Opening her eyes, Chu Lian said to Inori, "Inori, place Satsuki at a position equidistant between you and me."
Inori didn't ask why. She simply followed her words, lifting Kurosaki Satsuki's body forward until it was positioned at an equal distance between her and Chu Lian.
"Magic Card—[Resurrection of the Dead], activate..." Seeing that Inori had already helped her prepare, Chu Lian took a deep breath. Her right hand reached across to her left shoulder, index and middle fingers pressed together while the others curled inward. White spiritual energy gathered between her fingers, and a card slowly materialized in the space between them.
She glanced once at the card in her hand, then placed it gently on Kurosaki Satsuki's body. Looking at the white-haired girl's pale face, she murmured softly, "I make a deal with Hell—offering the power of this card in exchange for the life of the one before me. Awaken, you who sleep..."
Her fingers released the card. [Resurrection of the Dead] drifted down, landing squarely at the center of Satsuki's chest. A brilliant white light immediately burst forth, and a surge of life energy flooded the air around them. It took the shape of a strange cross, enclosing the white-haired girl within as she slowly floated upward, suspended silently in midair.
The others could only stare, dumbfounded. Was Chu Lian about to perform another miracle—bringing the dead back to life once again? The card she had held, the words she spoke, and the ritualistic gestures she made—all of it seemed to form part of some mysterious ceremony.
"Big Sis... you're amazing..." Even though she had witnessed both Liu Yanran's resurrection and Li Xiu'er's return from the brink of death, those events had happened too suddenly, too mysteriously, leaving little room for awe. So while Chu Chu had been astonished then, she hadn't truly felt the weight of the miracles.
But this time was different. Chu Lian was performing the ability right before their eyes. They could see everything clearly—what she did, what she said, and what she held. That was why it felt so overwhelming.
"This doesn't feel like the method Ayase used to revive me... but it's still something beyond words." Li Xiu'er quietly pressed a hand against her chest, watching Chu Lian's actions. Her mind drifted back to the moment when Ayase had brought her back from the edge of death.
Comparing the two, she was sure—Ayase's method had been superior. It might not have been as mystical as Chu Lian's power that could revive a truly dead person, but it was far more refined and efficient than this complex ritual.
"What exactly is Ayase's origin... They seem to be facing an immensely powerful enemy force. And from what I've gathered, Chu Lian is at the center of it all—their enemies' main objective is to eliminate her." As Li Xiu'er's thoughts calmed, fragmented realizations began to form in her mind.
"From what she said, their side currently holds an overwhelming advantage. The only chance for the other side to overturn that is if something happens to Chu Lian. The dragon was lured away, their foes were destroyed, yet Chu Lian herself suffered no real harm. That must mean the enemy will strike again..." The thought startled her. She lifted her head, just in time to meet the grave expressions on Inori and Chu Lian's faces.
"Chu Lian, our enemies aren't finished yet. There's another wave coming. Prepare yourself." Li Xiu'er stepped closer, her tone serious.
"In fact, they're already here..." Chu Lian shook her head and pointed toward the distance, where a black tide was slowly rolling toward them.
"Not just there. They're all around us—we're surrounded." Inori's voice carried a note of solemnity, her violet eyes flashing faintly. To her, the distant scene appeared as vivid as if it were right before her eyes.
The other girls exchanged glances, realizing what was coming. Another battle awaited them—and after just surviving one fierce fight, none knew if they still had the strength to endure. Judging by what Chu Lian and Inori said, these new enemies would be no less dangerous than the previous three.
Just then, a convoy of black vehicles sped toward them from afar, the screech of tires against the ground echoing sharply through the valley. The girls lifted their heads. They recognized those cars—they were the same ones they had seen several times over the past two days.
...
"So they woke up this quickly and even know where we are. The strong one should be right behind them, shouldn't he? So they really are people from the government... No wonder they helped me—and no wonder they lured that dragon to Miami," Chu Lian murmured after realizing who the newcomers were. With that, she stopped paying them much attention and sank into thought.
Before long, the convoy reached the main road nearest to the girls and came to a halt. One after another, the car doors opened, and burly men clad in unfamiliar mechanical armor stepped out. Their bodies, arms, and thighs were covered with weapons, and judging from the brief glimpse of the inside of the vehicles as the doors opened, they were carrying firearms as well.
"Special Protection Unit 1037, here to ensure your safety," the men reported loudly after marching up to the girls and stopping in formation. "Apologies for arriving late. Please come with us immediately—otherwise, you'll soon be facing an endless horde of zombies."
"Zombies? You mean those black waves out there are zombies?" Chu Chu froze for a moment before shouting in shock. "Why are there so many of them? Don't tell me Miami's turned into a dead city? ...Cough, cough..." The excitement made her wounds ache sharply again, forcing her to double over in pain.
"We don't know the exact cause of this many zombies. Miami is still entangled with that dragon right now, and their superheroes don't have time to come to our aid. As for this valley—something's off about it. About an hour ago, it became completely undetectable by any form of technology." The squad leader confirmed Chu Chu's question, and what he said next made everyone's hearts sink further.
"Unfortunately, we can't leave," Chu Lian said at that moment. She pointed toward the encroaching tide of undead. "Their appearance is anything but simple. Judging by their numbers—at least several hundred thousand—it's not even certain whether we could break through. And even if we did, where would we go afterward?"
"Of course, we'd return to Miami and board an evacuation plane..." the man began to reply, but midway through, he realized the flaw in his own words.
"You just said Miami is in chaos and that America's superheroes are all tied up in battle. It's not exactly the best time to head back. And you forgot one thing—where did the U.S. military go?" Chu Lian smiled faintly, and her question made everyone's stomach tighten.
"These zombies... they're absolutely connected to the American military. I'd wager they're the failed products of an experiment. This valley must be where they dump these monsters—and study them." Chu Lian's certainty came from the system, which had just issued a quest.
"Special Quest: Siege of the Dead — An unprecedented beast has appeared in Miami, throwing the entire nation into chaos. The U.S. military seized this opportunity to relocate large-scale units and dump their experimental subjects here. Your presence was detected, and to cover up the truth, they've chosen you as their sacrifices. Once this valley is overrun by the undead, they will withdraw, leaving behind several research teams to study these virus-driven abominations."
"Quest Requirements: Survive for four hours. Once the U.S. military withdraws most of its forces, that will be your window to escape. Note: All information regarding this area has been erased from every network and record. Furthermore, due to the electromagnetic field being exploited by the enemy, all technology will cease functioning, and detection abilities will be severely disrupted. Your location will remain hidden—but you will receive no external support."
"Completion Criteria: Survive for four hours, eliminate at least 100,000 zombies, and ensure all members retreat safely. [Perfect Criteria]: Survive for four hours, eliminate at least 300,000 zombies, ensure all members retreat safely, and destroy the three secret experimental bases set up by the U.S. military here—turning this valley into a true dead zone."
"Quest Rewards: Title [Zombie Slayer], Title [Forbidden Life], and Aura [Begone, Dead]. Perfect Reward: Additional Skill [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception], Item [IS Battle Suit], and +3 to all attributes (full effect within three months). [Daughter of Fate Quest] completion upgraded to [Perfect Evaluation]."
"Quest Difficulty: Nightmare. Time Limit: Four hours (3 hours, 59 minutes, 17 seconds remaining)."
"System Notice: This is a team quest. Make good use of your teammates' strengths. Pay attention to ability synergy, and learn to make use of external tools."
"In other words," Chu Lian said with a shake of her head, "the U.S. military must have built a wall outside, sealing this place indefinitely. If we recklessly try to break through, we'll only end up on America's extermination list." Then she added softly, "And most importantly—one of my friends is gravely injured and receiving treatment. She can't be moved yet. If we leave her behind, she'll die for sure. I can't do that."
"We won't abandon our companions either—even if we have to face that horde of monsters," Ruriko Nana and Lux Lyle said in unison, stepping forward together with quiet determination.
"Even though I'm scared... everyone's here. Even if I have to face death again, I won't run away." Li Xiu'er moved to stand beside Chu Lian, her eyes steady and resolute.
The injured Chu Chu and Inori came forward, each taking one of Chu Lian's hands, silently expressing their stance.
Liu Yanran watched this and smiled softly, stepping up. "You're soldiers, aren't you? I believe the bond between comrades is even stronger than friendship. If you saw your comrades dying on the battlefield because of your cowardice, could you live with that? If you're afraid, you can leave now."
They didn't answer with words. Instead, they gripped their weapons tightly. The leader straightened his back, his face flushed red as he shouted, "You can insult me, but don't insult a soldier! Even if we die, we'll die on the battlefield. Cowards are the ones who flee. To see comrades in danger and not step forward—that's something we could never do, not even in death!"
"Then what are you waiting for? Set up the defenses. I know you've prepared in advance—otherwise you wouldn't have brought sixteen vehicles here." Chu Lian squeezed the small hands she held and looked firmly at the soldiers before her.
"Yes, Ma'am!" the man barked, snapping to attention and saluting sharply as if receiving an order from his superior. Then he turned around and shouted, "All units, deploy the formation!"
The men had clearly been waiting for the command. The moment they heard it—and saw their leader move—they sprang into action. They climbed back into their vehicles, driving them around the girls to form a tight square formation enclosing them on all sides.
From beneath the vehicles, they pulled out slabs of steel. Though thin in appearance, when folded and linked together, they formed sturdy metal barricades about a meter high.
Within half a minute, they had constructed a square enclosure roughly one hundred square meters in size—a solid wall of iron protecting the group within.
Next, they returned to their vehicles and began unloading weapons: machine guns, rocket launchers, and various light automatic weapons—some of which had never been seen in any other nation's arsenal.
"This feels just like a Hollywood action movie. How did they even get their hands on all these weapons—and use them so openly in America of all places? Guess that's what happens when a nation grows strong enough—it starts acting like a bully," Chu Lian muttered under her breath, the corner of her mouth twitching as she watched them work. This version of Huaxia was very different from the one she remembered.
But she had no more time for stray thoughts. The nearest wave of corpses was now less than a hundred meters away...