Chapter 63: Spider Queen (3)

“Keron.”

Keron’s eyes wavered with unease.

Spiderwebs clung to the thrusters.

That was no different from saying that Arkeron’s greatest strength—its high-speed mobility—had been sealed.

“A ratlike thing. Finally caught you.”

Kwadadadadada.

Arachne scuttled forward at tremendous speed, moving the eight legs of her massive lower body as she closed in on Arkeron.

“Keron.”

Pshushushushu!

Arkeron’s auxiliary thrusters tried to activate.

Even with the main thrusters sealed, it would not have been difficult to evade Arachne’s assault using only the auxiliary ones.

But.

Arkeron made a different choice.

“Activating energy barrier.”

Jiiiiiiing.

From Arkeron’s energy core, a violet aura burst outward.

It was a technique that condensed the core’s mana to form a barrier enveloping the body.

With a little more application.

“Area defense.”

A massive hemispherical barrier formed.

Kwaaaaang!

Arachne crashed into the energy barrier, and a thunderous explosion rang out.

“Chuchu!”

“Awooooo!”

“Uuuuu—!”

The shadow wolves behind Arkeron let out anxious cries.

The reason Arkeron chose to block Arachne’s charge instead of dodging it.

Was because of them.

“How laughable!”

Jiiiiiiing.

Ten slender legs sprouting from Arachne’s back filled with green mana.

It was an enormous concentration of poison energy.

Bang, bang, kwaaaaang!

She struck out with all ten legs at terrifying speed.

With each blast, the energy barrier shook violently, as if it might shatter at any moment.

“Keron.”

Arkeron released more and more mana from its energy core.

Pshishishish.

The energy core overheated, steam beginning to leak out.

Even so, Arkeron did not stop.

No—it could not stop.

The moment it did.

It could no longer guarantee Chuchu’s safety, nor that of the shadow wolves.

“Arkeron!”

“Ah…!”

The instant Bellerin and I stood there, speechless at the sight—

“Chu!”

Chuchu suddenly dashed toward the barrier behind Arkeron.

The barrier could not be entered from outside, but one could exit from within.

Chuchu was trying to go out.

“Keron!”

“Awoooo!”

“Awoooooo!”

Arkeron and the shadow wolves cried out in alarm at Chuchu’s action.

But Chuchu’s speed was like a beam of light, leaving them no time to stop him.

Swaaaaak!

Chuchu.

He was of the Luminar Har race.

Beings who revered light.

And so.

Their combat power was so low relative to their level that it was practically nonexistent.

But they possessed one trait that surpassed all other races.

Speed.

Paaaaaat!

Chuchu surged toward Arachne as a golden flash.

His speed rivaled Arkeron’s full-output high-speed movement.

No—perhaps it was even faster.

“Chrrk!”

“Chrrrk!”

The spiderlings that had survived Arkeron’s bombardment rushed in.

But—

Swaaaaaak!

Chuchu streaked past them all in a flash of light.

“Chuchu!”

In an instant, Chuchu reached Arachne.

He leapt bravely onto her body.

“What…?”

Arachne frowned and stopped attacking the barrier.

Because Chuchu had already reached her face.

“Chu!!”

In Chuchu’s hand was a small knife.

A knife Bellerin had made especially for him from mithril.

Jiiiiiiing!

Golden mana gathered around the blade.

Chuchu’s combat power was low, but that did not mean he could not use mana.

With a weapon crafted by such a master smith, he could display considerable offensive power.

It was with this knife that he had cut through the webs binding the shadow wolves earlier.

So.

“Chuuu!!”

He aimed for Arachne’s eye.

The eye—an undeniable vital point for any being.

He believed he could deal serious damage.

…Or so he thought.

Thud!

“Chu!?”

Feeling the rebound force, Chuchu lost his grip and dropped the knife.

Arachne’s eye was far thicker and harder than he had expected.

It had repelled the strike without even closing its eyelid.

“Have you finished your little trick?”

All eight of Arachne’s eyes turned toward Chuchu.

A chill ran through him.

It felt like being a butterfly caught in a web.

“Chu!”

Paat!

Chuchu endured the pressure and darted away.

Spot—

A spider leg glowing green brushed past the spot he had occupied just moments before.

If he had been even slightly slower, his body would have been skewered.

“Chrrk!”

“Chrrrk!”

The spiderlings immediately rushed toward Chuchu.

He darted left and right to avoid them.

But the problem was space.

The radius was shrinking.

Chuchu was being cornered, unable to move freely.

“Keron!”

Kwagagagaga!

Seeing Chuchu in danger, Arkeron dismissed the barrier and charged at Arachne.

“Awooooo!”

“Awoooo!!”

The shadow wolves followed close behind.

“How pitiful.”

Arachne sneered at them as they charged.

The outcome was already decided.

Their final struggle resembled a butterfly thrashing helplessly in a web.

“I will kindly teach you what it feels like to be a butterfly trapped in silk.”

Kugugugug.

The end of Arachne’s lower body swelled.

Then—

Puhwaaaaak!

A torrential eruption of spiderwebs burst forth.

Under a net that covered everything, all space was filled with webs.

Arkeron charging in.

The shadow wolves.

Even Chuchu, who had been fleeing.

All were bound in webs, unable to move.

“Keron. Activating mana storm.”

Jiiiiiiing!

Arkeron attempted to unleash a mana storm to break free.

But—

Pshuk, pshushushushuk.

The energy core had already reached its limit.

“Combat mode is ending.”

As if things were not bad enough, combat mode disengaged.

“Ah!”

“No, Arkeron, just a little more—please!”

Bellerin and I cried out in despair.

‘Where is Azkai?’

Azkai had torn through space and rushed out.

Only if he arrived in time could this situation be reversed.

‘At this rate…’

A tragedy would unfold.

—Just as that thought crossed my mind.

“Rooaar—!!!”

A roar that shook heaven and earth echoed.

“…!”

Arachne lifted her head with a pale face, staring into the air.

Her eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

Whoosh!

The sky turned crimson, like a blazing sunset.

Along with it came a wave of heat so intense it made breathing difficult.

Hisssss!

The earth screamed, and the air writhed.

And that was not all.

Crackle, cracklecrackle!

The spiderwebs filling the area were engulfed in scorching flames and burned away.

Not only the webs.

The ground itself sizzled as molten lava began to flow.

“W-what… is this…?”

The imposing Arachne from moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

She trembled miserably, like a mouse before a cat.

Shuaaaa—kwaaaang!

And then.

The being who finally arrived.

His entire body was wreathed in flames.

The Lava Great Tiger.

An ancient white tiger who wielded the power of magma.

Azkai.

“I am not late.”

Grrrrrr.

At the sound of his low growl alone, Arachne felt her spirit being crushed.

“Are you all right?”

Until Azkai reached Arkeron, Arachne could barely even breathe.

“Keron. No problems.”

“Good. Tough as ever. The wolves look fine too.”

He lifted his gaze toward Arachne behind them.

“Chuchu!”

Chuchu hurried over to Azkai’s side.

Aside from his golden fur being darkened where poison had eaten at it, he seemed fortunately unharmed.

“Chuchu, chuchuchu!”

Standing beside Azkai, Chuchu gestured wildly toward Arachne, raising his voice.

It looked exactly like a younger sibling tattling to an older one.

“I see. You did well. I will handle her. Stay back.”

“Chuuu!!”

Chuchu shook his fist at Arachne, then scampered back beside Arkeron.

“Hm.”

Azkai looked at Arachne.

Time for judgment.

“P-please… spare me…”

Arachne forced out the words in a suppressed voice.

Like her vice commander Arakenes, she was overflowing with a desire to live.

To survive, she groveled shamelessly before Azkai.

Snort.

Azkai looked at her and spoke a single line.

“Impossible.”

He snapped his fingers.

Thunk.

Bang, kwaaaaaaaaaang!

A massive surge of lava erupted beneath Arachne’s feet.

It did not merely consume her, but swallowed everything around her.

Fwoooosh, fwoooosh.

A storm of magma.

The entire world was drowned in lava.

“Guh… ah… n-no…!”

Arachne’s faint voice echoed from within.

That was her final scream.

Fwoooooosh.

When the lava storm ended.

Only one thing remained.

Two stars.

They glittered, announcing their presence.

“Chuchu!”

Chuchu ran over and quickly collected the stars.

That was the end.

Arachne, who had seemed overwhelmingly powerful.

Had been nothing more than a light post-meal exercise for Azkai.

“Wow…”

I let out an exclamation at the sight.

Azkai.

You are really strong.

Bang—!

A punch filled with rage.

The ground shook, a small earthquake rippling outward.

“Arachne and her division commanders were wiped out?”

“Y-yes.”

“Grrrk!”

The king of the insectfolk.

Bermis.

Unable to contain his fury, killing intent blazed in his eyes.

“Truly… absurd. That a being powerful enough to annihilate the spider division is roaming freely.”

He took a deep breath, calming himself.

“So there truly is something at the center.”

His eyes grew cold.

“Order all legion commanders to prioritize locating the remaining Liri in the eastern forest.”

He looked ahead.

A massive, translucent hemispherical barrier.

A barrier that prevented only him from leaving.

But.

That would not last long.

“Liri… Liri…”

“Liri…”

The captured Liri were constantly producing the essence of the forest.

Each time that essence was applied to the barrier—

Duuuuung…

Its power weakened little by little.

“I will step in personally and put an end to everything.”

Bermis’s voice, chillingly cold, echoed softly.

Those who returned safely to the lair.

“Waaah! Everyone, great work!”

Bellerin ran out barefoot to welcome them.

“You all did incredibly well.”

“Heh. It was nothing. Not even a proper snack after a meal.”

Azkai replied lazily to my words.

There was no arrogance in his tone.

To him, Arachne truly had been nothing more than an insect he could erase with a gesture.

“You really are strong, Azkai.”

Lately, he had seemed so lazy, always chewing and sucking on ice fruits, that the image of his awe-inspiring roar had faded from my mind.

This time, I had clearly felt the true extent of his power.

“Heh, you flatter me.”

Azkai grinned, clearly pleased by the praise.

“Arkeron, you worked hard too. If you had not stepped in directly, things could have gone very wrong.”

“Keron. I merely did my duty.”

Humble, as always.

“And Chuchu…”

I turned to praise Chuchu next.

But—

Snort.

A laugh escaped before I could speak.

Why?

“Chu!”

Chuchu stood with a U_U expression, hands on his hips and chest puffed out.

It was the look of—

I am Chuchu!

Hurry up and praise me!

Seeing that, I could not help but laugh.

“Kyah! Our Chuchu. So adorable!”

Bellerin’s reaction was understandable.

Right now, Chuchu truly looked cute.

‘Thank goodness everyone is safe. Truly.’

Through this ordeal, I made a single resolution.

‘I have to become strong too. Strong enough to protect everyone. Overwhelmingly so.’

Without power.

You can only lose what is precious to you.

I had learned that painfully well this time.

So.

No longer would I think only of raising my level.

I resolved to become truly strong.

‘But my level is far lower than that of everyone else here. To overcome that limitation…’