Chapter 26: The Mind Of A Wretch

The victorious knight settled in an abandoned building, slowly recovering from his wounds as his brothers destroyed the surrounding area. He took off his dark green armor and rest by a single set of tables and chairs, leaning on his arms as he rested his body on the table.

"I have lost restraint." He spoke to himself.

"How can I think logically when I have these disgusting emotions?"

He pressed his palms against his face, bashing his elbows against the table.

"I have lost a gift from my superior, unforgivable. I lost too much strength in fighting a human, unforgivable. I have forgotten about myself, unforgivable."

"I am a skeleton first and foremost, but my soul is clouded. Why do I think 'maybe I am flesh?'. I this a punishment for my lack of power? This flesh is destroying me, how can I accept it?"

"It speaks to me in the anger and anxiety it brings to me, the instability of my choices. This flesh is uncontrollable, IT HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN!"

Atlas jumped from the table, and regained his composure.

"Brother Doorman would have been able to guide me in these moments, I do miss my dear brothers from the Reserve Tomb. Life in this disgusting human society make me want to destroy everything that comes out of it."

Atlas turned to his flesh hand, remembering an important question that he had forgotten to ask himself.

"Where did I come from? I have raised many brothers from the corpses of humans and Demi-humans, but I do not know what body was used to create me. Perhaps it was a body of a wretched thief, perhaps that is why I struggle like this, a punishment for being trash."

Atlas walked out of the building to find the outside area set on fire and all of his skeletons waiting for him.

"Eldest Brother, we have found something." One of them spoke.

"What did you find?" Atlas asked.

"Orders, orders for a secret order of knights to be dispatched to a mansion belonging to an Eight Fingers ringleader." He spoke.

"When is the order to be issued?"

"1 hour."

"I will find this secret order, humans who dare to interfere with Nazarick's plans shall die."

Atlas looked through the details of the orders, finding that the meeting place was located within the bright Pillar of light.

"My excitement was immeasurable, but bitterness has taken that away. Entering that area will be the last thing I do. I already sense the end." Atlas spoke.

"Brothers, continue to patrol this area, I bid all of thee farewell, permanently perhaps."

Atlas walked towards the pillar and drew his sword in anticipation of the battle to be had. Even if there were 20 knights of level 30-40, Atlas could still probably come out victorious, but in this state, anything is possible. This time he doesn't have Narberal to save him should he fall. It would be too late to salvage the situation at the mansion.

"I am probably too late to hel-"

[Time will stop for this.] an abyssal voice spoke.

[I can grant this favour only once, for the abyss' energy that has gathered in the last Millenia is only enough for this.]

[I offer you the chance to go back 1 hour in the past, to the point where the Pillar has not appeared. Only then can you have a fight worth remembering.]

"Why do you offer this to me?"

[I can only be described as a close relative, a benefactor Of Nazarick even in the abyss. I can only hope that you do not make any stupid mistakes. So, do you accept?]

"I do."

[then I will bring you to the location at the point in time.]

"what is the abyss, before you go?"

[A place that has been around long before I came here, probably only a Millenia.]

ZOOOOM

Atlas opened his eyes to see him behind a formation of black armoured knights. They appeared to be the secret knight order mentioned by his brothers. Perhaps with this one chance, he can completely cripple their defences and end them in a swift motion.

"Mass Execute."

A large stream of blood appeared from beneath the knights' feet, growing larger as they began to fumble and fall to the ground.

"I see, a weakling is still a weakling on the defence. A full frontal attack could still have killed me though." Atlas spoke as he walked past the dead knights.

Atlas walked through the streets as he quickly approached the mansion. The skeleton I diD not understand the full scale of the situation, even when the voice spoke to him, he thought that the knights were the main issue. Atlas would soon realise that the fight to remember would be just a few minutes ahead of him.

"I am quite disappointed, the amalgamation of the abyss' power was only used for this situation. Perhaps I will inspect the mansion."

Atlas continued his brisk walk, eventually hearing the sounds of battle and shouting coming from the mansion's supposed direction.

"VERMIN BANE!"

A cloud of smoke appeared on and off from the mansion's main direction. The fighting felt intense even from Atlas' position, attracting his attention.

"The abyss was not wrong."

***

Extra:

"I think we need more nature in Nazarick...perhaps we should procure some plants..." Ainz spoke to himself.

"Procure...plants..."- Demiurge

"AINZ-SAMA WANTS THE FOREST!"