stared at Pandora standing in her way, and her expression immediately darkened, as if storm clouds had suddenly swallowed a clear sky.
Her once gentle gaze became as sharp as a blade, chilling anyone who saw it.
"What do you mean, Pandora! That's Tabula Smaragdina-sama! Get out of my way!"
Albedo clenched her teeth so tightly that they ground together, desperately suppressing the fury boiling inside her.
Her breathing quickened, and her chest heaved violently like a beast on the verge of attacking.
Her pale hands tightened into fists. Her knuckles turned white from the force, trembling as though she might strike at any moment.
"I should be asking you that. What do you think you're doing, Albedo?"
"Tabula Smaragdina-sama? Hah. Didn't he abandon Nazarick and abandon us just like the others?"
There was no room for compromise in his words.
Pandora pulled his hat down, concealing most of his face in shadow. His playful manner vanished, replaced by a completely emotionless tone.
As he spoke, his figure twisted once more and transformed into Naohara's appearance while wisps of black mist rose around him.
"All I know is that the Supreme One Search Team exists to prevent every Supreme Being from returning to Nazarick. Albedo, do you intend to break the very rule you established yourself...?"
Pandora scoffed and raised a hand in signal.
Sephis immediately moved at his command. The countless bolts of lightning raging across the sky suddenly underwent a strange transformation.
They swiftly turned into silver flames, rising into the air and setting the entire sky ablaze with dazzling light.
Within those silver flames, nine enormous fire dragons could faintly be seen weaving through the inferno.
These dragons were not true living creatures. They had been condensed from the power of the ley lines under Sephis's control.
The nine silver dragons surged through the flames, circling, diving, and roaring with overwhelming might.
"Fall."
At that low command, the immense bodies of the silver dragons descended from the heavens like burning meteors.
In an instant, towering waves erupted from the sea as though they would drown the entire world.
The heat radiating from the silver dragons made the surrounding air scorchingly hot. Even space itself began to twist and distort.
Amid this terrifying spectacle, Tabula Smaragdina's figure appeared incredibly small, as insignificant as an ant.
"Get out of my way!"
Her frantic roar was followed by the violent clash of weapons.
Pandora glanced at the weapon in his hand as its durability rapidly plummeted, then looked up at the massive axe Albedo had brought crashing down. The corners of his mouth rose into a cunning smile.
He made no further attempt to stop her, allowing Albedo to rush past him and land in front of Tabula Smaragdina.
Once Sephis stopped restraining the nine silver dragons, the lightning and fire elements lost their balance, automatically triggering an Overloaded reaction.
Fueled by the power of the ley lines, an unprecedented explosion erupted.
The deafening blast sounded as though heaven and earth were collapsing, its roar shaking the skies.
The violent shockwave tore a gap through the sky as if it intended to swallow the entire world.
When the smoke finally cleared, a powerful figure stood before them, covered from head to toe in pitch-black armor and radiating boundless majesty.
[Hermes Trismegistus]
It was a suit of heavy full-body armor composed of three overlapping layers. It possessed no additional powers, having been designed solely for exceptional physical durability.
However, when combined with Albedo's special skill, all damage she received could be transferred entirely to the armor.
If an attack exceeded the armor's durability, that layer would be destroyed.
When damaged, its layers would break in sequence: Additional Armor, Full-Body Armor, and Assimilation Armor.
In theory, this allowed Albedo to endure three attacks of limitless destructive power without suffering any injury herself.
"Trying to withstand that head-on without any preparation really was too much..."
As those words fell, the pitch-black armor shattered like a brilliant star, dissolving into countless dazzling fragments that vanished into the air.
With her unique ability, Albedo had successfully endured Sephis's full-powered attack, but the price was the complete destruction of the outer Full-Body Armor.
"Truly astonishing. Even I would struggle to withstand an attack like that without suffering a scratch. I suppose that's to be expected of someone so favored~"
"You and Rubedo are merely creations, yet you possess World-Class Items that even the Supreme Beings themselves did not own."
"Hehehe. Tabula Smaragdina-sama, you certainly played favorites~"
Pandora descended in front of Albedo and lightly clapped his hands. His tone sounded both mocking and admiring.
Standing nearby, the corner of Sephis's mouth twitched slightly, but he maintained his aloof demeanor and remained silent.
"Pandora's Actor!!"
Albedo's furious voice thundered through the air, overflowing with rage and resentment.
"Don't be so fierce. I only wanted to see what choice you would make. You were so eager to establish the Supreme One Search Team that I assumed you had already prepared yourself for this~"
Pandora spoke with open mockery, his gaze fixed on Albedo as an amused smile played across his lips.
"But it seems you never considered, or even imagined, that you might one day face your own Creator."
Albedo's expression darkened. She gritted her teeth without responding.
Pandora continued.
"You've been running away, Albedo. Running away from this possibility. You convinced yourself that even if another Supreme Being appeared, it could never possibly be Tabula Smaragdina-sama. Hahaha, am I wrong?"
Pandora spread his arms and laughed coldly, the sound echoing through the air.
He then swept one arm forward. Ripples spread across the space before him as an invisible slash emerged.
[Reality Slash]
[Walls of Jericho]
Faced with such a powerful attack, Albedo's entire body shuddered. Pitch-black mist poured from her and rapidly formed a wall of darkness that absorbed the spell completely.
At the same time, Albedo seized the opportunity to cast [Summon Mount].
A horse-like magical beast with two horns projecting forward slowly emerged from the summoning circle.
This magical beast was Albedo's personal mount. Although it was somewhat smaller than an ordinary horse, it radiated a powerful presence no normal horse could possess.
It was equipped with armor, horseshoes, and other items, and displayed exceptionally high intelligence. In terms of level alone, it could even rival a Floor Guardian.
"Tabula Smaragdina-sama, please rest assured. I will get you out of here safely."
Albedo turned toward Tabula Smaragdina and spoke quickly.
At that moment, Tabula Smaragdina slowly opened his eyes. His gaze carried a weariness he could not conceal.
He quietly looked at Albedo standing before him, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
That smile contained a mixture of complex emotions, both relief and deep sentiment.
"You've worked hard, Albedo."
Tabula Smaragdina's voice was calm and gentle, filling Albedo with an overwhelming sense of familiarity and warmth.
The moment she heard that familiar voice, tears filled Albedo's eyes and streamed uncontrollably down her face.
She might normally be ruthless and cruel, but before her Creator, she would always be nothing more than a child.
"It's still not too late to cut off Tabula Smaragdina-sama's head. Show me your resolve through your actions! Don't wait until we have to do it ourselves."
"Albedo, you know exactly what will happen if the three Supreme Beings learn about this."
"Sephis and I are the creations of Momonga-sama and Naohara-sama. We may be punished for our involvement, but as the mastermind, you will undoubtedly be sentenced to death."
"You wouldn't want Momonga-sama to despise you, would you? So do it! As long as Tabula Smaragdina-sama is eliminated, no one besides us will ever know he died. Everything can remain exactly as it is."
Pandora continued tempting her. The longer he spoke, the more excited and engrossed he became, as though he had completely immersed himself in the role of a villain.
"Hah. You may be right, but I refuse! Even if it costs me my life, I will never harm Tabula Smaragdina-sama."
Albedo shook her head, her gaze unwavering. She raised the massive axe in her hands, prepared to fight to the death.
However, what greeted her was not a relentless barrage of magic, but three crisp claps.
"You pass!"
Naohara's voice suddenly rang out behind her.