Clank.
Another armored step echoed across the battlefield as Jin continued walking toward the Seventh Legion, his massive scythe hanging loosely beside him.
Simon watched the approaching figure with growing unease. After experiencing six different deaths at the hands of the Eighth Legion, he had already learned just how terrifying Jin's subordinates could be. And now, the person commanding that entire army was finally entering the battle himself.
[Boy! Wake up!]
Pier's voice suddenly reached him through their connection, followed immediately by another urgent shout.
[He's coming straight toward you! Do something!]
"Ah...!"
Simon quickly raised his hand and issued an order through Prince's crown.
"Zombies! Stop him!"
Hundreds of undead immediately abandoned their previous targets and rushed toward Jin, with the nearest zombies reaching him first while more followed closely behind.
Yet even as the first one lunged at his chest, Jin showed no intention of changing his pace. The scythe hanging beside him suddenly swept upward, its curved blade slicing through the zombie's torso before continuing over his shoulder.
SHRAAK!
Using the momentum from that swing, Jin loosened his grip and allowed the shaft to roll across his palm. He caught it again just as another zombie rushed in from his left, bringing the returning blade straight through its neck.
The undead's head flew backward and struck another zombie behind it, disrupting the group that had been following closely behind. Jin stepped through the opening before their bodies could fall, only to find several more already approaching from both sides.
Rather than pulling his weapon back for another wide swing, he shortened his grip and turned sideways, letting the first zombie stumble past him before driving the end of the shaft into another's chest.
BAM!
The impact knocked it into the undead behind it, and Jin immediately followed with a sweeping slash that tore through the entire group.
SHRAAAAAK!
Severed limbs and broken bodies scattered across the ground, but the zombies behind them simply climbed over the remains and continued charging. Some rushed toward Jin's arms, while others attempted to circle around him and attack from behind.
Jin responded by spinning the scythe around his body, its curved blade cutting through the enemies approaching from his right before sweeping back toward those on his left. Whenever a zombie managed to get too close, he shifted his hands along the shaft, using a shorter grip to strike within the narrow gaps between their bodies.
SHRAAK! SHKK! SHRAAAK!
The scythe rarely stopped moving. One swing carried the blade over Jin's shoulder, while the next brought it around his waist or down toward the zombies trying to grab his legs. Even when the undead attacked from several directions at once, he simply turned with the weapon's momentum and continued carving his way forward.
At one point, a zombie climbed over the bodies scattered along his path and launched itself directly toward his helmet. With barely enough room to bring the long scythe around, Jin loosened his fingers and let the weapon spin out of his hand.
SHRAAAK!
The curved blade sliced through the airborne undead before continuing into two more behind it. Jin stepped beneath the falling body, caught the returning shaft, and immediately slammed the scythe into the ground ahead.
BOOOOM!
The impact cracked the earth and sent broken stone bursting outward, throwing several zombies off their feet and knocking them into the soldiers behind them. By the time the dust began settling, Jin had already pulled his scythe free and continued forward.
Clank.
Watching from behind the Seventh Legion, Simon could hardly believe what he was seeing. Hundreds of zombies had rushed toward the Shadow Monarch, yet none of them had managed to slow his advance for more than a moment.
Even more disturbing was the fact that Jin hadn't used any special abilities.
There were no magic circles or overwhelming bursts of energy accompanying his attacks. Everything he had done so far came from his own physical strength and mastery over the scythe, yet that alone was enough to cut through every wave Simon sent toward him.
"Keep going! Don't give him any room!"
More zombies immediately rushed forward at Simon's command, spreading wider this time as they attempted to attack Jin from several directions.
The Shadow Monarch swept his scythe through those approaching from the front, tearing apart the first group before turning toward the undead rushing in from his right. However, as the blade continued past his shoulder, another group closed in from his left.
For the first time since entering the battle, Jin raised his empty hand.
A ripple appeared beside him, and his fingers disappeared into it for a moment before pulling out another massive scythe. The moment the second weapon entered his hand, he carried that same motion into a swing toward the approaching zombies.
SHRAAAAAK!
The new blade tore through them before they could reach him, while the scythe in Jin's right hand was already returning from the opposite direction.
With a weapon in each hand, Jin no longer needed to wait for one blade to complete its rotation before answering another attack. His right scythe swept through the zombies ahead, while the left circled behind him to catch those attempting to reach his back.
SHRAAK! SHRAAAK!
Both blades continued moving as Jin turned, crossing briefly in front of his armor before spreading outward again. One moment, he was cutting through the undead approaching from his sides, and the next, he was reversing his grip to catch another group rushing in from behind.
Occasionally, he even released one scythe for a brief instant, letting it spin around his hand before catching the shaft again and sending the blade straight into the next group.
The constant movement kept clearing the space around him, but no matter how many zombies fell, more continued filling the openings he created.
Simon watched the growing piles of bodies before quickly changing his approach.
"Surround him! Don't let him move forward!"
Instead of sending every zombie directly into the two scythes, Simon ordered those farther behind the frontline to circle around Jin. While the undead already in front continued keeping his weapons occupied, the others spread toward his sides and rear.
Jin's violet eyes briefly moved across the surrounding zombies, but his response remained the same. His right scythe cut through another undead ahead while the left swept behind him, allowing him to continue forward even as the circle gradually tightened.
The zombies soon began climbing over the bodies scattered around him, using the growing piles to approach from above while others rushed toward his legs.
Several leaped toward Jin at once.
His left scythe rose and cut through the first before it could reach him, while the right swept through those pushing in along the ground. Another pair immediately followed from above, forcing Jin to turn beneath them and bring both blades outward in a crossing slash.
SHRAAAAAK!!
The attack tore through the airborne zombies, but by the time their remains began falling, even more undead had pressed into the space behind him.
Every opening was immediately filled by another body, and as the swarm continued growing, the two scythes became harder to see between the countless zombies throwing themselves toward the same point.
Eventually, even Jin's black armor began disappearing beneath the mass.
Simon immediately seized the opportunity.
"NOW! DON'T LET HIM OUT!"
The surrounding zombies collapsed inward at once. Those nearest to Jin threw themselves on top of him, while the soldiers behind pushed against their backs and others climbed over the growing pile.
Within moments, the place where the Shadow Monarch had been standing disappeared completely beneath an enormous mass of undead.
For several seconds, the pile continued shifting as the zombies pressed down, with more soldiers constantly throwing themselves onto it.
Then a faint violet glow appeared from somewhere inside.
"...Hm?"
Simon narrowed his eyes as another line of light slipped between the packed bodies, followed by several more. Violet energy was gradually spreading along the two scythes hidden beneath the swarm, illuminating the narrow gaps between the undead.
The glow grew brighter with every passing moment until Jin's violet eyes finally became visible deep inside the crowd.
At the center of the swarm, the Shadow Monarch crossed both scythes against his chest before suddenly spinning, sending a violent storm of violet slashes erupting outward.
SHRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!!!
The first wave tore through the zombies pressing against his armor, while another swept across those climbing over the pile. More slashes followed from different angles as Jin continued rotating, cutting through the surrounding undead and spreading farther outward.
Within moments, the overlapping attacks had formed an enormous sphere of violet light around him.
SHRAAAAAAAAAAK!!
The expanding sphere tore through what remained of the swarm, throwing broken bodies and pieces of zombies across the battlefield as the ground beneath them was carved apart.
And when the violet light finally faded, Jin was standing at its center, completely unharmed. Pieces of undead continued raining down around his black armor, while the two scythes rested at his sides as though the enormous attack had required almost no effort.
Simon stared at the scene in disbelief.
He had sent enough zombies to bury Jin beneath them, yet all he had accomplished was making the Shadow Monarch finally use something beyond his physical strength.
Worse, after everything Simon had thrown at him, Jin simply stepped over the remains and continued forward.
Clank.
The sound of his armored boot carried through the newly cleared space, immediately drawing the attention of the Ancient Undead fighting elsewhere on the battlefield.
Prince reacted first.
[PIER! MANUS!]
There was no need to explain anything more. The moment they saw Jin advancing toward Simon, Pier and Manus abandoned their positions and rushed toward him, while Prince charged in from another direction to join them.
Strangely, the Eighth Legion made no attempt to stop the three Ancient Undead.
Igris watched Pier and Manus leave without following, while Tusk remained beside his High Orc warriors as Prince rushed past. Even the Shadow Soldiers along their path simply continued fighting the zombies in front of them, seemingly unconcerned about the three powerful enemies heading directly toward their Monarch.
By the time Pier, Manus, and Prince reached Jin, all three had already launched themselves into a coordinated attack.
Pier and Manus descended from opposite sides with their swords raised, while Prince charged between them with his fist pulled back. Yet Jin showed no intention of stopping, merely bringing his two scythes together until their handles locked.
Click.
The two weapons became a single twin scythe, with a curved blade at each end facing in opposite directions, giving the weapon an elongated S-shaped silhouette.
Just as their attacks were about to reach him, Jin's figure suddenly blurred and vanished, leaving all three striking nothing but empty air.
WHOOOSH!
By the time their attacks passed through his fading afterimage, Jin had already appeared several meters ahead of them, the twin scythe resting loosely in one hand as he continued walking toward Simon.
Clank.
At almost the same instant, countless thin violet lines flashed across the three Ancient Undead.
SHRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!!!
Jet-black burst into the air as Pier, Manus, and Prince were instantly cut into pieces, their severed limbs and shattered armor scattering across the battlefield. Pier's Greatsword of Destruction slipped from his hand and struck the ground among their remains with a heavy clang.
The entire exchange had lasted barely a second. None of the three Ancient Undead had even realized Jin had attacked them before their bodies were torn apart, while the Shadow Monarch continued toward Simon without so much as looking back.
For several seconds, Simon could only stare at what was left of them. His eyes moved from Manus to Prince before finally stopping on Pier, who had been fighting to protect him only moments ago and was now lying in pieces across the ground.
"No..."
His breathing grew heavier as he looked between their scattered remains, struggling to believe how easily Jin had destroyed all three of them. Even after witnessing the strength of the Eighth Legion across so many deaths, seeing his Ancient Undead reduced to this state again was enough to push him past the fear that had been building inside him.
"No... No, no..."
Simon clenched his fists, his trembling gradually giving way to anger as his gaze returned to Jin, who had finally stopped a short distance in front of him.
"NOOOOOOO!!"
Jet-black erupted from Simon's body along with his scream, rushing across the ground toward Pier's scattered remains and pulling the pieces toward him one after another. They wrapped around Simon the moment they reached him, gradually taking shape until Pier had once again become the armor covering his body from head to toe.
Simon barely waited for the transformation to finish before reaching for the Greatsword of Destruction lying nearby. With jet-black still surging around him, he seized the massive weapon and turned toward the Shadow Monarch.
"JIIIIIN!!"
The ground cracked beneath Simon's feet as he launched himself forward, rushing straight toward Jin before jumping high into the air. With Pier's armor covering his body and the Greatsword of Destruction held tightly in both hands, he raised the massive blade over his head and poured everything he had left into a single attack.
Yet just as Simon began bringing the greatsword down, something suddenly felt wrong.
"...Huh?"
His entire view began to turn, with the sky passing in front of him, followed by the ground and then the sky again. The battlefield seemed to be spinning around him, and no matter how hard he tried, Simon couldn't make his body respond.
What...?
He couldn't move his arms or legs, nor could he feel the Greatsword of Destruction in his hands anymore. Even Pier's armor, which had covered his entire body only a moment ago, was somehow gone.
As his vision continued turning, Simon caught sight of something familiar hanging in the air nearby.
It was a body wearing Pier's armor, with both hands still wrapped around the Greatsword of Destruction. The figure was suspended in almost the exact position Simon had occupied moments earlier, its arms still following through with the downward slash he had attempted.
Simon stared at it in confusion.
Is that... my body? How can I se—
His thoughts stopped when he finally noticed what was missing above its shoulders.
...Ah, I see.
THUD!
Simon's head struck the ground before bouncing once and rolling across the broken earth. The impact sent the mansion, sky, and battlefield spinning through his vision again, until the movement gradually slowed and left him staring sideways across the ground.
His own headless body was still visible in the distance.
For a few moments, Simon could do nothing but stare at it.
Then, just as the last of the movement stopped, everything around him disappeared.
Seventh Death: Killed by Jin
***
"HAH!!"
Simon's eyes snapped open as air rushed back into his lungs, and his entire body jerked forward before he could even understand where he was. His legs immediately gave way beneath him, sending one knee into the ground as he gasped for air.
"Haa... Haa... Haa...!"
Almost on instinct, Simon's hand flew toward his neck. His fingers ran across his throat before moving around the sides and toward the back, checking every part of it while the sensation of being cut remained painfully fresh in his mind.
Yet no matter how many times he checked, there wasn't a single wound.
His neck was completely intact.
"...What...?"
Still breathing heavily, Simon slowly raised his head toward the battlefield. Pier wasn't wrapped around his body as armor, the Greatsword of Destruction wasn't in his hands, and when his eyes moved farther ahead, Pier, Manus, and Prince weren't lying in pieces across the ground either.
All three were standing behind Jin, exactly where they had been before launching their final attack.
Simon stared at them, then back at the Shadow Monarch, struggling to reconcile what he was seeing with the memories that remained painfully clear inside his head.
He remembered Pier being cut apart. He remembered wearing him as armor and jumping toward Jin with the Greatsword of Destruction. More than anything, he remembered seeing his own headless body from the air and feeling his head strike the ground afterward.
And that was only the latest of the seven deaths he had experienced.
Yet somehow, he was still alive.
As Simon slowly tried to make sense of it, his gaze returned to Jin, who stood not far in front of him with the twin scythe resting loosely in one hand.
Seeing the Shadow Monarch still standing there made Simon's already pale face lose even more color, while his fingers tightened around his neck without him realizing it.
However, just as he struggled to make sense of everything, the sound of someone breathing heavily caught his attention. Simon looked past Jin and found Pier on one knee, supporting himself with a hand against the ground as his shoulders rose and fell with each labored breath.
[Haa... Haa... What... was that...?]
Not far from him, Prince wasn't doing much better. He had both hands against the ground, his head hanging low for several seconds before he slowly forced himself to look up.
[What the...?]
Manus had managed to remain standing, but even he was visibly affected. One hand gripped the handle of his sword far more tightly than before, while his breathing had become heavy enough for the others to hear.
For a while, none of them seemed to know what to say.
Simon stared at the three Ancient Undead before looking down at his own trembling hand. Until now, he had been the only one who seemed to remember dying over and over again. But judging by their reactions, it looked like the three of them remembered what had just happened to them as well.
None of them seemed to understand when it had all started, how something like this could even happen, or, more importantly, why.
But even without having to think about it, they already knew that the culprit capable of making them suffer like this was standing right in front of them.
As Simon struggled to make sense of everything, the Shadow Monarch finally turned his head toward the three Ancient Undead behind him before looking back at their Legion Commander.
Unlike the four of them, Jin remained completely at ease. After watching their confused expressions for another moment, he finally spoke.
"What's wrong, guys?"
Despite Jin's casual tone, after remembering everything they had just been through, Simon and the three Ancient Undead could only stare silently at the culprit. They felt like they couldn't even breathe, as if the Grim Reaper himself had grabbed their souls.
Seeing their reactions, Jin tilted his head slightly.
"Did you guys have a nightmare?"
As the words left his mouth, the violet eyes beneath his helmet flashed ominously.