Chapter 44 – Herta Space Station

"Live broadcast?"

Tatsuki glanced at the new notification and immediately understood. The group chat now had a feature to stream one's own point of view.

"Never thought the chat group would have something like this."

Exusiai: "Hey, how come Tatsuki always ends up in these Apocalypse Quests?"

Saeko Busujima: "Probably because he's the admin, so he's always chosen."

Ainz: "Hey, hey, aren't we overlooking something? Shouldn't you all be worried about me right now?"

Ainz: "Antimatter Legion? Doomsday Beast? Those don't sound like anything a regular person like me can handle!"

Shinobu Kocho: "I agree. It doesn't sound like something I could handle either."

Ainz: "@Tatsuki, Big Boss! Save me!"

Tatsuki remained silent.

Because this Ainz wasn't yet the all-powerful "Overlord," he was still just an ordinary person—he probably couldn't even handle a single weak Voidranger. This was quite the mess.

Luckily, Tatsuki now possessed Level 5 Vector Manipulation. He might not be on par with a Star God in March 7th's world, nor could he match the might of certain champions who inherited Star God power. But dealing with the Doomsday Beast should be manageable.

Yes, the Doomsday Beast was supposedly a planet-level weapon of the Antimatter Legion—though it didn't actually have the power to destroy a planet. Among the Legion, the Doomsday Beast was considered a "top-tier grunt," overshadowed by beings like Calamity Pioneers that truly could shatter planets, or the Extinction Dukes capable of destroying entire galaxies.

Tatsuki gently pried off Eriri's legs from around him and slipped his arm free. He glanced at his attire: pajamas and slippers.

"…Oh well."

He typed a quick reply in the chat.

Tatsuki: "@Ainz, you'll head over first. Just keep your head down and stay out of sight."

Ainz: "Roger that, big boss!"

Selecting "Confirm," he activated the quest. Immediately, a portal appeared, the world's time froze, and he stepped through without hesitation.

…

Herta Space Station

"Watch me do my thing!"

With nimble footwork, a pink-haired girl—March 7th—fired an icy arrow from her bow. The arrow pierced the Voidranger's armor and body.

With a strange, garbled cry, the Voidranger disintegrated on the spot.

"Enemy down! Let's move!" March 7th announced, heading toward the Astral Express platform.

"Wait, March!" Behind her, Dan Heng called out, making her pause.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept across the station's open area, revealing the starry void beyond. Gliding in that cosmic darkness was a colossal creature that resembled a blue-and-white dragon from a distance.

"It really came after us—the Doomsday Beast," said Himeko, her red hair draped over her shoulders as she observed the creature solemnly. She cast a fleeting glance at the silver-haired Stellaron bearer nearby.

"It seems this kid's Stellaron is attracting the Doomsday Beast's attention."

"Hey, get down here!"

March 7th shouted, drawing her bow again as she stood in front of the group.

Roar!!

The Doomsday Beast flew closer, its expansive wings generating turbulent gusts. Seeing it up close, one would realize it wasn't truly a dragon. Its massive body was linked by segments of void—one claw black, the other white—with a strange core at the center. It looked less like a living creature and more like a weapon.

"Wow! Are we sure we can handle that thing?"

In this dangerous moment, a panicked voice called out from behind them.

Everyone turned around to find two individuals who'd somehow appeared without anyone noticing. One was a plainly dressed, average-looking man, trembling at the knees as he gawked at the Doomsday Beast in terror. The other—golden eyes gleaming with fatigue and wearing a distinctly casual black pajama top and slippers—had a calm, cool demeanor.

Himeko's eyes narrowed thoughtfully; she didn't recall anyone matching their descriptions on the station. She spoke up warily, "Who are you two? You're not with Herta Space Station, are you?"

Her first thought was that they could be part of some hostile force, so she remained on guard. Dan Heng gripped his spear, equally cautious. Meanwhile, the silver-haired newcomer with a baseball bat—recently awakened and still somewhat lost—stared curiously at Tatsuki's golden eyes, which resembled his own.

"I'm here to help March," Tatsuki answered, his gaze shifting to the giant monster. "For now, we should focus on that big guy, right?"

As if on cue, the Doomsday Beast fired a beam of golden energy straight at March 7th.

"March!" Himeko exclaimed.

"Sneak attacking us? How underhanded."

Tatsuki acted instantly, teleporting in front of March 7th. He punched forward, striking the laser dead-on.

Crack!

It sounded like shattering glass. The air around his fist fragmented as the laser rebounded, ricocheting back to hit one of the Doomsday Beast's wings.

"So fast!" Dan Heng's pupils contracted in surprise.

"What Path does he belong to?" Himeko wondered, her brows knitting slightly.

"Tatsuki?" March 7th stared at him in astonishment.

Having just deflected the Doomsday Beast's attack with a single blow, Tatsuki turned and flashed her a grin. "Yep, that's me. The apocalypse quest popped up in the chat group, so Ainz and I came to help."