Apocalypse: King of Zombies-Chapter 647: You really are Daddy’s little girl…

Ethan’s strike hit like a goddamn meteor—raw, terrifying power.

Everyone stared at the sky, where the clouds had been split clean down the middle.

"Holy shit, Ethan’s a monster!"

"Was that his real strength?"

"I’m not so sure..."

"..."

Chris and the others were wide-eyed, stunned. Their hearts were still racing. They’d thought Ethan was about to lose—but instead, he’d turned the tables with a devastating blow.

"We’ve known him for so long, but I don’t think any of us have ever seen Ethan go all out," Brandon said, still trying to process what just happened. "Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s still hiding something."

The others nodded in agreement. Knowing Ethan, yeah, that sounded exactly like something he’d do.

Down in the massive crater, a broken figure lay sprawled among the shattered rocks. Blood soaked his body, bones shattered like glass—he looked more like a pile of meat than a man.

The Crimson Count struggled to rise, his bones cracking and popping as they slowly knit themselves back together. He was still regenerating, but nowhere near as fast as before.

Everyone watching couldn’t help but be impressed. The guy’s body was built like a tank.

Even LORN, standing off to the side, had to admit it—this bastard could take a beating.

But the Count was running on fumes. His blood energy was nearly gone, his reserves all but drained.

He looked up at Ethan, who stood at the edge of the crater, and for the first time in what felt like forever... he felt fear.

"It’s been so long... since I felt this," he muttered to himself.

Ever since becoming one of the Vampire Race, The Crimson Count had forgotten what fear even was. He’d never met a real challenge—just crushed everything in his path like it was nothing.

But today, he was the one on the ground.

"If that human girl hadn’t slashed me earlier, this might’ve gone differently," he thought bitterly.

He couldn’t help but feel a little pissed. He’d gone into this fight already half-dead, and now he was paying the price.

But Ethan wasn’t about to give him time to recover. With a burst of speed, he launched himself into the air, five fingers outstretched, aiming straight for the Count’s skull.

He was moving fast—faster than before. Blood energy swirled around him like a storm. The power behind him was just as terrifying as that last strike.

The Crimson Count’s eyes went wide. A chill ran down his spine. Every hair on his body stood on end. His skin prickled like it was being stabbed with needles.

He couldn’t take another hit like that. He just couldn’t.

"Is this it...? Am I really gonna die here?"

Ethan was almost on him.

"Glacial Lock!"

A shout rang out from the distance. A wave of freezing energy surged forward, and in an instant, massive glaciers erupted from the ground, slamming into place around Ethan, trying to trap him in a prison of ice.

LORN had made his move.

He’d seen what Ethan could do, and he wasn’t about to let The Crimson Count die just yet—not when they still had a shot at taking Ethan down together.

The ice thickened rapidly, layer after layer, until it looked like a mountain of frozen death had swallowed Ethan whole.

"BOOM—!"

Ethan’s fist smashed into the ice. The sheer force of it obliterated everything. The glaciers shattered into a million shards, which then disintegrated into dust.

"Now! Hit him together!" LORN shouted.

But The Crimson Count hesitated. His eyes flickered with calculation.

He and LORN weren’t exactly friends. Hell, they’d been mortal enemies until about five minutes ago. And now that he was drained and barely standing, he knew exactly how this would play out: even if they managed to beat Ethan, LORN would turn on him the second it was over.

So the best move?

Run.

"Perfect timing..." The Crimson Count muttered under his breath, and without another word, he turned and bolted, flying away from the battlefield as fast as his battered body would allow.

"Wha—?!" LORN’s eyes bulged. He looked like he’d just swallowed a roach.

What the hell was this guy doing?!

Ethan burst free from the ice, shards swirling around him like a blizzard. Through the chaos, he spotted The Crimson Count making a break for it.

He couldn’t help but smirk.

Like father, like daughter...

The Count was sprinting full speed toward the edge of the cliff, ready to leap off the summit of Mount Elbert and disappear.

But just as he reached the edge, a figure stepped out from atop a massive boulder.

Tall. Handsome. And most striking of all—eyes glowing crimson.

"Eye Technique... activate."

The words were barely a whisper, but the moment they left his lips, his eyes lit up like twin blood moons. A beam of red light shot out, merging with the eerie glow of the moon above, and locked onto The Crimson Count.

The Count froze mid-step.

And then he fell—into a swirling abyss of illusion.

Inside the illusion, The Crimson Count saw a sleek aircraft hovering at the edge of the cliff. In the pilot’s seat—Sophia.

"Dad, I’m here to get you out of here."

"You really are Daddy’s little girl..." The Crimson Count beamed with pride, rushing toward the aircraft without hesitation.

But in the real world?

He suddenly spun around and sprinted straight toward Ethan, a look of pure joy lighting up his face.

"...What the hell??"

LORN was completely dumbfounded. Running away was one thing—but this?

Up on the boulder, the man with the crimson eyes stood tall. Of course, it was Logan.

"I’m in the Zombie King archives too, you know. Gotta do my part if we’re gonna take the top spot in the world."

Under normal circumstances, Logan’s eye technique wouldn’t have been enough to control The Crimson Count. But now? The Count was drained, desperate, and wide open—perfect prey.

He charged toward Ethan like a man possessed, eyes full of hope, like he was about to leap into a lover’s arms.

"It’s over," Ethan murmured.

As The Crimson Count closed in, Ethan clenched his fist and drove it forward, aiming straight for the Count’s face.

The power behind it was volcanic—pure, unstoppable force.

The Crimson Count felt it. That unmistakable sense of death closing in. His body screamed in agony, like needles stabbing into every nerve. And just before the blow landed—he snapped out of the illusion.

The aircraft vanished. Sophia was gone.

In her place—Ethan’s fist, rocketing toward him.

His eyes went wide with shock. He froze.

That iron fist grew larger and larger in his pupils, until it filled his entire vision.

"You’ve gotta be kidding me..."

BOOM!

The impact echoed like thunder.

The Crimson Count’s head exploded like a watermelon, spraying blood and brain matter in every direction.

From the jagged stump of his neck, blackened blood gushed out in thick spurts. His headless body swayed for a moment—then collapsed backward with a heavy thud.

The number one Zombie King in the archives—was dead.

Silence fell over the battlefield. Even the wind seemed to stop. Everyone—human and zombie alike—stood frozen, staring at the scene in disbelief.

The Crimson Count was gone.

And with him, the largest zombie faction on Earth had just crumbled into dust.

ROOOAAARRR—!

A deafening howl erupted from the horde of a million zombies. The sound shook the heavens, echoing across Mount Elbert like a tidal wave of rage and grief.

There was fury in that roar. But also... something else. A strange, wild exhilaration.

LORN stood rooted in place, jaw clenched so tight it looked like his teeth might crack. The tide had turned. Victory was slipping through his fingers.

And then—

"Let me show you what Phase Three looks like."

Ethan’s voice cut through the air like a blade of ice.

"What?" LORN’s eyes narrowed as he turned.

Ethan stood still, calm as ever. Above his head, something was falling—a crystal core, glowing blood-red, trailing a streak of eerie light through the night sky.

Even in the darkness, it shone like a cursed star.

Ethan raised his hand and caught it effortlessly, the core pulsing in his palm.

Then, without hesitation, he opened his mouth—and swallowed it whole.

...