Not Your Average Fodder

The knight clad in fine armor moved sluggishly.

Perhaps because it was undead.

It advanced toward them at a deliberate pace.

When Azu closed to striking distance, it thrust its shield forward and shoved toward her.

The shield was large. And against an undead, a contest of raw strength was ill-advised.

Azu spotted a boulder to her right and leapt for it.

She planted her right foot on the rock's peak, coiled, and launched herself again.

Clearing the massive shield, their eyes met, or so it felt.

Vacant, milky-white eyes.

Yet behind them burned an unmistakable will.

Killing intent toward humans. Malice.

The eye contact lasted only an instant, but it sent a chill crawling up her spine.

She got behind the Knight Zombie. The second one was still far back, so there was no need to worry about it yet.

As the first began to turn, she aimed for the exposed face and thrust.

A dull sensation, then the blade punched through and struck the inside of the helmet.

But the Knight Zombie, sword still buried in its face, swung the blade in its left hand at Azu.

"Higher Undead won't go down from just that!"

Elza's shout rang out.

Azu tried to wrench her sword free, but the Knight Zombie had dropped its shield and seized her blade with its bare hand. It wouldn't budge.

Like it was locked in a vise. Azu released the hilt and dodged the incoming strike.

The edge of the enemy's sword grazed her hair, and a few strands of silver drifted through the air.

Hair that Yohane had complimented.

Fury surged through Azu, and she kicked the pommel of her embedded sword with all her might.

The blade drove deeper, and the helmet popped loose.

A rotting face was exposed beneath.

She kicked it with her left foot while simultaneously grabbing the hilt with her right hand and ripping the sword free.

The Knight Zombie reeled, then reached for Azu's left leg, but she'd already put distance between them.

Based on what she'd felt, once it got a grip, there was no shaking it off.

Physical damage didn't seem very effective.

This was nothing like the Undead they'd fought in the catacombs.

You had to sever limbs or the head, or it was meaningless.

But Azu didn't need to take it down alone.

After applying her blessing to Azu and Alexia, Elza had purification, and Alexia's fire magic could forcefully reduce it to ash.

Azu's job was to deal damage and keep the aggro on herself.

The second Knight Zombie had closed considerably.

If things continued like this, Azu would be caught in a pincer.

"Fire magic, incoming!"

At Alexia's call, a fireball launched.

The Knight Zombie that had lost its helmet, perhaps sensing the magic, turned toward it.

Then it gripped its sword in both hands and moved to intercept the fireball.

Its movements showed it knew what was dangerous and how to respond.

(This isn't just some ordinary zombie…!)

Azu revised her threat assessment upward.

If Alexia's spell was swatted aside, it would lose most of its effectiveness.

And then Azu would be surrounded, putting them at a severe disadvantage.

She channeled mana into the Sealed Sword Grungaus, targeted the shoulder, and slammed the blade down on top of the armor.

She released the sword's power a split second before impact, and the force knocked the Knight Zombie off balance.

Using its body as a shield, she let it catch Alexia's fireball head-on.

It crashed head-first into the fireball, let out something between a groan and a scream, and went still.

Its head was completely charred.

That should be a kill.

The remaining Knight Zombie carried a spear.

Different reach this time.

Azu adjusted her grip and was considering her approach when Elza appeared beside her, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Use this."

Elza sprinkled holy water over Azu's sword.

Right. They'd done the same thing in the catacombs. She'd forgotten.

Maybe she'd been a bit too eager.

She looked at Elza, who met her gaze with the same warm smile as always.

Azu took a slow, deep breath. Steadied herself.

If she'd used the holy water from the start, that first strike might have been a kill, or at least dealt far more damage.

Focus. Think. Use your head.

I'm the leader, Azu reminded herself with renewed resolve.

"I'll take it down with purification, so can you keep it busy for me?"

"Got it. Please do."

The Knight Zombie drew closer.

Almost in spear range.

Azu stepped forward to keep its attention off Elza.

That step put her right at the tip of its reach.

The spear thrust came sharper than the first Knight Zombie's sword had been.

But Azu's dynamic vision tracked it. She twisted her body to dodge, then deflected the spear's shaft with her blade.

The spear swung in a wide arc, and the Knight Zombie hauled it back with brute force.

Unwilling to leave itself open in the interim, it deployed its shield.

A large, rectangular shield that blocked everything.

Azu struck it head-on, channeling the Sealed Sword's power on impact.

The shield dented and shifted just enough to expose the body behind it.

Every part except the face was armored, and even a blow to the face wouldn't drop an Undead easily.

But purification from a priestess was a literal death sentence for the undead.

Elza gripped her rosary and directed the miracle at the Knight Zombie.

Its face, twisted with resentment, crumbled to ash and vanished.

"Phew. Think that did it?"

"Looks like it. Thank you."

"No need for thanks."

The instant they looked away, the Knight Zombie whose head had been incinerated earlier began to rise.

Before Azu could even raise her sword, Alexia's fire-wreathed battle-axe smashed through its skull and burned the body to nothing.

"A bit early to let your guard down."

"I'm sorry."

Azu bowed her head.

Keeping watch was her responsibility.

Alexia placed a hand on Azu's shoulder.

"You're doing well. Our leader."

"Alexia-san…"

"Hmm, they really are pretty tough."

"Yes. They felt almost… intelligent."

During the fight, there had been a clear sense that the enemy was prioritizing targets.

So this was what high-difficulty labyrinth monsters were like.

"They are strong, but stick to the fundamentals and we'll be fine."

Alexia's reassurance eased some of Azu's tension.

She turned to the fallen monsters. Fragments of equipment were scattered around the remains.

Apparently you couldn't salvage the gear intact.

Labyrinths really were strange spaces.

She picked up the mithril fragments and stowed them in her bag.

There was also what appeared to be a medal among the drops.

Something the knight might have worn in life, perhaps.

Gold had been used in its construction, so it should be worth some money.

She picked that up too.

The exploration had only just begun.