Said Manus, looking at the confused zombies. Javier, next to him, was stroking his beard with satisfaction.
"Hoho, isn't this an easy win! Looks like all our efforts were for waste."
[]
Manus, staring at Javier in silence, turned his head again. Javier connected to the meat golem's thoughts and commanded,
"Now's your chance! Push them down!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The meat golems led the attack with their massive bodies and crashed into the zombies like chariots.
The tight formation of zombies collapsed as if they were breaking through a soft tofu, and Manus skeletons following close behind finished off the fallen zombies.
"March! Mar! Huh?"
Javier, frantically giving orders, turned his gaze toward the mansion.
Someone was walking out onto its main balcony.
He put on a skull with flames for eyes and half of his body was covered with a formless cape. He held a white greatsword in his right hand and Prince's crown in his left.
[I see. So zombies are neutralized because of him.]
Muttered Manus, also having found him. But Javier, who was standing next to Manus, couldnt help but tremble in fear.
"Wh-Why is that bastard here?!"
[Do you know that person?]
Then the man on the balcony took Pier's skull off and put it somewhere on the back of his neck.
Soon, his hair was swaying in the wind. The man had revealed his boyish face.
'He's that young?'
Javier was shocked and even felt a pang of jealousy that the man who had bested him in a single blow was such a young boy.
Who in the world was he?
Javier's eyes, frantically scanning the boy, widened again. The boy laid down his greatsword and was about to place the crown on his head.
'Don't tell me he's planning to use it?'
Javiers mouth tore open with the grin that formed.
Prince's crown is the power to become the king of zombies. If a human uses it recklessly, their mind will be shattered and they will enter a vegetative state.
Even Prince, the owner of the crown and an ancient undead, couldn't stand the pressure of the thoughts, having to operate the main body and his clones separately. And if a human wore that crown, it was bound to destroy them.
What an amazing windfall without having to do anything!
Javiers nose twitched as he looked at the boy with expectant eyes.
'Wear it! Wear it! Wear it! Quickly!!'
The boy raised the crown high.
Then, without hesitation, he really placed it on his head.
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrumble!
Violent jet-black began to stir from his body.
[You crazy bastard!]
Prince crawled on his kneesstill under the absolute order to kneeland came over to the terrace.
[What the hell are you thinking?! I'm already conscripted! If you die, I'll die too!]
Prince's gaze moved to Piers skull hanging behind Simon.
[You're also crazy, Pier! You're a contractor! Why aren't you stopping him?]
[Kuhehe! If you don't know anything, just shut up and watch.]
Pier's skull, hanging upside down, grinned.
[He's a guy who succeessfully wore me first try.]
[What?]
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The jet-black that overflowed as though it were about to explode had stabilized.
Simon staggered to his feet, then steadied himself by putting hand on the wall. His other hand went to his forehead.
"Phewwwwww."
His eyes were the same brilliant gold as the crown. A strange pattern was drawn in his pupils.
He breathed in a deep breath. And...
"----------------------------!!"
A cry unlike any a human should be able to make erupted from his throat, and the battlefield froze.
A complete silence flowed in this space where thousands met. All the zombies, like puppets who had just grown strings, raised their heads and looked at Simon.
Simon's eyes glowed with a madness, and his smile only confirmed that insanity.
'That's!'
Pier felt a thrill rise from the depths of his heart.
The vicious king who had disappeared, masking his identity after shaking the continent
In less than a minute, Simon had led the wave to let him destroy all the meat golems. Javier's legs gave up, and he fell to the ground.
[Kieeeeeeeeeegh!]
[Guoooooooh!]
The zombies let out a huge roar as if celebrating their victory. Simon, on the top, rested his greatsword on his shoulder.
"Kill him."
Javier, on the floor, trembled and looked to his side.
"What are you doing, Manus?!! Kill th"
Shiing.
Javier couldn't continue his words.
A black slash was drawn across his throat, and Javier's head rose high into the sky.
[I knew it from the beginning.]
Click.
Said Manus as he placed his sword back into his scabbard.
[That you were using me.]
Javier's head fell to the dirt floor, rolling across the ground for a moment.
Manus slowly walked toward Simon. The skeletons around him parted immediately.
[Young king, what is your name?]
Simon raised his chin.
"Simon Polentia."
[I'm a knight of the Talheren Empire, Manus.]
He straightened his sword and raised it.
[My purpose and fate is to complete my revenge against Kizen. Hand over that crown.]
"Revenge?"
Simon grinned, his golden eyes gliscening.
"I'm sorry, but that's none of my business."
[]
"Former Swordmaster of the Empire, I somewhat heard of your story. You wish to lead the undead of Death Land and take revenge on Kizen? Do you really think that's possible?"
At the word possible, Manus firmly shut his mouth.
"You can't beat Nefthis. The essence of what you're trying to do is just make a dirty mess. How many people do you think you'll kill while your army is heading toward Kizen?"
The Empire was already gone.
If Manus' rebellion had any chance of success, Simon wouldn't have ridiculed him. Because it could've been a revolution.
However, the power of Death Land and Manus combined could never defeat Kizen.
Ultimately, Manus was only threatening the lives of the Empire's descendants and the people of the next generation who were doing their utmost to survive and didnt even know the name of the Empire.
"You're an existence that has already disappeared from history. It's hypocritical for such an existence to use the past as an excuse to destroy the lives and livelihoods of descendants who're living prosperously today. You have no strong will, no justice, no reason. Ill say it again. Youre just"
Simon grinned.
"making a dirty mess."
[Then!]
Manus swung his sword.
A thin line was drawn on the waves of zombies that Simon was standing on, splitting in half.
Simon was lifted off the waves surface, but from the other side of the black wave, zombies rushed in to support him once more.
[Then how am I supposed to comfort the souls of the people of the empire who were unjustly sacrificed by Kizen?!]
"Then who'll comfort the souls of the people who could be sacrificed by your mess? Whether it's loyalty or comfort, it only sounds like your stubbornness. Lets put it this way"
Simon readied his greatsword in his right hand.
"I'll fight so I won't have to comfort the souls of those who'll be victimized by your old, meaningless ramblings."
[Any further conversion seems pointless.]
Manus widened his stance and drew back his sword. Simon raised his empty left hand and balled it into a fist.
[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!]
[Kieeeeee!]
The zombies of Death Land roared and howled.
Upon confronting them, Manus felt a sense of horror.
How could he forget?
Amongst the ten necromancers who destroyed Talheren's elite army
The most overwhelming three were called 'Commanders'.
'Comrades, did you feel this way, too?'
Ten thousand pairs of eyes forming black waves were glaring at Manus.