Reborn as an NPC in the Great Tomb of Nazarick

Thunder crashed across the sky, the land split in twain, and a battle beyond mortal comprehension took place. One an undead overlord, the other a small dark elf.

Thoth looked down at the sight from his vantage point, Mare right next to him, wielding a pair of gauntlets, a world item known as Avarice and Generosity, one appearing to be a devil's hand, the other an angel's.

Mare's green and blue eyes seemed a bit saddened, but not as much as Thoth was expecting. He was very quiet, typical of him, though it made Thoth feel all the more guilty.

Aura and Ainz were talking while they fought, they were too far to hear, not to mention their spells were way louder than any uttered words.

To Thoth, the air was heavy and stale. To Mare, it was just uncomfortable.

"Sorry about your sister..." Thoth started awkwardly.

"...Y-You don't have to..." Mare began quietly. "U-um, feel bad and stuff."

Thoth raised an eyebrow, "Huh? I caused this, so of course I should feel bad."

"...Sis can be a bit um... D-dumb sometimes..." A panicked flash came across his eyes, "Just don't tell her I s-said that to you!"

Thoth nodded.

Mare cleared his throat, "S-she really wants everyone to know how reliable she is... She's awesome, right?" he sighed, "Anyways... M-My point is that sis needs to, um... learn."

"Learn what? Not to stick with an-"

"N-No!" Mare interrupted, and Thoth couldn't help but pause, shocked that Mare would do that. "Listen, it's... haah..." Mare ran a gloved hand through his fingers, "You and sis are so stubborn...!"

Thoth could only chuckle, "True. True."

Mare only smiled tiredly, "M-Mhm... And both of you need to stop doing everything, um... Alone."

'But I am alone.' Thoth mumbled internally, dissatisfied. 'Most of you are evil, and that's putting it lightly. How am I supposed to feel safe enough for vulnerability?'

Something in his back twitched, and he smirked.

'Right, I have you guys.'

"Thank Mare. I'll consider it." Thoth said, sitting down on the ledge.

Mare blinked and sat down as well, not answering. Instead, both of them looked outward to the battlefield.

Mare was on the back foot. She, as a beastmaster, relied on her monsters to fight for her. Still, she was holding her ground decently against the undead overlord.

Still, instead of watching his crush get executed, Thoth closed his eyes and pondered deeply.

'I need to act to prevent this, I don't want Aura to get hurt again because of me.'

Thinking back on things, the entire situation seemed so... bizarre.

'No human nation has the power to just lobotomize another so easily. Maybe those Slane Theocracy people? I don't remember much, but judging by the fact that Demiurge sent three Guardians to take out one of their elite units, they have to be a big deal.'

Still, things didn't make sense. Demiurge knew there were enemies, which implies someone had seen them. Did they not recognize a world item? It's not like Thoth would have recognized it had he not remembered...

'Either way, subjugating the other nations is the fastest, but jumping to the Slane Theocracy would be extreme. The Kingdom should do nicely, it's the closest after all, and Nazarick was gonna burn it all to the ground anyway.'

With that in mind, the battle grew quiet, and Thoth opened his ruby red eyes.

As he stood up, deep within the luxurious confines of Nazarick, Demiurge, Cocytus, and Albedo could be seen observing the battle.

"A decisive victory. I'd expect no less." Cocytus said with a plume of frozen air as he looked into a mirror displaying Ainz. He was seated on a red couch, in front of which was a low table placed upon a carpet.

Demiurge, sitting on a couch opposite Cocytus, adjusted his glasses, his diamond eyes gleaming, "Indeed, there truly was nothing to worry about." His attention flickered to Albedo, who glanced at him before returning her gaze to her beloved's form.

"Well, it is only natural for a woman to worry for her beloved, no?"

Demiurge simply nodded until Albedo spoke again.

"Still, it is concerning that such a thing occurred at all. Shalltear must bear the consequences."

Demiurge nodded, "I would agree, but Lord Ainz has made his will entirely clear. There is to be no such thing." As Albedo's eye twitched, Demiurge reached for the mirror hanging in the middle of the room and changed their view to Thoth and Mare standing up.

"Nonetheless, there are other things we can do. It's been made very clear that we must be more active to protect Nazarick and its inhabitants. On a side note, Cocytus."

Demiurge's gaze settled onto Cocytus, who lowered himself slightly.

"I have already redoubled Shalltear's training. She will never again be so foolish in battle."

"That is an ambitious claim, I hope you can live up to it," Albedo said with a sarcastic edge, her eyes filled with visible anger.

"Yes." Cocytus nodded.

"Either way, Thoth should be a bit more active now as well," Demiurge commented, "From what I've heard, his inaction was one of the factors influencing this outcome. Not to mention that we'll need him to be more active for Ainz-sama's desired world domination."

Cocytus couldn't help but lean forward slightly, clearly interested. Willing to entertain the Guardian, Demiurge elaborated with a proud smile.

"You see, Cocytus." Demiurge began, correcting his glasses. "Thoth, as an angel, could be a very useful asset in Lord Ainz's plan of world conquest. Entire nations would fracture if we had a blessed king."

"Yet Thoth has shown no interest in showing off to the population of the new world, his actions in Carne Village were desirable, hence why we suggested to Lord Ainz he send them to the Roble Holy Kingdom on a 'vacation.' There, he would naturally become a sort of saviour in the crisis we would create."

Albedo sighed, "To think we would waste all those angels he created for nothing... I even allowed Shalltear to have fun with them before she set out on the mission for a favor, yet that moronic leech failed so miserably!"

Demiurge nodded in agreement, "They were not entirely wasted, the creation of blessed constructs was a productive experiment. Nevertheless, though Aura's domination was not intended, it did have a positive effect."

"And that would be?" Cocytus asked, gripping his halberd tightly in anger.

"I said so earlier: Thoth will now be certainly active and far more willing to subject himself to our orders. The fact that he obeys only Lord Ainz remains, but now we can easily convince him to act on our orders due to this happening. All we need to do is tie this incident into it somehow."

Albedo smiled sweetly, hiding the sadistic pleasure she felt at this victory over Thoth, "With that, he will show us the proper respect we deserve, especially to the Guardian Overseer."

Cocytus could not help but feel a tinge of displeasure, after all, he is aware that Thoth had suffered due to his previous master, and this trauma still deeply affects him.

"Is this necessary?" Cocytus asked, "Is there not a better way for Thoth to listen?"

"There is not." Albedo hissed, her tone abiding no argument, "Since our arrival here, he has shown me barely any respect, has constantly skipped my position as Guardian Overseer, and entirely sidestepped my authority." She clenched her fist, golden eyes glowing with anger, "Could you imagine if Shalltear did the same? Then Aura or Mare? I cannot tolerate such a blatant insult! What if it sets an example for the rest? He wants to disgrace me and the position I've been given by Lord Ainz!"

Cocytus pondered for a while before simply nodding in understanding. "I see. Where will you send him first?"

"Princess Renner has been more and more active... It may be prudent to remind her we use her out of convenience, not need. But nothing is set for now, first and foremost, we will leave Thoth to his own devices and let him do as he pleases. We can't tell him what to do or where to go, but we can guide him when he's there."

Cocytus exhaled a plume of frozen mist, standing, halberd in hand. "Thank you for the explanation. Lord Ainz will likely return soon, so I will head to the Throne Room."

The two in front of him nodded, "Perhaps I should also excuse myself, now that Shalltear is on the back foot, I must look to impress my beloved."

Demiurge quietly nodded, also standing up, the window dimming as they turned away from it.

A gate ripped its way into reality within the vast throne room, obsidian and golden pillars looming over them all. Ainz's throne dominated the space behind them, the vast gated door at the end of a brilliant red carpet.

Most conspicuous of all, however, was the immense pile of YGGDRASIL gold in the middle of the room, reaching almost halfway up to the ceiling.

The Guardians, including Demiurge, Albedo, and Cocytus, stood around it. Shalltear was also there, head hung low in a corner of the group. She had no doubt experienced the most hellish week imaginable, but Thoth didn't bother to asses the damage.

All of them kneeled, shouting "Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!"

"Is everyone here?" Ainz asked, his voice booming across the hall.

"All of the Guardians, excluding Gargantua and Victim, are present," Albedo said sweetly, blushing a little as Ainz's gaze settled onto her.

"Excellent, I will now revive Aura. Everyone, stand and remain alert. Should the worst occur, I will-"

"My lord, please," Demiurge began, bowing a little, "You've already sullied your hands for us, please, allow us to handle this for you if necessary."

A chorus of agreement came from the other Guardians, including Mare, which made Ainz stumble over his words.

"Ah- ...Uhm... Well, alright. I'll be in your care then."

With that, Ainz raised the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown high into the air, bellowing with the might of all of Nazarick.

"Nazarick! Heed my words and revive Aura Bella Fiora!"

A second of tense silence passed, Thoth stared at the unmoving pile of gold which had not budged, and prayed.

Suddenly, mere seconds after, the gold melted into an immense pool of yellow and orange light, swirling into a vaguely humanoid shape, which then fell onto the plush red carpet with a soft thud.

"Albedo!" Ainz commanded, and the Overseer glanced at a hovering menu nearby.

"Aura is loyal to us. It worked." She said with a smile.

"Ungh..." Aura grumbled, slowly opening her eyes. She leaned up, leaning on one arm while holding her throbbing head with the other.

Ainz quickly summoned a large piece of cloth and threw it over her body, leaving only her head exposed.

Then, she was promptly shoved to the floor as Mare rushed to her. His eyes swelled with tears as he clung to her like a leech, his previously apathetic eyes filled with relief.

"S-Sis!" He cried, and Aura could only chuckle a little as she hugged him back.

"Geez! You're getting snot all over the cloth Lord Ainz created!" Aura said teasingly, though she refused to let Mare go, happy to feel anything at all.

The memories of her time in isolation felt distant and vague, but she could somewhat recall what it was like. And a few tears swelled in her eyes, too.

The other Guardians, seeing the heartwarming sight, couldn't help but laugh and smile. Ainz glanced to his left, where Thoth had been mere moments ago, only to find air in his place.

He glanced around, not finding the Guardian anywhere.

'Hmm. I suppose he didn't feel ready to speak to her yet? Perhaps he wanted to give her space to speak to her brother first... Yes, that seems accurate enough. Still, it is my responsibility to ensure these two continue where they left off, therefore...'

"Aura." Ainz's voice echoed, "Do you remember our battle? And can you stand?"

Aura, still hugging her crying brother, on the verge of tears herself, nodded and stood, holding the blanket tightly around her.

"I-I can't, Lord Ainz. I'm so sorry!" She said, bowing deeply in apology.

"It is alright, it was not your fault. Now, come to me, though it pains me to do so immediately after you awoke, I must ask you to do something. Or rather, remind you what you asked me to tell you."

Aura nodded and walked to Ainz, who, in turn, leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"W-Wait, I...?" She said, and Ainz nodded.

"I assure you, you won't be let down. Bukubukuchagama has trained me to detect these sorts of things." He lied, but it was the whitest lie to ever lie.

She blushed, but her blush quickly transformed into a huge grin.

"Are you okay?" Ainz said with a hint of concern, remembering how denizens of Nazarick often did romance. Luckily, his views were not entirely accurate, lest Thoth be in for a hell of a time.

"Of course!!" She said with a happy smile, nearly jumping in place.

"Excellent. Here are your clothes, I added a ring of Ainz Ooal Gown for your troubles as well." Ainz said as he pulled Aura's items from his inventory, "I do not know where he is, but I'm sure you'll find him quickly enough. Go on."

"Thank you so much, Lord Ainz!" She said as she ran out of the room, leaving behind a trail of dust and golden powder.

Thoth could be seen sitting atop the Amphitheater, leaning back on his hands, staring at the stars twinkling above. His wings were still hidden, though he could feel them trembling on his back.

"You guys are shy now of all times?" He chuckled, only for a sudden cramp in his back to occur. "Yeah, I know I ran away too... But I wasn't shy."

He just felt like he shouldn't be there. After all, Mare was Aura's family; he had priority. Not to mention that Thoth refused to show off how attached he is to Aura in front of those freaks.

It was then, as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm, that he heard a slight shift behind him.

He smirked, but said nothing. It was then that Aura jumped on his back and hugged him from behind like a leech.

"Ah! Jesus, you scared me!" Thoth said, smirking. She was now wearing her signature outfit again, and it felt great to see her alive and in one piece.

Aura pouted, "Aw, I didn't. How did you hear me?"

Thoth shrugged, his head leaning against hers as she clung to him, "I just did. You're not that sneaky, princess."

"Haha, wow! Continuing with that nickname after how long, a month?" She said with a grin until she saw Thoth's smirk weaken.

"A week." He said, sighing. "You were gone for a week."

She let him go and sat beside him, "Oh... Well. That's life, I guess?" She chuckled awkwardly, "I can't remember it too well anyway, so..."

"You can't?" Thoth asked, a bit more hopeful, "Really?"

"Yeah! It's just a vague recollection of a few things here and there, mostly just feelings and vibes. Uhm, Lord Ainz told me you were really... Sad about what happened?"

"Yeah! Of course I was, I mean, I- I... I got you hurt! And I can't imagine how terrible it was for you!"

He could, that is why he felt so bad.

But before he could go on, Aura hugged him and brushed her hand through his silvery hair.

"Well, you don't need to imagine, cause it's over. And I can't remember it well, so it's like it never happened." She smirked, "Besides, you? Of all people, you feeling guilty about something? I couldn't possibly imagine the mighty angel wavering!" She said, pressing her forehead against his cool marble head.

"Ha. Ha." Thoth smirked, rolling his eyes, "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's not like it matters anymore, right guys?" He said, glancing at his back.

Aura also glanced there, "Come on, you guys! I missed you, won't you even let me see you?" After a second of silence, Aura got a devious glint in her eye.

"Awh man, I was gonna give you a little kiss too~ Man, I guess I'll have to kiss Thoth then huh~?"

The wings shot out of the back and picked her up, the dozens of eyes staring at her with indignant expectation.

"Haha okay okay! I promised I know!" Aura then gave one of the wings a small peck on the feathers, and the wings celebrated with elation.

"Wow, I couldn't get them to come out for a week straight, but you got them out in a couple of minutes... Should I be impressed or afraid?"

"Well, I can just bring the joy out of guys, what can I say?" Aura chuckled and glanced away with a small blush, glancing at the wings that now surrounded her.

They had picked her up, and she couldn't help but remember what happened in the camp, when they picked her up and Thoth's Limbs of Wrath climbed up her arms and legs... It made her sweat a little.

Then, the wings pushed her down into Thoth's lap, a couple of the eyes winking and bouncing, as if chuckling at Thoth's flustered expression.

Aura didn't push away; instead, she mumbled something.

"I was gonna do this eventually... You didn't have to push me into it, you know?"

"Huh?" Thoth said he heard her, but just wanted to check. After all, how could he believe what he just heard? "What did you say?"

Aura blushed and groaned, the eyes glancing at one another in anticipation and excitement.

"I- Okay. Listen." She said, gripping his shoulders tightly, "I, like, ugh! Why is saying this so hard?!"

Thoth, seeing Aura so flustered and embarrassed, couldn't help but feel the engine of his heart pound harder than ever, and with a surge of bravery, accompanied by his eyes glowing a warm, kind red, leaned in and kissed her.

The wings closed in around them as Thoth held Aura's cheeks, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck as she leaned into him.

And after a couple of minutes, when the two separated, Aura couldn't help but grin.

"Man... Acting is so much easier than talking, huh?"

With that, she leaned in again, the stars above seeing only Thoth's wings and some very, very proud eyes.

-x-x-x-

I am Jesus, for I have returned from the death of death like eighty times now!

I TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE THIS BRO

So cooked. Anyways, sorry about the time, I was failing in school and had to catch up, then got wasted for my birthday, and then got busy trying to get a driving license (which is nowhere near done). Not to mention my desire to write, as is usual for me, acted like a cringy tsundere and kept running away from me while calling me a baka or whatever.

Also, Thoth and Aura are finally a thing now! Yipee! Hope you guys liked that, not to mention Demiurge and Albedo's menacing cooking in the devil's kitchen~ Uuuuuu~

Anyways, hope you liked it, and I'll see you next time.