Chapter 244: Shiva's Form of Destruction!
The abnormal heartbeat raced at a frequency so terrifying it sent chills down one's spine.
A normal person—no, even a god—could not withstand such a frantic heartbeat; their heart would undoubtedly explode.
Moreover, the clarity with which the beats resonated demonstrated the astonishing force driving each pulsation.
Once the heart starts beating faster, it means the blood flow will also accelerate.
At such a terrifyingly rapid heart rate, it's unimaginable how fast the blood must be flowing.
If it were anyone else—no, any other god—their blood vessels probably couldn't withstand such speed and would instantly rupture.
As for Shiva, whose body already looked bloody and battered from the earlier explosion, the situation would be even worse, right?
"Is... is that really a heart beating?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"That clearly visible thing he's gripping in his hand—isn't that a heart?"
Many found it hard to believe, but the evidence seemed undeniable.
The heart Shiva clutched appeared as if it were about to be torn out, bulging grotesquely against his skin.
Thus, they could see the heart-like bulge pulsating at a horrifying speed.
With each beat, blood surged through his vessels at such velocity that a mist of blood instantly erupted from his body's surface.
The sight caused many to scream in terror, as it looked as though a person had suddenly burst apart.
However, the blood mist evaporated in the blink of an eye, allowing everyone to see Shiva's body once more.
His entire form was crimson, glowing like red-hot iron.
"Sister, wh-what is he doing?"
Göll asked her elder sister with a horrified expression.
Shiva's current self-mutilating behavior was deeply unsettling, reminiscent of Zeus's own terrifying self-harm in the previous match.
Could it be that Shiva was also about to undergo some transformation?
"I wish I knew," Brunhilde muttered, biting her thumb.
Though she understood that a god of Shiva's caliber must possess some secret technique, she had never heard of this one.
A glance at the other chief gods revealed that most seemed equally clueless.
"Lord Adamas, do you know?"
From the Greek spectator stands, the war god Ares inquired of the ill-tempered deity.
Though Adamas appeared irritable, he was far more approachable than Poseidon.
"I don't know. I've never seen this before,"
Adamas shook his head in response.
"Hmm, I believe I once heard Lord Shiva mention something about this,"
Hermes interjected.
"What? Hermes, you've heard of it? Why haven't I?"
"Because you're a pig!"
"What?"
"What? Did I say something?"
"You called me—"
Before Ares could finish, he was cut off.
"As I was saying, I once heard Lord Shiva mention that to counter Lord Zeus's Adamas form, he too possessed a secret technique. This must be it."
The aura emanating from Shiva was undergoing an abnormal, violent surge.
It's happening!!!
"Guaaaaaaah!"
With Shiva's roar, flames erupted from his body, forming a massive pillar of fire.
No, it was more accurate to describe it as a fiery giant.
Within this blazing colossus, a swaying shadow was visible—Shiva's true form.
Witnessing this spectacle, gods and humans alike felt their hair stand on end, as fear began to consume them.
"Another monster!"
Someone whispered.
It had to be a god, for the whisper originated from the divine spectators.
To be called a monster even by the gods speaks volumes about its terror.
This was the second time such a feeling had been experienced; the first was during the previous match against Zeus.
As the fiery giant-like phantom shrank, Shiva enveloped in flames became visible, his body glowing red like heated iron.
The terrifying aura emanating from him caused some of the gods, unable to withstand it, to become dazed, as if witnessing a rampaging deity destroying everything in its path.
Everything was being annihilated, and they even saw rivers of blood, filled with countless shattered corpses—whether human or divine, it was impossible to tell.
Finally, after the entire world was destroyed, they snapped back to reality with a jolt, swallowing hard as they gazed at the embodiment of destruction—the God of Destruction, Shiva.
Please don't let him truly go berserk!
"You two, snap out of it!"
"Eek!"
"Whoa!"
Suddenly tugged, Irina and Le Fay let out small cries of surprise, their bodies trembling violently.
They quickly regained their senses and realized it was Rossweisse who had pulled them.
The two had been trapped in illusions induced by the chilling aura, witnessing a world of despair and ruin.
"Is this... really a god?" Irina murmured, trembling.
"If this is a god, it's more like a god of destruction," Le Fay muttered, still somewhat dazed.
"Shiva has always been known as the God of Destruction," Rossweisse explained with a bitter smile, seeing how terrified the two were by the overwhelming presence.
So, how would the King of Heroes, a mere human, confront such a God of Destruction now?
Just as in the previous match between Zeus and Arthur, perhaps he, like Arthur, had some hidden card up his sleeve.
Was his trump card the twin swords he had now combined to form a bow?
In the next instant, an arrow was shot, but Shiva effortlessly deflected it into the sky, where it vanished not far above.
"Is that all the power you can muster now? Then brace yourself—I won't hold back!" Shiva grinned, his figure disappearing in an instant.
"Boom—!"
A strike that should have easily pierced through the opponent's heart was blocked, thwarted by layers of abnormal chains used as armor.
Even such a powerful blow failed to break the chains—how intriguing.
Although his fist didn't make direct contact, part of the impact still transmitted through, causing the wound originally inflicted by the trident on the chest to tear wider and likely breaking several ribs.
"Let's see how many more you can take!!!"
Punches, elbow strikes, chops, kicks, and stomps—seemingly ordinary attacks without any particular technique, yet each blow delivered immense impact to the opponent's body.
Not only that, the terrifying high temperatures he radiated were literally roasting the opponent's body—not an exaggeration, but a reality.
If this were an ordinary human, their body would have vaporized from the heat long ago.
So, what was he waiting for?
Hmm?
Sensing something, Shiva looked up at the sky, slightly taken aback.