Reincarnated as the Lady Prodigy

Forty-Four

Marching of Death 1

The ground once again started shaking as if giants are thumping around. It only stopped for about thirty minutes and now it's back at it again.

"My lady, the civilians who suddenly came running in the auction house are now inside the auction hall," Elise informed her while she's staring at the matching undead. Truth to be told, the monsters are indeed from the ground. There are skeletons, zombies- those who died that still retained their flesh although some look too unsightly if one keeps looking. These monsters are devouring everything that's why Zaire understood well why the nearby civilians took refuge in the auction house.

She was surprised when she found out about it from Soka since he and Elise are the ones left. Blake and Eufema are still outside rescuing other civilians stuck at their homes together with the other employees of Faceless. The employees' training paid off, none of the employees are heavily wounded nor dead which relieved Zaire.

"Thank you, Elise. Could you help Soka manage them? I'll stay and wait for the others."

Elise nodded her head without question, "Yes, my lady,"

Zaire is thankful that the people around her are dependable. Even Almer, Eufema's younger cousin is helping the refugees.

The auction has a 7 layered-defensive barrier but she activated only three of them so it will be easy for the refugees to enter.

Zaire made her way to the huge gate of the auction house. According to Aya's search magic, the matching undead's target might be Duke Franklin's or Marquess Rolfe's mansion.

Since the plaza is the first location where the undead first appeared, the knights under the Duke are still fighting off until now.

| How are things going, Blake?|

She asked through the messages scroll given to Blake and the others. These message scrolls can be used by thought alone. The sender will only think of the message they want to convey and it will be delivered to the receiver, and vice-versa.

|The knights are still fighting off the undead Master but their number still hasn't decreased.|

The knights along with some mages are fighting off the monsters continuously since they appeared but still no sign of their lessening at all?

|I see. Keep on watch but don't endanger yourself. Return with Eufema and the others.|

|Yes Master.|

-

On the other side, Blake watches the devastating scene below him. Standing proudly on the roof of the tallest establishment helped Blake scout the area, aside from that, it also helps him to observe the current situation of the city.

CLANG

CLANG

KEREESH

The sound of the swords hitting bones echoed around the plaza, amidst this are the growls of the undead from time to time. Those that still retained their flesh would use their flesh to lock on the knights' swords and spears. There are also flying arrows imbued with magic.

KABOGSH

An explosion from the southern part of the city. Blake knew it was the doing of the mages.

Using his sharpened eyes, he was able to lock on Eufema's location along with the others.

|Lady Eufema, turn left,|

Blake served as the eyes of allies as they maneuvered the filled streets. He gives direction to where there is less undead since their main purpose is to rescue civilians and not engage in battle.

"AGH!"

Blake's direction turned to the knight with Duke Franklin's emblem slumped on the ground encircled by the undead. His sword is broken and the undead is closing off the distance despite being slow. The knight's comrades are also busy fighting off the seemingly endless undead.

"ROWIN! STAND UP! DON'T BE IN DAZE!! GATHER YOURSELF!!!"

Cried one of the knight's comrades but the latter is too overwhelmed by the monsters in front of him.

'He must be a new knight.' Blake thought.

Veteran knights would never be lost in such a situation, instead, their fighting spirit intensifies as if giving their all until their last moment. At least that's the type of knight that person was.

"Shadow Void." He mumbled.

The shadows of the establishments, nearby knights, and even monsters started swirling around until it formed a dark, empty and endless hole on the ground beneath the shivering knight.

SWOOSH

The cold wind blow along with a mallow whisper. "Devour them,"

As if a loosened trigger, the empty space began swirling again, but this time it isn't forming a hole alone, the hole itself is continuously swirling while sucking the nearby monsters. After almost thirty seconds that passed, the former seemingly endless number of monsters is obviously lessened, the evidence is the empty space in the middle, in front of the shivering knight. The shivering knight, Rowin, who was shivering previously is now staring on the ground, unblinking.

Blake closed his eyes as he kept his magic calm. It was powerful but it doesn't mean there aren't any repercussions. He has to keep his magic from going uncontrollable every time he devours a large number of beings, whether humans, monsters, or animals. That was why he never used his magic before, aside from being under dark magic, for Blake, it was also a curse. A curse that devours everything.

Until he met his Master.

He shifted his eyes back to Eufema but what he saw was a mountain of ice, a mountain of frozen corpses, and a disappearing sign of blizzard.

-

Eufema glared at the undead in front of her. Behind this animal-looking pile of moving bones are groups of more undead both bones and flesh. She was thankful that there isn't any flying undead because truthfully, it will only make matter worse for her.

She turned to the group of seven people behind her. It's a family of four and another three are simply civilians she found on the street almost eaten to death and turned to another undead. The family of four has two children while the mother is pregnant while the three she passed by and full-grown adults that can swing a mace or two, still, they are all exhausted from running.

The children and the pregnant woman are riding on her familiar, Gladys, the Glacier Sterling.

"M-Miss, I will stay here and fight, please keep my family- "

"Shut up." She hissed at the man, the father of the children. "I haven't said anything yet so why are you proposing that idea? You want to die that badly?"

Her glaring eyes rendered the man speechless for a moment before he started stuttering trying to reason.

"I- I- I- I- "

"Stay still." She ordered.

"Miss, how about us? We can still fight. We might look like this but we were famous thugs around the area!" One of the three men suddenly announced.

She turned her attention to the man with wounds, hah, he can still fight in that state? Really? When it looked like he, no, they are about to lose their blood from their wounds.

"No need. I can manage this." She answered.

Eufema actually wanted to ask if whether it's needed to proudly announce his former identity. A thug. She kept her mouth sealed though.

The men are all willing to help and were also kind to let the children and the pregnant lady ride her familiar. They also weren't selfish or they acted as if they're to be treated as a priority because of their wound. She can't believe they were thugs because their actions were far from it.

'They must be those who claimed to be thugs instead.' She thought.

Eufema turned to the undead and then directed her attention to her familiar.

KWAW

Gladys started making sounds when the being noticed her master looking at her.

She smirked. Ah, she knows exactly what her familiar wants to say.

'Do not hold back.' It says.

That's what she did. She summoned a raging wind, a flicker of eyes started to appear on the ground where the undead are.

CRACK

CRACK

The sound of eyes slowly creeping from the monster's feet upwards can be heard. The cracking sounded as if the ice on Mount Foshuka are breaking.

"Frozen Pillars."

After she mumbled the spell, a sudden surge of eyes rose from the ground. The ground shook intensely but Eufema paid no mind. The chilling smoke filled the street that made the other behind Eufema unable to see what happened after her spell.

KWAAW

On Gladys's mouth, a soft wind was released, that wind then blew the dust that suddenly covered their views, once it's done, the other could only stare at what looked like a mountain of ice, caged inside that ice are the monsters that were blocking their path just minutes ago.

"Let's continue,"

The 'thugs' and the father who offered their help could only nod their heads in astonishment.

Really, she really can manage herself. If anything, their help might only anger the monsters and it wouldn't be considered as help at all.

-

The sudden wave of monsters took not only the knights, and mages by surprise, but even the citizens are also taken aback. Unlike the portals that appear out of nowhere which can be blocked by some barrier magic to avoid it from instantly wreaking havoc despite appearing anywhere at an unknown time, the sudden rise of these monsters, the undead, a type of monster so troublesome because of their number and tenacity with an ability that disables the concept of intimidation and fear, apart from that, the humans or animals killed by an undead also turns to one so their numbers are continuously growing. The undead is not an enemy to undermine, although they look weak and appalling with their rotten flesh and moving bones, they are strong.

The knights in coordination with the mages, and even hunters are doing their utmost best to fight off and eliminate the undead as much as possible, not only to protect the people within the protective barrier but also to preserve the city as much as possible. Currently, almost twenty percent of the city is devastated because of these monsters' incessant marching. 

"WE NEED A HEALER HERE!!"

"REMAIN IN THE FORMATION! DO NOT LET A SINGLE MONSTER CROSS HERE!!" 

"FIRE ARROW!"

"EARTH SMASH!!"

This team consists of almost a hundred knights, thirty mages, and over one hundred hunters who served as the frontline that defends the protected part of the city where the citizens are.

Blood, sweat, dirt, wounds... they are tired but they kept going. The difference between humans and monsters is their ability to last in a battle of attrition, obviously, not only does the undead monsters are at the advantage of their number, they are all persistent, unafraid of death. What is there to be afraid of when they're already dead? 

One mage fell on his knees while gasping for air. He tried to cast another spell to strengthen the knight in front but only a faint small blue light emitted from his wand. The spell is ineffective, as a result-

"Ahhhhh!!!" The knight is devoured, trampled upon. Moments later, the knight rose, red eyes, the half of his face gone. The same knight who courageously fought for the people behind him is now facing the very people he fought side by side. The knight's aim is to kill.

The mage's face paled while looking at the same knight we as about to give assistance. His lips trembled.

"ASSIST THE MAGE!!! THE MAGE!!!" Yelled one of the knights. The knight who died is his junior, he fought with him, shared a meal with him yet that very knight is his enemy and is aiming to kill. "SNAP OUT OF IT!!!" He yelled once again to awaken the daze. The expression of the mage is clear. Guilt.

The mage stood up. The knight who was yelling breathed in relief only to be taken aback by what ensued next. 

The mage, instead of running away from the already undead knight, walked towards him instead. 

"H-HEY STOP HIM!!!"

But no one was able to do anything. All are busy defending the citizens and also trying to remain alive.

The crying mage closed the distance between them, the knight he was about to protect, closed his eyes, and embraced his fate. His decision. For failing to keep the back of this knight safe, he will pay with his life.

"STOP!!!!" The same knight who was bravely fighting off a while back while trying his best to keep the mage alive was able to finally break free from the pinch situation he was in. He runs towards the mage, while doing so, he felt a little strength on his leg while his speed increase. It was only a little but he clearly felt. Even the exhausted mages assisted him in helping one of theirs.

It was an amazing display of companionship.

Only it was too late...

The knight savagely bit the shoulder off of the mage and broke his neck.

Richier, the knight, froze.

They lost one of them once again. 

On the other side, the death of the fiftieth mage caused a certain person's smirk to rise.

"Now, now,  activate the spell. Obliterate this city. Kill the third prince."

To be continued...