Chapter 44: Mirror Park

A teenage boy and girl sprinted through the half-ruined city. Behind them, a giant over ten meters tall chased at a speed that didn’t match its massive frame.

“El! Just a little more—keep going!!”

The girl shouted, dragging the boy who’d injured his leg.

“I can’t, Michelle! Run ahead! We’ll both get caught!!”

“It’s just a little more… almost there… almost to Mirror Park…”

These siblings, Michelle and El, had fled in a car with their parents—but midway, the giant attacked. Their parents were killed. Barely escaping, they now found themselves cornered by the giant just as they reached Mirror Park.

They ducked into a half-collapsed building, but the giant smashed through the walls, reaching in with arms outstretched.

At that moment—

“Gari gari gari gari!!”

The giant lunging at them was yanked backward by some invisible force, dragged from the building, then flung violently through the air! It crashed into a nearby skyscraper with a deafening boom, tumbling down like a broken statue. The giant lay on its back on the ground, motionless… completely still.

Michelle stared, stunned. From a gap in the fallen roof, she saw a massive silver silhouette…

A steel giant! A towering figure clad in metal armor—said to be the strongest among the various kinds.

And that steel giant had just sent the one chasing us flying… a betrayal? A split in their ranks? She couldn’t make sense of it…

“Are you okay?”

Behind the steel giant stood another—this one made of stone. Both were huge. And perched on the stone giant’s hand was a man.

“We’re not enemies! We’re not enemies! Can you understand me?”

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

I’d been fighting giants all over the place, testing out my summoning before heading to New York. And the thing I noticed? Not a single person in sight… not even a soul…

I mean, surely not *everyone* in America got wiped out by giants, right? But seriously, after not meeting *anyone* this long, I’m starting to freak out.

So I used my Thousand-Mile Eye skill to search for humans—and found these two young ones.

“Hey, you two… do you live around here?”

Staying on top of this giant and chatting like this was getting awkward, so I zapped the giant out of existence and got down to talking.

“No… we’re refugees… we fled here… that giant… is he… yours!?”

“Yeah, he’s my partner. We’re fighting together.”

Good—language seems to work. I’d stuffed myself with English textbooks before coming here. I’d never been good at English, but thanks to my “Calculation Acceleration” skill, I picked it up in no time. That was a lifesaver.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

“That’s Miller Park…!?”

She led me to an American domed stadium—Miller Park, a facility nestled inside a park.

According to her, in America, people are gathering in shelters across the country, hiding from the giants… living together, trying to survive…

Some shelters are guarded by military forces, others are run by civilians alone. The one she used to live in? Just civilians, barricaded. But it got hit by multiple giants—she and her family barely escaped.

The Miller Park we’re heading to now is a shelter with military presence. Supposedly, it’s one of the safest places around…

"Um... sorry! I haven’t even asked your name yet. I’m Michelle Brown, and this is my younger brother, Eli. Thank you so much for helping us..."

"Gojō! I’m the one who should be thanking you—leading me to the shelter saved my life. Really, thanks."

When we finally reached the entrance to Miller Park, someone suddenly called out to us.

"Stop! Are you refugees?"

Two soldiers pointed guns at us from a window above the entrance.

"Yes! I—I came here with my brother... escaping..."

"Is that guy behind you one too!?"

"Wha—yeah, yes, that’s right..."

"...Got it. I’ll open the door now—just wait!"

After being checked for belongings, we were led inside. When we stepped out onto the field, we both froze...

Over three thousand people packed tightly together, living shoulder to shoulder inside.