Roy was speechless as he watched the foul winds carrying the smell of blood and rotten flesh transform back into the grey-skinned zombie.
No sign of injury was evident on its body. It looked completely unharmed and as strong as the first time they met.
"W-what?! How could it not die after its body was blown to smithereens?"
Roy was shocked as this was his first time encountering an enemy that could remain uninjured after getting blown to bits. He had never faced a grey-skinned zombie before, so it took him some time to digest what it was capable of. And he hurried to calm down as he knew that only by remaining cool-headed could he make sense of this situation.
"Maybe it is immortal, or maybe its immortality is the effect of some overpowered skill that wasn't mentioned in the novel." Roy stood there, staring at the grey-skinned zombie in front of him with wide eyes and a curious mind. His thoughts were racing. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. This creature had helped him recall what it meant to be curious.
"Foolish human, you are wrong. My immortality isn't innate or a skill. It is a blessing! I was blessed by a supreme being--the likes of which you can't imagine." A grotesque voice rang out from the zombie. It was as unpleasant sounding as its stench. It echoed through the air and filled Roy with apprehension.
Zombies are twisted mockery of life that shouldn't be able to run, let alone speak. At least, that's what Roy saw in the movies. Yet, here it was, defying all logic. Not only was it as fast and skillful as an aura monster, but it was also able to talk.
The sound of the zombie's voice made Delilah's head spin with confusion. She had never heard about zombies before, and this was her first time encountering one. She was not shocked by the fact that it could speak. She was bewildered because it was communicating in the empire's language.
It should be impossible for creatures trapped in the Ashen Land to have any connection to the outside world. So how did it learn its language? Delilah's mind raced with questions.
"You can speak?" Roy asked.
"I can do a lot of things! I will kill you and then go after that bitch who ran away. I will sacrifice you both to my lord!"
The zombie lunged forward, its twisted claws reaching out to grasp Roy's throat. Roy wasted no time in springing into action, drawing his swords with lightning-fast speed.
"Song of the Night: Thunderous Night!"
With a fierce shout, Roy brought his swords down upon the zombie with all his might. Lightning crackled and arced across the purplish and white blades, their edges slicing through the air with a sharp hiss and descending on its claws.
In the very next moment, the zombie's hands were severed from its body, leaving a ragged stump in its wake.
Yet, it made no sound of pain, no howl of agony. It was as if it was impervious to the sensations of the living.
Undeterred by the loss of its two claws, the grey-skinned zombie lunged forward, its maw gaping hungrily. Its jaws opened impossibly wide, stretching its already taut skin until it split with a sickening crack. Saliva mixed with blood dripped on circles of razor-sharp teeth, giving rise to disgust in the onlooker's die.
It seemed like Roy had no time to react as, in a flash, it clamped down on his neck fiercely.
"How odd? Why can't I taste blood or hear the sweet sound of bones getting crushed?"
The zombie was confused as what it expected didn't happen.
It looked down and noticed that its teeth weren't sinking into Roy's flesh! They were stopped by an unbreakable barrier. If one were to focus on Roy's neck, one would see it was covered by an extra layer of metallic skin.
No matter how hard the zombie ground its teeth against the extra layer of skin, the situation didn't change. Heck, the zombie failed to even leave a scratch on it.
"Guess what? Your teeth aren't sharp enough to break my defense. What use are they? I bet you won't mind losing them." Roy said as his hand glowed with fierce, black energy. "Grit your teeth!"
He kindly reminded the zombie before clutching his hand into a fist and thrusting it forward.
Bam!
It was slammed into the zombie's ugly mug. The force of the impact knocked dozens of teeth out of its mouth, raised it 7 meters above the ground, and sent it flying backward at the speed of a bullet.
Thwack!
It smashed through multiple buildings before the flight it was forced on took a plunge.
Thud!
It fell on a depilated structure that was shaped like a cocoon.
"If I leave it at that, the zombie would be back on its feet in no time. I should do things properly and bury it!" Roy said as cruelty glinted in his eyes.
His hand moved, and the moonlight sword was brandished.
"Third Song of Ninam: Roar of the Sword!"
Suddenly, a searing line of black erupted into existence. It tore through the air like a razor through silk and cleaved multiple old, rusty, half-destroyed buildings with a sickening crunch, sending chunks of debris hurtling through the air in its wake. The air crackled with an electric intensity as it streaked off into the distance.
The buildings that had been sliced through began to tilt precariously, their foundations ripped apart by the sheer force of the impact. They swayed in the direction of a nearby cocoon-like structure, threatening to collapse on it at any moment.
From within the cocoon, a grey-skinned zombie emerged, its eyes blazing with a malevolent fury.
"Argh! I am gonna torment that bastard before granting him death!" it snarled, its voice a guttural growl that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.
But before the zombie could take another step, a massive shadow fell over him, plunging the area into darkness.
