Chapter 170
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Rome, the Giant Slayer - 2
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In Shelter 3, located in the heart of Rome, exactly 13,211 civilians had taken refuge.
*Thud— Thud—*
They couldn't sleep a wink, tormented by the colossal footsteps echoing from above.
Knowing that the noise was the hungry pacing of predators intent on devouring them, it was impossible to shake off the anxiety...
"...W-We're all going to die."
More than a few people seemed to agree with this all-too-common lament, and soon, sobs erupted from all corners.
It had already been forty-four hours since they'd been trapped here... News of a rescue team was nowhere to be heard; instead, only grim reports flooded in.
"...I heard Shelter 6, right next to us, was hit too."
The man seemed to be muttering to himself while staring into space, but the eyes of the surrounding refugees immediately fixed on him.
"Gasp! I-Is that true?"
Shelter 6 was only four to five kilometers away from their own Shelter 3. It was no surprise that the refugees' faces grew even darker upon hearing the news.
"Yes, I overheard some guards talking in the upstairs bathroom earlier. They said everyone... died."
That horrific statement was, if anything, a softened version of the truth. He'd used the word "died" instead of "eaten."
"Ha... So even the shelters aren't safe. W-What are we supposed to do now?"
"Dammit, wouldn't it be better to go outside and scatter? If we stay here, we're just serving ourselves up on a platter for those bastards."
"Hey, that's just crazy talk, so don't even say it. If someone gets any ideas from hearing that and tries something stupid, we'll all die."
"...I know. I just said it because this situation is so frustrating. Dammit, we can't just sit here and wait when we have no idea when we'll be rescued, can we?"
As despair deepened among the civilians, the shelter's control room was busier than ever.
"Goddammit—are you even listening to yourself?"
The large man shouting at the top of his lungs in the center of it all was the manager of Shelter 3.
"Do you have any idea how many civilians are in here? What, just wait quietly? Do you think you'd be spouting that nonsense if you were here right now? Huh?"
He raged, but the voice coming from the other end of the mana messenger remained cold.
*—Ksssh— Getting angry won't change anything. As I said before, minimize noise and wait. That's the only answer we can give you.*
The response from the higher-ups was utterly despairing, and it had been the same one since yesterday.
We cannot dispatch a rescue team yet.
We can't even give you a date.
"Dammit, the government is planning to let its people die..."
*—Ksssh— Shelter Manager, please calm down. You know better than anyone. There's nothing we can do at this point.*
"B-But still, here we have..."
*—Yes, we're well aware that millions are trapped in our country alone.*
"..."
*—Ksssh— But recklessly sending troops into an area crawling with Level 110 Titans would just be sending our valuable soldiers to their deaths. You don't want that, do you? Your shelter isn't the only one in crisis. Ksssh— All of Europe is in the same situation.*
The shelter manager felt an even greater sense of despair, clutching his forehead, because he knew every word was true.
*'…Right. Who could possibly manage to not only push back those terrifying giants but also guide over ten thousand civilians to a safe zone?'*
It might only be possible if you gathered all the heroes in the world.
And with dozens of such shelters in Rome alone... the shelter manager knew a rescue operation was practically impossible.
*'But still, to do nothing at all...'*
*—Shelter Manager, I'll say it again. The Titan Hoplites that have appeared are Level 110. It would take ten percent of our national defense force just to take down a single one!*
"Hah..."
*—So... you'll have to hold out for quite a while. Ksssh— Conserve your stockpiled supplies as much as—*
But just then—
"—M-Manager!"
The urgent voice calling him belonged to the head of security for Shelter 3, the guard captain.
And whenever he raised his voice, it usually meant something bad had happened.
"...Captain, what is it?"
"You need to come to the control room right now!"
The control room, where various security systems were installed. The two men hurried there.
"Here, look at CCTV 8."
At his gesture, a guard operated a computer, and the feed from CCTV 8 filled the screen.
"Huh?"
The moment he saw the screen, the shelter manager felt his legs go weak.
"N-No, what is that..."
CCTV 8 was an outdoor camera filming the city near the entrance to Shelter 3.
Its purpose was to monitor the outside... and right now, it was showing four Titan Hoplites.
"Captain, what are those bastards doing?"
"...I'm not sure, but they're sitting in a circle, right above us."
Yes, they seemed to be sitting right on top of the shelter, having a conversation. But the way they occasionally gestured toward the ground was deeply unsettling.
*'Dammit, why are they here? Did they somehow detect our location? No way... the Silence Magic Generator should be active...'*
But then, he suddenly remembered the report that Shelter 6 had been discovered and destroyed by those things, despite not making any significant noise.
*'Does that mean noise isn't the only thing to worry about... Could they be sensing the flow of mana?'*
For Level 110 monsters, having such sensitive mana detection wouldn't be strange at all.
*'Dammit, I was too careless using the mana communication.'*
But it seemed too late for regrets.
On the screen, the Titan Hoplites, who had been sitting on the ground, finished their conversation and lumbered to their feet. They gripped their twenty-meter-long spears with the tips pointed downward, and—
*CRASH— CRASH— CRASH—*
began to slam them down with all their might.
"Gah—"
"Dammit!"
*CRASH— CRASH— CRASH—*
Like drills on heavy machinery, blows of destructive power rained down indiscriminately on the shelter's ceiling.
The resulting shockwaves penetrated deep into the shelter, and as the panicked murmurs of the refugees began to spread, the shelter manager felt a chill—a sense of terror—creep up his spine.
The worst-case scenario he had feared had arrived.
"—All units, prepare for battle!"
The guard captain shouted, drew his sword and shield, and ran up toward the top level, the 'Primary Defense Line.'
The scattered guards, twenty-nine in total, followed him.
They were, in effect, running to their deaths to fulfill their duty.
But the shelter manager thought it might be nothing more than meaningless resistance.
"It's... o-over."
Four colossal Level 110 monsters.
No matter how much they struggled, no matter how lucky they were, they could never stop them.
It was such an obvious fact that even the children taking refuge in this shelter probably understood.
But the shelter manager changed his mind.
*'But... even if we all die, we have to hold out for as long as possible.'*
Shelter 3 had an underground passage leading to the Rome subway, designed to be opened for escape the moment the shelter came under attack.
*'So, we have to hold them off until as many civilians as possible can escape. That's the last role I can play.'*
He ordered his second-in-command to lead the evacuation, then drew his wand and started climbing the stairs.
"...W-We will never back down!"
The Primary Defense Line, the section closest to the surface. The guards had gathered there, staring up at the ceiling where cracks were spreading.
But their average level was only around 28; they were like a carton of eggs in the path of a rolling boulder.
*CRRRRACK—*
Soon, the ceiling was torn completely away, and the early morning sunlight poured into the shelter like a waterfall.
"Ugh!"
The glare was only momentary... Four massive, helmeted heads, backlit by the sun, looked down at the guards, baring their yellow teeth.
Bits of what was clearly human flesh were stuck between those teeth, and the guards instinctively recoiled in fear, stumbling backward.
「Hehehe—So many living, squirming things all gathered in one place... What a windfall, eh?」
「Look at them, glaring at us with their little toothpick weapons. Isn't it adorable?」
「Friends, I'm eating that big one over there, so I'd appreciate it if no one else touches him.」
After exchanging such gruesome words, they reached out with their brutish hands as if competing with one another.
「Hehehe—Come here—」
Even as the giant hands closed in, no one dared to launch a counterattack. They were simply frozen stiff, like chicks cornered in a henhouse...
"Ah..."
"Hk—"
Because they were gripped by a desperate sense of powerlessness, intuitively knowing that even with all their might, they couldn't inflict any damage.
Perhaps it was the same principle as a small animal freezing in the face of a large predator, paralyzed by infrasound.
Just as everyone was about to meet their end as mere prey...
*THWACK—!*
A black object plummeted from the distant sky and slammed into the neck of one of the Titan Hoplites.
「Kuaaargh—」
The creature shrieked, spraying red blood, and reached up to pull out whatever was lodged in its neck.
*ZZZZZING—*
A shockwave erupted from the black object, causing the creature's body to swell up before thick, crimson blood began to gurgle out of every orifice in its face like lava.
In other words, it was an instant kill.
"W-What the!"
「Kgh, what was that!」
The shelter guards watching the scene were utterly dumbfounded. Someone had just attacked a Titan Hoplite.
In other words, they had been saved!
*'Is that even possible? Who could do that?'*
The shelter manager was just as bewildered.
Hadn't the higher-ups just said they couldn't dispatch a rescue team?
So who could not only attack those things... but kill one in a single blow?
*'Crazy, is that even plausible? I heard it would take ten percent of our country's military strength to kill just one, and it died in one hit...'*
As the shelter manager's mind reeled, a tremendous roar echoed from somewhere.
*BOOM— BOOM— BOOM— BOOM—*
A violent roar, as if the very earth were being overturned... Perhaps because they'd been tormented by the giants' footsteps for the past forty-eight hours, the pattern of the sound somehow felt like 'footsteps.'
*'What's this now? What's coming?'*
「Gasp— Look over there! W-What in the world is that!」
「Dammit, some kind of giant is running toward us!」
「E-Everyone, raise your shields and block!」
Even those giant bastards were terrified, calling it a "giant." It was clear something truly enormous was approaching.
*BOOM— BOOM— BOOM— BOOM—*
With each step, the already half-collapsed ceiling cracked further, showering down all sorts of stone fragments. The guards covered their heads with their shields and retreated.
"Ugh— Everyone, watch out for falling rocks!"
"Dammit, put up a magic barrier!"
In that moment, the shelter manager witnessed the sole of a massive being flash past beyond the collapsed ceiling.
It leaped into the air, completely eclipsing the sun as if in a solar eclipse, and then he saw it descend upon the three remaining Titan Hoplites, throwing a right-hand punch.
*CR—ACK—!*
A fist like a battering ram shot out and shattered a Titan Hoplite's jaw. The sight of the creature flying vertically into the air and crashing onto a building... was utterly surreal.
「Ugh—」
*Ruuuumble...*
A Roman building, holding hundreds of years of long history, collapsed like a cardboard box.
"What... what is happening right now?"
"M-Maybe the Titans are having a civil war?"
Yes, at a glance, it certainly looked that way.
*THUD—THUD—CRASH—CRASH—*
The giants, which had already disappeared from view, began making all sorts of noise, smashing the surrounding buildings.
A full-blown brawl was clearly underway. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, it seemed best to stay far away.
"W-Wait— Manager, it's dangerous!"
But the shelter manager, without realizing it, scrambled up through the collapsed ceiling and stood on the ruined pavement.
For some reason, an urge to witness this scene with his own two eyes surged within him.
*'…That black giant, I've seen it somewhere before! And for some reason, I'm sure it's on our side!'*
Once he was on the surface, he could finally see its full form.
*THUD! THUD!*
A metal giant, glinting with an ethereal dark-blue sheen in the early morning sun... It raised a blunt weapon made from the skull of some massive beast and brought it crashing down on a Titan Hoplite.
*KWAAANG—!*
The creature raised its shield to block, but it couldn't withstand the impact that traveled through the shield and was forced to one knee.
The shockwave from the collision not only shattered the windows of nearby buildings but was powerful enough to cause the bricks of their upper floors to crumble and fall.
It even lifted the shelter manager, standing about a hundred meters away, off his feet.
"Kgh—"
*KWAAANG—!*
The next blow buckled the creature's shield, and it fell to the ground.
Now completely defenseless, the third hammer strike smashed its skull like a watermelon.
With a wet *splat*, one side of a building was stained with red brains.
「Y-You monster—!」
Meanwhile, the last Titan Hoplite threw away its shield, gripped its twenty-meter spear with both hands, and thrust it with all its might toward the metal giant's side.
*T-THWANG—!*
But all it did was leave a slight scratch on the polished metal body.
「Ughhh— N-No way!」
In the end, the last remaining Titan Hoplite dropped its spear and began to back away.
Watching its terrified expression, the shelter manager felt a strange sense of elation. It was like the thrill of watching a bigger cousin beat up the big bully who used to torment him.
*'Huh— So they can make faces like that, too...'*
Then he turned his head and looked at the metal giant standing opposite... and this time, the shelter manager felt a sense of absurdity.
「You cute little thing, you wanna play rough with big bro? Alright, come here!」
Because a ridiculous emoticon had appeared on its face.
It promptly threw down the skull hammer it was holding, spread its arms wide, and charged at the last Titan Hoplite.
「Aaaah— G-Get away from me, you monster!」
Then, as if wrestling, it lifted the creature up, slammed it to the ground, and immediately put it in a headlock.
*CRUNCH—*
As the two giants grappled, straining with all their might, the very ground they stood on began to buckle.
But the power struggle didn't last more than a few seconds.
15 meters versus 26.5 meters—the difference in weight class was too great.
*Snap—*
With a gruesome sound, the strength drained from the creature's body. It seemed its cervical spine had been broken.
And just like that, the battle was over. Amidst the thick, hazy dust that filled the area, the dark-blue metal giant rose to its feet.
Meanwhile, four greatswords floated in the air on either side of it.
The shelter manager hadn't noticed, but while the metal giant fought, those four greatswords had been flying around like hornets, attacking the other Titan Hoplites.
*Vwoooooom—*
"Ah, right, now that I think about it..."
Watching the scene, the shelter manager finally remembered where he had seen that metal giant before.
Not long ago, the big event that had shaken the world: the raid on the Black Dragon, Azi Dahaka...
It was the very being that had delivered the final blow—the Moglay javelin—that ended Azi Dahaka's life.
*'And if that thing is here, that means...'*
He slowly raised his head, looking past the 26.5-meter-tall, dark-blue metal giant toward the sky. There, flying in the dawn light of the rising eastern sun, he spotted something.
"Ah, as I thought—"
It was the massive, cube-shaped aircraft, the 'War Box,' and the swarm of smaller 'AD-2s' scattered around it. Reflecting the light of the rising sun, they looked like a galaxy blooming in broad daylight.
Gazing up at the magnificent sight, the shelter manager murmured without realizing it.
"...He's here."
Soon, a rain of steel began to pour down on another group of Titan Hoplites in the distance.