Despite the chaos, the people did not falter. They continued fighting, pushing back against the overwhelming tide of death. But the main force had been fractured—at least 500 soldiers had switched sides in desperation or confusion.
They tried to repel the unexpected horde of zombies, but it was too late. The closest section of the wall had already been breached. Screams echoed in the distance. Blood painted the streets.
The houses closest to the breach had become slaughterhouses, soaked in crimson. But those who had defected, those who now stood with the invaders, noticed something strange amidst the carnage.
Not a single child had been harmed.
Adults and teenagers were the primary victims—limbs torn, bodies shattered, lives ended in horrific ways. But the children… they remained untouched, as if an unspoken law had been cast over them. Something intentional. Something sorrowful.
Those who had switched sides hesitated. For the first time, doubt flickered in their eyes.
And then, the defensive lines were formed. Three barriers were quickly reinforced as the defenders rallied, holding the front.
At the center of it all stood the Mad Mage—Elanora.
Her silver hair flowed like moonlight in the darkness, and her eyes glowed with a deep, sorrowful madness. She stood on a broken tower, surrounded by swirling mana and the stench of death. Her lips curled into a bittersweet smile as she controlled the undead with effortless precision. Around her, the tortured screams of retired knights echoed through the night.
These were the same knights responsible for her daughter's death.
But she didn't grant them mercy through death. No, she had something far crueler in store.
Their limbs were severed, then healed. Then severed again. The cycle continued endlessly—flesh torn, bones shattered, wounds sealed, only to be broken once more.
Their minds cracked. Sanity dripped away like blood from a wound.
She smiled softly and whispered to the cold night air, "Do you hear it, my sweet daughter? Their screams… their pain. It's too bad your father and I are the only ones left to hear it."
As the words left her lips, a sudden surge of mana exploded on the battlefield.The one with 6 Star Peak Layer roared into the heavens and made a breakthrough—achieving the power of a 7-Star Knight.
Gasps rippled through the ranks. His body burned with divine energy, silver light shattering the shadows that clung to the field.
Elizabeth, her Raven hair drenched in sweat and blood, gritted her teeth and unleashed a powerful high-level spell. A wave of radiant Spell burst from her hands, obliterating hordes of zombies in a single flash.
Inspired by her, the Queen's summoned 1000 Knights held the line. Though they were outnumbered, they were unshakable—true steel in human form.
The kingdom's flanks had been breached, yes—but not destroyed. Not yet.
I could barely breathe. My mana was nearly depleted. I had been controlling over 200 swords, casting spells nonstop for what felt like an eternity. My vision blurred. My legs trembled.
Everyone around me was drained. Still, we stood. We endured.
Two hours passed. The night grew darker, heavier. The stench of blood soaked into the earth. The sky wept.
But then—music.
A song, clear and beautiful, drifted across the battlefield. It came from the distant grasslands—where ten thousand knights and mages now stood, their arrival cloaked in silence until now.
The melody resonated through our hearts.
And something incredible happened.
Everyone felt stronger. Not just inspired—truly stronger. Our mana surged. Our fatigue vanished. The zombies grew sluggish, weaker, as if their strings had been cut.
At the front of the newcomers stood a woman with cascading red hair and mesmerizing amber eyes. Her robe shimmered with divine runes, each glowing softly like stars in the night. Her smile was gentle, playful, and impossibly beautiful—her very presence as breathtaking as Evelyn's, who was known as one of the most stunning women in the world.
The woman spoke, her voice like a lullaby wrapped in velvet. "You really had it rough, didn't you?"
Evelyn paused mid-battle, her eyes lighting up with warmth. "Took you long enough."
The tides of battle shifted.
The Sword Kingdom's elite had arrived.
With precise coordination and terrifying power, they tore through the undead ranks. The red-haired woman and Evelyn fought side by side—like sisters in arms. In truth, they were best friends, bonded by countless battles fought together in years long past.
As the red-haired mage sang once more, her voice became a weapon. Every note struck the zombies like a hammer to stone. Their bodies twisted, then crumbled into ash. Her presence alone was that of a 7-Star Mage.
The Mad Mage paused. Her lips parted slightly, her expression unreadable. A bitter smile tugged at her mouth.
She had expected all of this—the retaliation, the strength of the Kingdom, the arrival of powerful allies. She had accounted for it all.
She had achieved her revenge. The knights who failed her daughter had been broken. The kingdom had suffered.
And yet… it felt empty.
So devastatingly empty.
As the final notes of the melody drifted across the field, Elanora froze. Her eyes, glowing with fading power, widened.
In that moment, she saw them.
Her husband. Her daughter. Their home—warm, filled with laughter and life.
They smiled at her. They opened their arms. And she… smiled back.
Tears traced down her pale cheeks.
A burden she had carried for so long—finally lifted.
She whispered, voice trembling, "Thank you…"
Aira, the red-haired songstress, looked at her with deep pity. She had felt Elanora's pain in her song—had absorbed it. She had never felt sadness like this before. It was incredibly. Heavy. It had been building for years.
And now…she was in peace.
Elanora's head fell from her shoulders, cleanly severed.
Silence followed.
Rain began to fall softly from the sky, soaking into the broken kingdom.
No one cheered. No one moved.
They only stood still, couldn't do anything all of them are mix with emotions