I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl - Chapter 287

Chapter 287: Chapter 283 – The Light That Holds Scars and the Truth That Lies Hidden
The room fell silent again after Seere and Sylvia’s departure. Their footsteps had faded down the long corridor of the palace, leaving Alicia and Stacia standing before Belial, Lumielle, and Ithara three beings whose gazes now fixed upon them, sharp yet filled with curiosity.

Alicia took a slow breath, trying to steady her heartbeat that still hadn’t recovered from the immense pressure Belial had unleashed earlier. She straightened her back, facing forward with steady resolve, while Stacia, standing beside her, clutched her spellbook tightly both as a show of courage and as a shield of instinct.

Belial exhaled deeply, leaning back on his throne. “How interesting… even without their Queen, these two little ones can still stand before me.” His eyes narrowed. “So then, who will answer my question?”

Alicia and Stacia exchanged a brief glance before Alicia spoke.

“If you mean the question you asked earlier…” her voice was steady though measured, “…yes. We were brought into this world not by accident.”

The room stilled. The black lanterns along the walls flickered softly, casting moving shadows upon the obsidian floor. Lumielle leaned forward slightly, her gentle eyes fixed on Alicia.

“Brought here?” she asked softly. “By whom?”

Stacia closed her book, then lifted her gaze to the two goddesses. Her voice was small but clear, echoing through the vast hall.

“By the world itself.”

Belial raised an eyebrow, while Ithara tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.

“Is this world… aware?” Ithara finally asked, her tone like that of someone probing an old suspicion.

Stacia nodded. “Yes. It manifested an avatar, a being with green hair and a pure aura, so pure that even Sylvia couldn’t resist it. She came to us directly, asking Sylvia to bear a great duty: to destroy the rotted order.”

Those words made Lumielle tense, her once-soft gaze darkening.

“‘Rotted order,’ you say?”

Alicia met her eyes firmly, then nodded without hesitation. “The gods of this world have gone too far. They no longer protect the living, they exploit them. They manipulate, command, and sacrifice humans, demons, and other races alike to strengthen themselves. All of it… to climb higher into divinity.”

Belial stared at them for a long time. His eyes were sharp, but not threatening more as if he was weighing the truth behind every word.

“And this world sent you… to destroy them?”

Stacia answered, her voice colder this time. “To renew the world. This world is sick, and its disease is the gods themselves.” She looked meaningfully toward Lumielle and Ithara. “You two should know that better than anyone. You refused to follow their greed. Didn’t you?”

The two goddesses fell silent. Only the faint hiss of the black lantern flames disturbed the heavy air.

Lumielle lowered her head slightly, her eyes glimmering with deep sorrow. “We… did know,” she whispered. “But defying the other gods is no simple thing. They branded us as traitors, sent the armies of heaven to hunt us down. The wound you see on my shoulder… was not given by a demon. It came from one of our own.”

Alicia fell quiet, bowing her head a little. “So it’s true.”

Ithara closed her eyes. “We never wanted to rule anything. We only wanted to preserve balance. But when power became the currency of heaven, balance became a sin.”

She opened her eyes again, the light of stars shimmering within them. “This world did call to you. I saw faint cracks in the flow of fate years ago… but I never expected them to take this form.”

Stacia tilted her head. “Cracks?”

“Yes,” Ithara replied softly. “The threads of fate have shifted course. As if something beyond the gods’ control had interfered. As if… the world itself refused its own destruction.”

Belial looked among the three of them and gave a low laugh not mocking, but almost impressed. “Heh… so even the world has grown disgusted with its own creation.” He turned the crimson ring on his finger slowly. “Amusing. The underworld is always blamed for chaos, yet it’s the heavens that have rotted.”

Lumielle looked at him with a wary but gentle gaze. “Don’t lump us all together.”

Belial shrugged. “I’m not. I’m simply being honest.”

Alicia’s eyes flicked between the two goddesses. “Then… will you help Sylvia? If you know how far the heavens have fallen, then you must also know she won’t stop until that system collapses.”

Lumielle hesitated, her blue eyes softening. “Help her? Perhaps. But not in the way she imagines. The world needs balance, not utter ruin. If the Queen of Death destroys everything without direction… the world may never rise again.”

Stacia frowned. “You think Sylvia will lose control?”

“Don’t think,” Ithara replied flatly. “I see it. Fate around her spins without a center. She is an anomaly, a point that defies prediction.”

Belial smiled faintly. “And that’s what makes her fascinating. The world never creates something without purpose. If she was born an anomaly, then perhaps only a great collapse can be undone through her.” He looked sharply at Alicia and Stacia. “The question now is are you ready to follow her to the end? Because if you fail to hold her back, it won’t just be the gods who perish. The world itself will burn.”

Silence enveloped the room.

Alicia lowered her gaze for a moment, then lifted it again, eyes blazing with resolve. “We’ll stay with her. Until the end.”

Stacia nodded softly, but firmly. “Sylvia doesn’t walk to destroy everything she walks to free it. If the world refuses to change, then we’ll force it to be reborn.”

Belial stared at them for a long time before a small, satisfied smile curved his lips.

“Remarkable… even without your queen, you burn like fire.”He leaned back, resting his chin on his hand. “You truly are worthy of her. But…”

His eyes narrowed. “I hope you’re ready when light and darkness begin to merge. Because at the end of that road, only one will remain standing.”

Lumielle watched them both with a gaze mixed with admiration and concern.

“If Sylvia truly carries the destruction the world desires, then your fates will be tested by something greater than the war of gods.”

Stacia met her gaze without fear. “We’re not afraid of fate. We’re only afraid of losing each other.”

Ithara frowned slightly, then nodded slowly. “A beautiful sentiment… but fate knows no mercy, child.”

Alicia smiled faintly, watching the flickering light of the lantern. “Then let us be the ones to change it.”

And for the first time since they had entered, even Belial the ancient Demon King did not laugh. He merely watched them for a long while before murmuring softly,

“I hope you’re right, girl of flame.”

Outside the great hall, the faint sound of footsteps echoed two shadows wandering farther away, accompanied by Seere’s bright laughter and Sylvia’s weary sigh.

The view of Belial’s castle shifted quickly before Sylvia’s eyes, long corridors of dark crystal, blood-red halls, and inner gardens blooming with strange, pulsing flowers. And through it all, one thing stayed constant: Seere’s hand, pulling her along relentlessly.

“How long are you planning to drag me like this?” Sylvia finally complained, half frustrated, half tired.

Seere turned to her with a dazzling smile, eyes sparkling like living stars. “Until I’m satisfied showing you around, of course! You should know, this castle is my father’s pride and soon, part of it will be mine.” Her grin turned sly. “And if you become my wife, it’ll be yours too, won’t it?”

Sylvia stared flatly. “You have no shame.”

“Haha, people tell me that all the time,” Seere said cheerfully, still walking ahead. “I prefer to call it… confidence.”

Sylvia huffed, letting herself be pulled again through an arched doorway of dark glass etched with star motifs. After several minutes, they reached a vast garden at the heart of the castle.

The false sky above glowed with a soft twilight light, and among silver-leaved trees, a crystal fountain shimmered with faint violet radiance. Around it, flowers sparkled like fragments of starlight.

Sylvia sighed deeply, finally sitting on a stone bench beside the fountain. “At last…” she muttered. “That was more exhausting than fighting a floor guardian.”

Seere stood before her, still wearing a pleased smile. “Oh? But I haven’t shown you my sky chamber yet, the most beautiful place in the entire underworld.”

“No need,” Sylvia cut in quickly. “You’ve shown more than enough. My legs are about to die.”

Seere giggled softly, then leaned closer, her golden eyes glimmering but this time, her tone softened. “You’re so cute when you finally give in. But I’m curious…”

She tilted her head slightly. “Why did you reject my father’s proposal so bluntly? I thought you were just shy.”

Sylvia looked at her evenly. “Because I already have someone.”

That made Seere blink, her golden eyes widening slightly. “You… already have someone?”

Sylvia nodded, calm but firm. “Yes. I’ve made a promise to her. So I’m not interested in anyone else’s proposal.” She looked into the fountain’s reflection, her expression composed yet deep. “Her name is Sofia.”

For a moment, silence hung between them. Seere seemed to process those words then smiled faintly, a different kind of smile this time. Not teasing, but gentle, understanding.

“I see…” she murmured, looking at Sylvia intently. “I’m not surprised. With a face like yours and an aura that feels like a living storm, it’s hard to imagine you being alone.”

Sylvia rolled her eyes. “That’s not a compliment, and I don’t need flattery.”

Seere chuckled, then sat beside her close, but not too close. The temporal magic around her body flowed like a soft, warm breeze.

“She… Sofia, was it?” Seere asked quietly. “Who is she? She doesn’t sound like an ordinary human.”

Sylvia’s expression softened slightly. “She’s not. Sofia is one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. Smart, kind, gentle to everyone. We’ve been together for a long time in my world.”

Her voice lowered, tinged with distant longing. “Now… she’s back there, running the city we built together a home for humans, zombies, and hybrids alike. It’s called Nocture.”

Seere listened quietly, her gaze never leaving Sylvia.

“She leads it?” she asked softly.

“Yes. When I was brought here, I left everything to her. Sofia can handle anything even without me.”

Seere smiled faintly. “She sounds strong… and patient. You love her?”

Sylvia met her eyes, unwavering. “Yes.”

Seere fell silent not out of jealousy, but admiration for the honesty in that simple answer. Then she laughed lightly, covering her mouth. “Haha, now I understand why you turned me down so easily.”

She shook her head, her violet hair shimmering under the garden’s light. “But don’t misunderstand me, Queen of Death. I’m not giving up. I’m just… interested in you in a different way now.”

Sylvia raised an eyebrow. “Different how?”

“As someone who might shake the world itself.” Seere’s tone turned serious, her smile fading. “You know, my father and I… we’re not entirely loyal to the underworld. There are things even demons wish to change.”

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed. “You’re talking as if…”

“Yes.” Seere nodded, looking at the glowing fountain. “I know about this world, about the gods who made it. And I know why you were called here.”

The air shifted colder, heavier.

Sylvia stared at Seere in silence, realizing that this demon girl was far from simple.

Seere turned back to her and smiled faintly. “But don’t worry. I’m not here to stop you… I’m here to see if you can truly defy fate.”

She stood, looking up at the softly glowing false sky. “Because if you can… then maybe, for the first time in thousands of years, this world will truly change.”

Sylvia said nothing, only watching her quietly the light from the fountain reflecting in her eyes.

And somehow, even though her words were wrapped in mystery, Sylvia knew deep down Seere wasn’t joking this time.

For the first time, she felt that behind Seere’s bright, playful smile lay something far deeper, something even the underworld itself might fear to reveal.