Strongest Deliveryman In The Apocalypse

The earth quaked under each swing of the man's blade.

"HRRAAAGH!"

The Rider roared as his bastard sword cleaved through the air, the flames around its massive edge lashing outward like a whip of molten fire—the strike connected with a towering A Rank Monster, shearing it clean in half.

THUD!

The carcass toppled, smoke hissing from its charred remains.

But even as its body hit the ground, another emerged from the shadows of the ruined city streets.

Then another. Then two more.

The Rider stood alone, a titan in steel flesh. His body was coated in the hardened material his Ability granted him—his skin now gray-black, ridged like armor, veins glowing faintly from the pressure of the power coursing through him. He towered several meters taller than his natural form, a giant among men.

His hands, thick and solid as stone, clenched the hilt of his blazing sword.

And yet—his breath came ragged. His chest heaved.

"Damn it… how many more…?" he muttered, his voice echoing under the distorted helmet of hardened skin that covered his face.

Another Monster lunged, claws like jagged spears tearing toward him. He pivoted, his sword swelling in size as he willed the artifact to grow. With a thunderous crash, the blade—now the size of a building support beam—smashed through the creature, reducing it to chunks of flesh and fire.

"Haaa… haaa…!" He staggered backward, panting.

Steam rose from his body, a mixture of sweat and the heat radiating off his bladed Artifact.

For every Monster he struck down, three more crawled out of the ruins. Their eyes glowed with sick hunger, their fanged maws dripping with saliva thick as tar. The ruined streets were alive with snarls, screeches, and the endless sound of claws dragging against broken concrete.

This was a siege—and he was losing!

"Damnit!" Rider Kael grunted and groaned nervously. "What do I do now?"

Despite looking quite pathetic right now, this man was actually an S Rank Rider that most knew as 'The Iron Titan'.

Among Sector E's S Rank Riders, his ability to coat his body in hardened material and grow to monstrous size had made him a symbol of resilience. His sword, the artifact 'Infernal Fang', was said to burn with the flames of the Apocalypse itself.

He had cut down dozens of A Rank Monsters in his career, and even when whole squadrons of soldiers faltered, Kael had stood tall.

But right now—

Kael's massive hands shook. His knees bent. His jaw clenched.

Because for all his power, all his strength…

… His eyes were locked on the figure in the distance.

Perched atop the collapsed husk of a distant skyscraper sat a Monster unlike the rest.

Its frame was sleek, monstrous, yet disturbingly elegant—like a nightmare given graceful form. Its eyes glowed a deep crimson, watching him with an intelligence far beyond the snarling beasts it commanded. Its maw curled upward, revealing rows of teeth, but it did not attack.

It was waiting.

—An S Rank Monster.

Kael's breath hitched.

He knew the rules. Every Rider did.

One S Rank Rider could kill an A Rank Monster—that was the standard.

But an S Rank Monster?

Even the best Riders didn't face those alone. It always took several S Rank Riders working together, weaving their abilities in perfect synchronicity, to even stand a chance.

And even then… even then… many battles ended in funerals.

Kael's massive form trembled despite the iron armor that covered his body. His grip on the Infernal Fang tightened until the flames hissed louder, as if feeding on his fear.

"...I can't win this," he muttered, his voice strangled.

His gaze flicked to the horizon. The other Riders—the ones who could stand with him—were far away, holding back waves of Monsters threatening the other areas of the massive Industrial Plant.

As for the higher-ups at Headquarters, even if they had gotten the team's distress call, reinforcements would take days.

A week, maybe.

'Too long…' Kael's thoughts trailed. 'I can't last that long.'

Every strike sapped his strength. Every swing of the growing sword drained his body of stamina. His hardened form was powerful, but the longer he maintained it, the more it eroded his energy.

And still… the A Rank Monsters came.

Their numbers were endless.

"Damn it all!" Kael roared as he crushed another with a downward swing. His fiery blade split the ground, sending an inferno roaring through the street. Charred corpses scattered, but new silhouettes crawled over the fallen, shrieking, relentless.

"Guh!" Kael stumbled back, clutching his side.

His armor-like skin was cracked. His left arm bled where a Monster's claw had pierced through.

His heart pounded in his chest—not just from exertion, but from raw, primal fear.

'Am I going to die here?'

The thought pierced him sharper than any claw.

For a moment, Kael considered it: dropping his sword, shrinking back down, abandoning the fight and running—fleeing across the wasteland until his legs gave out.

… Anything but this.

Because what awaited him wasn't victory.

It was death.

'Run,' his mind whispered. 'Survive.'

For the first time since becoming an S Rank Rider, Kael took a step backward. His heel crushed broken glass as he looked over his shoulder at the ruined road.

He could still make it out.

He could still live.

The decision gnawed at him, guilt and terror clashing in his chest.

And then—

VROOMM!

A roar split the battlefield.

Not the scream of a Monster.

Not the crash of falling rubble.

But the deafening, bone-shaking blast of an engine.

VROOOOOOOOMMM!!!

Kael blinked, his massive head swiveling toward the sound.

A shape tore through the smoke and fire, barreling down the ruined street at impossible speed. Metal gleamed beneath the flames. Tires screeched, throwing sparks and rubble in every direction.

… It was a truck.

A truck…?!

Kael's eyes widened as the vehicle slammed into the horde of A Rank Monsters, scattering them like dolls. Bodies flew. Bones cracked. The air filled with the thunder of destruction as the truck plowed straight through the encirclement, carving a bloody path toward him.

The horn blared.

BWAAAAAAMMM!!!

Kael froze, stunned.

The truck skidded to a stop beside him, its frame towering even in comparison to his enlarged body. Dust and smoke swirled around it as the driver leaned casually out the window.

—Sobin.

That same damn jacket. That same bored, half-smiling expression.

As if this wasn't hell itself.

Sobin's eyes met his, calm and steady. Then he reached over, pushed the passenger-side door open, and let it swing wide.

"You look like you could use a ride," Sobin said with a grin.

Kael, still dazed, stared at him—his colossal, armored body heaving with exhaustion, his sword trembling in his hands.

The horn honked again.

Sobin tilted his head, his voice carrying through the battlefield chaos.

"Well? Get in."