Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

The aftermath of Zane's victory was initially hollow and silent. All the beings that had gathered in Tokyo witnessed the fall of Balthasar and the last of the Horde Kings, brought to their brutal and bloody end in an instant by the True Prince, the Son of Death himself.

And when Zane spoke the words, Balthasar's head reattached itself to his body. It was a grim display of resurrection, and yet the dead which rose was not happy to serve his new master.

No, the fury in Balthasar's eyes was evident. And yet the words he wanted to express stuck in his throat. Nothing could be said. No sound escaped his lips. He simply kneeled and bowed his posture before the true king of the dead.

Soon too did Damian's corpse rise, kneeling next to his "brother" as he did so. But before either of them could say a word, the sound of thunderous applause filled the air, as the sun, already being darkened by some supernatural force became a hallowed shell of itself. Any light on the Earth disappeared at that moment.

Death instantly appeared before Zane, and cusped his chin, looking straight into his eyes that now matched her own, before kissing him on the forehead and dragging him in close. All the while the army of the dead that had been forced to gather likewise fell to their knees as she proclaimed their new King then and there.

"You a know who I am, even if you have never seen me before in person… This…. This beautiful boy is my one and only son… He is the rightful ruler of this dead world, which I have created for him to claim. Kneel before your one true king! And worship him as you would me!"

Not only did the dead gathered in the city fall to their knees, bowing their heads in unison, but so too did Zane's girls one by one, until Elena realized she alone was standing, and fell to her knees as well.

It had been over a decade since she last saw Zane. He looked so different now she almost didn't recognize him. But she knew from the look in his blood-red eyes that this was the boy she had grown up beside, the man who saved her when the world came to an end. And the man who had bled to ensure that she could continue to survive in this world.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she kneeled and professed her eternal service in a way that caught Zane off guard.

"Long live the King!"

Zane wanted to walk over to Elena and the others. To say something, he, after all had not expected to reunite here and now at the end of his journey. But before he could do so, Death grabbed his chin once more and forced him to look into his eyes.

"There will be time enough to celebrate with your little playthings later, my beautiful baby boy… But there are other matters to attend to… There is a great darkness beyond my control surfacing beneath the earth and they seek to destroy all that you have built.

In addition to this, you have likely encountered the other forces of nature working in the background. With your triumph, they will reveal themselves in full force. But that is fine, let our enemies come for us, now that you are strong enough we can walk this path together, and ensure that you and I reign supreme on this world, as mother and son, something which the living tried to take away from us, and these bastards still threaten now that we have finally gained a moment of peace.

What do you say, Zane? Will you ride with me into battle this one last time?"

Initially Zane said nothing, he gazed upon the ruins of the Earth, covered in darkness and frost, no living breath dwelled, they had all either been consumed by the dead, turned into an undead abomination, or become something in between like Elena and the others, as well as the denizens of Bastion who were among the last living populations remaining in the Earth.

No, all that remained was death and eternal darkness, and now that there were other enemies threatening the domain he had built against all odds, there was truly only one response he could make.

Zane nodded his head, his face as expressionless and still as the dead, his silent gesture was enough for Death to break out into a smile, as she gave Zane a suggestion, not a command, not a maternal order, but a supportive statement.

"Then, my little King, how about you call upon your banners, and raise your army, for the true war has only just begun!"

Zane turned around, and floated one hand in the air, conjuring a darkness so absent of hue that it was somehow noticeable even in the lack of light that spread to each edge of the earth.

His face was ashen, as his words echoed across the surface of the world, and in doing so conjuring the Billions of Tier V undead, and the tens of thousands of Tier V Horde Kings which were his bannermen and knights.

"Rise, army of the dead! Your purpose is yet fulfilled!"

In that moment, springing forth from the darkness was a force that was legion, unlimited, eternal. Among them was a pale horse, a spectral winged beast that took to the skies. And its rider was Zane. Wherever it was seen would be a boon of the death that followed.

As for the forces that would challenge this legion, they mustered their own strength within their own domains. Marching beneath the banners of cosmic forces, which were in opposition to death and her son.

Whether the specters of the abyss, or the spirits born from the stars above. From this day forth, they would be forced to wage war against the King of the Dead, and learn a valuable lesson: that no being is immune from death.

When he came for you, and called your name. You too would kneel—and rise as legion.