Chapter 595

Creak... Creak...

The core of existence, one could say the soul core, was filled with winter—dozens of ice spirits were forcibly infused into it.

Starting from the chest of the King of Flies, its entire body began to freeze.

The tentacles that thrashed about everywhere on its body, and the wings that had just regenerated and were about to take flight, all turned white with frost and ceased their movement.

"Sigh..."

I stepped back, exhaling a breath so white it seemed almost blue.

Beneath me, I could see my flagpole deeply embedded in its soul core, and my flag, frozen mid-flutter on that flagpole.

And beneath that, the King of Flies, freezing to death.

There was a clear satisfaction in it. I said with conviction, 

"We won."

The boss kill was successful.

Whether it was luck, coincidence, or sheer fluke, somehow we had managed to kill this damned monster.

Shivering, I grasped the flagpole and staggered forward, bowing down. A terrible chill invaded my entire body, but I was immobilized by a sudden sense of exhaustion.

I forcefully opened my eyes after squeezing them shut, finding them barely able to open because they had frozen over.

"...?"

I saw something strange.

Despite its body freezing from the soul core out, the fuse of flame starting from the edge of its body was still burning towards the soul core.

"What the..."

Its self-destruction hadn't stopped. It was still ongoing. I gritted my teeth and glared at the monster.

"No way, this is...!"

"Yes."

Frozen blue, the King of Flies smiled.

"Fool."

"!"

"It's true that I self-destruct 15 minutes after combat begins. However, I could only stop the self-destruction if I won, not if I was defeated."

The King of Flies's voice dripped with satisfaction.

"But I have been defeated, and now the self-destruction cannot be stopped. I will die alongside you. Consequently... the monster known as the King of Flies will have won against humanity."

"..."

"In the end, it was the flies that brought about humanity's destruction. The world will come to know this."

Listening to the monster's nonsense, I lamented my own stupidity.

Why did I take the monster's words at face value?

Was it because of the indescribable desperation I sensed in its gaze? Was I moved by its genuine animosity, born to fight me?

'No, that's not it.'

It was because I had no other choice.

Just 15 minutes. After that, the monster would self-destruct and blow Crossroad to smithereens.

To deal with it, it had to be defeated first. So, I poured everything into achieving victory.

But that was all I had planned for.

No way forward... was visible.

"Truly, to defeat me within 15 minutes... You are remarkable. Despite being an enemy, I genuinely respect you."

The King of Flies's words slowed. No more light shone in its compound eyes, now completely frozen.

"So... with everything I have, I fought only to defeat you..."

"..."

"Checkmate, guardian of humanity..."

The monster breathed its last.

"Ssshhh..."

As the snow swirled around, the King of Flies died.

With trembling hands, I pulled out a pocket watch. Less than 5 minutes remained.

'I won't give up...!'

There was still time, and my limbs could still move.

So, I must fight. I have to fight.

But as I turned my head, I saw people, bloody and worn, looking up at me from above the King of Flies, from below, from the sides.

My heart sank.

This grand battle had taken no more than 10 minutes. It was the result of all the heroes of the front lines giving their all, pouring everything into the fight until they were burnt out.

And now everyone was drained of strength. There was no more energy left to fight, nor any means to do so.

'How do we stop the King of Flies's self-destruction?'

A self-destruction powerful enough to obliterate the entire city. It wasn't just bluster, considering the amount of magic power churning inside it.

From the beginning, it had gathered even the magic power meant for battle into its self-destruction. The amount of magic power felt was enough to burn not just Crossroad but the entire surrounding region to ashes.

'It's impossible to stop it. Then, we must get it as far from the city as possible...'

But, the monster was larger than any airship.

Who could move such a monster, and how...

'Is this the end?'

I saw no way out. I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes.

So, this is game over.

"..."

Then, what should I say to my people, in the end?

I rolled the words around in my mouth, then slowly opened my eyes and looked around with difficulty.

"In 5 minutes..."

I began, speaking haltingly to those watching me.

"In 5 minutes, the King of Flies's corpse will explode, and its power and range will be enough to envelop and surpass the entire city. Probably, we will all die."

I chose my words carefully.

So.

Let's all give up and rest now.

Close our eyes and accept death.

You all really worked hard.

You fought well. I'm proud of you, glad to have been with you, and though we are defeated, the world will not forget our struggle...

"..."

The words that had reached my throat, stopped.

Instead.

"...Fuck that."

I swallowed down any flowery speech.

Instead, I spat out curses.

"Don't fuck around, goddammit!"

Clenching the frozen flagpole in my bare hands, I shouted.

"I won't give up! Until my last breath, I'll fight!"

Still.

It's not game over yet. The game is still on.

So, me and you-

"In less than 5 minutes, we need to move this monster's corpse out of the city...!"

Let's fight.

"Everyone, gather your strength! Push the corpse out of the city!"

We must fight.

"Until the end of our lives, until the end of the world! Don't give up! Struggle!"

I screamed as if spitting blood.

"Fight...!"

This was an order,

"Yes-!"

and my subordinates loyally followed.

All the heroes and soldiers, as if on cue, rose up from their fallen states, bloody and battered, and charged towards the King of Flies's corpse.

"Push!"

"Out of the city-!"

"As far as possible, far away...!"

Frontline heroes pushed the monster's corpse with their arms, backs, shoulders. Magicians assisted the process with various spells.

Using logs from destroyed buildings placed under the monster's corpse and dragging it across frozen ice sheets...

Using every method at our disposal, the massive body of the King of Flies began to slowly be pushed out.

I too slid down the corpse of the King of Flies, gritted my teeth, and pushed the body along with my subordinates.

But - it was slow.

The monster was heavy and massive. Moving it far outside without proper tools or equipment was nearly impossible.

Only a few minutes remained until it would self-destruct.

There wasn't enough time to procure tools or equipment. Realistically, it was impossible. This was a futile struggle.

'I know, I know!'

While pushing the corpse, I screamed and cursed along with everyone.

'I know, but...!'

If struggling is all that can be done in this damned world.

Even if it's ugly, foolish, and naive... there's no choice but to do it...!

"Uaaaaaaaah!"

Just as I was screaming and exerting all my strength to push the King of Flies.

Whoosh.

- Suddenly, the corpse was lifted.

"Huh?"

Everyone was startled.

The monster's corpse, which all of us had been pushing with all our might, was suddenly hoisted into the air. I turned around in surprise.

Thump, thud...

It was a golem.

The debris from the demolished southern city wall had merged into the form of a giant humanoid... Its arms shoved under the King of Flies's corpse, slowly lifting it.

Someone muttered in a dazed voice.

"Where did this golem come from...?"

"I've never seen a golem of this size before..."

I swallowed hard. Only I knew the identity of this golem here.

Member of the Party Blacklist.

SR-grade golemancer, Candler's ultimate skill.

[Summon Titan].

"Candler?!"

There stood Candler on the shoulders of the golem.

Her hair disheveled, blowing in the wind, crowned with her usual candelabra crown atop her head.

"Ugh..."

Until now, the weight of construction materials Candler and her golem had moved was of a different scale.

The golem's arms trembled. Its bent legs didn't seem to know how to straighten. Trying to lift the massive weight of the monster, cracks were spreading throughout the golem's body.

Candler screamed.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

It was clearly too much. Candler, not just through her nose but also her eyes, ears, and mouth - bled as she controlled the golem.

"Stop it, Candler! No more..."

I couldn't finish my sentence.

The golem, lifting one leg off the ground, struggled to stretch that leg forward,

-Thump.

and planted it on the ground.

The other leg followed, kicking off the ground and moving forward - planting it on the ground.

Repeating these two actions.

Running.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The golem, was running.

Just like its limping master, initially unsteady and unable to hold its posture, the golem eventually began to run smoothly and regularly.

Out beyond the city walls.

Into the southern plains.

"The truth is, I wasn't injured."

With blood dried on her face but looking somewhat relieved, Candler muttered atop the golem.

"I wasn't limping, and I had no difficulty moving. It was all lies."

"Candler...!"

"I was too scared of the monsters to run away, but I didn't want to be scorned for being cowardly, so I needed an excuse to flee. That's why I lied about being injured, to everyone."

Flick-

One of the candles on Candler's candelabra crown flickered out.

"I didn't want to fight those monsters again. I thought I'd go mad with fear. So, I lied and fled from the front lines."

Flick-

Another candle went out,

Flick-

and then another.

"But then, I realized. Seeing people risking their lives to save a coward like me made me realize."

Not many candles were left lit.

Even as she spat blood from her mouth and nose, Candler smiled.

"Living cowardly is more miserable than dying."

"Candler...!"

"I'm still scared. So scared, I can hardly breathe. My heart's beating so fast, I feel like I'll drop dead any moment."

Flick-

Now only one candle remained lit.

"But... I was happy here, in this city, in this world."

Using her remaining life as fuel to propel the golem forward, Candler murmured with a fading voice.

"I too, to some extent..."

***

The golem, having left the city, runs across the southern plains.

Just one more step.

Just one more step.

Having surpassed her limits and nearly losing consciousness, Candler struggled to keep the golem operational until the very end.

And then.

Flick-

The last candle flickering atop Candler's head finally went out.

'Just one more... step...'

Even as she collapsed, Candler somehow made the golem take one more step forward.

Candler, now completely unconscious, slumped lifelessly over the golem's shoulder.

Thud...

In the middle of the southern plains, the golem slowly crumbled.

Losing power and misstepping, the golem's posture collapsed, starting from the lower body, and fell forward.

As it transformed back into its original form of bricks and steel debris, the King of Flies's corpse slipped from the golem's hands and fell to the ground -

Thud, thud, thud, thud -

Boom!

Geronimo, flying low, swooped in and caught the King of Flies's corpse with the hull's back section.

The symbolic dual propellers had long stopped, and the thrusters on the bottom of the hull, pushed to their limit, barely managed to support the weight, spewing black smoke and flames downward.

Kellibey, looking out from the hatch, shouted towards Candler.

"We've received it securely...!"

A smile formed on Candler's lips.

The giant golem completely disintegrated and collapsed, and Geronimo, carrying the King of Flies on its back, shot off.

Southward.

A bit further, southward-