The Overlord Tournament Begins

   Across the infinite multiverse there are a myriad of Hells, Netherworlds, Underworlds, and other such planes of existence. Their relationships with their mortal world counterparts as varied as they are; although almost always having some relation with the after life in some negative aspect. These worlds despite apperances in some cases are always run by an overseer, a king, queen, emperor, overlord, something at the top with some title...typically the very being that created that world in the first place. Given the complexity of the very nature of souls the powers that be have established that some negative system in the afterlife is required to burn off their sin before reincarnation to prevent contamination of the next life. When sentient life is born, and thus carries the capacity to contaminate its next incarnation a netherworld is to be established. Given the ever growing number of entities powerful enough to create or conquer their own netherworlds; there is always conflict to be that world's netherworld (although some worlds may be connected to more than one netherworld at a time). To prevent wars between such beings from carrying over onto these mortal worlds a tournament was established; The Overlord Tournament; with strict rules and guidelines, controlled by a mysterious power...said to be that of the creator or creators of the First Hell.

   So it is however that if a world loses its Netherworld connection (various ways this can happen, usually some hero defeats the Overlord, weakening their ties as the Devil of that world), or some sorcerer seals the gates of Hell, and so forth,) ect... that a tournament will be held. A beacon goes forth, one tied to the Dream World that alerts to the absence of a Netherworld for the sentient souls. The first rule of the tournament, the first twenty beings of Overlord class to reach that planet (or else given/earned such a title by other means as raw power isn't everything) will be the contestants.

   In most cases this is a tournament of pure raw power. However tactics and manipulations may come into play, those that can best the others in games or contests if need be. Death (revived by the powers that be), surrendering, beaten to the point of being unable to fight, or bested by an agreed contest, and they are out; till only one remains. In the meantime the souls of the sinners will go the First Hell to be held in limbo till the contest is over.

   The world of Midgardia has become host to a new Overlord Tournament due to a temporal anomalie. The tournament was almost averted by Lahk Fhar, the ruler of the fiery abyssal Hell of that world; his attempted would have counted as a total victory given the means and his role as the manipulator in it...however other powers find his Hell to be boring, especially compared to the diversity of Midgardia and would see another in its place.

   ******

    The meeting of the three goddesses, to discuss a few things, one the confussion among the council as to what happened, their various "people" want answers as to why they found themselves on different worlds for a few hours. A second issue being restarting the Tournament of Darkness, and a third being the Overlord Tournament which both Echidaria and Lohln are taking part in, a gamble to keep the powers of their world in their hands even after the tournament. There is little time to discuss any of this however as a dark red sphere of energy appears before Echidaria and Lolhn, they float to the center of the room and merge as one, and project a screen above them.

   "Good design," says Lohln, "no sterio if multiple participants are present,"

   "Its only been a day," says Shahara, "I thought you said it would wait till twenty participents showed up?"

   "Most were already here," states Echidaria as a woman's voice comes from the screen.

   *The Overlord Tournament has begun..."

   Shahara has the camera in their office project the front of this screen to the other members of the council so they can see it as well.

   *Gathered now are Twenty Overlords, each of you has chosen to participate in the Overlord Tournament for control of Midgardia's Netherworld. Each of you will have the means to track the others via the Hell-Sphere spell, you may battle, buy out, or trick the others as you see fit....undo destruction of the planet and its population will disqualify you. You lose when you are destroyed, you will be sent back to your Netherworld alive as a result, you surrender, drop out, or are otherwise defeated or subdued by your opponents; at which point you will be sent back to your Netherworld and locked away from this Midgardia for the rest of the tournament. There is no time limit, it will continue till one remains. The souls of this world will in the meantime be put in stasis in the First Hell.

   The contestants, in order of entering the Tournament!*

  -an image for each appears in the screen as the unknown female voice speaks them.

  1: Lahk Fhar, ruler of the Red Sun Burning Hell

  2: Albiornesh, ruler of the White Sea Hell

  3: Hydera Dredge, ruler of the Soot Swamp Hell

  "She ruled a Hell?" whispers Shahara remembering her joining the Dark Tournament.

  4: Apole, ruler of the Swaying Sea Spirit World

  5: Echidaria, daughter of Albiornesh and ruler of the Tunnels of Madness, a dark realm of Midgardia.

  6: Paramalia, daughter of Albiornesh, ruler of a monster island on Midgardia

  Shahara narrows her eyes remembering that Paramalia refused to join the Dark Tournament, yet still over-powered Athena anyway.

  7: Albia, daughter of Albiornesh, ruler of the Catacombs Hell.

  Shahara starts to choke, "What?...since when?"

  Echidaria and Lohln are equally confused by this title.

  8: Lohln, Goddess of the Webs of Time on Midgardia, and ruler of the Shadow Library, a dark realm of Midgardia.

  9: Luke, Swordsman of Time, born of the fused essence of Lucetaria the progenitor of time and Rhulan Rokonaka the Overlord of the Faerie Realm, carried and born by Shahara the Beast Goddess of the Western Temple on Midgardia.

  "What the fuck?!" screams Shahara, "How...how is Luke mixed up in this?!"

   Echidaria *shrugs*, "I suspect my little sister probably had something to do with this."

  Elsewhere Luke is staring at the red screen dumbfounded himself, "My...my..." he stammers as Albia wraps her arms around him on the couch, "Luke," she hisses in his ear, teasing the rim with her tongue.

  "My father...." he stammers, "Is...what...what....what!?"

  He indicates the screen, "Who...are these people she said? and how does she know?"

  "The voice is Chaykonaka," whispers Albia, *shhh*

  The voice oddly had paused, and continues.

   10: Rhulan Rokonaka, Supreme Overlord of the Faerie Realm, known locally as Chaos.

   The image shows a naked black dragon woman with great wings, back angled horns, hair made of black and dark red nether-flames, and great glowing blue eyes. Luke just stares at it, "That! That is my father?!...or one of them...what the fuck?"

  Albia starts to laugh.

  "What..." says Luke.

  "You've met," says Albia with a *giggle*.

  He just looks at her and she whispers in his ear, "MewMew...that's MewMew."

  He looks at the image, which has stayed on the screen, back at Albia, and remembers once feeding MewMew some jerky while at Mirai's.

  Elsewhere, standing atop a sky scraper not far away Rhulan stands and thinks to herself, "Oh yeah...now I remember, the Mana stone mixed with Lucetaria's avatar and gave birth to a new soul...which she then put in that Tiger Goddess...what she'd do...not give birth for over two hundred thousand years? Yeesh."

  11: Endara Terata, ruler of the False Earth Hell.

   The screen shows the blue demoness with back angled horns. Albia whispers, "That's my aunt on my dad's side...somehow. She gave me the Catacomb Hell directly beneath her's as a present just before the tournament started."

  12: Suranaku, champion of Peres, annoyance to Rhulan, dumb ass working for the Dimension Police and pawn to Lahk Fhar...target this outsider and take him out first please.

  "What the fuck?" exclaims Suranaku, "what was that? Damned demons...."

  *Suranaku,* the same woman's voice projects into his mind, *You should drop out...you are not welcome in affairs that do not concern the likes of you. You are outclassed, all of these fighters will fight at their full power if need be...you have never fought Rhulan unbound in her Overlord state...nor many of these others.*

   "Who the fuck are you?" demands Suranaku, recieving no response.

   13: Sha'Riak, shark goddess of Midgardia
   The image shows a large mer-shark woman.

   14: Rossette, ruler of the Whirlpool Springs of the Netherworlds
    The image shows a pink demoness with back angled horns and wearing red and black steampunk corset attire.

   15: Cechantes, ruler of the Corporate Netherworld
     The image shows a black haired woman in a grey skirt buisiness suit.

   16: Garg, ruler of the Caverns Hell
    The image shows a hideous demon beast with the body of a fleshy scorpion and the head of a leathery lion with quills for a mane and daggers for teeth. it also has a small pair of wrinkly human-like arms under its chest and not just a pair of fleshy pincers.

   17: Yannna, ruler of the Cosmo Hell
     The image shows a woman dressed like a J-pop star in pink plastic costume, pink shoulder length starched up hair, go-go boots, and very strangely a giant pair of scissors on her back (as in as big as she is).

   18: Rhoan, the Demon General of the fifth legion of Dark World, an Earth-P dark realm.

   "Yuki's summon is in this as well?" ponders Shahara.

   19: Holly Jolly, ruler of the Holiday Hell
     The image shows a lithe woman dressed up like a christmas jester carrying a bag.

   20: King Krampus, ruler of the Howling Cold Hell
     The image shows a giant man creature covered in white fur, hooves of a goat, long neck, and the head of a demon goat. It is wearing long ragged robes and chains.

   As the red light vanishes the council starts to discuss what to do about all these high level demons fighting each other...when they already had a Kaiju problem, and with the obelisks gone and the tensions caused by the Dimension Police...all of which Shahara isn't really thinking about, as she is thinking about going home and discipling her son...thoughts which quickly turn to leather and whips.

   ******

   Mirai is sitting on the couch, rolling the Stone of Storms around in her hand, she looks to be near tears. Gene puts his paw on her leg and *whimpers*. She scratches behind his ear and sets the stone down on the coffee table. FiFi leaps up into her lap.

   "thank you," she says, "Its just...she was...my first summon. I'm thankful for you two...its just...I miss,"

  There is a rustling sound coming from upstairs, yet Toby the cat is in on the arm of the couch. She turns to get up when she sees MewMew coming down the stairs with her stuffed toy in her mouth. MewMew rushes over to the couch and settles down next to Mirai's thigh for a nap.

  Mirai is about to cry, "MewMew...you...came back *sniff*"

  FiFi and Gene exchange a confused look and look at MewMew, a psychic message from Gene, "I thought you woke up?"

  MewMew nuzzles the toy and sends back, "I have to be somewhere on this planet during the Overlord Tournament, and I did say I would come back to visit."