Chapter 359: The Dawn of Another World

Left alone, I stared blankly from the truck bed for a while.

Dog Bite... it doesn't seem like he vanished of his own will. I could sense that much, at least.

Or maybe he pulled off a masterful act of deception.

Either way, it caught me completely off guard. For a moment, I even thought it might have been an attack by some unknown force.

"Phew, time for a quick break!"

Nya-kky, use "Shukuchi" and appear right next to me.

The "zombies" here have probably decreased by half.

"...Wait, where's that silver-armored guy?"

"He flashed a light and disappeared."

"Ah, right. He's gone. Well, I guess that's that."

Huh?

Can't be helped, huh?

"By the way, Nya-kky. Do you think we two can take care of all these zombies around here?"

"Easy peasy."

"...How much of that 'magic energy' do you have left?"

"Hmm..."

She briefly checked her stomach,

"About half full?"

So, barely enough then.

"If I take down that big one, I'll probably be completely drained and unable to fight anymore. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm fine. If I get in trouble, I'll just drink this."

She pulled out something familiar.

This is an elixir—a magic recovery item.

"Then I've got it covered."

"Yeah... but there's a problem with using this."

"Oh? What kind of problem?"

"To drink this, you have to... take off the mask."

"Huh?"

That doesn't seem like a big deal.

"No way. If I take off this mask... my big sister will definitely be shocked, stunned, and lose her composure completely..."

"Hmm (deadpan)"

Then, I'll just turn my back when that happens.

"Anyway, it looks like neither of you two will be in any real danger as long as you don't make any big mistakes."

"Uh-huh."

"Then, please take care of the weak ones. Once I take down the big one, I'll retreat to a safe spot again."

"Got it."

By then, most of the fat guys would have noticed us, swarming over with, "Ohoho, what're the girls up to now?"

The sluggish, bulky "zombies" would be at the back of the little ones.

I patted my left leg, which had been paralyzed for a while.

...Yeah. Still a bit off, but I think I can move it okay.

Before their awful stench reached my nose, I took a deep breath.

"Mr. Nya-ky?"

"Hmm?"

And I tightly embrace her shoulder.

"Welcome back."

"Hmm?...Oh, hey..."

"By the way, you haven't forgotten our Smash Bros promise, have you?"

"Of course not."

"Good then."

I'll share the details with her later at my leisure.

I quickly pull away from Nya-ky,

"Then, let's get started as planned."

"Got it."

We both begin our well-practiced routine.

As she vanished using "Zokuchi," I weave through the horde of zombies at the same pace as an ordinary girl running—no hesitation, no fear.

We've spent countless hours devising strategies to deal with these creatures—yet—

"Hey, you zombies! Time for a 1-Up, you lazy bunch!"

Strange as it may seem, I no longer feel fear toward them.

We are exterminators of the undead.

Dealing with them is nothing more than a routine task for us.

I dash in a half-circle for about five hundred meters, circling behind the group of water corpses—zombies.

My lungs, which would have been gasping for breath not long ago, keep pace without faltering.

Compared to back then, we've become truly strong.

'Veeaaaarrrrrooooom!'

The massive "zombie" barks at Nyakkii.

I gaze blankly at his backside,

"Here we go, Nyakkii Cat!"

"Yo!"

Amidst the growls of the monsters, I hear a sharp, clear reply,

"——《Dismissal Mode》"

Activating the Ultimate Sword X.

As the unremarkable multi-tool knife blade turned a dark, shadowy hue, I felt an overwhelming surge of hunger, as if it were rushing at me with terrifying force.

Without hesitation, I channeled all my strength into a powerful leap, launching myself into the air.

"Yaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

With a roar that matched the massive "Zombie's" might, I slashed vertically down his back, splitting him clean in two.

What's strange is that the enemy I just attacked doesn't seem to be taking any damage.

Instead, a dark, hole-like opening appears at the severed area, sucking in everything—mass and all—into its depths.

This technique... to be honest, there are times when it genuinely scares me.

Just a slight touch, and it feels like both the enemy and I might get pulled into darkness.

"...phew"

The massive "zombie," vanishing completely, leaving not a single trace.

Delivering a decisive blow as intended, I let out a sigh of relief.

In a way, it was lucky I wasn’t seen using this technique by the "hero."

My mana is nearly depleted, and I feel a slight wobble in my steps.

Hmm, I thought I might have acted a bit too quickly, and I glanced around—then noticed that, without me even realizing it, all the plump fellows, hundreds of them, were now lying flat on the ground, completely defeated.

I’d only been avoiding looking at them for a mere ten or so seconds, focused entirely on that massive “zombie” body.

In that instant—how did they…?

Then, with a nudge against my shoulder, Nya’kyi uses .

As I looked puzzled, supported by her surprisingly strong frame,

I cheated just a little bit.

"Cheating?"

Well, the fact is, you're not the only one who's gotten stronger!

so it is said.

You can just tell from the smug look behind the mask.

Then, let's head back.

Looking up, I realized without noticing that the time had already passed dawn.

The sun peeking through the clouds brightly illuminated the "Land of Mirrors."