Burning City (Extra-Long Chapter!)

The dry, freezing wind howled like a ghost. Its chill seemed capable of turning the air to white powder. Warm holy light streamed behind the snapping Holy Flame Battle Standards, struggling to drive back the cold.

Buster gripped the rough reins in his left hand and the hard, cold hilt of his sword in his right. Around him were comrades carrying spears, along with the tailor and his apprentice, whom he had inspired to join them.

Though his comrades were willing to follow him toward the beam soaring into the sky from deep within the royal city, Buster knew their surging morale was an illusion. One small setback would be enough to break them. Then they would die.

After all, that beam was terrifying. It hardly seemed like something humans could stand against.

"Help!" A piercing scream suddenly came from ahead, cutting through Buster's troubled thoughts.

Buster looked up sharply. Without realizing it, they had reached the Outer City Wall.

The tall Watchtower cast a deep shadow. Flowers scattered during the victory parade lay crusted with frost. Beneath the ash-gray city gate, a dozen or so "people" with golden light in their eyes and golden threads protruding from their mouths and noses were chasing several ordinary citizens like frenzied Living Corpses.

"Prepare to fight!" Buster shouted at once. "Crossbowmen!"

"Help!"

The girl at the back was pale with terror. She reached toward Buster like someone drowning, but in the next instant, a deathly white hand clamped onto her shoulder.

A short, agonized scream rang out. The golden threads surged as though a parasite had found its prey, wrapping around the girl's neck in an instant before burrowing into her flared nostrils.

The girl stopped running. Her body began to convulse, and the fear in her eyes slowly gave way to