21st Century Necromancer

The two Reaper Maidens that Chen Yu had summoned had only just spread their wings when the neighing of a warhorse burst forth from the depths of the pit.

Hearing the neighing, the sounds of metal clashing and horses whinnying in battle seemed to echo in Chen Yu's ears, causing his complexion to change. With a raise of his hand, the two Reaper Maidens flew toward the pit, their Great Scythes crossed in an attack aimed directly at the depths!

However, before the Great Scythes could strike, a burst of colorful light erupted from the pit, and within that light, a figure holding a lance atop a leaping horse burst forth, the lance thrusting out like a dragon, like lightning cutting through the night, aimed straight for the intersection of the crossed scythes.

Taking advantage of the leaping horse's momentum, although the red lacquer on the lance's shaft had faded and spotted with age, the tip still shone brightly.

In the blink of an eye, with astonishing precision it struck the exact point where the Great Scythes crossed, and with just that one hit, the two Reaper Maidens were sent reeling backward, while the horseback figure landed firmly on the ground.

The figure atop the horse pulled hard on the reins, and the horse, now reduced to bones, reared up, its front legs flailing in the air as it balanced on its hind legs.

When the hooves hit the ground, another burst of metallic neighing swept through the air, the formidable momentum scattering the mud and stones from the bottom of the pool—which no longer contained water—and even causing Chen Yu's robe to flutter wildly in the ensuing gust.

A Vermilion Spear two and a third meters long, clad in Golden Armor, the knight astride the horse bore a towering golden helmet, just as he'd worn in life, his identity unmistakable from the distinctive emblem: The Warring States Period's famous general—Maeda Toshiie.

But now, the gold leaf on both the armor and helmet had faded and flaked, the red lacquer on his spear long since peeled away, and even the knight himself was nothing more than a skeleton.

Yet facing him, Yu Chen and Hiromi Jounouchi dared not underestimate the knight who sat motionless atop his horse, vigilant and warily refraining from attacking, resulting in an eerie silence and standoff.

Of course, the knight before them was already dead. As a Necromancer, Chen Yu could see that clearly. Moreover, he could tell that Maeda Toshiie had truly died hundreds of years ago, and now, only a corpse filled with grudges remained animating.

His silence since breaking free from the Seal was merely due to him recovering from the rigidity that had seized his body during his century-long imprisonment; he was merely using his own grudges to bring flexibility back to his body.

But beyond that, Chen Yu noticed an irregular hole in Maeda Toshiie's chest, as if something had once struck and embedded itself there. The object had since disappeared, leaving behind only an indescribable luster inside Maeda Toshiie's ribcage.

This brilliance was intangible, yet seemed alive, flickering inside Maeda Toshiie's chest as if breathing, and with each "breath," the glow from the vegetation around seemed to be drawn toward him—or rather, toward the breathing luster, casting an inexplicable glow over both the man and his horse.
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This glow was unlike any color Chen Yu had known, and as it breathed, Maeda Toshiie's skeletal frame seemed to fill out once more. A faint glow of the same hue as the light began to emerge on his shriveled face and body, a sight so unsettling that a mere glance gave rise to a sensation of impending doom, almost inducing nausea.

Yu Chen knew he could wait no longer. If this monster were to fully recover, he would be at a complete disadvantage, so he raised his hand and pointed, and the two Reaper Maidens flapped their wings once again, attacking the still and unmoving knight.

He himself, however, swung the Great Scythe, conjuring flames tinged with the color of decay amidst the dismal green, which instantly enveloped the courtyard around the pond, extracting the life force from all the plants and the land in sight.

Even the glow within Maeda Toshiie's chest was affected; strands of luminescence were drawn out, along with other vitalities, condensing into a sphere of light in Yu Chen's hands.

This action seemed to enrage the creature; the glow on Maeda Toshiie's body expanded dramatically as if letting out an invisible roar, prompting Toshiie to charge at Yu Chen with his Vermilion Spear, launching an assault!

Although the battlefield was the courtyard in the back of Oyama Shrine, and the pond had already been blown dry by the actions of Yu Chen releasing the Seal, as well as Toshiie breaking through it, the courtyard they were in was still not large enough to give room for the war horse to gallop.

So almost in an instant, Toshiie's warhorse, carrying him, broke through the blockade of the two Reaper Maidens, the tip of his Vermilion Spear gleaming with cold brilliance, tracing a brilliant trajectory as it thrust straight at Yu Chen!

Luckily, Yu Chen was not alone in the fight against Toshiie. Just as Toshiie's warhorse nearly came "face to face" with Yu Chen, countless claws, coagulated from blood, suddenly reached out from below the earth, grabbing at the warhorse's hooves. In an instant, they caught the horse's hooves and stiffened, imprisoning the warhorse firmly in place.

But although the horse stopped, the spear did not; even though the warhorse's charge had been halted, Toshiie's lance still did not stop its rushing trajectory, and it seemed that the speed of the lance's thrust increased due to the horse being immobilized!

This was no illusion, for Toshiie's grip on the Vermilion Spear loosened, merely holding the shaft loosely allowing the two-zhang long spear to fly out from his hand, still aiming for Yu Chen's throat.

A blue silhouette blocked in front of Yu Chen in the blink of an eye! And in her hand, her crimson Rapier thrust straight at the charging Lance, intending to deflect it!

Even though the warhorse was immobilized, even though he was now but dry bones in a tomb, even though he had been sealed for a century, Toshiie, a renowned commander of the Warring States Period, proved his mettle.

Just a slight force at the end of the lance's shaft was enough for the tip of the Vermilion Spear to alter its trajectory, narrowly missing Hiromi Jounouchi's thrust Rapier and stabbing towards her shoulder!

Just as Hiromi Jounouchi was about to drop her shoulder and use the Dragon Bone Shoulder Armor to block the attack, Yu Chen behind her had already raised his palm, and a Bone Shield materialized out of nowhere, blocking the path of the Vermilion Spear.

The collision, like a meteor strike, saw the Vermilion Spear fiercely thrusting onto the Bone Shield!

Though the warhorse's charge had been halted, the power behind the thrust was still immense; after striking the Bone Shield, it was only obstructed for a moment before piercing through the Bone Shield summoned by Yu Chen, continuing its ruthless path towards him and Hiromi Jounouchi, who stood in front of him!