From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Dimitri slid in front of Jade, blood trailing down his face as he breathed harshly. "Lady, I don't know who you are or how you fight like that. But humans aren't supposed to be doing that!"

Jade slowly picked herself up and replied, "Well, I suppose what us 'humans' do is the least of your worries. I suppose you're an angelic like Kieran over there?"

"Th-that's right. Why are you – why... why aren't you scared of me?" Dimitri stammered.

Jade shook her head. "Why would I..." Her thoughts were cut off as she threw herself forward, grabbed his collar, and yanked him back just as Kieran's blade came within an inch of slicing his neck.

Dimitri looked up at her, his eyes wide as he saw the white flames in her eyes. "Are you somehow related to an angelic captain?! There's a skeleton I know who had those eyes when I was reborn!"

"How about a thank you? Uh, what's your name?" Jade asked as she watched the group she came with fighting off more zombies that appeared as another giant began to emerge from a crumbled building.

"Oh, it's Dimitri," he replied, still shaken. Read latest stories on empire

Dimitri stared down Kieran and shouted, "Kieran! Tell me how you came under the control of that child!"

The boy stood with his flute, a gleeful smile spreading across his face. "Looks like the effects are almost fully worn off. Just a few more minutes, and I'll rip everyone apart."

Kieran dashed forward, her expression a mix of desperation and determination. As she moved, she began to speak, her voice strained. "He tricked me into giving him a hug and then passed on a contact control. He is controlling me with the second end of his flute. It's likely he uses each of the flute holes to control and maneuver with his energy."

She swung her blade at Dimitri, who parried it with his own, sparks flying from the clash. Dimitri's face was a mask of concentration and worry. "And how can we break you out of this trance?!"

"A strong emotional response or a hard enough hit to my head would work. Disarming his flute or me finding a way to break free," Kieran replied, her voice monotone, still under the boy's control. "I am currently trapped in my own mind, trying to get out."

As she finished speaking, the blue vial fell from her neck, shattering on the ground. The liquid sizzled on the pavement, releasing a faint, acrid smell. Kieran's veins popped, and she closed the distance between her and Dimitri with terrifying speed. Her blade met Dimitri's neck, but before it could cut, sparks flew, and it ground to a halt.

A tall man with a black claw stood next to Jade, a smirk playing on his lips. Jade's eyes widened in recognition and a mix of relief and caution.

"Vincent," Jade breathed, her voice tight.

Vincent, the right-hand man of the Gambino Family, stood firm, his presence commanding. His black claw shimmered with a dark energy, holding Kieran's blade in place.

"Jade, focus on the boy!" Vincent called out, his voice steady despite the chaos.

Jade snapped back to the present, her resolve hardening. She turned her attention to the boy with the flute, his grin widening as he realized the stakes had risen. The group she had come with was still battling zombies, their efforts barely holding back the tide of undead.

"Right, I will try to take down the boy's flute while you hold off the angry lady under his control," Jade instructed, her voice firm.

"You still need to explain how that claw works," Dimitri remarked, his eyes flicking to Vincent's hand.

"Maybe one day, but not now," Vincent replied with a slight smirk before he jumped back, dodging a strike from Kieran.

Dimitri almost broke into a cry as he shouted, "How the hell do you have a magical artifact and energy coursing through your body?! What the hell is this? You humans are supposed to not have this stuff!"

"And who the fuck are you?" Jade demanded, her frustration boiling over.

"You should be groveling at my feet as you are now indebted to the Gambino family, you sniveling worm!" Vincent retorted, his tone dripping with disdain.

As he stated this, Kieran dashed forward, attempting to slice at him. Vincent deflected the attack with his black claw, but not before the blade grazed his cheek. Sparks flew as the claw met Kieran's sword, the dark energy shimmering around it.

Jade didn't waste any more time. She sprinted towards the boy, who stood confidently with his flute in hand. Her eyes flared with white flames as indicators began to light up, showing her the best paths to avoid hits and to strategize her attacks.

The boy's grin widened as he saw her approach. "You think you can stop me?" he taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance. He swung the flute like a weapon, its metallic surface glinting in the light.

Jade dodged the initial strike, her movements guided by the indicators. She knew this path would be filled with damage, but she had no other choice. She had to carve a path to that flute.

He lashed out with the flute, each swing carrying the force of a sledgehammer. Jade's vision flashed orange, signaling incoming pain. She twisted her body, minimizing the impact but still feeling the searing pain as the flute grazed her ribs. She bit back a scream, focusing on the next move.

Another red indicator flashed, and she ducked just in time to avoid a crushing blow to her head. She rolled to the side, her blade slashing out and catching the boy's leg. He hissed in annoyance, more than pain, and retaliated with a fierce kick that sent her sprawling.

Jade coughed, tasting blood. She pushed herself up, her eyes locking onto the flute. "Almost there," she muttered, her determination unshaken.

The boy's movements were fast, but her eyes predicted his attacks, guiding her through the onslaught. She lunged, her blade aimed at the flute. The boy parried with a swift motion, his strength nearly overwhelming her.

In a final, desperate move, Jade feinted left, then struck right, her blade slicing into the flute. It cracked, but before she could deliver a decisive blow, the boy's expression darkened. He brought the flute to his lips, playing a haunting melody that reverberated through the air.

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