“Time to run, Kodbyen!”
“Not yet! We can keep going if you purify them!”
“They’re goners! We’re gonna join them soon if we don’t get outta here!”
“F-Fine…!”
Persuading him in my firmest voice did the trick. He reluctantly agrees to leave. We both look back to see if we can return by the path we came. Unfortunately, we can’t even take the first step toward escape.
“Crud! They filled in behind us!”
Zombies have come for us from every direction. We’re completely surrounded. I survey the area but there’s no escape route left. It doesn’t matter how slow daytime zombies are if there’s no space for us to run without bumping into them.
“D-Do something! Aren’t you the Priestess?!”
“I would if I could …!”
The zombie ring tightens around us as we argue. One of the more spry zombies crouches, its hip bones creaking, and jumps over the rest. There’s no space or time left. Survival at the front of my mind, I thrust out my right hand, pushing back the zombie’s shoulder. Bright light engulfs the area as the zombie reverts.
“Wh-What happened to—aah! What’s wrong with you people?! Shit! Go away! URGHHH!”
“I’m so sorry…!”
Zombies grab and pull down the dezombified man, instantly reinfecting him. This is the worst situation to purify people. It’ll only end in eternally traumatizing them. But if I do nothing, it’ll be my life that ends!
Please…someone…Lex! Help me!
My escape sealed, I plead for rescue in my heart and, almost in answer, I hear hooves pounding the ground and a loud bray. It’s coming from the same path we took to get here.
“Lady Mizuha!”
“Lex!”
He came for me! Lex is riding Vianta, his trusty horse, through the zombie horde.
“Come and get me, zombie scum!” he shouts to draw their attention. He tries to charge through the wall of bodies, but Vianta rears up on her hind legs in protest. Lex promptly dismounts and slaps her on the side, letting her escape the way they came. Then he plows through the zombies with his shield out.
His onrush sends him hurtling through the wall, even if it doesn’t have the same strength as one of Sir Oden’s charges. He rushes to my side while sending moaning zombies flying.
“I’m sorry for being late, m’lady!”
“You aren’t late! You’re just in time!”
Lex can be too serious and embarrassing at times, but he always comes to save me when it counts. I’m too embarrassed to ever say it out loud, but I’ll proudly think it: I wouldn’t expect any less of my knight in shining armor!
“Please stay right behind me, Lady Mizuha! We’re withdrawing!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Mr. Kodbyen, I have much to say to you. But escape is our top priority. Please follow me without complaint!”
“F-Fine…”
We cut a path through the zombies with Lex as our vanguard. It’s hard to tell if we’re even making forward progress because, for every zombie that goes down, three more takes its place. The pressure is worse than ever with the loudest “BWAH! BWAH!” chorus egging us on.
ACK! A zombie grabbed Lex’s left arm. Zombie decay rapidly spreads up his arm, but I slap my hand on his back, stopping it. I’m walking within inches of Lex’s back right now. I can purify him at a moment’s notice, unlike the bodyguards who stood too far away.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep my hand on your back!” I shout over the zombie moans.
“Thank you, m’lady! I rode ahead of the troops, so backup should be here soon!”
Did he ride ahead just to save me? I’m so happy, but regrettably, being surrounded by death doesn’t let me savor the moment. I press together my almost-smiling lips and keep pace with Lex.
“Just a little further and we’re out!”
Not long after Lex says that, I see the end of the zombie ring. I run through it right behind him. At last, I’m outside the zombie horde.
I didn’t have the leisure of worrying about someone else, but it looks like Kodbyen made it safely behind us. He trips out of the horde, just barely rolling out of reach of the zombies.
Even now an insane number of zombies are lumbering toward us. Fortunately, they’re as slow as the typical daytime zombie. They won’t catch us as long as we run. I can finally breathe easy.
ROOOAAAARRRR!
“There it is again! Last time we heard this, every zombie came after us...” I tell Lex.
“This unsettling feeling in my chest reminds me of the first time we encountered the black fog.”
Now that he mentions it—I don’t have time to finish that thought. A massive shadow lands in front of me with an earthshaking thud. The impact causes the ground to shake so hard that I lose my balance. The zombie horde falls over like dominos while moaning.
What in the world just happened? I can feel fear twisting my face as I take a second look at the shadow. Something terrifyingly huge is in front of me.
It’s probably the size of ten Boneless Hams put together. The shape is similar to a lizard. But there’s a lot about it that’s different from a lizard. Spine-tingling black horns jut off the top of its head and rows of deadly fangs peek out from its large mouth.
Each of the four feet supporting its heavy body is equipped with a set of sinisterly sharp claws. It also has a long, thick, serrated tail capable of flinging a person away as if they were a fly. The most ridiculous part of all is the wings on its back—they’re large enough to encirle its entire body and still be long enough to fly.
“Say…Lex? Is that a...normal creature in this world?”
“…No. But I know of something similar that appears in many stories and legends.”
Barring those rotten scales, this is undeniably a dragon.