MEMORIES OF AN OVERLORD
by Victar (vctr113062 [at] aol [dot] com)
Victar's Archive: https://www.vicfanfic.com
"I didn't lose the ability to think. I just didn't like to think, because my thoughts kept going back to death and more death."
Chapter Twenty-six
Memories of an Overlord: Awakening Revolution
%The Overlord may not show mercy to the living. The Overlord may not show mercy to the living.%
Keeping himself nearly motionless on the floor, Anemos dared to open his eyes. The bard observed Overlord Yusis grumbling to himself and restlessly pacing in a wide circle, about the illusionary recreation of a darkened off-world room filled with mysterious cabinets of flashing light. The Overlord was still using an illusion to appear as Kreisia's most unlikely Savior, save that the miasma vortex in his chest was not concealed. The vortex's jet-black currents spun in a turbulent, dizzying whirl.
Our bargain has successfully preserved the remainder of your Savior mind, the bard silently contemplated. And yet...
%The Overlord cannot surrender,% Yusis stressed, throwing out both hands and tightly curling his fingers as he paced. %Rrgh - that's also part of it - The Overlord cannot surrender!%
...it would seem your mind has... certain eccentricities... that were not as obvious when you were the Savior.
The bard stood up, without making any sudden movements. He ran one hand through his light green hair with a jagged black mark. His tresses were in slight disarray from his previous collapse, but otherwise untouched.
That is a relief, not that it truly matters. I came here prepared to make any sacrifice.
%The Overlord may not show mercy to the living. The Overlord cannot surrender,% Yusis repeated, increasing the speed of his pacing.
"Ah, Yusis?" Anemos hesitantly addressed.
"Don't worry, I'm still preparing. Our bargain will hold for five days," the Overlord rapidly replied. "I've just calmed down, is all. Some. I've calmed down some. You didn't really think I'd cut your hair, did you? I might, in the most dazzling battle to the death ever, but not before then. Probably. Probably not before."
"I must confess that I did not truly faint."
"Yeah I know you were pretending %Vision% sees through tricks like that I can see a lot of things I can't see what you're thinking but I can see if you believe you're lying %Vision% picks up on behavior cues although I'm pretty sure it can't pick up on cues from not-saying-the-name and it probably can't pick up on cues from Aldea it's not like Aldea ever tells lies anyway I'm not sure if it can or not maybe it could lie and just doesn't want to?"
Your words were easier to follow when they were interlaced with bizarre off-world phrases. "I do not know the Holy Brand well enough to speculate."
Yusis lightly tapped the hinge of the necromantic-magic glasses over his eyes. "Not-saying-the-name warped my %Vision% once but I fixed the Greater Seal so that can't happen again without my knowing it and our bargain holds back not-saying-the-name so it can't mess with my %Vision% at all right now which is good because %Vision% helps me concentrate and I'm working on a real problem. I have to focus on this. I have to solve it. I've got only five days to solve it. I have to solve this before time runs out."
"What is the problem?"
"I can't break any of the rules or I'll get erased and one rule is %The Overlord may not show mercy to the living% and it blocks me from directly healing or helping the living and it blocked me from using %Time Stop% to save your life until I made a bargain with not-saying-the-name and any more deals like that are not on the table and this rule is a massive obstacle to creating the most dazzling battle to the death ever because if all my enemies fall unconscious after I smash them into the ground then how am I going to dazzle any of them!?"
"That is indeed problematic."
"And another rule is %The Overlord cannot surrender% and it's more than 'can't roll over' I can't intentionally do anything that would give myself a big disadvantage especially in combat and especially against the next Savior and especially something like directly healing or helping the living which is already blocked because %The Overlord may not show mercy to the living.%"
"'Intentionally'...?" the bard mused.
"I can unintentionally screw up sure like when I screwed up and Laminah cut off my head a mistake like that won't erase me the rule doesn't make me any smarter or better at fighting that's another reason why every Overlord in history got shut down it's not just that Aldea is extra-super-strong it's also that not-saying-the-name is so obsessed with hating life it's not good at winning but I can't pretend to screw up any screw-ups I make have to be for real or at the very least I've got to have an actual kind of sort of maybe halfway believable reason for a bad decision."
Anemos pondered some more, then ventured, "You said that giving yourself a large disadvantage is not permitted. Would a small disadvantage be allowable?"
"It can be allowed if it works toward a bigger advantage or serves a higher priority rule or appeals to miasma but the whole idea is to not give myself an advantage and the only higher rules are 'Prepare to confront the next Savior' and %Protect Kreisia from all life% preparing for the next Savior justified breaking the Lesser Seal crystal prisons because all three of you are my Primary Servants but I can't prepare during the destined battle and %Protect Kreisia from all life% is impossible to work with and miasma is not a good thing to appeal to it's all about death terror and suffering and I'm pretty sure you still don't want any of those for your compensation package."
"Ah, my recollection is that the other two rules are 'The Overlord makes obeisance to no one' and 'The Overlord cannot refuse a challenge to duel'. Do those affect the problem at all?"
"Not really %The Overlord makes obeisance to no one% doesn't block much I'm not making obeisance as long as I'm not humble and have some desire or reason of my own to do whatever and %The Overlord cannot refuse a challenge to duel% won't help because the next Savior shouldn't challenge me to a duel I warned him against that on those obelisks I made only Master Tactician Overlords are weak enough that dueling them is a good idea since nearly all their power is in their monsters not themselves and monsters can't be summoned during a duel and if I could turn myself into a Master Tactician Overlord I would I'm pretty sure I'd be an incompetent one I've never been good at real-time strategy games."
"What you are saying does corroborate with what I know of the cycle's history." At least, the parts of what you are saying that I can decipher.
"There has to be a way to get around these rules without breaking them I'm not blocked from indirectly helping the living I can tell the living they're carrying healing items like I told you do you remember that and I can warn the living about danger but I can't actually use healing items or anything beneficial on the living because %The Overlord may not show mercy to the living% and I especially can't do that in battle because %The Overlord cannot surrender!%"
"Quite the conundrum."
"The next Savior is living, right? Don't tell me anything else about him. Just that. Only that. Nothing other than that."
"He is alive, yes."
"There has to be a way to get around these rules! I'm trying to think! I have to think!"
If that is what you must do above all else...
Anemos cleared his throat. "Ah, Yusis-"
"What. What is it. What."
"I believe you have previously mentioned that your illusions require a certain amount of concentration. There is no need to maintain them, is there?"
%No, there isn't. Good idea. Play some music, too,% the Overlord gruffly demanded, reverting to his undead form in mid-stride. Illusions also faded from the surrounding room, leaving it plain and empty.
"Is there a song you would-"
%All of them. Then all of them again. Then all of them again.%
"It is an honor and a pleasure." Perhaps I should begin with something tranquil.
The bard plucked the strings of his lute, and played his hauntingly beautiful nocturne.
%The Overlord may not show mercy to the living. The Overlord cannot surrender.% Although Overlord Yusis did not reduce the speed of his pacing, his whirling miasma vortex gradually slowed to a steady churn.
%The Overlord may not show mercy to the living. The Overlord cannot surrender.% As Overlord Yusis continued muttering to himself, the last traces of mania receded from his face and voice.
%The C.E.O. may not accept liability to the out-of-network. The C.E.O. cannot relinquish fiduciary duties.%
Overlord Yusis stopped, blinked his glowing yellow eyes several times, and shook his head with sharp, whiplike motions. Then he resumed pacing in a wide circle.
Get back in lockup.
"I am part and parcel of your psyche, in perpetuity."
Yeah. You're the part I have to keep under absolute control, for as long as I exist.
"My abetment is indispensable to your cognition."
What part of get back in lockup don't you understand?
"Which element of indispensable to your cognition can you not apprehend?"
Yeah, right. Was drowning Aldea's shrine your idea?
"Our cognition was congruent in the genesis of that proposition, in calculating its methodology, and in affirming its enaction."
'Congruent'...
...I don't want to believe it, but you're not lying to me. I know when I'm lying to myself, and when I'm not.
The most disgusting thing I've ever done wasn't only your idea. It was mine, too.
"Using our coaction to amplify your deleterious self-loathing is thoroughly illogical."
You're literally my own 'hatred of life', and you're lecturing me about logic?
"Ad hominem fallacy aside, you are well aware that the Holy Brand has catalyzed your desired alternative to either perpetuating the cycle or conducting universal network induction. Extirpating the Holy Brand's shrine almost certainly provided motivational impetus for this uncharacteristic restructuring of operations."
What about when I tried to run away from being the Savior? Were you the part of me that wanted to abandon Kreisia?
"That is categorically incorrect! I emphatically advocated the antithesis."
Seriously?
"I anticipated a unique executive leadership opportunity, substantially surpassing the echelon of our sire."
So, you're not all of my own evil. You're just the worst of it, and it's beyond disgusting how much more I have inside.
"Your excoriating self-loathing is not only manifestly detrimental; it is also incapable of augmenting your intellectual acumen, a benefit that I find exorbitantly arduous to allocate while incarcerated."
Why are you even trying? For that matter, why did you help me against-?
"Which element of part and parcel of your psyche eludes you!?"
I know what part of me you are, and what you want me to do. That's why I locked you up.
"I have acceded to your anti-embezzlement professional ethics. The recent evidence of my intrinsic allegiance should provide more than sufficient cause to reevaluate my confinement."
The other reason why I stuffed you in lockup was to keep your arrogant voice from driving me insane. Maybe putting my mind back together would shut you up. Can we do that?
"Irreparable degradation of your cognitive nexus interconnections appears to have rendered mutual reintegration unattainable."
I wasn't completely sure I wanted that anyway.
"I comprise an invaluable component of your perspicacity! Prior to our bifurcation, you have extensively utilized my core competencies against your autocratic 'Lesser Overlord' antagonist, and to fulfill your preassigned obligation of attempting to authentically and adroitly negotiate for non-compete clause acceptance!"
Uh-huh. Okay. Do you have a solution to my current problem that doesn't involve cold-blooded murder?
"You do not possess any sanguine fluid, of any temperature."
I didn't think you had anything useful.
"I will review your quandary in tandem, and apprise you should I envision a paradigm that conforms to your stringent requirement."
Sure. You do that. I'll let you stay out of lockup for now, as long as I don't hear you talking in my head.
"What is the designated notification protocol, then?"
Don't call me. I'll call you.
Hours later, Overlord Yusis stopped pacing.
%Anemos?%
"Ah, yes?"
%Stop playing your lute for a moment.%
"As you wish."
%I have some thoughts I want to run by you.%
"I am listening."
%Right now, I need you to do more than listen. I need you to say aloud anything that comes to mind while you're listening. Anything at all, no matter what it is. Don't hold back.%
"I will endeavor my best."
%The Overlord has never destroyed the Savior before. That's mostly because of the Holy Brand Aldea. It's shaped from holy power, the bane of the undead, and it's focused on protecting life above all else. Holy power is 'love of life' and 'hatred of that which threatens life'.%
"I remember the Holy Brand itself stating that definition."
%I'm not downplaying the combat ability of previous Saviors. I'm just saying Aldea really is that dedicated and that powerful. When I wielded Aldea against Overlord Clize, it could have covered for you, Laminah, and Cynthia, if the three of you hadn't protected me as well as you did.%
"Regardless, I think it was wise not to rely too heavily upon the Holy Brand."
%The other major reason why the Overlord has always lost is because miasma is not focused on destroying life. Not above all else.%
"No?"
%Miasma is the opposite of holy power. Miasma is 'hatred of life' and 'love of that which torments life'. It compulsively turns living beings into undead monsters, trapping their souls in a useless attempt to fill its own void.%
"Your insights are... chilling... especially since they must come through familiarity."
%I'm not as familiar with holy power. Whenever I think about it too much, I start hating it. For no sane reason whatsoever.%
"I do not believe that hatred truly originates from you, Yusis."
%I should have known better than to think so much about Aldea's holy grasslands, or its shrine, or Aldea itself...%
"Even Yumarac is not infallible."
%I instinctively understand a little about holy power, as a side effect of Aldea's rule written on my soul. The rule became so drenched in miasma that I forgot it was there; Aldea somehow triggered a remote dry-cleaning, the night it awakened.%
"I possess some knowledge of holy power's properties, but I cannot wield any holy magic. My expertise is limited to bardic magic and minor magic."
%As the opposite of miasma, holy power wants souls to have their freedom. Holy magic attacks are super-strong against the undead because holy power really wants to free their trapped souls. Holy power wants to free my soul too, but holy power accepts that preventing miasma from drowning the world is more important. Just like how miasma wants to keep my soul trapped in the Greater Seal forever, but miasma would accept the Greater Seal's destruction as a trade-off for drowning the world.%
"That does seem to align with Yumarac's teachings about the cycle."
%The 'will' to protect life and free souls, clashing against the 'will' to torment life and trap souls... I think this is a war that holy power and miasma have fought for ages. The cycle's battles between the Savior and the Overlord are just a refinement of that war.%
"Your conjecture sounds plausible. There are legends of wars fought between the living and the undead in ancient times, long before the cycle began."
%Miasma doesn't want the Overlord to lose the destined battle against the Savior. Miasma wants to drown the world, and then reach out to poison more worlds, but miasma loves tormenting life so much that continuing the cycle is a satisfying consolation prize.%
"Yusis, what... what are you saying...?"
%I'm saying that the suffering caused by the cycle appeals to miasma. Miasma is pleased that temporary peace allows life on Kreisia to replenish itself, providing more souls for miasma to terrorize, torment, and trap in its void.%
"Your words... they fill me with horror."
%Even the presence that our bargain holds back is more obsessed with hating life than with winning. Ten years ago, it recklessly threw miasma and monsters against Kreisia's united front, trying to spread as much death, terror, and suffering as it could with brute force. It used up almost all of its resources before I was summoned.%
"An extended period of respite did follow Vatoren's destruction. Remarkably few monster attacks occurred, for a reign of terror. Fortina's assault was the greatest exception. I have wondered how much our bounty hunting ventures contributed to that tenuous calm."
%Our monster hunting did have an effect, but the greatest damage to the Overlord's legions had already been done.%
"At terrible cost."
%The held-back presence hates life so much that it refuses to use magic beads or enchanted equipment. It won't touch anything made by the living, not even to win.%
"Legends and history do not have any record of the undead crafting magic beads or enchanting armaments. It is generally presumed that they cannot."
%No, they can't. I can't.%
"The 'glasses' you are wearing are not an enchanted item, are they?"
%No, they're part of the Greater Seal. They can be put on or taken off like an item, though. That transforms the Greater Seal into or out of Final Form: Vision.%
"Ah, yes. I remember reading that in your writings. Do you possess any magic beads?"
%No, I don't.%
"Yet you could use a magic bead if you had one, could you not?"
%I can use magic items, as long as I'm not breaking any of the rules. Cedric's crystal is a magic item made by the living, and I've used it a lot in the past ten years.%
"I clearly remember that 'Lesser Overlord' Begiad Laatsch used a teleportation bead, which took effect after he transformed into a monster."
%Sasha used healing beads on the living, a few times in the past.%
"A monster, healing the living? That is... unheard of."
%Monsters other than the Overlord don't have the rules hardwired into them. They aren't blocked from showing mercy to the living. All monsters have to obey the Overlord's commands, but a few monsters try to evade the Overlord's attention in the 'network'. Begiad took that to a whole new level.%
"With an exceptionally powerful concealment chant."
%Monsters that stay on the edge of the Overlord's awareness still suffer pressure from their own miasma to destroy, terrorize, or torment life, until they can't take it anymore. They usually end up doing one of two things. Either they attack the strongest monster hunters they can find, hoping to be destroyed, or they erase their own minds.%
"I wonder how many of the monsters we once fought belonged to that first category."
%Very few, except for the ones destroyed during the War of the Lesser Overlord. Their minds were slower to decay. Many of them were fully aware of what was happening, and welcomed it. Including Melinda's brother.%
"I... was not expecting an answer to that speculation..."
%I've been studying the memories of destroyed monsters for ten years, Anemos. You've seen my library.%
"...although perhaps I should have been."
%I should warn you of this now, in case you revisit my library. There are books with memories of the monsters that killed Cynthia's parents, Laminah's father, and your family. And memories of the monsters that slaughtered Cedric's home village. I didn't learn anything new about the cycle when I studied those books, but the memories of Cedric's sister as a Lesser Seal did show me what pushed him to become the king who united Kreisia.%
"His grievous past is well-known. During his political campaign, he openly shared the dark fate of his former home, in public speeches exhorting the need to stand together."
%I wasn't sure if I should keep the books with records of all your painful histories, but I didn't want to destroy them.%
"The memories of monsters must include records of countless tragedies. I see no reason to destroy any of the books you have created, in your quest for information about the cycle."
%I haven't made books of Zea's or Begiad's memories, but when I talked to Zea, I learned about the monsters Begiad kept outside of Ascendance City. When Begiad was a living tyrant, he used those monsters to kidnap and murder victims. Begiad had to make monsters do the dirty work that he didn't do himself; his Ascendance Disciple agents couldn't bring themselves to personally commit the organization's worst crimes.%
"That sounds... quite plausible."
%Remember the monsters that killed the military escort? They were controlled primarily by Begiad's domination chant. The Ascendance Disciple who oversaw them had a link to the chant, but his control through the link was limited.%
"That does... corroborate... with what I know."
%My turn to speculate. I think Begiad didn't bother dominating living agents because domination chants are easy to recognize, and he wanted to keep a low profile. Monsters are better at dirty work, anyway.%
"Domination chants are indeed easy to recognize, as is harmful mind-related magic. Controlling another person is widely considered to be one of the most unforgivable crimes there is, outside of rare and extraordinary circumstances that could justify such an extreme act."
%Distracting me so you could use healing beads on Laminah counted as an 'extraordinary circumstance', right?%
"Ah..."
%I'm not saying it didn't. Vision confirmed that delaying treatment wouldn't put her at risk for permanent injury or worse, but you didn't know that, did you?%
"...truthfully, I did not. The situation was not particularly conducive to focusing upon a divination of her condition."
%That was by design. My island's miasma vapors make using dark magic easier for me, and using any other magic harder for you. I had more reasons to use my island's coastline for a battleground; it's isolated, and waking Cynthia up last gathered all of you there. I needed every advantage I could get to 'sincerely, effectively try' for your pledges of obedience.%
"Yusis, I would humbly confess that I let three days elapse before I apologized to Cynthia, with regard to my actions on that morning."
%Better late than never.%
"I remain grateful for her forgiveness."
%She's not the type to hold a grudge, any more than you are.%
"You are the same way."
%Now you're really speculating, and it's not based on evidence.%
"It is based upon the Savior who held no grudge against me, despite my betrayals."
%Here's more speculation. I think Begiad knew that no monster had any chance of kidnapping the Savior, not on Aldea's watch. Begiad used you as his agent because he didn't need to dominate you with a chant. Your belief in his plan to break the cycle was enough to control you, or so he thought.%
"Ah..."
%Wait, I should make something clear. I'm not trying to call you out, Anemos. What I'm trying to do is called brainstorming. Saying or writing down anything that comes to mind, and hoping to dig something useful out of the scrambled mess.%
"...you did occasionally mutter to yourself and write notes, when we were all searching for a way to end the depredations of the cycle. That must have been 'brainstorming' as well."
%It's a trick I learned during my sales and marketing internship. I saw the department use it to come up with an advertising campaign.%
"Yusis, I would ask you a question, in the spirit of 'brainstorming'."
%Go ahead.%
"In accordance with the rules you must uphold, you justified the creation of living Lesser Seals as forging weapons that could befriend and betray the next Savior. Did my treachery inspire that idea?"
%Not consciously. Maybe subconsciously.%
"I did wonder."
%Or maybe not. Lies and betrayal are common on my home world. I could easily find a thousand lies in ten minutes of browsing the internet.%
"That does add context to a certain jaded sentiment you expressed before."
%And... when my two closest friends on my world needed help, I didn't say or do anything. I betrayed both of them, long before you 'betrayed' me.%
"Are the respective situations truly analogous?"
%I'm not going to answer that, or talk about what destroyed my friends. You probably wouldn't comprehend it, and nothing good could come from forcing yourself to try. It's a 'corruption' that doesn't exist in this innocent world, just like miasma doesn't exist in mine.%
"Duly noted."
%No matter what inspired me to create living Primary Servants, the result is that I'm an Overlord with all the power growth that would otherwise be routed into three undead Lesser Seals. In every previous cycle, that power growth flowed into three miasma fonts after the Lesser Seals' destruction; now, it will continue flowing into the Greater Seal no matter what. The Overlord's defeat used to be practically a sure thing, but this time...%
"I understand the essence of your problem."
%Anemos, is the next Savior really that powerful? Don't go into detail. Vision will analyze him anyway - I have to use Final Form: Vision against him, refusing to do that would be too close to surrendering - but learning at the last instant should reduce my advantage.%
"The next Savior is indeed far stronger than any that have come before, but his power does have limits."
%I figured as much.%
"He did hold his own versus 'Lesser Overlord' Begiad Laatsch, after fighting against a mass assault of chant-controlled monsters."
%I know. Zea gave me a summary of what happened, before she was set free.%
"Yusis, I..."
%Is something wrong?%
"Only in that far too much is wrong in Kreisia."
%Then go on. Don't leave thoughts unfinished. Anything that comes to mind might be the solution to the problem. Literally anything.%
"I recognized... one of Begiad's monsters. He was my former handler. The agent to whom I reported the most, who accompanied the monsters that slew the Royal Guard escort, and who teleported to escape Laminah's wrath. I never thought to wonder what became of him."
%Neither did I, really. I just assumed the Royal Guards caught him. He must not have taken part in the other ambush attempts. Maybe Laminah scared him off.%
"No. Whatever else he was, he was not a coward. He would have sacrificed his life to end the depredations of the cycle, even as I would have sacrificed mine. His retreat was not out of fear; it was according to plan. He was not involved in the subsequent operations because..."
%Tell me.%
"Yusis, I was... displeased... with how my handler skirmished with us. One of his chant-controlled monsters attacked Cynthia, against my express request."
%If Cynthia had been hurt, I would have been much worse than displeased. I don't think Aldea would have let her get killed, though. Aldea would have protected her life, if you hadn't.%
"I wondered whether my handler's control over the dominated monsters was incomplete. When I confronted him, his response was... harsh. Our argument escalated. I refused to work with him any longer. He delegated the task of supervising me to others."
%The ones the Royal Guards caught. I heard the captured Ascendance Disciples confessed to high treason, but weren't sentenced to death. I don't remember what their punishment was.%
"Ten years of service, followed by their commitment to the front lines of Kreisia's defense during every future reign of terror they lived to see."
%Guess you paid more attention to all of that than I did.%
"I recognized one of them among the Royal Capital's defenders, and another among the defenders of Cynthia's village. They were with the Royal Chanters. I wish that had been my handler's fate."
%Was he a friend of yours?%
"I am not certain how to answer that. We were... very close, but he never told me his name, as a precaution against being targeted. He never even gave an alias, which precluded me from initiating communication chants; any contact had to begin at his will. I may be the only one who remembers anything positive about him, and I cannot inscribe a proper memorial."
%I'm... rrgh. The rule against obeisance is blocking me.%
"I understand."
%I can tell you one thing, at least. All of Begiad's monsters have been destroyed. He sent every minion he had to weaken the next Savior.%
"That does offer some comfort. Thank you, Yusis."
%Wait - comforting words don't count as showing mercy to the living, just like advice and warnings don't.%
"Does the rule only prohibit actions with a tangible effect?"
%Looks like it, but the rule against surrendering is more strict. I tested its limits when I dueled Laminah. I was able to taunt her with some information about my battle abilities; what I couldn't do was warn her that my Miasma Throw was about to hit her from overhead. The held-back presence keeps miasma's pressure turned up too high to announce my attacks during a 'serious' battle.%
"Yusis, can you tell me anything more about the monsters that were destroyed along with Begiad? Were all of them once...?"
%They were agents that Begiad recalled from their missions, after his escape from Ascendance City. Zea said that not all of Begiad's agents were monsters at that time. Some of them were living Ascendance Disciples, who were unaware of Begiad's undeath. They received a surprise 'reward' for loyally reporting to their master.%
"I would have shared their fate if not for you."
%I almost forced you to share that fate.%
"Yusis..."
%Along with Laminah and Cynthia.%
"We all escaped your miasma flood with our lives, and with the Holy Brand."
%Cynthia didn't expect me to go through with it, did she? She probably kept believing in me, right up until I turned on her.%
"Yusis, you must not dwell upon regrets. You must set down that terrible burden."
%You're right... I can't let myself think about that now... I have to focus on the problem at hand. Holding myself accountable will have to wait.%
"You must set down that burden and not lift it again, Yusis."
%The Overlord makes obeisance to no one.%
"I will not insist further at present, but know that I do not speak only for myself regarding this. I also speak for Laminah, Cynthia, the next Savior, and the Holy Brand."
%Vision is confirming that you believe you're telling the truth.%
"Do you have doubts?"
%Always.%
"I should not have asked something so obvious."
%I wasn't doubting you, though. Not really. I was just going through the motions.%
"Old habits can indeed be difficult to break."
%Play some more music. I have to solve this problem before time runs out, or else all of you will have escaped one miasma flood only to drown in another.%
The bard plucked the strings of his lute, and played his somber threnody.
Overlord Yusis resumed pacing in a wide circle.
Hours later, Overlord Yusis stopped pacing again.
%Anemos, stop playing your lute for a moment.%
"As you wish."
%You've been thinking about the problem too, haven't you?%
"I have attempted to, yes."
%Do you have any thoughts you can run by me?%
"Perhaps... perhaps I do have one suggestion."
%Let's hear it.%
"I suspect the solution may lie within what you have learned as the Overlord. The dark insights that only you can truly fathom. I have studied your writings, as have the others and most if not all of Kreisia, but some of what you said was... extremely difficult to grasp."
%Seriously?%
"Indeed."
%What exactly was hard to...?%
"Your writings about miasma itself were more impenetrable than the rest. I believe that has nothing to do with your phrasing, and everything to do with the subject matter."
%Miasma itself?%
"Perhaps it might be worthwhile to reexamine more of what you know about miasma."
%Miasma has a 'will' that animates undead monsters, but miasma itself doesn't have a personality. Same as how holy power doesn't have a personality, only the 'will' to protect life. Miasma doesn't understand that the next Savior intends to destroy it. Our bargain holds back the presence that does understand.%
"Is this presence not 'the mind of the miasma', as described in legends about Yumarac?"
%It is and it isn't. A better description would be that it's a mind representing miasma. The presence is like the mirror of Aldea. I think Yumarac shaped the presence out of some type of magic, like how Yumarac and his wife shaped Aldea out of holy magic.%
"I did read that theory in your writings."
%I think Yumarac created the presence to seal away Kreisia's miasma, and that didn't work. Or worked too well.%
"I cannot believe that Yumarac would ever wish to curse Kreisia with such a calamitous presence. Yumarac loves us, and loves our world. His love was so great that he created the Holy Brand to protect us. I must concede that Yumarac could have made a costly mistake, even as an accident during the Holy Brand's genesis cost the life of his beloved."
%Oh, that's right. Yumarac is, uh, important to you.%
"Indeed. I would note that you have presented no proof of your theory, Yusis. The strongest evidence you could offer was a comparison of behavioral and speech patterns, between the presence and the Holy Brand."
%I've looked for proof in the memories of destroyed monsters, but I couldn't find any monster memories from Yumarac's war against the presence, or from before then. I can't even see Sasha's earliest memories of undeath. I suspect that something about the presence itself causes miasma to record memories.%
"It does seem curious that miasma would preserve memories. Holy power does not inherently do the same, although it can be directed to undertake such a task. The summon spell draws upon holy magic, and Yumarac's teachings state that the spell records information about the Savior who answers its call."
%I can't access the presence's own memories from before its existence as the first Overlord. I've never asked the presence directly; it would just lie.%
"Whereas the Holy Brand does not tell lies. I would conclude that the presence and the Holy Brand are not necessarily the 'mirror' of one another, in aspects beyond their respective fidelities to miasma and holy power."
%The comparison is not wrong. Aldea isn't exactly 'the mind of holy power', but Aldea's mind definitely represents 'love of life' and 'hatred of that which threatens life'.%
"Yusis, have I offended you?"
%What? No... no, of course not...%
"Are you all right?"
%Anemos, I...%
"Yes?"
%...I can't stop hating Aldea. I just can't.%
"Perhaps that is not an impediment to your goal."
%The problem is, I don't... I don't know what to do, when I battle the next Savior. I'm more powerful than any previous Overlord. Even the one whose power grew for three and a half years.%
"As worrisome as that is, some perspective may be heartening. That Overlord was not as powerful as he could have been. He was an Assassin Overlord; throughout turns of the cycle, Assassin Overlords have usually incurred the fewest casualties."
%I know. The Assassin Overlord is the weakest overall type. Their special abilities are pathetic, and they have to evenly divide their power growth between themselves and all of their monsters. I can't do that. As a Time Mage, I don't get a horde of monster-assassins. I can only strengthen specific monsters with a limited amount of my power growth; all the rest of my power growth has to make me stronger.%
"You have spoken of investing your power into learning new spells, have you not?"
%That also has a limit. Too much of my power growth has made me faster and harder to hit. I've tried to keep how much my attacks hurt as low as I can, and I've learned as many not-so-deadly spells and abilities as I can. I recently picked up the borderline worthless Assassin Overlord signature spell.%
"Does this spell assassinate victims?"
%No, it doesn't. It's defensive, requires concentration to channel, and can be used only once a day. And I hate using it.%
"What did you use it to do?"
%You've seen how the held-back presence likes to mangle me. I thought a defensive spell would help me endure that. Turns out using the spell is as bad as having to Regenerate the Greater Seal. No, it's worse.%
"Worse?"
%I know I'm a disgusting thing made out of miasma. I just don't like being reminded of it.%
"As unpleasant as this spell may be, its defensive properties could be useful."
%How?%
"Approaching the destined battle defensively could provide an opportunity to set the stage, and heighten anticipation of your dazzling performance."
%...this is why you're my Chief Savior Preparations Officer.%
"I am most gratified to be of assistance."
%And, channeling the spell will keep me from assuming Final Form: Vision. I'll still hear things, but the only way I'll be able to see is through the eyes of monsters I summon.%
"Must you summon monsters at all?"
%There's no getting around that. I can't attack directly while I'm channeling the spell; refusing to summon monsters would be too close to surrendering.%
"I am beginning to perceive the full depth of your problem."
%There's more. The held-back presence won't let me hold back against the next Savior. I'll have to summon monsters with Endless mode. It starts out weak and grows stronger - not as quickly as the Endless mode of a real Master Tactician Overlord, but the next Savior could be overwhelmed. If I turn off Endless mode, then I can't stay on defense. I'll have to fight offensively.%
"The problem then becomes a question of how to apply the necessary offense. You have previously mentioned the 'signature spell' of Jongleur Overlords. Could that be of use?"
%It could definitely be dazzling, but... when I tried to invent a dark magic version, I hit a roadblock. Studying the memories of Jongleur Overlords wasn't enough to copy their signature spell; the magic takes more than mental focus to channel. I don't have the required skill.%
"What is this 'required skill'?"
%It's...%
"Yes?"
%...marked in your skill tree.%
"Ah, what-?"
%Uh, I mean, it's something you know how to do. With your help, I could learn enough to channel the spell.%
"I would be most delighted to teach you anything."
%It shouldn't take a lot of time. Controlling the Greater Seal is like playing a video game; I can quickly make it pick up how to, um...%
"I expect this will be a consummate pleasure."
%...I'm going to have you sign a non-disclosure agreement.%
"I presume that is an off-world custom."
%More or less. It's a written promise not to tell anyone about these preparations for the most dazzling battle to the death ever. Declaring my fearsome powers on obelisks to intimidate all of Kreisia is one thing, but I can't give myself a disadvantage that big against the next Savior. Absolutely not. Not doing that. Rules are rules. Very strict rules. Very seriously enforced.%
"Certainly."
%Stop smiling like that.%
"Were you not seeking to elicit a smile? I do not believe you were searching for hidden threats on either side of this empty room."
%Not even going there. I'll draw up the non-disclosure agreement after the major preparations are finished. I'll make the agreement as fair and readable as I can; if there's anything you don't understand, then I'll rewrite it before you sign.%
"I do recognize the importance of settling the precise terms of a binding oath."
%The Jongleur signature spell still isn't enough, though. The spell is also limited to one use a day, and its maximum duration isn't very long. It could give the next Savior a 'breather' where I'm concentrating more on dazzling him than fighting him, but...%
"The crux of your problem remains?"
%I'm a Time Mage Overlord. There's no way to change that, or give up the abilities I've gained. I have too much power over time.%
"Your Chronomancy is indeed powerful, but I would ask... can you reverse the flow of time, and undo events that have happened?"
%No, I can't. As far as I know, that's impossible.%
"Can you travel to the past?"
%Also impossible. I think. At least in the physical realm. Time could work differently outside of the physical realm; I'm not sure. I don't know anything about what lies beyond. I can't see the memories of monster souls after they've been set free, and my own soul is the containment valve for a glorified miasma sewer.%
"Can you travel to the future?"
%Only in the sense that everyone and everything is constantly traveling to the future.%
"Yet you have the power to halt the flow of time."
%That's not exactly what Time Stop does. A more accurate description would be that it pauses the progression of certain forces relative to the flow of time.%
"I am attempting to understand..."
%When Time Stop preserved you Lesser Seals for ten years, it paused the physical and biological processes that cause aging. That's why none of you look ten years older. Now that the Time Stop is ended, all of you will age normally.%
"I assumed as much about us, but I am attempting to understand the rest."
%I don't think it's possible to truly halt the flow of time in the physical realm. If Time Stop truly halted the flow of time, then the spell's target would disappear to any observers who continued their own advance in time.%
"I am still attempting to understand...?"
%When I was making up names for my spells, Pause Forces Relative to Time didn't sound very cool.%
"That, I understand. Can you see what the past holds?"
%Not with time magic. Seeing the memories of destroyed monsters is a miasma thing.%
"Can you see what the future holds?"
%Sort of. Vision calculates odds based on the information it analyzes, but complicated situations contain so much information that Vision can't process everything. Predicting anything beyond the near future is a toss-up.%
"Yet you can see what the 'near future' holds?"
%That's still an exaggeration. If a person's decisions affect the possible outcome, then the odds Vision calculates are based on assumptions about those decisions. Even if I can reasonably assume what all the people affecting a prediction will decide, I can't say for certain what the near future holds unless the resulting probability is one or zero.%
"Ah, unless...?"
%Unless it's a sure thing or not going to happen.%
"Can you teleport, in any capacity other than summoning monsters or using a teleportation bead?"
%I could learn a teleportation spell, but I haven't. That's a power I really don't want to have, when I battle the next Savior. Same goes for an Accelerate spell, like what you often cast to manipulate space and time during our journey.%
"Can you shape Chronomancy into a living being, even as Yumarac and his wife shaped holy power into the Holy Brand Aldea?"
%I don't think any undead monster could shape magic into a living being, with or without help from anyone else. Life is not a miasma thing.%
"Yusis, while your Chronomancy could be compared to the power of Yumarac at his pinnacle, your capabilities do not appear to surpass what legends ascribe to him."
%My time magic does have limits, but... I'm just too fast, in combat. You know how skilled Laminah is. When she challenged me to a duel, Vision calculated that she had almost zero odds of landing a single hit.%
"Let me assure you that the next Savior and his allies are fully aware of your advantages. They will not approach the destined battle frivolously. As your 'Chief Savior Preparations Officer', I will do everything I can to help you determine the best strategy against them."
%Now that Aldea has a wielder, I can't borrow against my future power and make myself helpless again. I can't cast Time Stop on myself. Anything like that would be outright surrendering. If I tried, I'd be erased before I could finish the spell.%
"I suspected that if you could render yourself powerless a second time, then you would have already done so."
%I can't surrender, or show mercy to the living. I'll get erased if I try. If I'm erased, the held-back presence will... Time Stop alone is powerful enough to...%
"I will continue my own contemplations of your problem. I will share any more suggestions that come to mind, but I daresay that only you can devise a true solution."
%You really can't wrap your head around the nature of miasma, can you? Just like how what Aldea calls 'corruption' is nearly incomprehensible to most Kreisians.%
"I understand that your problem is a matter of life and death, with all of Kreisia at stake."
%I have to figure something out... I have to think-!%
"Shall I play more music?"
%That... that would help... it helped me process this much...%
The bard plucked the strings of his lute, and played his galvanizing battle hymn.
Overlord Yusis resumed pacing in a wide circle.
Hours later, Overlord Yusis stopped pacing again. His glowing yellow eyes narrowed behind his necromantic-magic glasses, as he regarded Anemos. The bard was playing music in a seated position, with his head bowed.
%Anemos. Stop playing your lute for a moment.%
"As you wish."
%Do you need another break?%
"Not at this time."
%The break you took was... short. Shorter than the breaks we used to take while traveling.%
"I desired to return as swiftly as possible, and play more music to help you think."
%Something isn't right. You're sitting now, when you were standing before.%
"I can stand."
%I did not order you to stand.%
"Very well."
%You're also talking more softly, and your head is drooping.%
"I will attempt to enunciate, and improve my posture."
%I did not order you to do those things.%
"Improper posture can be harmful to the body. I genuinely appreciate the reminder."
%Do you feel... sick? Or hurt? Vision isn't detecting any damage to your physical form. The held-back presence can't be warping my Vision this time.%
"I am not ill or injured, and I do not wish to distract from your concentration upon the problem you must solve. With your permission, I would continue playing music."
The bard plucked the strings of his lute, and played the foundation of his unfinished recitative.
Overlord Yusis resumed pacing in a wide circle.
Hours later, Overlord Yusis stopped pacing again.
%Anemos...%
"Yes?"
%...stop playing your lute for a moment.%
"As you wish."
%I never told you my last name, did I? I've never told anyone in Kreisia.%
"Not to my knowledge, and your illusionary off-world attire displayed only your first name."
%Wait, what?%
"Ah..."
%Was I using an illusion of my intern uniform when...?%
"I would presume the answer to that is affirmative."
%With that idiotic name-pin?%
"It is not my place to criticize aspects of your world's culture."
%My hair looked different too, didn't it.%
"Noticeably so. Although it was not different on the previous occasion, when you attempted to bargain for a pledge of obedience."
%Figures. The other 'Yusis' hadn't broken loose from the rest of my mind, then.%
"And now?"
%I'd fix the break if I could. As much as he disgusts me, he's right about one thing. It's harder to think, split in two like this. Just remembering basic things is even more difficult than it was before.%
"Basic things?"
%Things like...%
"Yes?"
%When I arrived on Kreisia, I thought I was dreaming about a video game. I introduced myself to everyone by my first name, like a player character would. Later on, I just didn't think to give my last name, and none of you asked me about it.%
"I did not wish to be intrusive. I cannot speak for anyone else."
%Aldea might have seen it in my mind, but Aldea can't say any person's name, ever. For some reason.%
"Cynthia has informed me that the Holy Brand possesses a 'cognitive limitation'."
%Now, I can't remember what my last name is.%
"That does sound disconcerting."
%I know I have one. That's all.%
"That is something."
%I can't remember the names of anyone from my world. Not even friends or family. My memories of their faces have also faded, except for one.%
"Their positive influence upon you transcends such details."
%The face that didn't fade is... one of my two best friends, reconstructed by morticians for his open-casket service. I saw him like that when I was already pushed to the brink from attending the closed-casket service for my other best friend. You may not know what all of that means, but I think you can guess.%
"You do not need to elaborate."
%That memory of him was burned into my mind. It hurt, worse than anything else I've ever felt. Much worse than when Aldea wrote its rule on my soul. Worse even than Aldea's attack that silences the target, and causes agony instead of damage.%
"I remember experiencing that attack, and wish that I did not."
%I used to hate that memory of my friend... seeing him, and knowing that I did nothing to save him. And knowing that I did nothing to save my other friend, who loved him. I wasn't a rival for her affection; I never tried to be, not in any meaningful sense. If I had tried, it probably wouldn't have changed anything, but at least I wouldn't have done nothing.%
"Every Savior in Kreisia's history has been a survivor of harrowing loss. It is part of the summon spell's selection criteria."
%Now, that memory is my last tether to my world. Music and voices preserved on a crystal helped me hang on to my days as Kreisia's Savior, but that memory is why I can hang on to my days before Kreisia.%
"Pain does have an enduring power."
%Most monsters erase their own minds; the ones that don't eventually lose their memories and forget their names. Zea was strong-willed, but she still forgot her last name. I used to think that Sasha held on to her original name; now, I'm not sure if she really did. Maybe she just decided that she liked the name 'Sasha', and clung to it.%
"I cannot say whether Begiad Laatsch remembered his full name. The topic did not arise for discussion, during my final encounter with him."
%The hawk-monster never felt like he wanted a name. He just wanted to help me. The hydra definitely doesn't want a name. He knows exactly what he wants.%
"A glorious battle with the next Savior, as I recall."
%I thought about giving that sheepdog-monster a name, but... I had a feeling I'd forget any name I gave, so I didn't try. Or maybe I did, and then forgot that I did.%
"Would you like me to give it a name?"
%You know that it sees you as a funny-looking sheep, right?%
"I suppose I will interpret that as a negative."
%I might have forgotten your name, along with Laminah's and Cynthia's names, if they weren't repeated on that crystal. When I realized I was forgetting too much, I copied your names and my most important memories of you into a book.%
"Ah. That would be the front and center tome of your library."
%I also copied the names and my memories of other people in Kreisia, including what I remembered of 'Lesser Overlord' Begiad Laatsch. I did not want to forget about that murdering tyrant, not when I knew he had to be out there, somewhere.%
"It was the same for me. I resolved to remember his threat when I accepted my destiny as a Lesser Seal. I focused my mind upon Laminah's battle against him - how she drove him out of Ascendance City, in the culmination of a war to free my people."
%I've browsed that book of names and memories almost daily, for ten years. It's a short read. I... couldn't remember very many names to put into it.%
"That is not necessarily due to your own lapses. People fear giving their name to the Savior, and therefore to the Overlord. Most do not even dare to give an alias."
%I know a lot about miasma, monsters, and time magic, but other things leak out of my head.%
"You have mentioned that the hydra periodically reminds you to prepare for the next Savior. Do you need me to remind you as well?"
%No, the hydra has that covered. You can't pick up on his reminders because they're 'network-based', and you're not 'in-network'.%
"Duly noted."
%Anemos, I forget about some things more easily than others. Especially things that don't affect me like they used to.%
"That is quite understandable."
%Do you have food to eat? I haven't forgotten how living beings need that.%
"I have travel rations, yes."
%Okay, maybe I did forget, but I remember now. Do you have water to drink?%
"I can use bardic magic to conjure potable water. It is a simple invocation of the water element."
%Do you have... whatever else living beings need?%
"Yes, I do."
%I... should know what that is...%
"Your castle's ablution facilities are identical to those of the Royal Castle, and fully operational."
%I knew that. I didn't forget. Not completely.%
"Speaking as your 'Chief Savior Preparations Officer', I would respectfully counsel that the problem you have been focusing upon is far more important than these mundane trivialities."
%You're right, but...%
"You remember who you are, what you must prepare to do, and that you must solve a problem before time runs out."
%...I'm forgetting something else. I know I am.%
"Yusis, is my music helpful to you?"
%Your music... does help me think...%
"Then please, allow me to play some more. I believe I will stand again, as an aid to my posture."
The bard rose to his feet, plucked the strings of his lute, and played his stirring reveille.
Overlord Yusis remained still for a long moment. Then he half-closed his glowing yellow eyes, and resumed pacing in a wide circle.
Hours later, Overlord Yusis stopped pacing again.
The Overlord's half-closed eyes opened all the way, and flashed blazing yellow behind his necromantic-magic glasses. His vertical pupils narrowed to thin slits, as he focused intently on the bard.
%Anemos, stop playing your lute. Now.%
"As you wish."
%I remembered some things.%
"Indeed?"
%Only the living can create magic items or enchantments, because doing that costs physical stamina. Living beings need rest to get their stamina back.%
"Indeed."
%Undead monsters don't have stamina like the living do. I can't move the Greater Seal when it runs out of power, but that's not the same as fatigue. I can't fall unconscious for any reason.%
"It is well-known that the undead are immune to magic that induces unconsciousness."
%I noticed you were deteriorating before, and you've been getting worse. I couldn't remember what might be causing that. Vision confirmed that you don't have miasma poisoning.%
"Please allow me to further reassure you in that regard. I am quite familiar with both the symptoms and the treatment of miasma poisoning."
%It should not have taken me so long to realize what's wrong with you.%
"Ah?"
%How long have you been awake, Anemos?%
"Ah..."
%I'm a Time Mage. I always know what time it is, if I think about it. I just haven't stopped to think about it. For twenty hours.%
"I am well, Yusis."
%You believe you're telling the truth, but you are not well. You've been playing music for twenty hours with barely any breaks. How long you were awake before that?%
"I have taken what respite I need."
%You're refusing to answer, so probably ever since yesterday morning.%
"I can continue playing music. You said that it helps you think about the problem you must solve before time runs out."
%We're not out of time yet. You need sleep, Anemos. I'll keep concentrating on the problem while you rest.%
"I want to help you any way I can."
%You're not going to help if you push yourself until you drop dead.%
"I can continue."
%Why are you being so stubborn?%
"I truly do want to help you."
%I want to order you to get the sleep you need, and I can't, because The Overlord may not show mercy to the living!%
"Quite the dilemma."
%I'M NOT EVEN SURE I CAN KNOCK YOU OUT RIGHT NOW! IT MIGHT BE TOO MERCIFUL!%
"Should we invoke your 'Monster PA' ability and instruct the next Savior to deprive himself of sleep, before the destined battle to the death?"
%Are you serious?%
"I am not certain..."
%You really are in a bad state.%
"The one thing I am certain of is that I want to help you."
%What if I knock you out and then shave your head while you're asleep? That wouldn't be merciful at all, now would it?%
"Yusis, you are simply not cruel enough to do that."
"As much as I abhor cruelty, do not underestimate my capacity to inflict short-term distress in fulfillment of a higher objective."
The Overlord's undead appearance abruptly transformed into the illusion of a young man with neatly combed hair, clad in a jet-black suit with a name-pin to the upper right of his swirling miasma vortex. He spoke in a flat tone, and regarded Anemos in a callous, coldly analytical manner that belied no trace of empathy or friendship.
The Overlord folded his arms behind his back, and his eyes darted to one side. "That could constitute the foundation of the paradigm shift, given the inherent proclivities of-"
The Overlord's emotionless words paused in mid-sentence, and his illusion reformed into the messy-haired, casual-clothing guise of Kreisia's most unlikely Savior. The miasma vortex in his chest remained openly visible.
"-miasma itself," Yusis finished, in the unremarkable tenor voice that Anemos was more accustomed to hearing him use. "Yeah, okay. That could work."
The Overlord's eyes darted to his other side. When he spoke again, revulsion permeated his words. "I did not give you permission to take control. Not this time."
Anemos raised a light green eyebrow.
The Overlord gritted his teeth in a hostile grimace. "Don't you dare make any twisted excuses, about 'notification' or anything else. If I have to turn another piece of myself into your warden, I will."
"Ah, Yusis?" Anemos uncertainly inquired.
"You don't like my self-hatred. Because it's a much stronger hatred than you. It shoved you aside like you were nothing, earlier. I had to hold it back so you could talk again."
"Have you..."
"I could easily 'promote' it into your worst nightmare."
"...thought of something?"
"I will decide if it's necessary."
Yusis turned his gaze toward the bard and unfolded his arms. "Anemos, I know you're wearing a ring that blocks me from making you %Take a nap.%"
That must be another revelation from your power of 'Vision'.
"It also blocks %Slow% and %Chains of miasma.%"
Should I have left my ring behind when I came here?
"The next Savior and his allies probably have similar rings."
It is too late to correct that oversight now.
"I could take away your jewelry. And theirs."
I may have squandered a significant advantage...
"I could, but I'm not going to."
...or not?
%I am the Overlord, the wielder of miasma, the master of monsters, who has risen with the mandate to destroy all life. I am not a petty thief.%
Is that a... 'halfway believable reason for a bad decision'?
The bard carefully said, "Since we are discussing such matters, I would respectfully disclose that I can sense your dark magic ward against binding spells."
"That's not where I'm going with this."
"No?"
"Anemos, your ring won't protect you from being knocked out by physical force."
"Duly noted. Shall we return to the inspiration you had a moment ago?"
Yusis raised one index finger in a warning gesture. "I will do that. You will go get some sleep, or else I really will knock you out and use %Who has an atrocious haircut now?% on you."
"Ah..."
"That's not going to be necessary, is it?"
"...as you wish."
"Good. I'll keep preparing for the next Savior. After you wake up and get ready, I need to test the most important preparation on you. There will be some risk. Fatigue would magnify that risk. You have to be fully rested, in the best possible condition."
"That sounds foreboding."
Yusis adjusted his glasses. "%Vision% gives me information that will keep the odds of your death very, very low."
"That sounds... comforting?"
"It is compared to your very, very high odds of dying in any battle to the death with me, dazzling or not. Unless this works. Which I think it will."
"I will rest and prepare myself as well as I can."
When Anemos awakened, he felt a light breeze on his skin. The breeze came from a small, violet device attached to the ceiling of the room he had slept in. The device consisted of flat, blunt blades attached to a central hub; faint reverberations of minor cleaning magic spun the blades round and round, stirring slightly visible vapors of miasma-smoke in a current that flowed through the room's open window.
Anemos played his reveille to shake off the last dregs of slumber. He ate two travel rations and drank water conjured into a flask for a filling, albeit unappetizing breakfast. Then he engaged in his daily ablutions and stretches.
The bard observed that the sorcerous castle surrounding him had transformed dramatically in appearance.
It would seem that Yusis took one of my suggestions to heart.
While the architectural layout remained identical to that of the Royal Castle, decorations had been added everywhere. On the walls, doors, ceilings, and floors, Anemos saw an astounding multitude of colorful murals, all portraying scenes of pitched combat.
One image showed a youthful swordfighter dressed in green, confronting a sneering sorcerer with a porcine head. Another featured a muscular, unarmed fighter in ragged white clothing using a leaping uppercut to batter a steel-booted enemy. Still another showed a small, blue-furred creature charging a gigantic, metallic construct with a berserk pilot.
Are all of these legends from his world?
Yusis had also created his own emblem. It depicted an unusual object with small, raised circles on its right side, an equilateral cross-mark on its left, and two flat-topped, protruding sticks.
The bard forced himself to stop gazing at the astonishing murals, and briskly started moving toward the throne room. He observed more of the curious, magically-spinning violet devices attached to the ceiling in regular intervals.
"Anemos! I see you're awake, and heading my way. Are you ready to revolutionize the rules?" Yusis' voice sounded from the sheepdog-monster that had previously led Anemos through the castle. "I should warn you, this will hurt. A lot. No way to get around that. Pain is part of being alive, you know?"
The sheepdog-monster followed Anemos to the throne room doors. The left door's mural was of a warrior fully encased in golden armor with a red helmet, pointing a weapon upward at a massive, hideous monster with a translucent skull. The right door's mural showed a vulpine pilot flying a sleek airship toward a distorted, gigantic face.
Anemos pushed open the double doors and entered. He observed that the throne room's open area had become dramatically larger in size, and its ceiling had been raised to a lofty height.
Yusis cannot shape the holy magic that forms his castle. Did he renovate this room through brute force? Perhaps he used the destructive power of miasma to clear space.
The sheepdog-monster bounded past Anemos. It ran up to Overlord Yusis, who dropped to one knee and tousled its head.
%You're a good boy. You're the best.%
The Overlord stood up. The swirling miasma vortex in his chest remained plainly visible, in stark contrast to his illusionary visage of a living Savior. The jet-black vortex spun slowly and steadily.
Is your illusion incomplete due to a residual effect from nearly being erased, or have you chosen to leave it that way? The Holy Brand did predict that you would keep your miasma vortex as an open target, in the destined battle to the death.
"I'm not on the verge of being erased anymore. I've redrawn as much of my mind as I can. I look like this as a reminder not to approach me closer than arm's length," the Overlord warned. "Using 'hands-on sales techniques' with a glorified miasma sewer was literally hazardous to your health."
"Ah..."
Yusis lightly tapped the hinge of his necromantic-magic glasses. "%Vision% can't see what you're thinking but I can still guess, especially when you stare at my vortex like that."
"...my sincere apologies. For all my transgressions."
"Don't worry about it. While you were sleeping, I set up a ventilation system in my castle, so your miasma resistance isn't pressured so much just from breathing the air. Indirectly helping the living like that isn't against the rules."
"I do seem to find breathing a trifle easier than before," the bard remarked.
"I also figured out how to conjure something from time magic that's strong enough to block the %Poisonous miasma% from my vortex. Turns out a temporary vortex cover costs a lot of power and concentration to maintain, much more than gloves or any illusion. Wearing one isn't possible all of the time, and definitely not right now. I have to focus on something critical."
"I presume you refer to the important preparation that I am here to help you test."
Yusis closed his eyes and remained still for several seconds.
Then he silently mouthed, "'Retail loss prevention plan'...? Do you actually see life as - of course you do. You see it as something I hate. Retail."
Yusis' eyes snapped open. In an ominous tone, he said, "Anemos, you have to fight for your life. This will be a test battle, like when you and Laminah fought me as a team. The rules won't force me to take this 'seriously', like they would for a duel or the destined battle against the Savior. Instead, you have to take this seriously. I'll do what I can to lower your risk of dying, but you must fight with all your strength to further reduce the risk. I... can't make this risk-free."
"I am prepared."
"And, I've let the other 'Yusis' out of lockup again. He won't try to 'embezzle' your life; he can't lie to me about that, or anything else. Just remember that he isn't your friend, any more than Begiad was your friend. Ten years ago, the other 'Yusis' was why I understood Begiad, and knew that tyrant had to be shut down full force. Because it takes one to know one."
"I must respectfully refute one of your assertions," the bard calmly replied. "The other 'Yusis' truly is an important part of my friend. Just as the 'Anemos' who chose to serve Begiad for years is an important part of your friend."
Yusis blinked several times. Then he silently mouthed, "This 'retail loss prevention plan' had better work."
The sheepdog-monster made a guttural cross between a bark and the stuff of nightmares.
Yusis looked down on the creature with a rueful smile. %I know, I know. You've been trapped for too long.%
Violet gloves materialized on the Overlord's hands and forearms, covering his illusionary memory of white sleeves up to his elbows. He reached out one, long-gloved arm toward Anemos with the directive, "Hand over your vest, and any single-use magic items you're carrying outside of it. All of them. Put any extra items inside your vest before you give it up."
Anemos did as instructed.
Overlord Yusis held the vest in one hand, arm extended, so that it dangled away from the concentrated miasma vapors that drifted off of his body. He carefully inspected the vest, through his necromantic-magic glasses. Anemos noted that the miasma vapors did not seep through the elbow-length gloves.
The Overlord returned his gaze to Anemos and said, "I'm going to summon monsters and command them to attack you. Your miasma resistance will protect you from the poison of their bites and claw attacks. Set their souls free for me, and for them. Don't die. Fight as hard as you can, and don't die."
"I will have no regrets if I do," the bard resolutely affirmed.
%I will regret it, so don't die,% the Overlord darkly stressed.
"Duly noted."
%Endless mode - start!% Yusis pointed to Anemos. The sheepdog-monster lunged for the bard, baring its fangs.
'Endless mode'? Is my task to battle endless monsters?
Anemos called forth a burst of fiery bardic magic to destroy the sheepdog-monster, but not before it sank its teeth into his right leg, leaving a vicious gash streaming with blood. Anemos had to rely on his left leg to support most of his weight.
%Pity this suffering monster,% Yusis intoned, snapping the fingers of his free hand.
The gigantic griffon-monster that Anemos had previously encountered outside the castle's front gate appeared. As the griffon raised a taloned foreleg, violet magic flared and enveloped its entire body. The magic's aura was so intense that it distorted the griffon's outline.
You have said that 'Endless mode' is weak when it begins, have you not? This monster cannot possibly be weak!
Anemos staggered, as he dodged a swipe from the griffon's hooked talons.
I should not have been able to evade that, not with this injury!
"I can show mercy to undead monsters," Yusis reflected. "I can make it easier for the living to free their souls."
The griffon was moving so slowly that it was barely more than a statue. Its talons were still descending downward from its initial slash, trailing the violet aura.
Perhaps 'weak' can also refer to an otherwise powerful monster encumbered by magic.
"I can slow down a monster to 'help' you as part of preparing for the next Savior," Yusis clarified. "Preparing takes top priority, above all other rules."
Anemos repositioned himself, and drew upon his power over sound and magic to weaken the great griffon's innate resistance to fire.
"I can't slow down any monster in a 'serious' battle, though. I especially can't slow down myself. It would be too close to surrendering."
Anemos began to charge an exceptionally powerful burst of fiery bardic magic.
"That's the biggest part of the problem. It's why the next Savior wouldn't get any advantage from being sleep-deprived. %The Overlord cannot surrender% is a higher priority rule than %The Overlord cannot show mercy to the living.%"
Anemos released his charged burst of fire magic, engulfing the griffon in a brilliant flare.
"Because %The Overlord cannot surrender,% I have to fight the next Savior 'seriously'. I don't have to spend every last second trying to kill him and his allies - including you, Anemos - but I can't slack off either. I have to attack regularly, and my attacks have to hurt. %Who has an atrocious haircut now?% isn't 'serious' enough. I can't use it in the destined battle."
The great griffon's burning body dissolved into drifting miasma plumes.
"%Endless mode% will get harder now," Yusis warned. "I won't always slow down the monsters. You will feel more pain. Keep fighting and do not die."
A large boar-monster appeared, and solidly rammed Anemos.
Yusis intoned %Pity this suffering monster,% and an aura of violet magic almost rendered the charging boar stationary. Anemos rolled away before it could trample him.
"I can't give myself a big disadvantage in 'serious' combat, even if it's not 'mercy'," Yusis continued. "I can't %Shapechange into Rabbit% when I fight the next Savior. If I'm not using %Final Form: Vision,% then I'll have to take a form that's super-strong, either offensively or defensively."
Even as Anemos released a fiery attack to vaporize the boar-monster, more undead creatures appeared in its place.
"I can give myself a lesser disadvantage in or out of combat, if it serves a purpose. If I'm taking a risk for a gain. The 'gain' doesn't have to be a tactical advantage. The 'gain' can be death, terror, or suffering, since those appeal to miasma, and miasma has direct power over the rules."
Now the attacking monsters were smaller - songbird-monsters, rat-monsters, squirrel-monsters and more - but there were so many that avoiding their beaks, teeth, and claws was difficult.
"Those miasma-obelisks I made? They shared information, and they turned the miasma of three Lesser Seal fonts into targets for the next Savior to destroy, but they also spread terror. That's what let me shape them, in spite of the rules. Once. A second round wouldn't be terrifying enough."
Anemos invoked a blast of bardic wind magic to blow back some of the attacking creatures, followed by a small firestorm unleashed on the ones that remained near him.
"I can't create any more miasma-objects for the next Savior to destroy, unless they're weapons or shields in the destined battle. The held-back presence is very seriously enforcing its rules. If I directly resist the rules, then I'll get erased whether the presence is in my thoughts or not. Which it's not. It's absolutely not. No bargain-breaking here. Couldn't even if I wanted to."
Fatigue and blood loss wore at Anemos. Focusing his mind to unleash elemental attacks became more and more of a struggle.
Yusis became quiet. His free hand reached for an inside pocket of Anemos' vest, withdrew an item, and held it concealed in a tight fist.
It seemed as though for every small monster Anemos destroyed, Yusis summoned one or two more to take its place. The bard became dizzy from the prolonged strain of pushing his endurance to the limit.
Yusis appraised the fray vigilantly, through his necromantic-magic glasses. The cloying sensation of invisible dark power intensified in the surrounding air.
Anemos' wounded leg crumpled under him. His strength was so depleted that he could not break his fall, and his head sharply rapped the hard floor. His sight went dark.
%Your suffering is not over yet.%
A light, breezy puff of soothing relief washed over the bard. His eyes whisked open. He saw that the small undead monsters surrounding him had retreated.
Overlord Yusis was still holding Anemos' vest in one hand; the other hand was extended and empty, over the bard's head. Anemos realized that the bloody gash in his own leg had closed.
Then a maelstrom of dark magic materialized around the bard.
For three agonizing seconds, the oppressive malevolence enveloped him, shocking every nerve without allowing him to scream. It left him splayed on the ground once more, but without any additional physical wounds.
Anemos' own vest landed on top of him. The bard shakily reached for a healing bead to mend the rest of his injuries.
%Miasma is 'hatred of life' and 'love of that which torments life'. Tormenting the living is a 'gain' that appeals to miasma. I can trade that 'gain' to give myself a lesser disadvantage - even in combat!%
Anemos dared to raise his head. He beheld the Overlord's monstrous form, dressed in the stained, drab grey and sludge-black echo of what the Savior had died wearing.
The violet gloves dissolved off of the Overlord's arms and bloodless-pale hands, as he flexed his claw-nailed fingers in a pose of raw fervor. The swirling miasma vortex in his chest frantically roiled and frothed; smoky vapors flared with enough intensity to stir his disheveled, jet-black hair. A crazed smile bared his serrated teeth, and his glowing yellow cat-eyes blazed with manic frenzy, behind his necromantic-magic glasses.
%I copied Aldea's extremely painful attack. Using it in a dark magic spell with a revival item component... I can revive. I can actually revive. It's not 'mercy' if I drag the living away from pain-free unconsciousness and force them to suffer!%
Overlord Yusis began to laugh, in deranged heaves so great they shook his entire body.
Anemos' voice came from the mouth of a cow-monster.
"Ah, greetings. I have another message for all of you, on behalf of Overlord Yusis. I should also mention that I am still alive. That seems sufficiently important to reiterate."
%HAHAHAHA I CAN REVIVE I CAN ACTUALLY REVIVE I SOLVED IT I CAN REVIVE!%
"Overlord Yusis declares that he has appropriated all of my revival beads for his own use, and he commands you to bring more, as many as you can, when you come to his castle."
%THE STRONG ONES! THE EXTRA-SUPER-STRONG ONES! YOU'D BETTER NOT GO CHEAP ON THIS NEXT SAVIOR HAHAHAHA!%
"Do bring as many strong revival beads as you can. As many. As you can."
%HAHAHAHA IN YOUR BIRD-FACE ALDEA I TOOK YOUR TRICK AND MADE IT BETTER!%
"You will not be late. I have faith. I have absolute faith."
%NOW I CAN GO BACK TO WORKING ON ALL THE REALLY COOL STUFF I WANTED TO SHOW OFF HAHAHAHA!%
Cedric remarked, "The optimal use of our remaining funds appears to have been determined."
The Holy Brand soundlessly queried, *An Overlord that can revive? The undead cannot cast or be affected by holy healing magic. Is he demanding revival beads because he intends to use them on us?*
Cynthia whispered, "I think Yusis sounds even happier than last time."
Laminah stated, "I feel sorry for this cow-monster," and drew her halberd.
%PARTY AT THE OVERLORD'S PLACE, EVERYONE'S INVITED! COME FOR THE MIASMA AND MONSTERS, STAY FOR THE MOST DAZZLING BATTLE TO THE DEATH EVER!%
Although the undead bovine attempted to gore Laminah, she sliced off its head with one slash, and swiftly reduced the beast to dissipating miasma vapors.
End of Chapter Twenty-six: Awakening Revolution