Chapter 89: Love between Living and the Dead

Amphere Harrison

I haven't caught a glimpse of Nox or Necross anywhere in this expanse. I solemnly vow that should I lay eyes on them, I shall pierce their countenances a hundredfold with my blade. This sacrilege, right before me, is an ignoble fabrication he has conjured. He shamelessly employs the fallen knights to advance his selfish agenda, among them Estoff and Rudolf.

Nox's arcane prowess seems to defy all conventional constraints. I can vividly recall my dearest comrade receiving a proper interment, yet here he stands, his broadsword resting upon his back. Unlike his fellow dragon knights, he rides a dragon with which he bears no pact—an animate cadaver, the Magma Dragon Gilliard. Moreover, he has summoned a multitude of lifeless husks for his bidding this time.

The final clash has erupted in full force. Explosions reverberate throughout the vicinity, the clamor of swords intermingles with the ceaseless whirr of projectiles slicing through the air—a veritable theater of war. Amidst this tumult, the sole discernible sound is Airi's coquettish utterances, telepathic and spirited. In such moments, rationality succumbs to frenzy; everyone strikes with all their might, parries to their limits, and sidesteps with agility unparalleled. Hence, our ranks are deliberately dispersed, minimizing the peril of friendly fire. The lone figures adhering to the ship, launching ranged assaults, are General Holster and his Gum Dragon.

Both factions grapple with their own vulnerabilities; we, the living, bolstered by armor plates, while the undead contingent can only be vanquished by targeting the cherished black heart they cradle. I demonstrated this truth when Airi's wings radiated an iridescent azure, propelling her into supersonic realms, cleaving through all who impeded her path! The zombie dragons, theoretically susceptible to the ravages of charred innards, defy decay, their mounted knights persisting despite being severed at the waist.

Fortune smiled upon us as we managed to fell three dragon knights, striking true to their black hearts with the incandescent glow of Airi's photon wings. As the knights dissolved, so too did their draconic partners, despite being untouched by our assaults. Witnessing this spectacle, other knights took heed, emulating my example, and directing their focus solely on the ebony cores they clutched tightly.

Our odds stand at a precarious one-to-ten ratio, a numerical tilt that tilts the advantage firmly into the hands of the undead horde. As of now, my tally rests at a mere three adversaries felled, leaving me contending with the persistent threat of these seven dragons. The relentless barrage of their long-range onslaughts—fireballs, coconut shells, and colossal marbles—inflict a formidable challenge. In response, I issued Airi a directive: prioritize evasion. Yet, amidst this, my Chimeratech Dragon unveiled an unexpected arsenal, unfurling gatling laser guns from her wings that blazed incessantly into the void. These laser projectiles bore an uncanny homing ability, delivering repeated, accurate strikes against the nuisances—the Marble Dragon and Fairy Dragon—that had been hounding us relentlessly.

"Attention, all dragon knights!" The captain's voice resonated, piercing the chaos. "The airship has been breached. We require reinforcement from at least one dragon knight!"

My scrutiny fell upon General Holster, entangled in a heated confrontation with the onslaught of undead knights and their draconic mounts. Given my proximate position, I commanded Airi to surge at maximum velocity away from our assailants and toward our embattled airship. Should our aerial fortress falter, our prospects in this war would be dramatically compromised.

Efforts bore fruit as I successfully distanced us from our pursuers, gaining access to the airship via an emergency portal beneath its hull. Reverting Airi to her humanoid configuration, we hastened toward the point of breach. The compromised sector, designated as the crew's quarters, presented a disheartening tableau—three to five soldiers sprawled lifeless upon the deck. There existed no telltale signs of bloodshed; instead, macabre imprints of claws and gaping punctures marred their forms, evoking an image of cellular dissolution on a massive scale. A cacophonous scream reverberated through the air.

"CEASE THIS MADNESS!"

Driven by urgency, Airi and I navigated toward the epicenter of the outcry. Our arrival unveiled a stupefying tableau: a man, his left arm shrouded in an obsidian blaze, while his right limb had been replaced by a mechanical appendage. Gradually advancing, he menaced a woman barring his path—the last bastion between his intentions and the cowering sentinels at her back.

A gut-wrenching realization settled in—the figure before us was none other than Rudolf's cadaver. And the woman steadfastly shielding the vulnerable humans bore an unmistakable visage: Kyrie. A reunion that transcended the threshold between life and death was unfolding before our very eyes—a union of spouses that defied the boundaries of mortality.

"Rudolf, heed my words!" Kyrie's voice quivered, desperation imbuing every syllable. "I know you're still within there!"

In a chilling tableau, her deceased spouse's remains poised his Chaos Claws to rend his own beloved wife asunder. Reacting with lightning speed, I surged forward, my photon broadsword interposing itself between the ebony-flamed claws and Kyrie's defenseless form.

"Kyrie!" Airi surged forth, taking her place at her friend's side. "That's not Rudolf any longer! He's a mere marionette, a puppet manipulated by sinister hands!"

"No!" Kyrie vehemently shook her head, her teardrops scattering like crystalline raindrops. "I can still sense him! Our connection remains unbroken!"

Abruptly, Rudolf's lifeless visage parted its lips, unveiling the black heart gripped within its metallic embrace. "Activating Vesryn Pul—"

With reflexes honed to perfection and a trace of my Eye of Deus's power, I materialized a Deus Ex Machina appendage that surged forth, striking my departed friend's visage just moments before his control over Kyrie could solidify, and the malevolent grip of a Chaos Dragon could be unleashed upon us. The undead form hurtled several meters through the air, ultimately regaining equilibrium and alighting on unsteady feet.

"Amphy!" Airi's voice echoed from behind. "I have a totally absurd notion! Employ your Eye of Deus and gaze at him intently!"

The latter part of her sentence barely registered within my mind, lost amid the urgency of the moment. In dire straits, my faith in Airi's acumen remained unshakable; her greater combat experience made her directives an unequivocal guide. Thus, even when her proposal seemed frivolous, I acted upon it without hesitation.

A burst of crimson radiance enveloped the remains of my dearest friend the moment I activated my Eye of Deus. Swiftly, I diverted my gaze to Airi, who clasped Kyrie's chest; her V-symbol emitted a vivid crimson glow. Was this a manifestation of a newfound power, a boon bestowed upon her by Vesryn?

"Totally, for goodness sake! Keep your gaze locked on Rudolf, you imbecile!"

Once more, I dutifully complied with my commander's directive. As my attention remained fixed upon Rudolf's form, a remarkable transformation transpired within his black heart—a process akin to solidifying cement encasing it, ultimately culminating in the shattering of its outer shell akin to a ruptured egg. What lay revealed within was a heart of rosy crimson hue, pulsating with life. The unfolding spectacle left me astounded and bewildered.

"Return his heart to his chest!" Airi's command resounded with unyielding authority.

With celerity, I lunged forward, manipulating his mechanical arm to secure the beating heart back within his chest cavity. As the reintegration concluded, an iridescent flare flooded my senses, propelling me into disorienting motion, culminating in a tumble across the ground.

Upon reopening my eyes, I beheld a startling metamorphosis—Rudolf's visage was purged of its undead pallor. He surveyed his limbs—the left and right appendages—before shifting his gaze sequentially between me, Airi, and finally Kyrie.

"Kyrie…" His voice trembled with emotion, punctuating a reunion that transcended the boundaries of mortality.