His undead obeyed without hesitation. The first corpse in the front line stiffened, and then ruptured, spraying shards of bone and wet decay in all directions. The explosion was not fire nor light but a burst of pure, concussive force, snapping timber and rattling the teeth of the living. The chain reaction spread instantly, one detonation feeding the next. Bodies became weapons, their destruction tearing through the black-armored ranks, toppling walls already weakened by the earlier clash.
The street vanished into a choking cloud of dust and pulverized stone. Ludwig shielded his face with an arm, stepping back as pieces of masonry clattered around him. The ground underfoot shifted with the impact, cobblestones splitting along new cracks.
When the haze began to thin, he clicked his tongue.
