Time passed, and the villagers calmed down, glancing at Meylena with curiosity. Children, surrounding her, laughed cheerfully as they wove a flower crown and adorned her head. Meylena, clapping her hands, played along with them, and the air filled with joyful exclamations of "Hee-hee! Ha-ha-ha!" Such sincere laughter touched the hearts of the villagers, but some, looking at the "sick" lady with pity, shook their heads, whispering:
It's such a shame that such a beautiful woman suffers from a sickness of the mind…
Gazef's knights, observing Meylena, began to whisper amongst themselves. One of them, clearing his throat, mumbled self-consciously:
"Maybe I should make a move on her? She's a hottie, and nobody's perfect, illness or not!"
His comrades gave him strange looks. Another, nudging him in the side, scoffed:
"You just want her sexy body, don't you? You'll have your fun and then dump her. But," he nodded towards the house where Ainz and Gazef were exiting, "her protector will do to you what he did to those guys," he indicated the Death Knight towering over the prisoners.
The knight, who had been dreaming of Meylena, shuddered, his ardor extinguished. He had no desire to be impaled on the sword of that unknown thing. Ainz, approaching Meylena, wearily touched his forehead, closed his eyes, and sighed heavily:
"Can't you be serious for even a little while? Please."
Momonga was clearly trying to appeal to her reason, still attempting to bring his friend back to the light side. Meylena, with the flower crown on her head, smiled:
"If I get serious, you won't like it. Then there'll be a mass slaughter, and the World Enemies, you know, wouldn't mind taking a peek into this world," her voice was playful, but with a hint of threat.
Ainz flinched, his clothes clinging to his sweaty back. Swallowing, he cleared his throat:
"That's… excessive. Have fun, do whatever you want, and I'll take care of things."
"That's the spirit!" Meylena sang, winking. "I'll stand aside and watch the fun!"
Ainz, exhaling, decided that it was useless to rely on her. Suddenly, he received a mental message from Nazarick. Stepping into the forest, he returned with a figure in black armor whose silhouette was feminine. Meylena jumped up, exclaiming:
"Albedo, is that you?!"
The figure, fidgeting slightly, replied:
"Yes, Mistress. I am here to accompany the Overlord."
Ainz, clearing his throat, corrected:
"Call me Ainz Ooal Gown."
Albedo nodded, without questioning, and reported:
"Spiders have surrounded the territory. Riders are approaching the village, they have already closed the ring. What are your orders, Overlord?"
Ainz, frowning, rubbed his chin and glanced at Meylena, who was leaning lazily against a tree, snoring as if falling asleep. Annoyed, he sighed and said:
"Albedo, accompany me. We'll find out who they are, and prepare the prison cells in Nazarick."
Albedo nodded, mentally relaying the order, and clarified:
"And what should we do with Mistress Meylena?"
Ainz, touching his forehead, wearily replied:
"Leave her. Nothing will happen."
He and Albedo left, and Meylena, with a faint smile, opened one eye. Touching her face with her palm, she smirked maliciously and activated Omniscience.
Before her stood a woman with long blue hair braided into a plait, wearing a revealing outfit that barely concealed her underwear. A huge hat shaded her face. She was doing something intently, but suddenly screamed, clutching her head:
"Aaaa!"
The people in robes around her, shocked, froze. Meylena chuckled, her laughter echoing ominously in their minds.
"Heh-heh-heh!"
Standing up, she brushed off her dress and opened a portal, stepping into a vast room resembling a cathedral. High vaulted ceilings were adorned with frescoes of the faces of gods, stained glass windows let in colorful light, and the marble floor gleamed. In the center stood an altar, surrounded by golden statues. The people in robes, seeing Meylena, froze. The woman in the hat, trembling, stared at the blood dripping from her ears.
One of the priests, with anger, shouted:
"Monster! Accept death in the name of the gods!"
Others echoed:
"Destroy the heretic!"
"She defiles this holy place!"
Meylena, humming a tune, surprised them. Suddenly, one priest's head exploded, blood and brains painting the floor and splattering onto the hat-wearing woman. She, trembling, stared at her bloodied hands. People froze, and Meylena grinned – her smile was diabolical. One priest, realizing, murmured:
"That's… the smile of the devil himself…"
Another, pulling out a crystal, shouted:
"Immediately activate the protection barriers! Prepare the artifacts and prepare for battle!"
The priests chanted, light surrounded them, but their artifacts shattered, crumbling to dust. The barrier, also activated, cracked like glass, shattering into millions of fragments. One, in desperation, raised a cross:
"Activate the World Item!"
The cross flashed… and broke. The priest's arm tore off, blood gushed out, and he wailed:
"Aaaa! Gods, no!"
Tears streamed from his eyes. He held his severed arm with his other hand, his face sweaty and staring in horror at it.
Meylena, whose shadow loomed over them, said languidly:
"Is that all?"
Her voice, cold and serious, sent shivers down their spines. Rainbow rings in her eyes burned orange, giving her a demonic appearance. The priests paled, their faces contorted in horror.
***
"Lalala~" Meylena hummed, waltzing by herself down the corridor of the Slane Theocracy cathedral. Her feet moved in time to an unheard melody, and her smile shone with mischief. All around her, cries of terror and pain echoed:
"Aaa! No!" and "Help me!"
Blood streamed down the walls, shadows and shadowy hands ruthlessly killing everyone in the building. The walls that were supposed to protect had become a tomb for the priests. One man, trying to escape, was caught by a shadow and smashed against the wall with a sickening crunch, his brains splattering on the floor.
"Spare me, I beg you! Please, no!" was seized by shadowy hands. They stretched him by his arms and legs, his eyes filled with tears and snot, but his pleas were useless. With a crack, his body tore apart, blood gushing onto the floor, and his face frozen in agony.
Meylena, oblivious, continued to dance until she noticed a group of people looking at her with determination, despite their trembling hands. She chuckled:
Could it be the Black Scripture?
They stopped, their gazes locking. The bravest, apparently the leader, stepped forward. His androgynous features – long black hair, sharp red eyes – stood out against the backdrop of ornate armor. In his hands he held a simple-looking spear.
"Who are you?" he asked, pointing the spear at Meylena with resolve. Ready to act at any moment, he still wants to know about his opponent, as well as gain useful information.
She touched her lips with the tip of her finger, smiling cheerfully:
"How impolite! You haven't even introduced yourself!"
The group frowned, but the captain, meeting her gaze, replied:
"I am the captain of the Black Scripture of the Slane Theocracy, its protector. And who are you, trespassing on our lands?"
Meylena, taking the hem of her dress, stepped back with one leg and gracefully curtsied, bowing her head:
"Meylena, GM of Yggdrasil, Goddess of Chaos and Evil," straightening up, she smiled.
Her words caused bewilderment. The captain paled, his face contorted in shock. The others became alert, catching the words "Goddess," "Chaos," and "Evil." They prepared to attack, but the captain gestured to stop them, surprising his subordinates. Meylena watched with interest. He, swallowing, asked:
"How do you know about Yggdrasil? And what does GM mean?"
Trying to extract more information from her, secretly hoping that she is simply lying, and that it is not what he thinks, but just throwing dust in his eyes, trying to buy time for his attack.
Meylena, her eyes gleaming, giggled:
"Oh, there's a knowledgeable one among you, eh? Yggdrasil is just a game, created with my participation. And GM? They are the ones who maintain order, fix bugs, and manage the world of Yggdrasil."
The captain shouted, his legs trembling:
"Impossible! That's a lie!"
His face contorted in horror, clearly not believing her words, but if it was true, then their affairs would be worse than ever.
The others, seeing his panic, froze in terror. If even their captain is horrified, then how are they supposed to feel? Meylena laughed, her voice echoing through the hall:
"Really? Haven't any residents of Yggdrasil come to you? You call them players, right? In your world, they became gods!"
Her words riveted their attention. The captain narrowed his eyes, tense. Meylena continued:
"Your world itself let the players in. How many were there?" she paused, noticing the whisper of a blonde from the group:
"Could it be… the Six Great Gods, the Greedy Kings, the Thirteen Heroes?"
Meylena clapped her hands:
"Bingo! Now you understand! They are all from my world, and now I'm here!" she whirled around, attracting attention, and stopped. "What are you going to do?"
The captain, gritting his teeth, shouted:
"If that's true, why are you here? What do you want?!"
"Great question, buddy!" Meylena sang, but the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Shadows surrounded her, only rainbow eyes burning orange in the darkness. Everyone flinched, stepping back. She laughed hysterically:
"There's no reason! I'm here to wreak havoc and have fun!"
Her words cut off the conversation. The Black Scripture prepared for battle. The captain, making a swift lunge, pointed the spear at Meylena. In flight, he aimed, but she, smiling, stopped the spear with two fingers.
BAM!
The sound wave reverberated, air currents destroyed walls and objects. The captain, unable to move the spear, stared into Meylena's mischievous eyes. Her gaze, full of amusement, sent shivers down his spine and a growing fear.
***
Covered in sweat, the Black Scripture captain couldn't wrench the spear from Meylena's grip. His attack, to which he had devoted all his strength, had been stopped with two fingers. Looking into her demonic face, he trembled with terror. The remaining members of the group rushed to his aid: the vanguard charged with weapons, support mages began casting buffs and offensive spells. Meylena, showing no fear, with a light smile, snapped off the tip of the spear. The captain's eyes widened, but he immediately felt a sharp pain in his chest. His ribs crunched, his armor crumpled, and he flew backward, crashing into the group. The vanguard dodged, but the blonde caught him, falling onto her back. The captain, coughing up blood, shuddered.
The vanguard, without stopping, rushed towards Meylena, but she disappeared from their field of vision. Their eyes widened in shock. Blows landed on empty space, causing a powerful explosion:
BAM!
The rumble spread, dust and dirt swirled into the air, forcing them to cough. A crater gaped in the place where Meylena had been. They turned and saw her, smirking. Running her finger across her neck, she instilled fear in them. The heads of two warriors separated from their bodies, blood gushing out, splattering the walls. The captain and the others paled, their minds reeling from the speed and ease with which she had killed their comrades.
The captain, wiping blood from his lips, shakily rose. An elderly woman in a silver robe with a golden dragon extended her arms, activating the World Item "Castle and Country Fall" to subdue Meylena's mind. The latter only smirked, leaning against the wall and hugging herself, as if waiting for a show. The dragon pattern on the robe glowed, but suddenly the woman exploded. Blood, entrails, and brains sprayed the group, splattering their faces and clothes. Some, unable to bear it, vomited their lunch, others froze in shock. The captain, wiping blood from his face, stared at the place where only a pool of blood remained.
Meylena lazily examined her nails, removing dirt, and, looking up, smirked:
"What's wrong? You look terrible. Was that your last hope? Weak."
Her words stung them, their teeth grinding in anger. A girl with short, light-brown hair, orange eyes, and purple glasses, in a school uniform with a black hair accessory, screamed:
"What kind of being are you?!"
Meylena laughed maliciously:
"I introduced myself, didn't I? And yet you all resist, it's so cute."
Suddenly, items began to fall to the floor, causing surprise. The captain, seeing them, trembled, recognizing from secret texts legendary World Items capable of turning the world upside down. He mumbled:
"N-no… n-no…"
Meylena, mimicking him, sang:
"Yes, yes!" – and laughed, throwing her head back:
"Hahaha!"
The captain, pale, could have turned gray with horror. World Items, falling like trash, shattered his worldview. Meylena, noticing his panic, playfully asked:
"What's with the face, captain? Do you look at trash like that?"
"T-trash?" he stammered. "T-trash?!"
His voice trembled, his heart ready to stop. Meylena, spreading her hands, added:
"Yes, trash. I create them on a whim, whenever I want."
The Black Scripture, not even knowing the full power of the artifacts, realized that the enemy was incomprehensibly strong. Meylena, purring, continued:
"Don't worry, I'll kill you quickly, I won't make you suffer. You were protecting people, right?" she turned a predatory gaze on the two girls – the blonde and the one with glasses – who flinched and backed away. "I won't kill you. I'll add you to my collection, like that hatter."
Her smile widened. The remnants of the Black Scripture, having lost hope, stood before her, their will to resist already extinguished.
***
Meylena effortlessly dealt with the Black Scripture, adding new "flowers" of this world to her "collection." Mentally rubbing her hands together, she trembled with anticipation, imagining how she would enjoy them in her chambers. Suppressing a laugh, she strode through the empty corridors of the cathedral, where the cries of horror had long since died down. At the end of the path, she came across massive doors, against which leaned a teenage girl. Her heterochromatic eyes – one white, the other black – and hair, half silver, half black, made her appearance mesmerizing. One hand covered her ears under her hair, the other focused on twisting a Rubik's cube.
Noticing Meylena, the girl frowned, meeting her smug smirk. Their gazes locked, and Meylena, breaking the silence first, pulled a flower out of nowhere, its petals reflecting the two-tone color of her hair. With a graceful bow, she introduced herself:
"I am Meylena, Goddess of Chaos and Evil. And who are you, my dear?"
The girl, smiling slightly, replied:
"Antiline Helan Fusche. Nicknamed Certain Death."
Meylena chuckled inwardly:
Ah, Zesshi Zetsumei, finally met? Fufufu!
Aloud, she continued:
"What a beautiful name! But your nickname – End of Death, End of Life – isn't it a bit harsh for such a charming girl? How about Zesshi Zetsumei?"
Antiline, raising her eyebrows in surprise, repeated, savoring the name:
"Zesshi Zetsumei… Sounds good. I like it."
Meylena, clapping her hands, exclaimed:
"Wonderful!"
The atmosphere became warm, almost playful. But suddenly Meylena raised a finger, and a sharp scythe tip appeared at her neck. A sadistic smile lit up Zesshi's face. Meylena, without flinching, purred:
"How impolite to attack, dear. We were chatting so nicely, weren't we?"
The blade disappeared, and Zesshi, straightening up, sang with a playful smirk:
"You withstood my attack? Excellent! So you won't die so easily!"
She lunged at Meylena, brandishing her scythe. Meylena lazily dodged, turning her head as if dancing. Zesshi's strikes, sharp as a knife through butter, destroyed walls and objects, but did not touch their target. Zesshi, with a manic grin, enjoyed the fight, smashing everything around. Meylena, blocking the blows with her fingers, as if filing her nails, examined her nails and muttered:
"You're doing an excellent manicure, dear. I like it."
Zesshi's lips twisted, she frowned, casting a murderous glance. Meylena giggled:
"So serious and gloomy? You need to relax!"
Zesshi, with a playful tone, replied:
"You're right. I'll relax as soon as I let your guts out!"
With a mad gleam in her eyes, she rushed forward. Meylena, spreading her arms as if inviting her, slightly surprised Zesshi. The latter, deciding that her opponent was craving death, put all her strength into a blow to the neck. A sonic boom erupted:
BAM!
The walls of the cathedral collapsed, part of the building caved in, revealing a dark sky with bright stars. Night had come into its own. People below, like ants, ran around, shouting in panic:
"Alarm! Enemy in the cathedral!"
The dust settled, and Zesshi, with a surprised face, looked at her scythe. The blade rested against Meylena's skin, not leaving even a scratch. Meylena, with a mischievous smile, sang:
"What's with the face, Zesshi? You hit, didn't you?"
Meylena touched the blade with her finger, making a metallic sound:
Ting!
Zesshi tried to pull the scythe away, but Meylena held it tightly. With a sharp movement, she pulled the weapon towards herself, catching Zesshi off guard. Not having time to release the handle, Zesshi found herself in Meylena's arms, her face buried in soft, firm breasts. Mentally, she noted their surprising softness, but immediately froze. Meylena, purring in her ear, stroked her hair:
"You're so cute…"
Their idyll was interrupted by warriors in armor, surrounding them with weapons pointed at them. One, with anger and arrogance, shouted:
"Traitor! Demon! Repent of your sins and die in torment!"
A chorus of voices supported:
"Kill the heretic! In the name of the gods!"
Meylena, singing in Zesshi's ear, giggled:
"Are these the ones you protect?"
Zesshi, raising her face, met her gaze. Meylena's face shone with fun, while Zesshi looked up from below, her heterochromatic eyes expressing displeasure. Her smaller height made her feel vulnerable, and that clearly pissed her off.
Zesshi didn't care about the people running around like ants, whose heads, in her opinion, were empty, suitable only for lubricating her scythe. But Meylena, with her carefree smirk, infuriated her. Zesshi longed to cut her down, to erase that smile, but was caught in a death grip. Mentally, she screamed: "Damn, I can't break free!"
For the first time, her attack hadn't left even a scratch, and that shocked her. A rumble and a cloud of dust rose as magical attacks flew towards them, but shattered against a transparent barrier around them. Meylena, noticing Zesshi's gaze, giggled:
"So persistent, aren't they? They decided to interrupt our fun!"
She leaned towards Zesshi's neck, her warm breath touched her skin, causing goosebumps. Zesshi, with widened eyes, fidgeted, but Meylena's grip was iron. Inhaling the fragrance, Meylena sang:
"The scent of lavender… I like it."
Zesshi, burning with anger and embarrassment, exclaimed:
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Her eyelashes fluttered, her face flushed with closeness. Meylena, purring, continued:
"You're so cute. It wasn't for nothing that I came to this dirty place – you, the flower, were worth it."
Zesshi, not understanding this crazy woman, opened her mouth, but was interrupted by Meylena's tongue, which entered her mouth. Zesshi's eyes widened, her mind exploded in shock. Meylena's tongue, like a snake, danced with her tongue, their lips merged in a fierce kiss. Meylena did not let up the pressure, but, noticing Zesshi's choking face, reluctantly broke the kiss. Zesshi, breathing heavily, spat out saliva, coughing. Meylena, with feigned indignation, sang:
"What a waste! Don't spit it out!"
"You…" Zesshi growled, glaring at her angrily.
Meylena frowned, noticing the crowd surrounding them. Annoyed, she sighed and said:
"I'm tired of them. It's time to finish them off." Turning to Zesshi, she mischievously added: "I heard you're ready to be with someone stronger than you, right? Fufufu! Then let me show off!"
Zesshi, shocked, thought: "How does she know?!"
Meylena raised a finger, on which black flame ignited. Zesshi froze. Meylena sang:
"[Breath of the Abyss], 10th-tier magic!"
The black flame rushed into the sky, a deafening roar rang out:
BOOM!
The earth trembled as if an earthquake had begun. The knights fell, unable to keep their balance. Zesshi also collapsed to the ground. One of the warriors, pointing to the sky, shouted:
"Look!"
Clouds gathered in a funnel, the sky was covered with black clouds. It started to rain, but instead of water, black droplets fell, resembling mud. They devoured everything they touched. One knight, hit by a drop, shouted: "Aaa! No!"
His body dissolved, the flesh disappeared with terrifying cruelty. Mass screams filled the air:
"Help! Gods, save us!" and "Forgive us!"
Some prayed, but death did not spare. Blood flooded the earth, heads and limbs separated, painting everything in scarlet.
Meylena, purring, said to Zesshi:
"Watch further, this is just the beginning."
Figures began to form from the black mud: demons resembling centipedes, ants, chimeras with claws, wings, and teeth, studded with blood and human heads. Meylena, laughing, commanded:
"Destroy this country! Devour everything, leave nothing!"
The silence was replaced by the roar of demons:
"Grrraa! Rrr!"
The cries of people – male, female, children – resounded everywhere:
"No, I beg you! Save me!" and "Mom!"
Zesshi, although used to battles and death, shuddered. Even her mad nature could not withstand such cruelty: monsters tore people apart, devouring them, separating the upper and lower parts of bodies.
She flinched when Meylena's hand touched her shoulder. The latter cheerfully asked:
"Well? Did you like the show?"
Zesshi, numb, could not answer. Meylena, touching her face with the back of her hand, continued:
"This is all for you, to show my strength. Do you want another show? I assure you, it will be no less fun."
Zesshi, swallowing, involuntarily nodded, unable to resist. Meylena's smile widened, her eyes lit up with sinister anticipation.