"Khaaa-"

Thud.

Woo Chae-rin set down her glass with a sigh-mixed exclamation. This was her third drink. Instead of adding any commentary, she announced the beginning of their drinking session by downing shots of soju in quick succession.

The side dish was dried squid. Something that had passed its expiration date by about a week. In an apocalyptic world with shattered social infrastructure, this could almost be considered fresh food.

Though Woo Chae-rin had brought the squid, only Gordius was eating it.

Gordius sipped his small glass of soju while observing Woo Chae-rin. Perhaps due to the rapid drinking, her face was already flushed with alcohol. She'd get drunk quickly at this rate without any food.

Her unusually disheveled appearance bothered him strangely.

Gordius rubbed his brow, paused for a moment, then decided to intervene before she went too far.

"You should eat something while—"

"No. Don't tell me what to do."

"You'll suffer tomorrow. This is less prediction and more prophecy. I know Professor Alexon... a man with an exceptionally healthy and robust constitution, even he couldn't overcome a hangover."

"Dealing with hangovers is future me's problem, not mine. And stop saying correct things even at a drinking party."

Glug.

But his intervention only had the opposite effect of accelerating her tempo. Woo Chae-rin gulped down more straight soju as if to quench something inside her, but alcohol couldn't possibly help. Isn't alcohol closer to fire in liquid form?

"Ah, damn... it's hot."

"Of course it is when you drink like that..."

Woo Chae-rin sluggishly removed her white coat.

Underneath was a black sleeveless knit top. Because she was sitting crookedly from the alcohol, it had become disheveled, revealing a glimpse of her bra strap on her shoulder.

Gordius fixed his gaze on her brow, fighting the visual gravity pulling his eyes downward, and sternly warned her with a pointed finger.

"Don't undress."

"I'm fully dressed underneath, you know? I told you to stop lecturing me."

"Strictly speaking, you didn't. You said don't say correct things, not don't lecture."

"I'm saying don't say correct things at a drinking party, okay?"

What was he supposed to do?

He understood her feelings. Gordius wasn't cold-blooded, and he could partly empathize with what she must be feeling. The fewer sacrifices, the better, and none at all would be best.

Unmanned aircraft would be an attractive option. If humanity weren't backed into a corner.

He thought she might have come to argue about the pilot issue again, but...

"...I hate being the leader. It's too much."

"......"

Instead, what came out of her mouth was unexpected.

Woo Chae-rin had done well so far. She'd obtained resources from those in power, led the people of "Stellaria," and now the completion of the giant robot to counter "The Great Beast" was just around the corner. She could truly be called a natural-born leader.

She had... a power that made people follow her voluntarily. A light that emanated from someone with firm convictions, making others want to follow.

Yet, she found it burdensome?

"Haven't you been doing well so far? Everyone at Stellaria depends on you, and you have the ability, Doctor."

"Just because you're talented doesn't mean you have to like it. And... originally, I wasn't someone who led others, nor did I have experience. I was just a lab assistant, supporting other people's research."

"...You?"

To put it plainly, Woo Chae-rin was a genius.

Not just anyone could build a giant robot in a world with broken social infrastructure. She was an exceptionally capable talent, and Gordius had naturally assumed... that she had followed an elite path.

Apparently not.

"...School connections matter, I guess. They pushed me aside because I graduated from a different university, stole my ideas. There was no place for me in their network of mutual support."

"You're saying they wasted a gem for such reasons."

"The decisive factor was, hmm. At a company dinner, I didn't accept a drink from the professor, and that old man started holding a grudge from then on. So... yeah. No recognition. Nothing gained from all my work."

"Hmph. Creating a loss by failing to use an existing gem properly. How wasteful."

"Yeah, keep doing that. Just say nice things instead of facts."

Woo Chae-rin grinned sloppily.

The gap between this and her usual appearance—which seemed packed tight with intellect—was so substantial that Gordius's eyes fled to the calendar hanging on the wall. He didn't know why he averted his gaze.

Glug, glug, glug.

She tilted the soju bottle to reload her glass while speaking. She must be quite drunk, as the soju filled the glass completely and even spilled over slightly.

"You know what... want to hear something funny?"

"...If it's an entertaining story, I'll reward you. With this dried squid."

"I miss it. Those days of rotting away in the lab."

"......"

Glug. Woo Chae-rin downed her glass and set it down. Thud.

Then, sliding across the table, using her arm as a pillow while leaning crookedly, she mumbled her innermost thoughts.

"Back then, it was shitty, but... I could order chicken late at night, buy chicken breast if I was worried about getting fat from too much late-night food, take bubble baths... wow, thinking about it now, it was so luxurious."

"That's—"

"Now I'm like this, respected as a leader, my abilities recognized, but I don't need any of it. I'd rather not receive any recognition at all and rot away in the lab... if only I could go back to those peaceful days."

"...Is that so?"

Woo Chae-rin silently nodded.

She was feeling nostalgia for the past on the same Korean soil. She desperately missed the past when, even if life was bleak, at least survival wasn't a concern.

That's why she stepped up.

Stepping to the forefront, trembling inside but calling politicians to secure support. Working desperately on research, staying up all night. Creating "Stellaria." It was all because of nostalgia.

The desire to somehow return to the past drove her to action.

Gordius placed a squid leg in Woo Chae-rin's mouth and said:

"You might as well dream big. After we defeat 'The Great Beast,' we could establish a research institute in your name, Dr. Woo Chae-rin. Gaining both peace and fame."

"Ugh, no. I'm sick of being at the top. I just want to... receive my national merit pension regularly and live doing small tasks. That's what I want now."

"What a waste. If you're going to waste your talent like that, sell it to me. I'll buy it."

"Goldie... make me an offer. If the price is right, I'll sell."

The corners of Woo Chae-rin's eyes curved upward. A pretty eye-smile. Gordius was about to offer a chocolate bar for the deal... but seeing that smile, he raised the stakes a bit more.

"...How about the remarkable wisdom of a genius magician, the Gold Tower Master's top disciple and candidate for the next Gold Tower Master?"

"I've found that you're empty except for magic? Even weak in earth science."

"The Dr. Woo I know is also empty except for science."

"If we're both equally empty, it's a fair trade. Bring me a contract later."

Gordius adjusted his posture. He knew not to take a drunk person's jokes seriously. It probably wasn't meant to be significant. Just something blurted out while intoxicated.

After that came small talk.

She had a hobby of collecting Sylvanian figures, weren't they adorably crafted? (Gordius saw it as wasteful)

It was unusually hot, but with him sitting there she couldn't undress, so he should wear a blindfold. (He resolved this by bringing her a glass of cold water)

And then.

"About the unit name... I'm thinking of calling it 'Meteor.'"

"A meteor?"

"Yes. We're 'Stellaria'... stars, right? I'll drop that star right onto the Great Beast's head and make a dent in it. That's the... profound naming concept."

"It may not be profound, but it's an attractive name. One that makes me want to invest about three gold coins."

"Heh, maybe I should open a naming agency."

"Meteor."

The name of Unit 1 was decided as "the star that fell from the sky."

Gordius occasionally recalls a moment from the past when he's with her.

A horde of monsters attacking a village, and a fake knight who boldly confronted them. A shoddy iron armor cobbled together from scrap metal that didn't even fit properly.

And little Gordius looking up at his back.

He remembers that silhouette. After being saved by that brave knight, Gordius began to nurture dreams of a giant golem. Because that feeling never faded.

The feeling that it would protect him from everything in the world. He wanted to recreate that with his own hands.

A 5-meter or 10-meter one wouldn't capture that sensation, wouldn't have that aura. He thought that with an even larger golem, he could sculpt a reassurance that would make anyone feel safe.

"...Dr. Woo Chae-rin, your dream will come true. It will."

Perhaps what matters isn't the size—

===============================================================

"Right mechanical arm work completed, Chae-rin."

"Good job. I've also finished stabilizing the mana engine! Goldie, could you come check this for me?"

"Let's switch. I can't get a feel for the mechanical arm's load, so a capable scientist should take a look."

"Why are you flattering me so much lately...? I'm not good at that kind of lip service, Goldie. Don't expect it."

Chatting away.

The workers who saw Woo Chae-rin and Gordius conversing while pushing the project forward murmured about the change in atmosphere between the two overnight.

"...Don't those two seem much closer?"

"I heard Dr. Woo Chae-rin went to his room last night."

"Oh my, they did it. Yes, people need partners to soften their personalities. Ah, ouch. Why is there suddenly a stone in my shoe...?"

Gordius used magic to put small pebbles inside the shoes of the workers who were gossiping freely. Fortunately, Woo Chae-rin didn't seem to have heard.

Whirrr—!!

Unit 1 "Meteor" was about 80% complete.

However, this figure was aimed at perfection; even in its current state, it could operate without problems and even engage in combat. According to the research department's analysis, if deployed now, it had an 85% chance of defeating the Great Beast.

But was that enough? That small uncertainty made them cautious.

There was an observation record of seeing something black inside when tank fire at close range had wounded the Great Beast's surface.

So they were preparing a trump card.

The rocket propulsion system that Woo Chae-rin had procured. They planned to use the immense power that would normally launch a large rocket into space to smash the Great Beast's head.

The so-called "Meteor Strike."

It would be completed in a week.

The pilot, Mr. Kim, was also progressing smoothly with his training and growth. Through repeated training and study, they had been able to increase the maximum operating time of the mana engine to two hours.

"Oh, my daughter, did you come to see daddy?"

"Robot! The robot is moving!"

"Then daddy should show you a heart with the robot..."

"Stop! The robot's structure makes raising its arms strenuous, so don't do that during test operations!"

They eventually compromised with a finger heart.

In a real situation, there would be various variables, and his mental state would be unstable, so the performance would be lower than the test records. But even accounting for that, it was sufficient. If the battle with the Great Beast lasted more than an hour, they would lose anyway.

Thus, everything was proceeding smoothly.

But.

Disasters don't wait for human circumstances.

Static. Crackle, crackle.

-Great citizens, today we have ended the longest and most horrific war in human history. Our United Federation has finally achieved victory after endless struggles to protect freedom and peace.

-The Third World War was more than just a conflict between nations; it was a battle of ideologies and thoughts, an inevitable challenge to protect our values and beliefs—

The radio spewed out sudden news of the war's end. It was contact from the outside world after a very long time.

The people of "Stellaria" cheered and celebrated. They thought that if the nuclear war in the Western world ended and peace arrived, they might help with the Great Beast extermination.

Everyone smiled with optimism about the future.

Amidst this, only two people hardened their expressions in shock. Woo Chae-rin and Gordius. This was... by no means good news.

It was likely that "The Great Beast" had stopped moving in order to bring down the major nations that posed the greatest threat. The monster was presumed to have induced the Third World War through mental waves.

Yet the war ending meant...

"...Completely neutralized, with no power left to harm itself. In fact, this isn't a victory announcement but essentially a surrender broadcast to 'The Great Beast'!"

"If it no longer needs to project hypnotic waves externally, then right now, 'The Great Beast' is...!"

-Kick. Krrk. Kik.

A bizarre sound like mocking laughter echoed from the radio. And simultaneously.

Beeeeeep—!!

"Movement detected from 'The Great Beast'! It's moving, the beast is moving—!"

"It's been still all this time! Why suddenly now?!"

The emergency siren wailed, and red warning lights illuminated the entire facility. The laughter that had once filled the underground bunker melted away, and intense anxiety filled the void.

Woo Chae-rin urgently convened a meeting.

"...What's the situation?"

"'The Great Beast' is engaging in random destructive activities. There's no consistency in its path; it passes by some buildings while destroying others."

"No, it's killing people. All the strongholds it's destroying are locations of survivor groups that we had previously identified!"

"That's also ambiguous. If its movement was aimed at killing humans, there's no reason to move like this—"

Bang.

Gordius slammed the table to cut through the confusion. Then he looked at Woo Chae-rin.

"What matters is that 'The Great Beast' has resumed activity. What will you do?"

"......"

"...Interception clearly has merit, Chae-rin. For the future recovery of South Korea, deploying 'Meteor' now, before casualties spread, might—"

"Stop. You should only say incorrect things at drinking parties. What Goldie wants to say is... you're against it, right?"

Looking away.

While the Great Beast swept away victims, turning away from those deaths, and focusing on research to fit the last piece. To bring Unit 1 "Meteor" to 100% completion.

That was the ruthlessly optimal solution.

The two had influenced each other. They had rubbed off on each other. That's why Woo Chae-rin bit her lip, trying to make a "more realistic" judgment for everyone's sake.

"Let's postpone the deployment—"

"Oh, it's coming! 'The Great Beast' is heading this way—!!"

"...Ha. The timing is impeccable. No need to worry anymore. We're preparing for deployment. Everyone to your positions. Goldie, come with me to the control room. Security team, prepare to guide evacuations."

"Yes!"

Woo Chae-rin let out a dejected sigh. Gordius also scratched his hair vigorously as he walked to the control room.

It's rather refreshing. If battle couldn't be avoided, all that remained was to confront it with everything at stake. "Stellaria" began preparations for the decisive battle.

People rushed about busily, proceeding with their work amid tension and desperation.

Click, click, whoosh—!!

The mechanical devices attached to stabilize Unit 1 "Meteor" fell away, and the ceiling leading outside gradually opened. Sunlight seeped through the gap, illuminating the robot's face.

This was the cockpit.

Woo Chae-rin grabbed Pilot Kim as he walked toward the cockpit and said:

"...The physical specs are absolutely not inferior. We've calculated 'The Great Beast's' physical specs from its destruction records so far, and adjusted 'Meteor's' output to exceed 'The Great Beast's.' Understand?"

"So I need to fight well. I'll take it down spectacularly, Doctor! So don't worry too much. And... please take care of my daughter."

"Don't say such things and fight cautiously. You must avoid the cockpit taking damage at all costs. Come back alive. Understand?"

"Of course. Where would I go, leaving my daughter behind...?"

Boarding was complete. The control room's display showed Unit 1 "Meteor's" internal status, the cockpit camera feed, and external camera footage.

Gordius clenched his fist. The masterpiece he and Woo Chae-rin had created stood on the stage of proof. All their hopes rested on that robot.

It was beginning.

Would they save the world, or perish at the hands of the beast?

At this dire crossroads—right now—the coin had been flipped.

===============================================================

Boom. Boom.

A living disaster was here. Its massive body was larger than any living creature could match, powerful enough to reduce an entire civilization to nothing.

Purple patterns swirled on its white surface. Joy seeped from that complex, bizarre form. Death and tragedy were absurdly pleasurable.

Crunch, crackle!

With just a light gesture, buildings collapsed. Screams rang out. Compared to the noise of buildings splitting in half and falling, the small, delicate screams of humans were no different from the flutter of insect wings.

But "The Great Beast" heard them very well. Since hearing those was its reason for living, it naturally had that function built in. It was a result of inheriting the characteristics of "that thing."

Inside. Yes, right in there.

It could see people hugging each other and wailing.

"Kyaaaaaaah-!!"

"Go away, please go away! Get lost!"

The lines attached to "The Great Beast's" head wriggled, detecting the mana ahead. Like turning on a thermal camera, the form of an "awakened one" who could manipulate mana was clearly visible.

The beast carefully pushed its front paw in. Glass windows shattered, and steel beams bent. The awakened one inside spat fire in resistance, but it was just meaningless struggling.

Thud. Thud.

They would die, slowly, leisurely. Crushed.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

THUD!

Then, "The Great Beast" felt a vibration. It thought it was the sound of the building collapsing, but it was different. Something was approaching from behind.

By the time it realized what it was—the footsteps shaking the earth, emanating from a massive body comparable to its own—it was already too late.

BOOM!

It was so enormous. So loud. So crude.

A heap of mana-infused scrap metal.

CRASH—!!

Into "The Great Beast's" face smashed the massive fist of Unit 1 "Meteor."