70 — Chapter 70

“Hahaha! Just like I declared, I’ve made this castle your grave! You’re welcome!”

Clinging to the back of the Powered Suit, I thrust a fist into the air and let out a cheer.

I laughed uproariously while blowing a finger whistle.

I felt refreshed.

It made me want to burst into song.

Dorgu was finally dead.

With this, the ruler of Black Wall City was gone, and there was no one left to bind me.

I wouldn’t be dragged into the organization’s bothersome power struggles anymore.

I had successfully returned to the glorious status of being a free man.

“I hate to ruin your celebration, but we might want to hurry and get out of here,” Alice pointed out, gesturing downward.

Looking down, I saw the City Core repeatedly flickering with light.

It was letting out a series of small popping sounds as it incinerated Dorgu’s corpse.

Its rotation speed was also increasing dramatically.

“That looks bad.”

The damaged City Core was running wild.

No matter how you looked at it, the situation wasn’t normal.

It was likely a precursor to an explosion.

Perhaps due to my experience as a Bomber, I could sense it intuitively.

Right then, a loud siren echoed through the area.

The city’s inhabitants began heading away from the castle in scattered groups—meaning, they were moving toward the city exits.

Judging by their movements, it was an evacuation.

The sound from earlier must have been an emergency siren.

It seemed to be well-known as a signal to flee.

I groaned as I turned my gaze back to the City Core.

‘…As expected, this is impossible.’

Unfortunately, there was no way to stop the City Core’s rampage.

Disarming it was likely out of the question too.

Even using my 【Bomb Manufacturing EX++】 would be difficult.

The skill’s effect would allow me to remodel it into a bomb, but that was about it.

It would just become a completed high-yield time bomb, ultimately meeting its fate of exploding anyway.

In any case, messing with the City Core was a bad idea.

It was far more constructive to just make a clean break for it.

Having made that call, I pointed toward the distant black walls of the city.

“Fall back! We’re done here. Let’s get moving!”

“Yes, you’re right. Let’s go.”

Alice changed direction and began moving using the Powered Suit’s jet propulsion.

The wind pressure from the front made it hard to keep my eyes open.

We were moving at quite a clip.

We had to be hitting sixty miles per hour.

Clinging to her back, I looked down at the evacuating residents.

People were walking through the streets in a crowded mess.

In some spots, pushing and shoving had broken out into fights.

If the City Core exploded, the damage would encompass the entire city.

I had no grudge against most of them.

I wasn’t really in a position to talk, considering I was the cause of all this, but I’d pray for their safe survival.

Just as the black wall drew near, the Powered Suit suddenly tilted.

The jet on the right leg had become sporadic.

It looked like it was about to give out any second.

“Hey, what’s wrong?!”

“Something is off. It feels like the magic formula has become unstable—”

Even as we spoke, the Powered Suit lost speed and finally lost its balance completely.

We plummeted straight toward a nearby building.

Unable to correct our trajectory, we smashed through the roof and tumbled inside.

“Whoa, whoops… that was close.”

I rolled across the floor and came to a stop after hitting a wall.

I managed to cushion the impact of the landing somehow.

My body didn’t hurt, and I wasn’t injured.

Alice, on the other hand, had her lower half buried where she had crashed through the floor.

It was the result of the Powered Suit’s weight combined with landing without breaking her fall.

She muttered to herself as she pulled her legs out of the floor.

“The unit seems to have malfunctioned. It looks like the cause was the impact from Dorgu and an overload of the magic formula.”

“Can you fly again?”

“Flight will be difficult if both legs aren’t functional. I think repairs will take some time, too. I’m sorry, right at the worst possible moment.”

Alice spoke apologetically.

Of course, we didn’t have the luxury of time to perform repairs.

If we stayed here, we would be caught in the City Core’s explosion.

That was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.

No matter how tough we were, there was no way we’d come out of that unscathed.

Seeing Alice’s shoulders slump, I gave her a pat on the back.

“Don’t let it get to you. You’ve been doing a great job. By the way, do you think you can shift back into the usual vehicle form?”

Alice shifted her weight slightly.

Then, she gave a firm nod.

“Yes, it seems those functions are still operational. Should I revert to the vehicle?”

“Yeah. If we can’t fly, our only option is to head out by land.”

As soon as I answered, the Powered Suit disassembled itself and transformed back into the Golem Car.

The engine was already running, emitting a low growl.

I opened the driver’s side door and climbed in.

“We’re going to drive straight out of the city. Ready?”

“Of course. I will support you with magic as well.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Alice manifested a magic circle at the tip of her finger.

Even if she couldn’t use the Powered Suit, her competence remained unchanged.

I knew that better than anyone.

“Alright, let’s enjoy this to the fullest.”

I floored the accelerator and launched the Golem Car forward.

We smashed through the thin wall of the building and burst outside.

Landing in an alleyway, I cranked the steering wheel and pushed through the narrow streets.

The thoroughfares were currently congested.

I could have just plowed through and run over any pedestrians in my way, but even that would cause a delay.

Forcing a breakthrough wasn’t the smartest move.

It was better to pick a route with less foot traffic.

Along the way, I knocked aside or shot down the remnants of the organization that stood in our path.

To think they were still targeting me even at a time like this—their dedication went beyond annoying; I almost respected it.

I must be quite well-liked.

It really goes to show how hard it is to be a popular man.

Before long, we reached the vicinity of the black walls that characterized this city.

I picked out a few suitable explosives from the remaining weapons stashed in the car and hurled them.

With several explosions, a section of the wall crumbled, creating a hole.

Normally, these black walls were incredibly sturdy, but the mana supply from the City Core had been cut off, meaning the defensive enchantments weren’t functioning.

Thanks to that, it was extremely brittle.

Clearing away the rubble with the four arms extending from the chassis, we broke out of the city.

“How far are we going?”

“As far as possible.”

We continued to drive across the night prairie.

There seemed to be some sort of commotion near the main gate, but I drove away without a second thought.

Just because we’d escaped the city didn’t mean we could drop our guard.

Considering the scale of the explosion, it was best to put as much distance between us as possible.

Once we had traveled about a mile, the ground began to shake violently.

I brought the Golem Car to a stop and stepped outside.

“Oh, looks like it’s starting.”

In the distance, the Black Wall City was erupting with light.

The center of that light was likely the City Core.

The erupting light split high in the sky and rained down across various parts of the city, exploding upon impact.

The sight was like a meteor shower—catastrophic, yet it possessed a certain ethereal beauty.

“…It’s different from last time.”

As I stood there watching, I noticed something.

While the Black Wall City was being torn apart by the explosions of light, the city itself didn’t look like it was going to vanish entirely.

The damage was extensive, but at this rate, it would barely manage to retain its shape.

I imagined there would even be areas where people could still live.

The behavior of the explosion was different in many ways compared to when I blew up the Imperial Capital.

Perhaps the way the City Core broke was less severe.

Back at the Imperial Capital, I had modified it into a bomb, which likely increased its destructive power.

This time, the cause was a rampage due to damage.

Since I hadn’t laid a hand on it, it wasn’t a “bomb.”

Or perhaps there was a possibility that Dorgu’s corpse had suppressed the instantaneous explosion.

By having that sturdy, massive frame take the energy of the City Core, it might have reduced the amount that leaked outside.

Even while sacrificing himself, he had protected the City Core until the very end.

I wondered if the Black Wall City was a place Dorgu cared for in his own way.

It was a truth I would never know now.

Leaning against the Golem Car, I gazed at the collapse of the Black Wall City.

I pulled a cigar from my breast pocket.

It was a bit bent, but not so much that it was unsmokable.

Just as I was about to light the cigar with my lighter, I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder.

Stopping my hand, I glanced to my side.

It was Alice.

“Jack. Use this, if you’d like.”

My eyes widened at what she held out.

“Are these cigarettes? Where did you get them?”

“I made them myself. A little while ago, I tried making them based on what you told me. I planned to give them to you once your business with Dorgu was settled. Think of them as a substitute until you find a commercial brand.”

“Alice, you really are the best partner I could ask for.”

I plucked one cigarette from the pack.

Alice then placed one in her own mouth.

Surprised, I raised an eyebrow.

“You smoke?”

“It seems some of the previous ‘mes’ did. This is a first for me, personally.”

“I see.”

Nodding, I flicked my lighter.

I held the flame close to her cigarette.

“Allow me, milady.”

“Thank you.”

Alice leaned in to light the tip of the cigarette.

She took a slow breath in and immediately burst into a coughing fit.

I asked her, “So, what are your thoughts on your first smoke?”

“…It’s not very good, is it?”

Alice said with a slightly bitter expression.

I couldn’t help but snort.

I laughed as I told her, “That’s just how it is. It’s an acquired taste for adults.”

“I am already an adult.”

“Oops, sorry. That was a slip of the tongue.”

Offering a light apology, I lit my own cigarette.

I narrowed my eyes, quietly savoring the flavor.

The purple smoke wafted into the night air and vanished into the breeze.

“…This is the best.”

Watching the rain of light fall upon the city, Alice and I shared a supreme moment of peace.