Boooom...!
The King of Flies roared.
Having brought down all the airships, the embodiment of humanity's magi-engineering technology, the monster advanced at the same speed, seemingly unimpressed.
"..."
The shocking reality that the entire fleet of airships had been shot down froze everyone on the walls.
Ash, who always forcibly kept everyone's spirits up on the wall, was not there.
It wouldn't have been surprising if the soldiers, terrified by the approaching worst monster in history, had thrown away their weapons and fled.
But they didn't. Everyone held their ground.
They were elite soldiers gathered from all over the world, veterans tempered on the front lines against monsters.
Yet, despite this, they couldn't muster the courage to move.
The soldiers barely managed to stand their ground, unable to assume a fighting stance.
Soon, the monster would be within range, but they were not even ready to prepare for an engagement.
They could only stare with wide eyes at the approaching aberrant creature.
Then, a sharp voice rang out.
"Artifact team, prepare to activate all artifacts!"
It was Lilly.
The senior mage was commanding the artifact team, but she raised her voice as if she wanted everyone on the wall to hear.
"It's approaching range! Snap out of it!"
Lilly's voice was almost pleading.
"Don't forget why we're here on this wall...!"
At her words, everyone snapped back to reality.
Why are soldiers stationed on the wall?
Obviously... to protect the world behind the wall.
To protect every small and fragile thing from this massive destruction.
Then, a beat later, Evangeline also shouted.
"Artillery, aim! Prepare for crossfire! All units, ready for battle!"
As if petrification was lifted, the soldiers began to move.
Their hands trembled, their legs were weak, and their vision was blurred, but they loaded the shells, aligned the sights, and gripped their weapons as they had been trained to do tirelessly.
"Huff...!"
Lilly, watching the scene unfold on the wall, suddenly turned her head.
"I use [From the Beginning!]"
At Lilly's shout, the alchemists of the artifact team struggled to pull out a metal plate about the size of a human torso.
An SSR-grade Mercury artifact, [From the Beginning!].
This golden plate could force an enemy caught in its frame back to the starting point of the wave - the end of the southern plains, if the entire body was captured within the frame.
Despite its restriction of one use per stage, and bosses quickly throwing their minions in the way or dodging it, making it mostly ineffective since its first use...
Now, they had to use it anyway!
"Activate the artifact!"
The King of Flies's figure filled the metal plate just in time, like a camera lens, and the alchemists activated the artifact.
Woong-!
The metal plate shone white. Soon, with a 'click!' the King of Flies would be sent back to the end of the southern plains.
Even if it meant little against the monster's tremendous speed, if it could buy even a little time against this embodied destruction...
If it could create a 'variable'!
Click-!
The artifact activated.
However, what the giant golden plate captured was not the body of the King of Flies.
A giant fly, having suddenly inserted itself in front of the plate blocking the view, was dispatched from the body of the King of Flies. This grotesque monster, looking like a mix of a mantis, beetle, and bee, blocked the plate with its body and disappeared from sight.
The effect of [From the Beginning!] was received instead, and it was forcibly moved to the end of the southern plains.
Looking at the picture left on the metal plate when it activated, Lilly exploded in frustration.
"Again, again?! Can't a top-grade artifact, just once, perform properly...!"
Then, Lilly's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
The giant fly that attacked had mostly blocked the King of Flies with its body.
But part of the King of Flies that it failed to cover was still captured in the shooting frame.
Wings in the shape of infinity.
'Could it be, no way...!'
Lilly turned her head to look at the King of Flies again.
And, indeed.
Parts of the infinity-shaped wings that had been captured in the frame were being erased, as if torn away.
"!"
The King of Flies, being a creature made up of countless flies.
The flies caught in the frame were helplessly affected by [From the Beginning!], separated from the main body and forcibly moved to the end of the southern plains.
For a moment, the King of Flies's massive body tilted sideways, and the flowing wings of infinity trembled precariously.
Boooom...!
But as if nothing had happened, new flies flew in to repair the wings, and the King of Flies regained its balance as if by a lie.
However, everyone at the site clearly saw it. For a brief moment, they saw it wobble.
This monster is not invincible.
There is a part that can be exploited...!
Boooom!
Screaaak-!
"The flies are approaching! Artillery units, fire! Melee units, forward-!"
Giant fly monsters dispatched from the body of the King of Flies began to pour down on the wall like a flood, and the cannons, ballistae, artifacts, and all the people on the wall began to fight back.
And at this moment, a faint hope was swirling on everyone's faces.
The fact that there is a part of the enemy that can be exploited means, in other words.
Ash will delve into that weakness...!
***
"So, the wings...!"
Inside Geronimo.
This was the scene I saw while chasing the King of Flies at full speed and seeing it wobble momentarily from the effect of [From the Beginning!].
I nodded.
"Let's strike the wings and bring it down!"
Then, a rebuttal came. It was Kellison.
"When the airship fleet first engaged in combat, what did we aim for in the body of that monster? Of course, it was the wings!"
"..."
"But around those wings swirls a special magic turbulence, our shots couldn't even reach. Plus, the King of Flies now has a barrier, and as you've just seen, even if we damage it, it repairs itself! In such a situation..."
"We'll force the conditions to be met."
I eyed the back of the King of Flies's head through the lens of Geronimo. It's a really big bastard.
"If this continues, the King of Flies will cross over Crossroad. Once it gets past the wall, it's over... Junior, what's the calculation?"
Junior, who was furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment in front of the control panel, replied.
"Thanks to the King of Flies's stumble, we bought some time, but still, in 5 minutes, the King of Flies's main body will reach the wall! In other words, in 5 minutes..."
It's the end.
We have to shoot it down within 5 minutes and drop it onto the southern plains in front of the wall.
Kellison continued to argue the impossibility of the operation.
"The damage to the King of Flies's wings was merely a fluke due to the artifact's specificity! And with the barrier up...!"
"Then let's get lucky with the artifact's specificity one more time."
I tapped the floor of the airship we were on with my toes.
"Geronimo has something great attached to it."
At the prow of Geronimo, the artifact [Sturdy Superstition] is affixed.
This Nightmare Slayer artifact, made from the magical core of a phantom pirate legion commander, has two functions. The first is invisibility, and the second is being unbreakable.
This second effect is optimized for ramming tactics, theoretically capable of shattering even Alcatraz's barrier.
Meaning, it can pierce the King of Flies's barrier too!
Kellison was dumbfounded by my explanation.
"That's just theory, and it's never been proven...!"
"Kellibey!"
I called out to Kellibey.
Kellibey, who was quietly steering Geronimo, glanced back at me. I grinned.
"Let's do that ramming show you're crazy about."
"Shit..."
Kellibey yanked Geronimo's throttle to the limit.
"There's nothing like ramming with the flagship in the final battle! I love it!"
Thrust-!
The thruster spewed fire, and Geronimo accelerated at full speed towards the King of Flies's nape. I looked around at my subordinates in the meantime.
"I'll explain the operation."
Everyone here is already tired and worn out from fighting all day, but we have no choice. We have to push through.
"We'll smash the King of Flies's wings and bring it down. There are three obstacles currently presented to this goal: the barrier, the magic turbulence, and the replenishment of the flies."
I listed them one by one, folding a finger with each point.
"We'll break through the barrier with a ram."
The King of Flies's barrier is already within reach.
"Magic turbulence will be eliminated by Junior with elemental disassembly. Junior's magic is almost depleted now, so other mages will support."
Junior smiled weakly, and Bodybag patting her back nodded.
"Then, once the wings are exposed, Dearmudin's fire magic will annihilate them."
Dearmudin finally smiled broadly, puffing out his chest as if it was his turn.
"We'll dive directly into the point where the flies replenish the wings with Geronimo and kill all the flies regenerating the wings."
Mutant flies flew from all directions to block Geronimo, but Geronimo raised its barrier and charged toughly.
The King of Flies's barrier surged up right in front of us. I waved my hands frantically.
"That's the plan. No questions! Everyone, hold on to whatever you can!"
There's no established method to beat this opponent.
So, what can we do but apply symptomatic treatment?
Like prescribing medicine according to the symptoms, we can only beat it as it comes!
"Let's destroy it thoroughly...!"
As I shouted, Geronimo's prow collided with the King of Flies's back barrier.
Bang-!
Everyone inside the airship was momentarily thrown into the air.
Crackle!
The artifact affixed to the prow, a siren-shaped statue [Sturdy Superstition], emitted a dazzling light and began tearing through the barrier.
Boooom...!
The King of Flies roared fiercely and concentrated its barrier to the back, but so what?
"This ship has relics left by monsters obsessed with ramming tactics and a pilot who's crazy about them!"
Thrust-!
As I shouted, the King of Flies's back barrier was torn apart, and Geronimo drilled straight towards the back direction of the monster.
The scene of endlessly rotating fly monsters in the shape of infinity appeared.
Strange magical turbulence stretched out in all directions, disrupting all approaching flying objects.
"Urgh?!"
Geronimo too was caught in the turbulence, helplessly shaking violently. Barely holding back nausea, I shouted loudly.
"Junior! I'm counting on you!"
Junior was calm.
She had already finished casting [Lord of Crimson] before entering the barrier, and the target was set.
Junior laughed and activated the magic.
"I guess I need to earn a medal too, like my mom did."
Zing-!
A dazzling halo appeared in the air, and as space broke apart...
Woosh!
The magical turbulence surrounding the infinite wings was completely extinguished.
Geronimo immediately regained its balance. The airship successfully flew right next to the infinite wings.
Creak!
The airship's hatch opened, and Damian and Dearmudin stuck their heads out in turn.
In this place, where fierce winds were howling, Damian shot his magic gun in all directions to block the approach of mutant flies, while Dearmudin finished his casting.
"How dare you bear the symbol of infinity on your body..."
The old mage smiled arrogantly, flames flickering in his eyes.
"I've wanted to burn it off anyway."
Snap!
The old mage's wrinkled fingers snapped crisply,
Thrust-!
A monstrous tornado of flame engulfed thousands of flies making up the King of Flies's wings, burning them all at once.
The flies, clumped together, had no time to escape, and the flames spread from one to another.
The intense heat even made the inside of the airship sweltering. I barely managed to cover my face with both arms.
After the heat subsided, I lowered my arms and looked forward.
"I told you, Prince Ash."
Behind me, the massive body of the King of Flies, slowly falling towards the ground with a long trail of black smoke, was visible.
Standing against the backdrop of thick smoke, the old mage leisurely stroked his beard.
"Bringing me along was the best choice, wasn't it?"
--TL Notes--
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