Chang Long found that breaking through the army of the dead was no easy feat. Even with the inferno keeping them at bay, dismembered parts of their bodies continued to attack, dragging those who were not careful into the flames.

"Missy! At this rate, we'll never reach that castle!"

Davy-chan shouted, as disembodied hands swarmed around them, significantly slowing their progress. To make matters worse, the flames from the Sea of Flames skill were also starting to die down.

"Holy element. Hmm... Hulu is a pure-blooded sacred beast. Could that work?"

Chang Long muttered to herself, deep in thought.

"Missy! Are you even listening? Even though Hisa-chan and I are skilled, we can't handle these undead forever!"

Davy-chan shouted again, seeing that Chang Long did not respond.

"Release, Hulu!"

Chang Long ignored him and instead called forth Hulu. The rainbow kirin emerged majestically from her bracelet, landing gracefully in front of everyone.

"A... a sacred beast!"

"A rainbow kirin!"

The twelve living people were stunned to see one of the sacred beasts from their game world. Hulu, nearly the size of a donkey after its first evolution, scanned the area with its golden eyes, assessing the situation. It then walked over to stand by Chang Long's side, as if waiting for her command.

"Hulu, can you use the Armor of Virtue to cover everyone and guide us in that direction?"

Chang Long asked her haughty pet, which now seemed much more agreeable.

Hulu nodded, and a large white shield of energy appeared, enveloping everyone perfectly. Whenever a piece of the dead touched the Armor of Virtue, it disintegrated instantly.

"I... I can't believe it. Who are you to have a sacred beast!"

One of the twelve living people exclaimed in awe.

"That's a relief!"

Davy-chan wiped his brow, taking two rejuvenating crystals from Chang Long and popping them into his mouth before passing it to Hisa-chan.

"Would Kitsune be alright? I shouldn't have let him go alone,"

Chang Long said, worried. Seeing that fire could not completely deal with the dead, and that their parts could still attack, made her anxious about Kitsune's safety. They barely made it with this many people, what would happen to Kitsune who was alone.

"That little dog is quick and smart. He'll be fine!"

Davy-chan said with more confidence than he felt, trying to comfort Chang Long. He knew how much she loved and cared for the little dog.

"I see the entrance, Master,"

Hisa-chan called out, causing everyone to look ahead once more.

A massive archway made of black stone reflected the flickering flames, highlighting its immense size. The sound of crashing waves made Chang Long think back to her dream when she first visited this place. At that time, she had been in a coma after being attacked by a One-horned Oni Beast King in the basement of Seiryu Castle in Kirisakura City.

Hulu stopped as they reached the stone archway. Hisa-chan stepped out of Hulu's white shield and tried to walk through the archway, only to be forcefully ejected as if someone had pushed him. The twelve living people were alarmed, realizing they could not proceed as the wailing of the dead behind them grew closer.

As soon as Firetail completed its evolution, it roared loudly, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky. Though its body length from head to tail measured only three meters, making it small compared to others of its kind, it made up for this with agility. Its body was now covered in sharp, blade-like spines that gleamed menacingly, rivaling its kin in intimidation.

Once high enough, Firetail opened its mouth wide, unleashing a torrent of flames from both its mouth and nostrils down to the ground below. It sprayed fire in a long line towards the north. Draco instinctively knew that Firetail was clearing a path for them to escape, as the dead scattered away from the fiery trail.

"Peach Blossom, create a water barrier and lead us through Firetail's flames!"

Draco shouted. Peach Blossom quickly complied, creating a water shield to encase everyone so they could pass through Firetail's flames unscathed.

"Stick together and move quickly. The barrier will evaporate if we take too long,"

Peach Blossom instructed.

"Let's go!"

Siegfried urged, and everyone grouped together, walking swiftly through the intense heat of Firetail's flames.

"They're escaping, Captain Tautus!"

Tom, standing next to Captain Tautus, said anxiously.

"I told you to call me Master Tautus!"

Captain Tautus turned and snapped at his loyal subordinate.

"Y... yes, Ca... Master Tautus. But they're!"

Tom stammered, pointing at Draco's group, which was making their way through the flames, running away.

"Heh heh heh, don't worry, Tom. They won't be able to enter the Castle of Death anyway. Besides, I've received some very good news. They'll have no choice but to obey me!"

Captain Tautus grinned confidently.

"B.. but, Kearick is heading that way too!"

Tom said, still not understanding Tautus' meaning.

"Kearick will be intercepted by their group. Now, let's bring our gift to them. They'll be so pleased they won't know what to say. Heh heh heh,"

Captain Tautus finished, leading the way towards the path to the Castle of Death. He had to take a detour since the main path was engulfed in flames, making it impassable.

"Yes, Master?"

Tom, still confused by his master's words, followed Captain Tautus, along with the thirty-two able-bodied dead and the ones suffering from severe disabilities.

"Hmmm... Ahhh!"

Kimhant began to wake up and screamed loudly upon seeing the twelve living people surrounding him worriedly, who looked slightly better than the dead during the day. Seeing that the young man had regained consciousness, the twelve living people sighed in relief.

"You're finally awake!"

Davy-chan glanced at Kimhant briefly before turning back to interrogate the newcomer.

"Who are you?"

Chang Long asked calmly.

"Are you dead or alive?"

Davy-chan continued.

"What brings you to this castle?"

Hisa-chan added. Kearick looked at the three of them, blinking nervously. He wanted to escape badly but was too exhausted to resist.

"Maybe he's mute!"

Davy-chan grumbled in frustration, moving to stand beside Hulu, who was still maintaining the Armor of Virtue to keep the dead at bay.

"Let me guess, you're Kearick, right?"

Chang Long's words startled Kearick, but he tried to maintain his composure to hide his shock.

"I think it's him,"

Hisa-chan said, causing Kearick to panic even more.

"Alright, Hisa-chan, take good care of him. We'll wait for Kitsune and the Mi's group to join us, then we'll leave this place,"

Chang Long nodded and walked over to Davy-chan, who was watching the dead from a distance. None of the dead dared to approach within five meters of them.

"M... master, where's boss?"

Kimhant asked shakily, still traumatized by the recent horrors.

Boommm!!

An explosion and a burst of flames answered his question. Everyone turned in shock to see the dead fleeing in panic, clearing a path for the group and a bright red dragon. Seeing her friends safe and sound, Chang Long felt a sense of relief, but she could not see Kitsune anywhere.

Once they had regrouped, everyone gathered within Hulu's Armor of Virtue, with Firetail flying overhead to keep watch, Chang Long rushed over to Valentine to ask about Kitsune.

"I haven't seen him, Chang. From the battle until now, I haven't seen Kitsune,"

Valentine answered, making Chang Long's heart sink.

"Not at all?"

Chang Long asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"...No, I'm sorry, Chang. We were barely surviving ourselves, so we didn't notice our surroundings much,"

Valentine said sadly, understanding her friend's distress.

"Good evening... we meet again, living ones,"

Captain Tautus' voice made everyone turn back.

"Hello, Captain..."

Chang Long said coldly, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

"Oh, you recognized me as a captain!?"

Captain Tautus asked, delighted.

"No, I just recognized the hat on your head,"

Chang Long replied, making Captain Tautus's smile vanish as he glared at her with murderous intent.

"It seems one of your friends is missing,"

Captain Tautus sneered, his eyes gleaming slyly with malice.

"What!?"

Chang Long narrowed her eyes at him, sensing his ambiguity.

"Heh heh heh, not dead yet, but close. Would you like to meet him?"

A bloodied Kitsune was dragged and placed between the living and the dead. Struggling to breathe, Kitsune tried to crawl towards Chang Long. Chang Long looked in shock, she did not know that Kitsune would be in such a dire state.

As Captain Tautus laughed in delight, Chang Long clenched her teeth, her fists tightening, and her body trembling with a fury greater than she had ever felt. The cold aura that had been slowly emanating from her now surged out like a raging flood, creating gusts of wind that whipped her clothes and hair violently.

"Chang!"

Valentine cried out, quickly backing away from Chang Long. The others did the same, sensing the immense power spilling from her body.

"M... mas master..."

Kitsune looked at Chang Long with blurred vision. He could feel the depth of her anger, which surpassed anything he had ever experienced from her.

"W... What's this?"

Captain Tautus shouted in panic, feeling the overwhelming power emanating from Chang Long.

"This aura...!"

Kearick, still restrained by Hisa-chan, stared at Chang Long in disbelief. The sound of two heartbeats echoed in sync, one fainter than the other. Moreover, a familiar figure began to materialize from the black aura radiating from Chang Long.

"No one touches what's mine and gets away with it!"

Chang Long spoke in a calm yet astonishingly powerful voice. Captain Tautus and the dead were paralyzed with fear, a feeling they had not experienced in a long time.

"W... who are you? How could you have such an aura!?"

Captain Tautus yelled, his voice trembling. The dead around him shivered uncontrollably.

"Tautus! You will pay for harming Kitsune. The only punishment for you is death!"

Chang Long roared, her voice sending shockwaves that knocked the dead down like dominoes.

Seizing the moment while the undead were focused on Chang Long, Davy-chan rushed in to bring Kitsune's battered body within Hulu's protective barrier. Valentine, Peach Blossom, and Kimhant quickly attended to Kitsune, administering various medicines. Kimhant's eyes filled with tears at the sight of his severely injured boss. Despite his pain, Kitsune managed a weak chuckle.

"Master!"

Kearick cried out when he saw the figure formed by the black aura. It was the one he had once served closely, now in a fearsome and imposing battle mode.

The Reaper materialized, looking more substantial than ever before. His once cold gray eyes had turned blood-red, matching Chang Long's eyes. Everyone stared in astonishment at the Reaper and Chang Long, who looked like twin embodiments of intense fury.

"Why wasn't it like this when I received the Reaper title?"

Davy-chan muttered softly to himself as fragments of his memories started to return.

"I've missed this... It's been so long,"

the Reaper spoke softly, looking around at a landscape that seemed unfamiliar compared to what he remembered.

"The Reaper can talk!"

Peach Blossom exclaimed in shock. She had never seen Chang Long's Reaper speak before, nor had she seen him move independently of Chang Long like this.

"Chang Long's title is incredibly complex,"

Draco said, staring at the Reaper and Chang Long in awe. Although he coveted the Reaper title, he was not sure if he could achieve what Chang Long had—a Reaper that had once appeared as a skeleton now had flesh and could speak.

"Kearick... lead my friends into the castle immediately. This place has become too degraded for me to tolerate any longer,"

the Reaper said, turning to Kearick, who was still stunned.

"I... I don't have enough power left to invite anyone into the castle grounds, ,"

Kearick replied sadly, unable to meet his master's gaze.

"Ah... In the name of the King of the Land of the Dead, the Reaper King..."

The Reaper paused, looking at Chang Long as if waiting for her to continue.

"Chang Long,"

she said her name.

"In the name of the King of the Land of Dead, Reaper King Chang Long, I invite the living and my companions to the eternal abode, the Castle of Death,"

he declared. As the Reaper finished speaking, the iron gates nearly five hundred meters away creaked open in response to their master's command.

"Follow me!"

Kearick instructed, leading the way through the stone arch, which stretched across the sea toward the castle. Chang Long nodded slowly, signaling everyone to follow Kearick before she turned to face Captain Tautus once more.

"No... There's no way you can be our lord. I will never accept someone who abandoned the Land of the Dead for hundreds of years. You are no longer the ruler of this land!"

Captain Tautus shouted, pointing his trembling finger at Chang Long.

"But the castle does not say so. It still heeds my commands,"

the Reaper said, his voice no louder than normal speech but echoing with immense authority.

"Only for now!"

Captain Tautus snarled before pulling Tom's body close to merge with his own.

-----

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