(ch 5)The first trial part 4

[You have slain a dormant beast, black widows spawn]

Rin bent over, desperately gasping for air, feeling her body betray her in this moment of need. It seemed to mock her with its cries of pain, ungrateful for her efforts.

Too preoccupied with her frustration, Rin paid no heed to her body's protests. Instead, she directed her anger towards the higher powers, lamenting their failure to grant her a single memory – a precious reward from the spell obtained by defeating foes.

Her disappointment was palpable; not even a piece of armor to show for her efforts left her feeling thoroughly disheartened.

Her weary body protested, prompting her to take a brief pause in an attempt to hush the persistent complaints echoing within.

Deep down, she acknowledged that the chaos wasn't over for her.

Summoning the strength to rise, her body reluctantly complied with her determined will.

The ominous tyrant, a black widow by my assumption due to its offspring sharing the same name, remained elusive. Lisa, too, was absent, with distant cries suggesting she was bravely confronting the formidable insect somewhere below.

What immediately grabbed her attention was the sight of another dog sized black widow spiderling slowly creeping toward the lifeless body of....

Of...

Umm.

What was his name again

DAVID.

YES that's what his name was I remembered

Anyway it started to nestle it's way into the head of the dead man

'More black widow spawns?'

She groaned

the corpses slowly rose to its feet. Starting its transformation

'why does it have to look so gross'

'why does this higher power hate me so much....'

She pinched herself

'please let me wake up.'

The beast's head whipped around, its gaze fixating on her with a cruel twist of fate. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't it have been Greg? The monster's fangs clicked menacingly.

Without a moment's hesitation, Rin swiftly withdrew the katana from the beast's fallen kin. With a deft flick, she wiped the viscous black ooze from the blade before assuming her stance once more.

Anticipating the creature's next move, she shifted subtly towards a fallen tree nearby. With a determined grip on her katana, she readied herself for the impending clash.

'I'll kill you basterd!'

The larva lunged forward with astonishing swiftness, its multitude of legs and menacing fangs creating a spectacle of terror. Rin's instincts kicked in with split-second timing. Swiftly sidestepping, she narrowly avoided the oncoming assault of the black widow. With a graceful dodge, she watched as the creature sailed past her, only to collide with a jagged, splintered tree. The impact was swift and decisive, leaving the monstrous entity suspended lifelessly in mid-air, its twitching motions gradually fading as its life ebbed away.

[You have slain a dormant beast, black widow spawn.]

Rin's eyes were fixed on the twitching movement, a wild grin spreading across their face.

'that thing is...really stupid'

As she glanced around amidst the bustling scene, her eyes caught sight of him standing there, seemingly unperturbed by the chaos surrounding them.

"Rin! Over here!"

Greg flailed his arms wildly, desperately vying for Rin's attention. Despite briefly contemplating abandoning him to his fate, Rin ultimately opted against it. After all, there's safety in sticking together. And despite Greg's occasional eccentricities, Rin couldn't bear to leave anyone behind—especially considering the valuable information he freely shared.

"Rin we're really close to the clan HQ come on hurry we can probably outrun the last monster"

*************

Rin and Greg sprinted through the snow-laden forest, their pulses pounding with fear as they desperately sought refuge at their clan's headquarters, fleeing from the onslaught of monstrous creatures.

With each step, Rin could feel her heart threatening to burst from her chest, but she pushed herself forward, fueled by sheer determination.

At last, the imposing gates of the HQ loomed into view, standing tall against the wintry landscape. Yet, to their dismay, there was no welcoming guard in sight.

As they entered the compound, a chilling scene unfolded before them – the lifeless bodies of their fellow clan members strewn across the ground. Rin couldn't help but gasp in horror, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she took in the grim sight. The vacant stares of the fallen sent shivers down her spine, widening her eyes in disbelief.

Shaking off the paralyzing fear, Rin forced herself to focus on survival. Ignoring the fallen comrades, she dashed into the nearest building, only to find a wounded woman lying inside, her breaths shallow and labored. With trembling hands, Rin checked for a pulse, but her heart sank as she felt it fade away. Sensing Greg's presence behind her, she steeled herself for the grim reality they now faced.

"Is she alive"

She couldn't help but shake her head, a wave of sadness washing over her. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine as she sensed a presence nearby. Glancing to her side, she spotted a man with jet-black hair, his eyes burning red as they locked onto hers. A shiver ran through her as she met his gaze, and beside her, Greg whimpered and pressed himself against the wall. The man's expression was devoid of warmth, his features twisted in a cold, menacing glare, his clothes stained with blood, betraying his role as the perpetrator.

"No. No! How could you! No, no, no, no, no, no! Why?!"

Greg cried shaking his head.

"I needed more power."

As she gazed into the man's eyes, they transformed into shuriken-like shapes, captivating her attention. In an instant, she found herself drawn into his memories, witnessing the haunting scenes of numerous murders unfolding before her eyes.

"Sstoooop!"

Rin's piercing scream echoed through the room as she gripped her head, unable to shake the haunting images from her mind.

Greg sprang into action, swiftly grabbing Rin and guiding her towards the exit, his weapon drawn, ready to confront whatever danger lay ahead.

"Rin get out of here I'll hold him off"

"But,"

"Just go and get help!"

As she prepared to flee, the man with black hair took a step forward, meeting Greg's charging onslaught head-on. In one swift motion, a single slash was all it took. The scene painted a gruesome picture as the man, now covered in blood, separated Greg's head from his body.

'thanks for the sacrifice greg, but you didn't really help all to much'

.

.

.

Immediately, she was hurled into another building, colliding with numerous chairs and tables before slamming into the wooden wall. Gasping for air, her lungs struggled to breathe amidst the overwhelming pain coursing through her body.

'who is this basterd....wait....black hair.... really bloody good.....is that my supposed older brother ive been told so much about'

She let out a rueful chuckle, feeling like luck was never on her side. It was like a double whammy – both her brothers (real world and fake) had transformed into literal and metaphorical monsters. Brushing off the wooden splinters and debris, she tried her best to sound convincing, but the pain from the crash added an extra layer of authenticity to her act.

"Brother....why?...why would you do this? Please"

She saw a mass towering above her, sword in hand, it had moved towards her in insane speed

"I needed more power."

"So you kill everyone even our parents!...will...will you kill me too?"

She made an effort to appear sad, but at that moment, she was simply consumed by pain and felt overwhelmingly embarrassed by her awkward attempt at acting.

'i feel like I'm in a telanovela'

He looked down at her

"I'm sorry. Rin"

As he brandished his sword, poised to strike at her throat, she frantically waved her hands, halting him mid-action, then began to speak.

"Wait! Please just wait! can you atleast give me one last wish"

He looked down at her and a hint of sympathy flashed through his eyes

"Very well whats you final wish"

"Mind if we hang out here for a moment? Just waiting."

He looked at her with a tiny bit of confusion

"Waiting for what?"

.

.

.

"younger sister I have no patience for your stupid games."

He scowled.

"Why are you not saying anything?"

The girl just stared at him, completely silent before she spoke up.

"oh sorry...yeah I'm waiting for a very nice friend"

"yeah he's about to say hi you should greet him"

No... She wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was fixed on the darkness beyond him, outside the house. And then, the brother's eyes widened in surprise

"What?…"