OneTon's Last Stand
OneTon shuddered at the chill creeping up from behind and hurriedly twisted his body away. "Kyaaah!!!"
"Tch. Missed the mark."
Wendigo clicked his tongue. The spear he'd hurled with the intent to kill in one blow had grazed past the beast's waist, merely leaving a gash on its side. Still, it wasn't entirely ineffective—OneTon staggered, its body convulsing.
OneTon recoiled in horror at the cold seeping into its flesh. 'This insane spirit—how much mysticism is it wasting like this!?'
Spirit battles were all about efficient, one-shot kills, but this was beyond excessive. The chill infiltrating through a mere wound was gnawing away at a spirit's very body! Abandoning resistance to the cold, OneTon clawed at the gash with its nails.
Shiiiek!
"I misjudged you!"
As another of Wendigo's spears hurtled toward it, OneTon barely tore off the frozen chunk of flesh and leaped aside. It took wounds from the warriors' attacks in the process but paid them no mind—they were nothing compared to Wendigo's strikes.
Zaken glared at OneTon with seething hatred as it slipped away so casually. 'We should have caught the bastard!'
'It harbors a grudge against him... Well, given the beast's deeds, it would be weirder if it didn't.'
Wendigo landed beside Zaken after kicking off the ground, roughly grasping the situation from the warrior's glare. In moments of life-or-death crisis, everyone showed their true colors. With their chieftain lost and the fog closing in, it wasn't strange for the warriors to lose their minds and charge a spirit.
'...But why aren't they charging me?'
Wendigo scanned the warriors. Most radiated fear and awe, with only a scant few burning with resentment. It wouldn't have been odd for them to be filled with rage toward the monster who'd massacred their comrades.
"Planning to charge me too?"
"......"
Zaken barely stifled a hiccup at Wendigo's question. Composing himself, he faced the spirit head-on... and dropped to his knees, shouting, "O Spirit of the Forest! We were fools, blinded by that vile wretch and failing to recognize your greatness. If you grant us a chance to atone, we will stake our lives to wash away our sins!"
"...What're you talking about?"
Wendigo shot back at Zaken, baffled by the incomprehensible scene. Even OneTon stared at him in utter disbelief. But Zaken meant every word—he saw no other way to survive the forest.
As hard as it was to fathom, in Zaken's mind, Wendigo was a remarkably benevolent spirit. It had spared enemies it deemed worthy, and above all, wasn't it fighting to protect the forest folk? So... perhaps begging forgiveness and paying the price might earn mercy.
OneTon sneered as it pieced together the situation. 'Idiot. Did you throw your warriors to their deaths on such a moronic belief? As if any spirit would—'
"I see. As one bearing the lives of your warriors, it must've been a gamble you couldn't take lightly. I admire your resolve—your warriors are forgiven."
"!!?!?"
OneTon recoiled in shock as the hypocritical, foolish words spilled from Wendigo's mouth—words too absurd to even voice. What spirit in the world would accept such idiocy? There had to be some ulterior motive.
"However, accepting your apology comes with conditions."
'Knew it—there was a catch...'
"Your chieftain struck first against the forest folk, so harbor no grudges. Had you lot not come invading, this forest wouldn't be drenched in so much blood."
"...To think I've lost to this brainless fool!"
Zaken and the warriors were moved by Wendigo's mercy, but OneTon felt the deepest injustice of its life. It couldn't believe it'd been bested by such a dimwit. If it were in Wendigo's place, it'd have devoured their souls on the spot!
'No... even I might let a moron like that go if it begged forgiveness.'
Clinging to reason, OneTon decided to exploit Wendigo's madness. Endure a brief humiliation, and revenge could come anytime. For now, it just had to bow its head...
At that instant, another spear whistled lethally toward OneTon's head. It conjured massive claws in panic, barely blocking the strike.
"You forgive those useless worms but turn on me? Sparing someone useful like me would gain you far more!"
"What a fool. Why trust and forgive a backstabbing snake like you? Shut up and prepare to fertilize the forest."
"......"
OneTon glared at Wendigo, unable to refute. There had to be some infuriating mysticism woven into its words—why else would rage boil so fiercely?
As OneTon fled into the forest depths, Wendigo pursued, vanishing into the trees. The fog gradually thinned, and the warriors sighed in relief. At least they wouldn't die like dogs.
But... now what?
"Zaken. Do we just leave the forest like this?"
"No word from it—if we move rashly, we might meet disaster. Let's think a bit more... Huh?"
Zaken flinched as a figure emerged from the fog. A beauty utterly out of place amid the blood and corpses—white hair and crimson eyes clashing yet undeniably stunning. Skadi approached with a gentle smile, followed by bone-helmed warriors.
Zaken and his men instinctively gripped their weapons. Wendigo might've forgiven them, but spirits' underlings could be another story.
'It forgave us, but its minions might not.'
'Those helmets are creepy as hell. Mimicking the spirit's form?'
As the warriors eyed each other warily, Skadi stepped forward and extended a hand to Zaken. Bewildered, he took it without thinking.
"You must've suffered under that evil spirit-possessed chieftain."
"Pardon?"
Zaken blinked in confusion, but Skadi ignored it. Minds in turmoil were easiest to sway. As she spoke, the warriors hung on her every word, entranced.
OneTon became a cruel, cunning evil spirit. Rektar, a shameless wretch who'd sold out the tribe for immortality. The warriors? Victims who'd trusted such a chieftain.
It wasn't entirely wrong. OneTon was cruel and cunning, Rektar shameless. If one nitpicked, the warriors were more bystanders than victims—but they didn't dwell that far.
"Lord Wendigo grieved every time he faced you warriors. He brought the fog hoping you'd leave peacefully..."
"To think... We had no idea and let the chieftain fool us!"
"No wonder things felt off with this chieftain compared to the last. He was scheming to exploit the spirit, and it sensed it too."
Skadi wove her tale too convincingly for doubt. The warriors gradually fell under her spell.
* * *
After fleeing far, OneTon pondered its predicament. Escape from Wendigo was impossible like this—it had ventured too deep. At minimum, it needed to wound the spirit enough to slow it down.
'I don't need much. Just enough injury to hinder its movement!'
OneTon spun mid-stride, charging back at the pursuing Wendigo. Sly and deceptive by nature, but no coward when it came to brawls. Wendigo swung his ice sword silently; OneTon met it head-on.
Bang!
"I'll make you regret challenging me!"
As Wendigo's arm reeled, OneTon channeled mysticism to spawn a clone—not the flimsy decoy from before, but a potent one laced with power to kill and deceive, masking the true body.
The clone lunged at Wendigo's back in an instant, its shadowy claws raking across. No scream, but OneTon was certain—it heard flesh tear.
"Where'd that arrogance go? Come on, keep yapping like before!"
Wendigo readjusted and charged again, ice sword flashing. Its noticeably slowed speed fueled OneTon's hopes—perhaps it could do more than just stall; maybe fell it entirely.
As the clone struck again, Wendigo turned his back on OneTon to impale it. The clone tried to evade, but Wendigo was superior—his hand seized its throat viciously, thrusting the blade deep. Frigid burst from the ice sword froze it solid.
OneTon tsked and clambered onto Wendigo's back. "Even a spirit can't move without a head!"
Its head swelled, massive fangs aiming for Wendigo's neck. He frantically blocked with the ice sword, but...
Crack!
The blade shattered against the fangs. They sank into Wendigo's neck. OneTon inwardly cheered. 'I'd been deluded by its madness!'
The fear it'd felt was mere illusion from Wendigo's antics. No one wasting mysticism so wildly could have strength left! Wendigo must've grown complacent fighting deluded foes...
"Controlling clones is trickier than expected. No wonder the movements are so sluggish."
"!?"
OneTon leaped back in terror at the voice from behind—but too late. Spears from the forest pierced its body. Ice spears weighed it down with bitter cold; root spears sprouted, binding it tight.
Pain was one thing, but OneTon couldn't comprehend. What was the Wendigo it'd been fighting?
"How... What sorcery lets you live?!"
"Just using the spells you showed me. This one suits me pretty well, actually."
Wendigo emerged from the trees, beckoning with a finger. Another Wendigo stepped out. At the absurd sight, OneTon froze.
"No way... A clone? Impossible—the mysticism is too potent!"
Forcing its bound body, OneTon looked at its foe—and stiffened. It was no longer Wendigo. A wooden doll resembling him lay there, head torn off.
Realizing it'd fought a wooden puppet, not the real body, OneTon bellowed in rage, body swelling. Shame shattered its reason; it scraped every last drop of cherished mysticism. A black-aura wolf glared venomously at Wendigo.
"You think... You think I'll go down like this?!?!"
"You won't go quietly, sure. But it doesn't really bother me."
Crunch!
Freed from bonds, OneTon slashed with both claws, lunging to devour Wendigo's head. But it was its final rebellion.
Spears from the forest impaled its arms and chest. "Graaaah!!!"
"Clones are harder to control than I thought."
Only then did OneTon realize who threw the spears. Wendigo-like clones lumbered from the shadows—one became two, then six, mysticism dripping from them. OneTon sighed in despair.
"You absolute lunatic..."
"As your disciple, it's flattering to get such high praise from my master."
OneTon wanted to spit blood. In its long life, it could say one thing with certainty: the maddest spirit in the world stood before it!
As its mysticism scattered and nature's call grew louder, OneTon glared at Wendigo with pure hatred. "I... I won't forget you. I'll return, tear down everything you've built... Mmph!!!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it—you want revenge."
Roots from the earth sealed OneTon's cursing mouth. It tried to vent fury, but something was off—the clones gripped it fiercely.
"...!!!"
"The parasite from before was inedible, such a shame. But you look edible—lucky me."
As Wendigo's claws dug into its chest, OneTon thrashed in inexplicable terror. It didn't grasp why, but instinct screamed its existence was ending. For a spirit ignorant of death, the horror dwarfed a human's.
If it could speak, it'd beg slavery over oblivion—but roots sealed its maw tight. Wendigo calmly extracted its Origin.
Origin-less, OneTon's body rotted to dust in seconds, yet its heart twitched on. 'Eating the heart... still kinda gross.'
Recalling last time, Wendigo crafted an ice-and-root prison around it. Absorbing the boar spirit's Origin had triggered changes—likely here too.
'Wolf's Origin was... ferocity. Honestly, no clue what to expect.'
Thinking of the boar, nothing good awaited. Wendigo donned a root collar himself, ordering clones to guard, then signaled Skadi's ice necklace.
She'd handle things. Preparations complete, Wendigo gaped wide and gulped the heart. Enduring the squelching horror, the moment it swallowed...
Wendigo's mind plunged into darkness.