Southern Back Streets – Early Morning, 50 Days Later
The first light of dawn spilled across the grimy walls of the southern backstreets, where chaos brewed once more. A horde of lesser demons stirred restlessly—accompanied by five Rank 4s and three Rank 3s.
Dozens of red eyes glinted in the shadows—lesser demons crawling over crumbling walls like insects. Five Rank 4 demons stood in the middle, watching, waiting. Behind them, three Rank 3s exuded power like a storm about to break.
Their attention snapped toward the sound of approaching footsteps.
Two figures emerged from the fog—one young and brimming with fire, the other tall and cold as death.
"Mind if we join too?" Ainz called, a crooked grin dancing across his face.
A Rank 4 demon laughed darkly. "You can… but only as our meal."
"I didn't wake up to be breakfast," Ainz replied, adjusting the gauntlet on his left wrist. His voice was casual, but his eyes were steel.
Without warning, a lesser demon charged him with a screech. Ainz's grin widened.
"Alright, then. Let's start the warm-up."
He whispered the command to OSAI. In the blink of an eye, his rocket boots ignited, launching him forward like a jet-powered bullet. A single slash from his blade—clean, precise—decapitated the demon.
No hesitation.
But that was just the beginning.
The others surged forward. Ainz summoned his personal drone swarm. Bright flashes tore through the alley as drones opened fire with calibrated energy pulses, slicing through the horde. Several demons collapsed in heaps of blackened flesh, but a few were quick and closed the gap.
Ainz twisted midair, landing with a spin. "Too slow," he muttered and launched into a rocket-powered dash, his blade trailing light as he swept through the last of the lesser demons.
Then came a new threat. A massive Rank 4 demon barreled toward him, fist glowing with dark aura.
Ainz didn't move.
The ground shook as the demon's punch thundered forward—only to halt.
Ainz glanced sideways without any fear in his eyes. "Hey Noar. Your turn."
A shadow moved beside him.
Noar stepped forward, calm and silent, his presence like a frozen tide. His eyes—once beastly, now disciplined—locked onto the demon. That alone was enough.
The Rank 4 stopped, trembled… then backed away.
"T-That's… that's Noar," one of them stuttered. "The rebel… the traitor who joined that human… Arsh."
Hearing that name—Ainz's expression changed. His calm snapped into fury.
"You dare say Arsh's name?" he growled. "With your rotting, filthy tongue?"
Demons surrounded him. Ainz leapt into the air, landed on a demon's back, and slashed.
"Too weak."
Blood spattered. Another charged—Ainz flipped backward, slicing with flawless grace. But the horde was tightening. They were getting serious.
Then the beast awoke.
Noar's muscles coiled. With a thunderous roar, he surged forward like a storm given form. His fist met the nearest Rank 4's gut—an explosion of force. The demon crumpled.
Another came. Noar blocked the punch with his forearm and countered with a devastating claw swipe that tore through its torso. It fell, shrieking.
The battlefield became a blur of violence—power meeting power. The Rank 3 demons were next.
But it didn't matter.
Noar fought like the warrior of a forgotten age—vicious, beautiful, and precise. Even the strongest of the three stood no chance. In the end, only one demon remained.
Terrified, the final Rank 3 lashed out blindly.
Noar exhaled slowly.
In the demon's eyes, something shifted—his vision twisted. Reality shattered for a moment.
Then... black.
The world flipped upside down.
The demon's body fell to its knees—headless.
Its last thought: How…?
Ainz whistled in awe. "That last move… you gotta teach me that!"
Noar let out a rare, soft chuckle. "You'd need ten years just to see it coming."
Ainz pouted, tossing his sword onto his shoulder. "Tch. At this rate, I'll still be stuck a lesser demons forever."
"You're doing fine," Noar said, his tone more encouraging than usual. "Your coordination with OSAI's drones was precise. You're adapting quickly."
Ainz looked down at his hands. They trembled—just a little. "Yeah… but Rank 4 still feels like a mountain. I have to climb faster."
Noar nodded. "Then keep climbing. You're already higher than you were yesterday."
Ainz cracked a grin. "Thanks. Alright, let's head back. I'm starving."
Safe House – Morning
The door creaked open.
"We're back!" Ainz called out, stretching his arms dramatically. "Hey Arsh you should see how wiped out a whole small demon army!"
From the kitchen, the smell of seasoned meat and spiced vegetables wafted through the air. Arsh stood at the stove, calm, focused, flipping pancakes.
Noar entered behind Ainz and gave a bow. "We've returned, my lord."
"You should at least bow. He's still your master," Noar muttered under his breath.
Ainz ignored him as Arsh placed breakfast on the table.
"Sit and Eat" Arsh said simply, sitting beside them.
Ainz took one bite and melted into his seat. "Daaamn. After a demon brawl, your cooking is divine."
Arsh smiled faintly. "So what you guys find."
Noar nodded. "Nothing like surprises. Standard demon group. But their strength is climbing."
"In what way?"
"Before, groups rarely had even one Rank 3. Now every patrol has at least one, and more Rank 4s too."
Arsh set down his fork. "Two possibilities: either they're getting cautious because their operations keep failing, or…"
He looked up, eyes narrowing.
"…they're testing us. Seeing how much heat we can take."
Ainz swallowed, his face serious now. "So they're planning something big?"
"Maybe. But either way—it means they see us as a threat. And that's a good thing."
Arsh stood. "Let them come. We'll be ready. And if they slip… we make sure it's their last mistake."
Ainz slammed a fist into his palm. "Yeah! Leave the weaker ones to me—I'll crush them all!"
"Stop yelling. And stop spraying food while you do," Noar grunted.
"And you stink," Arsh added. "Go bathe. College, remember?"
Later – College Grounds
As students buzzed around the morning classes, Ainz caught up to Arsh. "Hey, I've got a basketball martial match with another college team today. You coming?"
"I've got paperwork," Arsh said, glancing at the files in his hand. "But I'll try. Best of luck."
Ainz gave him a thumbs-up and sprinted off.
Meanwhile, Arsh made his way to the Council Office. As he entered, everyone stood instantly.
"Good morning, Vice President Azura!"
"Good morning," he replied with a calm nod.
In the president's office, Arsh placed a thick bundle of documents on Eran's desk.
"All sorted. Student complaints. Last month's unresolved reports. These are the outgoing mails—one for the headmaster, one for the board."
Eran blinked, clearly impressed. "Azura, how are you… still a normal student?"
Eran laughed, shaking his head. "Well, we've got a situation. The Summer Festival prep and I've to go to the internship training, So we needs a leader . I'd like you to handle it."
Arsh paused.
"I'll help, but I can't be the face of it. I'm part of the Stars too, and students might see that as bias."
Eran nodded. "Fair. I'll manage the rankings and votes. You handle logistics."
"Done. I'll draft a team and send you the budget."
"Perfect."
Classroom – Late Morning
Arsh entered quietly and made his way to the back bench. Luna was there—napping.
He smiled faintly and sat beside her. After a few minutes, she stirred and opened her eyes, blinking.
"Morning," she whispered with a yawn.
"Morning," Arsh replied.
Later, as they walked through the corridor,. "So… Vice President and Handsome Programmer of the Stars, huh?"
"These titles are exhausting," Arsh muttered.
Luna grinned. "You've become super popular. Everyone greets you now like you're royalty."
"And yet, you still eat lunch with me."
"I like that," he said, blushing lightly.
"But if you keep doing it, the rumors will get louder." Luna said.
"I don't mind. I still owe you. And besides… I enjoy your company."
"So, what's your Author's Club doing for Summer Camp?"
"We're still the slowpokes of the school," she said. "Same old story exhibition."
"Tell me about the Summer Festival from your view." Arsh asked
Luna's face lit up. "It's huge. Four days long. Day one is all speeches, from teachers, council heads, celebrities—mostly boring."
"Day two is game day. Clubs compete and win games for points."
"Day three: each club presents their year's work. and get the points according to their works."
"Day four: the Festival. Food stalls, contests, entertainment. Awards are given to the clubs with the most points."
"What are the Awards?" Arsh asked.
"Badges, trophies, a year of free library access, and VIP privileges."
"Interesting," Arsh said. "That helps a lot."
"Helps with what?" she asked.
"Oh, Didn't I tell you, I'm in charge of this year's Summer Festival."
Luna blinked. "What? That's usually the President's job!"
"He asked nicely and said he have something else to do. So I said yes."
Students nearby started whispering in surprise. Luna leaned closer, her expression serious.
"This is a huge deal. You've never even seen a full festival before. And now… everything's riding on you."
Arsh looked up at the sky, watching clouds drift lazily across it.
"So that's what Eran meant when he said… 'I'm asking too much.'"