Apocalypse: King of Zombies - Chapter 446

Chapter 446: This is far from over
Nightbane’s already pale face looked even more drained—conjuring massive illusions back-to-back was taking a serious toll on him.

Meanwhile, Ethan stood across from him, still full of energy, like he hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“Does this guy ever get tired?” Nightbane muttered under his breath.

Ethan’s terrifying Domain of the Dead wasn’t fading in the slightest. If anything, it was growing stronger, surging with overwhelming force like a tidal wave of death.

In contrast, Nightbane’s Phantom Domain was starting to shrink. His psychic attacks, once sharp and relentless, were losing their edge.

Truth be told, this was the most energy Ethan had burned in a single fight—he was already down to 40%, nearly half his reserves.

“Shit… this is getting out of hand,” Ethan thought, a flicker of unease creeping in. He didn’t feel safe at all.

Then, in the blink of an eye, his Domain of the Dead exploded outward, reaching its limit and then pushing past it. It surged like a blood-red tsunami, blotting out the sky as it crashed forward.

Nightbane’s already weakened Phantom Domain didn’t stand a chance. It was crushed instantly, the air filled with a deafening roar as it shattered and dissolved into nothing.

“What the hell? It got even stronger?” Nightbane stared, dumbfounded.

What the hell was going on?

It was like the universe had a sick sense of humor—whatever he feared most, it threw right in his face.

Both of them were classified as Zombie Kings, but Ethan’s power was clearly on another level. He couldn’t one-shot Nightbane, but he didn’t need to—he was more than strong enough to win.

Ethan surged forward, gripping the Star Map slab in one hand, his body a blur of motion. The power of the Domain of the Dead wrapped around him like a storm, radiating pressure so intense it felt like a natural disaster bearing down.

“He’s coming…”

Nightbane’s eyes widened in panic. He quickly focused his psychic energy, summoning over a dozen ghostly figures in front of him.

These towering phantoms, pitch-black and over a hundred feet tall, rose from the ground like monstrous giants. They let out guttural howls and lunged at Ethan, swinging massive spectral claws.

But Ethan was already in the air, weaving through the onslaught with impossible precision. When he couldn’t dodge, he swung the Star Map slab, smashing the ghostly claws into bursts of starlight.

He tore through the Phantom Domain like it was paper.

“Shit!”

Nightbane’s brow furrowed, his heart sinking. Those towering phantoms had drained even more of his strength. Between that and everything else he’d burned through, he was down to just 20% of his energy.

“I need to fall back…”

He made the call—better to retreat now and conserve what little strength he had left. If he ran out completely, he’d be helpless.

Hellhound, Daisy, and the other Zombie Kings, all battered and bloodied, began pulling back too, dragging their wounded underlings with them. Their retreat was starting to look like a full-blown rout.

The tide was turning fast.

Meanwhile, the zombie horde from Los Angeles kept pouring in, relentless and savage, crashing forward like a wave of death.

Nightbane turned to retreat—but then the ground behind him erupted with a thunderous boom. The earth caved in, and a crushing force surged toward him, swallowing him whole.

“Got you,” came a cold voice from behind.

Nightbane whipped around just in time to see Ethan burst through the shattered phantoms, leaping high into the air. He gripped the Star Map slab in both hands, bringing it down like a meteor from the heavens.

“So strong…”

Nightbane’s heart clenched in fear. It felt like a star was falling straight at him.

With no time to hold back, he unleashed a surge of psychic energy, forming a barrier in front of him.

An SS-class psychic shield—thick, solid, like a wall of steel.

BOOM!

The impact was deafening. The shockwave blasted outward, shattering rocks and collapsing the ground in every direction.

The sheer force of the clash could’ve obliterated even an S-class fighter.

Ethan’s Star Map slab was insanely tough—so far, nothing had survived a direct hit.

Nightbane’s psychic shield cracked instantly, like a watermelon under a sledgehammer. It exploded into fragments, scattering in all directions.

The shockwave slammed into Nightbane, sending him flying over a hundred feet before he crashed to the ground. He barely managed to brace himself with one hand, skidding to a stop.

He looked up, dazed.

Ethan stood tall in the distance, his white shirt still spotless—like he hadn’t even been in a fight.

“This guy…” Nightbane was starting to wonder if Ethan had even been fighting seriously this whole time.

But across from him, Ethan’s cold expression had shifted ever so slightly—his eyes now carried a flicker of tension, as if he’d just realized something wasn’t quite right.

“This is bad…”

“Huh??” Nightbane blinked, confused.

Before he could process it, Ethan vanished in a blur—then reappeared right in front of him, swinging the Star Map slab down again with brutal force.

Nightbane’s psychic energy was almost completely drained—barely a tenth of it remained.

He couldn’t mount any real defense.

And with Ethan’s speed, especially under the crushing pressure of the Domain of the Dead, there was no way he could outrun him either.

All he could do was cross his arms in front of him and brace for impact.

Ethan came in like a storm—fast, precise, and merciless. The slab came crashing down with a thunderous crack.

Blood sprayed. Chunks of flesh flew.

Nightbane’s arms were obliterated, crushed into pulp. His body was flung backward like a ragdoll, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.

“Boss is about to win!”

“Damn right! That’s our boss—he’s a beast!”

“Is it over? Is the fight finally over?”

“My path to becoming a warlord is unstoppable!”

“Kill!”

“Let’s gooo!”

Bulldozer, Big Ears, and the rest of Ethan’s crew erupted in cheers, their morale skyrocketing. Victory was within reach, and the adrenaline was hitting hard.

Meanwhile, the zombie horde from San Diego had clearly lost the will to fight. They kept falling back, retreating deeper and deeper.

In the chaos, something slipped from Nightbane’s ruined hands—a glowing Radiant Crystal, the one Kong had recovered earlier. Now, with his arms destroyed, he couldn’t hold onto it.

The crystal floated upward, glowing with a soft, radiant light.

But before it could fall, a slender hand reached out and caught it mid-air with perfect precision.

Ethan grabbed the Radiant Crystal, his eyes scanning it. It should’ve been a moment of triumph—but his brow furrowed slightly, like something didn’t sit right.

“I’ll admit it… you’re strong.”

The voice came from behind.

Nightbane’s mangled body sat up from the dirt, covered in dust and blood, looking like hell—but his face was calm, eerily calm. No panic. No fear.

“Oh?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, a sharp glint in his eyes. Something was off.

Nightbane gave a faint, crooked smile. “But strength alone doesn’t guarantee victory. The real show… is just getting started.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his body began to fade—right in front of Ethan’s eyes. His form dimmed, then dissolved into shimmering starlight, drifting into the night like dust on the wind.

It was the exact same way Ethan’s earlier illusions had vanished when he shattered them.

And just like that, the Radiant Crystal in Ethan’s hand flickered—and disappeared along with him.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

“Fake…”

He clenched his jaw.

Nightbane had pulled a fast one. The moment he realized he was about to lose, he’d used one last illusion—an incredibly lifelike decoy—to stall Ethan.

The real Nightbane? Gone. No trace.

SS-class Zombie Kings… yeah, they weren’t that easy to kill.

Ethan looked up, scanning the battlefield. The remnants of the San Diego corpse nest were still huddled together, some already retreating back into the city.

And just like that, Ethan pieced it together.

Nightbane wasn’t just running—he was regrouping. Planning something.

“Yeah… this is far from over,” Ethan muttered.

This wasn’t victory.

This was just the beginning.

…