Chapter 25
Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Chapter 3 - Explosion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The standoff continued. The spiders surrounding us hesitated, unsure of their next move.
“Hey, you! The one with the horns!”
I pointed at one of them.
“Me…?”
“Yes, you. Go get my stuff. Everything. My glowing stick, the girl’s head…”
My demands were met. The Spider Queen, fearing for her mate’s life, had no choice but to comply.
As I reveled in our advantageous position, [his] trembling fingers pressed against my thigh, writing a message.
[Take mine. Wear it.]
“…And bring everything this guy has. His clothes, his knife, everything.”
I didn't understand his intentions. I simply took his belongings, thinking of them as his legacy.
To the spiders, we were just a “crazed male” and a “traitorous accomplice.” They didn't understand our relationship, nor the meaning behind my demands.
They simply obeyed. Or rather, they obeyed the Spider Queen, who was, in turn, being manipulated by me.
“Hurry up and bring it!”
“A-alright! Alright, just calm down!”
“Keeek-”
The horned spider scurried off to retrieve our belongings.
From the spiders’ storehouse, Amy’s severed head, my glowing rod, [his] knife and hood were finally returned to us.
“Good. Now put it down and back away. Get lost!”
“Kee- you bastard…”
My legs trembled as I pulled the items towards us, gathering them one by one.
I quickly donned the hood, gripped the knife,
And secured Amy, who had been patiently waiting in power-saving mode, to my waist.
“Arachne, slowly back away.”
“You… no, forget it.”
And then,
We started walking.
Each step, crushing the dead earth beneath my feet, felt heavy. My head throbbed with each movement.
I felt the spiders’ sharp fangs and agitated movements all around us. I tried to suppress my fear, but my body’s instinctive response was unavoidable.
But,
Hearing the frantic beat of [his] heart against my chest,
Gave me courage.
***
The dead trees and webs,
The lifeless earth and grass,
Slowly regained their color as we moved away from the Ancestral Tree.
But as the fresh air filled my lungs, the tension of the standoff reached its peak.
The Spider Queen and the other spiders threatened us, poised to attack.
“Release him! Release him now!”
I held my ground, pressing the knife against [his] throat. A trickle of blood welled up around the blade.
“Keeek-”
“Sister, back away…!”
I yelled, making sure they all saw the blood.
“I’ll kill him! Don’t do anything stupid!”
I couldn't show fear, I had to be aggressive.
A few more steps, and we would be out of the spider kingdom.
Behind me, the forest was green and vibrant, teeming with life.
“…Alright, fine. Stop right there.”
I knew this was where it had to end.
As soon as I released [him], the spiders would attack.
There was no other way. We had to rely on Arachne’s speed to escape.
It wasn't the smartest plan.
Holding him hostage and running as far as possible would have been safer.
But I adjusted my grip on the knife,
Preparing to honor his final request.
“Enough!”
The Spider Queen’s voice was a desperate cry. She had lost her patience, her voice rising in a torrent of rage and accusations.
“You vile male, do you think you can get away with this? Arachne! You’re betraying your mother and your sisters! Do you think you can live with that?!”
Her emotions were volatile. In this moment, I became the villain.
It was ironic. The creature who had tortured him mercilessly now acted like the victim.
“Give him back. Just give him back, and I won’t pursue you…”
And then,
Tears streaming down her face, she made an incredible offer.
It didn't matter if it was true or not.
What mattered was,
That the Spider Queen, in her desperation, had yielded to my demands.
“How can I trust you?”
“I swear… I swear it. Just let us live. Let him go… just let us leave. I swear on all the gods and the moon…”
I didn't understand the significance of her words.
But judging by the reactions of Arachne and the other spiders,
“…”
It was the most sacred oath the Spider Queen could offer.
“Let him go.”
Arachne’s voice was a low growl in my ear. I felt her rage.
I was afraid. I didn’t know how she would react after this.
“You’re really… I won’t forget this. Let him go!”
But I didn't lower the knife.
The black blade, poised to end his life,
The blade that had trembled in my hand,
Was finally still.
“Mother, I’ll let him go! Just promise you won’t follow us!”
The knife was steady. My hand no longer trembled.
“Yes, Arachne. Let him go.”
I thought of Dan. His agonized screams echoed in my ears.
Facing this horrific, long-awaited end,
I raised the knife,
“Goodbye.”
Thud-
I plunged the knife deep into [his] chest.
“Noooooooo!”
The Spider Queen’s scream was like Dan’s, filled with anguish and despair.
I didn't know where he came from,
Or even his name,
But he had a heart, just like me.
A fist-sized heart, beating furiously, refusing to accept its demise. With each pulse, blood gushed from the wound.
“No, no! No, no, no…!”
This was our goodbye.
Blood poured from his nose and empty eye sockets.
This dying alien, this creature from a distant world, grasped my hand, his body trembling.
“You crazy…”
Arachne couldn't hold back her curses any longer. Her face was as red as the blood staining [his] body.
I looked at her, my breath ragged.
“I had no choice.”
[He] collapsed,
And the spiders rushed towards him.
I knew this was a foolish decision.
But I couldn't leave him in their clutches.
He would have died eventually,
But not before enduring unimaginable suffering.
“No, no…! This can’t be happening. This can’t…”
The Spider Queen sobbed, her voice filled with anguish,
And the other spiders surrounded us, closing in,
But [he], his body failing, slowly crawled towards the Spider Queen.
“Oh, my love… it’s okay. I’ll save you. Somehow…!”
Their reunion was heartbreaking.
The Spider Queen lifted his dying body, her arms trembling, holding him close.
It was as if,
Their story was the only one that mattered.
The final page of this tragic, beautiful tale,
Depicted a tender embrace.
Arachne and I were overwhelmed by the enraged spiders, beaten and on the verge of being captured,
But [he] and the Spider Queen shared their final goodbye.
A warm embrace…
“Oh, yes… I love you too…”
“…”
And then,
[His] body began to swell.
“…Wait.”
The Spider Queen, feeling his expanding form against hers, suddenly realized something was wrong.
A blue light emanated from within him, as if he had swallowed something.
None of us knew what it was.
Or rather,
We didn't need to know.
“What is-”
Before she could finish,
Everything lost its meaning.
It was an explosion.
[His] final gift, crafted from years of consuming the toxic, harmful substances that had defiled his body.
***
Chapter 3 - Spider Lair
End.
***