TOS- Vol 2, Pt 1, Ch 1

The Overlord Saga

Vol II. Versus

Part I - The Scythe

"Eyes as cold as ice
Chilling to the bone
A servant to sin and vice
Whose sly tactics he longs to hone
Each word a lie on his breath
Promises are empty in his mind
Just an inch away from untimely death
He certainly is one of a kind

Eyes as hot as fire
Smoldering, thriving rage
Burning, everlasting desire
But she is a bird in a cage
Longing to be set free
Revenge is just so captivating
Every fire, ember, and ash longs to be
Something more, but always failing."

Chapter 1: Rent

3 Days Previously-


The Overlord was on top of the world. One could say that the victory over the Uberlord had gotten to her head, but that was only one of many things that contributed to the Overlord's amazing mood. For one, the money obtained from what was now referred to as the Second Epic Battle was enough to fund several new things in the Fortress, the first of these things being a legit meeting room. Granted, the Overlord's office was still being used, but the meeting room had the fancy new, somewhat futuristic gleam to it, which contrasted greatly to the rest of the Fortress. Its glass doors were bulletproof, and the long table in its center was enough to fit every member of the Overlord's council, which had grown as of late. More Underlings had been harvested from the sickening world of Life and the Overlord realized that after the last census from the Advisor, her troops had doubled since the fall of the Uberlord. More housing had been provided, though, that didn't stop the complaints from a few of the more unruly Underlings (namely Sexist and Tinkerbell). More weapons had been acquired, particularly explosives (much to the Captain and the Lieutenant's pleasure), though the Overlord had been certain to buy a few more katanas for the ninjas.

The Ninja-Lord had been given two captains to help her fulfill her duties. They were second-in-commands of the ninjas, the younger boy one called Shinobi, and a wiser, more calm girl one called Kunoichi. The Overlord had selected them and had specifically had them trained at Tamashii to improve their skills. She found that the ninjas were quite useful, especially since the fall of the Uberlord. While all had been well, it had not been perfect, and a few of the Uberlord's menacing minions still lurked about the Fortress. Every now and then, horrified screams of an Underling finding an ambush of Ninja Mosquitoes would send everyone in a panic. The Ninja-Lord was charged with uncovering the rest of the pests, and was predicted to have them all hunted down in the next two weeks.

The Soul-Keeper had been given Christine Daaé's soul for the Dungeon, and the Overlord admittingly hadn't seen him for extended periods of time. The Apprentice was often kicked out of the Dungeon, much to her displeasure, and the Overlord heard the occasional operatic note (at least, that's what she thought it was) originating from the Dungeon while the Soul-Keeper and Christine were alone. She didn't have the nerve or the guts to find out what it actually was.

Jamie had gone back to pirating, and the Overlord received a postcard every once in awhile. The Twin had forged her own faction somewhere beyond where even the Room of Wises was, though had written a letter to the Overlord explaining alliances with the Underling Army. The Overlord had written back the previous day, hoping to seal the contract with the Twin in four days. The Grasshopper had been staying with the Overlord for the past three weeks, still getting accustomed to the life of an Overlord-in-training. Still, the Overlord had to admit, her apprentice was getting better at fighting. The magic was still a little iffy, but the Overlord knew that the Grasshopper could beat almost any foe with a katana. She felt a surge of pride, pleased with her trainee.

The Overlord and the Insurgent Leader had postponed their fight after the Insurgent Leader's sword had broken. Being understanding of nature (psh, yeah right), the Overlord had allowed the Insurgent Leader time to reforge Muramasa into a stronger sword. Strangely enough, she hadn't heard a peep from the Insurgent Leader since then, and the Overlord knew that he'd have fixed his 'stupid sword' by now. To top off the weirdness factor, Sexist and Tinkerbell had begun being considerably nice, almost to the point of promotion, though the Overlord was still thinking of a title that would fit Sexist better than his current one. She concluded that was impossible.

The Sabotage Team had been formed shortly after the Uberlord's downfall. Belarus had been placed in charge of the team, her reputation of being completely destructive earning her the spot of Lead Saboteur. China, Prussia, and Russia all were her subordinates, though, the Overlord was still having a hard time calling them by their new titles of Saboteur rather than Underling.

A slam as the door swung open caused the Overlord to jump, staring wide-eyed as the Soul-Keeper almost knocked over a very expensive looking urn. As he caught the urn, he gave the Overlord an apologetic glance. She dipped her head in silent forgiveness, then rose, stretching and offering a very informal yawn, "What's crack-a-lacking, home dog?"

"Errr... Christine's well," the Soul-Keeper stammered, replacing the urn and blushing ever so slightly in his face. "Oh! Uhhhh... uhhhh... I needed to talk to you about something!"

"Shoot," the Overlord suggested.

"Shoot?" the Soul-Keeper quirked an eyebrow.

"What's up?" the Overlord explained, shaking her head.

"There's a big scary guy at the door," the Soul-Keeper explained, "He says he's looking for Gabriel. Now... I know you said not to say anything about the fact that he's still... y'know... in the Dungeon..."

The Overlord wasn't listening. 'Oh God. It's the Tooth Fairy. They sent her after al,.' She thought, casting a glance at her scythe hanging above the fireplace. Taking it from where it sat limp on the mantle, she ran her fingers over the enchanted blade on its end. 'If that's what God can come up with to take me down... He'll have to use force...' As the Soul-Keeper continued rattling on, the Overlord nodded her head occasionally, but was still, truthfully, lost in thought. When she realized the Soul-Keeper had stopped and was staring at her, the Overlord turned quickly to face him.

"The Tooth Fairy?" the Overlord asked seriously.

"What!?" the Soul-Keeper asked, "He's not the Tooth Fairy!"

"He?" the Overlord asked in confusion.

"Yes. The guy at the door," the Soul-Keeper explained in annoyance, "He wants to talk to you."

"You're coming with me. Just in case."

"In case what?"

"I get raped."

"That's nonsense. No one can rape the Overlord."

"God can."

"GOD CAN?"

"Don't question it," the Overlord explained firmly, extending her hand. As the Soul-Keeper took her hand, the two warped, appearing behind a lone figure standing at the gates to the outer wall. The Overlord noted how incredibly tall the armored man was, bearing a long swirling cape that almost seemed ominous. His armor was black and gold in color, glistening maliciously in the sunlight. She noted the large machete at his side, the blade sheathed against his hip. The Overlord cleared her throat to announce her presence.

The figure turned, his helmet concealing his eyes and most of his face. His voice, airy and very passive, did not match the intimidating, armored soldier that stood before the Overlord, "Are you the keeper of this Fortress?" There was some chilling factor about his tone that made the Overlord uneasy, but she figured it was her imagination. The air seemed to grow colder and more tense, a definite sign that something was amiss. But she thought nothing of it.

"You're not the Tooth Fairy," the Overlord observed, walking a circle around the armored man. The Soul-Keeper stood at attention, watching the stranger from beyond his mask.

"The Tooth Fairy? No... I am not the Tooth Fairy," the armored man chuckled lightly.

"Why are you here? Who are you?" the Overlord demanded, eyes narrowing as she cast a gander at his weapon.

He held up his hands innocently. "You may call me... N. I am a representative from Heaven. I am looking for Archangel Gabriel. Is he here?"

"No," the Overlord said shortly.

"Then I was asked to carry out his task for him," N said politely, folding his arms and gazing down upon the Overlord. She could barely see the glisten of his eyes, icy colored and very wintery. The Overlord tore her gaze away, some fear sinking into her chest. His eyes seemed so devoid of emotion- empty and callous. N continued with a cackle on his breath, "You were told that you had two weeks to give a rent to God. That rent has been due for over a month. Do you have the 200 souls, Overlord?"

'So they sent a substitute for Gabriel? What's this guy gonna do, force me out of my home?' the Overlord scoffed. God was going to have to try something better than this to sway her. He wasn't going to be very pleased with what was going to happen, but the Overlord was no pushover either. "God isn't getting his rent," the Overlord said flatly, "He can forget it."

"You have three days. I will remain here if you change your mind. Upon the sunset of the third day, I will unleash His wrath upon this place. And you will regret your decision," N said calmly.

"You'll stay? Are you sure about that?" the Soul-Keeper challenged.

"No, no, let him. After all... He's a guest of honor. A guest from God," the Overlord threw back her head and laughed. 'He'll stay... And within a night, he will see our numbers and know that he has no chance against us,' the Overlord thought smugly, casting a sly glance at the Soul-Keeper. Returning her gaze at N, she said, "I'll have the gates opened for you shortly. Then Underling Tinkerbell will show you to your room."

"Thank you," N's lip curled into a smile as the Overlord and the Soul-Keeper warped back to the Overlord's office.

The Overlord put her scythe up onto the mantle and laughed to herself, "Oh this is gonna be fun." Looking down at where Nard was sitting in the Overlord's chair, she grinned and picked him up. Planting a large kiss onto Nard's head, she hugged him close, then plopped him down on the chair once more. "That guy is a sucker, Soul-Keeper. He's all alone. He can't hope to take us all on."

"So... You're really not going to pay rent?" the Soul-Keeper asked, raising an eyebrow, "Are you sure this is a good-"

"After that fight with the Uberlord? Man, nothing can bring me down now!" the Overlord laughed, "Especially not a stiff like him." She picked up a remote to her large surround-sound stereo and pushed the play button. Immediately, a song began playing, starting off with a rushed drum beat and breaking out with an electric guitar. The Soul-Keeper's eyes lit up and he began singing.

"How do you document real life when real life's getting more like fiction each day?
Headline, breadlines blow my mind and now this deadline-
Eviction or paaaaaaayyyyy rent!"

The Overlord laughed and chimed in.

"How do you write a song when the chords sound wrong,
Though they once sounded right and rare?
When the notes are sour, where is the power
You once had to ignite the air?"

"And we're hungry and frozen!"

"Some life that we've chosen!"

And at the same time:

"How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? LAST YEAR'S REEEEEENNNNNNT!"

The Soul-Keeper flung open the door and shouted down the stairs at the working Underlings, "WE LIGHT CANDLES!" The Overlord laughed and led the Soul-Keeper down the stairs, blaring the stereo even louder. She slid down the railing and began:

"How do you start a fire when there's nothing to burn and it
Feels like something's stuck in your flue?"

"How can you generate heat when you can't feel your feet and they're turning blue?
You light up a mean blaze!"

"With posters!"

"And screenplays!"

The Underlings not in on the joke were, by now, thoroughly confused. The Animal Tamer and the Advisor could be seen talking by the throne, though both had stopped and were staring at the Soul-Keeper and the Overlord as they dramatically waltzed into the middle of the room. Sexist promptly facepalmed.

"HOW WE GONNA PAY?
HOW WE GONNA PAY?
HOW WE GONNA PAY
LAST YEAR'S RENT?"

"Overlord... What's going on?" the Ninja-Lord asked quietly, staring at the two as they sang rather loudly. She drew back as the Soul-Keeper beckoned her with a hand. The Overlord shoved the Soul-Keeper roughly away, laughing at him, then declaring:

"SING WITH US!"

"What?" Sexist asked, raising an eyebrow. Without explanation, the Soul-Keeper and the Overlord turned to face each other and began singing.

"HOW WE GONNA PAY?
HOW WE GONNA PAY?
HOW WE GONNA PAY
LAST YEAR'S RENT?"

The Soul-Keeper dashed up to the top of the stairs once more as the Underlings began pouring out of the rooms to watch. He lifted his staff up and declared as an orb of fire magic encircled him, "The music ignites the night with PASSIONATE fire."

"Colby, that's WEIRD!" the Advisor yelled.

"The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit!" the Overlord called back.

"You both are really weird!" the Advisor declared.

The Soul-Keeper pointed his staff outward and the fire shot out, hitting nothing but emitting a large heat wave, "Zoom in as they burn the past to the ground-"

"And feel the heat of the future's glow!" The Overlord joined him at the top of the stairs. Glancing down at the excited Underlings, she caught Sexist's irritated gaze and flashed him a rather satisfied smile. He didn't return the gesture. As she lifted her hand, she began singing, the willing Underlings joining her in song, "How do you leave the past behind when it keeps finding ways to get to your heart? It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out, 'til you're torn apart- RENT! How can you connect in an age where strangers, landlords, lovers, you're own blood cells betrayed! What binds the fabric together when the raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away!"

"Draw a line in the sand, and then make a stand!" the Theurgist called to the Overlord and the Soul-Keeper.

"Use your magic to spar!" the Overlord called to the Soul-Keeper.

"Use your... guitar?" the Soul-Keeper replied awkwardly.

And the rest of the company continued, "When they act tough, you call their bluff! We're not gonna pay... We're not gonna pay... We're not gonna pay... LAST YEAR'S RENT! THIS YEAR'S RENT! NEXT YEAR'S RENT! RENT, RENT, RENT, RENT, RENT! WE'RE NOT GONNA PAY RENT!" The Soul-Keeper and the Overlord jumped onto the bottom of the stairs, finishing the grand song, " 'Cause everything is... RENNNNNNNNT!" As the Overlord glanced up, she saw N standing in the doorway, leaning over and clapping. She grinned at him, then straightened up. As she clapped the Soul-Keeper on the back, the Overlord began back toward her office, enjoying the brief musical number.

"Uhhh... So... Anyone know what that was about?" the Evocator asked awkwardly.

TOS- Vol 2, Prologue

The Overlord Saga

Vol II. Versus

Prologue

For the first time in her life, she didn’t understand what was happening around her. Ice had flooded the interior of the castle, the temperature dropping by the second. She felt as if her lungs would freeze if she breathed, and so, she held her breath. The weight and pressure of her wounds made it hard to move down the hall, her boots slipping on the ice that covered the floor of the corridor, tinted with blue but transparent. She could see the stones and the carpet she knew so well beyond the layer of ice. But the Fortress seemed different, altered, and an enemy to her. She felt its walls closing in, consuming and trapping her as she moved. But to be fair, she figured this was all a mental game. She figured that this was a nightmare, one she had to wake up from eventually, right?

The sounds of screams and pitiful cries rang in her ears, her heart a war drum and her feet echoes in the back of her mind. Slipping on the ice and catching herself on the walls, she almost dragged down Van Gogh’s Starry Night as she steadied herself. She turned the corner, hand reaching up and wiping a trail of blood away from her forehead. She would not fall here. She promised herself that much, and the will to not break a vow compelled her to only sprint faster across the frictionless ice. She found notches where the stone remained untouched by the ice and used those spots to propel herself forward, sliding on the ice. Small splotches of blood were left with each step, her hands covered and her side maimed. She kept one hand on the gaping wound, the other touching the walls to balance herself.

As she came into the throne room, she looked up at all of the columns holding the ceiling up, grimacing at the spirals of ice that wrapped themselves around the pillars. This Fortress was not the one she knew- it was alienated, mutilated, and different. That was what seemed so disturbing... How it could all be the same and how it could all be so different. She proceeded forward a step as a figure materialized in the center of the room, darkness lapping gently at his steel boots. His helmet shielded his eyes from view, but they still glittered as the torchlight reflected from the ice structures. The scythe in his hand was crimson with blood, the markings embedded in its handle ablaze in an unfamiliar blue light. She didn’t understand these runes that littered the weapon she had once wielded... The weapon that seemed like a traitor now.

“You...” she gasped, extending her hand forward. As she attempted to summon her scythe back into her grasp, she found herself striving for the energy she didn’t have. The magic she no longer possessed. In anger, in grief, she lowered her hand, the malice in her eyes glowing in the light, “Nemesis!”

“Your reign is over, Overlord” His voice was airy, his words light yet sinister. His tone was laced with traces of triumph, but he did not speak loudly. The Nemesis merely shouldered the scythe, allowing a few crimson droplets to stain his dark armor, “And your soul... Is forfeit.”

“What did you do with him!?” the Overlord demanded. ‘I can’t die...’ She promised herself, ‘If I do... It’ll all be in vain. His death will be for nothing.’ The Overlord cast a fleeting glance at the door and began moving slowly towards it, keeping a hand on the gash in her side.

“Your little friend killed himself tragically. Don’t you remember? He killed himself... For you. Do you take joy in that, Overlord? Seeing your supposed friends dying just for your own benefit? Only... His sacrifice was in vain. Because here, Overlord, here you will fall,” The Nemesis said softly, “Your soul is mine.”

"You forget, Nemesis... I have no soul," the Overlord said scornfully, "I cannot perish. It comes with the whole 'Overlord' job."

"Are you certain of this?" the Nemesis quirked a devilish eyebrow, lips slowly, subtly, and yet chillingly working themselves into a coy smile. Scythe in one hand, he lifted the other to summon an orb of light blue frost magic. Crushing the sphere with a gloved hand, the Nemesis' low chuckle swept through the throne room as some frosted wind. Tendrils of magic shot down the scythe, embedding it with a ice charm. As it pulsed and glowed strangely, the Overlord drew back.

"If you're immortal... Then what have you to fear?" the Nemesis challenged the Overlord.

"Heh... Not you!" the Overlord snapped back and charged forward. Her hand, covered in blood, moved from her wound and she jumped into the air, grabbing the handle of the scythe with one hand. The Nemesis swung simultaneously and the blade came dangerously close to striking her. She tried to pull the scythe away but found that the coldness of the weapon was painful to touch. Drawing her hand away, she winced, her fingers halfway to the shade of blue.

She ducked as the scythe zipped over her head, smashing into an ice pillar. As shards flew everywhere, the Overlord attempted to tackle the Nemesis, but found herself merely shoving against his breastplate. He grabbed her with a hand and tossed her into the air, leaping upward himself. As he struck her twice with her own scythe, he cackled, thoroughly enjoying the use of her own technique against her. The Overlord hit the ground on her back, gasping as she gazed upward at the ceiling. The Nemesis, not missing a beat, drove the scythe directly into the Overlord's stomach, pulling her upward in a scooping motion and then tossing her at a pillar. She crumpled to the floor, defenseless and feeling her consciousness wavering. The Nemesis merely walked over to her, grabbing her by the neck. As she cried out in horror, he lifted her into the air. His eyes, glowing with cerulean malice, met hers for a brief moment, and he slammed her promptly into the ground again.

"You will bow before me," he laughed as one of her hands tried to pry his icy fingers from her neck. The Nemesis pinned her against a column supporting the roof of the Fortress, and continued, "You will worship me." As he slid her up a half foot against the pillar, he slammed the blade of the scythe into the already gaping stomach wound, pinning the Overlord to the stone. "And you will serve me."

The Overlord felt something emerging from her chest, involuntarily seeping through her skin. She gasped for air, feeling a small cascade of blood flow down the right side of her face. As she tried to pull the scythe from her, she saw the tendrils of golden light reach from her heart, as if answering the scythe's silent call. In pure horror, the Overlord's hands moved to grab the light trying to escape her. The Nemesis extended his hand forward to welcome the light- the Overlord's soul- into his grasp. The Overlord shielded her wavering soul with both hands, looking up in silent terror.

'I can die.'

'I have a soul.'

'I can die.'

'I didn't think I had a soul.'

'I'm dying right now...'

'No... He's stealing my soul!'

'I'm going to die!'

As the Nemesis reached forth and tried to move her hands from her soul, the Overlord felt a sudden surge of energy. Grabbing her soul with one hand and the Nemesis' face with the other, she shoved her enemy back. Not caring if the scythe was charmed or not, she pulled it from her, letting it clatter to the ground. As the Overlord's feet hit the ground, she stumbled, sinking to one knee. The Nemesis grabbed the scythe and moved to swing it at her. The Overlord shot forward, not knowing where she was heading. Promptly shoving her soul roughly into her chest, she made a sprint for the window. Using a fallen portion of column to boost her forward, the Overlord struck the stained glass window with such a force that it made an ear-splitting crack, shattering entirely and flying everywhere. The Nemesis groaned, shielding himself with a hand. The Overlord fell onto the ground, her broken form creating a large blood smear on the sidewalk. Out of adrenaline, she picked herself up, grabbing her stomach wound and sprinting toward the opened main gates. As they began to creak shut, the Overlord made a second painful jump, passing through the gates and rolling a few times onto the cracked, dusty ground.

She closed her eyes, laying on the other side of the gate for a moment. As her heart raced, the Overlord shuddered and breathed deeply, ignoring the bits of sand grains stuck to her face. Gradually, her eyes opened, gazing blankly at the red sky. Lifting her head from the ground, she clutched her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding with her bare hands. She sat up, stifling a cry and rolling up onto her feet. Rising, she felt a sharp pain in her knee and almost fell over again, her eyes stinging with bitter, harsh tears. The shadow of the walls still looming over her, she cast a glance back, knowing that the soldiers would be coming for her any moment now. She had to run.

The Overlord forced herself forward, in a slow, shameful walk, but moving nonetheless. She loathed this feeble feeling, her knees shaking with each step and her blood staining the sand. 'How am I still alive?' she wondered, not looking at her large wounds. She knew she had to focus on making it to the escape route, where she would meet up with the others. They could take care of her from then on... She knew they could. It was a matter of getting to the escape route- just a matter of surviving the blazing heat. But still, as the bleeding, defeated Overlord walked, the heavier each step felt. She felt her essence fading, her energy depleted.

Slowly, the Fortress faded until it was merely a landmark against the darkening skies. But the haunting thought lingered in the Overlord's head, plaguing her as she realized what was happening- the inevitability of what was to come scaring even her.

'I'm dying...'

TOS- Vol 1, Epilogue

The Overlord Saga

Vol I. Past, Present, Future

Epilogue: Predecessors and Successors

The Overlord turned around, blocking the blow with her katana. She quickly lashed out with a foot, catching her opponent in the back of the knee and causing her to fall. The Overlord sighed, tilting her head to the side and sheathing the katana. Bending down and offering a hand to the blonde girl, she raised an eyebrow, “Wanna try it again, Grasshopper?”

“I’ll never be as good of a fighter as you,” the Grasshopper sighed but took the Overlord’s hand anyways. As the Overlord pulled her to her feet, the Grasshopper dusted blades of grass and leaves from her pants, disdainfully eying a grass stain, “When will I be able to move into the Fortress with you?”

“I was thinking today, actually. It’s time you got away from this place,” the Overlord cast a glance around the clearing, feeling extremely at peace. It had been two weeks since she had fought the Uberlord and was feeling like her old energetic self again. She drew her katana and held it out at the Grasshopper, flashing her a smile, “After all, you’re twelve now, aren’t you?”

“Am I really going to be an Overlord like you?” the Grasshopper inquired, taking her own katana and crossing the Overlord’s blade.

“Someday,” the Overlord replied, “Someday... You’ll do things that you never thought you’d do. You’ll be greater. Stronger. You’ll be wiser than most other humans. You’ll be able to reap souls with the flick of your wrist. You’ll be great, Grasshopper.”

“Just like you?” the Grasshopper asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Yeah... Just like me,” the Overlord’s lip curled in a devilish smile and she struck out at the Grasshopper, the two katanas clashing together. As sparks flew from both blades, the Overlord spun around, twirling the sword over her head. Much to her own surprise, the Grasshopper blocked the strike, and went in for a blow at the Overlord’s knee. The Overlord knocked the blade away, her heart racing as she glanced up at the Grasshopper. ‘So much like me’, the Overlord said to herself, extremely thoughtful.

---

END VOLUME 1 OF THE OVERLORD SAGA: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

TOS- Vol 1, Pt 3, Ch 26

The Overlord Saga

Vol I. Past, Present, Future

Chapter 26: The Final Confrontation
(Part 4)

RUSSIA AND CO., CANNONS ON THE WALLTOP-

The interior of the wall contained approximately twenty cannons on each side. China had already begun giddily getting her weapon ready, heaving a cannonball into place. Belarus was certain to be the one in charge, confidently striding up and down the hallway.

“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” the Animal Tamer’s Pet confessed as she took the cannon’s steering wheel into her hands, “I’m not sure this is a good idea...”

“What if we accidentally... you know... kill someone?” Prussia inquired, fitting a cannonball into her cannon.

“Aim for the revenants. If someone dies, it’s their own fault,” Belarus suggested with the shrug of her shoulders. Everyone knew better than to argue.

----


THE TWIN AND THE REST OF THE ARMY, CRACKED PLAINS-


“They’ve taken the gates apart,” the Ninja-Lord observed, glancing up as the Apprentice finished off the last revenant, “And that means he’s out of zombies to discard. What now?” As she spoke the words, she noted how the air seemed to alter, the clouds swirling as they neared the Fortress. In the eye of the vortex, a single beam of light shone down, illuminating a lone figure that levitated in the air.

“The Uberlord,” the Twin gasped, “He’s summoning the Zilant!”

“Oh boy, he must be desperate,” the Captain remarked, shouldering a bazooka, “What now, Twin?”

“Wait...” the Ninja-Lord warned, “Something doesn’t feel right...” The wind picked up, tossing her red hair back. She squinted as the fields between where they were and the Fortress seemed to come alive with dark magic. Pouring out from portals, the figures of eerie, reptilian monsters emerged with fangs bared and claws at the ready. They towered at about ten feet tall apiece, their body sectioned similar to insects, but their facial features reminiscent of a lizard. Their large eyes glared almost lifelessly at the army.

“What are those?” the Lieutenant asked, striving to keep his voice calm.

“I remember...” the Advisor replied, “They’re the Uberlord’s final line of defense. And they’re not pushovers, either.”

“So... Great, now what?” the Animal Tamer asked, staff in hand, “Do we kill these guys and make a break for the gate?”

“There’s too many of them. They’ll overpower us in an instant,” the Twin placed an arrow at the end of her bow and said, “It’s not about winning. It’s about staying alive. Hold out until the Uberlord has fallen, go!” She yelled, releasing the arrow at the first monster. As it screamed when the arrow pierced its left eye, the Twin covered an ear, gritting her teeth. ‘Hurry up, Overlord... We don’t have all day!’ she thought in a panic.


----


JAMIE AND CO., INSIDE THE FORTRESS-



The Soul-Keeper struck one of the reptilian monsters in the face with his staff, mercilessly stomping on its wrist as it screamed in pain. Sexist rushed over and promptly smashed it twice with his flails, breathing heavily as the beast stilled itself. He glanced at the Soul-Keeper, then looked over at where Jamie had climbed up onto the railing of the stairs. Pulling out a throwing knife, she aimed it at the rope holding the chandelier. Sexist heard the Soul-Keeper draw in a deep breath of air, staring upward in awe. Jamie threw the knife, hitting the rope and causing the chandelier to plummet to the ground.

“DUNNNNNNNNN!” the Soul-Keeper began singing a very dramatic, eerie sounding song... although, it might’ve had more effect of it had been in the correct key, “DUN NUN NUNNNA NUNNNNNN... DUNANANANAAAAAAAAAA DUNANANA NUNNNNNN!”

“What are you doing?” the Master of Tazers shot the Soul-Keeper a bizarre glance.

“IN SLEEP, HE SANG TO MEEEEE! IN DREAMS, HE CAME... THAT VOICE WHICH CALLS TO ME... AND SPEAKS MY NAME... AND DO I DREAM AGAIN? FOR NOW I FINNNNNDDDD... THE PHAAAAAAAAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS THERE.... INSIDE MY MIND...” the Soul-Keeper sang raucously.

“Good God, Colby... Cut it out!” Jamie slid down the railing, then landed nimbly on the ground, dusting herself off and glancing toward the doors, “There’s bound to be a few more of those in the courtyard. Let’s take ‘em out!”

“They better not mess up the flowers... They’re pretty...” the Master of Tazers added as the group exited the Fortress.


----


THE OVERLORD AND THE INSURGENT LEADER, ROOFTOP-


The Insurgent Leader craned his neck back as far as it’d go, looking at the Uberlord as he continued the summoning process. The Overlord drew her scythe and looked at the Insurgent Leader meaningfully, though, she mostly did this for amazing dramatic effect (like in the movies). Offering a hand, the Overlord said, “We’re in this together, Thomas.”

“Emily, this time... You better let me take all the shots,” the Insurgent Leader replied, “You’ve stolen the stage long enough.” He took her hand cautiously, feeling more than slightly awkward as he did.

“Hey... It’s my saga after all,” the Overlord commented and sent a flare of magic down her arm. She tossed the Insurgent Leader into the air, watching as he soared upward at the Uberlord. Crouching down, the Overlord closed her eyes, forcing all of the pressure and weight into the soles of her feet. As she leapt up into the sky, she held the scythe back and down, obtaining more speed.

The Uberlord’s eyes snapped open, glaring down at the two fighters. Muttering a low string of curses, he lifted his arm, watching as a cluster of symbols appeared on his body. He gasped for air as his entire body began to shake, an odd golden light flying from his chest. As it circled around, it increased in size, gradually taking the form of the Zilant. Around the Uberlord’s unprotected body, a crystal formed, keeping it from harm.

“So... I guess this is it,” the Overlord whispered, twisting in the air and rolling over to glare down at where the Zilant had landed on the tower. She flattened herself as the Zilant shot forth, venomous fangs bared. The Insurgent Leader landed on its back suddenly, dragging Muramasa down its torso. The Overlord landed on the tip of the Zilant’s nose moments later, bouncing up and flipping in midair. She grabbed a hold of the Zilant’s spikes, her scythe in the other hand. She dug the scythe into the Zilant’s flesh, keeping a firm grip as it barrel-rolled to rid itself of the two fighters.

The Insurgent Leader made his way toward the Zilant’s wings, reaching back with Muramasa. In a flash, the blade had slit the monster’s wing, the Zilant’s flying becoming suddenly very unsteady. As the Overlord ripped a wound into the Zilant’s leg, she lost her balance and began plummeting toward the roof. The Insurgent Leader jumped after her, leaving the Zilant as it began spiraling toward the ground as well. The Overlord hit the ground with a stagger, the Insurgent Leader landing a few seconds later. The Zilant crashed into the roof, stirring but not picking itself up.

“Is it over?” the Insurgent Leader asked, then began to walk toward the Zilant. The Overlord held him back with a hand as the monster’s head lashed out at the two, missing the Insurgent Leader by inches. The Insurgent Leader nodded gratefully to the Overlord and held up his sword. The Overlord smirked and held up her scythe. As the Zilant began to pick itself up, the Overlord made a dash to the left and the Insurgent Leader, to the right. As the Overlord came in for the first blow, the Zilant turn its attention to her, neglecting the Insurgent Leader as circled around the Zilant.

Ducking under the fangs, the Overlord’s scythe embedded itself into the Zilant’s mouth, prying the jaws open. She grimaced at its foul breath, clutching onto the handle of the staff as the Zilant thrashed about. As the Insurgent Leader quickly climbed the flying serpent’s back, the Zilant tossed both the Overlord and her scythe into the air, jaws parting to catch them both and devour the Overlord. The Overlord twisted around in midair, catching the scythe and sending it flying down. The Insurgent Leader lifted his sword simultaneously, impaling the Zilant through the head. The scythe stabbed between its eyes, causing the Zilant to shriek.

As the serpent faded, the Overlord landed on the ground, scythe laying a few feet away. The Insurgent Leader picked it up and handed it to her, offering a victorious grin as the golden aura that was the Zilant shot back up to the crystallized Uberlord. As the crystal dome cracked and shattered, the Uberlord’s body plunged to the roof. With a cry, he hit the ground, moaning and temporarily, unable to pick himself back up. The Overlord quirked an eyebrow and cautiously crept forth, scythe in hand as the Uberlord rolled over, staring at the darkened clouds that drifted just above them. The Uberlord pushed himself into a sitting position, staring at the Insurgent Leader and the Overlord.

“Wait... Wait...” the Uberlord stammered, holding up his hands.

“You’re finished,” the Overlord said scathingly, eyes narrowed at her enemy, “I’ll make sure of it!”

“You couldn’t beat us before, you can’t now,” the Insurgent Leader retorted, “Time to say goodbye, Uberlord!” He lifted Muramasa, his brown eyes lavished in a wordless animosity.

“Before you kill me...” the Uberlord said slowly, “There is one last thing I would desire to tell you...”

“Say it and be quick!” the Overlord yelled, her voice reaching a rather high, irritated pitch.

The Uberlord rose to his feet, head lowered in shame. However, his eyes seemed to glower with a sly luster, “I am your father.”

“What?” the Overlord startled, staring at the Uberlord in disbelief. Was he joking around? No... This couldn’t have been real. This was an outrage. She felt the world spin as she asked again, “What did you just say?”

“Which one of us are you talking to?” the Insurgent Leader asked imploringly, glancing at the Overlord sideways. His brown eyes returned to the Uberlord, for once, noticing the similarities between the two. The dark hair... even the facial structure... Why hadn’t he noticed before?

“Both... of you,” the Uberlord said quietly, “Didn’t you know?”

“Both...?” the Overlord’s jaw dropped. A sideways glance at the Insurgent Leader and the Overlord immediately dismissed the thought. No. She and the Insurgent Leader could not be siblings. They were sworn enemies. She did not accept this fact... Not at all. “You’re lying! We don’t look a thing alike!” the Overlord protested.

“This is false,” the Insurgent Leader said flatly, though was unable to help the fact that he was trembling. So this was his father? The one he had never known. The reason he had inherited the black magic capabilities? This was the reason for even being a ninja? He had been dumped, he presumed alongside his seemingly older sister (though, he realized that this would be impossible to explain to his army), and had trained to be a ninja. He figured his parents had been some idiot teenagers that had gotten themselves in over their heads. He figured they had been unable to care for him... He hadn’t thought that they could have been potentially the most tyrannic lords of all time.

“I left you both... At Tamashii Ninja Academy so that one day, you could be strong. My successors...” the Uberlord chuckled, looking at the two flabbergasted fighters, “It’s funny how things work...”

“You’re lying!” the Insurgent Leader bellowed, gnashing his teeth together. Grabbing Muramasa, he began to swing it down upon the Uberlord when the Overlord grabbed his arm suddenly.

“No... No, Thomas... He’s not lying,” the Overlord said quietly, “I know... He’s not.” She made eye contact with the Insurgent Leader, allowing him to lower his sword, “Think about it. We ended up at Tamashii on the same night. We were both little so we wouldn’t remember if we were ever living with the Uberlord. It makes sense... Unfortunately.”

“This will be impossible to explain,” the Insurgent Leader complained.

“So we don’t tell anyone,” the Overlord replied, looking away from the Insurgent Leader, “We keep things... As normal as possible. We keep what happened her a secret entirely. For our sake and for theirs.” The Overlord sheathed her scythe, then rubbed her forehead. “I just... Can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.”

“How were we supposed to know?” the Insurgent Leader asked, walking over to her slowly. He folded his arms and glanced up at the clouds as they began to clear, revealing the night sky, “We had no clue. And it’s not like we were raised like siblings.”

“I wonder if Sensei knew. I wonder if Elwell and Obstruckshun knew this entire time,” the Overlord cast her gaze at the sky. As she turned to look at the Insurgent Leader, she noticed that the Uberlord had vanished. A wry smile crawled its way onto her features and she allowed a chuckle. Yes... She would let him go. After all of the stress and all of the fighting, she just didn’t feel like dealing with locking the Uberlord away. And, perhaps a part of her felt grateful... Or maybe she was just really tired.

“We let him go...?” the Insurgent Leader asked, raising an eyebrow.

“If anyone asks, he escaped. But the Fortress is ours... Er... Mine,” the Overlord shrugged, “So... What are you doing here?”

“Huh?” the Insurgent Leader asked.

“What are you doing in my Fortress?” the Overlord smirked at the Insurgent Leader, grabbing him by the shoulder. As they warped back into the courtyard, she tossed him away quite disdainfully, “I have no need for the Insurgents any longer. I’ll give you five minutes to clear your butts out of the sight of my Fortress or I’ll send my Underlings on you.”

“Wha...?” the Insurgent Leader stammered, but nodded, “Right... I understand.” He gave the Overlord a knowing look, then called, “Insurgents! We’re going back to camp. All is done here...” As the Insurgents began to shuffle out of the Fortress’ courtyard, the Insurgent Leader glanced back at the Overlord, uncertainty in his eyes. The Overlord merely curled her lip discreetly in a small smile, then looked away.

‘Goodbye... baby brother’, she thought, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. She cleared it away as soon as Jamie and the Twin rushed over to greet her. She tried to resist the tackle hugs that ensued, but found herself on her back, staring at the sky. The Apprentice and the Animal Tamer squeezed the Overlord tightly, not bothering to ask if she could breathe. The Overlord brushed them away after a few painful moments of no oxygen, forcing a smile and rising to her feet.

“Well, ladies and gents... The Fortress is ours again,” she announced, a feeling of closure immersing itself in the moment. The Overlord closed her eyes, feeling the regret in the Uberlord’s words as she recalled them.

“Overlord?” the Soul-Keeper asked, tilting his head to the side, “Are you okay?”

“I’m great, Soul-Keeper,” the Overlord opened her eyes, looking at him and smiling, “I’m just... Glad to be home.” She glanced back as the Ninja-Lord pulled forth Sexist and Tinkerbell, both looking extremely dismayed.

“Caught these two about to sneak off,” the Ninja-Lord remarked with a malicious smirk, “Thought you’d like to deal with them.”

“Eh, who could blame ‘em?” the Overlord shrugged, patting Sexist and Tinkerbell on their heads gently. She walked past the Ninja-Lord, calling over her shoulder, “Do what you think is best, Ninja-Lord. I just fought for my power and my Fortress... First thing I’m doing is rubbing it in Lex Luthor’s face. The second thing I’m doing is hitting a bar. The third thing I’m doing is getting some sleep.”

“Overlord...? Did Gabriel ever stop by?” the Advisor piped up from the crowd.

Halting in her tracks, the Overlord found herself facing the doorway into the Fortress, feeling a stab of guilt in her chest. The guilt lasted for a grand total of a second, and faded away, replaced with a smug grin. She shrugged and answered very casually, “Can’t say I’ve seen him.”

TOS- Vol 1, Pt 3, Ch 25

The Overlord Saga

Vol I. Past, Present, Future

Chapter 25: The Final Confrontation
(Part 3)

THE THEURGIST AND THE EVOCATOR, COURTYARD, EAST SIDE-




“Remind me why I listened to you again?” the Theurgist glanced sideways at the Evocator as the dark mass gathered before them, the little insects swarming by the millions. The Evocator held up an orb of fire in the palm of her hand, extending her arm and waving it about to keep the insects at bay. The two had ventured into the courtyard after the Insurgent Leader and the Overlord, staying as hidden as possible as they attempted to catch up to their leader. They had made it to the east side, where the back wall was located. As a flash of light enveloped the area, the Overlord had seeming vanished, the Insurgent Leader and the Uberlord gone as well.

“I saw the Overlord go this way, and she’s bound to need help,” the Evocator replied, wincing as a little bug shot at her, landing on her arm. In a flailing motion, she knocked it away, watching as its tiny katana flew to the ground.

“So, these are the infamous ninja mosquitos I always hear about,” the Theurgist commented, “Wish I’d remembered my bug spray.”

“Oh well, no use complaining about it now,” the Evocator remarked, holding up both of her hands. She watched as a large flame began to spin between her hands, similarly to a pinwheel. Reaching back with one hand, she tossed the fiery wheel at the swarm of ninja mosquitos.

“Nice toss,” the Theurgist complimented her smoothly, then held out a hand, calling out, “Physis!” A series of spirals came from the earth- a column representing each of the elements. As they soared into the sky, they spread out, individually striking the swarms of ninja mosquitos.

“Ouch!” the Evocator winced as a little ninja mosquito prodded her with its katana. Angrily, she pulled it up by the wings and promptly incinerated it. Overhead, the lightning spiral had taken out a good portion of the ninja mosquitos, leaving the fire spiral to surround the Evocator and the Theurgist to protect them from the annoying bugs. The water spiral crashed into a platoon of ninjas attempting to cross the fiery barrier, while the ice spiral merely froze the remainder of the ninja mosquitos.

The spirals died away as the Theurgist realized that the fight was over. The Evocator bent down and picked up a shard of ice, glancing at the frozen mosquito inside. She tilted her head to the left, then tossed it away carelessly, “Good riddance, I say.” She cast a glance at the Theurgist, then added, “You’ve got a nasty bite on your chin.” Dismayed, the Theurgist touched the itchy bite, fighting the urge to scratch it. The Evocator put her hands on her hips and glanced up at the Fortress, wondering where the Overlord could have gone.

“Maybe... This is her fight,” the Theurgist suggested, “It’s not our place to interfere.”

“It might not be, but she at least needs the emotional support right?” the Evocator replied, “You saw her before the battle. She wasn’t looking too confident at all!”

“We’ll help her if she needs it,” the Theurgist replied, “We have our friends to help, too, remember? They’ll need us in case the Zilant comes back...”

“I don’t think he will,” the Evocator replied, “It’s not even a real monster, if you understand what I’m saying.”

“Actually, Evocator, I’m completely lost on this one,” the Theurgist admitted, rubbing his goatee.

“The Zilant? It’s the Uberlord. The Overlord knew all this time that the Zilant would vanish if the Uberlord was in danger of being attacked,” the Evocator replied, continuing despite the Theurgist’s confused look, “The Zilant is an embodiment of the Uberlord’s soul. I read about it in a book once. It’s his spirit in its most natural, basic shape.”

“Are you trying to tell me that the Uberlord is a chicken lizard?” the Theurgist asked.

“Not exactly,” the Evocator sighed, head leaning on one of her shoulders, “It’s really hard to explain.”

“So what happens if the Uberlord decides to use his... chicken... Zilant... power?” the Theurgist asked, “What happens if he decides to use it on the Overlord and the Insurgent Leader?”
“I can’t imagine that it’d be anything good. But the problem is that the Uberlord’s body is left completely open and vulnerable,” the Evocator replied, “So, he wouldn’t change into the Zilant if he was in his right mind.
“Are evil villains ever in their right mind?” the Theurgist raised an eyebrow.

“Good point,” the Evocator conceded.






----


THE OVERLORD AND THE UBERLORD, BLACK AND RED ROOM DARKNESS THING PLACE-



Muramasa clanged loudly against the blade of the spear, sending sparks flying. The Overlord pressed against the lance with the sword, throwing in all of her weight on the blow. The Uberlord pulled back and made a move to stab the Overlord, but missed. She spun around, the blade twirling as she tried to strike the Uberlord across the back. He turned, the handle of the metal polearm blocking her. The Overlord gritted her teeth in frustrated and bounced back a few paces.

“You’re letting your emotions take over,” the Uberlord replied, “You need to focus!”

The Overlord held up her hand and sent out two orbs of green magic, watching in frustration as the Uberlord took his lance and knocked them right back at her. As she moved to avoid her own spells, the Overlord swooped in for a strike. The Uberlord was expecting it and merely knocked Muramasa away with his lance. The Overlord barely was able to keep a grip on the massive sword as she staggered back, glaring at her enemy.

“Focus!” the Uberlord barked.

“You killed Thomas!” the Overlord yelled, moving in to attack. She leapt into the air and clashed with the Uberlord’s lance, using the momentum to bounce back. In a flash, she hooked the lance with Muramasa, the tip of the sword coming within an inch of the Uberlord’s chest. She flipped the lance into the air, watching as it sunk into the ground.

“That’s more like it!” the Uberlord laughed, glancing at the sword tip at his chest, “But can you keep up with me, still?” The lance flew into his hands, missing the Overlord by a couple of inches. He caught it and raised it into the air, the entire room darkening. The Overlord felt the ground turn slightly liquified, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. She leapt up as dark magic began consuming the floor, summoning a semi transparent platform to land on. As the Uberlord began levitating in the air, the walls of the room around her began to solidify into thick, black rock, towering up until it reach a ceiling what seemed like a mile away.

A gander below and the Overlord saw the dark liquid as it began to rise. She watched the Uberlord glide out from the room, through the ceiling and into the light. At once, the Overlord summoned a second platform, leaping onto it as the liquid rose. As the first platform faded, she turned and cast a third one, jumping onto it. A fourth, a fifth, a sixth- she climbed the interior of the darkness-infested room, still unsure as to where she truly was. As she reached the ceiling, she glanced down at the darkness, extending a hand. Flying from the bowels of the liquid, her scythe landed in her free hand, drenched but unharmed. She hopped through the ceiling, wincing as a blinding light filled her vision.

Landing on the stone floor of the entrance hall in the Fortress, the Overlord dizzily leaned against her scythe. ‘Here? How’d I get here?’ she wondered, glancing at where she had come from to find nothing. Merely solid stone floors and a blazing crimson carpet. She frowned, dismayed and began toward the throne room, figuring this would be where the Uberlord had disappeared to.

“You can come out now... Coward...” the Overlord sheathed her scythe, her free hand dangerously moving toward the handle of the handgun she carried. “Uberlord?” She asked, strutting through the doors into the throne room.

“Oh... There you are,” Gabriel’s wings fluttered and he put his hands on his hips. The Overlord almost groaned aloud as the Archangel asked, “Where’ve you been? We require the souls to be turned in by sundown and it’s an hour past!”

“Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a crisis?” the Overlord demanded, a maddening rage consuming her. She seized Gabriel by the collar, jerking him toward the stairs to the Dungeon, “And, to be honest, I don’t give a damn about your rent policies!” She roared.

“You... You can’t do this!” Gabriel cried out, “You’ll regret this, Overlord! I promise... You’ll... AHHH!” She promptly threw him in an abandoned cell, and locked the door as she turned away. With her pointer finger, she embedded on the wall a quick apology to the Apprentice for leaving an angel in her home, and took her leave from the Dungeon.

As the Overlord re-entered the throne room, she took a glance about the emptiness, feeling the hair on the back of her neck rise. She began toward the throne, glancing at the stubborn chair and scowling to herself. However, a stirring behind one of the pillars to the left made the Overlord jump almost out of her skin. She pointed Muramasa at the figure, who was sitting up in the shadows, seeming to be gazing about the scenery.

“Who is it?” the Overlord took a threatening step forward. As she pointed the tip of Muramasa to the back of the stranger’s neck, the figure jumped, holding its hands up.

“It’s me!” the Insurgent Leader exclaimed, “It’s the Insurgent Leader! Who...” He glanced around his shoulder and stopped, staring wide-eyed at the Overlord as she threatened him with his own sword.

However, the Overlord let Muramasa fall to the ground, ignoring the ear-splitting crash it made. She threw her arms around the Insurgent Leader, stunned and very silent. The Insurgent Leader remained still, eyes still wide and cringing. She released him, fighting back tears as she whispered, “I thought you died.”

“I’m not dead,” the Insurgent Leader said blandly.

“Good... Because... I... I don’t allow that,” the Overlord sniffled, then glanced at the figure behind the Insurgent Leader. Eyebrows raised, her gaze moved from Nard, who looked as stoic as ever, to the Insurgent Leader.

“He saved me... I think,” the Insurgent Leader shook his head, “I don’t know how...”

“Good boy. I’mma give you a cookie later,” the Overlord bent down and patted Nard on the head. She saw the Insurgent Leader pick up Muramasa from the corner of her eye, trying not to smile too widely. She picked up Nard, holding him like a baby. As she turned to say something to the Insurgent Leader, Sexist came into view, running at the two in fright.

“There you two are!” he yelled, “We’ve been looking everywhere... There’s something happening outside. There’s a vortex over the Fortress!”

“Yeah, no kidding, do something about it,” Jamie remarked as she walked down the stairs, “Isn’t it your job to fix this mess we’re all in?”

“Yeah, yeah...” the Overlord sat Nard down, and promptly glanced at the Insurgent Leader, “Now that we’re together again, he doesn’t have a prayer. We can reach the vortex on the roof. I know the way up.”

“What are your orders from here?” Jamie asked.

“Secure the castle. Make sure no more of his troops are in here,” the Overlord nodded to Jamie and beckoned for the Insurgent Leader to follow her. As she began up the stairs, she cast a glance back at where Sexist and Jamie were watching her. Tearing her gaze away, she reached up, running a finger over the blade of her scythe.

“How are we going to stop him?” the Insurgent Leader asked as they reached the Overlord’s office.

“I have no clue,” the Overlord admitted.

TOS- Vol 1, Pt 3, Ch 24

The Overlord Saga

Vol I. Past, Present, Future

Chapter 24: The Final Confrontation
(Part 2)

INSURGENT LEADER AND OVERLORD, BACK GATE-



“WELL?” the Insurgent Leader demanded, glaring at the Overlord as she gaped at the Uberlord, who stood with a bow in one hand. She held the scythe in her right hand, her free hand gently moving the Insurgent Leader back as the Uberlord lifted his lance. The Zilant had gone missing, and the Overlord wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing yet. The Uberlord drew his bow and promptly aimed the first arrow at the Overlord, but did not release it.

“I... I don’t know,” the Overlord stammered, drawing away from the wall. ‘My plan is foiled. Now what?’ she wondered, knowing that her troops were well over a mile away. Running was too cowardice a move for her- she had one option and that was to fight.

“Overlord! It’s been awhile,” the Uberlord laughed, “You’ve defeated Doctor Octagonapus, I see. And you’re back from the Wises so early? I thought you’d spend more time with your beloved mentors.”

“Uberlord. I always have an obligation to stop you,” the Overlord retorted, “There’s only room for one of us here.”

“Yes. Might as well get rid of the usurper,” The Uberlord retorted, arrow still aimed at the Overlord’s chest. She knew he was a good enough shot to where he could easily impale her on one of those arrows. She knew what she was up against... But did the Uberlord know?

“Usurper!?” the Overlord yelled, “How insulting! Ah well... Better a usurper than a failed, miserable little fool like you, huh? How’s the life of an exiled lord treating you nowadays?”

“This isn’t the time for insults...” the Insurgent Leader muttered.

“Why you...!” the Uberlord released the arrow. The Overlord swept it away with the stroke of her scythe and grinned at the dark-haired Uberlord.

“I’ve grown up since last time,” the Overlord said proudly, “I am... the Overlord, after all.” She grabbed ahold of the Insurgent Leader’s arm, nodding to him meaningfully. The Insurgent Leader allowed her to toss him up into the air, doing a flip in the process. The Overlord held up the handle of her scythe, allowing him to land on it. As he did, she tossed him upward again, watching as he soared toward the Uberlord.

The Insurgent Leader drew Muramasa and promptly swiped at the Uberlord’s head. The Uberlord jumped to the side hitting the Insurgent Leader weakly with the end of the bow he was wielding. The Insurgent Leader bounced back a foot or two, Muramasa in hand. The Uberlord selected an arrow and drew it back until the string was taut. The Overlord, in the mean time, had run toward the wall, making a swishing motion with her hand. A few semi-visible emblems appeared in the air, spreading out to form platforms. The Overlord began hopping up the platforms, making it to the top of the wall in time to see the Insurgent Leader get struck by an arrow. The Insurgent Leader seemed to shrug the blow off and swiped the Uberlord's bow away from him, the weapon spiraling into the courtyard. The Uberlord stepped back, narrowly avoiding the Insurgent Leader's longsword. Hastily, the tyrant drew his lance and pointed it at the Insurgent Leader, a smirk playing about his lips.

The Overlord launched herself at the Uberlord, scythe knocking aside the lance. She threw in a hefty punch to the Uberlord's jaw, jarring his senses temporarily as the Insurgent Leader made his charge. Scraping Muramasa's tip against the stone, the Insurgent Leader used an upper blow to strike at the Uberlord's unprotected stomach. However, the Uberlord moved to the side, slamming the Insurgent Leader toward the edge of the wall with the butt of his lance. As the Insurgent Leader lost his footing and began to slip, the Overlord grabbed him by the wrist and hefted him up onto the wall. She moved to the Uberlord's left, feeling the wind as it began to pick up.

"You've gotten stronger," the Uberlord nodded, "But you're still not as good as I am."

"Which is why we totally owned you last time," the Overlord remarked, lifting her hand over her head. An orb of green flame appeared and she launched it at the Uberlord. The Uberlord responded by calmly extending his hand and catching the flame gently, mulling it over with his fingers. He smiled, as if remembering something, then promptly touched the tip of his lance to the burning fires. The fire crept across the lance, burning it with a magical force.

"See? Look what you did, now," the Insurgent Leader remarked, glaring at the Overlord.

"So not my fault!" the Overlord argued. The Uberlord cackled and promptly slammed the tip of the spear into the ground, releasing a wave of energy. The Overlord was thrown backwards, hitting her head against the wall top. She groaned and rolled over, grabbing her scythe and pushing herself to her feet. The Insurgent Leader ran by, Muramasa in hand. The Uberlord smirked and launched the lance at the Insurgent Leader. The glowing weapon struck the Insurgent Leader in the shoulder, sending him flying back at least a yard. The Insurgent Leader yelled as the ground around him began turning black with the Uberlord's fell magic, swirling and sending tendrils around the Insurgent Leader's ankles and wrists. He fought against the magic helplessly, striving to keep a hold of his sword. The Overlord angrily turned and sent a charm through her fingers to the scythe, embedding a strong fire spell on it. She reached back and promptly threw the scythe at the Uberlord, watching it spin. The Uberlord ducked beneath it, losing his concentration and breaking his focus on his spell. The Insurgent Leader pulled the lance from his shoulder, tossing it away and leaping to his feet.

"You all right, Thomas?" the Overlord asked, extending her arm as the scythe flew back to her.

The Insurgent Leader wordlessly nodded, holding Muramasa up and pointing at the Uberlord. There was a strange light in his eyes as a series of symbols surrounded the Uberlord, sending out blast waves of darkness. 'Dark magic? From THOMAS?!' the Overlord thought, her breath caught in her throat. The stunned Uberlord held up his hand and cast a shielding spell. As the blasts ended, the Insurgent Leader bent over, looking extremely fatigued. The Overlord stared at him oddly, wondering how he managed to cast such a dark spell.

"I've had enough of the kiddie games," the Uberlord shook his head, his lance flying back to his hand. He slammed it into the ground and placed his hands together, as if praying. The sky darkened tremendously, the last ounce of sunlight drained completely. The Overlord cast a fire spell at the Uberlord, but it bounced off, useless. "Damn it!" She yelled as a cold wind struck the wall top. The Insurgent Leader held up his sword, and began charging at the Uberlord, fighting against the wind. The Uberlord's eyes snapped in the Insurgent Leader's direction, and he extended a hand, as if to greet the Insurgent Leader.

"NO! WAIT!" The Overlord began to yell, running toward where the Insurgent Leader was falling toward the Uberlord. Upon impact, there was a flash of violet light, matched with a cry of horror from the Insurgent Leader. Muramasa fell to the ground, clattering against the stone. In a split second, the Insurgent Leader was gone, completely and utterly vanished.

"No!" the Overlord yelled, her heart racing as she tried to understand what had just happened. The Uberlord turned and grinned at the Overlord, his teeth glinting white. He snapped his fingers, and the Overlord felt the area change around her, altering into some warped room.

The sky was a black and red zig-zag, emitting some ghastly glow from beyond the overcast sky. There was nothingness that surrounded them both- simply a floor and invisible, swirling walls that looked as though they were made out of dark magic entirely. The Overlord searched for Thomas in the large room, but found nothing. Nothing... Except the Uberlord, herself, and the limp Muramasa sitting between them.

"What did you do to him?" the Overlord screamed, fighting to keep her voice steady. She walked toward the Uberlord, the scythe dropping slowly from her fingers as she bent down to take Muramasa into her hands. The Uberlord's raucous laughter sent a chill down her spine as she, in complete disbelief, spoke the dreaded words, "You... You killed him..." Her eyes met the Uberlord's, her rage building as she rose from where she had knelt next to the longsword. Blade in both hands, the Overlord nudged the scythe into the corner of the room, her chest heaving as she fought back a sob. 'Dear God... You'd think I'd have not gotten so soft over the years... Dammit... He was my rival... I shouldn't be sad...' the Overlord thought, attempting to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eye.

"The Insurgent Leader? He is no more," the Uberlord grinned, "It's just you and me." A pause for thought, and then, "You had emotional attachments to him... Didn't you?"

"No one... I repeat... No one... Messes with the munchkin. No one... Except me," the Overlord growled, feeling flares of solid anger crawl into her chest. She looked at the red pulsing light as it reflected off of the Insurgent Leader's sword, blinking back the rest of the tears. "I will not... Allow him to be dead."

"You won't allow him to be dead?" the Uberlord scoffed, "Too bad... He already is."

"No. This is my story. My saga. And I do NOT permit him to be dead!" the Overlord roared, holding up Muramasa, "I am the Overlord. I will always BE the Overlord. You cannot change that. You cannot stop that! The only thing you can do is try, Uberlord, so try! Damn it... I WELCOME IT!"

---

THE REST OF THE ARMY, CRACKED PLAINS-


The Soul-Keeper Apprentice had picked up a zombie head and was waving it at a very grossed out Animal Tamer. "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" the Animal Tamer shrieked, pushing the Apprentice away. "That's so wrong!" She screamed, running away from the Apprentice. She skidded to a stop as a revenant emerged from the earth before her. Startling, the Animal Tamer tossed her staff into the air, watching as it morphed into a sword. As she caught it, she used the momentum to lop the zombie's head off. Grimacing at the mess, the Animal Tamer proceeded to kick the flailing body away, unable to stop from shaking as she did so.

"Animal Tamer, that's so gross!" the Advisor scolded her sister gently as she pointed her machine gun at the zombie torso. A few shots were fired and the body ceased squirming. The Animal Tamer shot the Advisor a very appreciative look and glanced at where the Apprentice was showing a weirded out Captain the zombie head. He looked as though he were about to pee when the head suddenly became alive (or as alive as zombie heads got), baring its teeth at the Captain. In something similar to a Falcon Punch, the Captain reached back and popped the head square in the nose, sending it soaring across the battle field and promptly landing on the Lieutenant, who, in turn, brushed it off quickly while making a face.

"I think we killed the chicken lizard," the Lieutenant called over his shoulder at the Captain as he slammed a revenant in the back of the head with the butt of his assault rifle. "Thing went missing. I say we finish off these zombies and call it night!"

"Quit kidding around! The Zilant will be back before you know it!" the Twin called as she lifted a hand to the sky. A series of lightning bolts struck down from the darkened clouds, electrocuting a group of zombies behind Tinkerbell. "Soul-Keeper, Sexist! Take the Master of Tazers, Canada, the Animal Tamer's Pet, Prussia, Russia, China, and Belarus and see if you can't find a way into the main gates! Watch out for mosquito ninjas!"

"China and what?" Sexist called as he smashed a zombie in the face with a flail.

"Underling China!" the Twin pointed at an underling that had speared a revenant through its torso. With the charming flick of her light colored hair, she smiled and waved almost shyly at Sexist and the Soul-Keeper before pulling her lance out of the zombie. The Twin then pointed at another underling, younger and shorter with blonde hair, "And Belarus." She winced as Belarus began viciously beating a zombie with a stick that had a large ball of flame at the end.

"Wait... She's not even Chinese!" Sexist exclaimed.

"Your point?" the Twin quirked an eyebrow. Sexist then knew he should shut up... But still continued to speak.

"Which one is Prussia and which one is Russia? I can never tell..." Sexist frowned.

"Prussia has lighter hair. Short, too. Russia has slightly darker hair. And it's longer," the Twin said helpfully and dashed off, firing two arrows at a revenant sneaking up behind the Captain.

"Oh... Great," Sexist remarked, "All right. Everyone, let's go! Err... Soul-Keeper?" He glanced at where the Soul-Keeper was dancing in the midst of the battlefield, waving his staff about. With each dramatic flick of the staff, lightning came spiraling from the tip, striking zombies by the tens and twenties. As the Soul-Keeper danced, a song could be heard over the sounds of the Captain's and the Lieutenant's hand grenades.

"Sexist has balls. Big and spiky balls. Bouncing to the left, bouncing to the right..."

Sexist quirked an eyebrow, glancing at Belarus as she watched him dance. "Look at him go," she remarked dryly, "He's a natural at it."

"That's what scares me," Sexist admitted, trying to hide that he was turning a deep shade of red. He scratched the back of his neck and called, "Er... Soul-Keeper! Time to go! We have to open the gates for everyone!"

"GET OVER HERE OR I WILL TAZE YOU!" the Master of Tazers yelled at the top of her lungs, "Honestly, men are so stupid. They aren't the thinkers you know?"

"Oh, I know," China nodded in agreement.

"What!? What!? And why am I called Sexist!?" Sexist demanded.

"Get moving!" the Ninja-Lord hissed, appearing behind Sexist. She tossed a pair of shuriken at an incoming zombie, watching as they pierced between the revenant's eyes. As Sexist turned to thank her, she was gone, appearing a few feet away next to the Twin with her katana in hand.

The Soul-Keeper led the charge away from the battlefield and toward the gates, which seemed like forever away. He ran quite swiftly in his robe, staff in hand as he began summoning a few bolts of lightning. Sexist watched in a mixture of awe and horror as the Soul-Keeper massed a large sphere of lightning magic and sent it flying at the gates. With a horrible crack of thunder, the gates began caving in, the large structures tearing down a portion of the wall as well. Prussia frowned, glancing at the Soul-Keeper and remarking, "Hey... We weren't supposed to DESTROY the gates. We were supposed to OPEN them!"

"Good job, Soul-Keeper," Russia remarked as the group came to a stop before the fallen gate.

"Where's the Overlord?" Sexist scoffed, looking around the Fortress as they stepped onto the wooden doors that had once kept them all out. He tsked and shook his head, "Hiding? She's not even out to order her own troops."

"She's inside!" the Soul-Keeper glanced at Sexist, "You should be nice. She actually does stuff, you know? She's not the bad person you think she is."

"No, because stealing souls is a great thing for people to do," Sexist remarked.

"That's very rude," Belarus commented dryly.

"Or, as the Overlord would say... It's very... Incompassionate. I mean, what does that mean, anyways?" Sexist snorted and stepped into the courtyard. As he did so, he paused, watching a lone figure as they exited the palace. He frowned lifting a flail and holding up a hand to warn the others in the group.

"Is it the Uberlord?" the Animal Tamer's Pet asked fearfully, moving behind Russia and Prussia. "I hope not..."

"Shh. It'll be okay," Russia promised the Animal Tamer's Pet, patting her on the head gently.

"It's... Jamie?" the Soul-Keeper tilted his head to the side, glancing from the pirate to the large bag that she had over one shoulder. The Soul-Keeper and Sexist exchanged glances as Jamie froze in mid-step, holding her hands up guiltily.

"I can so explain what is happening here..." Jamie stammered.

"Is that a bag... of the Overlord's treasure?" the Master of Tazers asked with a laugh, "Wow, Jamie. Really?"

"Put that back! It's not yours!" the Soul-Keeper shrieked in horror, "What would Jesus say? Jesus would give you a spanking, that's what!"

"No, Soul-Keeper, that's just you..." Belarus muttered. China giggled, trying to hide it with a hand.

"Fine..." Jamie dropped the bag with a clang, glancing at the group of Underlings. She folded her arms, sighing and blowing a twig of brown hair from her eyes, "There's no sign of the Overlord anywhere. Or the Uberlord. Or his chicken thing."

"And the Insurgent Leader?" Sexist asked hopefully.

"Gone, too. All of 'em. Just gone," Jamie shook her head, "I don't like the looks of things, Soul-Keeper."

"Emily..." the Soul-Keeper whimpered, hands gripping the handle of his staff, "I hope she's okay..."

"Me too..." the Master of Tazers replied, "If that Uberlord did anything to her... I swear to God, I'll taze him. On the max voltage, too. I swear to God I will."

"The Twin wanted us to use the cannons. Why don't you be in charge of that?" Sexist looked at Belarus, "The Soul-Keeper, Master of Tazers, Jamie, and I can split up and look for Thomas and Emily... Er... I mean... the Insurgent Leader and the False... Er... Overlord... The Overlord. My bad." He caught a death glare from Belarus, but forced a smile, "Anyways... Report back here in an hour if nothing's different, okay?"

"Wow, look at you. Taking charge and all," Jamie remarked, "Got it. I'll take the upstairs of the Fortress. Colby, you search the Dungeons. Sexist, take the first floor. Master of Tazers can take the wall top. We'll find them."

TOS- Vol 1, Pt 3, Ch 23

The Overlord Saga

Vol I. Past, Present, Future

Chapter 23: The Final Confrontation
(Part 1)

She felt the Twin tighten the shoulder plates, cringing as the band holding them on pressed against her arm. The Overlord took a gander about the Insurgent Leader’s camp, watching the Insurgents as they busied themselves with getting ready. With a gloved hand, the Overlord motioned the Lieutenant and the Captain over as the Twin helped her strap on her scythe’s sheath, resting comfortably on her back. The Overlord offered the two boys a weak smile, then said, “I’m leaving the Zilant to you two. But don’t use all of your ammo on it. Use bazookas. That’ll teach him.” She glanced down at the gun at her side, a secondary weapon she hadn’t used in awhile. She figured, though, if Jack Bauer could use one of these babies for 24 hours and not get his butt killed (despite insane chances and likelihoods), that the Uberlord wouldn’t stand a chance.

“We’ll have to get in its range in order to fire some of the better weapons,” the Captain warned, “We may need assistance.”

“Hm. Take the Evocator and the Theurgist with you. You guys will be our first line of offense. We can’t go near that place with the Zilant still ruling the skies. He’ll pick off our troops one by one,” the Overlord shook her head, “The Evocator and the Theurgist can ward him away while you reload.”

“Got it, Overlord,” the Lieutenant nodded, “However, I think we might have a problem with some of the bazookas. Those aren’t used for aerial things... More like tanks. I can see if I can get some of the old FIM-92 Stingers working again. We haven’t used those in ages.”

“That’d be greatly appreciated, Lieutenant, thank you,” the Overlord nodded. As the two walked away, the Twin laughed and shook her head.

“Giving those two explosives is a bad idea.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell them where the dynamite is if we need it. I’d rather not blow up my own wall, though.”

“Understandable.”

The Soul-Keeper, who had returned earlier, had put on his new Phantom of the Opera-styled mask and was looking rather proud of himself. The Overlord stifled a chuckle as he walked over, leaning on his staff, “Your Soul-Keeper is here!”

“If anything is to happen to me...”

“What? Nothing’s going to happen to you!”

“Right... The Grasshopper. Watch over her.”

“I know.”

“Good. Now... I’ve an extra special gift for you. It’s in your tent. Go look for it.”

The Soul-Keeper’s eyes brightened up, “Oh! Oh! What is it!?” He dashed away, looking incredibly excited. The Overlord smirked and said to the Twin, “Orange chicken. I swear, he’s addicted.” The Master of Tazers walked over, the Scribe next to her. As the Overlord put her scythe in its holder, she said, “Scribe, I trust everything will be noted that happens in the fight?” Without waiting for his confirmation, the Overlord added, “Master of Tazers, keep an eye on Sexist. I don’t trust him. Or the Insurgent Leader. At the end of this, we might have a three-on-three war.”

“Gotcha,” the Master of Tazers nodded.

“You’re ready,” the Twin nodded, turning the Overlord around and patting her on the head, “You can do this. I believe in you. You’re my twin, remember?” The Overlord heaved a sigh, feeling uncertainty stir in her stomach. How awful would it be if she failed? What if they couldn’t take the Zilant out of the sky? This was going to be a nightmare... The Twin grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a stern look.

“Right. I got this,” the Overlord nodded, forcing a smile. She glanced at where Sexist and Canada had fitted the Insurgent Leader with his new set of armor, complete with a new, fancy sheath for Muramasa. She held up a hand in a fist, grinning at the Insurgent Leader and calling, “Just like old times!”

The Insurgent Leader nodded and the two turned to face the timberline, where they could see the Fortress set up a mile or so away. The Overlord motioned for the Captain and the Lieutenant to take their places. She took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly, looking at the Insurgent Leader. She felt the buzz of the three Monsters she had just consumed override her normal functioning. She reached out and hugged the Insurgent Leader, pulling him in and squeezing him tightly, “I love you!” She exclaimed loudly, only warranting a bizarre look from her usual rival.

“I... Okay...” the Insurgent Leader nodded awkwardly.

“Twin! Jamie! Insurgent Leader! Tonight, we bring down the heart of darkness... And slay the Uberlord!” the Overlord declared, lifting her scythe into the air and throwing a friendly arm around the Insurgent Leader’s shoulder. ‘And tomorrow, it goes back to square one. You and me on the verge of killing each other,’ the Overlord thought with a cunning smirk, glancing at the Insurgent Leader.


---


“Damn Stingers. Wish we could use something better than these,” the Captain crouched low to the ground, holding the anti-aircraft launcher with both hands. He watched the Zilant as it circled the Fortress, releasing some piercing cry into the afternoon air as it searched for targets to attack.

“What the hell is that thing anyways?” the Lieutenant asked, squinting against the sun.

“I’ve heard stories. None of them good, either. Some say that thing is a monster from Hell. Others say it’s a spirit. An embodiment of something that died a long time ago... Just in the form of a large chicken lizard,” the Captain shrugged.

“A spirit? Are we pissing off a dead guy?” the Lieutenant quirked an eyebrow, “Is that allowed? I mean, God, won’t we get haunted or something for this? At least tell me it’s not sacrilegious..”

“Ehhhh... Sure?” the Captain shrugged, “Overlord said to do it. So let’s do it.”

“That could have sounded so gay right there,” the Lieutenant remarked, and positioned a Stinger to where it was aimed at the Zilant. The Captain fired the first missile, watching as it left a trail of smoke behind it. As it slammed into the Zilant, a screech resounded across the deserted plains. The Lieutenant fired as well, satisfied at a second scream from the Zilant.

“This is too easy,” the Captain muttered.

“I agree...” the Lieutenant glanced at where the Theurgist and the Evocator were absent-mindedly talking, ignoring what was going on. He scoffed- not like they really needed mages here with them anyways. However, the Lieutenant frowned, watching something materialize behind the Evocator, ripping forth in a cluster of dark magic. As the revenant took shape, the Lieutenant grabbed a pistol and promptly fired.

The Evocator jumped, screamed, and ran into the Theurgist, who was astounded that the Lieutenant would attempt to shoot the Evocator. Thankfully enough, the bullet hit the revenant between the eyes, causing it to stumble backwards. Clusters of dark magic surrounded the four Underlings, producing ten revenants. The Evocator held out both hands and closed her eyes. The Theurgist yelled at the top of his lungs as the Captain grabbed an assault rifle and began firing madly at the zombies, “Terra spirit, INVOKE!” Sand grains and particles from the earth rose around the Evocator, swirling and spiraling into the sky. As the spirals gave way into two hands, the Theurgist lifted his hands, a very brief light shining from his palms. He reached back with a fist and promptly socked one of the revenants in the face, watching as its head came completely off.

“Okay. I think I’m starting to appreciate them more,” the Captain muttered under his breath. The Lieutenant fired rapidly at a revenant that was attempting to creep around them, ready to grab his hatchet and hack into a few of the zombies if he had to.

The Evocator pointed at one of the revenants and the ground began to shake beneath it, caving in and sinking the zombie in all the way to its shoulders. She turned and moved her hand in an upward motion, watching as the zombie flew into the air and disintegrated. She turned and narrowly avoided the Captain as he threw a grenade at a few more revenants that appeared yards away. As they erupted in smoke and flame, the Captain laughed loudly, raising a fist in victory. The Lieutenant grabbed his flamethrower and began making quick work of the next wave of revenants, watching as they burned to a crisp.

“We’ll need the main army here,” the Theurgist said as he picked up a zombie with the sand-hands and practically chucked it ten miles, watching as it faded from view, “Evocator, go get the Overlord now! We’ll need back up at this rate!”

The Evocator nodded and began running toward the timberline, jumping as a revenant began to spring from the ground beneath her. She glanced back at the three underlings as they continued to ward away the revenants, hoping that the Overlord would be able to send more troops to help them. ‘How did the Uberlord know where we were!?’ she wondered, ‘We sent two missiles at the Zilant... That was it! There’s no way we can beat him if he has an unlimited supply of ZOMBIES at his disposal!’

“Need help?” the Ninja-Lord appeared next to her, katana in hand. The Soul-Keeper’s Apprentice came jogging over as well, waving her staff wildly. The Animal Tamer and Canada were a few yards behind the Apprentice, striving to keep up. The Ninja-Lord flashed the Evocator a smile, then muttered, “We’re here to help you.”

“TAKE THAT!” the Apprentice shrieked, sending a fireball at an emerging zombie. The Ninja-Lord bowed her head, and vanished, appearing in mid-air and beheading a revenant. She kicked the flailing body down, and turned to look at where the Overlord was standing on the timberline, scythe in hand and the Insurgent Leader by her side.

“So, he’s made his first move,” the Overlord said, attempting to calm her rapid speech (the fact that she had three Monsters was completely taking away from her usual suave attitude). Flicking a twig of dark hair back, she pointed at the zombies, then chuckled, “Clever. Take them out. All of them.”

“Should we really be wasting our troops on revenants? I thought the Captain had this covered?” the Advisor asked, glancing sideways at the Overlord.

“He’ll realize that his zombies have no affect on us before long,” the Overlord said simply, “And then, we will get rid of his pesky little defense mechanism that apparently is resistant to Stingers. And the Fortress is guaranteed to be ours before midnight.” The Twin caught the Overlord’s worried look, and frowned at her, hands on her hips. The Overlord shrugged it off, glanced away, and added, “Those are orders. Follow them.”

“You heard her! Let’s get to it!” the Animal Tamer’s Pet yelled, then blushed as the rest of the Underling army looked at her oddly.

“Aye... Let’s get to it!” Jamie held up her cutlass and began charging headfirst into the zombies, gauging one in the stomach as she did, “FOR NARNIA!”

“Jamie, wrong story!” the Overlord called after her, glancing at the Insurgent Leader, as if to stop him. He met her gaze, then nodded, understandingly. The Overlord looked at the Twin and said, “It’s all up to you now.”

“I... understand,” the Twin nodded, biting her lip and resting a hand on the Overlord’s shoulder.

“The Ninja-Lord won’t. Jamie won’t. Soul-Keeper won’t either...” The Overlord glanced down, then shrugged, “Just tell them... It’s one of those Overlord things. Got it?”

“Got it,” the Twin nodded.

The Overlord grabbed ahold of the Insurgent Leader’s arm and closed her eyes. ‘While the Uberlord’s watching the main army, we’ll be able to sneak in without a problem. He might’ve put up an anti-warp barrier, but we can warp in front of the back gates. He won’t watch what’s happening there,’ the Overlord thought as she warped the Insurgent Leader to the back gates.

“I don’t like leaving them out there like this...” the Insurgent Leader muttered, looking at the Overlord and rubbing his arm disdainfully. The Overlord looked away, shrugging to herself.

“Greetings!” A voice shouted from the wall top. The Overlord and the Insurgent Leader craned their necks back to look up at the Uberlord as he glared down at the both of them, “Nice for you to... Drop by.”

“I thought you said he wouldn’t see us!?” the Insurgent Leader yelled at the Overlord. There was no response... Just a fearful look upward at the Uberlord.

‘No... How could he have...!?’