I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

Snow still fell heavily that morning, the gray sky rolling with heavy clouds. The cold air clung to every breath with a biting sting. Sylvia and Velthya ran side by side, black mantle and dark armor billowing behind them.

Crunch! Crunch!! Crunch!!!

Their steps pounded against the snow that reached their knees, leaving a long trail across the endless white path.

"Four kilometers more," muttered Velthya, her breath forming thick steam. Her wolf ears twitched restlessly, catching the sound of the wind howling through the pines.

Sylvia did not reply. Her crimson eyes gleamed, her gaze fixed straight ahead. She had already calculated that thirty minutes of running through the storm was enough to close in on their target. And indeed, at the end of the path, the silhouette of a stone building began to emerge.

The small town was silent. Wooden houses were buried under snow, doors bolted, windows sealed shut. No townsfolk wandered outside. Only one large building stood at the center of the town: a church adorned with golden crosses, its spire piercing the sky. Holy torches flickered at the gates, burning far too brightly amidst the gray of snow.

Velthya growled low. "There it is. The Church branch."

Sylvia slowed her pace. Her body stood tall, the Dress of Death fluttering lightly in the wind. Slowly, she raised her pale hand, fingers trembling faintly as dark aura began to coil around her.

"It's time to begin," she whispered.

ORIGINAL SKILL - Chains Technique: Final Form Unification

ZZZZHHHH!

The air around Sylvia vibrated. The space behind her cracked like glass, and from those fractures emerged dozens of black chains. They hissed, moving like serpents, colliding with each other with a resounding clang! clang!

Velthya held her breath. "By the gods… your power…"

The chains didn't stop. They twisted, coiled, and then fused together, forming a massive chain as thick as a tree trunk. Dark violet light pulsed along its surface, beating in rhythm with the heart Sylvia no longer had.

"Unification," she said flatly.

The chain lifted itself, its tip shaping into a sharp spearhead. As Sylvia swung her hand forward, the colossal chain shot forth.

BOOOOOMMMMM!!!

The church's front wall shattered. Stones exploded outward, chunks of the spire collapsed, snow mixed with dust and smoke billowed into the sky. The blast echoed throughout the town, rattling windows and doors violently.

Velthya shielded her face from the spray of debris, then chuckled. "You don't hold back, do you? One strike and the entire town knows we've arrived."

Sylvia pulled the chain back, her eyes cold. "Let them know. Fear spreads faster than fire."

Suddenly, the church bell tolled from within. GONG! GONG! GONG!

The great doors swung open, and dozens of armed soldiers poured out in tight formation. Their golden shields gleamed, swords cloaked in white aura. Among them, robed priests ran forward chanting fervent prayers.

"In the name of holy light! Stop the heretics of darkness!" cried one of them.

FWOOOSHH!

Circles of light flared across the ground, and volleys of radiant arrows launched toward Sylvia.

Sylvia merely raised her hand.

CLANG! CLANG!! CLANG!!!

The black chains spun into a barrier, deflecting the arrows into the sky. Some ricocheted into empty houses, piercing rooftops and sparking small fires that were swiftly smothered by the snow.

Velthya strode forward, sword unsheathed. Her breath came out as a heavy growl, golden eyes blazing wild. "Our turn."

She leapt high, her body transforming mid-air. Silver hair streamed, claws extended from her fingers, sharp fangs glinted. Her light armor shifted, adapting to the shape of her full lycanthrope form.

GRAAAAAWWWRRR!!!

Velthya landed in the midst of the soldiers. CRASH! The ground cracked beneath her. With a single sweeping slash of her greatsword SLAASHHH! three soldiers were hurled aside, their shields broken, blood splattering onto the snow.

"Lycanthrope! Kill her!" one of the priests shouted.

But before they could close in, Sylvia swung her chain once more.

WHOOOOOSH!

The chain smashed into the ground. BOOM! A shockwave of darkness burst outward, shattering the soldiers' formation, scattering them like brittle twigs.

Velthya grinned, her fangs glistening with blood. "This is even better than last night's feast of meat!"

Sylvia shot her a frigid glance. "Focus, Velthya. This is only the beginning."

One priest stepped forward, staff glowing brightly. "In the name of Goddess Lumielle, we will not allow you to desecrate this place!"

Sylvia lifted her rapier, violet light pulsing along its thin blade. "Lumielle? She is already fading. You worship only a hollow shadow."

The priest trembled. "Lies! Blasphemy!"

ZING!

Sylvia vanished. Death Step Mirage blurred her body, and she reappeared right before the priest. One thrust SHHHKKK! her rapier pierced through the light shield like paper, sliding into his chest.

The priest gasped, then collapsed into the snow, his blood staining the once-pure white.

Velthya glanced over and chuckled. "You don't even give them a chance to speak."

"They only serve one purpose," Sylvia said coldly. "To spread fear."

From within the church ruins, a massive light erupted. FWOOMMM!

A magic circle unfolded in the sky, and spears of light rained down.

"Sylvia!" Velthya shouted.

But Sylvia had already lifted her chain. "Form Two: Shield."

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The black chains formed a dome above them. The spears struck one after another BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! shaking the ground, yet not one penetrated. Only sparks of white light shattered into dust in the air.

Velthya leapt from the shield, still in her half-wolf form. With both hands, she swung her blade SLAASHHH! A dark wave of force blasted through the soldiers, sending them crashing into each other.

"The Church is rotten," Velthya snarled. "They only hide behind words and forget how to fight!"

Sylvia closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with a crimson blaze. "It's time to end this."

She raised both hands, and the chains burst forth once more hundreds of them, each tip glowing violet.

"Chain Technique – Guillotine Blossom."

WHOOOSHHH!

The chains rained down across the churchyard, embedding into the ground, then bloomed outward like thorned flowers.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The sound of flesh and bone tearing filled the air. Soldiers screamed as their bodies were trapped, shredded by the blooming thorns piercing from every direction.

AAARRGGHHHH!!!

The shrieks echoed, mingling with the rattling chains.

Velthya paused, staring at the carnage. Though she was a warrior who thirsted for battle, even to her the sight was brutal. But Sylvia's gaze remained cold, as if she were simply sweeping dirt from a path.

It did not take long. The churchyard became a field of corpses. White snow was stained crimson. The once-grand building cracked, walls collapsing, the spire half-crumbled.

Velthya lowered her blade, her body slowly reverting to human form. Her breath came heavy, mist spilling from her lips. "Finished… faster than I expected."

Sylvia retracted the last of her chains into the shadows, her dress still pitch-black, untouched. She gazed at the church ruins, her expression void. "This is only the beginning. Two more branches await."

Velthya smirked faintly. "At this rate, the Church will know exactly who they face. Not just the Zombie Queen… but her ally as well."

Sylvia turned, her eyes glinting faintly. "Then be ready. Today we ignite the first flame of resistance."

FWOOSH! The cold wind swept through, carrying the scent of blood mingled with snow. Behind them, the ruins of the Church stood silent, the first symbol of the false faith crumbling.

Snow fell heavier. The sky gave no sign of clearing; instead, the gray clouds thickened, pressing the earth beneath their heavy chill. The ruins of the first branch still smoldered, thin smoke rising, mingling with the steam of blood frozen upon the snow.

Dozens of priests, paladins, and clerics lay scattered across the courtyard. Their corpses stiffened, some half-buried by snow. The holy light they once summoned had long since died, leaving fractured circles etched in the ground powerless beneath the weight of shadow.

Sylvia stood briefly at the shattered gates. Her crimson gaze swept across the battlefield, cold and unfeeling. "Leave them here. These corpses will serve as a warning to all who dare oppose us."

Velthya lowered her sword, her breath heavy yet her spirit ablaze. Her silver tail swayed rapidly, its fur matted with blood. "Tomorrow, the townsfolk will emerge and see all this. They will know… the Church can fall."

Sylvia did not answer. She only pulled up the hood of her mantle, then turned toward the northeast. "Let's move. Eight kilometers more."

Velthya straightened, nodding. "Fine. We can reach it in under an hour."

The two of them leapt from the ruins of the church onto the deserted town street. Snow piled up on either side, burying doorways halfway to the top. The wind howled WHOOOSHHHH carrying shards of ice that stung against their faces.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Their steps rang out sharply as they broke through the snow's thick layer. Velthya ran with agile leaps, occasionally vaulting across rooftops to quicken her pace. Sylvia, though she seemed to walk calmly, was in fact gliding forward with such light steps that she left almost no trace behind.

Velthya cast her a brief glance. "You know, if this keeps up, the Church won't stay quiet. They'll definitely send more troops from the main headquarters."

Sylvia's gaze stayed fixed straight ahead, her voice flat. "Let them come. The more they send, the more that die beneath the snow."

Velthya let out a small laugh, her voice nearly drowned by the storm. "You sound so certain but somehow, that only makes me even more eager."