> Kira PoV <

We arrived at the undead-infested castle at around noon. Undead monster holes are particularly troublesome.

Monster holes are known to cause population explosions. It's true even with the undead.

They don't breed, but instead they spread by tainting the land itself. When there's a lot of them, the curse in the soil gets stronger. More powerful undead start appearing soon after.

Right now I'm enjoying some lunch with Ellie at our base camp.

Well, I say 'camp' but all we brought was the basics. Food and water to last us several days and sleeping bags. It's more like a picnic right now.

Ah, I guess Kelly and Bart are there too. Kelly looks like he's raring to go and Bart is holding his head while looking at his knees.

They've been like that ever since Ellie gave them the scout report.

Several hundred skeletons and zombies. The generic small-fry one imagines when they think of undead monsters. Most of them are roaming outside, about 150 inside.

Dozens of Ghouls. 

Ghouls look like zombies, but they're much faster and way more vicious. Also they scream their lungs out while running on all fours.

It's pretty creepy.

And finally, several Dullahans.

Dullahans are great warriors of the past with strong grudges or evil in their souls. They come back to life as headless knights in ghastly full plate. A single of those is classified as Rank B threat. 

And there's at least five of them inside that castle.

The castle itself is pretty old and decrepit. All that remains is bits of the outer wall, the main keep and one of the four towers. As for why the other two are like that, well...

"There's too many. There's way too many. We need to retreat and bring reinforcements."

Bart keeps mumbling, he's torn between doing his duty and running for his life.

We don't have much of a choice though. If we don’t act now, the monster hole will get much worse very quickly.

Meanwhile Kelly is-

"Come on come on come on come on. Let's go smash those things to dust! My fist is itchin' and it needs a scratchin'!"

-steadily devolving into a splendid muscle-head.

Well, we're getting nowhere like this. We have to do something before night falls. The reduced visibility will be troublesome.

"Bart, we haven't even fought once since we met up. Let's attack the undead a few times and see how we fare. Then we can decide as a group what we're going to do."

Bart looks up at my words. 

"... alright."

He finally says after a long pause.

* * *

We approach a group of undead, our first target. There's around 70 of them lumbering about outside the ruined wall, with 40 meters or so between us and them.

"Right, I'll go in first and get their attention. When I give the signal, you guys start covering me from here."

Kelly steps forward and slams his fists together in front.

"---- [Golem Link]"

I see, so he can use magic huh?

He must have a ring or gauntlet type focusing tool. The effects are weaker than a staff, but they're easier to carry around.

There's just one problem.

"... there's no golem?"

[Golem Link] allows the mage to directly control their golem with his thoughts. Obviously, the golem needs to exist first.

Just as I was thinking that-

*tak tak tak tak taktaktatatatatatatatak*

-Kelly's armor starts shaking.

The layered metal plates rearrange themselves with clacking noises. The previously bulky armor has become sleeker, more compact.

He crouches down a bit and with a 'Here I go' starts running.

Wait, what just happened?

"The armor was a golem?"

Bart's stupefied voice comes out. 

I see, I see, golem armor huh. That guy uses an interesting thing.

While I'm idly thinking I realize Kelly has already reached the undead.

"HIIIIYAA!"

With a shout, he plows through the undead. The skeletons became splinters and the zombies became pulp.

He's swinging a mace that appeared out of nowhere. It's off-white so it probably came out of the armor.

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"NOW!"

Once he's made sure he has the enemy's attention, he gave us the signal. When she hears the signal, Ellie starts focusing her [Star Magic].

Rocks and stones on the ground start floating gently around her.

This is my suggestion. Bladed weapons aren't useful against the undead and using her bare fists is dangerous.

A single scratch from an undead can cause diseases and curses.

So, she's going to attack by flinging rocks with [Star Magic].

While she's getting ready-

"------ [Purify Undead] ------ [Purify Undead]"

-Bart is already casting purification magic? Silver light envelops the skeletons and zombies and they collapse into ash piles.

Ah, he's one of those moongazers from the Church of Khamis. Well, this sort of thing is one of their responsibilities, so I shouldn't be surprized.

Hmm? I should work too?

No no no, if I attack for real then Kelly will get caught up in it. What I can do is cover his blind spots.

I point my staff at him and start molding the mana.

"--- [Aegis]"

A kite shield of pale blue light appears above and behind Kelly.

The ghoul that I was keeping an eye on leapt at him, but crashes into the spell. It grabs onto the shield out of reflex.

Now, just give the mana new direction with a flick of the staff-

"- [Impact]"

-and the shield explodes, sending shockwaves through the ghoul.

Sorry, former ghoul. Closer to ghoul soup now.

Ah, there's another one.

"--- [Ice Shot]"

A spear-like icicle flies from my staff, impaling the other ghoul.

"- [Impact]"

The ice shatters, turning my target into something I really don’t want to think about.

This is why I hate the undead.

I hear the sound of the air being cut, so I glance at its source. I see the stones around Ellie are spinning around her at great speeds.

In the next instant they start disappearing towards the undead.

*THUD THUD THUD THUD*

Ugh, she's gouging out the ground! Ellie, just how hard are you throwing those things!?

"HEYAAAA!"

Kelly isn't losing out though. Every swing of his mace sends the undead flying. 

I think it was a bad idea to eat lunch beforehand.

After about a minute of this, the fight ends. The dwarf comes back after a few seconds. We share a few 'job well done' congratulations.

Ellie is intently staring at Kelly though.

"That, where did it come from?"

She points at the filth-stained mace.

"Oh, this old thing?"

Kelly does a theatrical swing, the various bits of undead fly off the weapon.

*clack clack clack shhuuuuu clack*

With some more clacking noises it disappears into his hand. The armor on the arm gets a bit thicker with the added weight.

So it came out of there after all, huh?

"uuuuuuuOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

Gah!

Ellie screamed!

This is the first time I've seen that!

"What is that! That's so cool! It's <> right?

Nano! Nano! Kelly is wearing <>

UWAAA IT'S TOO COOOOL!"

She's way too excited, what is this! Did she regress back into a little kid?

"Oh, I see, I see, it's cool huh? This guy is my greatest creation you know?"

Kelly starts shamelessly showing off.

"Uwaah! *sob* I'm so glad to be aliiiive!"

Ellie is on her knees crying tears of joy. I have no idea what's going on anymore.

{That armor is one of Ellie's dreams.}

{It's like the time we gave you your staff.}

Ah, then there's no helping it huh?

Hmm, wait a second.

Then is this dwarf on the same level of handiness as Nano?

What a frightful person!