I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 358 - 354 – Preparation Amid the Storm

In the days that followed, Nocture transformed into a gigantic beehive that never slept. The sound of dwarven hammers no longer echoed only in the mornings but rang continuously day and night, mingling with the roars of lycanthropes drilling battle formations, the clinking of crystal chains being installed on the walls, and gusts of wind carrying the scent of hot iron and wet earth from newly dug pit traps. The city’s mist was no longer gentle; now it hung thick and heavy, as though absorbing the spreading energy of anxiety among the citizens. Children no longer played freely in the black rose gardens they were being taught how to hide in the newly excavated underground tunnels. Even the normally calm zombie tailors were now busily sewing mythril-lined combat robes for every race living in the city.

Sylvia stood in the underground war room, arms folded across her chest, her pitch-black eyes fixed on the holographic map now covered in red and purple markers. Sofia stood beside her, her golden hair tied high so it wouldn’t interfere as she helped coordinate troop formations. At the far end of the obsidian table sat Alicia, Stacia, and the small treant currently perched on top of Stacia’s head.

"Leviathan Envy refused," Sylvia said flatly as the zombie owl returned to land on her shoulder. The bird merely shook its pale head, its empty eyes unlit. No reply message. Only silence.

Sofia let out a soft sigh. "He doesn’t even take us seriously."

Sylvia gave a small nod. "From the beginning he had no interest in joining. That envious demon only wants to pit Poseidon and Aegir against each other, letting them destroy one another at sea. To him, Nocture is nothing more than a minor nuisance on land. Very well. We don’t need an ally who doesn’t value our offer."

Alicia shifted her sword slightly; cold blue flames flickered along the blade. "Then we face them alone. As always."

Stacia gave a small laugh, her voice like wind whispering through a graveyard. "Alone? Sylvia, Sofia, Alicia, me, and this little treant are already more than enough to obliterate that alliance in a single night. But I know what you really want, Sylvia."

Sylvia turned her head, a faint smile touching her lips. "Exactly. I don’t want only the five of us fighting. This world is already too chaotic: Greek gods, Norse gods, eight-winged archangels, sea demons, mutant humans, everyone slaughtering each other. If the people of Nocture rely solely on us, they won’t survive once we’re gone. I want them to learn to fight. To learn to adapt. This is no longer the old world where they could hide behind walls and their queen."

The treant raised a small branch, its voice sounding like the creak of dry wood. "Plop plop." (Agree, agree.)

Sofia gently touched Sylvia’s arm. "You’re right. But... seeing them train so hard like this, I feel guilty. They came to Nocture for a peaceful life, not for war."

Sylvia lowered her gaze, her cold fingers brushing Sofia’s hand. "Peace has never been free in this world, Sofia. They have to learn. Otherwise, when that alliance arrives, when eight-winged archangels descend with their swords of light, when Thor hurls his thunder hammer at our walls they will die simply because no one ever taught them how to survive."

The war room grew busier as days passed. Dwarves constructed gigantic crystal cannons along the southern coast, their barrels gleaming purple as they absorbed mythril energy. Velthya’s lycanthrope clan trained running in wolf formations, leaping over deliberately placed traps simulating enemy assaults. The four zombie angels, now fully part of Nocture, patrolled the skies without rest, their tarnished wings delivering reports every hour. Even the once solitary monster hunters joined in, bringing rare monster heads to be forged into new weapons.

Sylvia and Sofia often spent nights on the castle balcony, gazing at the city that never went dark. Crystal lights glowed at every street corner, creating patterns of purple and gold that were both beautiful and terrifying.

"The little treant has grown," Sofia said one night, her voice soft. "Its branches are starting to bear black poisonous fruit. It says it’s for the children who want to learn hunting."

Sylvia gave a faint smile. "He’s clever. Like you were back then when you first arrived wanting to protect everyone, but learned that not everyone can be protected."

Sofia leaned her head against Sylvia’s shoulder. "I still want to believe there’s a path to peace."

"There is," Sylvia replied quietly. "But that peaceful path we must carve for ourselves. With blood, with fire, with death. After this is over, after that alliance is crushed, after the gods realize Nocture is not an enemy to be trampled then we will have true peace."

The communication crystal vibrated. Zark reported again. "My Queen, the alliance is drawing closer. The eight-winged archangel is named Seraphiel. He brings three of his siblings. They have blessed the entire human army with holy light, their swords cannot break, their skin resists zombie poison. Thor himself has descended in avatar form, leading the enemy dwarf ranks."

Sylvia nodded. "Let them come. We are ready."

Alicia stepped onto the balcony, her spectral body casually passing through the wall. "Our forces are prepared, Sylvia. The lycanthropes can fight three days and nights without rest. The dwarves have two thousand crystal cannons. Our zombie angels can shatter their aerial formations in minutes. And if everything fails... you, Sofia, me, Stacia, and the little treant will take the field. At that point, no one survives."

Stacia appeared behind her, gray mist swirling around her body, black fallen-angel wings folded. "I’ve prepared a spatial spell. The entire northern valley can be swallowed in a single breath."

The treant hopped onto Sofia’s shoulder, its small branch gently touching her cheek. "Plop plop." (I’ll grow big if needed. I can become a living fortress.)

Sylvia looked at them all, then at Sofia. Her usually cold eyes held a rare warmth.

"You are Nocture," she said softly. "Not just me and Sofia. This is your city. Defend it in your own way."

That night, as the fog thickened and Thor’s distant lightning cracked again, Nocture breathed as one. The sound of hammers, roars, footsteps, and wind blended into a slow but bone-shaking war song.

Sylvia and Sofia returned to their chamber at the top of the castle. The Chain of Abyss coiled around Sylvia’s wrist, trembling faintly as though sensing the approaching storm. Sofia hugged her from behind, chin resting on her queen’s shoulder.

"No matter what happens," Sofia whispered, "we’re together."

Sylvia closed her eyes, letting her cold body merge with Sofia’s warmth. "Always."

...

The next morning, Nocture’s fog had not yet fully lifted when Sylvia summoned all the race leaders to the main castle plaza. Thousands of eyes, zombie hollow sockets, lycanthrope yellow slits, dark-elf deep green, and gleaming dwarven gazes looked up at her. Sofia stood beside her, holding the Chain of Abyss now wrapped around the queen’s wrist like a living bracelet.

"You already know the threat is approaching," Sylvia said, her voice echoing through the crystal amplifiers mounted on the walls. "The Alliance of Light humans, enemy elves, dwarves blessed by Greek and Norse gods, led by Archangel Seraphiel. They come to destroy Nocture. But Nocture is not a city that waits to be conquered."

Velthya’s roar thundered from the lycanthrope ranks, followed by dwarves striking hammers against shields in agreement. The treant, now perched on Sofia’s shoulder, raised its branches. "Plop plop!" (We’ll crush them!)

Sylvia continued, "I could end this in a single night together with Sofia, Alicia, Stacia, and the little treant. But I don’t want that. I want you to fight. I want you to remember that Nocture is your home and a home is never surrendered lightly."

She glanced at Sofia, who gave a small nod. "Starting today, training intensifies. Dwarves will teach how to operate crystal cannons and mythril traps. Lycanthropes will drill night assaults alongside elite zombies. Dark elves will share shadow spells to conceal troops. Children... you will learn to survive, not merely hide."

That afternoon the city became a simulated battlefield. On the southern coast, the first crystal cannon was test-fired purple beams launched into the sea, shattering simulated enemy rock formations. Velthya led a hundred lycanthropes leaping over poison trenches, shifting forms mid-jump. The four zombie angels flew low, testing their ability to penetrate the simulated holy-light formations Stacia had created.

Night fell quickly. Sylvia and Sofia returned to the balcony, looking down at the city now illuminated by thousands of purple crystal lights. The sounds of training still echoed faintly.

"Are you sure they’re ready?" Sofia asked softly.

Sylvia pulled her into a cold embrace. "They’re more than ready. They have something the alliance doesn’t have: the will to live, not merely survive."

The two of them eventually sat on the top castle balcony, far from the clamor of the war room and night drills. Cold wind carried the fresh scent of black mushrooms mixed with smoke from still-burning dwarven forges in the distance. On the small obsidian table between them sat a steaming teapot and a plate of sweet snacks: honey-layered cakes, mutated black apple-like fruits, and a few slices of toasted bread with sweet jam.

Sylvia poured tea for Sofia first, her movements slow and calm as always. Sofia accepted it with a small smile, her fingers brushing Sylvia’s cold hand for a moment before she sipped the warm liquid. Even though raucous lycanthrope howls drifted faintly from the training grounds, hammers still rang, and purple crystal lights flickered like sleepless eyes the two of them remained seated peacefully, as though the outside world were merely background scenery.

"You must stay calm," Sylvia said quietly, watching Sofia nibble a small cake. "As leaders, we cannot show doubt. The people look at us. If we tremble, they will collapse."

Sofia nodded, her golden eyes glowing softly beneath the mist-filtered moonlight. "I know. But sometimes I wish... we could sit like this forever, without thinking about the alliance, without Thor’s lightning, without incoming archangels. Just tea, snacks, and you."

Sylvia gave a rare warm smile. She took a piece of cake and ate it slowly. "We will have days like that again. After this storm passes. Nocture will stand, and we will sit here every night, enjoying the peace we seized with our own hands."

Sofia rested her head on Sylvia’s shoulder, arms wrapping around her queen’s. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Below, the city kept moving. But on that balcony, for a moment, there was only sweet silence between the Queen of Death and her golden angel, two figures anchoring thousands of souls amid the growing darkness.