The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 29

“…Hoo.”

A tall handsome guy with messy navy blue hair. His neat black butler suit has a splash of color from a red handkerchief tucked into the pocket on his left chest.

In his right hand, he clutches a flame-red sword—the Flame of the Sword (Martial Arts), set ablaze with a crimson glow.

Helinante, the butler of House Herta, lets out a deep sigh as if he’s struggling.

His face glistens with sweat pouring down like rain, and his neatly pressed jacket is wrinkled and caked with dirt.

“Helinante, what are you planning to do now?”

A maid with sleek black bobbed hair approaches him and asks.

A woman with sharp eyes and ebony pupils. If a proud black cat turned into a human, it would look just like her.

The Head Maid, like Helinante, grips two small daggers, each ablaze with the Flame of Herta, in an inverted manner.

“This is just a temporary measure.”

Now let’s broaden our perspective and take a look around them.

Including Helinante and the Head Maid, six butlers and three maids stand in a wide circle, keeping watch to protect the terrified young maid trainees and the helpless servants huddled in the center.

All of them are armed with swords of black flame, just like Helinante and the Head Maid. But they too bear visible signs of exhaustion from continuous combat.

<Fwoosh!>

And surrounding them like a protective barrier is a wall of black flames. At first glance, it seems they are trapped within that wall…

-…Gulp.

-…Cough! Agh!

-…Grrr…

In reality, this wall of black flames is the last line of defense protecting the twenty-four humans from the hundreds of zombies drawn in by the scent of prey.

On a street in Royal Capital Erka.

At a point just over 1 km from the Royal Palace, the servants of House Herta, who had escaped from their mansion towards the palace, find themselves surrounded by zombies.

“This wall of flames will extinguish soon. The Flame of Herta wielded by the servants is imperfect.”

“I know, Elina… But isn’t it better to buy at least a little more time?”

In this life-and-death situation, the Head Maid calmly analyzes their precarious situation without changing her expression.

However, Helinante does not deny her statement. It is evident that this wall of flames protecting them from the attackers will last less than five minutes.

“What if someone comes to help… Can’t you feel the presence of others nearby?”

“No. Even if someone is around, I doubt anyone will come to help in this situation.”

“Is there no way to maintain this wall of flames longer?”

“No. This is already being sustained for over twenty minutes using the magic of other servants, isn’t it? If we exhaust the remaining magic, we will have no means of defense left.”

“Isn’t there the fascinating magic you showed us at the mansion? The one that suddenly appeared right in front of us in the annex. Can’t we escape using that?”

“I can only teleport myself.”

“…No, just come up with something! Are we really going to be eaten by those things?”

“Under the current situation, that’s how it seems.”

“Ugh, seriously…”

Finishing an unproductive exchange with the Head Maid, Helinante grimaces and presses his palm against his forehead with his non-sword-bearing left hand.

“…”

As he sits there, staring blankly, the Head Maid slowly opens her mouth.

“If we abandon those behind us, the rest can survive.”

She presents him with a cold alternative.

That’s also true.

If they were to abandon the non-combatants and attempt to escape with just the butlers and three maids, various paths would open up.

They could possibly break through the horde of zombies, or at the very least, without jumping to the heights like Lanit and his group, they could climb the walls of buildings to a height unreachable by the zombies.

Actually, if they had abandoned them in the first place, they wouldn’t have found themselves in this predicament.

“…”

Helinante shifts his gaze back to the maid trainees and other servants huddled in fear in the center.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not an option.”

He outright rejects her suggestion, wearing a serious expression that is hard to associate with his usually playful demeanor.

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“I’m just explaining the way to save the maximum number of people.”

“Okay, fine. Everyone will survive and reunite with the Young Lady. I refuse to accept any other outcome.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“We’ll break through.”

He answers the Head Maid’s question tersely before turning back to the others.

“Everyone, pay attention!”

His shout draws everyone’s gaze to him.

In the eyes of the servants looking at him, Helinante felt fear, despair, and a glimmer of hope.

“This wall protecting us will soon vanish.”

He delivers the grim news but puts on a brave front to reassure others.

“I won’t sugarcoat it. The situation is bad. But!”

At Helinante’s sudden exclamation, those listening jump in surprise.

“Are we really going to sit idly by and become food for those things? Aren’t we ashamed of the name of Herta?”

When the name “Herta” leaves his mouth, the somber atmosphere shifts drastically.

“I won’t say much. Let’s burn at least one more of them before we die!”

With that final shout, Helinante turns to face the zombies beyond the wall once more.

“The wall will soon disappear! I’ll lead the way, so the rest of the combatants should follow me and advance!”

Under Helinante’s orders, the other servants adjust their grips on their weapons and reform their formation. A solemn determination glimmers in their eyes.

“…Hah. If it gets dangerous, I’ll flee alone.”

The Head Maid has come to stand beside him.

“That’s so like you. Then I have one request.”

“What is it?”

“If we survive and reunite with the Young Lady, please tell her we fought and died in a manner befitting the names she and the Master bestowed upon us… Oh, and tell Lanit to stop acting like a coward.”

“…Hmph.”

Even just a faint smile, but unmistakably, the Head Maid Elina laughed.

“I like the second message too.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief, then. As a parting gift, I wouldn’t mind seeing you smile even once before heading to heaven.”

Helinante responded with a grin, matching her smile.

<Fwoosh…>

As the black flame wall surrounding them begins to lose strength and gradually extinguish…

“Agh! They’re coming! Everyone, prepare for battle!”

“Can’t you run any faster?!”

Esmela shouts anxiously.

“This is the best I can do! I’m carrying the Young Lady! And she can’t possibly follow us alone!”

“Ugh…”

She can only bite her lip, unable to retort.

<Thud!>

Putting power into her legs, she leaps onto the roof to land on another.

Now, we’re rushing towards the spot where Herta’s flames shot up, as Esmela witnessed.

“We’re almost there!”

Arit, at the front, calls out. She doesn’t hide her urgency either.

“Uncle Zeck, I’m sorry! For helping us so much…”

“Eh? No, no! You don’t need to feel burdened! I wouldn’t count on getting the door opened alone anyway!”

As I apologize, he smiles good-naturedly, as if it’s nothing.

“There it is!”

At Arit’s shout, we all look ahead.

“Young Lady!”

“I see it too!”

It’s the scene of the servants desperately fighting back against the zombies, whom they had separated from in the mansion.

The butlers swing their flaming swords, igniting the heads of zombies, while the maids drive their flame-laden daggers into the foreheads of the undead.

Yet the situation appears grim. The sheer number of zombies targeting them is overwhelming.

“Oh my… At least 300, right?”

Uncle Zeck gasps as he counts the foes.

Just as he said, even counting only the zombies charged at the servants, it’d be in the hundreds.

Moreover, the distant sound of more zombies gathering…

“Gah…!”

Seeing how severe the situation is, I grit my teeth and leap with all my strength off the roof.

“I’ll make a landing spot with ground manipulation magic as I hit the ground. So just jump down!”

Esmela calls out urgently.

We’re almost there. If we can just get past this roof, we can join them—

<Thud!>

We dive onto the street where the battle rages against the zombies.

In the split second before hitting the ground, I activate all my senses to assess the situation.

The servants have fallen back to the wall of what appears to be a large shop, bracing against the zombies while putting up a resistance.

The butlers and maids desperately wave their flaming blades to incinerate the approaching zombies while protecting the young maids and other servants.

At the front line, Helinante and the Head Maid are fighting bravely.

Helinante is swinging the Flame of the Sword with all his strength, slashing through zombies, while the Head Maid is shooting shadowy spears into the heads of zombies with an unknown magic, as seen before.

Fortunately, none of the twenty-four servants have been left behind.

“Earth Manipulate!”

As Esmela finishes her incantation, low pillars rise from the ground, enough for five servants to land on comfortably amidst the zombies surging towards them.

Great, just step on that platform and jump to join them—

“Young Lady?! Lanit!”

Suddenly, Helinante glances around and spots us, his face breaking into a joyous shout.

But the zombies won’t allow even a moment’s distraction.

<Thud!>

One zombie leaps out from the horde towards Helinante.

“Danger—”

Before I can finish my sentence…

*Thwap.*

“Argh!!”

The monster brutally bites into Helinante’s right arm.

In that instant, time seems to freeze and everything slows down.

Yes, that sensation. It’s like when Gilrot turned into a zombie and lunged at me.

Am I really going to watch someone else turn into a zombie again?

*Crunch…*

No. This time it’s different.

“Ahhh!”

“Arit, the barrier!”

As soon as I land on the platform created by magic, I throw Esmela aside and order Arit, then sprint towards Helinante.

*Thwap, crunch…*

“Get away from it!”

“Hold still!”

Helinante tries to shake off the zombie biting into his arm, but the creature refuses to let go.

The Head Maid hurries over, clearly flustered, but the resistance is too strong for her to do anything quickly.

*Swish.*

*Thwap!*

Without hesitation, I pull the sword from my waist as I run towards them.

“Get back!”

“Lanit…?”

I shove the Head Maid aside and stand next to Helinante.

“Flame of Herta!”

Clutching the blazing sword in my right hand,

*Swish!*

*Thwack.*

I bring the blade down, severing Helinante’s right arm.

From the cut, crimson flames blaze forth.

“What, ugh, argh!!!”

Before he can comprehend what’s happening, Helinante collapses, writhing in agony from the burning phantom pain of his severed arm.

*Grrr?*

The zombie that had been biting at Helinante, losing its balance from the sudden loss of its prey, stumbles.

*Fwoosh!*

With a swift swipe of my sword, I incinerate its head.

The black flames consume even the remnants of Helinante’s severed arm.

“Light, protect the pilgrims with a holy wall!”

*Whoosh!*

Arit summons a massive, radiant barrier that cuts off the zombies.

“W-what’s happening…!”

“Young Lady, extinguish the flames on Helinante’s arm!”

“No, wait, what?!”

“Quick!”

Esmela, landing behind me, seems bewildered, but she rushes over to Helinante’s side upon my urging.

“I-Ice Fog.”

*Hiss.*

The cold mist pouring from her left hand begins to extinguish the flames from Herta clinging to Helinante’s severed arm.

“Arit, how long can the barrier hold?”

“Less than two minutes at this rate.”

“What about the remaining magic? Didn’t you have enough energy for that spell to wipe out all the zombies around here?”

I recall Arit scattering hordes of zombies with countless light spears when we were in dire straits before, and I ask her.

“I barely have enough for one more use. But…”

“But what?”

“I saw more zombies closing in on us from other areas while jumping across the roofs. So even if we eliminate the ones in front of us… it probably won’t be enough.”

“…Understood. For now, please administer first aid to the butler whose arm I just severed.”

Arit nods silently and rushes to him.

“Well… it seems like we’re cornered, doesn’t it?”

Zeck, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally speaks up.

“Seems like it. We managed to regroup, but way more zombies than we expected are here.”

“Oh man… I thought we’d get through easily, but what can we do? I guess we’ll just have to slice through these monsters one by one.”

With that, he readies the massive iron sword strapped to his back.

“Hahaha, right?”

I can only return a bitter smile at his bravado.

I glance over the state of the servants.

The butlers and combat-capable maids are on the brink of exhaustion.

The other servants are merely trembling in terror.

The most reliable Helinante can barely fight, and though the Head Maid appears relatively fine, she wouldn’t be at her best either.

*Graaah!*

*Thud! Thud! BAM!*

I see zombies frantically pounding against the barrier with both arms.

Hundreds, perhaps even a thousand of them, are barreling toward us.

There’s no answer.

Was coming here even the right choice? Should I have forcibly pulled Esmela away and headed to the palace alone at that moment?

Standing there helplessly, I only dwell on my previous choices in regret.

“Listen, all you restless dead who refuse to embrace eternal rest!”

Suddenly, a young man’s booming voice echoes.

“What the heck?”

Uncle Zeck jumps in surprise, glancing around.

*Graaah!*

The zombies banging on the barrier stop and glance around, searching for the voice’s owner.

Like the zombies, we too are startled, unable to even imagine what’s happening as we turn our heads to see.

“I shall now hold you accountable for daring to disturb the territory of the Royal Family of Arkeisia.”

…Ah, I recognize this voice.

Of course, how could I forget?

The voice I’ve heard countless times while playing [Romance in Arkeisia~The Four Gems~], more than Esmela’s… no, even more than that.

“Robertze…”

Esmela whispers his name softly, her face going pale.