When Death Walked the World

Chapter 45 - When the Lights go out

"Fire!" The order sounded, and a myriad of multicolored lasers lit up the cosmos. All focused on a single point in space-time. A vortex opened, and a monster stepped through. Ignoring the strike, the monster strode inside the Solar System, and appeared before the Earth Federation Armada.

The personal in command was at a loss for words. Nothing, nothing has ever shrugged off such a focused attack, not since they had perfected the technology and created an armada that blotted out the Sun. Cold sweat beaded on the captain's forehead, what had they brought upon themselves?

The displays showed a skeleton—no, that wasn't an apt description. It showed Death Incarnate.

White wisps of flame danced in its hollow eye sockets; blight seeped from the cracks of its bone, and a miniature universe was twisted to serve as its gown. A twisted crown, a faint bluish halo hovered behinds its elongated skull, radiating energy waves that made all the sensors go haywire.

Whatever that was, it was bad news. The captain doubted that they could stop such a monster if it wished to lay claim to the Earth, but as the First Commanding Officer he could not just simply roll over, and let this monster have his way with the homeland, with a grim expression he gave the order.

"Load the Anti-Planetary Missiles. I will try to stall for time but be ready... when I give the sign... fire everything we have." The operators, and captains of lesser ships nodded, understanding the weight of the situation, they too felt it prudent to use everything if it meant keeping the Earth safe.

(...)

White wisps apathetically glanced over at the wreckage drifting in the cosmos. They were all that remained of the armada those foolish humans trained on him. While once upon a time he would've done everything to avoid a direct massacre of humans, now he didn't have the patience.

The orbs honed-in on a distant planet. It was familiar... it was Earth.

The skeletal hands clenched, his home planet. The devastated world he once called home. A world ruined beyond repair, destroyed by the greed of man.

The orbs strayed to his palms.

Maybe... maybe I could...

He held out a skeletal hand, a final act of kindness. Brilliance burst alight within his palm, and a laser shot out, and impacted the planet. It did not hurt the earth, instead it scattered into a billion tiny dots upon contact with the atmosphere, and an unprecedented healing process began.

The Word was being healed. Nursed back to health at a visible rate as the oceans returned, and the sickly brown became a deep blue. Ainz let out a thoughtful sigh, while the earthlings down below watched in disbelief as the air cleared up, and the Sun returned to the blue sky.

Ainz didn't waste more time and a wormhole manifested at his beckoning, the Overlord had disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Ainz kept jumping systems, galaxies, universes, but it proved far harder to find his way back than he had initially surmised. However, the thought that he may be forever lost had never crossed his mind and one day, he managed to find his way back...

(...)

A skeleton floated high above the heavens, white wisps of flame scrutinizing the ground below.

What had happened here? I am sure I am in the right place. Ainz grumbled, conjuring up a {Mirror of Remote Viewing} he had a closer look at the surface of the planet. It was Hell, there was no better description. Rivers of lava, blackened lands, an ever-present sulphureous cloud.

It was an apocalyptic scene, much like the conditions he experienced back on Earth, albeit those memories were faint now. He held out a hand and cast the same spell meant to rejuvenate the world. However, this time nothing had happened. The world remained stagnant. Embroiled in darkness. Ainz furrowed his nonexistent brows and descended below.