I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 357 - 353 – Blessing of the Gods and the Approaching Storm

Dawn broke over Nocture with a mist thinner than usual, as if the dead land itself was drawing a relieved breath after a night filled with screams. The bonfires outside the gate had died out, leaving only black ash and collapsed tents. The raging crowd of refugees from the previous night had now retreated far into the open plains, abandoning dozens of corpses pierced by crystal spears or torn apart by lycanthrope claws. Elite zombies calmly cleaned up the remains, burning the bodies in crystal pits dug by the dwarves overnight. The smell of charred flesh mingled with the ever-present scent of black mushrooms that always enveloped the city.

Sylvia stood on the castle balcony, the Chain of Abyss coiled loosely around her wrist like a sleeping snake. Sofia was beside her, her golden hair gently fluttering in the cold morning breeze. The two of them watched the now-quiet gate, accompanied only by Velthya’s low growls as she ordered her clan back to patrol positions.

"Quiet again," Sofia murmured, her voice soft but tinged with exhaustion. "They retreated. Some were even crying and begging for mercy last night."

Sylvia gave a faint, cold smile as always. "Because they finally realized Nocture isn’t a city that can be taken with stones and shouts. But this isn’t the end, Sofia. It’s only a pause."

As if to confirm her words, the communication crystal at Sylvia’s neck vibrated softly. Zark’s voice emerged, flat and emotionless as ever. "Queen, new reports from scouts in the north and south. The refugees have indeed pulled back, but they’re spreading far more dangerous stories. The world is starting to target us. Nocture is now seen as too powerful a city that cannot be conquered. Humans from old Earth and other fused worlds are forming temporary alliances. They’re calling it the ’Alliance of Light’."

Sylvia raised an eyebrow. Sofia turned quickly, her golden eyes flaring.

"Elves," Zark continued. "Several dark elf clans and previously neutral forest elves have joined. Dwarves from the northern mountain kingdoms are also participating, jealous of our more advanced workshops. Even some nomadic races that never cared before are now sending envoys. The reason they dare? Divine blessings."

Sylvia closed her eyes for a moment. "Which pantheon?"

"Greek and Norse. Athena is granting strategic wisdom to the elf leaders, Ares is blessing human swords with war flames. Odin is sending his ravens to the nomad tribes, and Thor is bestowing lightning blessings upon the dwarves who joined. They feel the old gods are rising again in this fused world, and Nocture is the common enemy, the city of death that refuses to bow to the light."

Sofia drew a slow breath. "So they fear us... because we’re stronger without gods."

"Exactly," Sylvia replied. "And that fear is making them unite. Temporarily, but enough to gather a large army. Zark, how long until they move?"

"Perhaps two weeks. They’re assembling in the northern valley, at the ruins of an old feudal kingdom city. There are angels too."

Sylvia opened her eyes. "Angels?"

"Not the lesser ones like the four we turned into zombies. This time, eight-winged ones had the same rank as Lady Sofia. They descended last night, landing in the middle of the alliance. Strangely, they didn’t ask about the four missing angels. They immediately ordered the human faithful to ’unite once more against the darkness.’ As if Heaven has already decided Nocture is the primary threat, and the loss of four messengers was merely... an acceptable sacrifice."

Sofia shivered. "Eight wings... archangel tier. They’re more obedient, more powerful. If they truly rally the faithful, this won’t be a mob of refugees anymore. This will be a holy war."

Sylvia nodded slowly. "Heaven has never liked anything escaping their control. We took four of their angels, turned them into zombies, and now they’re sending higher ones to cleanse us. But... there’s something more urgent."

Zark continued, his voice slightly faster, something rare. "The North Atlantic Ocean. The territorial struggle there is reaching its peak. Three major powers are clashing: Poseidon from the Greek pantheon, Aegir from the Norse, and Leviathan Envy, one of the seven deadly sins demons. Mountain-high waves are crashing against the coasts, eternal storms rage, ships from all sides sink daily. The mutant port south of us has been completely destroyed. Rumors say Leviathan Envy wants to claim the entire ocean as its domain, Poseidon is furious because his Atlantis is being disturbed, and Aegir wants to protect what remains of his sailors’ ships. That sea has become more dangerous than any land war."

Sylvia walked back into the war room, Sofia following. The obsidian table glowed with a holographic world map, purple lines marking the new alliance in the north, red blinking dots pulsing across the chaotic northern ocean. The four zombie angels appeared on the display, reporting from aerial patrol.

"Queen," said one of them, the former monster hunter. "We saw golden light in the northern sky. The eight-winged angels are preaching in the center of the alliance. They’re saying ’Nocture is a stain on this new world.’ And at sea... we couldn’t get close. The storm is too violent. Aegir’s ships are colliding with Poseidon’s fleet, while Leviathan rises from the depths and destroys anything that passes."

Sylvia touched the map, zooming in on the ocean region. "So the sea has become a battlefield of gods. If any one of them wins, they could use that fleet to strike us from the south. We don’t have a navy, only the small port we took from the mutants long ago."

Sofia sat on the long sofa, toying with the communication crystal at her neck. "We need to strengthen the southern defenses. Ask the dwarves to build crystal cannons that can fire into the sea. Lycanthropes are useless in water, but our zombie angels can patrol from the air. And... perhaps we should talk to Leviathan Envy?"

Sylvia let out a small, rare cold laugh. "That envious demon? It doesn’t keep permanent allies. But maybe we can offer something of a portion of Nocture’s southern coast as its territory, as long as it disrupts Poseidon’s and Aegir’s fleets."

Sofia shook her head gently. "Allying with a demon... that’s dangerous."

"Everything is dangerous now," Sylvia replied. She approached and sat beside Sofia, gently touching the golden hair. "This world has gone mad, Sofia. Greek and Norse gods rising, eight-winged archangels descending to unite the faithful against us, the ocean turned into hell with three powers slaughtering each other. And Nocture? We’re just a small city that wants to live peacefully with zombies and other beings. But they don’t like that peace. They don’t like that we’re stronger without them."

Outside the castle, the city remained calm. The sound of dwarven hammers echoed from the workshops, lycanthrope roars rang from training fields, children played in the black rose gardens as if nothing was happening. Nocture’s citizens knew their queen was planning. They trusted her. There was no panic, only quiet preparation: monster hunters returning to the forests for rare materials, loyal dark elves reinforcing protective wards on the walls, zombie tailors sewing new cloaks for the troops.

Sylvia summoned Velthya and the dwarf chief through the crystal. "Reinforce the northern gate. Build new traps along the southern coast crystal chains that can rise from the seabed if ships approach. And send a secret envoy to the ocean. Try to contact Leviathan Envy. Tell it Nocture is willing to offer a port as a gift if it interferes with Poseidon and Aegir."

Velthya growled in agreement. The dwarf chief laughed roughly. "Finally we get to test the new weapons at sea, Queen!"

That afternoon, as the mist rose again, the four zombie angels reported once more: the northern alliance was growing larger, banners of Athena and Odin flying side by side. At sea, the storm grew fiercer giant waves crashing against Nocture’s southern shore, carrying wreckage from sunken ships and floating corpses.

Sylvia and Sofia stood on the balcony again, gazing south. The sea looked black and churning, as though the gods were wrestling beneath the surface.

"This storm is coming for us," Sofia murmured.

Sylvia touched her hand. "Then we will face it. Nocture has never feared gods, angels, or demons. We are death itself."

As night deepened, Nocture’s mist grew heavier, as if absorbing the distant sounds. In the castle’s war room, the holographic map still glowed faintly, showing red blinking points in the northern ocean like open wounds. Sylvia stood silently before the obsidian table, her finger tracing the southern coastline now threatened by colossal waves. Sofia sat on the sofa, hugging her knees, her usually gentle golden eyes now reflecting the hologram’s cold light.

"We don’t have much time," Sylvia said quietly, her voice like wind through a tomb. "Two weeks, perhaps less. That alliance will move before the next full moon. And if Poseidon or Aegir wins at sea, their fleet could land on our shores overnight."

Sofia nodded slightly. "Has the envoy to Leviathan Envy departed?"

"Yes. A zombie owl carried the message. If the demon accepts the port offer, we gain an unexpected ally. But if it refuses... we must prepare for war on two fronts."

Sylvia turned, approached Sofia, and sat beside her. Her right hand gently touched Sofia’s cheek cold, yet filled with certainty. "Nocture will not fall, Sofia. We’ve survived Heaven, humanity, the refugees. This time will be no different. We’ll make them remember why the city of death has never been conquered."

Sofia gave a faint smile and leaned her head against Sylvia’s shoulder. Outside, Velthya’s roar echoed again as the lycanthrope clan’s night training grew more intense. In the distance, Thor’s lightning cracked across the northern sky, as if sending a war greeting.

The world was targeting Nocture. But Nocture was also gazing back at the world with pitch-black eyes, ready to swallow everything.