Reports came in from Piyo that corpses had appeared all over the town.
Barricades were set up in the main square, and the guards were somehow trying to hold back the corpses. Various races were present, including Elves, Centaurs, Satyrs, and Harpies. The moving corpses also belonged to various races. The Naga’s tailbone seemed to be snake-like, but this was not the time to be curious about such things.
Come to think of it, I just realized that even in this highly civilized world, they practice burial. In the world I came from, bodies were burned, leaving only bones. For now, I pushed that thought aside and focused on how to deal with this situation.
“There’s a possibility of other Dark Elves here.”
“Is that so? But these corpses are blocking our path. Even worse, they’re coming not only from the cemetery but also from the hospital.”
Hospital? So, the morgue. I wonder what happened to the patients.
“The whole town is in a panic. The safest place has become hell itself. While they were securing that area, it seems to have spread here.”
“I see. This must be the work of a Necromancer, right? But to control this many people, it must be a substantial number.”
Then Elana coughed and hesitated.
“Those corpses don’t have any threads attached to them. Of course, it’s certain they aren’t working alone, but whoever is controlling them must possess considerable magical power.”
No threads? Then how are they being controlled? Could it be remote control?
“Whatever the case, we just need to clear out those swarming masses, right? Sharin, Philiana, let’s go! Cecilia, you too!”
Nina charged towards the main square, weapon in hand. Everyone else followed suit. I dismounted from Philiana’s back and decided to go with them. My wounds hurt, but I couldn’t afford to worry about that now. I wondered if Elana would be alright. With so many people around, it would be a problem if she were seen.
“Elana, you should hide somewhere.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll move separately on my own. I’ll find the source of this commotion.”
With that, she hid herself in a gap between buildings. She was reliable in times like these. She was skilled at stealth and had enough power to fight back if she encountered an enemy.
After seeing her off, I lagged behind and caught up with everyone else. As we approached the barricade, the guards looked back in surprise.
“Wh-what are you doing here? This place is dangerous. Please evacuate to the other side. Go into a nearby building or run to the art hall.”
“We must go ahead and find the Dark Elf. Excuse us.”
I broke through the guards’ attempts to stop us and slipped out through a gap in the barricade.
“What are you doing?! Stop them!! Come back, you guys!”
Voices called out to us from behind, but we couldn’t stop. Nina and Sharin took the lead, scattering the enemies. Still, corpses reached out towards us from the darkness, one after another.
“Hey, get off me! Pauline, stay behind me.”
I swung my sword, slicing through the rotten flesh. The disgusting squelching sound and the stench of decay that wafted up with each cut made me feel like I would faint. I glanced at the back of my hand; pale maggots writhed.
“Ugh! Gross!!”
“Shut your trap, kid.”
I looked up at a familiar voice and saw Veronica on a nearby tree.
“Ah, so that’s where you were. I was worried you were fighting alone in this crowd.”
“I slipped out without being seen by those guards and waited here. There’s nothing we can do with this many of them around.”
She jumped down to the ground and unleashed purple flames around her. The fire caught the corpses, and their flesh crumbled and fell away.
“Let’s split up and search. Kid and Spider Woman, you’re with me. Philiana, Cecilia, and Bug, you head to the cemetery. Nina, Catwoman, and Hiyo, go straight ahead. Each of you search your assigned area.”
“I’m Pauline, and she’s Sharin, and that’s Piyo-chan.”
Veronica narrowed her eyes, looking annoyed, and moved forward. Lauren and I hurriedly followed her.
