“Um, excuse me, Father…
may I ask what brings you to the floor we guard?”
Mare, his head currently being patted, looked up at Naiyuan with a touch of curiosity.
“Mare, you’re being rude!
Father and the other two Supreme Beings are the rulers of Nazarick.
How can a subordinate be so forward?”
Aura looked at Mare with a hint of anger.
His words were far too presumptuous.
Moreover, by only addressing their father, she worried about how the other two Supreme Beings might perceive them.
She quickly moved to explain.
“It’s quite alright.
Since you are Naiyuan’s children, there is no need for such restraint,” Momonga said calmly.
After a brief period of reflection, Momonga had begun using the superiors from his memories as a template.
He was starting to grasp the expected posture of a so-called ruler.
Perhaps it was due to becoming undead, but he found that his memory and learning capacity had improved significantly.
This gave his originally distressed heart a bit of much-needed comfort.
*Well, for the time being, let’s hold off on destroying anything.*
“Have they already completely centered themselves around Naiyuan?” Momonga thought privately as he observed the two Dark Elves.
Their attitude had undergone a noticeable shift.
Initially, they had treated all the Supreme Beings with equal reverence, but now they were clearly leaning toward Naiyuan’s side.
It seemed the NPCs possessed a high degree of autonomy; even if the guests held the same status, they would still favor the one they loved most.
*Wait, did Naiyuan do that just now specifically to test their autonomy?
I never would have guessed.
This guy actually planned this out long ago.
It seems I’ve been too lax.
I must work harder; I can’t let Naiyuan’s efforts go to waste.*
“Aura, Mare, have you noticed anything strange recently?” Momonga asked the two of them after a moment’s thought.
While the crossover had granted the NPCs sapience, Momonga wanted to see if he could discover any other changes.
“Eh?
Just now?
I didn’t feel anything strange.
We’ve just been patrolling here like usual,” Aura replied, scratching her head and closing her eyes as she thought it over before answering sheepishly.
“I see.”
Momonga’s eyes flickered.
Then, thinking of something else, he addressed the pair.
“Herohero, Naiyuan, and I have come here to discuss some matters.
I have already sent Albedo to notify the other Floor Guardians.
They should be arriving shortly.” He paused.
“Since we still have some time, would you like to try acting as my opponent?”
“A duel?
Against Momonga-sama?”
Aura was stunned.
She immediately began to back away in a panic.
“No, no, that won’t do!
Dueling a Supreme Being…
that would be the height of disrespect!”
Beside her, Mare nodded frantically in agreement.
To them, the Supreme Beings were the most powerful existences in the world.
As beings created by those very Masters, how could they ever dare to raise a hand against them?
“It’s fine.
It’s only a small test.
Surely you wouldn’t refuse my invitation?” Momonga said in a low voice.
His tone carried a weight of will that made refusal seem impossible.
“Well…
if it’s just a test…” Aura glanced at Naiyuan.
Seeing that he showed no signs of objection, she finally bit her lip and nodded.
“Hey, hey, Momonga!
Do you really intend to fight a Guardian?
Isn’t that too risky?
Maybe we should wait,” Herohero shouted anxiously over a Message spell.
It was too reckless.
Herohero felt they should let two Guardians fight each other while they simply observed from the sidelines.
That way, they could gauge the Guardians’ strength without taking risks.
But Momonga charging in like this gave him a real fright.
*Good grief, you’re an undead, do you really have to be like this?*
“Herohero, this is my decision.
And like I said, it’s just a small test.
Don’t be so nervous.
Besides, aren’t you and Naiyuan right here?”
Hearing his friend’s urgent voice, Momonga moved to reassure him.
This was a plan he had reached after careful consideration; he truly wanted to know exactly how strong the Guardians were.
“Alright, you two, stop bickering!”
Hearing the two of them arguing back and forth through the mental link, Naiyuan finally couldn’t help but stop the pointless dispute.
“Naiyuan, help me talk some sense into Momonga.
This is too dangerous when we could use a much safer method.”
“I told you, Herohero, I’ll be fine.”
“How can we know that?
What if an accident happens?”
Momonga was completely on the defensive in this debate.
Herohero continued to plead with him to give up on the duel, but to little effect.
“Herohero, there’s no need to say more.
We both know Momonga’s personality.
Though he might be indecisive at times, once he makes a choice, he won’t back down.
You won’t be able to convince him,” Naiyuan explained patiently.
When Momonga was hesitant, he could be quite flustered, but once he truly committed to something, he would pursue it relentlessly.
Even as a close friend, Naiyuan knew there was no stopping him.
“But…
Fine.
Momonga, Naiyuan and I will be watching closely.
Be careful.”
Herohero wanted to say more, but ultimately relented, offering a cautious warning.
Naiyuan felt a bit sentimental.
He had a rough idea why Herohero was acting this way; it seemed the death of a certain companion in the real world had left a deep mark on him.
Momonga, meanwhile, finally let out a sigh of relief.
He was helpless against a friend’s genuine concern.
While he wasn’t going to change his mind, he didn’t want his relationship with Herohero to become strained.
Fortunately, Naiyuan had stepped in to talk Herohero down before things reached a breaking point.
“Come.”
Momonga let out a breath and walked slowly to the center of the arena, facing Aura.
Aura turned her head to look at Naiyuan.
His warm palm rested on her head, and his voice reached her ears.
“Go ahead.
Consider it my command.
Besides, the chance to spar with a Supreme Being is very rare.
Do your best, Aura.”
Naiyuan encouraged her.
She was timid, so he had to help her set aside her reservations.
“Since it is Father’s command, I will give it my all!”
Aura took a deep breath and immediately leaped into the center of the arena.
“Momonga-sama, I will be going all out.
Please be careful!” Aura said with determination.
Her signature weapon appeared in her hand.
“That is for the best.
Show me the full extent of your power,” Momonga replied.
He reached out a skeletal hand, drawing a staff from the void.
The staff was named [Dragon’s Blessing], a Divine-class weapon he and Naiyuan had obtained by defeating a hidden boss shortly before the servers closed.