Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan stood there quietly, eyes fixed on her, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. That katana had just clashed with his Star Map tablet—and didn't shatter?

That was weird.

The Star Map had always been indestructible. Nothing had ever survived a direct hit from it.

"Huh... must be something special," he muttered to himself.

But before he could dwell on it, the ground beneath him trembled again. Wind howled, sand whipped through the air, and the oppressive force of the Absolute Domain surged back into the battlefield.

Sable wasn't about to let Bloodrose face Ethan alone.

Especially since Bloodrose's powers drained her blood like crazy—she had to conserve her strength.

With a flick of her wrist, the swirling sand around her surged and twisted, gathering into the shape of a massive serpent.

The thing was monstrous—nearly 300 feet long, thick as a freight train, and roaring with a shrill, ear-splitting screech as it barreled forward.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. The sand-formed serpent cut across the sky like a living storm, its presence overwhelming.

Whoosh!

He darted sideways, vanishing in a blur, reappearing a good distance away like he'd just teleported.

"Trying to run? Not that easy!" Sable shouted, his voice sharp with intent. He wasn't going to let him off the hook. With another wave of his hand, the sand serpent twisted mid-air and changed direction, now locked onto Ethan like a heat-seeking missile.

The Domain of Sand was no joke.

Ethan hadn't expected it to have tracking capabilities. His eyes scanned the battlefield—and there, not far off, he spotted a cluster of Black Hand Legion soldiers. A lot of them.

Mia was right in the thick of it, fighting like hell.

"I got you," Ethan muttered, then took off like a bullet in her direction, dodging the serpent as it chased him.

The Black Hand Legion had been struggling, already terrified by Mia's relentless assault. She'd been cutting through them like a scythe through wheat, and they were starting to panic, throwing themselves at her in a desperate attempt to wear her down.

But then they heard it.

A deafening roar.

They turned—and saw it.

A sand serpent the size of a skyscraper, tearing across the battlefield straight toward them.

"What the hell?!"

"Is that... is that real?!"

"Run! Run, goddammit!"

"—"

Panic exploded through their ranks. They scattered like ants, but it was useless.

Compared to the serpent, they were nothing. It was powered by the Absolute Domain—on a whole different level.

Ethan had led the beast right into their midst.

The serpent crashed into them like a tidal wave. They didn't stand a chance. Some were swallowed whole, others shredded by sand particles sharp enough to pierce bone. Just a single grain could rip through flesh like a bullet.

The battlefield turned into a slaughterhouse. Screams filled the air. Bodies flew. Blood soaked the sand.

In one devastating strike, Sable's attack wiped out over a thousand Black Hand Legion soldiers.

"Damn, that's some serious power," Ethan thought, watching the carnage unfold. "No wonder Big Ears said she took out five thousand zombies in one go. That Domain's no joke…"

Just then, Mia walked up beside him, her Tachi still in hand. Her face was streaked with blood, like she'd just crawled out of a pile of corpses. Her cold, sharp eyes held a flicker of something else—resentment, maybe.

Ethan had a pretty good idea what she was about to say, so he beat her to it.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to go after the Black Hand Legion's boss. You can't pin this one on me."

"..." Mia's expression darkened. She stared at him, deadpan, clearly unimpressed by his attempt to dodge responsibility.

"I came to take out the Black Hand Legion. I didn't pick a fight with Genesis Biotech. So yeah, Ethan, this one's on you."

"...Fine," Ethan said with a shrug, palms up in surrender.

To be fair, most of the real firepower they were up against did come from Genesis Biotech.

Before they could say more, a sharp gust of wind sliced through the air. A high-pitched whistle followed—Bloodrose was back, katana in hand, launching another surprise attack.

She wasn't about to give Ethan a breather.

But Mia didn't even flinch. Without turning her head, she swung her blade behind her in a smooth, practiced arc.

Clang!

The two blades collided with a screech of metal.

Mia's Tachi shuddered violently in her grip, a visible chip breaking off the edge.

"Huh?" Her eyes narrowed, blood-smeared face turning toward her attacker.

Bloodrose had been stopped mid-strike. She dropped to one hand, steadying herself, then looked up.

Their eyes met.

Two women. Two warriors.

And in that instant, they both frowned—at the exact same time.

"A human... hanging out with the Zombie King? What, you into necrophilia or something?" Bloodrose sneered as she lunged in, her voice dripping with mockery.

Mia's brow furrowed even deeper, a flash of fury igniting in her eyes. "Oh, I'm into corpses now, alright—especially yours."

Her voice was ice-cold, laced with killing intent. The moment the words left her lips, she vanished in a blur, her Tachi slicing through the air straight at Bloodrose.

Bloodrose's heart skipped a beat—she hadn't expected that level of aggression. She didn't dare take it lightly.

With a sharp motion, she raised her katana to block.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two clashed in a flurry of steel, their movements so fast they left afterimages in the air. Sparks flew with every strike, the sound of metal on metal ringing out like a storm of blades. It was impossible to follow with the naked eye.

They were evenly matched—blow for blow, neither giving an inch.

Meanwhile, the Awakener units from Genesis Biotech had caught up and were closing in fast.

"Why the hell are those two fighting?"

"No idea!"

"What about the Zombie King from L.A.?"

"Doesn't matter—they're all enemies. Light 'em up!"

"—"

The Genesis Biotech Awakeners opened fire, unloading round after round from their Crystal Core Firearms, trying to wear them down with suppressive fire.

At the same time, the Domain of Sand thickened in the air. Sable, flanked by three Cyborg operatives, was closing in on Ethan.

Ethan glanced up toward the horizon. The sky was darkening fast—thick black clouds rolling in, lightning flashing deep within. A storm was coming.

He wasn't about to get pinned down. With a quick pivot, he darted away again, weaving toward the remnants of the Black Hand Legion.

But back on the battlefield, Mia and Bloodrose were going at it like hell had broken loose.

Their strikes grew faster, more vicious—each one aimed to kill. The clash of blades was relentless, a metallic symphony of death.

Crack!

Suddenly, a sharp, splintering sound cut through the chaos.

Mia's Tachi flickered—its electric glow sputtering out. Fine cracks spiderwebbed across the blade, spreading rapidly until they covered the entire weapon.

Then—boom—it shattered.

Fragments of the blade exploded outward.

The Tachi, crafted in the shelter, was no match for Bloodrose's Stellar Fang katana.

Bloodrose's eyes lit up. With a flick of her wrist, she slashed through the flying shards, her blade gleaming with bloodlust as she aimed straight for Mia's head.

Mia barely had time to react. She threw up her arm, shielding her head.

Shhk!

The Stellar Fang sliced through flesh like paper, embedding itself deep into the bone.

Pain exploded through Mia's body, white-hot and blinding.

She gasped, eyes flicking to the digital readout on her wristband: 83%.

A surge of crimson energy erupted around her, blood aura swirling like a storm. Her power spiked—hard.

In the next instant, Mia clenched her fist and drove it forward, straight at Bloodrose's chest. Her slender arm carried the force of a wrecking ball, like a beast unleashed from its cage.

Bloodrose's eyes widened in shock. She tried to leap back—

"Bloodbind!"

A sharp voice rang out.

Bloodrose's body jerked mid-motion. Her blood aura trembled, her limbs freezing for a split second.

Brandon had stepped in.

He and the others had seen Mia take a brutal hit and knew she couldn't take much more. Ignoring their own safety, they rushed in to help.

Brandon wasn't the strongest, but his blood manipulation powers had a natural edge against someone like Bloodrose.

That one second of hesitation was all it took.

Mia's fist slammed into Bloodrose's chest.

CRACK!

The sound of breaking bone echoed across the battlefield.

Bloodrose's chest caved in under the impact. She flew backward like she'd been hit by a freight train, her body arcing through the air before crashing hard into the ground.

"Damn it!"

Covered in dust, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, Bloodrose struggled to her feet. She looked a mess—battered, bruised, and pissed.

What the hell was that power?

She didn't blame Mia, though. Her eyes locked onto Brandon and the others, burning with fury.

Meanwhile, the team was celebrating.

"Brandon! Man, you're the MVP!" Chris grinned, practically bouncing with excitement. "Knew I could count on my old partner!"

Griffin chimed in from the side, fist-pumping the air.

"Yesss, Brandon, you absolute king! You crushed it!"

...