Chapter VII: The Thunder of Annihilation
Thor observed Nemu and Enri as they played with crude clay dolls he'd shaped—simple things, unworthy of his craft, yet the girls cherished them as if they were treasures forged in Asgard itself. Their laughter rang pure and untainted, a sound he'd long forgotten existed in any world.
Behind him, Albedo stood vigil, her crimson eyes soft with something approaching reverence. The God of Thunder, the Strongest Norse Deity, the Crusher of Giants—reduced to sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor, entertaining children with toys made of mud.
And yet, she had never seen him more magnificent.
Ainz remained stationed by the window, skeletal fingers drumming an irregular rhythm against the sill. His eye sockets blazed with cold calculation as he monitored the massacre unfolding beyond the village's boundaries.
Albedo fed Thor updates in hushed tones—careful not to disturb the children—her voice a low current of information that flowed through his consciousness without demanding response. Gazef Stronoff and his warriors were being systematically dismantled by the Slane Theocracy's magic casters. Superior numbers. Superior positioning. Superior magic.
Thor's expression remained unchanged. Serene. Almost bored.
Until he heard those words.
Gazef: "I am the Chief Warrior! My heart and soul belong to Re-Estize! I'll die a thousand times before I lose to the likes of you!"
Nigun: "Yes, you will die, and you'll only have your blaspheming tongue to blame for it. Face it, Gazef Stronoff. There's nothing you can do to stop us. Once we're through with you, we'll massacre the villagers."
The temperature dropped.
Not metaphorically. Actually dropped.
Frost crystallized on the wooden beams. The air itself seemed to solidify, becoming thick and oppressive. Nemu shivered, pulling her shawl tighter. Enri glanced up at Thor with confusion—why had it suddenly gotten so cold?
Thor's hands, gentle moments before, now rested motionless on his knees. His jaw was set. His eyes—those terrible, merciless eyes—fixed on some distant point beyond the walls, beyond the village, beyond the very concept of mercy itself.
Thor:(Internally, voice like grinding glaciers)They dare threaten what is mine to protect?
The clay doll in his palm fractured. Hairline cracks spider-webbed across its surface before it crumbled to dust.
Nigun: "Cease your futile resistance and lie down like a good dog. As an act of mercy, I'll make sure your death is painless."
To everyone witnessing the battle, what happened next defied comprehension.
Gazef Stronoff—bloodied, beaten, half-dead—laughed.
Not a bitter laugh. Not a desperate laugh. A genuine, almost pitying laugh that echoed across the killing field.
Nigun: "Is something amusing?"
Gazef: "Yeah. You. Your little army. Your pathetic threats." He spat blood, grinning through broken teeth. "When the two gods in the village come for you, it won't be a massacre."
Nigun's confidence flickered.
Gazef: "It'll be an extermination."
Nigun: "Trying to bluff me? Kill him, angels. Make sure he suffers—"
Gazef heard the voice before the magic activated. Not with his ears. With his soul.
Ainz: "It's time to switch."
Reality folded.
The villagers gasped as Thor, Ainz, and Albedo simply ceased to exist in one location and existed in another. In their place materialized Gazef and his surviving men—gravely wounded, barely conscious, but alive.
Gazef:(Disoriented) "Where...?"
Village Chief: "The storehouse! Lord Ainz's barrier—it kept us safe! He was just here, and then you—you just appeared—"
Understanding dawned in Gazef's fading consciousness. The ring. The unassuming ring Ainz had gifted him with such casual indifference. A spatial marker. A lifeline.
A promise.
He collapsed, blood loss finally claiming him, but he collapsed smiling.
Nigun: "And just who the hell are you?"
The question hung in the air like a guillotine blade.
Thor stood at the center of the killing field, hands clasped behind his back. He wore no armor. Carried no visible weapon. His crimson cape—tattered and ancient—stirred in a wind that didn't exist.
Beside him, Ainz radiated dark majesty, his skeletal form wrapped in robes that seemed to drink in the light.
Ainz: "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, servants of the Slane Theocracy. I am Ainz Ooal Gown. You may call me Ainz." He gestured casually to his companion. "This is Thor, God of Thunder. He's not particularly pleased with you at the moment."
Thor took a single step forward.
The earth cracked beneath his boot.
Not dramatically. Not explosively. It simply cracked—a jagged line that spread outward like a wound in reality itself, splintering through blood-soaked soil and shattered weapons.
Thor:(Voice like distant thunder, low and inevitable) "We have a relationship with those villagers."
Nigun:(Recovering his bravado) "Have you come to beg for their lives? Or just your own?"
Thor: "Beg?"
The word rolled off his tongue like a joke he'd heard before but never found funny.
Thor: "No. You misunderstand."
Nigun: "Then what—"
Thor: "I heard your words to the warrior. 'We'll massacre the villagers,' you said." He tilted his head, crimson eyes narrowing. "You have impressive courage for a creature so fragile. Or perhaps you're simply too ignorant to recognize your betters."
Nigun: "How dare—"
Thor: "We spent time and effort ensuring those villagers survived. We gave them safety. Security. Hope." His voice dropped an octave, each word carved from permafrost. "And you—insect—declared your intent to erase our work. To slaughter those children who played with toys we made with our own hands."
Lightning didn't crackle around him. Not yet. But the potential for it hummed in the air, a subsonic vibration that made teeth ache and hearts stutter.
Ainz: "My companion is offering you a choice. Surrender your lives without resistance. Do this, and we'll grant you swift deaths."
Thor: "Refuse..." He paused, letting silence do the work. "...and I will personally ensure that each of you understands the true meaning of suffering. Not death. Not annihilation. Suffering. The kind that lingers. The kind that echoes."
Nigun:(Snapping) "Kill them! Angels, attack!"
The Archangel Flames descended—holy constructs wreathed in divine fire, wielding blades forged from purified light.
They struck Thor simultaneously.
Swords pierced his chest, his throat, his skull. Holy fire washed over him in waves that should have reduced a mortal to ash.
Should have.
Thor stood motionless, arms still crossed, expression unchanged.
The angels pulled back, confused. Their weapons remained embedded in his body—or rather, where his body should have been. Instead, they'd struck some invisible barrier, some fundamental wrongness that prevented reality from harming him.
Thor: "Is this it?"
Nigun: "What—"
Thor: "This is your holy power? This is the might of the Slane Theocracy?" He sounded genuinely disappointed. "I've been struck by toddlers with more force."
Ainz:(Thoughtfully) "High Tiered Physical Nullification. A passive ability that renders low-level attacks meaningless. They might as well be throwing pebbles at a mountain."
Thor: "Not even pebbles." He finally moved, reaching up to pluck one of the holy blades from where it hovered uselessly near his throat. He examined it with academic disinterest. "Dust."
He flicked it.
The blade shattered into a million glittering fragments.
Thor: "You use magic from Yggdrasil. Summon creatures that shouldn't exist in this world. That interests me." He let the fragments fall like snow. "Tell me—where did insects like you learn to play with the tools of gods?"
The Theocracy mages scrambled, panic replacing arrogance. Dozens of spells ignited simultaneously—fire, ice, lightning, darkness—a cascading torrent of destructive magic that lit up the battlefield like a second sun.
Ainz: "Impressive variety. Tell me! Where did you learn—"
One of the spells—a lance of corrupted shadow—streaked toward Thor's unprotected back.
Albedo moved.
Not quickly. Instantly. As if she'd always been there, positioned perfectly between Thor and the attack. Her wings spread wide, and the spell simply... stopped. Reversed. Reflected.
The mage who'd cast it barely had time to scream before his own magic consumed him.
Slane Priest: "What—what just happened?!"
Thor:(Not even turning around) "Albedo."
Albedo: "Forgive me, Lord Thor, but if someone wishes to challenge a Supreme Being, they should at least be capable of defeating me first." Her smile was knife-sharp. "These worms couldn't scratch my armor if I stood still for a century."
Ainz: "Hahaha. Well said."
Thor: "They wouldn't last ten seconds against you." He finally turned his gaze to Nigun directly. "They won't last ten seconds against me, either."
Nigun:(Desperate) "Principality of Observation! Attack! Now!"
Ainz: "I suppose I should participate. Hell Flame."
A single mote of black fire—barely larger than a candle's flame—drifted lazily from Ainz's fingertip. It touched the angel's chest.
And the angel ceased.
Not burned. Not destroyed. Ceased. One moment it existed. The next, there was nothing but falling ash and the fading echo of a scream that never quite formed.
Nigun: "One... one spell? That's impossible! That was a high-level angel! Seventh-tier summon! It should have—"
Ainz: "Should have what? Survived?" His eye sockets blazed with cold amusement. "You keep using that word. 'Impossible.' I don't think you understand what it means."
Nigun's hands trembled as he reached for his final trump card—a sealing crystal that pulsed with concentrated holy light.
Ainz: "A sealing crystal. Capable of binding magic below the tenth tier. Interesting. So you possess Yggdrasil items as well."
Thor:(Flatly) "Use it."
Nigun: "What?"
Thor: "Use your trump card. Summon your strongest angel. Deploy your most devastating magic. I want to see if you have anything remotely resembling competence before I kill you."
The sheer disrespect in his tone—the casual certainty, the bored indifference—was more devastating than any insult could have been.
Ainz: "Albedo, your skills may be required."
Albedo: "As you command, my lord."
Nigun:(Crushing the crystal) "Behold! The shining form of the highest of angels! Dominion Authority!"
Light erupted. Blinding. All-consuming. A being of pure radiance materialized—towering, magnificent, wreathed in layer upon layer of holy power that made the previous angels look like cheap imitations.
Thor: "...That's it?"
Nigun: "That's right! I didn't want to waste it on mortals, but you've proven worthy of divine judgment itself!"
Thor: "Worthy?" He laughed. Actually laughed. It sounded like thunder rolling through distant mountains. "You poor, deluded fool."
Nigun: "What did you say?!"
Thor: "I said you're deluded. This?" He gestured dismissively at the Dominion Authority. "This is your strongest summon? This is what you consider divine power?" He shook his head, almost pitying. "I've killed actual gods. Real ones. Divine beings who shaped reality with their will alone. And you... you think this toy impresses me?"
Nigun: "Impossible! Mankind cannot stand against Dominion Authority! I'll prove it! Smite him! Destroy this blasphemer with holy judgment!"
The angel raised its weapon—a blade forged from condensed starlight—and brought it down in a strike that split the sky itself. A pillar of pure white light engulfed Thor completely, so intense that even the Theocracy's own mages had to shield their eyes.
The earth split. The air screamed.
And when the light faded—
Thor stood there, hand raised, catching the blade between two fingers.
Thor: "This is pain?"
His expression remained utterly neutral. Clinical. As if he were examining a mildly interesting insect.
Thor: "Hm. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be struck by something with intent to harm." He tilted his head, considering. "Thank you for the reminder. It's been... three hundred years? Four hundred? Time blurs when you're immortal."
Albedo:(Radiating murderous intent) "You DARE? You DARE strike Lord Thor?! The God of Thunder! The Strongest Norse Deity! The crusher of giants and slayer of world-serpents!" Her voice rose to a shriek. "You caused him to feel pain—to acknowledge your existence—and for that transgression, I will personally drag you through every level of torment conceivable before finally allowing you the mercy of oblivion!"
Her aura exploded outward—a wave of pure malice so concentrated that several Theocracy mages collapsed, blood streaming from their ears and eyes.
Thor: "Albedo."
One word. Spoken softly.
She stopped immediately, though her hands still trembled with barely restrained violence.
Thor: "Control yourself."
Albedo:(Voice shaking) "But my lord... they hurt you..."
Thor: "They tried." He finally looked down at the angel, still struggling uselessly against his grip. "And failed. Everything is proceeding as expected." His eyes shifted to Nigun. "Your turn is over. Mine begins now."
He released the blade.
And then he moved.
Not teleported. Not blurred. He simply moved with such speed that reality couldn't quite keep up. One moment he stood twenty feet away. The next, his fist was buried in the Dominion Authority's chest.
Thor: "Mjölnir's Echo."
Thunder.
Not the sound of thunder. Actual, physical, compressed thunder—the fundamental force of the storm made manifest, channeled through his fist directly into the angel's core.
The angel exploded.
Not vaporized. Exploded. As if every molecule in its body had simultaneously decided to occupy a different space in the universe. Wings, armor, weapon, divine essence—all of it scattered across the battlefield in a rain of glittering dust that sparkled mockingly in the fading light.
The shockwave flattened trees half a mile away.
Nigun:(Falling to his knees) "Even... even demons don't have that kind of power... What... what are you?"
Thor: "I am Thor. Son of Odin. God of Thunder. Strongest of the Aesir." He walked forward, each step measured, inevitable. "In the old world, my name was a prayer and a curse. Warriors invoked me before battle. Mothers whispered it to frighten misbehaving children. Kings offered tribute to avoid my wrath."
Lightning began to crackle around him now—not dramatic, not showy. It simply existed there, arcing between his fingers, dancing across his shoulders, crawling up his arms like living serpents.
Thor: "And you—insect—threatened children under my protection. Declared your intent to massacre innocents I've claimed as mine. Struck me with magic so pathetically weak that I genuinely questioned whether you were even trying."
Nigun: "Please—wait—I—"
A cracking sound split the sky.
Everyone looked up. The heavens themselves seemed to fracture, spiderweb cracks spreading across the blue like shattered glass.
Ainz: "It seems someone was using reconnaissance magic to observe the battle. The Theocracy, most likely. But my defensive barrier counteracted it. The backlash must have been... significant."
Nigun: "My own country... was watching me?"
Thor:(Cold, final) "They watched you fail. Watched you break against us like waves against stone. Watched you realize—far too late—that you were never the predator in this encounter."
He stopped directly in front of Nigun, towering over the cowering mage.
Thor: "You were always the prey."
Nigun: "NO! Wait! Please! Lord Thor! Lord Ainz! Spare my life! I'll give you anything! Information! Resources! I'll betray my country! Just let me—"
Albedo: "You're confused."
Nigun: "What?"
Albedo: "Lord Thor and Lord Ainz don't need anything from insects like you. You should consider it an honor that they're personally ending your worthless existence rather than letting you live with the shame of your failure."
Nigun: "What do you mean, 'insects like me'? We're human! We're—"
Thor: "What were your words to Gazef Stronoff?" His voice dropped to a whisper—the most terrifying sound Nigun had ever heard. "Ah, yes. I remember. 'Cease your futile resistance and lie down like a good dog. As an act of mercy, I'll make sure your death is painless.'"
He raised one hand.
Lightning gathered. Not the lightning of storms. The lightning of creation—the primordial force that split the void and gave birth to the first light, compressed into a single point of absolute destruction.
Thor: "I'm afraid I can't extend you the same courtesy."
Nigun: "WAIT—"
Thor: "Mjölnir's Judgment."
The lightning fell.
It wasn't loud. It didn't need to be. The sound came after—a rolling, crashing symphony of devastation that echoed for miles. But in that instant, there was only light. Pure, terrible, all-consuming light that erased everything it touched.
When it faded, the Theocracy's forces were simply... gone.
No bodies. No blood. No ash. Just scorched earth and the lingering scent of ozone.
Thor:(Quietly) "You wanted a massacre. I gave you annihilation."
After the battle, Ainz returned to Nazarick first, citing paperwork and administrative duties. Thor and Albedo remained behind, walking in comfortable silence beside a still lake that reflected the full moon like a mirror.
Thor:(Internally)Did I go too far? Was I too brutal? Will Albedo think less of me for losing control, even slightly?
Albedo:(Muttering, just loud enough) "So cool... Lord Thor is absolutely magnificent... The way he moved... The way he spoke... That thunder at the end..." She hugged herself, shivering with something that definitely wasn't fear. "I think I'm in love all over again..."
Thor: "Hm? Did you say something?"
Albedo:(Snapping to attention) "Nothing, my lord! Though... if I may ask, why did Lord Ainz save that human soldier? He even gave him such a valuable artifact..."
Thor:(Internally)It was a novelty item. Literally won it in a lottery.
Albedo: "More importantly..." Her voice turned serious, almost hurt. "You could have sent me to fight in your place. I am your shield, my lord. Your guardian. There was no need to risk yourself personally against such worthless opponents."
Thor: "I know your strength, Albedo. I've seen you fight. I've witnessed your devotion." He stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "But we don't know this world yet. Don't understand its rules, its powers, its hidden dangers. Until we do, we must treat every threat as potentially lethal. Assuming the enemy is stronger than us—even when they're clearly not—keeps us alive."
Albedo: "So you were testing them! Using their arrogance against them!" She nodded eagerly. "Your tactical brilliance is—wait." Her enthusiasm faltered. "That... that doesn't explain why you let that angel hit you directly. You just... stood there. Let it strike you."
Thor: "Necessary data collection."
Albedo: "Data?! You call letting yourself get hurt 'data'?!" Her voice cracked. "Watching you feel pain—even for an instant—even knowing you were never in danger—it was more than I could bear! No woman wants to see her..." She paused, swallowing. "...to see the one she loves get hurt."
Thor moved.
Not with godly speed. Not with divine power. Just a simple, human gesture.
He kissed her.
Albedo froze—completely, utterly still—for exactly two heartbeats. Then she melted into him, her hands coming up to grip his shoulders, a small sound escaping her throat that was half-gasp, half-sob.
When they finally parted, her eyes were wet.
Thor: "I'll be more cautious. For your sake." He brushed a tear from her cheek with surprising gentleness. "Come. Let's go home."
Albedo:(Voice barely above a whisper) "Yes... yes, my lord. Let's go home."
The throne room of Nazarick held a tension that could be cut with a blade.
Every Guardian stood at attention, arranged in perfect formation. Ainz sat upon his throne, radiating dark majesty. Thor stood to his left—not sitting, never sitting—arms crossed, expression unreadable. Albedo occupied the position to Ainz's right, her usual composure restored.
Ainz: "I want to apologize for leaving Nazarick without proper authorization. I acted impulsively, and for that, I am sorry. However, there is a matter of greater importance that requires immediate attention."
He raised one skeletal hand.
Ainz: "Greater Break Item."
The guild banner—the symbol of their former guild, Ainz Ooal Gown—shattered.
Gasps echoed through the chamber. Several Guardians took involuntary steps forward before freezing, torn between shock and discipline.
Ainz: "With the support and blessing of my dear friend Thor, I am changing my name. From this day forward, I shall be known as Ainz Ooal Gown—inheritor of the guild's legacy, keeper of its memory, bearer of its dreams."
He rose from his throne, and the room seemed to darken, shadows lengthening impossibly.
Ainz: "You will call me Ainz. If any of you have objections—if any of you doubt this decision—stand now and voice your concerns. I will hear them."
Silence.
Not the silence of fear. The silence of absolute loyalty.
One by one, every Guardian dropped to one knee.
Ainz: "Then hear my command! This is not a request. This is not a suggestion. This is an absolute order from your master!"
Lightning crackled along Thor's arms, responding to the intensity of the moment.
Ainz: "Make the name Ainz Ooal Gown an eternal legend! Spread it across this world like wildfire! Carve it into the very fabric of reality itself so that every living being—every creature, every mortal, every god—knows that we have arrived!"
Thor:(Internally)Across the land, through the sky, over the sea. Wherever our friends may be—if they exist in this world—they will hear our names and know they are not alone.
Ainz:(Internally)I will find them. No matter how long it takes. No matter what stands in my way. I will find my friends.
After Ainz and Thor departed, only the Guardians remained.
Albedo: "Demiurge, share with everyone what the masters told you."
Demiurge: "Of course." He adjusted his glasses, a small smile playing at his lips. "On our first night in this world, I had the honor of speaking with Lord Ainz and Lord Thor. They stood beneath alien stars and spoke words I will never forget: 'The stars glitter like jewels. We were sent to this land to claim those jewels—and every treasure that shines beneath them.'"
He paused, letting the weight of those words sink in.
Demiurge: "And then, as if speaking to themselves, they said: 'The most enjoyable thing now might be taking over the world.'"
The Guardians exchanged glances—excitement, anticipation, hunger.
Albedo: "You heard him. Our goal is clear. Our purpose is absolute." She raised her voice, letting it echo through the throne room. "As servants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as warriors of the Supreme Beings, as instruments of their will—we will conquer this world! We will present it to Lord Ainz and Lord Thor as a gift! And we will not fail!"
All Guardians: "FOR NAZARICK! FOR THE SUPREME BEINGS!"
Thunder rolled outside, distant yet present—a promise, a threat, a declaration of war against the world itself.
To Be Continued