Chapter 360
Crystal Tower, spiral staircase.
Simon’s party was dashing up the stairs without a moment’s pause.
Not satisfied with simply running up, they moved by stepping on the railing and leaping to the next one.
At this pace, they should have reached the top in no time, but—
—Uwooooh!
—Graaaaah!
There were obstacles. As if to block their ascent, zombies running on all fours swarmed endlessly from each floor.
[Move!]
As Prince’s eyes flashed, the eyes of several zombies dropping from the ceiling turned the same color as his.
Simon immediately raised his left hand—the one without the sword—and clenched his fist.
‘Corpse Explosion!’
A series of explosions echoed, and the remains of the zombies rained down.
“Oh my! Please be careful, Simon.”
Serne elegantly opened an umbrella she had brought from somewhere. Thud, thud, zombie remains fell onto it.
“I almost got something filthy on me.”
‘……Unshakable as always.’
Serne had attached several feathers to her back, lightly fluttering as she floated in the air.
Perhaps she had adjusted her weight, she was floating with just the umbrella alone.
“More importantly, Serne! Do you remember what floor we’re on?”
Swinging the Greatsword of Destruction, Simon split three lunging zombies at once.
“Fifteenth floor.”
Kajan answered instead, moving with beast-like agility along the railings, slashing with his claws. Zombies were torn apart like sheets of paper.
“And Sasha’s hospital room was on the thirty-seventh floor.”
“We haven’t even come halfway? How dreadful~”
At Serne’s gesture, the feathers flew like guided arrows, piercing the zombies’ heads. The limp bodies smashed through the glass windows and fell outside.
[Kha! Hidden Card Punch!!]
As Prince’s punch shot forward, a fierce shockwave blasted downward, sending the descending zombies flying away.
[Hey! Doesn’t this seem weird to you?!]
Prince lowered his fist and shouted.
[They keep flooding in from above!]
Kajan nodded.
“Seems someone is transporting zombies inside the building through a portal or something.”
Simon’s face grew serious. Whoever it was, they clearly didn’t want the group to make it to the top.
“We’ll have to move faster.”
Fwoosh!
Simon stepped on the railing with one foot, his intangible cloak fluttering behind him.
“Everyone, pick up the pace!”
[Pick up the pace from here? Impossible!]
“You know what, Prince?”
Simon looked back at him.
With his right hand, he slicked back his sweat-dampened bangs in the most dashing way possible, flashing a radiant smile. The sweat drops caught the light and sparkled.
“A true hero grows stronger the more trials they face.”
[!!]
Prince’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.
As though the idea had never occurred to him before, his whole body trembled with excitement.
[That line just now…!]
He clenched his fists, stomped on the railing—
[That’s cool!!]
—and suddenly dashed headlong into the zombies.
[Hero!]
His right fist, wreathed in Darkness, sent shockwaves blasting away the descending zombies.
[Trials!]
His left fist followed, unleashing another booming strike that sent zombies flying.
[Make me stronger!]
As Prince dashed full-speed along the railing, smashing zombies to pieces, Serne tilted her head.
“What’s gotten into that kid?”
Simon gave an awkward cough, embarrassment catching up to him.
“……Prince has always loved those kinds of lines.”
Thanks to Prince, the remaining three could deal more comfortably with stragglers as they ascended the spiral staircase.
Prince, shouting all sorts of war cries, wore an expression brimming with exhilaration.
[Simon! You were right!!]
Then, just like Simon earlier, he slicked back his bangs with his right hand, covering most of his face except for his eyes.
[I really do feel stronger the more trials I face!]
Serne shouted loudly.
“Waa~ You’re so cool, Hero!”
Prince’s face flushed crimson at her words. Blowing a sharp puff from his nose, he cried, “Leave it to me!” and swept away the descending zombies.
“Like this, right?”
Lowering her hand with a blank expression, Serne asked, and Simon gave a wry smile.
“……Yes, not bad.”
“They say Ancient Undeads are the most mysterious beings in the world—seems it’s true.”
Thanks to Prince’s heroics, they made it to the thirtieth floor.
There was a ceiling here, and to get higher they’d have to switch to another staircase.
[Huff! Huff! Hahh!]
Prince was sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.
“You okay?”
“You were amazing, Hero!”
Simon and Serne were cheering him on at his side. Prince glared suspiciously at them.
[You’re not just sweet-talking me to use me, are you?]
“Oh, surely not~”
Serne flashed a fox-like smile.
“It’s just a shame more people couldn’t see your heroic side, Prince~”
[…]
When Prince kept his suspicious gaze, she clasped her hands together with a look of regret.
“But it can’t be helped. A hero’s duty is to fight villains quietly, even if the citizens never recognize it.”
[!!]
As if a switch had been flipped again, Prince sprang to his feet.
[Yes, yes! That’s cool! You’re right! Even without recognition, I’ll fight with all I’ve got!]
Serne winked at Simon.
‘……She might handle Prince even better than I do.’
“Quiet.”
Meanwhile, Kajan was brushing his hand along the wall.
He stopped, tapped the wall lightly with his fist, and the illusionary magic dissolved, revealing a massive magic circle behind it.
“Just as I thought. This magic circle is pulling zombies from outside into the building.”
He gathered Darkness into his fist and struck, shattering the circle completely.
“That should stop the zombie supply. Let’s move.”
“Yes!”
The four took off again. The thirtieth floor was the passage dividing the lower and upper sections.
From the thirty-first floor onward, it was where all sorts of knowledge and top-secret materials were stored. Entry was restricted to those with verified identities.
“This way.”
Kajan, moving as if familiar with the place, led them onward.
An open view unfolded before them.
The air was warm, tropical—trees and plants grew inside the building. And this vast space still had floors.
‘Thirty-seventh floor.’
Simon quickly counted with his fingers. Sasha’s hospital room was on the seventh floor from here.
Just then—
[Welcome, members of the 7th Legion and Keyzen.]
All four froze and looked around.
“Be careful! This is…!”
Before Kajan could finish, something white slammed into him—BANG!—sending him flying.
“Kajan!!”
—Uwooooh.
A white zombie.
Its entire body was white and muscular, standing over two meters tall. Five eyes on its face.
Simon could tell instantly it was a zombie, but its aura was on a completely different level from normal ones.
[Feel it, boy?]
Feer, who had been focusing on the fight, spoke.
[That’s a zombified legionnaire.]
“Huh?”
Another white zombie charged at Serne. She pulled out feathers and formed a Darkness Shield, but was pushed back.
“Oh my.”
Even Serne blinked in surprise at its power.
[Who are you! Show yourself!]
Prince shouted.
Then, from a floor three stories up, footsteps approached—someone appeared. Through the link, Feer’s consciousness surged with hostility.
[So it was you!]
‘Feer, do you know him?’
[An Ancient Undead of Magnus’s Legion, the Zombie Butler.]
The Zombie Butler looked almost human, aside from his pale skin. Dressed in a butler’s suit, wearing a monocle.
Most of all, the massive aura of Darkness radiating from his whole body proved he was an Ancient Undead.
[It is an honor to meet you.]
He bowed politely. Simon’s face hardened.
“You’re the one behind all this?”
[As you can see, yes.]
Straightening his posture, the Zombie Butler continued.
[My legion commander wishes to speak with the 7th Legion Commander. Would you come with me?]
[Like hell—]
Before Simon could speak, Prince dashed toward him.
[Shut up!!]
Prince’s punch, carrying a massive shockwave, shot forward.
Thump.
But with utter calm, the Zombie Butler caught Prince’s fist.
[Ah!]
[You’re an Ancient Undead derived from a zombie as well, I see.]
Then his left hand shot out.
[Allow me to teach you something, zombie to zombie.]
Squelch!
His hand pierced through Prince’s chest and came out his back. Prince coughed blood.
“Prince!”
Simon shouted in shock. Prince, who could shrug off swords and arrows with his bare body, had been pierced clean through.
[Is that all? Disappointing.]
Then, black energy rose from Prince’s body like his soul leaving him, and he reverted to an ordinary zombie.
[Hm?]
Bzzzzzt!
Simon’s newly summoned zombie, fired like a bullet through Overlord, was struck by a black bolt of lightning with a deafening crash.
[Kill me as many times as you want!]
The zombie shifted back into Prince’s form and threw a punch.
[I’ll keep coming back and beat you to death!]
Boooom!
The Zombie Butler quickly raised his elbow to block the attack.
[A resurrection ability? Impressive.]
[Shut up!]
Prince twisted his waist and launched a kick, but even that the Zombie Butler blocked with ease.
[Give back Akemius!!]
[Akemius?]
[The one who should’ve been part of our legion from the start!]
[Ah.]
The Zombie Butler stepped back with a smile.
[You must be speaking of the former 7th Legion Ancient Undead. I’m afraid that’s impossible. He’s part of the 5th Legion now.]
The butler sighed as he spoke.
[His loyalty to his former legion, even after it was disbanded, is so strong he refuses to obey orders.]
[What did you do to Akemius!]
[We’ve locked him up and are torturing him. Until he pledges loyalty to Lord Magnus.]
At those words, flames of rage flared in Prince’s eyes. With a roar, he charged.
“You are not my opponent.”
Snap!
The Zombie Butler snapped his fingers, and a white zombie shot up from the floor, throwing a punch.
Crack!
With that sound, Prince’s body was sent flying dozens of meters.
Crash!
He smashed into a nearby fountain, shattering it. But in the darkness of the rubble, Prince’s glowing eyes gleamed.
[That’s nothing!]
Prince tried to use the crown’s power to seize control of the white zombie.
However—
[Huh, it’s not working?]
[So you have the ability to control zombies as well. But it won’t work on them.]
The Zombie Butler smiled.
[The White Ghosts are elite soldiers I created myself, and they obey only my commands.]
The white zombies were indeed strong—Kajan was fighting one evenly, and even Serne was caught in the grip of another.
[More importantly, 7th Legion Commander.]
The Zombie Butler looked back at Simon.
[Once again, I ask you to come meet our legion commander.]
“I refuse.”
Simon said coldly.
“Unless I’ve lost my mind, I have no reason to face him.”
[That’s unfortunate.]
The butler snapped his fingers again.
[I regret having to resort to this.]
“…!”
Simon’s eyes widened. From the shadowed corridor, someone was approaching.
A necromancer in a Dark Robe—and beside him, a girl unconscious, bound by ropes of Darkness, floating in the air.
“Sasha!!”
[The girl you risked your life to save in the Neutral Zone. If you want to save her life—]
The Zombie Butler extended his hand.
[Disarm yourself and come here.]
Simon bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
“Wait! Simon!”
Still fending off a white zombie, Serne shouted.
“Get a grip! You’re not seriously going for just one kid, are you?”
[Of course.]
The Zombie Butler snapped his fingers a third time.
Step.
Step, step.
Step, step, step.
White zombies appeared from every floor—there were easily over twenty of them.
Prince and Kajan stiffened and stepped back.
[Even if you choose to fight and abandon the girl, you have no chance. We even have an active Crow here.]
As if to prove his words, Evangelos gave a sly grin.
[And thanks to the barrier over the Glass Tower, you can’t call for help from outside. Now, my final offer—disarm yourself and come here.]
“……”
Simon closed his eyes, lost in thought.
After a long, heavy silence, he opened them again.
Thud!
He dropped the Greatsword of Destruction to the floor.
“Fine, I understand.”
[Boy!]
As Simon disconnected his mental link with Feer, the Bone Armor covering him dissolved and fell to the ground.
“Simon! Think this through rationally!”
Kajan shouted while blocking a white zombie’s attack. Simon kept his mouth shut and walked toward the Zombie Butler.
[Excellent. A man who understands reason.]
The butler smiled.
[You idiot!!]
Prince yelled and rushed at Simon, but a white zombie intercepted him with a punch that sent him flying.
[As long as you come alone, I’ll guarantee everyone’s lives. Now, this way.]
The gap between Simon and the Zombie Butler grew smaller. The closer Simon came, the wider the butler’s smile became.
[Yes. Just a little more… a little more…!]
“But you know,”
Simon said with a faint smile as he approached,
“don’t you think this is a little too easy?”
Tight!
The Zombie Butler suddenly felt his breath catch—immense pressure coiled around his neck.
[!]
Something like a black-blue cord was tightening around not only his neck, but his entire body.
[Ahh~]
A shiver crawled down his spine. Evangelos, grinning like a devil, had ensnared him with black cords.
[Y-you… betrayed me?! Evangelos!]
[Betrayed?]
A distorted voice came from Evangelos’ mouth.
[I was never—]
Crackle—
Half of Evangelos’ face crumbled away.
The other half… was that of a woman.
[—on your side to begin with.]
The Zombie Butler’s face froze in shock.
‘…A trap!’
It wasn’t Evangelos. That aura—undeniably an Ancient Undead.
[Nice, Erzebet!!]
Prince shouted excitedly.
The Zombie Butler hurried to unleash Darkness across his whole body to escape, but—
Tap!
Simon dashed at him at terrifying speed. The Bone Armor shot toward him and reattached itself in an instant, and the Greatsword of Destruction was back in his hand.
And then—
Squelch!
The Greatsword of Destruction, which prevented recovery, sank deep into the Zombie Butler’s abdomen.
[Gaaaahhhhhh!!]
He screamed in agony. Simon glanced back.
“You can stop acting now.”
At those words—
Crash!
Slash!
Kajan smashed a white zombie’s face with his elbow, and Serne severed another’s neck with her feather sword.
[…Impossible!]
The butler trembled in pain.
[When did you find out?!]
“Not that long ago. But more importantly—”
Simon began examining the magic circle drawn on his body.
The Zombie Butler struggled, but Erzebet flicked her fingers, and spiderweb-like bindings tightened, immobilizing him completely.
“Found it.”
Simon lightly cut the surface of the magic circle with his sword, then gripped it and yanked it sideways with force.
Riiip!
The Zombie Butler screamed. From the forcibly stretched magic circle, an unnatural human eye emerged.
“You watching, Magnus?”
Simon smiled coldly.
“Let’s make a prisoner exchange. If you want this guy back—”
From the very start, Simon’s plan was—
“Bring me Akemius.”
—to reclaim his father’s Ancient Undead.
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