A massive tide of zombies, like a raging ocean, surged toward the base of Mount Elbert, quickly surrounding the forces of the Vampire Race.
Two apex factionsâmillions strongâfinally collided in a brutal, all-out war.
"This is it... the final battle," Ethan murmured under his breath. But even as the words left his lips, his body shot forward like a bullet, heading straight for the Crimson Count.
The terrifying power of the Domain of the Dead pulsed around him, growing stronger with every step, shaking the very air.
The Crimson Countâs eyes widened, blood-red light flooding his pupils as he instantly shifted into combat mode. With a powerful leap, he launched himself forward to meet Ethan head-on.
The two Zombie Kings clashed mid-air, fists colliding with a thunderous boom.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave exploded outward, shattering rocks across the mountaintop and sending debris tumbling down the slopes. The sheer force of their impact rippled through the battlefield.
The battle between the two Zombie Kings had officially begun.
They moved at blinding speedâfar too fast for the human eye to follow. Explosions echoed through the sky as waves of raw energy tore through the air.
Zombies and humans alike scrambled to get out of the way, retreating as far as they could.
"Frostbound Expanse!"
LORNâs voice rang out as he prepared to join the fray. A chilling aura radiated from his body, freezing everything around him in an instant.
With a flick of his wrist, a razor-sharp icicle formed in his palm. He launched himself into the air, hurling the icy spear straight at Ethan.
LORNâs power was nearing the threshold of SSS-rankâeasily on par with the two Zombie Kings. He had every right to be in this fight.
Ethan felt the bone-deep chill and twisted his body just in time.
Whooshâ
The ice spear sliced past his cheek, missing by inches.
"Give me the slab!" LORN growled through clenched teeth.
"Fine, take it!" Ethan snapped back. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the Star Map slab. It flared with radiant light as he swung it like a meteor straight at LORN.
Space itself seemed to ripple as the slab hurtled forward like a falling star.
LORNâs eyes widened in alarm. He summoned a massive wall of iceâFrostwallâto shield himself.
BOOOOM!
The impact shattered the Frostwall into a thousand shards, sending icy debris flying in all directions. LORN was blasted nearly a thousand feet back, tumbling through the air.
"Damn it!" he snarled, his face twisted with fury.
But Ethan had no time to catch his breath. A sharp sonic boom rang in his earsâThe Crimson Count was already on him, claws slicing through the air, aiming straight for his face.
Ethanâs mind raced. In a flash, he conjured a psychic illusion, leaving a phantom behind as his real body vanished backward.
The Crimson Countâs claws tore through the illusion, and for a split second, he thought heâd landed a hit. But then the figure flickered and dissolved into stardust.
"Shit!"
Realization hit him too lateâheâd been tricked.
Before he could react, Ethan reappeared at his flank, swinging the glowing slab straight at his face.
The Crimson Count barely had time to raise his arm in defense.
CRACK!
The slab slammed into him with a sickening crunch. Black blood sprayed through the air as he was sent flying, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle, bone shards poking through torn flesh.
But with a violent shake, his body began to heal. His monstrous regeneration kicked in, and within seconds, the damage was gone.
The three powerhouses clashed in a chaotic melee, their battle shaking the very fabric of space. Energy surged wildly in every direction, turning the mountaintop into a scene of utter devastation.
"Theyâre insane..."
"Do you think Ethan can really take on both of them at once?"
"He wonât end up like Mia and Robert... right?"
"No way. Heâs different. Heâll make it."
"..."
Chris, Leah, and the others had retreated far from the battlefield, watching with bated breath.
This fightâthis momentâwas going to reshape the entire world.
On the other side of the battlefield, Sophia and the other adopted sons and daughters of the Crimson Count were closely watching the chaos unfold.
"Dadâs finally stepped in himself. This time, he
has
to beat the American Zombie King, right?" Sophia said, eyes locked on the distant clash.
But even as she spoke, memories began to surfaceâmoments sheâd tried to bury.
From her days at Genesis Biotech, to her time with the Black Hand Legion, and finally her transformation into a member of the Vampire Raceâthrough it all, there had always been
him
. That man in white. Always standing in her way. Always looming like a mountain she could never climb. Heâd become her nightmare.
Everything sheâd done, every choice sheâd made, had been to win
this
fight.
"If only that human girl hadnât landed that hit earlier... Dad wouldnât have burned so much energy. He couldâve crushed the American Zombie King by now," Dexter muttered, analyzing the situation.
"Hah! Father is invincible. Even like this, he wonât lose!" Ravena snapped, her voice hoarse, her body still bearing the wounds of earlier battlesâbut her faith in the Crimson Count was unshaken.
But then her gaze drifted toward a nearby patch of battlefieldâand her expression darkened.
Fungal spores floated lazily through the air, mixing with drifting pollen. Bright, delicate flowers bloomed in the blood-soaked soil, their petals eerily vibrant against the carnage.
Ravenaâs brow furrowed. The scene triggered somethingâan echo of pain, of rage.
Genesis Biotech. The lab. The ambush.
Them.
Her jaw clenched. The grudge from yesterday still burned in her throat like acid.
"Iâm going to kill them," she growled, eyes flashing with murderous intent.
Sophia glanced over. "Those are the two mutant plant-type fusion Zombie Kings. Theyâre good at area attacks, but not so great in one-on-one fights. You can take them, Ravena."
"Got it."
Without another word, Ravena launched herself into the fray, weaving through the chaos as she hunted for the real bodies of Lilâ Shroom and Daisy 2.0.
But just as she closed inâ
A wave of pitch-black mist surged across the battlefield, swallowing the area in seconds.
Ravena was caught in the middle. Her vision blurred. Everything around her turned to shadow.
Thenâmovement.
A flicker in the fog. A ghostly silhouette darted toward her, silent and fast.
Before she could react, a gleaming alloy claw sliced through the air.
Shhhkâ
The blade swept clean across her neck.
Her head vanished in an instant, severed cleanly. Her body stood frozen for a heartbeat, then collapsed in a heap.
The black mist swirled once more, then drifted away like smoke on the wind.
All that remained was Ravenaâs headless corpse, sprawled in the dirt.
"Wha...?"
Sophia and Dexter stood frozen, stunned.
What the hell just happened?
But Dexter, sharper than most, quickly picked up on the killing intent still lingering in the air. Something was coming.
He turnedâand saw her.
A slender figure stepped out of the mist, soaked in blood. One arm was a gleaming alloy weapon, and dangling from her clawed hand was Ravenaâs severed head, its face still twisted in shock.
"..."
Dexterâs eyes narrowed. No doubt about itâthis was the one who killed Ravena.
Sophiaâs voice trembled slightly. "Thatâs Laura. From the Los Angeles corpse nest. I remember herâS+ rank. Dexter, sheâs not as strong as you. Take her out. Now!"
"..."
Meanwhile, the American Zombie Horde was tearing through the Crimson Countâs forces, pushing them back hard and fast.
Especially the PhDâs mechanical zombie army.
They dominated the skies, swarming LORNâs aircraft and blasting them out of the air one by one. Fireballs streaked across the sky as wreckage rained down, crashing into the ground with deafening booms.
"What the hell are those things?" LORN muttered, glancing back.
His own cyborgs were already few in numberâand against these mechanical zombies, their steel bodies offered no advantage at all.
His sharp eyes scanned the enemy units, focusing on their construction.
"Wait a second..."
"Why do those parts look so damn familiar?"
...