Chapter - 05

- - - - -

*Crash*

Shiro, rapidly dashed to the side, avoiding the attack by a few inches, his fatigue from hours of fighting the spiders had already reduced his reaction speed. If he were any slower, he would have been pierced. The two spike-like legs pierced into the ground, where Shiro was. He tried to make some distance between them, but the Arachne was very fast despite her large body. She offered no rest to Shiro. Thus a game of tag began. Shirl running around for his life, and the Arachne in hot pursuit. The spiders had surrounded the two from all sides, in a circular fashion, leaving an area around 100 metres in radius free. It looked like a stadium. Whenever Shiro approached the "boundaries" they would attack him and force him to retreat, but they didn't give chase. The Arachne was the star of the show after all.

"Damn it! I can't find an opening!" Shiro cursed in his mind.

He tried to get behind a group of trees to slow down the monster, but the Arachne easily broke them apart with her legs, like matchsticks. To her it seemed a game of cat and mouse. The lowly human male was running for his life, it was clear that he was tired, and would soon be in her grasp.

"Fufufu foolish human! tryeth as hard as thee can to saveth thy pathetic life, thee lowly creature ! thou art already in mine own grasp!" (Fufufu foolish human! Try as hard as you can to save your pathetic life, you lowly creature ! You are already in my grasp!)

The Arachne laughed in her haughty voice. Her tone full of arrogance. She was completely sure that this little human, was done for. Shiro grumbled after hearing this. He was very arrogant by nature. Normally he held it in to avoid small troubles, but when someone started behaving so arrogantly, he lost his cool as well.

(So what if I am In your grasp? Don't be too sure that this young master I, am dead already. Yes you are very strong, in fact you are much stronger than me. But so what? I may not be able to fight you today, but I can escape! And if I want to escape you or even two of you won't be able to stop me! But you are so sly! You cut off all my paths with those critters and you dare act so cocky before this young master! You barbariac woman! Hmph)

If She could hear his thoughts then the Arachne would definitely go mad. However, Shiro was truly in a pinch he was really tired now, his mana almost on the brink of exhaustion.

(But really....what should I do.....damn it what should I do.... Im totally trapped in here, If I try to break through the spiders' encirclement, my speed would surely drop....and if that happens, ill surely become spider food...no....should I wait for a chance....what if she plays some trick? Is it too dangerous to wait...?)

In his thoughts he didn't notice that his speed had dropped. The Arachne smiled coldly and one of her legs sped like a spear aimed at his shoulder. Shiro felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly raised his katana by reflex, to block the incoming attack.

*Shinnnnnnnnn*

The sound of metal hitting metal rang out. Shiro parried the leg, but as soon as the pointed leg hit the katana Shiro felt a ripple go into his arms, like someone had hit his katana with a giant hammer. His hands went numb. Taking advantage of his momentary shock, the Arachne flung him away ramming him into a tree.

"Gah!!!"

Shiro tried to get up, he could taste some sweet liquid in his mouth, he coughed out blood. The Arachne was truly merciless. He clenched his sword and stood up, his legs trembling due to pain and fatigue. But he felt no fear. Against an opponent so much stronger than him, he had no chance at winning in head on collision. He had to find an escape route.

(Think think think! What should I do to escape? All the surroundings are guarded by those spiders, and I cant just clear them up before this damn Arachne catches up. I don't have any more strength left to keep fighting. Damn it....there is a way...but what if it backfires...no....its the only way! I have to take a gamble.)

He steadied his katana and looked coldly at the approaching monster. Her beautiful face which would put goddesses to shame had a sadistic grin on it. In reality the Arachne didn't like bothering with humans or the other races. If not that this male had killed so many of her kin, she wouldn't have hunted him, as a queen she had to deliver justice to the murderers of her kin. Her sweet voice full of ruthlessness echoed in the forest.

"Doth thee finally und'rstand foolish male ? thou art a puny bug bef're this mistress! anon stand ho thy futile struggles and accepteth thy punishment" (Do you finally understand foolish male ? You are a puny bug before this lady! Now stop your futile struggles and accept your punishment!)

She once again shot out her legs aimed at the lowly human before her, but unlike before the human didn't dodge and stood at his place. Had this foolish male given up on his life ? She wondered. But then her eyes widened. The weak human, suddenly jumped upwards at the last moment, avoiding her legs which got lodged into the ground, then landed on one of them, next using her legs as a foothold, he once again jumped, but this time his sword was aimed at her neck. The Arachne was stunned, all this happened in less than 2 seconds. The blade was inching ever so close to her delicate white neck. But she wasn't aj Arachne for nothing, in the last moment she raised another leg and easily blocked the sword. However her heart shuddered. As an Arachne her lower body, that of the spider, was armoured with a very hard carapace. Any weapon below mithril weapons couldn't even leave a scratch. However her elven body was delicate and fragile if she was injured there, then it could be fatal. The human bug had really scared her this time, if her reaction were a bit slower her neck would have been...... The lowly human blocked by her, flew in the air because of the force of her counter and landed a long distance away from her. Shiro fell onto the ground, his body creaked, he had broken some bones. Though he had curled up to reduce the damage it did little help.

However his plan had worked. He had used the enemy's strength to aid himself. He knew that if he did a surprise attack on this Arachne who was so full of herself, she would definitely react in haste. Originally he had planned to wound her elven body, but he was blocked and thrown away, but this was just as fine. Taking advantage of the Arachne's stupor, he picked up the last of his strength and dashed towards the end of the forest. The surrounding spiders shrieked and screamed trying to attack him.

"Get out of this young master's way or die!"

With a loud shout he chopped up five spiders before him and kept running. Just a bit more, just a bit more and he would be on open lands, then he need not fear these bloody critters or this damned Arachne. Sadly, life wasn't always so simple.

Shiro's plan was perfect, but in his desperation, he had missed, certain points. His strength and stamina had fallen very low. As a result his speed had greatly reduced. But what his biggest mistake was that he had greatly underestimated the Arachne's abilities. She had broken out of her stupor shortly after Shiro had started running, the Arachne was now very angry. She realized that the lowly human bug had fooled her and escaped. In her entire life, no one had dared make a fool out of her, the great queen of spiders. This ticked her off. Till now she was just playing with the foolish male, but now she was hell bent on killing him. No one could escape after offending her. No one! Luckily her kin had blocked his way and slowed him down, she used her mana to boost her physical abilities and dashed like a gale. Her speed doubled in a few seconds. Shiro suddenly felt a sense of dread. The intuition of an warrior was screaming of danger,he tried to change his way, but the Spiders again blocked him. He raised his sword and chopped them into two, but it was too late...

*PUCHI*

He felt a coldness invade his body, followed by s stinging pain which instantly changed to burning. He was again thrown across the ground. The Arachne's leg had drawn a deep gash down his back, scrapping off flesh and showing the bones. Streams of blood poured out from his wound. In the last moment he had reflexively ducked forwards otherwise, the spear-like leg would have pierced right through his body. He coughed out more blood, as he lay on the ground. His sword had fallen from his hand lying near him. He tried his best to get up. If he could not, then he would surely die. But his body didn't budge, he had lost all of his strength. The Arachne shook off the bood and flesh of the lowly bug on her leg, it disgusted her. She looked at the fallen human male, a cold smile on her face.

"Thee lowly bug! thee dareth fool this gentle mistress ? With thy puny pow'r thee dareth beest so bodacious ? Behold what hast becometh of thee foolish male! This mistress hast hadst enow of thy futile games. This mistress shall betimes sendeth thee to hell! Beest grateful lowly bug, to beest able to fall und'r this mistress's feet, is the greatest honour of thee lowly bug life!" (You lowly bug! You dare fool this noble lady ? With your puny power you dare be so bodacious ? Look what has become of you foolish male! This lady has had enough of your futile games.This lady will at once send you to hell! Be grateful lowly bug, to be able to die under this lady's feet, is the greatest honour of you lowly bug life!)

She raised her spider leg aiming for his head, Shiro who was on the ground felt true despair. But he was helpless. His body was broken, his strength was spent, his courage lost. Against the over whelming force of the enemy his plans had been brutally crushed.

(Am I going to die....just like this........)

*GAH*

He spat out another mouthful of blood. His appearance was now really pitiful. His clothes tattered. His trusted sword was no longer with him. Blood covered over half of his face, flowing like a stream from a wound his head. He had lost lot of his blood, which made a red puddle around him.

(Damn it.... I should have known....this wouldn't work..... This is.....the worst way..... to die......And...I...I haven't....done anything...worth doing...yet.....)

Shiro thought, his body was in horrendous pain, yet in his eyes no fear could be seen, only a bone chilling coldness, as he gazed at the Arachne. His laboured breaths turned misty suggesting the coldness of the night. At the end of his ideas, his fading vision, fell onto the beautiful blue moon, glowing majestically in the night sky. As his vision grew darker and darker, he kept gazing onto the blue moon, as if enchanted by it. For in this instant, he felt no emotion, he felt no pain. The forest around the boy was quite, as if offering a silent farewell to him.

(....Well...to die under such a beautiful moon....wouldn't be so bad....)

*Badump* *Badump*

For a moment the thought of giving up the struggle came to his mind. However it vanished the next instant, and Shiro suddenly felt the throbbing in his right eye, accompanied by great pain.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh"

He suddenly screamed like a madman, startling the Arachne. The legs she was aiming to attack with, froze at their places. The lowly bug suddenly stood up clenching his head, she felt surprised as to how this foolish and weak human got the strength to stand after being wounded so badly. On the other hand Shiro was going mad from pain. The pain in his right eye, was like someone was jack-hammering his head. He felt his head would pop off any moment now.

(It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts......)

In his pain Shiro ripped off the eye-patch over his right eye. The Arachne saw it. The place where the lowly human's eye should have been, was an eye that shouldn't be on s human. The entire eyeball was blood red, with veins bulging in it, a dark miasma was leaking from it. The pupil itself was a black hole, for a moment, she felt as her soul would be sucked out if she looked at that eye. She immediately retracted her gaze. For some reason, she felt fear. How shocking! The queen of spiders Arachne felt fear from a puny human bug!

Shiro suddenly felt an unknown power filling him up. The katana that was lying away from him flew back into his hands. A dense and murky black magical aura burst out from Shiro's body. His vision was cloudy, his body in tremendous pain, but he felt he was also overflowing with power. His wounds began healing at a fast rate, in moments they were no longer bleeding. All of this was so similar to what he had experienced at "That" time. No! It was exactly what had happened five years ago. Shiro's mind became blank. All of the pain no longer bothered him. His eyes locked onto the Arachne before him. Killing intent surged from his body making the surrounding temperature to drop. He looked at the Arachne and ghastly voices in his head told him...

KILL! SLAUGHTER! MURDER! NO MERCY! KILL! KILL! SLAUGHTER!

(Hmph voices of darkness! Do not dare command this young master! Only I myself can command me!)

A cold grin appeared on his lips, his right eye was also bleeding now, but he didn't care. Step, by step, he began walking towards the Arachne. Red lines appeared on the katana in his hands. The weapon itself was giving off a murderous aura, kike it had slain millions of lives. To an observer Shiro at this moment, looked like a demon from the depths of hell. The Arachne braced herself. She felt alarm at all this, her heart was warning her of danger but her mind didn't want to believe, that this foolish human male who was less than a bug before her, could pose her any threat. At that moment, Shiro moved. He gracefully sheathed his katana, making the Arachne wonder what he was up to. Then putting his right leg forward and bending his waist a little, he held the sheath on his waist firmly with one hand and with the other on the katana. Dense magic power began flowing into the katana. It was also a basic skill used by warriors [Magic Equip].

"You human bug! doth thee bethink this gentle mistress shall beest intimidat'd by thee measly tricks! thee lowly male art just a did bite sore to killeth, this mistress dosen't believeth yond the lady can't killeth thee! Die!"

("You human bug! Do you think this Noble lady will be intimidated by you measly tricks! You lowly male are just a bit difficult to kill, this lady dosen't believe that she can't kill you! Die!")

The Arachne, decided to end him before he played any tricks. She charged, hell bent to kill this lowly bug before her. Shiro didn't bother with her words and smiled coldly. Then in a tone that sent chills down the Arachne's spine, he said.

"This young master I, wants to see exactly how you insect are going to kill me." His words were filled with deep arrogance. As if he was a god looking down on mortals from the heights of heaven.

*Shinnn*

A clear sound of metal rang out. Before the eye could catch the katana had been drawn. A dense crescent wave of black energy wept towards the Arachne. It was a sword slash! How fast it was! It created a sonic boom the moment it was released. She immediately tried to dodge, but even her high speed was not enough this time. The crescent slash missed her elven body by a few inches, but her spider body wasn't that lucky. All four of her spider legs from her sight side were cut off, her spider abdomen also was slashed open. Pinkish blood began flowing from her wounds and she fell down on the ground. Arachne unlike spiders didn't have greenish blue blood rather they had a light pinkish coloured blood.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh"

The Arachne shouted out in pain. Her beautiful face scrunched up in pain and tears began sliding down her cheeks. All the surrounding spiders, shrieked relentlessly, their queen had been so gravely injured. They lunged at Shiro who once again slashed, this time using his right leg as a pivot, he did a 360° strike, decimating hundreds of spiders to pieces. This move created a giant openning in the encirclement of the Spiders, allowing him a way of escape. Then casting one last look at the fallen Arachne he sighed,

"Truly a hard thing to kill...."

The strike he used on the Arachne was by no means weak. It was not any godly skill, nor was it some legendary technique, however the precision and force behind that attack was enough to cleave a Human Holy Knight warrior into two. The deep gauge on the ground beside the Arachne was a clear proof of that. It was over ten metres long and half a metre deep! He sighed and dashed away. His cold voice echoed as he left.

"You are quite strong Lady Arachne! This young master admires your strength! Unfortunately I can't play with you anymore. But rest assured! This young master will soon pay you a visit, and we will play to our hearts content! Look forward to this young master's return!"

Even in this state, when his blood was boiling for carnage, Shiro kept his reasoning. He knew that in a very short time he would run out of this dark power he had. This dark power, was an unknown to him, it had only activated once before and a lot of people had died then. All he knew was that it came from the sword he was wielding. But it was not omnipotent power. He mysteriously had a feeling in his heart that the power would be exhausted very soon. If he kept staying there he would invariably die. So he decided to escape as was his original plan. But Shiro wasn't some all forgiving man. He was the type that held grudges and also the type who repaid all debts. Now that this Arachne had without, any reason tried to kill him, and caused him so much suffering, he would make sure pay her back a hundred fold. Using the last of the boost given by this mysterious power, he sped into the night, in a few minutes he was finally out of the forest. His body was screaming for him to stop, his eyes were threatening to close any moment now, and he couldn't feel his legs anymore, only by the sheer force of his will and instinct which told him to move on, he kept running and running. His lonely figure soon disappeared into the dark night.

* * *

In the depths of the Arachnera forest, was the abode of the spider queen, Arachne. But her current appearance was pitiful. Four of her eight legs were gone, her abdomen was also wounded badly. Luckily Arachne had amazing regeneration abilities. All her wounds would heal given enough time, even her legs would grow back in a month or two. She was currently lying on a giant hammock she had made from her silk, which she used as her bed. Being an Arachne she naturally was an expert weaver. Her silk was tougher than steel yet softer than cotton. Lying in her hammock she recalled the visage of that lowly human male. The bug that had reduced her to this sorry state. She gnashed her teeth. Her eyes burning with hatred. Oh! How she wished to tear him into pieces and feed him to her kin! That unforgivable bug had dared to injure her ! He had dare to sully her honour! He had to die the cruelest of deaths! She remembered his parting words and a cruel smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh foolish human male! thee, just because thee make shift to receiveth this mistress by hoyday, thee bethink thou art stout'r than i ? v'ry well! this gentle mistress shalt waiteth f'r thy returneth! and at which hour thee doth, this mistress shall p'rsonally maketh thee wisheth thee w're nev'r birth'd by thee moth'r! i shall maketh thee begeth and plead f'r death! the harmeth thee has't done upon me, i shalt returneth t a hundredfold onto thee!"

(Oh Foolish human male! You, just because you manage to get this lady by surprise, you think you are stronger than I ? Very well! This Noble lady shall wait for your return! And when you do, this lady will personally make you wish you were never birthed by you mother! I will make you beg and plead for death! The harm you have done upon me, I shall return it a hundredfold onto you!)

In the next few months people who walked by the Forest of Arachnera would often hear wails of wild beasts and monsters. They feared that some very strong unknown monster had appeared in the forest. The Adventurer guild was notified of this and they sent experienced adventurers to keep watch on the forest. However they too only watched from outside and didn't go in, no one wanted to go beyond the point of no return unless it was absolutely necessary. Little did they know that inside, a very furious Arachne was hunting dangerous monsters sharpening her fangs and skills while for her greatest enemy to reappear.

However, Shiro and Arachne both didn't known, that at this point of time both of their thoughts of each other were exactly similar.

* * * * * * *