Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

As the airship crossed into the inner city, Dion and the group peered over the railing. Total panic gripped the streets below. The barricades walling off the main thoroughfare to the palace and the right district were on the verge of collapsing, it was only a matter of time.

City watchmen, barbarian warriors, and brave male civilians fought desperately to hold off the ever-growing swarm of undead that constantly resurrected. The situation was dire. The zeppelin pressed forward toward the palace, plunging into the thick purple haze, when suddenly thud!

Something heavy slammed onto the deck.

”Aaaaaah!”

Screams erupted from several crew members. Dion and the others rushed down from the stern, gasping as two Damned Beholders, now morphed into vampire-like humanoids, stood before them. One of the creatures grabbed a crew member by the throat and casually hurled him overboard.

”Damn it... They boarded us before we could even make our drop!” Dion gritted out.

”Leave this to me!”

Luna stepped forward. Her body radiated a dual aura of pitch-black and radiant white light. A full set of dark-knight iron armor lined with gold trim encased her body, and a massive warhammer materialized in her hands.

”Skreeeee!”

One of the beholders lunged at Luna with outstretched claws, a long tongue lashing out from its maw as dozens of squirming tentacles on its back lashed forward. Luna remained composed. Taking a firm step forward, she swung her warhammer in a wide arc, releasing a wave of blackish-white energy that sliced through hundreds of tentacles and severed the beholder’s arm in a single blow. Before it could recoil, Luna reached out with her free hand, grabbing the creature’s face in a vice grip.

”Hah... Undead still don’t stand a chance against me,” Luna declared proudly.

Smack!

Luna slammed her glowing warhammer directly into the beholder’s torso. Upon impact, the creature’s body dissolved into a cloud of burning black ash, crumbling rapidly until nothing remained. Luna let go of the half-dissolved head as it vanished entirely into dust. She turned to the second beholder with a smug smile.

”Come on... step up,” Luna coaxed casually, resting her heavy hammer over her shoulder.

Seeing its partner instantly obliterated and staring at Luna’s terrifying form, the second beholder reverted back into a floating eyeball, flapping its bat wings to leap off the deck and flee. But ching! two chains forged from dark-blue energy spiked with spearheads slammed through both of the beholder’s wings.

”Hey... get back here!” Mei shouted.

Luna turned to see Mei clad in sleek, pitch-black leather armor, enveloped in a dark shadow aura. Long elven ears peeked through her hair as twin energy chains burst from her palms. Mei yanked the chains backward, dragging the beholder down to the deck. As it slammed near her feet, chunk! Mei impaled it straight through the core with her short katana.

”Skreeeeeeee!”

The beholder shrieked as its body dissolved into a cloud of black particles that drifted away into the wind. Watching the two of them make quick work of the monsters, Dion stood silently with his arms crossed, nodding in approval, while Gina floated beside him imitating his pose. Aria glared at Luna in annoyance.

”Ugh... Show-off. What an airhead princess,” Aria muttered under her breath.

Cleo simply shook her head at Aria’s muttering, amused by her pouting stance. Sheila stood with her arms crossed, her expression dead serious, while Nala stared in awe, clutching her staff. Harumi darted over to Mei and wrapped her arms around her waist.

”Wow... Big Sister, when did you get so strong?! Teach me! I want to be cool like you!” Harumi cheered.

”I just advanced my class recently. I’ll teach you a few tricks later. For now, we’re about to make our drop, so stay close to me,” Mei instructed, turning to pat her sister’s head.

”Yes, Big Sister!” Harumi chirped happily.

”Those beholders... that means the palace has already been breached. They must have targeted someone inside and turned them into a lich,” Cleo deduced thoughtfully.

”Most likely,” Luna agreed, nodding in thought.

While they discussed the situation, the zeppelin came to a smooth halt in midair. The captain hurried over, stopping before Dion.

”Your Grace, we have arrived above the palace. We are directly over the flat roof of the southern tower,” the captain reported.

”Alright, everyone, time to drop down. Gina, give me a hand,” Dion called out.

”Okay, Papa!” a cheerful little girl’s voice chimed in Dion’s mind as Gina raised her tiny claws.

Dion and Gina sprinted to the edge of the deck and leapt into the open air. Moments later, a medium-sized dragon soared alongside the zeppelin. The crew gasped in shock before resuming their duties upon realizing it was just Gina.

”Hurry up!” Dion called out from below.

”Right behind you!” Luna, Aria, Mei, Cleo, Sheila, Nala, and Harumi called back.

One by one, the group leapt off the deck, landing securely on Gina’s back. Gina swooped down toward the circular, battlement-rimmed tower, landing smoothly on the flat stone roof near a single rounded structure with a heavy door. Once grounded, Gina shrank back down to her miniature size, perching on Dion’s shoulder. Dion pulled up his Recall interface and activated his Berserk Monk persona. He strode up to the door, his eyes glinting.

”We’re going in,” Dion growled in a deep tone, reaching for the door handle.

”Wait, Dion!”

Sheila suddenly yanked Dion back by his collar. Just as she pulled him away, the heavy door burst open. A squad of undead elite barbarian warriors, armed with battleaxes, broadswords, and spears, poured out, fanning out to encircle the group. Dion, Sheila, Luna, Aria, Cleo, Mei, Nala, and Harumi immediately stood back-to-back in a defensive ring, weapons drawn against the surrounding zombie elite.

”Leave them to me! Everyone duck!” Sheila barked out.

A dark greenish-yellow aura erupted around Sheila. Red wolf ears sprouted from her head, her hair lengthened into a wild mane, her physical frame bulked up with raw muscle, and a thick wolf tail whipped behind her. Drawing two single-edged battleaxes from her back, she spun violently on her heel with her arms fully extended. A sweeping, arc-shaped wave of greenish-black energy surged outward, skimming just over her ducking companions and tearing straight through the circle of zombie elites.

”Graaaaaaah!”

All thirty zombie warriors were instantly sliced in half, some severed at the waist, others bisected across the chest or decapitated. Silence returned to the tower roof. A few severed torsos crawled uselessly across the stone floor before dissolving into glowing ash. Dion, Luna, Aria, Mei, Cleo, Nala, and Harumi sat up and turned to stare at Sheila, who casually rested both heavy battleaxes over her shoulders.

”What?” Sheila asked, raising an eyebrow.

”And here I thought you were all muscle and no technique,” Aria remarked.

”Hah?! What’s that supposed to mean?!” Sheila snapped.

”Forget I said anything,” Aria dismissed with a wave of her hand.

”Sheila? Are you... still Sheila?” Nala asked nervously.

”Hah?! What kind of question is that, Nala? Of course I’m still Sheila! Now come on, we can’t linger out here,” Sheila replied testily.

”Sheila’s right. The longer we stall here, the worse things get for the citizens below. Let’s move,” Dion growled in his intimidating Berserk Monk voice.

”Right!” Luna, Mei, Cleo, Sheila, Aria, Nala, and Harumi chorused.

They ducked through the doorway and sprinted down a long, winding spiral staircase, emerging into a quiet palace corridor. As they stepped out, Aria unholstered her dual pistols, firing off rapid shots to pick off a group of zombie maids lurking nearby. Clearing the hallway, they sprinted toward the king’s private study.

Slam!

Sheila kicked the study doors open. Suddenly, shiiing! tap! a blade thrust straight toward Sheila’s face. Dion, still in his Berserk Monk persona, stepped forward and caught the incoming sword blade between his bare palms. Dion, Sheila, Luna, Cleo, Aria, and Mei stared into the room to identify their attacker, gasp!

Their eyes widened in surprise. Standing before them was a young man, trembling uncontrollably, his face pale with terror. He looked like he had been cowering inside the study for days, surviving on pure luck.

”Huh... Gred?” Sheila blurted out.

”Sh... Sheila?! Thank goodness you’re back... P-Please stop Mother... S-She turned... into an undead!” Gred stammered out, his voice shaking hysterically.

Listening to Gred’s desperate, trembling plea and seeing the sheer relief washing over his hopeless face, Dion, Sheila, Luna, Cleo, Aria, Mei (with Harumi hiding behind her with Gina perched on her head), and Nala stood frozen, their jaws tightening. Sheila’s expression twisted into pure fury, her jaw clenching so hard her teeth audibly ground together.

Sheila glared at Gred, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him forward until his terrified face was inches from hers.

”Where is she right now?” Sheila demanded in a low, furious growl.

”In... in the throne room... Be careful... there are scores of our elite guards in there... along with two generals,” Gred stammered out.

Sheila shoved Gred back and released him. The group turned to open the doors, but before anyone could step outside,

”W-Wait! Take me with you!” Gred blurted out, taking a step forward.

Dion turned, raising a hand to block Gred’s path while pinning him with a cold, piercing glare. Without Dion uttering a single word, Gred trembled violently, clang! and dropped his sword onto the floorboards. Dion turned back around, stepped out of the study, and shut the heavy doors, leaving Gred entirely alone.