The Wrath of the Dead

Kyouze’s POV:

I saw Mikan and Zack, standing with hundreds of Players and NPCs. I didn’t know why they were here, or why there were so many of them. But one thing was clear, they were under attack by those black shadows.

“Damn it, this is annoying!” I shouted, sprinting toward them. I cut through the shadows with [EtherCode Skill: Aether Slash].

Luckily, I hadn’t switched out my EtherCode yet, so I could fight these things head-on. I slashed down nine of the shadows surrounding Mikan. Standing in front of her, I met her eyes coldly.

Without a word, she understood, I wasn’t happy they had followed me this far.

“Kyouze, I…” Mikan began, her voice heavy with hesitation.

I reached out and pulled her to her feet.
“We’ll talk later. Right now, we need to deal with these enemies.”

She brightened at that, smiling faintly as she took my hand and stood.

But the shadows kept coming. The ones I had just cut down re-formed, as if nothing had happened.

“What the hell are these things?” I muttered in frustration.

Behind me, Yae chuckled.
“Haha, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this. Listen carefully, Guardian. They are spirits. There are two types: benevolent and malevolent. These are the latter, spirits born from the souls of the dead, filled with hatred. They exist only to hunt those they despise. Normally, they only attack intruders who enter this place without my permission.”

“I see. That explains why they haven’t attacked me,” I said, finally piecing it together.

“Spirits filled with hatred…” Mikan whispered. Her body trembled as she pointed at the shadows. “Kyouze… I wasn’t seeing things. The ones attacking me… they’re Rex and his party. The ones you defeated on the surface floor.”

I froze, staring hard at the figures. She was right. Those were the same people I had cut down.

When their gazes fell on me, their hatred surged. Their shadows grew larger, their eyes glowing a deeper, bloodier red.

And then they started screaming.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“Kill that man and Mikan!”
“You deserve to die, bastard!”
“This time, we’ll be the ones to slaughter you!”

Their rage was boiling over. Mikan’s fear grew worse, her hands trembling. She still hadn’t overcome her terror.

I turned to Yae. “How do we defeat them?”

“Haha, I knew you’d ask me that, my Guardian!” Yae grinned smugly. “If you stroke me gently, I’ll—”

BAM!

I smacked her on the head.

“Ow! How dare you?!” she whined, holding her head.

“Just tell me,” I said sharply. My glare made her break into a cold sweat.

“Ugh, fine! You’re such a violent Guardian. Listen closely. Malevolent spirits can be defeated if you apologize to them and let them rest in peace. Otherwise, they’ll just keep coming back.”

Mikan’s eyes widened. “Kyouze… how are we supposed to apologize to people who tried to kill us?”

She was trembling again.

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“I already knew I couldn’t rely on that little guinea pig for information. Don’t be afraid, Mikan. We’ll deal with them our way.”

Slowly, she steadied herself, nodding in determination.

“Unbelievable!” Yae pouted, stomping her foot. “I go out of my way to explain how to stop them, and you ignore me?! You’re the worst Guardian ever!”

“That’s because your method is ridiculous. If there’s no other option, then I’ll use mine.”

“Tch… fine. There is one quicker way. I can bless you all with Holy Light magic.” She said it reluctantly, her pride wounded.

“Then do it. Cast it on everyone here.”

Yae crossed her arms, clearly irritated. “Hmph. Very well. Watch as the great Yae-sama shows her true power!”

She began chanting a complex spell.

While she prepared, I cut down Rex and his party’s shadows again and moved to help Zack fend off the spirits attacking him.

“Kyouze! It’s good to see you again!” Zack said cheerfully.

“I can’t say the same,” I replied flatly. His expression dropped.

“Focus, Zack. Listen to my plan and spread it to everyone under your command. I’ve already told Mikan.”

He nodded quickly, and I explained. All of us just had to hold the line and wait until Yae’s spell was complete. Once her magic coated us, our attacks would actually work on the spirits.

Zack gave me a thumbs-up, and Mikan nodded beside me. Together, they relayed the orders to their followers.

Finally, Yae’s chant reached its climax.

“O gods and goddesses who shaped the earth, the sky, and the heavens, grant me the light to banish all malice and hatred! Let your divine protection fall upon these souls and give them the strength to strike down evil. High-tier spell: [Multi Holy Light Blessing]!”

A massive magic circle formed beneath her feet. From it, hundreds of lights shot outward, wrapping every Player and NPC including me, Mikan, and Zack, we are in divine radiance.

“Now! Attack!” Zack and Mikan shouted in unison.

The battlefield roared to life. Steel clashed, magic exploded, and within ten minutes, the last of the malevolent spirits were cut down.

Mikan approached the fading shadows of Rex and his party. Her voice was gentle. “Goodbye… rest in peace.”

I stood beside her, scowling. “Rot in hell, you bastards.”

Mikan flinched but didn’t scold me. I couldn’t pretend to forgive them. Not after everything.

Once the fighting ended, we regrouped. I turned to Mikan and Zack.
“Explain. Why are you here? Why did you follow me, and how did you know I was in this place?”

They told me everything, how Mikan had wanted to help, how Mayor Lorelei had agreed and sent Zack and his unit along, and how the remaining Players had voted to descend again.

Then Mikan revealed how she had tracked me. She pulled out an item called [Personal GPS Netherbyte]. On its display, a white dot glowed with my name.

“Lorelei… that crazy woman,” I muttered, annoyed. “How the hell did she do this to me?”

“It’s not just you, Kyouze. She put trackers on the faction leaders trapped on the sixth floor too,” Mikan said.

That meant… we could track Ayane. Relief and determination struck me at once.

I grabbed Mikan’s shoulders, urging her to check immediately. But she shook her head.
“The GPS only works if we’re on the floor directly above or below. If the target is on the sixth floor, we have to be on the fifth.”

It was frustrating, but I forced myself to stay focused. That meant I had to beat this floor’s boss quickly and move on.

I turned to Yae. “You said there are monsters worse than Hollows and malevolent spirits here. Something dangerous enough to threaten us?”

Her eyes widened. “How do you know that? That’s the reason I left my barrier. I sensed a foul energy gathering outside. When I went to investigate, I saw a massive red stone absorbing Hollows and dark energy. Slowly, it began forming a terrifying giant. I was so afraid, I ran away. That’s when I met you, my Guardian.”

Everyone around us froze in shock. The atmosphere turned grim.

I steadied them.

“Remember this. Forget everything you knew about these dungeons before Nightmare mode was activated. That knowledge won’t save you anymore. If you want to survive, you must adapt to stronger abyss monsters and more vicious dungeon bosses. Understand that, and you’ll live.”

The Players’ eyes sharpened. Their fear turned to determination.

Yae smirked behind me. “I like this energy. From now on, you’re all my Guardians! The great Yae-sama claims you, hahaha!”

The Players looked confused, Zack muttering that Yae seemed oddly familiar but couldn’t place her.

I ignored it. I already knew Yae would be important here, so I would protect her no matter what.

“Yae. Earlier you said that giant was still forming. Is it the Abyss Boss of this floor? When will it awaken?”

Her face paled. “Boss? Floor? I don’t know what that means. But… I can tell you this much. That monster still needs time before it’s fully formed.”

As Yae said that, the barrier was suddenly attacked by a giant figure in a black robe carrying a giant scythe.

BOOM!

The barrier shook violently.

The villagers screamed. The Players froze, trembling at the sight.

“Kyouze… impossible. That’s the monster I saw! Why is it awake already?!” Yae’s voice cracked with fear.

“It must have absorbed the hatred of the spirits we fought. That gave it enough power to rise early,” I said, drawing my sword.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Zack and Mikan rallied their forces as I took the lead.

Yae’s whole body trembled like a terrified child. She whispered, “I… I have to protect the village… but how?”

I grabbed her small, shaking hand. “Calm down, little Marmot. I won’t let it through. No...we won’t! Open the barrier and support us from behind.”

Her wide eyes softened. “…Kyouze… Alright! Leave it to me!”

She thrust her arms outward, opening the barrier. Together, we stepped out—me, Mikan, Zack, and the others.

Whatever it took, we would bring this monster down.

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