The light of the teleportation had barely faded when Ryuji felt his body tense.
An invisible pressure settled over him.
The air was heavy.
Not merely suffocating.
It felt... wrong.
Every breath left a strange sensation in his throat, as though the atmosphere itself had been soaked in corrupted magic.
His eyes slowly swept across the landscape.
Bones.
As far as the eye could see.
Half-buried human skulls, shattered rib cages, and the colossal skeletons of creatures whose species he couldn't even imagine. Some had become hills of bleached bone, weathered by countless years.
The wind whistled through their hollow ribs, producing a mournful sound.
Each gust carried the eerie impression that the dead were still whispering.
A chill ran down Ryuji's spine.
Something was watching them.
He was certain of it.
Even if he couldn't explain why.
Édouard's voice cut through the silence.
"Stay alert. Our priority is to find the one commanding these monsters. As long as their leader stands, the rest will keep advancing."
No one answered.
The hunters resumed their march in formation, their boots crushing bones beneath their feet.
Each crack echoed unnaturally across the lifeless plain.
Ryuji followed along.
But his mind was elsewhere.
He had barely listened to the briefing back at the church.
Quickening his pace, he caught up with Bayron.
"Wait..."
The warrior glanced at him.
"Explain the mission again."
Bayron closed his eyes for a brief moment.
He let out a sigh so deep it sounded as though years of patience had just escaped him.
"You really weren't listening..."
Ryuji scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Not really."
"I noticed."
Bayron gestured toward the horizon.
"This area is infested with high-ranking Calamities. For the past few days, groups of undead have been spotted. Armed skeletons. They're moving in organized formations toward the villages to the south."
Ryuji frowned.
"Organized... skeletons?"
"Yes."
"That's actually a thing?"
Bayron stared at him for several seconds.
Then simply looked away.
As though answering would be a waste of effort.
Silence returned.
Around them, the rest of the squad advanced with disciplined caution.
Their eyes kept drifting toward Ryuji.
Never for long.
Never openly.
But enough to make one thing clear.
They were watching him.
Not with hatred.
Not even distrust.
They were watching an unstable weapon.
One no one knew would protect them... or explode in their faces.
Ryuji, however, seemed completely unfazed.
His gaze wandered across the landscape.
Every detail.
Every ridge.
Every strange pile of ancient bones.
Bayron finally raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Ryuji tilted his head slightly.
"Nothing..."
He studied him for another moment.
"You kind of remind me of someone."
"...Excuse me?"
Before Bayron could say another word...
A sharp whistle tore through the air.
A flaming arrow burst from the darkness.
It streaked across the field of bones like a crimson comet.
"Commander!"
Édouard barely moved.
With calm precision, he raised one hand.
At the last possible instant...
His fingers closed.
The arrow stopped dead between his index and middle finger.
The flames crackled for a few seconds.
Then died.
Silence fell once more.
Heavier than before.
Édouard let the charred arrow fall to the ground.
Slowly, he lifted his eyes toward the darkness.
"Come out."
The wind stirred.
One figure emerged from between the dead trees.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens followed.
Bones creaked with every step.
An entire army marched out of the shadows.
Skeletons.
Pale blue flames burned within their empty eye sockets.
Some carried rusted swords.
Others wielded spears, axes, or bows crafted from gigantic bones and blackened steel.
Their armor was a patchwork of battered metal plates, monstrous ribs, and shattered helmets from forgotten wars.
They advanced in perfect unison.
Without a cry.
Without hesitation.
Like a single living organism.
Then...
Another presence appeared behind them.
Taller.
Far more imposing.
A figure wrapped in tattered robes.
Its body was nothing more than a withered skeleton, yet strands of black magic slithered between its bones like veins of shadow.
In its hand rested a long staff crowned with a skull whose eyes blazed with ghostly fire.
With every step it took, the blue flames burning inside the skeletons' eye sockets flickered in unison.
Their leader.
A Lich.
The world seemed to freeze.
Even the wind had fallen silent.
Édouard slowly rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.
His voice rang out, sharp and unwavering.
"Formation."
The command cut through the silence like a blade.
The hunters instantly spread into a perfectly rehearsed battle formation.
The mages moved to the rear.
The front-line fighters drew their weapons.
Aeryn rested her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Faint arcs of lightning danced around Léon's fist.
Bayron spun his axe once before lowering it into a ready stance.
At the center of the formation, Ryuji remained still for a few seconds.
His eyes slowly swept across the silent army advancing toward them.
Warriors dead for centuries...
Yet still standing.
Every trace of distraction vanished from his face.
His shoulders relaxed.
His breathing steadied.
His eyes turned cold.
The boy who had marveled at this new world only moments ago was gone.
Only the warrior remained.
The wind began to blow once more, lifting clouds of bone dust between the two armies.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then the first skeletons raised their weapons.
The cemetery had awakened.
From that moment on, their presence no longer mattered.
Only survival would determine what happened next.