"THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!"
The blood drained from Jerom’s face as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. He had believed that with Vlad’s defeat, the nightmare would end—that he would finally be free of the terror that had stalked him.
However, this heartbeat, this inescapable thrum, told him otherwise. The nightmare wasn’t over; on the contrary, it had come to hunt him while awake. It had returned, more powerful and terrifying than ever!
"THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!"
The heartbeat grew stronger, generating sonic waves that spread across the entire capital, erasing the fear and doubt that had crept into the hearts of the soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom. The city itself seemed to shudder in response to the pulse as if the very stones trembled with dread.
High above, Goddess Lucia’s grotesque smile began to falter, and confusion arose in his eyes. He, too, felt the power behind that heartbeat. The arrogance that had filled his voice only moments ago wavered as something foreign and wrong made its presence known.
’What is happening? What is this feeling!?’ Since the start of the Apocalypse and the moment the first stream of Divine Power coursed through his body, he had forgotten this feeling. It was the sensation of danger, the primal instinct telling him that something incredibly dangerous was approaching.
"THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!" "THUMP!"
The heartbeats echoed again, louder, resonating through the streets and buildings, filling the air with a palpable tension. The soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom clenched their fists, feeling a rallying force calling them back to the fight.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Jerom’s fear turned to panic as he realized the heartbeat was coming from beneath the rubble where Vlad had been buried.
The Pope of the Church of Glory couldn’t believe it. He had seen Vlad defeated, crushed under the weight of that building. How could this be happening?
As the heartbeat grew louder, the ground began to tremble. The debris that had buried Vlad started to shift, the stones and rubble rising into the air as an electric force field was unleashed.
Goddess Lucia’s eyes narrowed in disbelief as he watched the scene unfold. "Impossible..." he muttered, his voice tinged with confusion and growing dread. That attack had carried his full power and should have been more than enough to kill a High Champion. But he wasn’t facing an ordinary High Champion.
He was facing a Depravita!
With a massive explosion that shook the entire capital, the debris exploded outward, revealing Vlad at the center of the blast. Arcs of red lightning stretched from his body, crackling in every direction, painting the sky in a storm of wrath.
The Depravita of Wrath’s eyes burned with fury, his gaze locked on the grotesque figure of Goddess Lucia hovering in the sky. The flames of his sword blazed even brighter, fueled by an unquenchable wrath capable of melting the very rock beneath his feet.
Vlad’s eyes glowed with fierce determination as he heard the cold, robotic voice of the A.I. Chip:
[Beep! Heart of Wrath at full power. Estimated total organ shutdown in 7 minutes and 32 seconds.]
The Heart of Wrath, Vlad’s ultimate ability, had raised his battle strength to a level capable of facing even a Level 16 Guardian, but the cost was immense. If he failed to achieve victory within the next few minutes, he would enter a deep coma or, worse, perish.
Taking a deep breath, Vlad cleared his mind of any unnecessary thoughts. Time was short, but his resolve was unwavering.
Jormungandr’s black eyes mirrored the same unyielding determination as Vlad’s. Without hesitation, the small yellow cat triggered the power of the Abyssal High Champion’s soul sealed within his Demon Cage Runic Formation. Immediately, the back of Vlad’s armor began to mutate and expand.
Massive metallic wings, bathed in roaring flames, burst forth from his back, their fiery glow casting an ominous light over the capital. These wings were part of Jormungandr’s Demon Soul Master ability—flames that not only allowed him to fly but also enhanced his attacks with overwhelming power.
With a single, powerful flap of the fiery wings, Vlad ascended into the sky, rising dozens of meters until he was level with Goddess Lucia. Flames flowed across his body, intermingling with the red lightning surging around him.
"What are you?" The grotesque figure trembled for a moment, his golden skin shimmering, as he gazed into Vlad’s eyes—eyes that burned with a focus and determination far beyond anything the false deity could comprehend. Those eyes weren’t just filled with fury; they carried the will to destroy.
Vlad’s voice boomed across the battlefield, each word carrying the weight of his unstoppable wrath. "Today, I will kill a god!" He raised his sword, unleashing a burst of lightning and flames that sent ripples through the air.
His gaze then shifted down to the soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom below. With a commanding voice, he declared, "And you will kill its faith!"
For a moment, there was silence as the soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom looked up in awe. To them, Vlad was more than just a leader; he was the embodiment of their belief, their willpower—a force of nature they would follow to the very gates of hell.
"WAR!" Grand Marshal Anglius was the first to respond, raising his weapon and shouting with the power of a giant. His voice was thunderous, unyielding, and filled with absolute determination.
"WAR! WAR! WAR!" The word spread like wildfire through the ranks. Soon, every soldier joined in, their voices growing louder, merging into a deafening chorus.
Ouroboros, the Royal Guards, Freya, and the Bloodline Soldiers inside the Imperial Castle—all of them shouted the battle cry with unwavering devotion. The chant echoed across the entire capital, a tidal wave of willpower surging across the empire, shaking the hearts of the Azarin Empire’s soldiers to their core.
"WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR!"
The fear and uncertainty that had plagued the Xaos Kingdom’s warriors vanished, replaced by an unstoppable force of unity and resolve. Their king had given them a command, and they would fulfill it, even if they had to break every bone in their bodies.
Goddess Lucia looked down at the soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom in shock. He called himself a god, one who could harmonize with the minds of his followers, instilling awe and reverence. But he had never achieved this kind of unity, this unstoppable determination.
The sheer force of the Xaos Kingdom’s collective willpower crushed the morale of the Azarin Empire’s soldiers. All the confidence that had surged in their hearts upon seeing the arrival of Goddess Lucia began to fade as they realized their enemy had a far more majestic and imposing war god.
Vlad smiled as the power of his soldiers’ war cry washed over him, a surge of energy and rage fueling his resolve. His body pulsed with red lightning, arcs of energy crackling around him as his aura intensified, becoming almost unbearable.
"Time to end this war." He raised his blazing sword, the flames around the blade dancing as if alive, ready to consume anything in their path.
Without hesitation, Vlad flashed forward with all his might, moving faster than even the eye could follow. He became a blur of fiery light as he closed the distance between himself and Goddess Lucia in an instant.
The golden figure barely had time to react before Vlad’s sword came crashing down, a strike so powerful it distorted the very air. Goddess Lucia raised his arms to block, golden energy surging around him as he attempted to defend against the overwhelming force.
The impact of Vlad’s strike sent shockwaves rippling through the sky, shaking buildings and sending debris flying in every direction. The golden light around Goddess Lucia flickered, cracks forming in the divine shield he had summoned to protect himself.
But Vlad didn’t relent. With every swing of his sword, the flames roared louder, the red lightning growing more intense as he poured everything into his assault. Each blow sent tremors through the capital, and the cracks in Goddess Lucia’s defenses widened with every strike.
Though the false deity possessed immense physical power and a massive energy pool, his lack of experience and skill were fatal weaknesses. Against a weaker opponent, that was not a problem as his sheer speed and strength could overwhelm them, but against someone like Vlad, it was a death sentence.
"You’re no god!" Vlad growled, his voice filled with disdain and fury, the rage of his heart burning brighter every second. "I will make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!"
Goddess Lucia screamed in rage, his grotesque face contorting as he summoned more divine energy, desperately trying to push Vlad back. "I am eternal! I am invincible! I am—"
But his words were cut short as Vlad’s sword crashed through his defenses, the blazing edge slicing deep into the false deity’s golden skin. A howl of pain and disbelief escaped Goddess Lucia’s lips as molten gold sprayed into the air.