Chapter 77: Forest Wave, Last⑤: Spider-Cutter

I muttered without thinking, terrified.

“That’s way too insane.”

What the hell was that…? We were almost caught up in it too.

Apparently, she was an acquaintance of Wof and the others. As expected from that witch’s disciple.

“…That’s no longer a weapon. It’s a disaster.”

“That thing could kill gods.”

“A siege-tactical-class weapon, gesu…?”

“It’s gone beyond being a weapon.”

“Mm… Mineha Lake… might be created…”

“…………”

Nabel had completely collapsed on his backside.

As for the giant spider… it was on the verge of death.

Half its legs had been torn off, and its body was slanted as if sinking into the ground.

Even so, its six red eyes still shone sharply as it glared at us.

But it was no longer in any condition to fight.

Everyone fell silent as they looked at the spider.

“Nabel.”

“Woof— ah, sorry.”

“Finish it off with that.”

I looked at Spider-Cutter.

Nabel also lowered his gaze, and once he understood what I meant, he nodded and stood up.

But it seemed the giant spider still had one final desperate struggle left in it.

From the torn-off half of its legs, ominous black legs began growing.

“Enough already…”

I snapped.

This would be exhausting, but I was using this.

I gripped the greatsword I usually wielded one-handed with both hands.

Not since Laada had I done this. That had been humiliating, but… I would win against this thing.

No. I would open the path.

“Garad. Looks like the enemy still wants to fight.”

“Yeah, seems so. I’m getting fired up too. Roar, Jinryu!”

The greatsword split open down the middle, becoming like a rough, jagged mouth.

This greatsword is called Jinryu. It is one of the infamous Dragon Weapons.

This was also the one that once crushed something called a daughter of the Sword Goddess.

Come to think of it, the Flame Tongue wielded by Agaro of the “Sword Destroyer” was also a Dragon Weapon, wasn’t it?

Once I awakened it, I felt the strength drain from my body in huge amounts.

It felt like my soul was being eaten.

“Garad!”

“Stay there, Nabel. I’ll make the path. I’m not the one you’re eating. Devour that thing, Jinryu!”

Jinryu stretched as if alive.

Its split, jagged edges opened like jaws and attacked the giant spider.

But the giant spider floated softly and moved away, dodging it.

“What!?”

Looking closely, what made it float was thread.

It was moving through the air using thread.

Right, spiders do move like that.

But with that huge body? What ridiculous movement.

However, Jinryu chased it.

It would chase forever.

Well, something inside me was being scraped away hard, but there was no way I would let it escape.

Even if I died, I would chase it down.

Then an arrow flew.

It struck one of the giant spider’s white legs as it moved between the trees.

Bid.

He hit it even without a relic. Nice. Well done.

Jinryu bit into one of the black legs and dragged the giant spider down from the trees.

“Daaaah!”

Hoss delivered a full-power strike and cut off a leg.

The giant spider tilted.

Taking advantage of that opening, Liv and… the unclothed spider woman charged at the same time.

But the giant spider’s six red eyes glowed eerily.

“Don’t look! It’s an evil eye!”

“Mm… ah.”

“What!?”

Too late.

In the next instant, a huge flock of crows swarmed around the giant spider.

“That was close, gesu.”

Looks like support from the clothed spider woman.

A servant-type relic?

If she can use it even under the effect that prevents relic use, it must be special.

Strictly speaking, she is not really a spider woman, though…

Actually, what are these people?

I know they are not enemies, but… she said to ignore it, though I’ll question her later.

“Mm… Sky Form… Subaru… Electra Blade.”

“Severance, or rather, Knight Slash!”

Liv’s sword shone white and burned through a black leg, while the spider woman cut through a white leg.

What the hell is Knight Slash…? Actually, that’s Gwyne, isn’t it? She has the same sword.

Why is she on our side now?

“Uoooooooooooh!”

After the two attacked, the giant spider was battered and wounded all over.

Nabel ran.

His target was the six red eyes, the spider’s true eyes.

“Go, Nabel!”

“Do it!”

“Go for it, Nabel-kun!”

Nabel ran, took his stance, and leapt.

As he fell, he swung down.

“Uoooooooooooooh! One Flash, Tortoiseshell Eight-Cut!”

Come to think of it, I had heard this before.

One of a spider’s natural enemies is a wasp.

I think it was called a spider wasp.

Nabel’s full-power Tortoiseshell Eight-Cut sliced through the giant spider’s red eyes.

At the same time, Spider-Cutter crumbled away and vanished.

That meant this giant spider had been subjugated.

“Hah… hah… hah… I did it. I defeated it…”

Nabel stood there in a daze.

I felt relieved.

When I returned Jinryu to normal, my strength suddenly drained away.

My legs gave out.

Seriously, I thought I was going to die.

“W-wait, Guene… Miss!? Your body! Your body is in trouble, gesu!”

W-what?

The spider woman… Guene’s body was crumbling.

This is…

“So it is as I thought.”

Calmly, she looked at her arm as it crumbled.

“Mm… a servant body…?”

“W-what does that mean, gesu?”

“I do not know who prepared this body, but it was based on one of that giant spider’s servants. So if it is defeated… this is what happens.”

She laughed faintly, looking empty.

Her arm disappeared.

“…I see, gesu.”

“Gesuo. I have a request. Though it was only for a short time, and I still hate humans, you and Liv are not so bad. So I want you to accept this Gwyne’s sword as the sword of your knight.”

With her remaining, crumbling hand, she handed over the white shining sword.

Gesuo received it.

Gesuo…?

“Mm… see you… again.”

“Next time, I will win.”

“…Are you truly fine with me, gesu?”

“Yes. I want you. See you again.”

Guene said that with a smile, then collapsed all at once.

Nothing remained there.

“…Hah. This is the first time something has been entrusted to me, gesu.”

Gesuo… I understand. My brother entrusted Jinryu to me too.

That sword looks creepy, but take good care of it.

Because of everything that had happened, and because everyone was tired and relieved after finally defeating it, none of us noticed the giant spider’s final desperate attack approaching Nabel.

Danger!

The giant spider’s final claw, torn free and sent flying, was about to pierce Nabel’s back.

Just before it could, an octopus tentacle emerged from the ground and grabbed the claw.

“Uwaah! An octopus…!?”

“An octopus! But isn’t this Wof-kun’s—”

“W-what is that?”

In the sky… what?

Something is falling?

It has the shape of a person—

Hey.

Hey, hey.

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Mm… seriously…”

“Seriously!? There really is no time to breathe, gesu!”

“Seriously, is that— seriously!? Wof-san!?”

Seriously?

Wof was falling from the sky.

And just like that, with no one able to do anything, he fell straight toward the collapsing giant spider.

Seriously!?