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“Retreat!” Someone shouted. There was nothing else they could do against a Demon that could withstand High Magic.

The voice, a backwards scream mixed with a scream, seemed distant and reverberant to Woodback. Then someone snickered sarcastically. “Just where are we supposed to retreat to?!”

It was as someone said. There was no escape.

If that place were to fall, a large number of Demons would be allowed inside, and Ulbdor would literally fall. If it were only the small spiders, then it would’ve been fine. But the giant spider would surely turn the inner gate to dust.

If that happened, everything in Ulbdor would be burned to the ground. The houses, the people and even the memories. The Demons would flatten everything. Woodback the Crag was quite familiar with this experience, so…

“Imitia.”
“What?”
“I’m borrowing this.”

Woodback said, swiping Imitia’s chalk bag.

“Hey! Just what are you…” Imitia asked, holding her head unsteadily. She had no idea what Woodback was planning.

Woodback chugged down a Potion and crushed the empty vial between his fingers. Then he let out a sigh— a thick, long sigh.

A quiet determination could be seen inside his glassy eyes. Woodback picked Imitia up by the neck and tossed her to a nearby soldier.

“Hey, you! Bring that pup inside the inner gate!”
“What?!”

Imitia was left dumbstruck. She’d never imagined that Woodback would do something like this. She weakly struggled to run to the giant’s back as the young soldier held her.

“Woodback! Come here! What are you doing?! Woodback! Come with me!”

Imitia’s voice took on an unexpectedly tragic color. Woodback chuckled at that in good humor.

“And just where will you put me? I’m going to visit hell alongside that b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲.”
“Woodback! Listen to me!”
“You know it as well.”
“Listen! Listen to me damn it! Please…!”
“Imitia. The caravan is in your hands now.”
“Woodback!”
“GO!” Woodback shouted.

The soldier carrying Imitia left the scene as if fleeing after hearing the giant’s terrifying roar. Imitia’s plaintive cry for Woodback echoed throughout the bridge in front of Ulbdor’s south gate.

As Woodback looked away from Imitia, he felt a creeping sensation in his chest because he understood the pain of those who were left behind. This was no time for sentimentality.

Woodback’s eyes widened as he suddenly felt the handle of the weapon he had wielded thousands upon thousands of times. From now on, everything he saw must be destroyed.

“GUUUUUUUUUOOOOOO!!!”

The giant’s yell roared like a huge firework to the depths of the listener’s stomach. Woodback roared and began running, axe in hand. When the massive giant ran, the cobblestones of the bridge cracked, flexed, and screamed.

Woodback’s battle-axe drew a semicircle. The small spiders under his feet were blown off the cobblestones in one fell swoop, opening a wide path in front of him.

There the queen waited. It was as if she wanted a one-on-one match with Woodback. Yet, it was Woodback who raised the corner of his mouth with a grin.

Let’s rumble.

Woodback lowered his stance and held his battle-axe right in front of his chest, parallel with the ground. The battle-axe was only a short distance away from its target.

As soon as he gathered his strength, Woodback’s puffy brachial muscles swelled up even more. The hilt of the battle-axe in his powerful grip made a guttural sound and then swung sideways, producing a high-pitched sound.

Woodback’s blow was still blocked by the giant spider’s legs, but that was to be expected. Without any regret or hesitation, Woodback let go of the battle-axe and extended his huge arms to cling to the giant spider’s body.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

As Woodback roared, the giant spider’s body raised from the ground. Woodback gazed out at the bridge. There stretched a cliff so deep that it seemed like an abyss.

“Why don’t you go for a quick dive!”

He was definitely going to kill it here. A desperate determination flared in the giant’s eyes— all to protect the members of his group. However…

“URGH!”

The eight legs of the giant spider easily pierced Woodback’s back, but that was also within his expectation. Even if his internal organs were torn and his body ripped apart.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! This is where you die!”

Woodback gathered all his strength and became even more furious. The sensation of his life burning and beginning to scorch ran through his huge body.

During that time, small spiders had already begun to swarm around his feet, devouring the flesh of Woodback’s legs. They climbed up his waist, and small spiders crawled around his shoulders, neck, and face… but Woodback held onto the giant spider and would not let go.

Despite having his whole body devoured by the small spiders, and air escaping from the eight huge holes on his back, Woodback somehow managed to throw the giant spider off the bridge.

The giant spider fell into the abyss, descending to the endless depths.

The soldiers, who had been watching from afar, were jubilant. They’d never expected they’d be able to defeat the giant spider, even if it meant having to do a desperate attempt.

Even Imitia, carried by the soldier, burst into tears at the sight of Woodback’s bravery.

“Woodback! You…!”

Woodback’s huge body was already swarming with small spiders, and his normally fierce look was nowhere to be found, but still, he was moving. He picked up his axe again and continued staggering toward the gate, kicking away more small spiders that swarmed around him.

“N-Not yet…”

The pain was long gone. He was not even aware of whether he was alive or dead. Still, he continued to walk like a pariah. He had only one aim in mind.

“T-That giant, can’t be planning… the gate…” Someone muttered.

The auto-repair magic still worked. The shattered stone gate, although open, was already being restored to its original state.

If only it gets sealed.

Was the thought that ran through everyone’s mind. They were hoping that the seemingly doomed Woodback would be able to seal the stone gate shut.

“G-GO! You can do it, Gigantian!” A young soldier yelled.

The prayer-like cries were immediately propagated.

“Go! You can do it, Gigantian! You’re almost there!”
“Please! Only you can do it! Seal the gate!”
“Go! GO!!!”

Imitia couldn’t hide her irritation at the half-pleading, half-crying support.

“Isn’t protecting this city your responsibility?!”

She was really angry at them for running away with their tails between their legs, while taking advantage of her family. However, it was only a matter of time before the soldiers fell silent.

“…no…”

Imitia witnessed the giant spider that had been dropped into the abyss, easily climbing up the bridge by following the threads it had spit out.