Yami Tsukishiro stood within the Bone Graveyard, calmly inspecting the current strength of his forces.
Zombies, mummies, and skeleton soldiers each carried a base strength of 1,000. Out of them, 500 had been upgraded to the second tier.
Among the specialized variants, there were 20 each of heavy-armored zombies, fighting zombies, hunting zombies, heavy-armored skeletons, and poisonous mummies — one hundred in total.
Of these, half had reached the third tier, while the other half remained at the second.
Ten armed mourners and another ten poisonous mummies stood quietly in formation.
Even among their weapons, three had been pushed to the fourth tier, while the rest lingered at the third.
Yami tilted his head slightly.
"How should I describe this…?"
By any measure, it was still far too small to be called a true undead army.
But the world about to be invaded wasn't an ordinary one.
It was that world — the world of High School of the Dead.
A world already drowned in corpses.
Civilization broken, order erased.
And above all, what mattered most were the countless dead bodies scattered across every street, every corner of that ruined earth.
Ella, with her necrotic authority, could easily seize control of the dead in an entire city.
Individually, those corpses were frail. But sheer numbers made up for everything. An endless tide, unstoppable by ordinary force.
As long as dead bodies existed, they could be turned instantly into ready-made soldiers.
Even better — monsters in the dungeon never truly died. They would always resurrect, given time. There was no need to fear permanent losses.
This invasion… even if it turned chaotic, Yami could always step in and take the spoils.
But first, before invading another world, the dungeon would have to be closed. All existing troops were needed on the frontlines.
He lifted his hand casually.
The adventurers fighting within the dungeon suddenly froze.
[Ding! The dungeon is temporarily closed. All adventurers are forcibly expelled!]
"...Haa. I feel like I should be strung up on the streetlights for this."
Yami muttered dryly.
"Not even a single apology gift, huh? Server maintenance with zero compensation."
On the plaza outside the dungeon, confused adventurers materialized one after another.
"What happened? Why were we all kicked out?"
Takagi Saya gripped her rifle, still stunned. Akame, Kurome, and the others appeared shortly after, equally disoriented.
Before anyone could exchange words, the skies above the square shifted.
A massive light curtain unfolded, covering the heavens. At the same time, the clear sky was swallowed by darkness.
From within that abyss, a colossal throne materialized.
Upon it sat Yami Tsukishiro, slouched in a lazy posture, golden eyes burning in the dark. The aura he exuded was both majestic and merciless.
[My dear adventurers… today, let us enjoy a gorgeous performance together.]
The cold, echoing voice rang through the world.
"Performance…?"
Everyone glanced around, bewildered.
With a snap of his fingers, Yami brought forth an image upon the light curtain.
At first, Busujima Saeko and the others found it unfamiliar. But then realization struck.
"That's… Tokyo!"
Miyamoto Rei's voice trembled.
The city where they once lived.
Shinobu Kochō tilted her head. "Rei, you know this place?"
Rei nodded firmly. "Yes. This is our home city."
[For some of you, this is your homeland. And now… it will serve as the stage for our drama.]
"Stage?"
The adventurers exchanged confused looks.
Yami raised his hand once more.
Immediately, blood-red clouds rolled across the sky within the image, dyeing the city in ominous hues.
Scene after scene shifted across the light curtain — every city on Earth, every skyline, all covered in the same crimson veil.
BOOM!
A thunderclap split the heavens.
From above, the clouds cracked open, tearing reality itself.
From the rift, a vortex of scarlet light expanded outward.
"That's… a portal?"
Takagi Saya adjusted her glasses, staring intently.
Indeed, it looked exactly like the portals that appeared after clearing dungeon floors.
Only this time, the gate in the image was vast — large enough to swallow an entire city whole.
Yami Tsukishiro's lips curled into a joyful smile, his voice resonating from above.
[You're right. That is indeed a portal.]
Golden eyes gleamed with amusement.
[And the next performance… will be the grand play of the undead army invading a world!]
"Invade… the world?!"
Rika and the others froze in disbelief.
"That's impossible…" Takagi Saya muttered, her rational mind refusing to accept such an outrageous claim.
[Heh.]
With a casual wave of Yami's hand, another screen flickered into existence above the plaza.
The atmosphere fell dead silent.
The screen displayed an overwhelming sight: thousands upon thousands of monsters gathered together, the sheer momentum pressing down like a storm. This wasn't just a mob — it was a true army.
And towering above them at the rear were four colossal black beasts, each dozens of times larger than the ordinary monsters. They stood like titans, waiting for the command to advance.
[Come now… I will give you a choice.]
The unseen figure extended a hand, pointing toward the adventurers gathered on the square.
[As natives of this world, you are allowed to choose. Stand with your world, and I will give you a chance to resist.]
[Block the advance of my monster army, and both you and this world will be liberated.]
This wasn't a mercy of Yami Tsukishiro. It was simply the rule of invasion itself.
The adventurers had a choice — one written into the very law of the dungeon.
But that did nothing to slow the gears of his plan.
"Of course we'll resist!" Takagi Saya shouted immediately, her eyes blazing with determination.
But she didn't notice the conflicted expression flickering across Miyamoto Rei's face.
Rei's gaze shifted toward Busujima Saeko. They were slaves bound to him… so what were they supposed to do?
Her heart twisted with hesitation.
[What's there to hesitate for? I don't need second-rate trash. Just play your roles.]
The cold voice slithered directly into their minds.
Rei's eyes widened. Nobody else reacted — meaning only she and Busujima could hear it.
Her breath caught. So it really is him… speaking inside our heads.
"!!!"
At that moment, she understood: Yami Tsukishiro had been watching from the start. This entire world was already his.
"I understand, Master. I'll give you a performance worthy of your stage."
Rei froze. That voice wasn't hers — it was Busujima's. Yet Saeko hadn't moved her lips at all.
"…Senior Sister…?" Rei whispered, stunned.
Biting her lip, she tried the same — willing her thoughts forward.
"M-Master… Rei will also try her best to… dance for you."
Hiss—!
The words tumbled out almost exactly like something from the light novels she used to read. The moment she realized, her cheeks flamed with shame.
"Why… why did I say it like that?!" Rei buried her face in her hands, drowning in regret.
[...]
Yami Tsukishiro, too, fell into silence for a brief moment.
You all want to "dance" as well, don't you?
"But… how are we supposed to resist?"
Takagi Yuriko furrowed her brow. With their current strength, even second-tier monsters were already overwhelming.
Against an entire legion of thousands, what role could they possibly play?
Minami Rika spoke up calmly:
"If we can cooperate with the military and spread the message to the world… if everyone unites to resist, maybe we'll have a chance."
She didn't say the rest out loud. But everyone understood what she meant.
Humanity's ultimate weapon — nuclear arms.
Takagi Saya reached the same conclusion instantly. After a moment of thought, she raised her head, eyes sharp.
"Lord of the Dungeon… I have a request."
[Oh?]
Yami tilted his head slightly, intrigued by her boldness. He decided to hear her out.
---
"Wha—?!"
A roar of thunder split the heavens, echoing across the globe. Survivors in Tokyo looked up, terrified, as the colossal, blood-red World Gate tore open the night sky.
People everywhere, across every nation, stared in shock as crimson clouds swallowed the heavens.
The suffocating Blood Night fell, pressing down on the world with dreadful weight.
And then—
Ssshhhhhhk!!!
A harsh, electric crackle ripped through the silence.
[Everyone on Earth, hear me! Our world is being invaded by an undead army! Please—unite and resist the monsters together!]
The voice boomed from the skies.
Light curtains spread across the atmosphere, projecting the same message worldwide.
On screen, Takagi Saya and the others stood atop a tall building in Tokyo, faces solemn, voices carrying resolve.
The image widened, giving the world a clear view of Tokyo itself — swallowed beneath the looming Gate.
This had been Saya's request. To show humanity the truth. To project Tokyo's crisis to every corner of the planet.
Let them see their struggle. Let it ignite a fire to resist.
It was a clever move — a way to rally survivors without exposing the secret of the Multiverse Dungeons.
And Yami Tsukishiro… had agreed without hesitation.
Not because it helped humanity. But because he saw the greater stage it offered him. A way to draw the entire world into his hands even faster.
"The military's been contacted!"
Rika hurried over, her expression firm.
"Good! That means there's hope for us!" Saya clenched her fists, excitement flickering across her face.
Soon after, a military helicopter descended, blades roaring as it carried them straight to headquarters.
There, Saya and the others were swiftly recognized. The officers remembered Rika and confirmed her identity — they knew she had vanished, and now here she was, returned.
Trust was established instantly.
With their information, the military began mobilizing defensive lines. Plans were drawn to gather the survivors, to prepare the city for the incoming tide of corpses and monsters.
The defenses were nearly in place.
Watching from above, Yami Tsukishiro chuckled softly, his golden eyes glinting.
[So then… let the fun begin.]
[Author Note]📢
Hey everyone! Merry Christmas ⛄
Just a quick update — I've started a new Naruto novel:
Naruto: Blackbeard Template
It's a fresh project with cleaner writing and a steadier release pace.
If you enjoyed my previous stories, feel free to check it out!
Thanks for the support 🗣️
— Arthorain