Hundreds of goblins lay strewn across the main road.

Orcs, lizardmen, and harpies were among them, but they were equally smashed to bits.

They wouldn’t resurrect anytime soon.

“So, how long do we keep doing this?”

Velkist looked up.

I followed his gaze.

A black rift in the sky, still dropping fragments.

[Corrupted Goblin Lv. 53] X 3076

Velkist nudged a goblin’s head with his foot.

“They’ll come back to life anyway. We need a way to deal with them, don’t we?”

He was right.

While we managed to hold the east gate, battles were still raging elsewhere.

The number of invaders continued to rise steadily.

[‘Macari (★★★★★)’ has returned to the goddess’ embrace. His courage will be remembered forever.]

[‘Brenyal (★★★★★★)’ has returned to the goddess’ embrace. Her resolve will be remembered forever.]

[‘Luden (★★★★)’ has returned to the goddess…]

Deaths kept piling up.

We couldn’t hold on indefinitely.

I spoke up.

“If we wait, the boss leading them will show up.”

“The boss, you mean?”

“Yes. We just need to take it down.”

Commonly called ‘Cores.’

They were high-ranking entities leading thousands of fragments.

[Warning!]

[A ‘Core of Chaos’ is beginning to descend!]

Perfect timing.

Roar. Something bellowed inside the black rift.

A massive, viscous hand reached out of the opening.

[Core of Chaos Lv. 322]

‘A crisis and an opportunity.’

The core was a high-level monster, nearly level 300, but if we eliminated it, the fragments here would be halted. I retrieved Bifrost and brought my hand to my ear.

“Pria, can you hear me?”

<Han?>

Magic communication had connected.

I continued.

“Look at the sky. Do you see that grotesque giant crawling out?”

<I-I see it.>

Shoulders and a head emerged.

The creature took on the form of a colossal human.

Countless worm-like entities squirmed across its exterior.

“We have to deal with it. But we don’t kill it. We send it back to where it came from.”

<You mean with the Dimensional Blade?>

“Exactly. Can you manage it? Meet at the palace gates.”

Click.

I cut the communication.

“Jenna, Velkist. I’m going to deal with that thing. Hold this place down.”

“You’re going alone?”

“For now. Someone has to stay here.”

I glanced sideways.

Twitch. The dragon’s head, which had been limp, stirred.

It wasn’t dead yet.

‘How long can we hold out?’

The death notifications kept coming up.

If I only considered the messages I’d seen, at least 20 had already fallen.

If the defensive line broke, dozens or even hundreds of goblins would evolve simultaneously.

Then the highest-tier monsters would sweep in and decimate the heroes.

“I’ll be ready.”

Jenna set her face with determination.

“Good.”

I patted Jenna and Velkist on the shoulders and turned on my heels.

In one stride, I bolted down the main road toward the palace.

Roar!

The core’s body had partially emerged.

Thick, viscous fragments continued to spill from the gap between its body and the rift.

[Corrupted Goblin Lv. 53] X 4005

The monster count had surpassed 4,000.

It was only natural. Their numbers hadn’t been dropping, only increasing.

Beyond the city walls, they swarmed through every alley.

‘Once the line breaks, it’s over.’

Heroes were locked in fierce combat on the main street.

At a glance, they seemed to be holding their own, but one slip in their balance, and recovery would be impossible.

I planted my foot firmly as I ran.

“Han! Are you safe?”

At the entrance to the palace, Pria stood waiting for me.

“As you can see.”

My clothes were stained with blood and dust, but I had no wounds.

“Are you prepared?”

“As much as I can be.”

A faint golden glow enveloped her right hand.

“That’s good enough. Let’s move.”

“But how will we reach it? The enemy is in the sky.”

I tensed my back muscles.

A searing, bone-splitting pain wracked my body.

 

Pria’s expression froze.

It wasn’t a pretty sight, admittedly.

A pair of dragon wings unfurled from my back.

“A-amazing.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

With a flex of my back, the wings flapped and lifted me slightly off the ground.

I held Pria in my arms.

“Hold tight.”

“Understood!”

Whoosh!

Accelerating rapidly, we shot up tens of meters into the sky.

Our target was the emerging Core of Chaos.

“We won’t get many chances. Don’t miss it.”

“I won’t.”

At least she was confident.

I smirked and flapped harder, climbing rapidly.

 

Pria glanced down at the city below.

The main street was packed with monsters, clashing with heroes.

A chaotic battlefield of blood, swords, spears, arrows, magic, and artillery.

“We won’t lose.”

She muttered to herself, as if making a vow, then looked up.

The golden glow on her hand brightened.

“Grant me the strength to fight through this hardship.”

Roar.

The giant’s waist emerged from the rift.

Soon its full body would pass through, and it would plummet to the ground.

We had to finish this before that happened.

[Fragment of Chaos Lv. 113] X 831

Shards rained down from the sky like a storm.

“Just one more time.”

Pria whispered.

[Dimensional Blade ‘Lusrada’ is awakening!]

A brilliant sword of light extended from her right hand.

“I will sever it in one stroke! Han, bring me close to it!”

I pushed forward at full speed.

Pria raised the radiant blade above her head, ready to strike.

‘If this goes as planned…’

We could clear this stage.

The rift in the sky loomed closer.

「Ahahahaha! The insects are resisting!」

A voice rang out, light and girlish yet unnervingly sticky, like something that clung to your brain.

I looked down. In the throne room of the palace, the girl standing to the left of the Prince had begun to change. Her white robes tore as her body grew larger.

「Townia is doomed anyway! Stop this annoying struggle and die together, insects!」

Crash!

With a sound like shattering glass, the girl leaped into the air.

And then—

Creak.

Crack. Crack-crack.

[Danger!]

[Ancient Species – Blue Wing King (青翼王)]

[Schutenberg Kimacher Elstadt Lv. ???]