Chapter 48: No Forest Stands After a Single Swing (4)
Chapter 48: No Forest Stands After a Single Swing (4)
At the front of the line, a Hero lost consciousness and collapsed.
Perhaps it was a mistake in the Tanking Rotation. Or perhaps the accumulated fatigue had finally caused them to snap.
Regardless, the Hero was a split second away from being crushed by a Giant Entity’s pincer.
Though the previous attack had been parried, the Hero now lay sprawled atop the barrier, senseless. Their arm was twisted at a grotesque angle, and their eyes rolled back as they slumped to their knees.
The pincer swung down toward the Hero’s head.
“Gigplant!”
The surrounding Heroes reached out toward the one whose name gave no hint as to what their actual skills might be. Someone lunged forward, intending to rescue them before the pincer fell, but they were already too late.
“Move.”
I shoved past them and stepped toward the descending claw.
Kwang!
I had swung blindly in my haste, but fortunately, the hit connected solidly.
The pincer collided with my hammer and was sent recoiling upward. As the Giant Entity’s posture broke, the other Heroes unleashed a barrage of attacks upon it.
“Next rotation, step up! Now!”
I hoisted the unconscious Hero onto my back and roared.
“Yes! Right here!”
A Hero clad as a knight, wielding a sword and shield, rushed toward me. Despite seeing a comrade fall, there was no trace of fear in his eyes.
“Can you hold?”
I had no desire to clean up the same spot twice.
“Leave it to me.”
The knight in white armor brought his sword and shield together in a peculiar stance. He seemed to be trying to emulate a knightly ideal, but to me, the gesture was incomprehensible.
Assuming it was a gesture of gratitude, I moved toward the area where the Heroes were gathered.
Kwang.
The sound of a pincer striking rang out behind me. Concerned, I glanced back to see the knight blocking the claw with his shield, his posture perfectly stable.
I wouldn't need to worry about him.
“Is he alive?”
“He’s still breathing, right?”
The Heroes swarmed around me, their faces etched with worry for the bulky Hero on my back. Were they a group of friends? Or was this a bond forged on the battlefield?
“He’s not dead, so call a medic or the transport unit and request reinforcements.”
I moved the injured Hero to a corner where he wouldn't be further harmed and continued barking orders.
“What are you doing? Keep attacking. Do you want that knight to end up like this guy?”
The youngsters had been hovering anxiously over their wounded comrade instead of fighting. My words seemed to snap them out of it, and they slowly turned their heads.
They looked toward the white knight, who was still steadily blocking the pincers with his shield.
Perhaps emboldened by the sight, one of them reported the situation over the radio while the others pressed against the barrier, lashing out at the crustaceans.
This spot was fine.
“Um, thank you so…”
The woman with the radio bowed her head, but I didn't stay to receive her thanks. I was already moving toward the next objective. There were many more places I needed to protect.
*
“The line is collapsing slower than I expected.”
“Isn't that thanks to Heavenly Sword?”
“I can't say it isn't.”
To think that a foolish choice would result in such a meaningful outcome.
Because he had severed their legs, The Enemy’s overall advance had slowed. Personally, I would have preferred if he’d used that power to shred the entire First Wave, but looking at the current front line, Heavenly Sword’s choice had been the right one.
The Giant Entities with severed legs eventually crawled to the barrier, but the height difference prevented them from attacking properly, turning them into nothing more than stationary targets. Those with intact legs seemed to have no interest in trampling their own kind, so they moved to other sections to swing their pincers.
As a result, the fatigue of the tanking Heroes was reduced, and the personnel were distributed more comfortably than the rotation planned in the briefing.
Though the appearance of the Giant Entities had initially plunged many Heroes into despair due to their sheer intimidation, the situation was actually more stable than during the first defensive line's struggle against the smaller ones.
With most of the small entities wiped out by the nukes, the giants—now lacking the shields they used to redirect damage—were little more than scarecrows with predictable attacks.
All they knew how to do was charge and swing their pincers.
Those pincers were powerful, yes, but within a range that a dedicated tank could withstand. All they had left was their unnaturally hard shells.
Since even lower-ranked Heroes could handle them as long as someone filled the tank role, the high-ranking Heroes, myself included, were free to roam the front. We intervened in sudden emergencies like the one just now or delivered the finishing blows to dying Giant Entities.
“It’s like a game.”
“A game?”
“A tank holds a boss with low attack power while the dealers wail on an enemy with massive health. What is this if not a game?”
The only difference was the rarity of healers who could provide support from a distance.
A boss with a massive health pool that just repeats basic attacks without any special patterns…
What a shitty game.
“You mean like when you used to stay holed up at home, cursing out your raid leader on the computer?”
“…”
What else was I supposed to do when there was no work? Once Linshua disappeared, I had nothing else to do.
Shaking off the brief memory of the past, I sprinted along the barrier, taking in the numerous battles unfolding across the field.
Mishika Misha was putting a giant crustacean into a driver.
Oxymoron was slicing through enemies with a saw.
Prohibition was diligently pummeling the crustaceans with a minigun, as if testing the weapon's durability.
Countless Heroes were ending the lives of the crustaceans and stabilizing the line.
If only things could keep going like this.
The Leader Entity had yet to show itself, and the number of Giant Entities was steadily dwindling. If we could just wipe them all out and then slam my S-Rank Technique into the boss…
Uuuuuuuung.
The sound of a foghorn.
“Right. Stories are always like this.”
‘If only things could keep going like this.’
‘Did we get him?’
‘Surely no more enemies will show up?’
I don't know how stories are constructed, but whatever is in charge must be obsessed with clichés. The moment the front line stabilizes, a variable is bound to occur.
Uuuuuuuuuuuung.
The Leader Entity appeared.
It emerged from beyond the gray sky, parting the fog.
Thump. Thump.
The Giant Entities were large, but the Leader Entity boasted a physique several times their size. When we fought at sea, I hadn't realized it because there was nothing to compare it to, but seeing it now, its scale was utterly ridiculous.
“When we fought Colossus, Dong-hun’s boss, we had a giant robot on our side. What is that thing?”
“…It’s a bit too big.”
Can I fire it now?
I asked Un-ho to connect me to Headquarters. Naturally, the connection went to the Librarian instead of Commander Macbeth. I opened my mouth.
“Will it end if I fire the technique now?”
—It is not yet enough. The number of Giant Entities is higher than expected; we need to reduce them further.
“By how many?”
—At least 200. 300 to account for variables.
That meant I had to hold out against that thing until then.
“Is there any way to stop it if it reaches the barrier?”
—There is none.
Of course.
A creature of that size would sweep away the barrier, the Heroes, and everything else with a single swing.
“I’ll go hold it back.”
—I will try to reduce their numbers as quickly as possible.
“Send the signal the moment we hit the target number.”
I cut the communication and moved my legs.
Past the Giant Entities, toward the Leader Entity standing far in the distance.
I released my limiters as I ran through the mud.
With every step, a massive crater was carved into the earth, and the friction of the air, once a nuisance, turned into shockwaves that leveled the surroundings.
Giant Entities blocked my path like living walls, but as I accelerated my charge, they couldn't withstand the shockwaves and were forced to give way.
Uuuuuuuung.
Along with the Leader Entity’s cry, I felt countless gazes upon me. As if recognizing me, the numerous eyes dotting the monster’s body all turned in my direction.
“Right. Leaders should play with leaders.”
This is my story, and you’re my opponent.
So.
“Let’s settle this, you damn gray lizard.”
In an instant, The Hammer grew in size.
Infused with the speed built up from the barrier and my mana.
I stepped forward with my right foot, then slammed my left leg into the ground with all my might.
Pung!
Unable to withstand the impact of my foot hitting the ground, the mud geysered into the sky. The earth collapsed, creating a massive crater.
Normally, I would have controlled my strength to prevent this.
But it didn't matter.
“Footing secured!”
Thanks to the magic Un-ho had woven, my left leg became a solid axis instead of sinking into the crater I’d made.
“It’s different from when we were at sea.”
A Magical Girl becomes truly whole because they have a Mascot. Not just for S-Rank techniques, but in every situation.
From a perfectly balanced stance, The Hammer swung.
The Hammer continued to grow until the very moment of impact.
Kuuuuuuung!
My hammer collided with the horn on the monster’s head.
That was its first defensive action.
No matter how much I’d attacked it before, the Leader Entity had ignored me and redirected the damage to its allies. Now, for the first time, it blocked my attack.
Did it mean it could no longer afford to take hits as its numbers dwindled? If so, it meant our strategy wasn't wrong.
I twisted my body, pouring every ounce of strength into The Hammer.
Neither the monster nor I had any intention of backing down. Even as the force of our clashing weapons neutralized each other, we continued to pump in more power. When the weapons briefly separated under the strain, they would collide again instantly, each strike stronger than the last.
A clash of blows where the representatives of each force put everything on the line.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The shockwaves from the two weapons colliding radiated outward incessantly.
My hammer grew even larger as it absorbed mana.
The monster’s horn turned a glowing red as Lava Tentacles coiled around it.
The first exchange, where both sides drew out their full power.
“The footing is going to break at this rate! Poyooooo!”
“You think I’m backing down because of that?”
This attack had already turned into a battle of pride. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, we were both determined to win this first exchange with everything we had.
As if to prove it, the monster didn't budge, continuing to pour strength into its horn.
Crrrk. Cra-crack.
The massive hammer, The Enemy’s horn, my footing.
Cracks began to spiderweb across everything.
But I only poured in more strength.
Shatter!
Uuuuuuuuuung!
The footing broke, and I plummeted into the crater.
At that same moment, I knew the outcome of the first exchange.
“I told you, you can't beat me with pure strength.”
As I fell, I saw The Enemy’s horn snap.
The glowing red horn shattered into pieces, dissolving into the gray world, and Lava Tentacles erupted from the stump where the horn had been.
As if in pain, the monster threw its head back toward the sky and continued its long, mournful cry.
“Un-ho.”
“Yes!”
As I righted my posture in mid-air, a platform appeared beneath my feet.
New platforms manifested wherever my feet touched. I sprinted through the air and swung a second blow at the monster.
Thump.
Though The Hammer lacked full power because I hadn't been able to set my stance properly, it still crushed the Lava Tentacles and slammed into The Enemy’s body.
Crack.
The sensation of The Enemy’s carapace shattering traveled up my arms. The gray shell splintered and, like the horn, began to assimilate into the world.
My eyes fixed on the gaping hole.
I had vaguely expected to see skin beneath the shell and looked to confirm the damage.
But instead of pus or gray blood, countless Lava Tentacles surged out of The Hole to swarm me.
Is its inside filled with nothing but Lava Tentacles?
I kicked off the air and evaded them. Because so many had attacked at once, my skin was slightly singed, but it wasn't a serious problem.
I regained my balance, planted my feet on the ground again, and looked up at the monster.
A broken horn, a small hole in its carapace. Clear evidence of damage.
“So you can be hurt, huh?”
I’d suspected it when it blocked my first attack, but it seemed it had decided to stop using the power to redirect damage to other entities.
Did it mean it couldn't afford to lose any more Giant Entities? Or was there some other reason?
Regardless, the simple fact that the creature could be wounded changed everything.
One of the reasons I had lost before was that the monster had ignored all my attacks while dealing its own.
And the other reason…
“Un-ho. You can handle this, right?”
“Handle what?”
“We’re going into a high-speed melee at that pace. Can you keep up?”
“I’ll manage!”
The Sea hadn't provided me with reliable footing, but now, I had footing I could trust.
Feeling Un-ho grip my hair tightly, I kicked off the ground and lunged toward the Leader Entity.