The Obsidian Shards

     In one of the main rooms of the sanatorium, Greg was questioning Grith and Alain about his identity.

     “Old Man, what about my assignment? Where am I supposed to hunt monsters? Give me the details,” Greg asked curiously, his fingers absentmindedly brushing against the chain accessory resting on his shoulder.

    “Ah, about that... You simply need to stand by. Whenever a monster appears, you can head directly to the location according to the reports. And coincidentally, monsters are attacking three locations at once this time,” Grith replied.

     “Can you take me there?” Greg asked.

     Alain, who had been listening all this time, immediately interrupted with a furrowed brow. “Are you seriously planning to go right now?”

     “Of course. Who knows? Maybe if I fight, my memories will come back,” Greg replied firmly.

     “In that case, you can start with the plaza area,” Grith suggested. “You can go there accompanied by Silvi.”

     Silvi immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Yes, Master. Understood!” she replied.

     “Since the situation is urgent, use Gate magic,” Grith instructed Silvi.

     “Understood. Then, excuse me, Master, Professor. Come on, Greg. Follow me,” Silvi said as she began chanting a short spell.

     “Okay, got it,” Greg replied briskly.

     Two pillars of magical light split through the dense, hissing air of the room. “Gate Magic is ready. Come on, Greg. Go through here,” Silvi invited, stepping forward first.

     After Silvi and Greg's bodies were completely swallowed by the pillars of light and disappeared, Alain immediately turned toward Grith with an anxious expression.

     “Old Man, are you seriously letting our masterpiece go fight monsters with only Silvi accompanying him?” Alain asked.

     “Relax. Maybe what Greg said is true. If he goes directly onto the battlefield, perhaps his memories will return,” Grith said calmly.

    “And what if he dies again?” Alain pressed, doubting the durability of the hero's newly restored body.

     A cold smile appeared on Grith's face. “Even if Greg dies again, we can simply try resurrecting him again.”

     Alain fell silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. “Okay, then, Old Man.”

     “Relax. Our plan from earlier worked, didn't it? Now we just need to focus on what's right in front of us. Haha,” Grith said with a satisfied chuckle.

---

     “Come on! Keep attacking that damn monster!” the captain of the Third Division shouted, issuing his command.

     “Yes, Captain!”

     Shot after shot from the Wind Rifles and attack after attack continued raining down relentlessly upon the horde of SleepWalkers.

     “Finally, we've managed to drive those damn monsters back,” one of the soldiers said as he lowered his weapon.

     “Yeah. We can finally relax a little now,” another soldier replied, letting out a relieved sigh.

     However, their leader immediately interrupted the relaxed atmosphere. “Stay alert! Don't let your guard down!” the captain shouted, his eyes actively scanning every corner ahead of him.

     “Allright, Captain Kyou!”

     Meanwhile, the Resilient Warriors led by Bill had arrived at the main gate of the capital.

     “Damn it! We missed the monster-killing party!” Bill cursed. The large-built man immediately planted his enormous axe into the ground, then stood firmly while gripping its handle.

     “So, what's the next step, Bill? Should we head straight to the plaza?” one of Bill's companions asked from within the formation.

     “I think we should stay here for now, Bill. My instincts are telling me this disaster isn't over yet,” Shen interjected, having been observing the movement of the wind all this time.

     Bill burst into loud laughter upon hearing his companion's words. “Hahaha! All right, then, Shen. Everyone, stay on standby here!” Bill declared, reaffirming his decision.

    “Understood! On it, Bill!” the members of the Resilient Warriors shouted in unison.

     Captain Kyou, seeing the arrival of the unfamiliar group, immediately approached them. “What are you doing here? Why aren't you evacuating to a safe location?” Kyou asked with a furrowed brow.

     “Don't worry. We, the Resilient Warriors, will always be around for things like this,” Bill replied casually with a chuckle as he looked at the captain.

     Before the soldiers could enjoy their brief respite for long, a plume of pitch-black mist suddenly emerged. The next second, after the mysterious fog gradually disappeared, a new horde of SleepWalkers appeared once again—this time in vastly greater numbers.

     What the hell is that?! Kyou cursed inwardly, irritated as he saw their defensive line surrounded once again. “All of you who can still fight, keep moving forward! Those who are injured, fall back!” Kyou shouted, issuing an emergency command as he drew his sword.

      “Yes, Captain! Understood!”

     Shen nudged Bill's arm while wearing a faint smile. “See? I was right, wasn't I, Bill? My instincts told me this wasn't over yet. Hahaha!” Shen said, mocking the situation.

     “Haha, you're right, Shen! Come on, everyone! Let's have some more fun!” Bill shouted loudly.

     “UAAARRRGGGHHH! Let's go!”

    The battle cries of the Resilient Warriors thundered across the battlefield as they prepared to charge into the storm of monsters before them.

     With blazing enthusiasm, Bill shot through the remnants of the black mist, immediately severing two SleepWalker necks with a single swing. Thick black fluid splattered outward, yet the large-built man merely laughed heartily as he kicked a third monster in the chest, sending it crashing to the ground.

     On the other side, Shen moved swiftly like a shadow, weaving between the monsters' claw strikes while repeatedly driving his daggers into the fatal points beneath their jaws.

     “Come here, you monster!” one of the Resilient Warriors shouted as he swung his weapon—a heavy chain attached to a spiked iron ball. The massive chain swept through the air in a wide arc, smashing directly into the monsters attempting to surround his position.

     “Oi! You guys still capable of fighting?!” Bill shouted, his voice cutting through the roar of battle.

     “Don't worry! This is nothing, hahah!” the Resilient Warriors shouted back together from various points across the battlefield.

     While Bill was focused on slaughtering the enemies, the corner of his eye caught sight of one of his companions being cornered by a swarm of SleepWalkers. Without hesitation, he shot forward, swinging his enormous axe to cut off the monsters' path of attack.

     “You okay, buddy?” Bill asked, making sure his companion was safe.

     “I'm fine, Bill! Just a small wound!”

     “Good. Fall back and treat your wound first,” Bill advised firmly.

     However, immediately after rescuing his companion, Bill's awareness dropped slightly without him realizing it due to his exposed position. Now it was Bill himself who was suddenly swarmed, drawing him into the hungry mass of SleepWalkers.

     Seeing the threat before him, Bill merely stood silent, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. He tightened his grip around the handle of his axe, allowing both arms to swing freely with full force—Swiiish!—Shlabbbb!—the enormous axe blade cleaved through the air, accompanied by a spray of the monster's black blood as Bill's body spun through an extreme 360-degree rotation.

     “Take that, you bastard monsters!” Bill muttered in satisfaction as he wiped the splattered blood from his face.

     “You're still as crazy as ever, Bill,” Shen said, suddenly appearing beside him while wiping his dagger blade clean.

     “Hahaha!” Bill merely laughed broadly before firmly striking the bottom of his axe handle against the ground.

     After resting for a moment to recover his breath, Bill pulled his enormous axe from the ground with a powerful single motion.

     “Come on, Shen!”

      “Let's go!”

      Along the entire frontline of the main gate, the tactical armor of the Sovereign Vanguard and the ragged combat attire of the Resilient Warriors moved across one another. The two factions merged in the middle of the battlefield, swinging steel and unleashing magic as they tore through waves of SleepWalkers that seemed to crawl endlessly out from the darkness.

     “Come on, everyone! Keep attacking!” Captain Kyou shouted as he raised his sword high into the air.

     “Yes, Captain!” the Sovereign Vanguard soldiers responded in unison.

     At the forefront, the sword-wielding soldiers were busy clearing away the monsters advancing toward them. Meanwhile, from the rear, the ranged division remained focused on providing support from the main gate, firing upon monsters attempting to force their way through the gaps.

     “Keep firing at those monsters!” one of the shooters shouted from atop the tower.

     “Okay!”

     BANG-BANG-BANG—SWOOSHHH!!!

     Invisible projectiles from the Wind Rifles and blazing bullets from the Fire Rifles were fired in rapid succession, speeding through the air and creating streaks of magical distortion amid the storm.

     “Take this! Taste my sword, haha!” shouted a sword-wielding soldier whose body was already trembling at the limits of his stamina. His overwhelming exhaustion caused his vigilance to falter. Without realizing it, a SleepWalker leaped from a blind spot, sinking its fangs into the soldier's neck and tearing through the flesh beneath his silver armor.

     “Arghhhh!”

     Fresh blood spilled from his mouth. The man wore one final bitter smile before his body was completely swallowed beneath the hungry swarm of monsters. His death happened in the blink of an eye, yet there was no time to mourn.

     The Sovereign Vanguard soldiers clenched their jaws, keeping their eyes locked forward and remaining completely focused on their mission to defend the gate.

     “Tch...”

     Seeing another one of his subordinates fall, Captain Kyou immediately dashed forward through the swarm. With incredibly fluid movements, his right hand swung his sword, slashing through an enemy's neck, while his left hand simultaneously fired a Wind Rifle at close range—instantly destroying the group of monsters surrounding him.

     Seeing their captain fight tirelessly along the deadly frontline, the remaining soldiers' spirits once again ignited with blazing determination.

     The sun continued climbing until it reached directly overhead. However, its radiance still could not penetrate the capital of Finchster because of the thunderstorm caused by the Thunderbird.

     As the Third Division and the Resilient Warriors began struggling against the relentless waves of SleepWalkers—

     “Tch, these damn monsters just don't stop,” Bill muttered, spitting onto the ground while breathing heavily. At the same time, on the opposite side of the main gate, Kyou grunted harshly as he stared sharply at the horde of SleepWalkers appearing once again. Damn it... Could it be?

     Kyou, who had been directly fighting on the deadly battlefield all this time, did not waste the opportunity before him. He continued observing and analyzing the pattern of the monsters' appearances. Then he pulled the trigger of his weapon, aiming directly at a black fragment floating in the air. The instant the fragment was destroyed, the Dark Aura glowing around it disappeared as well.

     He tried stepping forward and slashing another fragment with his sword to prove his tactical theory. Just as I thought! Kyou's thoughts surged violently.

     “All of you, change our primary target!” Kyou commanded, his baritone voice roaring through the storm. “Destroy those floating black fragments! Continue holding back the SleepWalkers trying to break through, but stay careful and do not lower your guard!”

     Hearing their captain's rapid command, the Sovereign Vanguard soldiers immediately changed their battle formation.

     On the other side of the gate, while Bill was grumbling in frustration, he heard Kyou's baritone voice echoing across the battlefield.

     “You all heard that, right?” Bill said with a wide grin toward his members.

     “Come on! Let's destroy those weird things! Hahaha!”

    “Let's go!” the Resilient Warriors shouted together.

     Now, the two factions merged into one, completely focused on the same primary objective.

     “Okay, nice! Got two!” one of the shooters atop the tower muttered after his projectile successfully destroyed a black fragment.

     “Come on! Destroy this thing!” one of the sword soldiers shouted as he slashed at a nearby black fragment.

     “Okay!”

     Slowly but surely, the area outside the main gate began clearing of the hordes of SleepWalkers that had been continuously appearing. Seeing that only two strange objects remained—both slightly larger and positioned close together—Kyou and Bill charged forward simultaneously. They immediately unleashed a sword slash and a deadly axe strike at the same time, destroying the objects until nothing remained.

     Kyou glanced at the large man beside him with a look of respect. “Not bad.”

     “It's nothing, hahaha,” Bill replied humbly with a broad grin.

     “Let's clean up the rest of these monsters!”

     “Okay! Who's scared? Haha!”

     Several minutes later, every remaining SleepWalker around the gate had been completely annihilated. Cheers of relief mixed with the heavy breathing of exhausted soldiers echoed throughout the area.

     “For now, let's take a break,” Kyou said to all his soldiers. He gave his sword one powerful shake—Shring!—then slowly returned it to its sheath.

     On the other side, Bill, completely exhausted, immediately dropped his enormous axe onto the ground. He then slumped down, desperately regulating his rapid breathing. “Phew... finally, that's over.”

     “That was a close one, Bill,” Shen said as he approached, sheathing his daggers.

      “Hahaha, you're right, Shen. We should also thank that guy,” Bill replied with a chuckle, pointing toward Captain Kyou, who was standing in the distance.

---

     At one corner of the city plaza, a pillar of light hissed into existence before Greg and Silvi finally arrived at the location.

     Greg immediately froze when he saw the sight of the enormous monster before him. Hell nah, what the heck is that? he muttered inwardly, his eyes widening.

     “Silvi, give me some time to think first.”

     “All right, Greg. Take your time,” Silvi replied while standing guard beside him.

     Greg fell silent, his thoughts clashing violently as he tried to process his amnesiac state. Is this what I'm supposed to do as a hero? But seriously, a monster this huge? If I don't attack it, this kingdom is going to be destroyed. Tch, dawg...

     At another side of the plaza at the same time, General Azeer, along with his subordinates and the Valiant Knight forces, continued launching massive attacks from every direction. Yet the Salamandra Gigants did not budge.

     It simply continued marching toward the palace, until eventually it broke through the invisible magical barrier generated by the iron shields of the soldiers.

     Seeing the monster successfully breach their defenses and rapidly advance toward the palace—

     “Come on, Silvi! Let's chase that monster!”

     “But what if you die?!” Silvi cried out with a panicked expression.

     “We'll worry about that later, hahaha! Come on, let's chase it!” Greg replied as he shot forward.

     Just seconds before the Salamandra Gigants could smash through the main palace gate, Greg rapidly leaped onto the monster's body, using its tail as a path to climb upward. Then, the moment he reached its back, Greg jumped high into the air—Slash!—His massive sword swept downward, striking directly at the monster's neck—Thrang!—the collision produced a harsh metallic clang. Yet it left not even the slightest wound.

     “Damn it, it's tough!” Greg muttered as he jumped backward to land.

     However, just as he prepared to slash at the monster's leg, the creature's enormous tail was already sweeping rapidly toward him from the side. The powerful impact struck Greg squarely, sending him flying several meters through the air before he crashed down and disappeared beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.

Copyright © 2026 [Rei Vo Lution] - Project Destiny's Corpse.

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Will our hero die for the second time after only just being resurrected? Let's find out what fate awaits our hero!