Despite the sun shining above, I felt cold. After all, there was a powerful concentration of the Dark Corruption nearby. It was weird that I didn’t notice that amount was close but now that I focused, I could pinpoint where it was.

Should we have a training arc? Noir asked.

Do we even have time for one? Anya asked back.

We could solve lots of things if Mikage knows how to use his powers properly.

Maybe after we finish our business in the Demon Realm. We have to stop the Unkindness, I said.

Why?

Noir’s question caught me off guard. Why was I stopping the Unkindness? Were they automatically the bad guys just because they were targeting me?

And that was when I realized that I knew nothing about them. All I knew was that they were an organization that existed since the Dark Times and that they had members everywhere.

Are they really an enemy? I thought.

Mikage. Don’t forget that they attacked a school and were willing to kidnap students just to get you. They also framed Captain Noel and they distributed those pills which caused trouble, Anya said.

Yeah… You’re right.

People who do those things weren’t remotely good. No matter what their goals were which were beyond my understanding, it wouldn’t excuse their methods. And from how things are chaotic in the Demon Realm, they weren’t doing things for the best interest of everyone.

“Are we there yet?” Ayame asked.

“I can feel it getting closer. We’re in the right direction”, I answered.

“Why are you guys on edge? It’s just a zombie”, Rushia said.

“It’s powerful enough to defeat a group of warriors. We shouldn’t underestimate it”, Ayame told her.

“Even then, it’s just a zombie. I’m the best necromancer in our generation. I can just dispel whatever magic is keeping it alive. If I want to, I can assert my will on it and turn it into one of my minions.”

Necromancy was a practice frowned on in Westa. After all, most people aren’t keen on using dead bodies as minions and with Summoning Magic being easier, necromancy wasn’t common.

The Demon Realm was fine with it seeing how demons have different morals and culture. It was even a magic that was being taught in the Underworld Academy with Rushia being the best student practicing it.

“How does necromancy work?” I asked.

“It’s simple. A body needs energy to move. Most of the time, it’s powered by stamina that was produced from our Life Forces”, Ayame said.

“But dead bodies don’t have Life Forces. That is why a necromancer would place their mana inside those bodies using necromancy. As long as that body doesn’t run out of mana, it can move around”, Rushia added.

“So you can just drain that zombie’s mana and it’ll be as good as dead again?”

“That’s the plan. Of course, necromancers can place other magic in the body to prevent such a thing but if the opponent is more skilled, they can bypass all those defenses”, Rushia told me.

I was about to ask more but we already arrived at our location.

In the middle of the barren wasteland, there was a girl standing. She had red hair and a ripped black dress. A black sword was on her right hand and she was staring blankly at the sky. When I focused on her, I could see that her skin was gray and had stitches.

The concerning part was that there was a large amount of Dark Corruption inside her. 

Wait a minute. Wasn’t the Dark Corruption supposed to convert Life Force? I asked.

What about it? Noir’s voice rang in my mind.

And if zombies don’t have any Life Force, then why is she still alive?

Hmmmm~~~ You’ll find out soon enough.

If you have the answer, then why don’t you just say it? Anya asked.

It’s no fun to just give him answers. Besides, it would further prove my point of a training arc. If Mikage knew how to use his powers, then he would immediately know why.

“What do you think?” Ayame looked at Rushia.

“I don’t know for sure unless I get close”, she shook her head.

Ayame nodded at me and the two of us drew our swords and walked ahead. Rushia was behind us and keeping an eye on the zombie.

When we got close enough, the zombie turned her head and charged at me. She closed the distance between us in just a few seconds and raised her sword. However, I blocked her attack just in time.

“Sword of Carnage: Asura!” Ayame shouted as she charged.

Purple flames appeared and formed into a silhouette of a woman with long hair. It held two katanas made from the same flames and it attacked the zombie along with Ayame. 

The zombie backed away from her attack but I willed my shadow to rise up and impale her. She then stiffened up as red sparks appeared around her. Then, a large burst of red light exploded.

Sheesh, Mikage. You are hopeless, Noir’s voice said.

I noticed that my shadow turned into a wall and protected me.

“Ah! Ayame!” I called out her name.

“I’m fine!” she shouted.

Of course she is. I also made her shadow protect her, Noir told me.

My shadow returned to normal and the first thing I saw was the zombie’s sword going down in front of me.

Don’t get relaxed, Mikage. I can’t always bail you out if you’re in trouble, Noir snickered.

The zombie continued swinging her sword while I did my best to avoid her attacks. Ayame snuck up on her along with her flaming companion and managed to push her back.

“Rushia! How long does it take?!” Ayame asked.

“I don’t know what kind of magic is keeping her alive so I’m preparing my strongest dispelling magic! Give me a few more seconds!” Rushia said.

Butterflies made from green light were flying around her as she stood in the middle of a magic circle.

Ayame and I continued fighting the zombie as Rushia prepared her magic. The zombie was fast and strong which made things difficult. Luckily, Ayame was skilled with her swords so the fight wasn’t one-sided.

“I’m ready! I need her to be immobile!” Rushia shouted.

I commanded her shadow to turn into ropes and bind her in place. If there was one thing I noticed, it was that commanding the darkness of other people used more mana than usual. Anya would also complain that managing my mana was difficult whenever I would do that. The only times I wouldn’t have any trouble was when Noir would help out but he didn’t like placing much effort on things that didn’t interest him.

“Rest for an Eternity!” she faced her palm at the zombie.

The green butterflies around her converged and headed towards the zombie. They surrounded her and green light glowed.

Before it died down, the zombie stepped out and charged at Rushia.

“Wha-”

She couldn’t finish her sentence because the zombie was already too close. However, Rushia’s shadow rose up and turned into a wall to protect her.

You can thank me later, Noir’s bored voice said.

Ayame managed to get close and the zombie’s attention shifted towards her. I also rushed to her side and tried to fend her off.

“This is impossible! Rest for an Eternity is the strongest anti-necromancy magic! There should be no way a zombie like her is still standing!” Rushia said.

The answer to that is simple, Noir’s voice told me.

What is it? Anya asked.

She’s not created from necromancy. After all, she has a Life Force.

“Noir says she has a Life Force! She’s not a product of necromancy!” I told her.

“Huh?! How can a dead body have a Life Force?!” Rushia asked.

Ayame severed the zombie’s arm. However, red sparks came out of the severed parts and connected them once again.

“A zombie with self-healing properties?! This is outrageous!” Rushia scratched her head.

She then smiled as several magic circles appeared near her. Skeletons holding swords came out and Rushia had a face that made me scared.

“Mikage, Ayame. Capture her. She’s a very interesting subject. I have to dissect how she works and advance necromancy!”

The skeletons charged and the zombie cut them down one by one. Ayame and I moved close and we had the upper hand. Except that the zombie didn’t even seem tired. Instead, she was getting stronger and faster.

“If Rushia can’t dispel the magic, how can we defeat the zombie?!” Ayame asked.

“Why are you asking me? I don’t know anything!” I said.

Ayame cut off the zombie’s legs and arms. But in less than a second, red sparks connected her limbs again and she returned fighting.

“Interesting. She does have self-healing capabilities. I wonder what kind of magic is powering her”, Rushia muttered.

“Hey! Now’s not the time to experiment, Rushia! You’re the necromancer here! Find a way to beat her!” Ayame shouted as she blocked the zombie’s sword. 

“I don’t know anything! And that’s what makes this amazing! The questions I have are like a mountain and I can answer them if I get a hold of her body! So capture her alive!” 

“How the hell am I supposed to do that when she just reattaches herself?! I’m tempted to just burn her to ashes with Asura!”

“Do it and I’ll kill you and make your body become one of my minions!”

“Not if I kill you first!”

“Do you want a go, you self-righteous overachiever?!”

“Bring it on, you obsessive necromancer!”

“Hey! Don’t fight!” I told them.

“Then can you fix this situation?!” they glared at me.

The fact that they were actually powerful enough to destroy my body made them even scarier.

They should learn their place. If you go at it, you can kill them easily. You can even solve this situation on your own without their help, Noir said.

I can solve it? I asked.

If you know the answer, just tell us already! Anya told him.

But it’s boring that way~~ Mikage should grow on his own and not rely on me.

Then give him a hint!

Fine… Mikage. Here’s a question: what do you feel inside that zombie?

I focused on her, who was fighting Rushia’s skeletons while my two companions were bickering with each other. All I could tell was that she had a large amount of Dark Corruption inside her body.

And you know that the Dark Corruption makes people act like a violent and mindless beast, right?

Ah.

Took you long enough, Noir sighed.

The zombie’s shadow rose up and bound her in place again. I charged at her and touched her forehead. Noir said that I had authority over the Dark Corruption and so, I commanded it to go out from her body and go towards me.

Darkness oozed out of her and gathered around my arm. After several seconds, the zombie collapsed to the ground and she no longer had a trace of the Dark Corruption inside her.

“That solves things, right?” I asked.

Ayame and Rushia looked at each other and then back at me.

“If you can do something like that, then why didn’t you do it in the first place?!” they shouted in unison.

I actually had no answer except that I didn’t think of it.

###

A/N: Imagine what Mikage could do if he has mastery over his powers…