Diego: Wait… S-Class Rank No.2?!
Angela: Yes. And I'm pleased to meet you as well. No need to look so shocked. I'm only human. I saw you driving as if your lives depended on it. Is there a Dark Knight involved?
Kael: Yes—
Kael answered, pointing toward the ghost town in the distance.
Kael:—Apparently, he's stronger than we anticipated. He's still in that town.
Angela: Alright. I'll check it out.
Charlie: Be careful. His name is Jeffseid, codename Maroon Memory. He can resurrect the dead—countlessly.
Angela: Got it. Thanks for the heads-up.
With that, she shot into the sky, accelerating past Mach 5 in a blink.
Leona suddenly stirred awake.
Leona: Hold on! Wait… what did I miss?
The others couldn't help but laugh.
Angela circled the ghost town once from above. To her surprise, she didn't need to search long. Jeffseid was already there—waiting.
He looked up at her and gestured casually.
Jeffseid: You can come down.
Angela narrowed her eyes. It could be a trap.
Instead of landing directly, she executed a controlled dive-bomb, stopping roughly twenty meters away from him. The ground trembled slightly upon impact.
Nothing happened.
Angela: You must be Jeffseid, the one who commands the dead. And judging by your eyes… you're a Superior Dark Knight.
Jeffseid smirked.
Jeffseid: And you must be Lunar Valkyrie. S-Class Rank No.2. I've also heard a great deal about you. To be honest, it's an honor to fight—and kill—one of the top-ranked S-Class heroes.
Angela: Don't get ahead of yourself. Idiots with delusions tend to be humbled quickly.
Jeffseid: Quite an attitude. Let me correct that for you.
Suddenly, hands burst from the ground beneath Angela. Rotting fingers wrapped around her legs and yanked her down. She stumbled, caught off guard for only a second—but before more of the undead could fully emerge, she propelled herself upward with a powerful flap of her wings.
Angela: What was that? Trying to trap me?
Jeffseid: Trap you? No. I simply wanted to analyze you before we begin.
Then the earth ruptured.
Hundreds of zombies lunged from every direction, piling toward her in a grotesque wave of decayed flesh. Angela ignited her wings with a fiery aura and spun upward in a violent tornado-like ascent, scattering bodies in all directions.
One managed to latch onto her leg.
Before it could sink its teeth in, she drew her blade in one fluid motion and severed its arm.
Angela: (thought)These aren't ordinary zombies.They're physically enhanced."
Her eyes locked onto Jeffseid.
Angela: (thought)But if I take him down, it ends."
She shot forward.
Jeffseid drew his sword, and steel met steel in a sharp, ringing clash. Sparks scattered.
For a moment, they exchanged blows mid-air—precise, controlled, testing.
Then—
The ground erupted again.
Zombies surged upward and seized her wings, dragging her down before she could gain altitude. Two more clamped onto her sword arm, restricting her movement.
Jeffseid stepped back, watching.
Studying.
She wasn't fast enough.
Jeffseid's blade pierced straight through her chest.
Angela coughed, blood spilling from her lips. For a split second, Jeffseid believed it was over.
Then her body dissolved.
Jeffseid: (thought)An illusion?
A sharp kick struck the side of his face, snapping his head to the side.
Jeffseid: (thought)So she's capable of that…Looks like I'll have to go all out.
The ground trembled as larger, faster, more muscular zombies clawed their way out of the earth and charged toward her.
Angela inhaled slowly.
Angela: (thought)If he's escalating… so am I.
As the horde closed in, a second sword shot from behind her back and began cutting through the undead on its own. It was Sumarbrander — the SwordofFreyr — a blade that could act independently to attack and defend its wielder.
Angela activated Blessing.
Power surged through her body. Her physical strength heightened. Her wings ignited with fire. Lightning crackled along the edge of her sword.
Three identical copies of her appeared beside her.
Four Angelas now faced the swarm.
This time, she was ready.
———————————————————
Angela was not merely a warrior by chance.
She had been born into privilege — the only daughter of a respected historian and mythologist. From a young age, she displayed unusual intelligence. While other children read fairy tales, she studied ancient texts.
Her father, disciplined and devoted to his craft, raised her alone after a painful divorce. Rather than resentment, Angela developed admiration. She followed him into the world of myth, legend, and forgotten gods.
By the time she completed her master's degree in mythology, she was already considered exceptional.
And now, standing amid the undead, wielding weapons drawn from legend itself
Her knowledge was no coincidence.
The power she had attained had placed her among the strongest in this world.
———————————————————
Angela and her remaining clone split apart, engaging the enhanced undead in a relentless exchange. The zombies were larger, faster, and monstrously strong—but under the effects of her Blessing, she kept pace.
They kept rising.
Endlessly.
Angela felt it—her stamina thinning. If she didn't end this quickly, she would collapse first.
Two of her illusions had already fallen. The last struggled to hold its ground before being torn apart.
Now it was only Angela… and Sumarbrander.
The sentient blade carved through flesh and bone, but sheer numbers began to overwhelm them. Two zombies seized the sword mid-flight, forcing it down. A brutal strike crashed into Angela's ribs.
Something cracked.
Air left her lungs.
Her wings, once shields of protection, were pried open by clawed hands. Another punch snapped her head sideways. Her vision blurred.
A towering undead raised both arms high—
A finishing blow.
Just before it descended, a violet photon beam pierced through the creature's skull.
Its head disintegrated into dust.
Silence.
Jeffseid narrowed his eyes.
Angela coughed, forcing herself upright. Blood stained her lips, but she smiled.
Angela: You're in trouble now.
A streak of violet light cut across the battlefield.
A figure landed beside her, leaving a luminous trail in his wake.
He had arrived at light-speed.
Angela glanced sideways.
Angela: Took you long enough, Nate. Even though you're Rank No.1.
Nathan: (smirked)Look who's talking. You couldn't even handle one opponent.
Angela: It wasn't him. It was the zombi
Nathan: Yeah, yeah. Patch yourself up. I'll take care of this.
He turned back toward Jeffseid.
Jeffseid was smiling.
Weirdguy, Nate thought.
Without hesitation, Jeffseid summoned another wave of enhanced undead. They lunged forward in a frenzy.
Nathan didn't even flinch.
A violet blade of condensed photon energy formed in his hand—pure light, humming softly. In a single blur of motion, he vanished.
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then every zombie collapsed—cleanly decapitated within seconds.
Jeffseid's eyes narrowed.
Jeffseid: (thought)Fascinating… such power. Now I'm curious who you are.
Angela: Wait. If you're using only photon energy… then that means—
Nathan: I'm one of five, yeah. The other four are far from here. But don't worry, I'm more than enough.
Angela: Oh… LOOK OUT!
Nathan glanced back.
A massive undead towered behind him—larger than any before, its grotesque muscles swollen beyond proportion. It swung a colossal iron club down with crushing force.
Nathan simply extended his hand.
A sharp crescent of violet photon energy—like a glowing half-disc—burst forward.
The club split in two.
The giant zombie staggered, confused.
Before it could recover, a second photon wave carved straight through its torso.
Silence returned once more.
Even the remaining undead seemed momentarily stunned.
Nathan tilted his head slightly.
Nathan: Is that all?
Nathan exhaled, visibly bored.
As the giant zombie's fist descended toward him, he merely tilted his head.
A beam of concentrated heat vision ignited from his eyes—measured, controlled, between 5000°C and 8000°C.
The zombie's skull vaporized instantly.
Jeffseid froze.
Jeffseid: W–What…?
Nathan raised a single eyebrow.
Without another word, the heat vision shifted—this time aimed at Jeffseid.
A thin, precise line of searing light cleaved through him.
Jeffseid's body split cleanly in two. Upper and lower halves separated, blood spilling across the ruined stone.
Nathan walked forward calmly.
He placed the power nullifying band onto Jeffseid and, with a single touch, rejoined his body—healing him as if nothing had occurred.
Jeffseid coughed, stunned yet conscious.
Before initiating CTP transfer, Jeffseid spoke.
Jeffseid: May I know the name… of the one who defeated me?
There was a brief pause.
Nathan: …Nathan. S-Class Hero, Rank No.1. Codename JadedAngel.
Jeffseid: It's an honour.
Moments later, he walk into the wormhole—sent to Ice Box.
Angela crossed her arms.
Angela: I could've handled him myself.
Nathan: Hmph. Sure. Keep your pride. I'll keep mine. See you.
And just like that, they dispersed.