I followed Lord and left the house. The scene that unfolded in front of me left me speechless.

　Most of my life had been spent in a hospital bed.
　Headaches, abdominal pains, constant pains all over my body, and a strange disease that gradually weakened me. The cause is unknown. There is no cure for this incurable disease, and no wizard or doctor can cure it.
　I was barely ten years old when I could barely stand up from my bed by myself, and for the next few years until I died, all I saw of the world was the view from the window of my room.

　I am a naive person. Most of my knowledge came from books I read in bed, and it's been more than ten years since I've actually been outdoors like this.
　But even I can tell that the place where Lord's mansion exists is not normal.

　What surrounded Lord's mansion was an eerie black forest. It seemed to be night, the sky was dark and a large silvery moon was shining quietly.
　The house was surrounded by a large metal fence with long stakes on the top to prevent climbing.

　The only gate that exists seems sturdy and tightly closed.
　As I stiffened, Lord stopped and raised a small hand in front of me. As if on cue, I hear the sound of quiet footsteps approaching.

　Without turning around, I look to the side. You almost shout at the sight of what appears, but you manage to suppress it.

　Approaching me were three jet-black furry wolves. They were about half the size of me, but big enough that I could ride them if I tried hard enough.
　As the wolves parted to the left and right and approached the road, they let out a snarling cry and stopped.

　My instincts told me. These wolves are dead. Or at least that's what I should have thought from the start, considering Lord's position.

　The wolves were agile, their fangs and claws sharp, but their eyes were cloudy. 　
　If you're a necromancer, it's not surprising that you're able to move non-human corpses.

　After all,......, there is no escape. Even if you can escape from the basement, you will not be able to escape.
　If you run away without a plan, you are sure to be caught. I haven't run or even walked properly for several years now. Since we were both dead bodies, there was no chance that the wolf and I would win in a game of tag.

　Lord took the key out of his pocket, opened the gate, and gave a short command.

"Come, End. Let me see what you can do.

　Show me your ...... power?　I have no ...... power.
　The machete was heavy in my hand. If I weren't a corpse, I'd have lost my arm a long time ago.

　My silent protests went unanswered. I had no choice in the matter. Lord walked out of the gate, and I had no choice but to follow.

　The first time I entered the forest at night was eerie even with my night vision.
　The rustling of the wind, the buzzing of insects and beasts, everything was terrifying. But the Lord did not hesitate to push forward on such a treacherous path.
　With wolves on either side of him, he seems to have the air of a king. In fact, he is probably a king.
　The king of the dead who follows the evil undead. And I, who am merely following behind him, am but one of his followers.

　The forest was almost untouched by human hands. I wobbled along the unsteady path, struggling to keep up with the road. Visibility was poor due to the dense foliage and bushes, and if they got separated, they might be lost.

　For the moment, I am grateful for my fatigue-free body, my non-human body.

　But where is the road going? What is his goal?

　After following the road for more than ten minutes, I suddenly saw something glowing at the edge of my vision, behind a bush. The wolves that had been following Lord's left and right let out a small growl.
　The wolves on either side of Lord growled softly.

"Finally, ...... has appeared. ......

　The bushes moved easily, and a black mass slowly appeared.
　It was a wolf a size larger than the one Lord was following. It was probably the same species. The jet-black wolf salivated and turned its glowing eyes on me and Lord.

　My body tensed. I've never seen a wolf in the wild before, of course.
　It may not be a big deal to Lord, but it's different to me, who has no real physical experience.

　The black wolf didn't jump at him right away, but instead looked at him and positioned himself in a gentle circle.
　But Lord doesn't even pause, he just narrows his eyes.

"There are too many ...... of them. ...... These numbers are impossible?

　With those words, I finally realized that we were surrounded.

　There were many eyes looking at us from front to back, left to right. Jet black fur that melted in the darkness. A supple gait that leaves no footsteps behind.
　A pack. I forgot. Wolves are pack creatures.

　If my body were still alive, I'd probably collapse from the strain. But I was already dead, so I slowly checked my surroundings without letting the shock show on my face. There were sixteen glowing eyes, which meant there were eight wolves. More than twice as many as the wolves Lord had with him.

　But though Lord looked somewhat uncomfortable, he didn't seem frightened. The wolves began to close the circle.


　When the Lord confirmed it, he simply snapped the fingers of his right hand.

　That was all the sorcerer, Holos Kamen, did. The three dead wolves escorting the Lord jumped.
　It was like something out of a nightmare. The wolf guarding the right side hit the nearest wolf. The one guarding the left side bit the rampaging wolf in the throat and ripped it out.

　My eyes widen at the horrific sight.
　The other side was outnumbered. But the Lord's wolf was stronger than that. There was a difference that even I, who had never even been in a fight before, could clearly see.

　First of all, the size of the wolf was small, but its physical ability was so high that it could be seen from the side. His opponent's movements were flexible and quick, but the wolf that Lord moved was like a black wind.
　Secondly, there was no hesitation in attacking. He jumped straight at the wolf in front of him, biting it with no regard for his own body, giving the impression of a precision machine.
　Finally, it did not slow down at all. Even when it was surrounded and its body was ripped apart with its claws, even when it was bitten in the legs and throat, it didn't even flinch.

　In the end, it only stopped moving after it had killed five of the wolves in the pack and three of them had fled deep into the forest.
　Once again, the wolves closed in around the Lord as if nothing had happened. But there was no sense of loyalty in the scene.

　They were just stunned. The strength, the fearlessness...

　A necromancer. It's said to be one of the most evil of the many sorcerers in the world.
　I don't know much about it, but necromancy, which is the manipulation and desecration of the souls and remains of the dead, is a worldwide taboo, and its existence always appears as a crazy antagonist in myths, fairy tales, and operas.

　I knew about it, but seeing its power in front of my eyes, I could clearly understand why it was abhorred.

　It's just too... blasphemous.
　I don't have any feelings for wolves, but anyone who sees this can declare them evil.

　And I should say that being resurrected by them makes me evil, too.

　I wonder if I can win ...... against this man who desecrates the dead and defies the world head-on.
　No, we must win. If I don't win, I'll soon meet the same fate as these poor wolves.

　Lord muttered as he inspected the carcasses of the wolves his men had killed.

"Hmmm ......, we don't have enough Night Wolves, but we can leave them behind. Let's go.

　Finally, he said, the goal is not the night wolf. .......
　But if you think about it, if it's the Night Wolves they want, there's no reason for them to bring me. They gave me a machete, but I haven't received any orders yet.
　I haven't even been ordered to stand in front of the road to protect it, or to cut through the bushes. They just told me to follow them.

　A few dozen minutes of walking again. There was really no sign of people in the forest. Not that anyone would go into the woods at night with a wolf that big. It couldn't have been near the town.

　The beast appeared frequently while we were walking. Beasts that were clearly hostile to people. Maybe this is what they call a Hexenbiest.
　The first wolf Lord called the night wolf, a monkey two sizes larger than me with a club-like weapon. A fox in blue flames, a large moss-colored boar. Lord's wolves easily kicked away a variety of demons that would probably have killed me if I had encountered them alone.

　Oh no. This forest is more dangerous than I thought. Even if I could get past the Lord's wolves and the Lord's eyes, I wouldn't be able to escape.

　But as I walked along with Lord, I began to understand a few things.

　This body is not fatigued, nor is it in any pain. The footing was bad, and a few branches caught on my limbs, but I felt no pain at all. I did not feel the limits of my physical strength.
　The forest was deep, but the village was not that far away. No matter how good a sorcerer Lord was, he wouldn't be able to create a house by magic. You'd need food and other supplies. It is more natural to assume that there are no people coming and going.

　As I struggled to keep up with him, Lord stopped again. Had the beast come out again?
　With the sound of branches and leaves brushing against each other, a large shadow popped out.

　It was a bear. It may still be a child, about half my height, but its long claws on its well-developed limbs are vicious enough.
　All the beasts that have appeared so far have been in packs, but this one seemed to be alone. The Lord's wolf would be an easy opponent.

　As I pondered this, Lord said unexpectedly.

"What the hell, or ...... end, fight.

　What about ......?

　For a moment, I didn't understand what he was saying.

　Fight?　Me?

　With my knowledge of necromancers, it was an order I should have expected. To a necromancer, the undead are a weapon.
　But I had unconsciously ruled out that possibility.
　I'm sickly. I've never fought a beast or even been in a fight. I've never trained my body. I don't know how to fight.

　I see the machete hanging in one hand. Impossible. He's a bear, albeit a small one. There's no way an untrained, good-for-nothing human can beat a bear with a naturally gifted body.



　There was a murderous intent in the eyes of the bear I faced. The wolves on the road were soaked in blood, but they showed no sign of retreating.
　I have the machete, but the bear has claws. No matter how painless your body is, if you're torn apart you'll never be able to move. I can't. Absolutely not.

　Lord says with a quizzical look on his face as I sit back and don't even have my machete ready.
　The word "command" jolts my brain.

"What's wrong?　That's an order. "Fight with all your might and kill it.

　My leg kicked the ground. It wasn't until the bear was right in front of me that I recognized it.
　My body moved of its own accord. All my fears and hesitations were left behind, and at that moment, I was a helpless spectator.
　The hand holding the machete was raised wide and swung down toward the bear. The bear lifted its arm to catch me as I suddenly came at it.
　The blade sinks deep into its left arm. I feel it cut through the flesh and hit the bone on my arm. The bear roars and lunges at me headfirst.

　Shock rushed through his body. I hear something pop inside me. A deadly sound I've never heard before. But my hand doesn't leave the machete and I feel no pain.

　My head moves. Before I can scream, I lean down and bite down on the bear's ear.
　The horrible smell of the beast penetrates my thoughts, and the feel of the hard flesh and hair against my teeth makes me nauseous.

　My teeth shattered and I heard a sickening sound coming from my jaws. The bear shook its head and swatted me away. A piece of the bitten ear falls out of my mouth.

　The nausea and the smell quickly fade away.

　At that moment, I was indeed the monster that everyone was looking away from.

　My left hand immediately moves and thrusts toward the bear's right eye, which is a step back. Before I could feel my fingertips pierce something soft, its right paw shot my outstretched arm.

　I heard the sound of bones breaking. A broken bone was sticking out of my left arm. 　The tip of the finger that I thrust out with all my might was also broken. But I still felt no pain, and the finger that had pierced my eyeball began to move forward, obeying Lord's orders.

　The bear's power was strong. It was much stronger than me. I'm a weak man by nature, but even if I stood on my head, I couldn't beat him.
　But the Lord's command was even more powerful than that.
　Hexenbiests that attack humans without hesitation have a sense of pain. But not me. My right hand forcibly pulls out the machete that's halfway in. Blood splatters and the bear lets out a loud screeching roar.

　My vision wanders, as if I've broken my spine. But I don't care about that, my arm raises the machete and slams it down on the thick neck with all my might, just like Lord ordered.