I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

A week passed unnoticed. Life within the castle settled into a quieter rhythm than before, almost monotonous. No attacks, no grim tidings from the outside world. Sylvia, as usual, spent most of her time in the study with Celes: signing documents, managing distribution routes, and occasionally reviewing reports on the fortress's defenses.

Alicia and Stacia, who had been frail not long ago, were now much better. Their wounds had fully healed, leaving only faint soreness. Stacia had already returned to burying herself in books and research on dimensional communication, while Alicia busied herself helping the servant-zombies who still struggled with kitchen or household duties.

At midday, Sylvia stood on the high balcony, gazing at the vast courtyard blanketed in snow. Her long black cloak fluttered in the cold wind. She pulled the fur-lined collar closer, her crimson eyes reflecting the pale sunlight.

Then, a deep voice resonated within her mind.

"Your Majesty…" Zark's voice.

Sylvia turned slightly, closing her eyes. "What is it?"

"The zombie units chosen for transfer are ready. Noir as well."

Her gaze darkened for a moment, then she exhaled deeply. "…Good. Assemble them in one place."

"As you command."

The telepathic link dimmed, then returned, filled with shadowed images. Sylvia could sense Zark, his massive frame and heavy aura marshalling the ranks in Nocture. Thousands of zombies stood tall in the central square, their vacant eyes glowing faintly. Beside Zark stood Sofia, her golden hair cascading from beneath her white cloak, her face set in solemn concentration.

Zark's voice echoed again. "They are gathered. What is your next command, my Queen?"

Sylvia clenched her hand at her side, her eyes shut tighter. "Stand back from them. I will begin."

"As you will."

In the link, she saw Zark withdraw, his colossal form moving aside. Sofia stood beside him, brows raised, uncertain of what was about to happen.

Sylvia opened her eyes, her gaze sharpening. System. Now. Bring them.

For a moment, her mind filled with static.

Bzztttt

Like some ancient machine straining to compute.

Then a clear chime: Ding! Command accepted. Transfer process initiated.

A heavy pressure weighed against Sylvia's chest. Through the link, she saw it begin: shadows pooled around the feet of the zombies in Nocture, rising to engulf their bodies. They did not resist. Black mist swallowed them whole, one after another, like an ocean of darkness pulling them into a hidden dimension.

Alicia felt the faint ripple through their soul-bond, glancing toward Sylvia in confusion. "Sylvia? What are you doing?"

Sylvia's gaze never wavered. "Wait."

One by one, the zombie army vanished. From afar, it seemed as though they sank into the earth, but in truth they were being absorbed into Sylvia's dimensional space. The entire square fell eerily silent. Citizens watching from a distance could only stare as the army disappeared into nothingness.

Only Zark and Sofia remained composed. Zark bowed his head, while Sofia clutched her cloak tighter, her blue eyes shining with both awe and unease. "So this… is what she meant…" she whispered.

Meanwhile, in Sylvia's world, she stepped down from the balcony.

"Celes. Alicia. Stacia." Her voice was firm.

The three of them, gathered in the grand hall, turned in unison.

"Come with me. There's something you must see."

Alicia tilted her head, frowning. "Eh? What is it?"

Stacia raised a brow, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "You've been hiding something, haven't you?"

Sylvia allowed a rare, faint smile. "Yes. Something great. Come."

The three exchanged glances, then followed. Celes walked elegantly at Sylvia's side, her black gown swaying with each step. Alicia hurried along, impatient, while Stacia feigned composure though her eyes never left Sylvia.

They passed through the long stone corridors and emerged into the castle's back grounds, a wide training field, now dusted with snow, often used for drills and magic trials. Enchanted torches flickered faintly along the perimeter though it was still day.

Alicia crossed her arms, clearly impatient. "You're really making us wait. What's going on?"

Sylvia halted in the center of the field. The wind tugged at her hair and cloak. She closed her eyes briefly, then whispered inwardly: System. Release them. All of them. Including the ancient titan.

Ding! Command accepted. Release process initiated.

The ground trembled faintly. The air thickened, pressing down like the sky itself had grown heavier. Celes immediately sensed it, her hand instinctively brushing the hilt of a concealed blade.

Alicia flinched. "What's happening?!"

Stacia raised her thin spellbook, eyes narrowing in focus. "Dimensional flux… Sylvia, you "

She broke off as the sky above them cracked not like glass, but like shadows splitting apart. From the fissure spilled violet mist.

Then, forms began to emerge.

The first zombie soldier descended slowly, landing upright, eyes glowing faint crimson. Another followed. Then another. Soon hundreds poured through, their steps thunderous but disciplined, forming lines without being told.

Celes's eyes widened, her voice sharp but quiet. "This…"

Alicia clapped a hand to her mouth, breath caught. "You… you brought them all? From another world?"

Sylvia stood before them, eyes gleaming red, lips curved faintly. "Yes. Nocture's army. Now they are here."

The procession did not stop. Hunters with long black claws, tanks encased in jagged steel, mages with cracked staves radiating cold aura thousands filled the field until it became a sea of pale bodies.

Stacia's eyes widened, calculating swiftly. "Impossible… that number…"

Then the ground shook harder. From the rift above, vast black wings unfurled, sending gusts that lifted the snow.

A massive black dragon Noir descended with regal weight. His scales glimmered with violet under the magic glow, eyes dim but sharp, his aura pressing like a storm over the entire field. When his talons struck earth, the ground quaked, nearly throwing Alicia off her feet.

"Noir…" Sylvia whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

The dragon lowered its head deeply, eyes glowing with deference.

Alicia staggered back, swallowing hard. "That's… a real dragon. He's enormous…"

Stacia lowered her book slowly, her voice quivering. "You even brought Noir here…"

The rift pulsed once more, releasing something different. Enormous carved stones, bound in black chains, descended slowly. They were fragments of an ancient monolith, exuding primeval power that distorted the air around them.

Celes finally spoke, her voice quiet but sharp. "That… is the ancient titan?"

Sylvia nodded, her gaze like steel. "Yes. Something I've kept sealed too long. Now… it will be used."

The once-empty grounds were now packed: undead legions, a colossal dragon, and an ancient titan chained in shadow.

Alicia, Stacia, even Celes could not conceal their astonishment. Only Sylvia stood tall, her hair streaming, her crimson gaze piercing.

"From this day…" Her voice rang calm but heavy. "…this world will know exactly who it faces."

As one, the sea of undead moved. Thousands of pale bodies lowered their heads in unison. Their voices broke out together deep, raspy, perfectly in harmony.

"Hail to the Queen."

Alicia and Stacia froze. The air itself seemed to shudder at the chorus of thousands. Alicia stumbled a step back, whispering, "They… they all spoke as one…"

Celes's composure wavered, goosebumps rising on her skin. Her eyes swept the legions, then fixed on Sylvia. "They're different. Disciplined. Aware. These are nothing like the zombies of this world."

Sylvia stood firm, lit by violet haze as the rift sealed above. Her expression was unreadable, her presence unshakable. She raised her hand slightly. "Rise."

In perfect unison, the undead lifted their heads, eyes glowing red, their silence more terrifying than noise.

"You are different from the zombies here," Sylvia declared. "In our world, you evolved faster. You gained awareness, strength. Here, only a few have reached true sentience, most still stumble, ruled by instinct."

Her words lingered heavily in the cold air. Alicia looked at her with awe and dread; Stacia scribbled frantically in her book, her face pale.

"But now, you are all here," Sylvia continued, her gaze sweeping the endless ranks. "This world will be your proving ground. Learn its soil, its air, its magic. Because in a few days…" She clenched her fist. "…a great battle awaits."

The legions trembled, not in chaos, but in resonance mental vibrations rippling through the army. Then, in one voice again:

"Orders received."

Celes's eyes lingered on Sylvia. "You don't even shout. No detailed command. Yet they obey as though bound body and soul."

Sylvia nodded faintly. "Our bond runs deeper than words."

She glanced at Noir. The dragon rumbled, a sound like thunder rolling, shaking the ground. The smallest zombies bowed lower beneath his aura.

Alicia clutched her chest, voice trembling. "If all of this stands at your side, Sylvia… the Church has no chance."

Stacia closed her book, her face pale yet her eyes burning. "But it also means… the world will see you as the true threat. They won't stay idle."

Sylvia turned to them, her gaze sharp. "I know. Which is why I give this order now within days, we move. Our first target is the Church. They dared touch my family. That mistake will be paid for in blood and fire."

Her cold voice reverberated across the silent field. The undead army stood frozen, but their aura thrummed like one colossal body waiting to be unleashed.

She raised her hand once more. "Spread out around the castle. Find positions. Learn this land. You have a few days. After that we march together."

The undead bowed as one, then dispersed silently, moving into forests, walls, and guard lines.

Noir remained where he was. The dragon lowered his head near Sylvia, his black eyes steady. Sylvia reached up, laying her hand on his cold scales. "You too. Rest. Your time will come soon."

The dragon rumbled softly, folding his wings and settling like a mountain of shadow.

Alicia whispered, dazed, "This… this is beyond imagination. I thought you kept only a handful of troops, not… this."

Sylvia gave her a fleeting smile. "You haven't seen everything. But enough for today."

Celes's eyes narrowed, watching the army filling the castle grounds. "With power like this, it won't just be the Church that trembles. The world itself… will shake."

Sylvia exhaled, her voice cold but resolute. "Let it. They must learn that my existence is no mere ghost story."

The winter wind swept across the field, carrying the weight of her words. Above, the sky turned heavy with clouds, as though the world itself shuddered at the arrival of a power that had just set foot on its soil.