From the 7th Legion’s perspective, it was not difficult to predict the Third’s route. Its objective was not conquest, but to apply pressure on Vilkenos and lure the Grand Duke back. With the entire Northern army deployed in the Frost Field, it would certainly take the shortest, fastest route, giving no thought to potential ambushes.
However...
[Kuhuhu! Move quickly!]
...the enemy was still unaware of the massive army hidden within Simon’s subspace. All Pier had to do was choose the most advantageous point for an ambush. He selected a canyon path formed by a long-dried river, the most efficient passage across the plains that bypassed the Northern mountain range. While hidden from the path below, the canyon’s slopes and ridges teemed with the 7th Legion’s undead, concealed beneath the trees.
"Let me make this clear before we start, Pier!" Prince declared, shadowboxing the air. "I’m taking on the Third! Don’t interfere!"
[Kuhuhu! Do as you please.]
"Pier." Just then, Erzebet appeared, stepping lightly onto a spiderweb high above. "The Third’s forces are right in front of us."
[I see! I will prepare.]
"Huh? What’s this, what’s this?" Herseva floated into the air, looking around frantically. "They’re right on top of us, but where are the kid and Akemus? They’re taking too long!"
Erzebet bit her lip. "That is what worries me. I have released my spiders to search, but..."
[Akemus is with him, so there’s no need to worry!] Pier hoisted the Greatsword of Ruin onto his shoulder. [Everyone, to your positions! The battle is about to begin!]
They did not have to wait long. The Third’s undead army marched into the canyon, their formation naturally stretching into a long, thin line. From above, they looked like a column of ants. And there, on the path before them...
"Hahahaha!"
...a small boy stood alone, squarely blocking their way. He was dressed in the fine aristocratic attire of a noble house, a faded crown resting on his head. But with his gray skin, peculiar wounds, and the dark aura of Jet-Black surging around him, he was clearly not human.
’Geeeeek!’
’Grrrk!’
A few undead growled, but the lone boy did not even flinch.
"What are you little brats staring at!" Prince scoffed, crossing his arms. "Lower your eyes!"
’Kiiiiiiiiing!’
A brilliant light erupted from his crown as his eyes widened. Instantly, the eyes of the advancing zombies rolled back, their pupils turning the exact same color as Prince’s.
The undead’s bones clacked as they came to a sudden, thudding halt. Most of the Northern God’s forces were zombies and skeletons, with zombies being the most numerous. The power of Prince’s crown, which commanded all zombies, took hold, and the vanguard ground to a halt.
"Hmph!" Prince declared, having single-handedly stopped an army. He scanned the silent ranks. "Instead of rabble like you, aren’t the ones who are rotten to the core going to show themselves?"
But the undead remained eerily still. An unnatural silence fell over the canyon. A chill ran down Prince’s spine. He scanned the cliffs, and suddenly froze.
A low rumble shook the opposite side of the canyon as dust billowed, and human-like hair burst from the earth. A moment later, the Third emerged, a grotesque, toothy grin plastered on its face.
’It was hiding underground?’
The creature, unsettlingly human in its form, moved with nimble grace on all fours. Planting its hands on the ground, it twisted its head at an impossible angle to fix its gaze on Prince. A chilling aura washed over him, and he instinctively drew his arms back.
"You ugly thing!" he roared, throwing a punch that sent a shockwave tearing through the air.
But the Third’s body vanished as if it had teleported. Prince’s eyes shot upward. The creature now hung high above, its body contorted like a dishrag, its terrifying eyes looking down. It then plunged, aiming to impale him with its feet. Prince crossed his arms to shield his head.
With a deafening roar that shook the canyon to its foundations, the blow landed, and Prince let out a pained groan.
"Now!" Pier bellowed from the clifftop. He pointed his greatsword forward. "Advance!"
Shrieks and howls echoed as, like a swarm of black ants pouring from the rocks, countless undead of the 7th Legion swarmed down the canyon walls. The Northern God’s forces below braced themselves, letting out their own monstrous shrieks. The distance between the two armies vanished in an instant.
The 7th Legion slammed into the enemy line with the devastating force of an avalanche, and the battlefield erupted into a chaotic melee.
’Kiiiiiiiiiiing!’ The Third, supporting itself on all fours, opened its mouth. A beam of destructive energy shot out, incinerating a swath of undead as they charged down the slope.
"I’m not done yet!" A defiant shout came from below. Prince burst from the rubble and delivered a powerful uppercut to the Third’s jaw. The beam cut off as the creature’s head snapped back. But as if it felt nothing, its head rotated back around, that same unnerving grin fixed on Prince.
"Damn you! Stop smiling so creepily—!"
With a whip-like crack of its arm, the Third smashed Prince into the canyon wall once more. He spat out a mouthful of black blood. Before he could recover, the Third leaped, its feet striking like twin spears. The entire section of the canyon wall collapsed where its attack landed.
’Kiiiririring!’ The Third howled in satisfaction and plucked the tattered Prince from the cascading debris.
Just as it stretched its mouth wide, preparing to add Prince to its collection of trophies, his body dissolved into ash, reverting to a common zombie. Enraged, the Third hurled the empty corpse aside.
"Pier! Prince has been taken down!" Erzebet shouted from her web. "I shall—!"
"Stick to your role, Erzebet!" Pier roared, cleaving a zombie in two as it tried to scale the cliff. "If you leave your post, you’ll create a gap in our strategy!"
"So you’re just going to let that thing run wild?"
The Third was now rampaging through the legion, its elbows tucked in as it frivolously stomped on and devoured Simon’s undead. It was abnormally powerful, a testament to the terror it had inflicted on the North for over a century.
’Kkeeriririring!’ The Third suddenly stopped and crouched down. Looking to the sky, it let Jet-Black flow from its mouth, forming glowing letters in the air. The squiggly shapes resembled musical notes, but it was unmistakably runic. Black magic was being activated.
Watching from above, Erzebet’s expression contorted. ’Don’t tell me.’
"Listen, O ye dead." A low, calm voice echoed from the magic circle, a voice completely different from the Third’s high-pitched shrieks. The color of its eyes had changed. "The dead are more perfect beings, having overcome the limits of life and death. Why are you bound by the contracts of the living?"
The Third raised its arms to the sky, looking like a puppet being hoisted by unseen strings.
"Only the dead can understand the dead. We will bring down the age of the living and create a world of the dead. Follow me—!"
The words were cut short by a deafening roar as a pitch-black comet descended from the sky, leaving a long, dark tail in its wake.
It was Akemus. Plunging from a great height, he drove his knee into the Third with a thunderous crash, slamming it to the ground and silencing the mysterious voice.
"Whether one is living or dead is not important," Akemus declared, soaring back into the air. "What matters is immortal loyalty to one’s lord! I am overjoyed by this fate that allows me to serve with loyalty even in death."
He landed gracefully beside Pier and Erzebet. The black feathers parted, revealing Simon, panting for breath.
"Boy!" Pier exclaimed.
"Sorry I’m late."
"Legion Commander!" Erzebet cried, rushing to embrace him. She touched his forehead and gasped. "You’re burning up!"
"...Yeah, it seems I’ve been hit by a curse."
The black magic the Third had used was a potent curse. Akemus, who had also been hit, was immune and could regenerate, but Simon was only human.
He panted, turning his head. "I can’t dispel it with my own power. Even Divinity won’t work."
"Kuhuhu! Not to worry, boy!" ’Clatter!’ Pier’s body split apart and fitted itself over Simon, forming a suit of bone armor. Finally, his arm, holding the greatsword, connected to Simon’s. "A curse is usually lifted by defeating the caster!"
"You’re right."
The ring on his left hand, Prince’s ring, began to vibrate impatiently, as if demanding to be summoned. Simon smirked, pulled a zombie from his subspace, and touched the ring to it. A black thunderbolt crashed down, and Prince appeared.
"Uwaaaaargh!" he roared, charging forward in a blind rage the moment he materialized. "That bastard! I won’t let him get away!"
"Wait! Prince!" Simon tried to stop him, but he was out of control. He launched himself across the canyon and drew back his fist. "Hidden Card Puuuunch!"
A fierce shockwave erupted from his fist, but the Third simply leaped into the air to dodge it.
’Kkeeriririring!’ The Third seemed delighted by Prince’s return and came running, hopping and skipping playfully. They threw punches simultaneously. A sound like a clap of thunder echoed as a gale erupted from the point of impact, sending nearby zombies flying.
"Oof!" Prince grimaced, clearly outmatched in strength. Suddenly, the Third’s toes shot out from behind its back. "What the hell is this guy’s body made of—" He let out a choked cry.
Its leg bent like a snake, wrapping around Prince and trapping him. The Third, having dug its other leg deep into the ground, grinned maliciously.
’Creeeeak!’
With a horrific squeeze, Prince’s body was torn in half. The moment he vanished, Simon summoned him back.
"Damn that thing! Fighting dirty!" Prince raged, charging forward again.
"Prince! Don’t be reckless just because you have many lives!"
"Kuhuhu! Let him be, boy! At least he’s keeping the Third occupied!"
Weakened by the curse, Simon focused on commanding his forces. He provided fire support by having Herseva hurl zombies into the fray and detonating them with Corpse Explosion. Erzebet meticulously laid her webs, while Akemus and the Skullwings handled the aerial threats.
However...
’He’s too strong!’ Simon broke out in a cold sweat. Prince was losing his one-on-one fight with the Third. He remembered the Grand Duke’s warning from the strategy meeting.
’Let me warn you in advance. The Three Brothers are more powerful than you can imagine.’
The Northern God was an absolute being beyond even the category of Ancient Undead, but its main body was said to have no combat ability. Instead, it could command a limitless horde and infuse its power into three champions: the Three Brothers.
’This is dangerous.’ Just as Prince was destroyed once again and reappeared...
"Hey, Simon!" he yelled.
"Yeah?"
Prince was seething, unable to contain his rage. He turned and looked Simon straight in the eye.
"Try it, that Corpse Explosion thing!"

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