The grains of sand across the desert began to quiver.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble~!
The horizon was covered in a white wave.
Zombies running on two legs, zombies sprinting on all fours.
Zombies soaring through the sky, zombies with claws jutting from their shoulders.
Zombies rolling forward with bodies full of venomous fluid, zombies dangling long scythe-like mandibles.
Zombies swinging long bamboo-like limbs as they walked.
From worker zombies to elite soldier zombies.
Tens of thousands of zombies charged across the salt desert.
Every single one in the zombie legion had crystal-like cordyceps sprouting from its body.
A smile spread across Jeanne’s lips as she watched the sight.
“Just how many moves ahead are you planning, Master?”
The white legion that had joined forces with the General Zombie.
They were the zombies that had once inhabited the Unrest Zone.
More precisely, the ones that had once inhabited it would be the right way to put it.
The tens of thousands of zombies that Jeanne, the Shadow Knights, and the General Zombie had hunted down in the Unrest Zone.
Master turned all of them into his subordinates.
The zombie legion revived by cordyceps spores.
Damaged body parts had been replaced with hard, sharp cordyceps crystals, making them far more agile and powerful than when they were alive.
They had been reborn as a flawless legion that felt no fear and carried out orders alone.
The target of the zombie legion was the primordial giant of fire towering over the salt desert.
The Fierce God Evil Slayer.
Dudududududu~!
Soon, the zombie legion began to surround the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
The zombies in front were followed by those behind them, and the ones behind followed the ones in front, and so on.
Dudududududududu~!
A white vortex made of zombies slowly tightened around the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
Then, the General Zombie’s voice rang out from the sky.
[Legion…… annihilate the enemy…….]
At the same time.
[Kieeeeeek~!]
[Kakak! Kakagak!]
[Kigigik! Kigigigik—!]
The zombie legion let out resonant roars.
Soon, the zombies charged toward the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
Feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, waist, sides, shoulders, arms, hands, nape, face, and so on.
Sasasasasasak—!
The white wave began to cover the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
Tens of thousands of zombies used hooks and claws to climb the giant’s body.
Soon, the zombies’ jaws moved in unison.
Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch~! Crack crack crack crack crack crack crack~! Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp—!
Noises echoed from all directions like reverberations.
The Fierce God Evil Slayer’s grayish-brown skin was gnawed away in an instant.
A pained roar burst from the Fierce God Evil Slayer’s mouth.
[Graaaaaaar—!]
At the same time.
Crack— crackle—
The Fierce God Evil Slayer tore off the ink shackles binding its limbs.
Then it shook off the zombies clinging to its body.
But no matter how many it tore off, shook off, or flung away.
Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch~!
Crack crack crack crack crack crack crack~!
Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp~!
New zombies kept climbing and biting.
Tens of thousands of jaws sank their claws in and gnawed at the skin indiscriminately.
The grayish-brown skin peeled away, flesh and muscle were torn off, and white bones were exposed.
Watching this, Yi Seonggye let out a hollow laugh.
[……Heh heh, it makes me think ‘good thing they’re on our side.’]
Before long, its entire body was covered in white.
The Fierce God Evil Slayer kept staggering and tearing at its own body.
[Graaaaaaaaah—!]
Regardless.
Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch—!
Crack crack crack crack crack crack crack~!
Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp~!
The zombies persistently gnawed at the enemy.
Then.
Bwoooooong~!
With a sound that tore through the air, a black shadow rushed toward the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
The General Zombie approached with its two blades crossed.
Soon.
Slice slice slice slice slice slice slice slice slice slice—!
All the joints and tendons of the Fierce God Evil Slayer began to be severed.
The General Zombie flew at invisible speeds, precisely slicing through flesh and muscle.
The zombie legion poured into the gaps and sank their tough jaws in.
It was like a swarm of ants devouring an elephant.
The ancient giant, the Fierce God Evil Slayer, was being thoroughly hunted by tiny creatures.
But at that moment.
Crunch— crackle— crunch!
The skin on the Fierce God Evil Slayer’s back bulged up unevenly.
Then.
Crack— craaaack!
Black wings spread out from behind the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
As the wings covered in black flame feathers sprouted, black flames surged from the giant’s body.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The zombies clinging to the Fierce God Evil Slayer turned to ash and scattered.
A heat on a completely different level from before erupted from the giant’s entire body.
Helmet, armor, massive greatsword, and a pair of wings.
Everything blazed with black flames.
Spores floating in the air burned fiercely, and flames spread across the salt desert.
Jeanne instinctively realized it.
The Fierce God Evil Slayer.
The primordial giant of fire had regained its true power.
Soon, a thunderous voice shook heaven and earth.
[You insignificant creatures who stole the divine embers…….]
A voice as dry and raspy as withered branches.
Just hearing it felt like it would scorch the eardrums.
[You shall pay the price with karmic flames…….]
The Fierce God Evil Slayer slammed its greatsword into the ground.
Kwa-dudududuk!
The black-flame greatsword plunged deep into the salt desert.
Black flames rose like hundreds of writhing tentacles.
At that moment.
Flash!
A dark red light burst out.
At the same time, black waves spread around the Fierce God Evil Slayer.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Anything the waves touched was engulfed in black flames and burned away.
[Kieek!]
[Kyaaaaak—!]
[Kigik— kigigik!]
Screams from the zombies rang out from all directions.
The entire area of the salt desert was burning black in an instant.
A moment later.
Fssssssss—
Black ash powder scattered everywhere.
The tens of thousands of zombies in the legion had been completely incinerated by a single strike.
The General Zombie lowered its head.
[Exceeds estimated danger level…… Legion has failed to annihilate the enemy…… Failed to carry out my lord’s command…… Legion has not been useful to my lord……]
But Jeanne said in a low voice.
“……No, you all helped plenty.”
The air currents around them suddenly changed.
Uuuung uuuung— uuuung— uuuung— uuuung—
A black aura swirled around Jeanne.
The Sword of the Night gradually dyed black.
Two black flower petals floated above Jeanne’s head.
She had reached the Two Leaves stage of the mana cultivation method.
The surrounding air began to vibrate under the influence of her mana.
Then.
『Seven Demon First Strike Secret Art: Gluttony Slash, Beelzebub』
A black trajectory extended from the tip of Jeanne’s sword.
Sharp waves rose one after another along it.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa~!
Mana far more powerful than before.
The sharpness of the sword energy was honed to near perfection.
Soon, the black waves took the shape of a dragon and flew forward.
Then.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The dragon’s widely opened mouth bit into the Fierce God Evil Slayer’s left shoulder.
Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch!
The areas touched by Gluttony Slash began to disintegrate as if devoured by a glutton.
[Graaaaaaar—!]
The giant’s massive body was slowly pushed back.
Slowly. Then faster and faster.
Before long, the Fierce God Evil Slayer was sent flying with tremendous force.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom—!
The salt desert split apart left and right, and the sky was covered in dark blue smoke.
“Haah…… haah…… haah…….”
Jeanne breathed heavily.
The mana cultivation method that gathered all mana into a single point and released it.
The stronger the power, the greater the recoil on body and mind.
But at that moment.
……Boom!……. Boom!
The Fierce God Evil Slayer rose, brushing away the black smoke.
A long scar stretched from its left shoulder to its right side.
Inside it, dark red flames surged out like blood.
Shadow Knight Yi Seonggye spoke.
[Not going down easily, huh. Just how does the Warehouse Keeper keep picking fights with these bizarre monsters every time?]
“It means Master doesn’t bother with mediocre opponents.”
[Hah! Now that you mention it, that’s true! If he were the kind of small fry who only dealt with nobodies, I wouldn’t have followed him!]
Yi Seonggye laughed heartily.
But the situation was far from good.
The S-rank magical beast, the Fierce God Evil Slayer, exuded overwhelming strength.
It was a formidable enemy on par with the Death Lord Peter Binsfeld or Maslow.
Jeanne bit her lip.
Failing to defeat an S-rank magical beast meant she was still insufficient to face the Seven Traitors.
She had trained and worked tirelessly, but the realm needed to defeat them still felt distant.
Then.
Uuuung~! Uuuung~! Uuuung~! Uuuung~!
A strange energy began to flow across the salt desert.
Soon, cracks spread across the sky above the Fierce God Evil Slayer’s head.
Crack— craaaack— craaaaaack!
Blue light seeped in through the wide-open cracks.
Seeing it, Jeanne murmured.
“Master……!”
***
East of the Republic of Korea’s territory.
In the middle of the empty East Sea.
I was flying there in blood mist form.
Then.
Ding!
<Warehouse Keeper ‘Cha Hasang’s request to lend stored entity has been approved.>
<Lent entity: “MRG-293 ‘Fierce God Evil Slayer’”>
The warehouse entrance opened, tearing through the blue sky.
From there.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble—
The 500-meter-tall giant fell.
“Welcome to the territorial waters of the Republic of Korea.”
Into the vast ocean at a depth of 1,500 meters!