Momo gave a slight bow, performing a standard ladylike curtsy.
"Lord Ainz, it's an honor to meet you. I am Momo Belia Deviluke, and from today onwards I will serve as your secretary. Please take care of me."
Ainz looked at her for two seconds.
"... Makoto-san?"
"It's Higashino."
Momo tilted her head, her ahoge (cowlick) trembling slightly.
"I find Makoto-san more approachable than Higashino, don't you think so, Ainz- sama?"
Ainz was silent for a moment.
"Just call me Ainz."
"Okay, Ainz ~"
Ainz's skeletal jaw opened slightly, then closed again. He turned his head and looked back at the empty space.
"The void has changed."
What changes?
"Since you packed up and took most of the space, the intensity of the distortion has been weakening. Not by much, but it is definitely weakening."
Higashino Makoto walked to his side, his golden eyes also fixed on the empty space.
"Hmm, that's true. Should I just devour the rest? Of course, you can keep it if you find it useful."
"Don't leave any for me; the sooner the dangerous stuff is dealt with, the better."
Ainz's crimson eyes flickered.
"However, can it continue to devour?"
"Right."
Higashino Makoto spoke calmly.
"Didn't I create a space? By connecting it to the void, that space can devour the void and make it part of itself."
How long will it take?
"It shouldn't take long, but I'm not sure about the exact time."
Ainz remained silent for a moment.
"What about the other world? What discoveries were made there?"
No at the moment.
Higashino Makoto shook his head.
"We agreed to explore together, didn't we?"
He crouched down and picked up a leaf that had fallen out of the hole.
The leaves are emerald green, shaped like willow leaves, but much larger, with silvery veins on the surface.
"According to Kurumi and Haimi, these leaves were rare just a week ago. Now, we can find a few every day."
Ainz took the leaf and examined it carefully in his palm.
"Is this a plant from another world?"
"It should be."
"That world... has plants, animals, and most likely Wisdom life as well."
Higashino Makoto stood up, his golden eyes staring into the empty space.
"Besides, the level isn't too high, but who knows if some super-powerful monster might be hiding there."
Ainz returned the leaf to Higashino Makoto.
What are your plans?
"Continue to devour the void while exploring the New World."
Higashino Makoto thought for a moment.
"Use mercenaries and summoned creatures."
He paused.
"But there's no rush. We don't know the situation on the other side yet. Acting rashly might cause problems."
Ainz nodded.
"Then let's keep waiting."
"Um."
The two remained silent for a moment.
Momo stood behind Higashino Makoto, her purple eyes staring into the emptiness, her black tail swaying gently.
"Cheng-san."
"Um."
That hole... it looks really deep.
"Very deep."
What's inside?
"Have no idea."
Aren't you afraid?
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment.
"I'm not afraid."
"Why?"
"Because, whatever's inside, I'll get rid of it."
Momo looked at him, a certain light gleaming in her purple eyes.
"Cheng-san, you are really reliable."
Higashino Makoto didn't answer. He just stood there, staring at the emptiness, his golden eyes reflecting the distorted spatial patterns.
In the distance, Kurumi and Ayami emerged from the fortress and walked towards them.
Kurumi was wearing a black and red maid outfit, her black twin tails fluttering in the wind, her right eye half-closed, and a half-smile playing on her lips.
The black cat "Zafkiel" perched on her shoulder, its golden eyes gazing at Higashino Makoto.
Gokusai Kaibi followed behind her, her golden curly hair cascading over her shoulders, her crimson eyes carrying a hint of coldness.
She was wearing a simple black dress, not the pink backless gown.
Because this place isn't really suitable.
The two walked up to Higashino Makoto and stopped.
"Higashino."
"Higashino."
Higashino Makoto nodded.
"You've worked hard. Did you find anything?"
Kurumi took a stone slab from her bosom and handed it to Higashino Makoto.
"This fell out of the cavity yesterday. The writing on it is different from the previous stone slabs."
Higashino Makoto took the stone slab and put on his translation glasses.
The writing on the stone slab was in a language he had never seen before.
It is not the script of YGGDRASIL, nor is it the script of this world.
The translator's glasses flickered for a long time.
Higashino Makoto began reading.
The inscription on the stone slab is fragmented. Most of the text is illegible, and only a few words can be translated.
"The door... opens... the world... is destroyed... protect..."
Higashino Makoto put down the stone slab, a hint of seriousness flashing in his golden eyes.
The door opens, the world is destroyed, and protection is restored.
He repeated the words, tapping his fingers lightly on the stone slab.
What does this phrase mean when put together?
No one could answer him.
Ainz took the stone tablet, his crimson eyes fixed on the inscriptions.
"Perhaps it's a warning."
"What warning?"
"Warning: Do not go through that door?"
Higashino Makoto remained silent for a moment.
"But the door had already opened before we arrived."
"Too."
Higashino Makoto thought about it and felt that leaving it like that was too risky.
"Ainz, I'll devour the remaining distorted space as quickly as possible. Keep an eye on things and make sure nothing strange comes out."
"Okay, leave it to me."
Higashino Makoto turned and left.
"Momo is gone."
"You're here, Makoto."
Momo lifted her skirt and followed. Her black tail swayed gently behind her, the heart-shaped tip gleaming softly in the sunlight.
The two entered the fortress and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Ainz stood there, watching their retreating figures, a complex light flickering in his crimson eyes.
"Momo..."
He murmured the name.
"That guy Higashino, no wonder he's Peroroncino's friend, he really likes women."
No one answered.
Only the wind blew out from the hollow, carrying an unfamiliar scent.
And a faint, almost imperceptible call from another world.
Devouring the remaining distorted space was easier than Higashino Makoto had imagined; it was completely resolved in just about ten days.
The hollow engulfing process has entered its final stage.
The remaining spatial patterns began to collapse under the pressure of the Creator's space, like a shattered mirror, peeling off, cracking, and disappearing piece by piece.
With each piece disappearing, the void shrinks by one unit;
For every minute it shrinks, the speed at which space is swallowed increases by one minute.
This is an accelerating process.
The last ten meters were swallowed up within minutes.
The last five meters disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The last meter...
The void has closed.
Or rather, it shifted to Higashino Makoto's own little world.
There was only a flat, solid, grayish-yellow ground, and on it, the ruins that had slumbered for thousands of years.