The Final Blow

Gwen thrust the spear into the air, launching a spray of fire upward. Flames engulfed the descending webs, burning them away before they could reach her or Chris. The smell of burning web and sewage filled the clearing.

The Arak crouched low, muscles tensed as it prepared to leap.

A shadow dropped from the canopy. Claire flew downward, weapons in hand. Both daggers plunged straight into the spider's clustered eyes. Purple mana wrapped around her arms as she drove the blades deeper.

The Arak reared back violently, thrashing from side to side, but Claire refused to let go. Twisting one dagger free, she drove it into another eye. Green blood sprayed across the clearing.

Blinded on one side, the Arak slammed itself back to the ground. It fired a strand of web from its leg that wrapped tightly around Claire's ankle. The spider tugged and pulled Claire off its face, throwing her against the ground.

“Dammit, Claire!” Chris shouted

Gwen swung her spear, summoning a wave of fire that raced past Claire.

The Arak recoiled, hissing as the flames burned its body. It fired another strand of web at a nearby tree and hauled itself into the canopy.

Chris placed the shield on his back and picked up Claire. He set her down at the end of the clearing; her face was pale, but otherwise okay.

Gwen had to fight the urge to heal her—having to conserve magic in case the fight dragged on. She scanned the area but didn’t see any signs of the giant spider around; neither did earth sense pick up any signs.

Click!

The arak’s noise echoed around them. Suddenly, a strand of web shot from the trees and wrapped around Chris's back.

“Get off me!” he yelled, struggling against the web as it dragged him across the ground.

Gwen flicked her spear. A thin blade of fire served as the web line. Chris landed on the ground with a hard thump, letting out a loud groan as he staggered to his feet.

Click!

Gwen’s eyes darted around the clearing, but the thick bushes hid the Arak completely from sight. Another click answered from somewhere to her left, and then from behind.

“It’s moving so quickly…” she muttered.

She twisted to the side as a web shot at her. The thread missed her shoulder, burying itself into a tree behind her. Another came from the opposite direction, but Chris threw his shield into its path.

Bam!

The web sprayed across the shield.

“It’s trying to separate us!” Chris yelled.

“No!” Gwen replied, dodging another strand of web as it flew past. “It’s just trying to tire us out.”

Click Click Click

The spider’s noises cut off any chance of a reply. Without warning, webbing rained down from above. Gwen swept the rock spear in a wide circle. Fire exploded outward, burning some of the web. Chris sliced through webbing with his sword, then raised his shield, blocking a ball of acid.

Bam!

Gwen spun, and a spider no larger than her fist stared back at her. The spider lunged at her, but a yellow blur intercepted it. The Karate Rabbit kicked the creature, its body exploding against a tree.

“What the fuck… the Arak can spit children out?” Gwen muttered as more spiderlings dropped into the clearing. Soon the entire clearing came to life with smaller Araks raining down from the branches.

“They’re everywhere!” Chris shouted, crushing one beneath his boot.

The rabbit darted between them, every streak of light sending spiderlings flying. Gwen thrust her palm toward the ground—a brown glow wrapped around her fingers. Stone spears impaled several at once.

But more baby spiders kept coming.

“Tch...” Gwen couldn’t waste any more magic on monsters this small.

A dark blade spun through the air, slicing three spiderlings in pieces. Claire slumped against a fallen log, breathing hard. Her arm trembled before she lowered it, the dark glow around the dagger dying out.

“Chris! Clear the little ones first!” Gwen shouted.

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”

Gwen slammed the butt of her spear into the earth. A ring of fire exploded outward in every direction. The flames instantly swallowed the closest spiderling. Those farther back tried to leap over the inferno, only for the Karate Rabbit to meet them midair.

Krackhom!

Green blood splattered across the burning ground.

Chris finished the last few with heavy swings of his shield, crushing them beneath its weight. Silence returned. Only the crackling of burning webs remained. The Karate Rabbit returned to Gwen's side, tiny scratches covering its fur.

Gwen reached down and gently patted its head. “You did well.”

The rabbit puffed out its chest proudly.

BOOM!

The Arak dropped from the canopy, all of its weight crashing into the clearing next to Gwen, kicking up dust and leaves. Green blood streamed from its eyes, dripping onto the forest floor.

It immediately lunged, stabbing its leg toward Gwen like a spear. She twisted aside just in time; the limb buried itself in the earth. Without hesitating, she thrust her weapon forward with fire pouring out from the tip.

The Arak recoiled, hissing, but another leg swept sideways.

“Boss!” Chris slammed into Gwen with his shield, knocking both of them clear as the leg carved through the space they'd occupied.

Gwen rolled back onto her feet. The Karate Rabbit shot underneath the Arak's body, yellow mana wrapped around its hind leg. Its kick landed squarely against one of the spider's damaged joints.

The Arak let out a mighty shriek. Chris charged and rammed the monster's side with everything he had, staggering the spider.

Claire's voice echoed from behind. “Shadow Bind.” A dark ribbon shot across the ground, wrapping around two of the Arak's remaining legs.

Gwen planted both feet and poured magic through her bracelet. The earth trembled, and rocks started lifting into the air, her earth spear joining the mass of rock. It formed one giant arrow, with the point turning red.

Claire cried out over loud snapping sounds. “Boss, it’s beginning to break free!”

Gwen nodded and pushed both her hands forward. The molten spear screamed through the air.

The arak tried to dodge, but the karate rabbit appeared above it. Its glowing kick slammed into the spider's head, forcing it downward, straight into the arrow’s path.

BOOM!

For a moment, the world seemed frozen as the rock collided with the monster’s head. Then time resumed—the arrow punched through the Arak's skull and buried itself deep into the ground beneath it. Immediately, cracks spread across the spider's body. Green blood poured from the wound.

The arak let out one final, deafening shriek before collapsing sideways with a thunderous crash that shook the clearing. Silence—only the crackling of Gwen’s fire remained.

Gwen stood there, panting, before finally lowering her hands. “I-is it dead?”

Chris cautiously walked over and poked one of its legs with his sword. It didn’t react. A grin slowly spread across his face. “Hell yeah! We killed it!” he cheered.

The Karate Rabbit hopped onto the Arak's head and proudly crossed its arms.

Gwen couldn't help but laugh despite how exhausted she was. “Ugh, let’s definitely avoid doing this again…for at least like a week.”