"Just now, that crow was a Cursed Crow. Its true form is actually a wraith—the kind of undead that wears tattered robes and wields a massive scythe. But compared to ordinary wraiths, those that can transform into crows have all reached the Earth rank. Their defining trait is an extra pair of black wings. Those wings carry the power to curse. If you're careless and one of its feathers lands on you, you'll lose all ability to resist and be left at its mercy."
Chu Lian explained the characteristics of these undead to the girls. In the dimensional universe, this race was practically the common enemy of all living beings. They would inevitably encounter them often in the future, so it was necessary to let them understand these things in advance. As long as they didn't panic when the time came, that would be enough.
"Cursed Crow... wraith... what a fascinating transformation." Chu Chu glanced at the gate that was gradually drawing closer and muttered softly. The other party had clearly set its sights on her. With her strength, dealing with an early Earth-rank opponent wasn't too difficult. Anything stronger would be a problem. She could only pray that it wasn't too powerful, or she would be the one in trouble later.
"Its strength has only just stepped into Earth rank. It probably advanced under special circumstances in this environment, which is why its aura is unstable. But that's fine. An opponent like this is perfect for you, Chu Chu. Although there's a significant attribute gap between you, you have the protection of momentum on your side, and you can use magic. Undead generally possess traits of immortality, but most of them no longer have the protection of momentum. As long as you're careful, you still have a chance of winning." Chu Lian made it clear that this was Chu Chu's battle. She would not interfere.
"I understand. If I can't even deal with it, then I have no right to stand beside Big Sis and say I'll protect you." Chu Chu had clearly taken this opponent as a test. Only by passing could she stand before Chu Lian and declare that she was qualified to be her protector.
"Yes. So do your best~" Chu Lian did not refute her words. This was indeed part of her intention. Chu Chu's most fatal flaw was her temper and occasional lack of initiative. If this could push her forward, that would be a good thing.
"Mhm. Chu Chu will do her very best. Big Sis, just watch me." Chu Chu nodded, trying to bolster her courage in this way. Not everyone felt excitement when challenging someone above their rank. Chu Chu's abilities were special, and she herself was unique. That was why she could deal with such an opponent. If it were someone else, even with her strength, they wouldn't necessarily be able to fight across ranks the way she could.
"The enemy could arrive at any moment. Be mentally prepared. Don't let them catch you off guard." After giving that final reminder, Chu Lian said nothing more and had Inori Yuzuriha take out her handgun and stand ready.
"This place suppresses the attributes of all non-undead by about five percent. Be mindful when calculating your abilities. Don't make mistakes." An environment overrun with wraiths was the graveyard of life. The suppression was only five percent because this dead zone had not existed for long. Given enough time, all living beings would eventually suffer a fifty percent reduction in attributes. That would be true despair.
"Careful..." In the distance, bone arrows formed into a dense barrage and shot toward them. Chu Lian estimated that it would take at least two hundred skeleton archers firing in unison to create such a spectacle.
Inori Yuzuriha, who had been waiting, acted immediately. She raised her hand, and violet crystal condensed before them into a crystalline wall, blocking the incoming arrows.
Clink, clank~ The sounds rang out continuously for nearly half a minute before finally ceasing.
When the crystal wall disappeared, the ground before them was already covered in bone arrows. From the black aura coiling around the pale bones, not a single one lacked lethal threat.
"Truly dangerous. Even mere skeleton soldiers wield such power here." Chu Lian wasn't surprised by the appearance of skeletons. Among the undead, skeletons, zombies, jiangshi, and undead thralls were the most well-known cannon fodder types.
Even without sufficient corpses to summon, a mage-type wraith that had reached Earth rank could easily call forth other undead from another dimension.
The enemy likely had a skeleton force of more than five hundred lying in ambush somewhere. And that mage was probably one of the final enemies they needed to eliminate.
But it was hiding. Chu Lian had no way of pinpointing its location. She could only remain on guard against potential attacks and continue forward.
Even skeleton soldiers did not have infinite arrows. Each carried roughly twenty. Once it became clear the assault was ineffective, it was only natural for the mage to order them to stop. These skeletons were originally meant to eliminate large numbers of weak intruders.
Now that every one of their opponents was strong, continuing to waste human-rank skeletons would be an insult. Better to wait for orders and guard their master.
Clang~ Just as Chu Lian focused on the front, Kurosaki Satsuki on her left suddenly drew her blade and blocked in front of herself. Her gaze was icy as she stared at the enemy she had intercepted.
It was a knight clad in black armor, wielding twin blades. Black mist seeped from its body, and a pair of red-glowing eyes shone from within its helmet as it studied them, as though weighing how to deal with these intruders.
"Umbral Knight..." Chu Lian bit her lip unconsciously. Umbral Knights were one of the high-tier combat forces among the undead, and among the most famous solitary types. The one before them was only at peak Spirit rank, yet its presence had reached half-step Earth rank. It was the most dangerous kind of opponent.
"Twin blades... a warrior?" The white-haired girl showed no fear at its form. Instead, her eyes lit up with excitement. She drew her other sword as well and declared, "Shun Prison Sword Style—Kurosaki Satsuki, present!"
"Human, you are not my match." The red glow in the Umbral Knight's eyes flickered, seemingly puzzled by her eagerness for battle. She clearly knew she was at a disadvantage. Why step forward anyway?
"No. I will be your finest opponent." Kurosaki Satsuki knew its initial target had been Chu Lian. But Chu Lian had deliberately refrained from acting along the way. Now that someone who walked the same path as her had appeared, how could she not burn with fighting spirit?
"Interesting..." it murmured. It no longer attempted to dissuade her. Its figure blurred, appearing before her in an instant. Twin blades danced, enveloping the girl within their deadly arc.
Clang, clang~ The sharp sounds of metal colliding rang out. Kurosaki Satsuki's figure grew increasingly disheveled. Under the enemy's relentless assault, she could only defend passively, with no chance to counterattack.
Yet the girl was not discouraged. On the contrary, she grew more exhilarated. After a while, she even found the breath to speak. "Chu Lian, you all go on ahead. It's my opponent. No matter the outcome, please don't come back for me."
Hearing her words, Chu Lian gazed deeply at the slender figure locked in battle, then nodded. "I look forward to you standing by my side again." With that, she stopped paying attention and had Suicune continue forward.
"Satsuki, Chu Chu will be waiting for you to return." Chu Chu hovered in midair for a brief moment, looking at her seemingly weakening form. Resisting the urge to intervene, she murmured softly before following Chu Lian.
"You are not afraid of death?" The Umbral Knight seemed puzzled by Kurosaki Satsuki's attitude. Normally, when humans saw it, they would either tremble in fear or attack in groups. Very few were willing to fight it one-on-one. And this human clearly knew she was not its match, yet still insisted on standing here. Did she truly not fear death?
"Why should I be afraid?" Though visibly strained, the girl smiled when she heard the question. "If I fear even a single enemy, then when I face ten, a hundred, a thousand—would I be so afraid that I wouldn't even dare to run?"
"Ha... interesting..." The red glow in its eyes intensified. Its twin blades moved like a dance, and the ferocious onslaught forced the white-haired girl to retreat again and again.
She felt as though her hands no longer belonged to her. The numbness and pain made her want to loosen her grip and end the fight altogether.
But she couldn't.
I still haven't caught up to her yet!
Her momentum exploded outward. Before the Umbral Knight could complete its next slash, Kurosaki Satsuki stepped into the trajectory of its attack. One blade intercepted and twisted aside the strike, and she leapt upward. Her high heels traced a path from its abdomen up to its chest and neck before she flipped and delivered a powerful kick, sending it backward.
"Hah..." Dropping to one knee, her body soaked in sweat, a faint curve still tugged at her delicate lips. This knight was not invincible.
Taking a few steps back, it stared at the girl who, though exhausted, still fixed her gaze upon it. Its assessment of her changed. She was not someone to be taken lightly.
"I retract my earlier words. Human, you are worthy of being my opponent." The Umbral Knight did not mind contradicting itself. To have a worthy adversary was a rare pleasure.
"Seeking death!"
In the very next instant, it erupted in fury. With a forceful step, it appeared behind Kurosaki Satsuki and swung both blades, decapitating two Spirit-rank zombies that had tried to approach for a finishing strike.
It crushed their heads beneath its heel and looked at the zombies ahead—creatures that seemed utterly oblivious to its presence. In a low voice it said, "She is my opponent. Whoever interferes will end up like them."
Unfortunately, its words were effectively meaningless. The zombies paid it no heed. Their eyes were fixed solely on Kurosaki Satsuki as they lunged toward her.
"As expected, creatures like zombies should be expelled from the ranks of the undead. They have no dignity at all." The Umbral Knight clearly held little regard for them. Seeing that they refused to back down, it no longer held back. Its twin blades flashed, severing head after head, preventing them from advancing even a single step.
Just as it had cleared roughly half of the zombies, Kurosaki Satsuki, who had been catching her breath, suddenly stood and shouted, "Watch out!"
She lunged forward at full speed, tackling the Umbral Knight to the ground. A massive butcher's cleaver—nearly a meter long and seventy to eighty centimeters wide—swept past just a few centimeters above their bodies.
Rising to her feet, the Umbral Knight stood back-to-back with Kurosaki Satsuki. Before them loomed a grotesquely obese zombie, fat as a pig, yet exuding a terrifying presence. It rested the enormous blade on its shoulder.
"Are you seeking to be my enemy?" the Umbral Knight asked in a low voice.
"You... Umbral... must... die..."
It wasted no words. The moment it spoke, it declared war.