"Do you know someone called Keno Fasris Invern?" Mikoto asked softly.
Rex raised an eyebrow, confused by the sudden question. He paused, genuinely trying to recall the name, but nothing came to mind.
"Nope," Rex said honestly. "And I've got a damn good memory. So, how exactly do you think I came to meet this Keno? It might help me recall the person."
His gaze narrowed slightly, noticing how the guy in front of him was clenching his fists, trying his best to hold back whatever storm was brewing inside.
"About 100 years ago, you came across a vampire," Mikoto began, his voice trembling with restrained anger. "You tricked her into falling in love with you. You listened to her dream of becoming human and promised her that the two of you could grow old together. You made her believe… and then you turned her human."
He took a shaky breath before continuing. "But it was a lie. She was only human for one day. Along with her human form, you too disappeared the next morning after getting what you wanted."
Rex stared at him for a long moment, processing the accusation in silence. And then, with sudden, wide-eyed joy, he gasped.
"…No way? Landfall! You're my son!" he exclaimed, utterly delighted.
The sheer happiness in his voice was jarring, like a thunderclap of warmth in a storm of tension. As a father, Rex was clearly overjoyed to encounter his child, but his reaction left Mikoto and the others stunned. None of them had expected that kind of response.
"I didn't know I was a father… we missed out on so much. Your first steps, your first words…" Rex said, his voice filled with wonder. "I have so much to teach you!"
His joy was disarming—so much so that Mikoto's rage began to fade, if only slightly. But that flicker of peace was quickly drowned out as memories of his mother came rushing back. The fear she had carried for months while pregnant, terrified he wouldn't survive… the pain, the loneliness—none of it could be forgotten.
"But… first I need to explain myself to Landfall," he said quietly, his tone suddenly unsure. "It wouldn't be right to just walk into your life like this—not without owning up to my countless mistakes."
His eyes met Mikoto's again, and this time, they weren't full of joy, but of quiet resolve and the weight of long-buried regret.
"You better…" Mikoto muttered, still unsure how to react. But just as the tension began to shift, he noticed Michael—and everything about Rex's guild suddenly came flooding back to him.
He wasn't given the chance to speak, however. Michael exploded with rage, conjuring countless clones that swarmed toward Rex like a tidal wave of fury.
"The clone talent?" Rex said, unfazed. He calmly raised his palm and activated a skill from his [Apex Singularity] job class—[Apex Control].
Within the radius of this skill, Rex became the absolute. The omnipotent ruler of the domain. Inside this space, reality bent to his will. But such overwhelming power came with a cost—only those with unmatched strength in both mind and body could wield it without breaking apart.
As the swarm of clones reached Rex, they vanished on contact, one after another disintegrating like illusions meeting reality. Michael's main body let out a sharp, agonized scream as pain surged through his chest. From that very spot, an orb began to rise, floating out of him and into Rex's waiting palm.
"This is your talent," Rex said casually, turning the orb slowly in his hand. "It's not really shaped like this, of course. I just made it look like this to help you visualize it better."
He studied the glowing sphere for a moment, then looked down at Michael the way one might regard an ant struggling underfoot.
"I have the power to give and take talents," he continued, voice light but laced with menace. "So, depending on your next words… I'll decide whether I destroy this little gift of yours, or give it back."
"He's your son!" Mikoto said quickly, the words striking like a thunderclap.
Rex froze, eyes going blank.
"His mother is Antilene," Mikoto added, and this time, Rex's eyes widened in shock. A heavy silence fell as he processed the revelation. After a long breath, he exhaled and slowly handed the glowing orb back to Michael.
A chair appeared behind him with a flick of his hand, and he sank into it without a word, his expression unreadable.
"Can you… Put on some clothing?" Mia asked, her face turned away, unable to meet Rex's completely unclothed form.
"Shut up, can't you see I'm standing before my kids?" Rex said, clearly annoyed.
But then someone whispered something to him—Mia was also his daughter. His expression shifted to pure confusion as he stood there, stunned. After a moment, he sighed, conjured clothes onto himself. He might have been arrogant, but he wasn't heartless. Making his children uncomfortable was never his intention.
"I get it," Rex said after a pause, his tone softer. "You all probably hate me… and I understand. I really do. So take your time, gather your thoughts, and say whatever you need to say. After that, we can talk about how you want to go forward. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it right… But if you decide you want nothing to do with me, I'll respect that, too."
His calm, sincere voice left them stunned. It didn't feel like the arrogant man they'd expected.
Michael stepped forward first, his eyes burning. He didn't hold back, shouting every bitter truth he had bottled up—how much he hated Rex, how much his mother had suffered, and how Rex had abandoned her… even killed her. The rage, the grief, all of it came pouring out.
Rex sat through it all, his expression strained with pain, nodding slowly as Michael let out everything he'd buried for years. He didn't interrupt. He didn't defend himself. He just listened—silent, remorseful, and still.
But then… something felt off. Mikoto frowned, stepping closer. There was something unnatural about the way Rex just sat there. Curious, he reached out and poked him, only for his hand to pass right through… An illusion.
Rex had disappeared long ago. The weight of the betrayal settled in like ice water. That day, his children learned just how their mothers had fallen for Rex. It was so easy to fall for his words because he did and said everything they wanted to hear. Rex hadn't and will never change. He was still the same manipulative scum who could play the perfect part, say all the right words, and pretend to be the father they always longed for.
***
"You really don't learn." The words were laced with exasperation as Rex stepped into the grand throne room, only to be greeted by Momonga's helpless tone. By his side was Albedo, who was looking at him with a gentle smile.
"What do you mean? Of course, I learn. How else would I be this strong?" Rex replied with a cheerful grin, his eyes lighting up at the sight of an old friend.
It had been two hundred long years. But now, finally, he was home—and seeing Momonga again filled him with a warmth he hadn't felt in ages.
"…" Momonga stared at Rex for a long moment, saying nothing.
His mind drifted back to a report he saw on the news back on Earth. Rex had been kidnapped by a girl to whom he had once promised the world. He gave her dreams, hopes, everything she ever wanted to hear… only to vanish the next morning without a word. That betrayal shattered her, and it was said Rex had sworn, in the aftermath, to never lay hands on another woman again…
But of course, that too had been a lie.
There were other stories—plenty, in fact. One of his former lovers had been disowned by her family the moment they discovered she was pregnant with Rex's child. Left with nowhere to go, no one to turn to, and hatred boiling in her veins, she tried to kill him. Rex survived, the knife wounds leaving scars that never truly healed.
As for the baby? The child was left behind, abandoned to the system
There were countless other stories just like those—more than Momonga cared to remember. And back on Earth, things had been even worse. With the air choked by pollution and society in chaos, it was already a nightmare. But Rex? Rex had somehow made it more complicated.
The last time Momonga checked, Rex had fathered over 500 children. All within a span of just 12 years.
Many believed that number was conservative, and that more had yet to be discovered or officially reported. It was as if Rex had taken it upon himself to single-handedly repopulate Japan.
Momonga, for his part, estimated the real number to be closer to a thousand. Rex was the type to never stick around after a night. He vanished just as quickly as he appeared. And protection? That was clearly the last thing on his mind.
"So, what's your plan to stop me?" Rex asked as he slowly paced around the throne room, his eyes drifting up to the massive flag that draped across the chamber walls.
The question hung in the air like a blade.
"What?" Momonga blinked, clearly caught off guard, his thoughts halting mid-track. Even Albedo stiffened beside him, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"You know," Rex said, his grin curling with dark amusement, "I'm pretty sure you had more than a few sleepless nights thinking about what you'd do if I ever turned against Nazarick. Me, coming back to take your spot as guild master."
The wicked smile that followed was taunting, baiting—meant to dig under the skin.
Momonga snorted, completely unfazed. "You're the last person I'd ever waste time worrying about in that way."
The words hit Rex harder than expected. He was moved.
"Really?" Rex asked, his voice carrying a rare note of awkwardness. He didn't know how to react after hearing something that… sincere. Sure, he knew he was great—but to hear it said so plainly was unexpectedly nice.
"Someone like you?" Momonga replied. "You fear responsibility. Worrying about you turning traitor would've been a complete waste of time."
Rex flinched slightly, as if Momonga's words were an arrow that found its mark.
"I don't fear responsibility… why else would I have joined the guild?" Rex asked defensively, his arms crossing as if to shield himself from the truth.
Momonga didn't respond. He already knew the answer, but chose not to say it aloud.
Rex had joined because he was lonely. He wanted friends. And Ainz Ooal Gown had welcomed him without hesitation. In fact, it was Rex who had played one of the biggest roles in turning Nazarick into the number one-ranked guild.
In the anime, it had been ranked ninth, even with all its powerful members. But in truth, Rex had shaped the very foundation of the guild's rise. His influence and effort pushed not only the guild but every member within it into the ranks of the strongest players in all of YGGDRASIL.
"Oh, before I forget—let me turn you into a god," Rex said casually, as if offering a snack. "Before the game shut down, I changed my race. Right now, I'm only level 50… but I'm absurdly strong."
His words hit hard, causing both Albedo's and Momonga's eyes to widen in stunned disbelief.
"I'm now a godly human," Rex continued, his voice light but confident. "And with that comes the power to turn others into gods. At my current stage, I can create fifteen low-tier gods a day. I haven't yet met the requirements to create mid or high-tier gods…"
"There are two ways I can create gods," Rex said calmly. "The first is by breaking a person down and rebuilding them from the ground up, reshaping them as I see fit. It's quicker, easier, and guarantees results… but it comes with a cost. You'd be unable to grow stronger without me, and your loyalty—well, that would no longer be your choice."
He let the weight of that sink in before continuing.
"The second method is far more difficult. I help someone to evolve naturally, pushing beyond the limitations of their race. You'd retain your freedom and the right to grow without needing me, but you won't be able to advance to mid or high-tier godhood through my skills later. Still, it removes your level cap, granting you the potential to ascend on your own… if you're strong enough to meet the requirements."
"Of course, the second option," Momonga said without hesitation. Rex gave a simple nod of approval before slicing his palm open. His blood surged out unnaturally fast, forming two massive orbs that hovered in the air above him..
With a casual wave of his hand, the blood orbs shot toward Momonga and Albedo at blinding speed—too fast for either of them to react. The orbs burst on contact, dousing the two in Rex's blood, which instantly began to seep into their bodies and fuse with them on a fundamental level.