The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Sixth Floor, Aura's Dwelling.
The air in Aura's personal quarters carried the clean, resinous scent of living pine and damp earth, a deliberate echo of the vast forest that sprawled beyond the chamber's illusory walls.
Low lanterns cast warm pools of light across the wooden table where the four sat, but the atmosphere felt heavier than usual.
"Albedo, what's with all the secrecy?" Aura complained, kicking one leg idly against her chair.
She eyed the Overseer across from her with open suspicion, dark elf ears twitching. "You dragged us here like it's some big emergency. Spill it already."
Beside her, Mare sat quietly, fingers twisting in his lap, while Herox—broad-shouldered, scales glinting faintly under the lantern glow—leaned forward, arms crossed, his draconic gaze fixed on Albedo with matching bewilderment.
"The plan I wish to discuss today," Albedo said, her lovely face settling into grave lines, "is code-named the Supreme Being Hunt."
"!!!"
The words dropped like stones into still water. Herox and Mare stared, stunned into immobility. Slaughter a Supreme Being? The idea alone bordered on sacrilege.
Their eyes narrowed, pupils sharpening to dangerous slits.
Bang!
Aura slammed her palms on the table hard enough to rattle the lanterns and leaped to her feet. "Albedo, do you even hear yourself? You'd betray one of the Supreme Beings?"
"Aura, everyone—please calm yourselves." Albedo's voice stayed even, almost gentle, though her golden eyes never wavered. "Hear me out before you judge."
The raw trust they all shared as Guardians won out over the flare of rage. Aura huffed, dropped back into her seat with a thud, and folded her arms tightly. Mare and Herox exchanged a quick glance but held their tongues, waiting.
"I love Lord Helant with all my heart," Albedo continued, and when his name passed her lips, pure adoration softened her features, lighting her eyes like embers. "And you are all his cherished children. Each of us exists for him alone—our loyalty belongs to Lord Helant, and no other."
Aura, Mare, and Herox nodded without hesitation. To them, Lord Helant wasn't just a Supreme Beings; he was father, guiding star, the unshakable truth carved into their very souls from the moment they awoke.
But hunting Supreme Beings? The connection escaped them. Doubt lingered in their stares like smoke.
Albedo rose slowly, black wings rustling with restrained energy. "As you know, every century or so, Players—Supreme Beings—descend upon this world. The Six Great Gods, the Eight Greed Kings… they all once walked the same realm as our creators."
Mare's eyes widened, a spark of hope breaking through his caution. "You mean… the Supreme Beings might return? They could come here?"
Albedo inclined her head. "Perhaps some already walk among us, concealed. Or perhaps they will arrive in time."
"They're coming…" Aura breathed, a grin tugging at her lips despite everything.
She pictured Bukubukuchagama—her creator, her mother who'd shaped her and Mare's whole dynamic with that bossy, protective streak. Excitement flickered hot in her chest before suspicion doused it. She fixed Albedo with a hard stare. "Then explain what this 'hunt' of yours actually means."
Albedo's gaze swept the room, wings flaring wider in sudden fervor. "Two rulers are enough for this world—Lord Helant and Lord Momonga. Don't you agree?"
Deep down, even Lord Momonga felt like one ruler too many. If not for Helant's own "dual monarch" arrangement, she'd have quietly added him to the tally without a second thought.
She turned her eyes pointedly to Herox.
"You want to track down any arriving Supreme Being and kill them?" Herox's voice came out low, edged with frost, his draconic aura prickling the air. Madness.
"You would raise your hand against the other Supreme Ones?" Mare and Aura surged upright together, hostility crackling like static.
That list would include Lady Bukubukuchagama herself. The thought was unthinkable—beyond blasphemy.
Aura and Mare would never stand for it.
"Relax," Albedo soothed quickly, palms raised. "Lady Bukubukuchagama is not a target. Never."
"Truly?" Suspicion still threaded their voices.
Albedo's tone hardened with certainty. "Remember: Lady Bukubukuchagama loves Lord Helant. They are bound to be family."
She lingered on the word "family," letting it sink in deep.
"Because I love Lord Helant above everything, I conceived this hunt. But I would never betray that love by striking someone who cherishes him as I do."
"When Lady Bukubukuchagama arrives, we can all dwell happily together with Lord Helant. Would that not be perfect?"
Albedo's eyes gleamed, bright and unyielding. In her mind, Lady Bukubukuchagama could only ever be an ally—unless she crossed some invisible line, in which case quiet, efficient erasure would follow without remorse.
"Mother and Father together…" The image melted the tension from Aura and Mare's shoulders. They sank back down, gazes turning distant, dreaming of a warm, complete family that had always felt just out of reach.
Herox drummed scaled fingers on the table, thoughtful. "Albedo, do you truly believe Father will sanction this scheme?"
He respected her—this future consort of his creator, sharp-minded and fanatically devoted to Helant's interests. But respect meant speaking truth.
Of all Nazarick's children, Herox knew his maker best.
Lord Helant had never craved power for its own sake. He'd handed the guildmaster's throne to Momonga without a flicker of regret, content with grand adventures or quiet evenings surrounded by those he cared for.
If he discovered Albedo's plan, the punishment would be swift and merciless—imprisonment, execution, something worse. She was the instigator, after all.
"I understand the risk," Albedo said, voice steady, fervor burning bright. "As long as no one can threaten Lord Helant's eternal life, I am content."
She lifted her chin. "Will you join us?"
Herox's gaze hardened into resolve. "Of course I will."
Albedo allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. With Herox committed, the impossible edged toward reality. He wasn't just another NPC—he was a draconic terror, Nazarick's foremost warrior in raw strength. And Lord Helant had recently ordered him to roam the world in true form, infiltrating dragonkind.
To Albedo, the notion of a ferocious dragon "stumbling" across a lone Supreme Being carried delicious possibilities.
She settled back into her seat, studying Aura and Mare—quiet allies now, imaginations already painting brighter futures.
Then her thoughts brushed against Mino: born from the world-class item Heart of the Sanctuary, imperfect yet fiercely, unwaveringly loyal to Lord Helant.
"With this," Albedo murmured, almost to herself, "Lord Helant commands five level-one-hundred champions. We need only wait for the perfect moment to set the Supreme Being Hunt in motion."