Chapter 269: Depravita vs God (III)
"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?