Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 409: Vlad vs Divine Leviathan (I)

Chapter 409: Vlad vs Divine Leviathan (I)

It took everything the Special Unit Leviathan had to dodge Freya’s devastating blow. In the desperate maneuver to avoid her attack, the Leviathan left itself vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, Ned and a second Lord of Horror had lunged forward with lethal precision. Their massive swords gleamed as they sliced through the air, connecting squarely with the Leviathan’s chest.

"CLANG!"

The impact resonated like a bell tolling doom. Cracks spiderwebbed across the creature’s armored torso, and it was sent hurtling higher into the air. The Special Unit Leviathan’s multiple eyes narrowed with coldness and hatred as new wounds marred its already battered body. Its condition was truly dire. The energy beam that had erupted from Vlad’s eyes earlier had pulverized its right arm and shoulder, crippling one of its two unique plasma appendages.

Unfortunately for the Special Unit, its predicament was about to worsen. As it tumbled through the sky, disoriented and injured, the rest of the Lords of Horror accompanying Freya took aim. Standing firm on the battlefield below, they raised their armored arms in unison.

"Cañon!" they shouted, their voices merging into a single, thunderous command.

Fifteen spheres of golden fire erupted from their gauntlets, streaking through the air like meteors. Each sphere left a fiery trail in its wake, the collective assault illuminating the darkened sky.

The Special Unit Leviathan, sensing the impending doom, had no choice but to react instinctively. It transformed its remaining left arm into a hardened shield, the exoskeleton shifting and overlapping to form a defensive barrier. There was no time for anything else.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The golden spheres collided with the shield in rapid succession. Explosions rocked the sky, each one sending shockwaves that rattled the ground beneath. The creature plummeted toward the earth, crashing into the ground with a resounding impact that shook the surrounding area.

Freya’s eyes burned with unyielding determination as she watched the Leviathan fall. She was resolved to end this creature’s life, to eliminate the threat it posed once and for all.

"Advance!" she commanded, her voice slicing through the cacophony of battle.

The Lords of Horror moved forward without hesitation, their white armor gleaming despite the grime and blood of warfare.

Back in the inner ring, the bloodshed was monumental. The Turkin riders, fierce and unrelenting, had taken the left and right flanks.

At the center of the battlefield, Grand Marshal Anglius and Major General Theodoro led the Golden Wave Legion and Shadowstrike Legion directly into the heart of the swarm. They tackled the aerial units and insect-humanoid hybrids head-on. This time, there was no strategic retreat, no calculated fallback. They were keeping the pressure constant, burning their energy reserves without restraint. The idea of retreat didn’t even cross their minds; they were committed to seeing this battle through to the end.

"Hold the line!" Anglius bellowed, his golden armor shimmering with magical energy. His halberd swung in wide arcs, cutting down multiple enemies with each pass.

"Strike true!" Theodoro shouted, his blades a blur as he weaved through the enemy ranks, targeting vital points with deadly accuracy.

The danger was immense. Tens of Leviathan warriors and thousands of aerial units bore down upon them. The pressure on the Golden Wave Legion and Shadowstrike Legion was overwhelming, but they were not alone.

From the rear lines, powerful spells and attacks provided crucial support. Lightning-metallic tornadoes spiraled upward, tearing through aerial units with electric ferocity. Explosions of magma erupted from the ground, consuming clusters of Leviathans in molten fury. Barrages of enchanted arrows rained down, each bolt finding its mark with lethal precision. Sundering waves of shadow energy and crushing gravitational blows targeted the Leviathans’ most formidable units, disrupting their formations and halting any attempts at an organized offensive.

The Royal Guards displayed every ounce of their demonic souls, devil bloodlines, and Runic Sets. Their energy output was staggering. Exhaustion gnawed at them, but they pushed it aside.

Together, they carved a path deeper into the Leviathan swarm, slaughtering every insect-humanoid hybrid that dared to stand before them.

The battle on Kuro Mountain was nothing short of phenomenal. The landscape was a tableau of chaos and destruction. Blood and shattered exoskeletons rained down. Explosions rocked the terrain. Death permeated every inch of the battlefield.

Yet, amidst this grand display of warfare, all eyes were drawn to the heavens, where a battle of godly proportions unfolded more than a thousand meters above.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!"

A massive explosion thundered across the sky as Vlad’s halberd, wreathed in lightning and fire, collided with the golden palm of the Divine Leviathan. Both combatants were pushed back thousands of meters, but neither showed signs of relenting.

Sonic booms echoed as they lunged at each other once more, moving at supersonic speeds that left trails of energy in their wake. The Depravita of Wrath and the Divine Leviathan repeatedly clashed, their strikes so powerful that even those at the Peak of the Guardian Tier would find them unimaginable.

"CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!"

The sound of their confrontations echoed like the hammering of colossal anvils. Each collision sent shockwaves that could be felt on the battlefield below. The sky was alight with flashes of red and gold.

After nearly fifty exchanges, a sharp cracking sound pierced the air. Vlad’s eyes widened in disbelief as he felt his halberd give way. The Guardian Tier Treasure, a weapon of immense power, was shattering under the relentless assault.

But there was no time to lament the loss. The shattering of his weapon left him momentarily defenseless, and the Divine Leviathan seized the opportunity with merciless efficiency. It thrust its massive palm forward, golden energy swirling around it.

Before Vlad could react, the palm strike connected squarely with his chest.

"ARGH!"

The force of the blow was catastrophic. Pain erupted through Vlad’s body as he was propelled backward at an alarming speed. He hurtled through the sky, the world a blur around him, before crashing into the zenith of Kuro Mountain. The impact was cataclysmic, blasting away the top of the volcano.

A devious, twisted smile spread across the Divine Leviathan’s grotesque face. It believed victory was within its grasp. Without hesitation, it dove toward the devastated mountaintop, intent on delivering the final blow.

But just as it reached the volcano’s summit, a brilliant laser beam shot upward from the swirling dust and debris. The beam struck the Divine Leviathan square in the chest, searing through its corrupted flesh and halting its advance.

"AAAARRRGHH!"

The creature roared in pain as it was forced back into the sky, smoke billowing from the charred wound.

From the rubble below, Vlad emerged. The fiery light in his red irises had dimmed slightly, but the intensity of his gaze was undiminished. If anything, his killing intent had only grown stronger.