[“Move!!”]

Huh? What was that? Did Elly just say move?

She shifted her eyes to what’s behind me. I turned my body aside to look at what Elly's been glaring. Divided with blanket of moving blacks, from the tunnel, a thick, long, hairy leg with long sharp claw thrust out and jabbed on the rocky ground. It cracked the ground with its black claw as sharp as a blade which connected to its thick hairy leg. Followed by more of that creepy legs, moving its body out from the tunnel.

It was a giant hairy spider. Coarse, unruly black hair covered part of its head and body with red shiny bulky eyes spotted all over it. They blinked respectively, with the size ranged from a tennis ball to a gym ball, randomly scattered. The body itself had a size of two cars lined horizontally, supported by four crooked hairy legs on each side. Two white grungy fangs protruded from its mouth, clicking like a scissor, each fang was covered with thousand spikes. It slowly creeped to the center, greeted by the swarm of spiders.

Elly leapt and hauled me to her back as if carrying a livestock. I was confused by her action but I didn’t have the time to resist. She ran to the side, kicked the ground and then suddenly leapt up to the air, the speed was astounding, my vision was blurred when she leapt. The next moment, she had already landed on top of the highest barren rock wall, where no swarm gathered yet.

“Yuu... here!” She stated as she leapt away, not giving me a chance to speak.

I ran as she jumped down from the edge, she flipped on the air, one leg stretched out and pounded on the ground.

BOOOOOMMMMMM!!

With a stomp, the area shook, rocks on the wall slid, the sand at the area were blown away, exploding like a blooming flower. The rocky ground split and travelled to the Giant Spider. The swarms were clicking anxiously, they scuttled away from the center. The orangey rocky ground exposed into a round shape, where the giant spider and Elly stood while closely observing each other's movement. All that commotion happened but the giant spider wasn’t affected by her intimidation at all. It screeched out another monstrous wail and the moral of its swarms were back again.

Elly snarled like a predator, no notice given, she sprang forward, jumped and pointed her force packed leg at the Giant Spider. As if predicted, the giant spider moved aside, easily dodged Elly’s attack. The swarms started crowding at Elly, but she moved too fast for them. Only the giant spider could follow her blurring speeds.

The giant spider leapt backward, while it was on the air, it spurted purple blobs, spitting straight to the ground where Elly was at the moment. Elly jumped and dodged the bubbling, sizzling blobs. The purple liquids melted the rocky surface on contact. The spider then landed at the wall nearby its tunnel, drumming its hairy legs around it. Not stopping, the spider once again spurted the acid blob toward the running Elly. Some of the smaller spiders got splashed and burned on place.

There was nothing I can do to help her. All I did all the time was watching her fighting from high up, at the place that seemed to be free of the swarm. But, not for long. The hairy legs started peeking from the edge, then they creeped onto the surface, pulling its shiny black body up. More of them followed. The spiders had reached the ground where I stood.

The ground I stood was only a thick wall across the canyon, behind me was another steep cliff far down to the rocky ground, in front of me was the area where Elly fights. The only route I can take was to go around to the other side of the wall where the rocky wall was much more slanted and can be descended. But, going down mean more swarms, which is not any better.

The smaller spider jumped toward me, I swung my hand on reflex, but they clung onto my arm so tight, the claw on their legs tightly gripped me. I clenched at the spider with another hand, trying to pull its basketball sized slippery body away from me. The body was soft like I had expected from a glance. It felt creepily cold and spongy on touch. Another spider flung itself toward my leg, creeping up, sending shiver down to every of my spine. The spider on my hand jabbed its fang into my arm, instantly spread a burning sensation into my skin.

I staggered, swinging the bitten arm wildly on the air. I pulled back my hand, fingers pointed straight and stiff, then I thrust them straight into the mushy body of the spider. The body burst, dark purple blood squirted and the hairy legs loosen. Then it fell to the ground upside down with quivering legs. My hand coated with its blood, it was hot and tingling, quite acidic but not to the stage where it could melt my skin.

The spider on my leg scuttled up, jabbing its claw while moving. I raised both my hands, pointed at the spider straight and thrust into its body. The blood splattered and the pants I wore melted into holes. They were easy to kill but the bite was something else. The tingling sensation on my arm was increasing and my heart started to hammer.

I started running while the swarm inching close, chasing me from behind and creeping up from the edge of the ground. I glanced at Elly who was throwing her powerful kick toward the Giant Spider, they barely brushed at each other. But, Elly's face doesn't look too good. She was frowning and trouble glistened in her glare. While peeking at them, a spider suddenly flung to my sight, I swung my hand and busted it away.

The speed of the spiders wasn't any quicker than me when running but the moment they leapt with those eight legs, the momentum they built before they sprang, pushed them far enough to reach me. The swarm was getting crowder and it won't be long until I see myself cornered. I keep running and throw my sight toward every nooks and crannies, looking for an escape.

"Graaaaaahhhhhhh!!" Elly screamed while she leapt into the air, with glowing blue light reflected on her leg, she somersaulted in the air and pounced on the giant spider. It couldn't fully evade the lightning speed slamming and got one of its right leg crushed, ripped apart from its body. The same dark purple blood splattered and the giant spider wavered to the side where its balance was crushed.

But, the giant spider had adjusted its footing in another split second, then it immediately swung its front left leg and got Elly on her stomach with an eye blurring speed. Elly was thrown straight but she managed to adjust herself in the air, flipped and landed on the wall with both her feet. And then she smashed the wall by her powerful kick and bolted toward the giant spider right on its abdomen. The giant spider squealed in an ear-piercing sound and stumbled to the back.

Not having any time to be concerned about Elly, I who was running along the wall, had finally got cornered from all direction. The swarm surrounded me. They started jumping on to me who deliberately smacking them away from my body. But, still few landed on me and burrowed its burning fang into my skin. Their numbers overwhelmed me.

They crawled all over my body, attacked me in group and got me staggered. They repeatedly bit on my skin through the thin clothing I was wearing. I jabbed through the spiders' body with my fingers and clenched my hand into a fist, then I pulled my hand out, burst its body open. The blood fluttered mid-air, splatted onto my face.

They didn't rip flesh but they injected a searing liquid under my skin. Flowing through my blood, the poison travelled from my body to my head, my mind was getting hazy as time goes and my vision was getting worse. It was a sea of swarming black in front of me. The spiders kept coming and my hands had started getting numb from exposing too much spider blood. I started swinging my hand aimlessly, strength gradually leave me. I couldn't even feel my fingers anymore.

If only I have power

I glanced on my hand, they were spotted with bite marks, similar the one those kittens had on their body. The bite of the spiders must have poisoned. My head thumped crazily, my mind was cluttered, I couldn't think straight anymore. My chest felt like rupturing. My body was burning hot and bubbling up on my chest, I felt tight and almost couldn't breathe. My legs betrayed me and I fell to the ground while the swarm engulfed me. I was too numb to feel their crawling legs but I can see myself covered with them while struggling with my back laid flat on the ground.

But then, one of the fang, jabbed straight through my stuffy chest when I thought I couldn't feel anything more. That sting, immediately send alarming signals throughout my body and reached my nervous system.

"AAARRGGGHHHHHH" I howled in anguish, helplessly to what was happening to me. I robustly swung my burning hand toward the spider which bit on my chest as if releasing the pure distress in me.

WHOOOSSHHHHHHHHH

The spiders around me were flung away by a blast of sharp raging wind. Their body was slashed on contact by a sharp, blade like, wave of air, squelching them in rhythm. Blood splattered all over the place, dropping down like the rain. The body of the swarm were sliced into clean two parts, exposing its black gooey innards, slowly flowing out together with the dark lumpy blood.

What was that?

They were scorching hot, I rolled my eyes, looking at the faint green light reflected on my hands. I raised it up to my face and stared at it bemused. It radiated in the same way like Elly did. The light faded, my hands returned to normal except all the bites scattered on my skin. I looked around, the ground was bubbling in sea of severed spiders and its blood. While my legs were still wobbling, I sat up and stood with my trembling legs. Slowly, I dragged myself to the edge, eyes searching for the familiar person.

They were right below the wall I stood. Elly was breathing heavily, but still glaring and snarling toward her opponent. The giant spider wasn't in any good shape either. It had lost another leg and currently standing with unbalanced stance. But, Elly had blood flowed out of the corner of her mouth. The flush on her cheek had long gone, the shadow under her eyes appeared and her lips were turning dark.

She is poisoned

The same goes with me, I coughed, blood threw to my sight. I shifted my eyes to Elly, our eyes met and she looked surprised. But then, the giant spider moved, blinking its hundred red bulky eyes, it turned its face toward me. Elly’s eyes widened, she leapt and blocked our line of sight, while the giant spider squirted a purple blob directed toward me.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Elly yowled in pain as the liquid splashed straight to her back. The cloth burned and her pale skinned back was sizzling and melting. She dropped straight down to the ground, while wriggling in pain.

The giant spider crawled in and raised its sharp claw high up. Elly stared from the corner of her sight, looking at the upcoming impact, she rolled on her blistering back, she groaned and barely dodged the claw that struck just an inch beside her. The giant spider turned to Elly and raised another claw high up.

The thought of Elly inevitable being stabbed by the upcoming claw, flashed on my mind. My hearts once again, hammered wildly. My body moved itself and I jumped down high in the air targeting the giant spider. I landed on its head, crushed few of its eyes, the impact caused the monster to missed Elly and struck its claw far from her. The monster roared viciously while swerving sharp from left to right, trying to get me off its back.

Elly had adjusted herself straight, standing with her bruising grimy feet. The spider directed its claw toward me, I jumped off at the exact moment it thrust its claw, eventually missed me and jabbed on its own body. The monster once again roared thunderously while quivering on place. The earth shook from its recent roar. The swarm of smaller spiders started jumping in aggression toward us.

Elly gave out a loud screeching cry with the transparent sound wave, travelled and flung the small spiders away from the area. But then, they continued back swarming into us. I kicked, stomped, smacked the spiders away with all the strength I have left. But, I couldn't hold out for anymore longer. My legs had been wobbling weak.

I glanced at Elly, she forced herself to move and leapt with a fist curled to her back, directing at the giant spider. But, she suddenly staggered mid-air, coughing blood, she lost her momentum and the monster once again slammed its leg toward Elly, sent her straight down to the ground. Elly spurted blood and yelped. No matter how strong she might be, there's no way she could fight in that battered state. The blisters on her back were smashed at the impact. Tears started forming at the corner of her fading eyes because of the pain. Her consciousness had broken down.

I ran myself to her side, but the giant spider had hauled her up with its sharp claw, dug into her skin. The fangs were clicking in frenzy while dragging Elly's battered body near to its mouth. She will be eaten. I leapt forward with all my might, my chest tightened, my mind focused, my hands shaking in fear but not of the monster, but the thought of her dead while protected my pathetic self. I swung my arm trying to struck its leg, to make it lost its balance.

SSWIIIISSHHHHH

Something else happened, the giant spider didn't move, it stopped clicking its fang, those creepy red eyes stopped blinking, the legs froze on place, the claws which hauled Elly unleashed its strength and dropped Elly down. I immediately moved my wobbling legs, stomping on my way to her.

SPLAAATTT

The giant spider suddenly slit apart, from the lower left to the upper right, split its body horizontally in a lightning speed. The upper part slid down and the inside gushed out at the moment they were exposed to the air. The legs no longer supported its body and dropped the body down to the ground, blood and innards splattered out, painted the area with its dark viscous pungent blood. Some of the liquid mixed with its poisoned blobs, sizzled on the ground.

A speckled of its purple blob landed on my cheek and dug into the thin skin layer of my face. I groaned a bit but I continued carrying Elly away from that monster. The swarm of spiders moved in confusion, but they had started retreating back to its hole. Until they finally cleared out of the nasty area, leaving only me, Elly, the severed monster and the ghost-quiet area.

"Hey! Elly! Elly! Open your eyes!" I shouted at her while carefully carrying her in my arms, not to agitate the horrible wound which spread across her back. But, her eyes remained shut and her lips were getting darker every second.

I closely inspect the wound on her body. She was bruising all over the place. The poison must had got into her through the first cut on her cheek and slowed her movement. I felt the scorching pain on my cheek, way more vicious then the bites from the smaller spiders. I couldn't imagine getting them splashed directly onto my back. Gruesome guessing raised the hair on my skin. I glanced at her paling face.

Not knowing what to do in this situation, I was reminded of how Elly regained her health at the previous fight. With a slight hope imbued in me, I moved my face down aligning to hers. I tilted my head and touched her cold small forehead. Desperately hoped for a miracle in this hellish place.

A moment passed, but nothing happened. She's not moving and her breath was getting more faint. I pulled my head up, knowing it was a futile. Grief filled in my mind. If it was not for me, if she didn't block that acidic liquid for me, she would have not ended up like this. I didn't deserve her sacrifice at all. A weakling like me, wandering in this kind of place, should have just drop dead.

Sasaki's face suddenly flashed onto my mind. It was my incompetent that turned us into that state. I shouldn't have let her hands go. I should've held her tight knowing how impetuous she could be. But I decided to release her from my grip and caused her to leapt away to danger. The chances are her being dead, gruesomely, and it was all my fault.

I dropped my head down again, the faint breath on Elly's nose could no longer be heard. I closed my eyes and gripped her tight. My eyes somewhat felt warm and wet, but I hold it. I despised myself for always letting people die on me. This thought, somewhat felt like it wasn't for the first time. This feeling of having someone dying while I carried in my arms. It happened before. But when? My chest tightened at the thought and my heart pumped rapidly.

["Yuu... Don't cry. I'm fine"]

I opened my eyes, in front of me was Elly, breathing weakly, forcing a smile to me. And we were both glowing in a golden light, but the light was flowing one way, drifting from my side to her. She shuddered in my arms, her blue hair lightly fluttered in the air and the darkness faded away from her lips.

It was mysterious. But, it didn't hurt me like how it did the last time. The energy drawn from me felt light, easy and in consent with my mind. It wasn't a forceful draw like before as if it was from myself who gave her the energy this time. Elly regained her conscious, but her wound didn't actually heal. The blistering on her back still looked as gore as before.

Elly moved herself into a sitting position. She weakly turned her head to looked at her gruesome back. Then, she rolled her eyes back to me. Once again, she mysteriously spoke into my mind. While her tired eyes staring into mine.

["Yuu... I need more"]

While it's true that I was a bit taken aback by the voice she made into my mind. But her condition was too awful to be questioned for that. Elly raised both her hand with palm aligned vertically. I scooted close, she held my head and then she pulled my forehead touching hers.

I closed my eyes, scrunched my brows, bracing for whatever sharp piercing pain that will be inflicted onto me. But, none of it happened. I felt all the same except the blood in me was hurling in a speed as if going to bust out of my lung. No. It wasn't the blood. But something else that had been flowing in me without my knowledge.

But, what could it be?