Chapter 45

  A while ago,

  on the entrance to the forest in the northern part of the kingdom, the group of demons led by the brave Hell Knights and the princess was on their way, hurrying to the castle. They were moving as fast and as silent as possible until a voice interrupted that silence.

  “You sure are taking your time, princess,” said Ryan with a grin on his face.

  Riley’s eyes widened. She asked, “Why are you here?”

  Ryan replied, “Since the princess lost her way, isn’t it only fair that the king send his best knight to the rescue?”

  The stern princess and the knights behind her, all their previously tensed faces replaced by smiles from Ryan’s words.

  “Well then, Mr. Best Knight, shall we go?” asked Riley with a gentle smile on her face, something the knights hadn’t seen in a long way.

  “Follow behind me, dear princess,” said Ryan with a smile just as bright.

  The group started their march. They rapidly advanced forward to the castle. When they were just fifteen minutes away from the castle, Ryan spoke, “Halt.”

  “What is it, rat?” asked a Hell Knight.

  “The air… it’s different. Something is strange,” he said.

  Riley, hearing this, closed her eyes. At that moment, the mana from within her flowed out. A beautiful blue-red aura, rivalling the blood moon in the sky, surrounded her as she stood still with her eyes closed. The red mana dispersed onto the earth, air, and permeated all around her, expanding beyond what their eyes could see.

  She suddenly opened her eyes. She stumbled. Ryan caught her.

  “You alright?” he asked.

  “An army of undead… they are marching towards us. At our current pace, they will reach us before we reach the castle,” she replied with a tense voice.

  “Listen well. All the demons, carry your young ones. Drop all your luggage. Everything. Head south. Within ten minutes, you will reach the castle. Call for reinforcements,” she commanded.

  A voice interrupted—the same knight who spoke earlier.

  “Just because the prince keeps you near doesn’t change the fact you are but a street rat. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

  “Stop it,” Riley interrupted. “My people, do as he says. We will hold them back.”

  The people dropped the luggage, carried the ones who couldn’t run, and started running.

  “Forgive him, Ryan,” said the princess with a soft voice filled with shame.

  “Hehe, we don’t have time for that, princess. Focus on what we have. What did you see?” he said.

  “At least a hundred undead. Behind them, someone is commanding them,” she replied.

  “Can we fight them?” asked Ryan.

  “The knights, if at full health, can probably fight at least five undeads. But in their current condition, maybe each can take on one. They are barely recovered, that too due to Drake’s potions. Five knights against a hundred is going to be difficult,” replied Riley.

  “I have a plan, but buy me some time,” said Ryan, and he ran towards the forest.

  “He ran away! That damn street rat just abandoned us. We never should have trusted him,” said a knight.

  Riley’s eyes turned grey. “Stop. This is not his fight. Our objective here remains the same—we buy time till the citizens reach the castle safely.”

  As she finished those words, the sound of footsteps started to resonate in the air. They came closer. The undead came running towards them, carrying death in the air.

  “Get ready, Hell Knights. Today we show them the strength of our blades,” said Riley.

  “Ahhhh,” replied the worn-out knights.

  The army came closer. The knights and Riley stood armed, ready to face their fate.

  “Stop,” a voice rang in the air, making the undead stop in their tracks just a few feet before the party.

  The undead army then split in the middle like waves, giving way. From the back came a tall demon with dark green mana leaking from him.

  “Be on guard,” said Riley.

  “Captain, don’t you recognise me?” he asked.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Riley took a closer look at his face as he approached them. Her eyes widened in shock.

  “Reed… how… are you…?” she asked before Reed interrupted.

  “Alive. Here. Stronger.”

  “What happened to you?” Riley asked.

  Reed placed his hands on his mouth and started laughing fanatically.

  “Suddenly you care? That’s funny, princess. How dare you after abandoning my prince, after you cheated his feelings by going with that cheap dog Drake.”

  Riley flinched. “I never thought of Drake like that. He is my brother. Also, I would never even think of Garry like that,” she said.

  “Well, no matter. The prince shall forgive you, for he has a benevolent heart. Come with me. Accept his grace. Gain immortal life. After that, I shall do what I missed back in the Mage Tower. Finally, I shall kill Drake,” he said.

  “You became an undead. I am sorry, Reed. On the way, something must have happened to you. Where is the righteous knight who swore to protect this domain?” she asked.

  “Long dead, princess. Now choose—will you come with me alive, or should I drag your corpse up there and let you be reunited with my king as an undead?” asked Reed.

  “He is crazy,” said a knight.

  Reed turned his gaze towards him and released all his cursed aura. The knight fell to the ground on his knees, a sword expert brought down by a mere gaze.

  “Will you come with me, princess?” he asked.

  “I would rather die,” she replied.

  Reed sighed and said, “As you wish. Kill them all.”

  The undead started moving again. The knights, still not recovered from the previous aura suppression—

  “We are dying here,” a knight said, his voice breaking.

  “Good job, knights. The citizens would have reached the castle. Mission accomplished. May we meet in the afterlife. Father, Drake, be safe,” saying this, she raised her sword and took a step forward, the undead army in front of them an inch away from her blade.

  “Dunk!”

  A familiar voice screamed.

  Riley, hearing this dunk, a piece of crystal wood flew past her. It flew across the air. The undead touched it. Sparks ignited in the wood. A sudden flash—three undead in the front all turned into grey ash.

  Melody turned back. A smile lit her face. Her eyes teared up.

  “Ryan, you are back,” she cried with joy.

  “Get back, princess. Leave this to the rat.”

  Hearing this, Riley jumped back. Reed hid behind the undead army. Ryan rushed past her. Their eyes met for a moment. Riley saw it—a spark.

  Ryan took out the wood pieces he personally modified and aimed and hit it with perfection, taking out the undead as fast as they moved.

  “Knights, get back,” Riley commanded.

  The knights saw a scene in front of them something they had never witnessed—the dark night lit up like a dragon flying in the sky. Ryan moved, leaving behind a trail of dazzling flames, burning away the cursed beings.

  The numbers dwindled fast. As fast as the wood on Ryan’s back was getting over, Ryan threw his last wood, in the process taking out ninety-nine percent of the army. Only a few undead were remaining.

  When Ryan ran out of the bombs, Reed came out.

  “If it isn’t the rat Ryan. Did your master not come with you here?” he asked.

  “My captain is not needed to take out half-dead, back-stabbing scum like you,” he replied.

  “Ryan, Ryan. Now so confident without your petty tricks, are you? Why don’t you try me out?” Reed released his aura. The air turned heavy. Reed rushed forward with speed rivaling a sword master, hit Ryan’s gut. Ryan coughed up blood.

  “Not too bad for a cockroach,” Ryan scoffed.

  “Even when dying, your rotten mouth is still sharp,” Reed said.

  Reed came towards Ryan again.

  Riley stood back, watching, unable to move. Her mind wanted her to rush down and help him, but the previous mana attack was too much for her. Her body didn’t listen to her.

  Ryan, on the ground, unable to stand up. Reed standing next to him raised his foot, stamped on Ryan’s right hand. His bone shattered.

  Riley’s eyes teared up seeing this, yet Ryan didn’t scream a sound.

  “Stop!” screamed Riley.

  “Next is your turn. Just wait patiently, princess,” said Reed as he stepped on Ryan’s other hand, shattering it.

  Ryan still didn’t scream.

  At that moment, another undead army arrived in that place. Reed maniacally laughed.

  “It’s over now, truly,” said one of the knights.

  “I am sorry,” asked the knight who mocked him earlier. “You are a true knight,” he continued. “Thank you, Ryan,” said Riley.

  Reed raised his foot again and asked, “Stubborn rat, why don’t you scream?”

  Ryan whispered something.

  “What is it? Speak louder,” said Reed.

  “Come closer,” said Ryan.

  Reed, in all his arrogance, went closer.

  At that moment, Ryan lifted his head, took a deep breath, spat out something. It went right into the rotten mouth of Reed.

  “What was that?” Reed asked furiously.

  Riley, remembered "this—this is what flew and broke the blood tear. A mini mana bomb”. Ryan sat up and said. “Your ticket to hell.”

  Using his legs, he pushed against the ground and leapt away as Reed’s body began to swell until his flesh could no longer hold the flames from within.

  Reed screamed, “Noooooo,” then turned into undead paste, leaving behind pieces of his body and the core he swallowed earlier.

  The undead became restless, losing their leader. Their feral instincts took over. They lunged towards the direction of the gang.

  “Knights, take the princess and leave,” Ryan commanded.

  “No!” Riley screamed as the knight near her restrained her broken body and carried her on his back, saying, “Yes, sir, Ryan.”

  Running towards the castle, the undead rushed forward. Ryan struggled back on his feet, having both his hands rendered useless. He spat out the last two mana bombs at the undead, buying some time for the knights to escape.

  The undead behind swarmed around him, eating his flesh, devouring him bit by bit.

  Riley, seeing this from a distance, her heart filled with unbearable pain. Her eyes turning red—no tears fell. Instead, her eyes cried blood.

  At that moment, the sound of a steed was heard. In front of Riley, with blood obstructing her vision, she could see someone coming.

  A knight spoke out with joy, “It’s the prince and our knights!”

  Drake approached Ryan to save him.

  Riley spoke, her voice breaking, coughing blood.

  Drake, with the healed knights, headed forward only to see a gore sight—his friend standing in front with his usual face, only difference is this time there was no warmth in it. He too became an undead.

  Leo’s eyes moistened. His throat tightened. Sorrow turned to rage.

  “Kill them all,” he commanded.

  The knights rushed. In a moment, all the undead lay down, cut into pieces—except Ryan, who was tied up in front of Leo, mindless, craving flesh.

  Melody approached. “Leo, maybe the journal can find us some answers,” she said.

  “Tend to the wounded. Rush back to the castle,” Leo commanded.

  The knights rushed back to the castle, carrying the wounded and an undead ,not noticing the blood core in his hands .

  In the graveyard—

  “My king, Reed is dead,” said the head mage.

  “That fool failed as expected,” said the undead king. “How far has our army come?”

  “My king, about ninety percent complete. Within thirty minutes, the whole army of ten thousand strong undead will be ready, their souls trapped in the blood tear under your control,” replied the head mage.

  “Just wait, my dear Riley. I will devour you soon,” said the undead Garry.