The clash of the three forces was still reverberating when the roar ripped through the clearing.
It wasn't just a sound. It was a blow. An impact so profound it shattered the air and shook the ground as if a monstrous heart had pulsed beneath the earth.
Everyone felt it.
Vergil was the first to react, his eyes widening in disbelief. The sound wasn't just heard, but felt in his bones, in his blood, in his soul. He slowly turned his face, recognizing the timbre of that force.
"No..." he growled, spitting on the ground. "It can't be that damned tigress..."
What met his eyes made him tighten his grip on his katana.
Amid the shattered trees, a colossal silhouette emerged. White and gold patterns gleamed amid the chaos, and its feline eyes burned with an ancient fury. The beast he had sworn to hunt was there, staring not at him, but at the three dueling entities.
The roar echoed again.
And this time, even Naberius—who laughed in the face of the apocalypse—gritted his teeth.
