Villainess VS Zombies Chapter 3

The saber was a one-handed cavalry sword.

It was a symbolic sword for n.o.bles, with a gently curved blade whose only purpose was to be swung down while on horseback or slashed at the opponent while pa.s.sing by.
Alexandria had to admit the sword was a great choice for parents who wanted to give their kid a ceremonial sword to celebrate his graduation.

Its polished blade, hemmed with gold and silver and the crossguard where the pattern of a mythical beast, encrusted with silver and jewels, was naturally exposed to the light, revealed the advanced skills of the craftsman which created this sword.
That being said, "it's just that, it might not be well-suited for cutting people…" was a prosaic impression of the n.o.ble lady, who was in the middle of pragmatically swinging such lavish saber.

This sword is too light. Too short. Too unbalanced. Its edge is too blunt. And above all, the thickness of the iron is too insufficient.

"Well, it cannot be helped. For now, let's give this sword a try, shall we? You there."

The dead, that had perhaps decided that it was a good opportunity to attack while Alessandra was mumbling something to herself, and was approaching unsteadily, stopped with a startle as soon as the edge of the sword was pointed at him.
Did even the dead, that could not understand words or reason, possess a feeling of fear?

Stab.

When the corpse tried to move again, the silver edge was already buried deep in its neck.”

“Oh? As expected, just thrusting isn't enough. Normally, this would crush the artery and trachea.”

Right after she pulled out the sword slowly, instantly, the second thrust was buried in the same place of the dead's neck.

“This time I'll try having my edge turned sideways. Then, swing sideways like this!”

Allesandra had made a huge sideways swing with that edge, and *crunch*, the sound of something stiff being cut accompanied the dead's head falling off.
And, at the same time, the dead's body laid splayed on the ground and ceased to move.

“Oh? They really do stop moving if you behead them. The trick is the same as beheading a man with a helmet, isn't it?”

Like a lady having grasped the steps to a dance, Allesandra wore a satisfied smile on her face.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
If you behead them, the living dead will stop moving.
The fact that Alessandra showed to the students with her swordsmanship had no calming effect on the students which had fallen in panic.

After all, the ones attacking them right now were robust adults, the former bodyguards of the Prince and the former cla.s.smates with a similar physique as them.
Without much difference in physical strength and abilities, the moment they were wounded, they would be joining the ranks of the living dead there and then.

Even if the sight of them swinging around the chairs and the candlesticks in order to avoid the impending death was moving, it was hardly efficient.

"I can't save that."

Recalling the teachings of the military tactics tutor from a long ago, Alessandra started moving to avoid suffering the fatal loss by saving the troops that couldn't be helped.
Concretely, she started earnestly searching for the appropriate terrain that would become a battlefield for her to protect herself.

The entrance was out of question. The dead were layered on top of each other and moving there would be akin to a suicide.
The VIP room had only one entrance. Holing up without a retreat path would only invite a slow death.

In that case, the platform, the place where the foolish Prince was still shouting a while ago, was a good location.
It had a certain height and there were 2 stairs to climb. There were only 2 obstacles for secluding herself too.

When things get dangerous, your decisions and actions have to be made on the spot.
This was also one of the lessons that she had received.

“That's why, you are in my way! Move!”

With the blade lying down sideways and striking the neck right below the chin, Alessandra's sword technique decapitated the corpse of her former fiance, causing it to collapse to the ground.

"Aaaaーーーーーーhhh!!! You!! Do you even understand who you put your hands onーーーーーー?!”

It was the female fox (read: Sophie) who raised the loud protest.
She seemed to have skillfully hid herself while the crowd of the students were turning into the fellow living dead by the monsters that flooded the entrance.

“You mean Jean? of course I know.”

“First Prince Jean = Luka = Aldmeri!!! F-i-r-s-t P-r-i-n-c-e!!”

“Former Prince, you mean. Though it's okay to use 'deceased' instead too. If you want it so much, you can take that head and go, you know?”

“You can't inherit the throne just with the head!! Ahhh! Geez!”

“That's true. Could be hard to receive the crown when you're just a head. Harder to balance it that way. Now look, they've come here because you raised your voice. If you don't want to die, be of some help!”

This vixen was her enemy, but defending the stairs leading to the stage would need them to rely on each other.
She was a coward and her methods were graceless, but she wasn't lacking in grit – If things went bad, she could be a good shield to buy her time.

"”Ahhーjeez! I'll do it! I just need to do it, right? As long as I do it!”

Perhaps becoming desperate, having loudly torn the sides of her long skirt to ensure some mobility, Sophie shouted out at Alessandra.

“As if I'd die at such a place! As if I'd ever! I'll be the victor! It'll be me left standing! … What? What's so funny here?!”

“Oh nothing. I just wish you'd share some of that brazen willpower of yours.”

“well, sorry about being brazen!! Don't you underestimate the Baron's daughter which grew up as a commoner!!”

Here, a rare alliance between the vixen and the villainess to survive the desperate peril was born.

At this time, those two had no ways of knowing that the temporary alliance that was created as an expedient, would turn into life-long partnership after overcoming many trials.
—-
Notes:
*cough* *cough*

Crossguard 鍔元
There are bound to be many mistranslations here since the author uses pretty difficult words so beware.
Notify me about anything wrong,

P.S chapter to make up for the last friday the 13th I missed