Beautiful hair, trimmed like a silver thread. Her eyes are a deep purple, reminiscent of amethyst.
　Her age is not yet 20,......, but is probably in her late teens. The skin is white, but not morbidly so like Lou's, and the appearance of a certain intelligence is so beautiful that it can be admired if not for this situation.

　She is shorter than me and has a slender body, but the energy I feel is even more overwhelming than when I saw her from a distance earlier.
　Even Lou, who can't sense positive energy, seems to have felt something and is in awe of the figure.

　I thought to myself, "If someone as beautiful as her wants to kill me, then I am definitely not allowed to live in this world.

　Even so, I would never ...... want to be killed for the sake of it.

　Fortunately, my body seemed to be able to withstand the energy.
　No, perhaps my feeling that I was about to be burned to a crisp was just an illusion, and the aftermath would have no destructive power whatsoever. Even in the fairy tale, there was no description of an undead being annihilated just by approaching.

　But that didn't stop my body from trembling.

　There's no way I can escape without Luu. My physical abilities are greater than a human's, but he's not just a human.

You're shaking, and you look--

　It's your fault.

Oh, Senri, you're a curious one.

　His words were considerate, but his voice and eyes were as cold as ice.
　One of my fellow knights, a brown-haired man with a mace, looks at me and frowns.

　We should be perfectly prepared. The Lord said that the Knights of the End will detect the presence of negative energy and capture their location from a distance.
　You can't be sure even if they suspect you because you're hiding it with an amulet.

　I made up my mind. If I can't fight back or escape, I'll just have to fake it somehow.

　Luu is silent. The sun-like man does not come closer, but watches us from afar with a calm face - the girl called Senri.
　The coldness of his gaze is worrisome, but as long as he doesn't come at you out of the blue, at least at this stage, you don't know.
　His gaze is drawn to Ruu's collar, but slaves are not that uncommon.

I'm sorry. I don't want to sound like I'm mad, but that's just the way my princess is. She's got a bright future ahead of her, you know?

　Bare?　This is her true self?
　I'm not sure what to make of that, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it, but I'm going to do it. You, if I may say so, look like death. You look terrible.

Lefley!　Don't be rude!

　The blonde knight behind me patted me on the head and looked at me. I think I've avoided the worst of it, but it's not good.
　The sunlight is too bright. In a natural movement, I pull my hood back up.

"...... No, no. Thank you, thank you. I'm fine. I'm just sick. I was ............ bedridden until a few days ago, and now I'm finally able to walk outside.

"Are you ............ bedridden and ............ okay?

Yes.

　The line moved forward, and I followed it. But the group of grim reapers who were after me followed me without reading the air.

　What the hell do they want?　Are they already aware that I'm undead and are looking for the right moment to destroy me?
　I'm glad this body is undead. If I were still alive, I'd be breaking out in a cold sweat right now.

　The Moon Apostle says in a quiet voice.

I know the feeling. I was also ...... bedridden.

"Oh, ...... so you were. ......

　He smiled a little and Senri smiled a similar, somewhat awkward smile.

　There were two shocks. One was the shock of the fact that this woman with miraculous powers was an invalid.
　And to think that she would try to understand me at that level...

　The old me would have thrown things at her.
　I can smile at that now because I'm healthy. And what is healthy for me is not healthy for them.

　But what can I say?
　I regained a bit of composure at the words spoken to me, raised my head, and looked again at the members of the Knights of the End.

　The expressions on their faces were varied. Stunned, smiling, admiring. Another shock was the way they looked.

　These knights were glowing. But also, incredibly, they were just people.
　Some of the Knights of the End in the stories I had read before my death were feared for their fiery emotions. But at least the knights in front of me were too human.

　They were just pale, and they were showing emotions of consideration for me, whom the people around them had no interest in at all.
　His compassion is worthy of an apostle of light, but he is not the hero I had imagined.

　If he was the hero I imagined, I'd be dead already. No, if that man in the sun had come near me, he would have seen through me.
　That man has the dignity to do it without regard to amulets.



　Senri's eyes widen as a sudden thought occurs to him.

"Yes, ......, I'm going to use some recovery magic--it should help you regain some strength.

"No, I'm fine. I'm fine now. ...... Thank you. Senri. If you'd like to ...... cast it on me, you can cast it on Luu. Luu is tired from nursing me.

　I was able to smile from the bottom of my heart at that moment.

　Ordinary healing magic doesn't work on the undead. Some spells that heal by sharing positive energy are even deleterious.

　Senri, the benevolent girl, gave a small nod and placed her palm towards Luu, who was tensing up nervously beside her.

　The surge of power that had flooded her flesh contracted and was released with a small spell. The skin, which was as morbidly white as mine, regained its healthy color in the blink of an eye.

　It's still strong. Too strong. In addition, Senri's presence has not diminished at all, even though he used a powerful recovery spell that wiped me out.
　Unlike the undead, there must be a bottom line to the positive energy that the Knights of the End handle, but I guess that's the difference in power.

　However, even though the lethal magic was released at close range, my expression did not change.

　They are the natural enemies of darkness, but they are the allies of the weak. Compared to their extravagant power, their spirit is too human, and ...... there is definitely an opening for them. At least in terms of spirit, he is no match for the cunning Lord.

　Of course, you can't fight him head on. It's a fool's errand. We're no match for their power, Senri's, or the Sun Man's.

　We'll have to come up with some kind of ............ strategy.
　Not to kill Senri and the sun man, but to help me survive.

　I bowed my head, not letting my inner thoughts show on my face. The eyes of countless heroes are watching me.

"Thank you, sir. Well, we're in a hurry, so I'll just--

　Just as I was about to push Luu back and move on, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.
　My heart, which should have already stopped, almost stopped. I have no pulse, no heartbeat, no breathing. And my body temperature is actually much lower than a human's.

　It's just lucky that my shock didn't show. I was stopped by a blue-haired man with sly eyes who hadn't said a word to me so far, standing behind Senri.

"Yes?

"Oh, sorry to stop you. Actually, we're looking for a necromancer who's been hiding out in this neighborhood under the orders of my master. It's a dark sorcerer who plays with death and the soul.

That sounds like ...... a lot of work. ......

What's more, Senri is said to be one of the best ever, and if we can find him, we can kill the necromancer in a heartbeat. But we can't find any clues. It's always a good idea to hide behind a gloomy bastard.

　The tone of voice that mocked me didn't sound like that of the Knights of the End. But in a way, they're even more tricky than Senri.
　The man looked at my appearance and said.

"Let me get straight to the point. Your complexion is pretty close to undead. I don't see any hint of darkness, but ............ vampires are vulnerable to sunlight. You'll have to take off that hood. Even if you don't want to.

"Nevilla!

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
　I see. ...... Senri is the stronger of the two, but are they close to equals? I'm sure that the master is the man in the sun who is watching over us.

　I gave a small smile and slowly put my hand on my hood, removing it without hesitation.
　The sunlight entered my eyes, and I squinted at the glare. The sunlight, a weakness of the undead, shines on his skin, and he feels a slight tingle of pain.

I felt a slight tingle.　My skin is so weak from sleeping in my room for so long. ......

　Perhaps unexpectedly, Nevilla's eyes widened and she studied my face for a dozen seconds, then she frowned and clicked her tongue.

'Tsk, missed. Oh, forget it. I'm sorry.

"Nevilla!　...... I'm sorry.

No, no, no. It's my job. I can't help it.

　He shook his head with a smile and pulled his hood back up. But my inner thoughts were not as calm as my face.
　There was no pulse, no heartbeat, no breathing. I had a low body temperature, and there were a number of other things that would give me away besides my resistance to sunlight.

　I guess they only checked sunlight because it is the weakest point of the undead. I can't think of anything else to check because I'm an undead professional, and powerful undead with the intelligence to blend in with people generally have trouble with sunlight.

　...... No, I thought vampires had a pulse or a heartbeat?
　I'm pretty sure that vampires are destroyed when their heart is pierced with a wooden stake. In the first place, the undead are monsters that live by sipping blood. It's not surprising that blood is flowing through their bodies.

　I'll read the undead book again when I get home.

　I decided in my heart and said goodbye to Senri and the others with a smile.



"Well, thank you very much. I'll see you around.

　Hopefully we won't meet again.

　This encounter was a coincidence. I had a hunch for some reason.
　The next time we meet it will definitely be in a fight.

　I'll live. I've decided to live even if I have to become a monster.
　I'm not going to attack you, but I have to get rid of the fire that's coming down on me.
　Even if they are not sparks of fire but the fires of hell.


§"What?


"What?　You've encountered the Demise Knight at ......?

　The change in Lord's expression upon hearing my report was dramatic.

　His twisted, demonic face, unlike the Demise Knights, suggests a deep, dark power.

　I've told you everything. Luu will report it anyway, so it won't matter if I do.

　The numbers, the weapons. The energy emanating from his body. The only thing I didn't do was the sweetness I sensed in Senri and the others.
　Lord's emotions reached their peak when he talked about the old man with the energy of the sun.

　His eyes blazed with anger and resentment, and he slammed his fist on the table. He was the very image of a necromancer I had imagined.

"First class knight?　I'm not sure what to make of that.

Do we have a chance?

"Of course!

　I'm not sure what to say. I'm not lying.
　It's not a lie. At least, that's what Lord thinks. And he has reason to believe it.

But if ...... we had just a little more time, we could have laid waste to them with even more power!　So this is the final test?　No, it's not too late. It's a bit of a shame, but when you're dealing with a first-class knight with an apprentice, there's not a moment to lose.

　The Lord took the cloth that was wrapping the package.
　What emerged from inside was a smoothly curved stick. Kuro in color. The texture was shiny, thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top.

　And that's when I finally realized what it was. I shuddered involuntarily.
　Seeing me, Lord smiled deeply.

　It's a fang. The fangs of an incredibly large creature.
　If one of its fangs alone is as long as my arm, I wonder how big its body is. At least it's nothing compared to the monsters that appear in this forest.

But it's still not vindictive enough. I need another one. I'm having Huck prepare one for you. ...... end. You said you felt tremendous power from the demon knight in your report earlier?

"Oh, yeah. ...... I'll be wiped out in an instant. I'll turn to dust with just a touch. It was that kind of power.

　I'm sorry to say it, but you're outclassed. No matter how you simulate it, even if you don't fully measure the power of your opponent, you can be sure of it.
　I'm still not sure how much power the rank mutation will give me, but I don't think I'll be able to win with just one or two mutations.

　But what Lord gave in response to my answer was a big smile.



"Well, well, well, that's the vessel of the King of the Dead!　Don't worry, End. The power you have sensed is proof of the depths of your abyss!　The undead are the deepest shadows of light. A mere mortal can sense it!　Are your vessels sufficient?　There's still time for them to get here. End, be prepared to wait!

　His eyes shine with madness and rapture.

　His eyes glittered with madness and frenzy, all the more fearsome for being in the presence of the shining ones.
　You don't need strength. I've never wanted the depths of the abyss.

　Once again, I feel the danger of the road.
　I don't know what he's trying to do, but the man in front of me is undeniably a monster. The man in front of you is undoubtedly a monster. He is not the same as the man in the sun, but he is just as much a ...... monster.
　I don't want to get caught up in a fight between monsters.

　There's not a moment to lose. Yeah, Lord's right, there's no time to lose.

"I'll make you king of the dead!　"And I'll lay the heads of the God's spires before your eyes!

　The Lord shouts. Luu shrinks back, terrified. It's as if he's waiting for disaster to pass.



　But I could feel my thoughts getting colder the more Lord screamed.
　It's not fear. Survival instinct outweighs fear.

　King of the dead?　I don't want that. I'm a dead man who knows his place. Just leave me alone like a dead man.

　I have a plan. I came up with a great plan on the way home.

　It's risky, but we have to do it. And to do that, I needed help.
　I'll make a deal with Lou. I've got a line in the sand. I know what it's like to be weak. It's gonna work.


　Anybody who disturbs my peace, be they Knights of the End or necromancers, should all die together.