The Supreme Overlord (Multicross)

"Are you really going to cry just from a few words, Momonga?" Saigou remarked with a hint of amusement, noticing the barely concealed emotions in Momonga.

His smile, however, was unnervingly enigmatic, sending shivers down one's spine.

Momonga, being a person who valued emotions deeply and was known for his amiable nature, was unlikely to be disliked, even if he wasn't universally admired. Saigou, having spent nearly twelve years in the game with Momonga since his rebirth in this world, held a fondness for this kind-hearted individual.

"Hey, Zarathustra, don't go spreading rumors about me. I'm not crying!" Momonga's skeletal head shook vigorously, adamant about not admitting to his earlier emotional reaction.

Yet, the brief exchange with Saigou warmed Momonga's heart. Back when all the members of Ainz Ooal Gown were together, they would often jest and chat like this.

Saigou, meanwhile, leisurely took his place in the enormous throne, pulling out a book and beginning to read.

Momonga peered discreetly and saw the book's title: Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

He knew that this book was the work of Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher from around two hundred years ago. His knowledge came not from personal study but from Saigou's constant reading of it, which piqued Momonga's curiosity enough to look it up online.

"Zarathustra, are you going to log off soon, or are you planning to stay until the server shuts down?" Momonga asked cautiously, his crimson eyes betraying a glimmer of hope.

"I'll stay with you until the server closes. After all, it's not much longer now," Saigou replied, glancing at the countdown timer on his interface.

Momonga's heart lifted with joy at Saigou's response. His thoughts began to race as he searched for something to discuss.

"By the way, Herohero logged in briefly earlier but logged off almost immediately. It looked like he's quite exhausted in real life," Momonga said, empathizing with Herohero's premature departure. As a fellow cog in the cyberpunk society, he shared Herohero's fatigue.

"Oh, and Herohero mentioned there might be a Yggdrasill 2. If that's true, would you be interested in playing it with me?" Momonga quickly added, having just thought of it.

Saigou closed his book and shook his head after a moment's contemplation. "I haven't heard of any development for Yggdrasill 2."

Momonga's spirits sank at this news. "Really? Then it seems Herohero might have received false information."

Trusting Saigou's words implicitly, Momonga accepted this reality. He knew that Saigou, being a person of considerable standing in the real world, would be well-informed.

"There's no need to feel this way, Momonga. People experience joy and sorrow, and the moon waxes and wanes. No feast lasts forever."

"Regardless, we've shared many years of laughter and happiness in this game. Those memories will always be cherished, and occasionally reminiscing about them will remain one of our most important memories."

Saigou offered some comforting words, understanding that Momonga yearned to rebuild Ainz Ooal Gown in other games. Saigou knew, however, that such a dream was impractical.

No one could live their entire life within a game, especially once they have a family. Time in games must eventually be set aside. The members of Ainz Ooal Gown had long since scattered far and wide, becoming precious memories as Saigou had said.

"I understand, Zarathustra. It's just that sometimes, I can't help but feel a sense of unwillingness," Momonga said with a hint of bitterness, lowering his head.

Saigou shifted the topic. "I recall you complaining about your job the last time we met. Are you still working there?"

"Yeah, I'm still working," Momonga said, his voice tinged with weariness. "You know how high the unemployment rate is these days. Even though it's tough, I have to keep going."

Mentioning the real world made Momonga's head ache. One of the reasons he invested so much in Ainz Ooal Gown was to escape reality.

"Since that's the case, give me your contact information. After we log off, I'll help you find a higher-paying, easier job," Saigou said, lounging lazily in the enormous throne.

"Really? Is it alright? Will it cause you any trouble?" Momonga's surprise was palpable, his voice trembling slightly.

"It's no trouble at all. It's a small favor among friends. After all, we've known each other for nearly twelve years. Helping a friend out is only natural," Saigou said with a casual wave of his hand.

Momonga was deeply touched. If the circumstances were different, he would have rushed over to hug Saigou's leg and shout, "...Big shot, take me with you!"

It wasn't embarrassing or shameful for Momonga, as he had done similar things in the game before. He reflected on how Zarathustra was indeed as formidable in reality as everyone had suspected. In today's world, only those who truly held power could easily manage such things.

The two continued to chat casually. As the countdown to the server shutdown reached five minutes, both Saigou and Momonga fell into a shared silence.

Momonga stared blankly at the countdown, feeling a mix of reluctance and relief. He wasn't overwhelmed by sadness or loneliness, for he was accompanied by a friend until the end.

Saigou flipped through his book again, though his focus was less on the text and more on the countdown, feeling a sense of unease.

This was his second world after his reincarnation. In the Mondaiji-tachi world, after "dying" in an experiment called the Third Stellar Particle, Saigou had been transported here.

This time, he was reborn as a baby, but his luck was less favorable. Instead of being born into wealth and privilege, he became a person of the lower social strata.

What surprised Saigou was that this time, he wasn't starting from scratch. The mysterious Third Stellar Particle continued to flow in his blood.

Although the Third Stellar Particle didn't grant him world-shattering powers, it provided him with extraordinary physical and intellectual capabilities.

Even though the world he was reborn into was grim and stratified, he believed that with this advantage, he could easily rise above others.

Embracing hopes and dreams for the future, Saigou lived through several decades. Despite the rigid class structure of the world, his remarkable talents allowed him to leap through social tiers.

Saigou had set his sights on gaining enough power to begin researching the Third Stellar Particle in his blood. He had heard from his father while in the lab that it was related to the third type of perpetual motion machine.

Given that the world was facing an energy crisis, if he could develop the third type of perpetual motion machine, he would become humanity's savior. He could rewrite human civilization and attain supreme prestige and power.

This was the goal Saigou had set for himself: to become the Emperor of Mankind!

However, the appearance of the game Yggdrasill interrupted Saigou's plans. He discovered that he was actually in the world of Overlord!

Saigou had only watched the first season of the anime. Though he was unfamiliar with the later content, he was aware of the basic setting.

Given the circumstances, it was only natural for him to enter the game, join Ainz Ooal Gown, and invest heavily, both in terms of time and money.

With his extraordinary awareness and reaction speed, Saigou became a five-time world champion, gaining immense prestige and benefits.

He even contemplated using real-world means to directly alter the game data.

However, this plan ultimately came to naught.

In the socio-economic climate of the time, it was the large conglomerates of various countries that first released virtual games in response to global government calls.

Even with Saigou's superior intellect, achieving such heights in this rigidly stratified society would take at least five to ten more years, in his view.

Saigou felt that some sort of 'will' or 'principle' was subconsciously preventing him from achieving his goal.

Thus, he was unable to complete this objective in the twelve years the game was active.

He even had a premonition that the game's values might not be mere data but inherent to his own power!

The game, he thought, merely manifested his power as numbers, making any alterations pointless.

"Well, if I really did manage to alter the game data, it's possible that such a crossing-over might not happen again."

"…Compared to the heavy despair of the real world, the world of swords and magic is far more interesting."

"If I don't succeed in this crossing, I can always continue researching the Third Type Perpetual Motion Machine."

With these thoughts, Saigou's anxiety vanished.

Regardless of whether he succeeded in this plan, he had prepared a fallback plan.

Moreover, besides this game, Saigou held another major secret related to the dark space where his consciousness originally resided.

23:59:10, 9—

As he watched the countdown on the screen, Momonga turned to Saigou and asked, "…So, Zarathustra, shall we stay in touch after we log off?"

"…By the way, after all this time, I still don't know your real name," Momonga said, scratching his bald head in embarrassment.

"Saigou." 

At that moment, the timer displayed 0:00:00.

"Huh?"

Momonga noticed he wasn't forcibly logged off; instead, the timer continued ticking.

'What's going on? Is it server delay?'

Momonga pondered hesitantly.

Meanwhile, the demonic face formed from pitch-black flames on Saigou's body showed a subtle change in expression.

He could clearly feel the surge of power within him.

The power roared and raged, as if Saigou could truly bestow aging upon all things and transform into one of the six great demons of Zoroastrianism!

At the same time, the Third Stellar Particle that had been flowing sluggishly in his body suddenly became agitated, rushing through him in a frenzy.

With the torrent of the Third Stellar Particle, energy began to manifest from nothing!

As Saigou reveled in this sudden surge of power, a respectful yet pure and seductive female voice rang out between the thrones.

"…Is there anything you wish to command, my esteemed Lords?"

Saigou snapped back to reality and turned his head slowly to the side.

The beautiful pure-white demon was now bowing her head, her lips curved in a faint smile.

The statue-like deity of beauty had finally come to life.

One hand resting on his chin, Saigou observed the pure-white demon with interest. His tone shifted to a deep, authoritative command:

"…Come here, kneel before me, Albedo!"