Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 241: Rise

The initial clash of blades happened faster than an ordinary human eye could detect. Even with their perception nearing the superhuman, Only Angelica could truly see what was happening during the duel between their fearless leader, and the monster which he was fighting to the death.

But the moment after they disappeared, the two figures re-appeared. Both of which were bleeding, albeit their cold and dead blood oozed from their wounds slowly. The injuries sustained in the brief exchange were superficial, and nothing that their lifeless bodies were incapable of healing in time.

Gwen suffer a curved cut across the cheek, while Zane had been slashed across the eye. The wound was shallow, but oozed with his coagulated blood nonetheless. And yet it did not scratch his vision.

Like several of her siblings, Gwen favored claws as her weapon. Claws made of her own crystalline blood, which protruded from above her knuckles. These were weapons that even Zane's armor could not fully defend against. Should she land a fatal blow?

They were lethal, especially at close range, and required no more than a basic knowledge of pugilism to wield effectively in combat. Choosing to go for a slash, rather than a stab, showed that like Zane, Gwen did not take their initial exchange of blows seriously. Rather, it was simply a means to test one another's speed. Which the undead cheerleader couldn't help but make a comment about.

"You have grown fast, big brother, fast and strong. And to think it has only been a month since our previous encounter. Unfortunately, against me, it may not be enough…"

Zane, however, wore an equally ecstatic grin on his face. Finally, he had met a competent foe, one that was on his own level. And he intended to enjoy every moment of this duel. Naturally, the tone in his voice matched his current state of mind.

"I could say the same about you. It's subtle, but you are faster than the last time we met. It appears that I am not the only one who has been preparing for this encounter. Unfortunately for you, little sister, we're only getting started!"

Gwen's eyes opened wide, full of excitement. Why was she so ecstatic? Because for the first time since they had met, Zane had recognized their bond as siblings. It was a huge step forward in their relationship, and she couldn't help but get happy over this. It was only natural that her tone became even more reverent as she welcome the man's challenge.

"Indeed, we are!"

Once more, the two Horde Kings launched their attack. No longer intending to simply test one another's might, but rather this time, their blades went for the kill. The onlookers stared in disarray, trying to understand just what they were witnessing.

With Angelica being the one with the highest wisdom sat, a stat that sat at 28 with her gear fully equipped. Even she could just barely make out what was going on. However, it required her full attention.

Which was immediately broken by Elena panicking from her own ignorant perspective.

"Does anyone know what's going on? Is Zane winning? Olivia, Angelica? Anybody?"

The battle was happening between two monsters whose dexterity stats both exceeded beyond the boundary of 30. They were moving at such high speeds that Angelica could barely witness what was happening, and she could have sworn she was only seeing the afterimages of the two duelists.

With her attention broken by Elena's screams, the Saintess of the Great Basin could no longer see what was happening, and for the first time, perhaps in her entire life, she lost her temper, swearing at Elena, as she expressed her frustration aloud.

'God dammit Elena! Can you shut the fuck up for five seconds?"

Despite the fact that a deeply worrisome, and potentially lethal duel was taking place in front of them, the heads of all the women in Zane's party immediately shifted to Angelica, their entire focus falling upon the woman. Everyone had an expression of disbelief on their faces, as they had never witnessed the young woman curse before.

It even took Angelica a few moments to realize what she had said aloud, causing her to lower her head in shame, while blushing in embarrassment. It could not be overheard over the sounds of clashing metal, but she apologized ever so meekly for losing her temper.

"Sorry…"

In the next moment, the two combatants appeared once more, breaking the girl's attention away from Angelica, and revealing the extent of the battle between Zane and Gwen. Both of which were covered in wounds, their bodies oozing with coagulated blood. But there was one of the two duelists who had clearly come out of the violent exchange with the advantage.

While Zane's limbs were entirely intact. Gwen was missing one of her forearms. She used her own powers to seal off the blood in her body, crystalizing around her missing arm in order to maintain the blood within her.

Taking deep breaths, both she and Zane sealed their wounds in this manner, and yet despite their injuries, there was nothing but an exception of bliss on their faces. Gwen couldn't help but praise Zane's movements, which were ever so swifter than her own.

"Big brother… I really need to learn from you. Among all the Tier I Horde Kings, I stand at the top. I am but an inch away from reaching Tier II. And yet…. You're better than I am! No wonder you were able of taking out those plebs so easily….

Mother favors you, I can tell. That cloak of yours, it's hers, isn't it? I'm afraid, without my arm, this duel has come to an end. But unlike Beatrix, I won't go quietly into the night. Come, brother, let us finish this!"

Zane's smirk grew even wider as he brandished his two blades in a meancing fashion, all while taking Gwen up on her offer.

"It has been an honor, my dear sister!"

After saying this, the two lunged forward at one another. There was no attempt to evade each other's strikes, nor was there an attempt to block them. No, both came at one another with a lethal strike. From Zane's perspective, it was as if time had slowed down. He was moving so fast that his concept of such a powerful force had been shifted.

He could see Gwen's movements come at him in slow motion, as his own attack did the same. And yet despite not hearing her voice, he could see Gwen utter her final words as his blade came over her attack, and severed her heard from her body.

"I will see you soon."

While time had slowed down from Zane, it was less than a second before the duel came to an end from the perspective of the onlookers. Zane stood on the other side of where he had been. And Gwen's head rolled away from her corpse which had fallen by the wayside.

There was a gleeful smile on the girl's face, the last expression she had made before being decapitated. Zane, however, did not feel happy over the fact that he had killed another Horde King, one who had been a major threat to himself and his family.

No, he felt rather distraught over it. And when Gwen's blood crystal appeared in his inventory, he instantly manifested it in his own hand. Where he stared longingly and silently at it for some time.

Though the women in his group wanted to congratulate the man on his victory, they stopped in their tracks when they saw the depressed look on his face. Which ultimately came to an end with a heavy sigh and a silent prayer. Before Zane plopped the blood crystal into his mouth.

The rewards for Killing Gwen were beyond Zane's imagination. He could hear his mother giggling in the back of his head like a schoolgirl, clearly excited over what ability he would soon replace himself getting.

Despite the appearance the system gave, of the skill being random. It was anything but. Zane knew now that the strings were being pulled by death, and in his favor no less. Thus, when he finally saw what ability he had been granted, he simply smirked.

---

[The Blood Crystal of a Tier I Horde King has been consumed…]

[+1,000 XP]

[Generating New Skill]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill Raise Dead!]

[Unique Skill]

[Description: You have the ability to raise the dead from their slumber and, in doing so, make them your servants. This skill cannot be upgraded, and is already at its peak.]

---

At first, Zane was slightly confused about just what the implications were behind this new skill. He was about to ask his mother with his thoughts about what its limitations were. But she simply spoke to him with a smug tone in her voice.

"That's right, Zane. You can resurrect any corpse. Whether they are a living being who has just suffered their first death. Or the mightiest Horde King who has suffered their second death. There are no limitations to this skill. So… How about you wake your little sister from her slumber?"

Zane was stunned by this information, and quickly looked over to where Gwen's body lied. He raised his hand and pointed it in her direction, and as he did so a black miasma appeared from his palm, spreading to the corpse which he was trying to revive, which would only do so when he issued the command. Of which he instinctively, new.

"Rise, my sister… It would appear our mother is not done with you yet."

In an instant, Gwen's severed head reattached itself, while all the other injuries she had sustained in battle had vanished entirely, fully healed as if they had never occurred. All the while, she slowly picked herself up off the ground.

Kneeling before Zane with a reverent look in her eyes. She spoke the words, which she never thought she would in her life, thoroughly recognizing Zane's authority over her in the process.

"What are your commands, my Prince?"

For Elena and the others, who had been through a whirlwind of emotions since the duel first began. They could only sit there in astonishment at what Zane had just accomplished, and the deep implications of what it meant for the world as a whole.