Strongest Deliveryman In The Apocalypse

The ground still trembled from the sudden stop of the truck.

Kael's heart pounded like a war drum in his chest as he stared at the open door.

For a moment, his giant, armored frame hesitated. He had spent years fighting tooth and nail against beasts that wanted to tear humanity apart. He had carried the weight of being an S Rank Rider—one of the few pillars holding the crumbling world together.

Yet here he was, shaking like a rookie soldier, staring at a deliveryman who'd just crashed into hell itself in a truck.

"…Get in," Sobin repeated, his tone flat, his expression calm.

Kael clenched his jaw, then ducked his massive body into the truck. The hardened plates of his skin scraped against the doorframe as he forced his bulk to fit, his artifact blade shrinking down to a manageable size as he pulled it inside. He collapsed heavily onto the reinforced passenger seat, his body steaming with fatigue.

The door slammed shut.

For the first time in hours, Kael exhaled, his massive shoulders slumping. The relief lasted only seconds.

"Go," he barked hoarsely. "Retreat. Get us the hell out of here before it's too late!"

"Retreat? That's not why I came." Sobin arched an eyebrow, hands steady on the wheel.

Kael's head snapped toward him.

"What?"

"My mission is to secure the Industrial Plant," Sobin said simply, eyes fixed on the ruined road ahead.

Kael's heart skipped a beat the moment he heard that.

"You idiot. It's too late for that!" He slammed his massive fist against the dashboard, the reinforced metal groaning under the impact. "The Plant has already been breached. The interior's crawling with Monsters of every caliber—C Rank to A Rank, even those S Ranks. My squad split up to hold them back, but if I was nearly overwhelmed out here, you can bet the others are facing worse inside."

Sobin didn't flinch at the outburst. He simply kept driving, swerving the truck around the twitching corpse of a bisected Monster.

"Still doesn't change the mission."

"You don't understand!" Kael growled. His voice cracked, raw with exhaustion and frustration. "We can't save the Plant anymore. The best course of action now is to abandon it, regroup, and wait for reinforcements."

"Don't be so pessimistic," Sobin replied lightly, as though they were discussing the weather. "Reinforcements are already on their way."

Kael blinked at him, stunned.

"Reinforcements? Where?!" He laughed bitterly, his voice breaking into a near-manic edge. "Do you see any Riders here? Any soldiers? You think I wouldn't have noticed if help had arrived? I was shocked enough just seeing you alone!"

Sobin smirked faintly.

"I left the others behind. But don't worry, they're right behind me. In the meantime…" His hands tightened around the wheel. "…I'll do my best to stabilize things."

Kael stared at him, thunderstruck. Right behind him? He left them?

The Iron Titan, the man who had spent his entire career fighting impossible battles shoulder to shoulder with comrades, could hardly process what this lone Rider was saying.

He studied Sobin's profile as the truck plowed through rubble and carcasses, his calm face illuminated by the dashboard lights.

'Who is this guy?'

"You…" Kael muttered, his tone caught between awe and disbelief. "You're… very brave. Foolish, but brave. I haven't heard of you before. What's your rank?"

Sobin glanced at him casually. "Just got promoted to A Rank recently."

—Silence.

Kael's mind went blank. His jaw slackened. His massive body, still radiating with the aura of hardened power, stiffened.

"…A Rank?" Kael repeated slowly, as though the words themselves were poison.

"Mm." Sobin nodded once, matter-of-fact.

Kael stared at him like he had just announced he was an errand boy pretending to be a Rider.

"You—this—no. This place isn't safe for you! Do you have any idea what you're saying?" His voice rose, hoarse and furious. "The power gap between S Rank and A Rank isn't a gap—it's a canyon. If I, the Iron Titan, was nearly crushed under the weight of those Monsters… what chance do you think you have?!"

"I'll manage." Sobin shrugged.

"You won't!" Kael bellowed. His hardened fists clenched so tight the metal of the passenger seat bent under his grip. "Retreat while you still can. If you wait for reinforcements, you might—"

A low rumble cut him off.

Kael froze. His eyes darted instinctively to the skyline.

The S Rank Monster—it was moving!

The elegant, crimson-eyed beast leapt from its perch with fluid grace, its form slicing through the night sky like a falling star. It landed ahead of them with a thunderous crash, the ruined street cratering under its weight.

Its presence radiated malice, the air itself warping around its monstrous aura.

Kael's heart plummeted into his stomach.

"No…" he whispered, his colossal body trembling. "No, no, no…"

The S Rank Monster crouched low, muscles coiling like a predator ready to pounce.

Kael's breathing quickened, panic flooding him.

"We're trapped. It's going to cut us off—damn it, damn it all! Why didn't I escape earlier?!" His voice cracked, rising into a panicked roar. "Is this how I die? Is this how the Iron Titan ends?!"

The weight of inevitability pressed down on him. His entire career flashed before his eyes—every victory, every fallen comrade, every promise to never falter.

And now…

A quiet voice cut through his spiral.

"Stop making so much noise."

"W-what?" Kael's head snapped toward Sobin, disbelief etched across his hardened features. "What did you just say to me?"

"Keep your voice down, man." Sobin's tone didn't waver. "This isn't even a big deal."

Kael's blood boiled instantly.

"Shut up! You don't get it! You're not an S Rank veteran—you don't know what you're saying! This is an S Rank Monster, you fool! It's death incarnate, and we—"

WHOOOSH!

The Monster lunged.

In that instant, Sobin slammed his foot on the accelerator.

Bessie roared like a beast unchained.

VROOOOOOOOOMMM!!!

The truck shot forward, a streak of steel and fury tearing across the ruined street. Kael barely had time to shout before—

CRAAAAAASHHH!!!

Bessie collided with the Monster head-on.

The impact shook the world.

The beast's body detonated into chunks of gore and shadowy mist, its roar cut short as it exploded under the sheer unstoppable force of steel. Shattered limbs and burning ichor scattered across the battlefield, the ground quaking under the destruction.

The truck kept going, tires grinding through the remains, until Sobin calmly slowed it down and pulled the wheel straight again.

The battlefield was silent.

"...." Kael sat frozen in the passenger seat, his colossal body trembling, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Sobin glanced at him, one hand on the wheel, his lips curling into a grin.

"You were saying?"

Kael turned to him, eyes wide, stunned beyond words. His iron-coated heart thudded in his chest.

'Just who is this Rider… and where in the hell did he come from?'