Chapter 58 - Arachnophobia

The pair enjoyed the rest of the day sightseeing in the city, avoiding the colosseum and its depravities, and ended up spending a night at an expensive inn. Will once more enjoyed the luxury that was indoor plumbing with hot water on demand and sleeping on an actual bed.

It amused him to no end that he had spent the majority of his time camping at the side of the road, since he loathed camping back on Earth. He'd been forced to adapt though, out of simple necessity.

The morning came sooner than he wanted, as it always did. The desire to stay in bed for hours and hours, wrapped up in Alice's tail, was strong, but he forced himself to get up before noon. If barely. They went through their morning routines and checked out not too long afterwards.

Standing on the busy streets of Grand Noah, Will's gaze lingered on the silhouette of the colosseum. Inside of it warriors fought warriors supposedly, and monsters fucked men that lost. Its original purpose for showcasing martial prowess had devolved into a stage for public debauchery and hedonism. The only serious fighters that bothered to show up were monsters looking to fight other monsters.

There was a part of him that itched to get involved and get into a fight. It was equal parts spite and some weird sense of pride. That he could walk in there and beat any monster in a fight, save Alma were the Succubus Queen to show up.

"We should get going. If we stick around here any longer I think I'm going to pick a fight in the colosseum to prove a point," Will remarked as they started off towards the outskirts of the city.

Alice hummed, following his line of sight and shrugging. "It's a problem but a minor one. If the Queen wished to deal with it she would have ruled against it, but she has not. There's nothing to prove by fighting a minotaur or centaur for a crowd of thousands. Save that anger for a more deserving target," she instructed him. "We'll be dealing with the Spider Princess soon enough."

Will tore his gaze away from the imposing structure. "True, very true," he nodded in agreement. "Leave it for the Queen to deal with then. It's her own problem."

His thoughts turned to their next target: Kumo no Miko. The spider princess, former Insect Queen, was somehow worse than Fatima. At least the vampires just wanted to rule people, humans and monsters alike, while Kumo wanted to eat people. It's why she had been deposed in the past. She'd hunt and kill her own subjects for fun without a hint of hesitation or remorse.

She sided with Black Alice in the hopes of reclaiming her throne and conquering neighbouring human lands to turn them into cattle. Just livestock raised to be slaughtered.

"I won't let her live you know," Will darkly remarked as they made their way down the street. He could tolerate Fatima being kept alive but would put his foot down regarding Kumo.

"I wouldn't ask you to," Alice replied, crossing her arms. "She'll be executed for her crimes against monsters and humans alike. She's committed so many atrocities and done so willingly."

"And what of her followers?" he pressed on, keeping his tone neutral. "Many of them committed the same crimes and will follow her willingly when she launches her attack on Grangold."

"They…" Alice went silent for a few moments before exhaling. Her shoulders sagged ever so slightly as she spoke. "I do not wish to see my subordinates killed en masse… but you are correct. Those who are guilty will be punished similarly."

Will gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "I find the death penalty distasteful and immoral on principle, so I understand the hesitation. However in this case it is very difficult to argue against it."

"I can accept the necessity of it," Alice relented as she mentally steeled herself for what would come. "Their crimes are too numerous to be forgiven and they will be brought to justice. That is the end of it."

Will nodded in agreement. It would be a grim task ahead of them, but he accepted that when he asked Sphinx to begin the monsterization process. He'd have to kill and become a warrior or simply sit on the side lines and be left behind.

Lost in their thoughts, they quickly left the city behind them and once more took to the skies. Their destination lay to the north. Kumo no Miko's growing army of spiders resided on the edge of the vast jungle in the shadow of the mountains that separated Yamatai from Grand Noah.

It took only a day for the snow covered peaks of the mountains to enter into view. Its stark white summit stood in juxtaposition to the seemingly endless sea of thick greenery that sat around its base. The jungle thinned somewhat before reaching the base of the mountains, turning into more navigable woodlands and open grassland further beyond.

It was in the caves of the mountains, hidden from the air by the thick canopy of tree tops, that the spiders made their homes. Kumo no Miko herself originated from Yamatai, the Japanese-esque region of the world, yet clearly dared not live within it proper since her disgrace at being dethroned.

Will was thankful that he didn't have to trudge through the jungle and that they could simply fly over it. "Do you think she might be expecting us? She's bound to have heard about what happened to Fatima. How do you want to handle this?" he inquired, leaning over Alice's shoulder to better speak to her.

"There's no need for any pretense of diplomacy. We shouldn't simply walk into a spider's web after all," Alice added with a slight smirk as power coursed through her body. Her hands were set alight by hellfire, the flames dancing between her fingers, eager to consume and burn anything it touched.

As they flew closer to the entrance of the spider's den, Alice held out her hand and a firestorm erupted from it. It centered upon a great ball of fire with tendrils of flames following in its wake. The firestorm raced across the sky and, before even touching the trees, its radiant heat caused the canopy to burst into flames as moisture was instantly boiled out of the air. A second later it struck the trees themselves with such physical force that they shattered into thousands of pieces and instantly turned to ash.

Will flinched at the intense light and heat it produced, momentarily guarding his face by burying it into Alice's shoulder. When he looked back up he saw a deep trenched carved into the earth where the firestorm had struck. Everything around the cave entrance was blackened, carbonized by the hellfire.

"Well, I think we've got their attention," Will remarked in muted awe. The raw firepower on display was truly terrifying and breathtaking at the same time.

"I had to burn away their webs. I'd say I was quite successful," Alice replied as she finally landed near the impact site.

Will cautiously got off her back. The ground and air was hot, but cooling, and not unbearable. He hefted his kanabo up and rested it onto his shoulder. "I'm going to be following you. I don't want to get lost in there."

"It's unlikely that the cave system is that complex. It's likely that they've carved out alcoves for themselves along the natural tunnels. It'd only be a labyrinth if they were ant girls," Alice explained as she started to slither into the cave, with Will following closely behind.

Not far from the entrance hung the dead bodies of previous trespassers, humans and monsters alike. They were nothing but skin and bones, wrapped up in webbing and suspended from the ceiling. It was a grim welcome and only served to harden Will and Alice's resolve.

Fire would occasionally shoot forth from her hands like a flamethrower, burning unseen webs that blocked their path the further they went. "Kumo no Miko," Alice's voice echoed throughout the caverns, "you will answer for your crimes. Surrender and I will grant you a swift death."

Silence reigned for several long seconds until a woman's voice echoed back a response. "Oh~ You think yourself the Monster Lord~" Kumo's haughty voice was carried by the silk threads reverberating, acting like the string in a pair of tin can telephones. "You're merely a pretender~ The true Monster Lord will soon depose you and then we will take our rightful place as rulers of this world~"

Will's eyes were constantly scanning the cavern as they went deeper into it. He could see in the pitch blackness without any difficulty, however he knew the spiders that inhabited it could so as well. The fact he had yet to spot anything put him on edge. They had the home field advantage.

"Fatima had a similar opinion as you. Whatever gifts Black Alice has bestowed upon you will make little difference. This fight is already decided," Alice calmly retorted, reaching out and plucking one of the strings. She hummed in thought as it reverberated. "They're close," she quietly uttered.

"On that, I agree, little lamia~ I'll make you watch me consume your companion before I feast upon your broken body~ It'll be a truly orgasmic experience~" Kumo half-moaned in sadistic excitement.

"Lady, you're signing your fucking death warrant," Will retorted, waiting for the inevitable ambush. There wasn't anyone on the ceiling above them and he didn't see any signs of trapdoor webs.

"The arrogance~ It'll make my victory all the more delicious~" Kumo chuckled to herself. "Welcome to my web, said the spider to her food~"

An instant later Will sensed a strange matrix of magic appear in the air beside him. Alarms rang out in his head, his body moving before he could fully register his actions as he held his kanabo out in front of him to block an incoming sword blow.

He braced his hand against its length as he turned his massive club downwards, acting like a lever and allowing him to deflect the blade. He swiftly stepped backwards to give himself some space from the imposing spider princess.

Kumo no Miko looked down upon him with sadistic amusement in her numerous eyes, two like a human and six smaller ones across her forehead. She bared her razor sharp teeth as she held a katana in her hands, towering over him as she raised herself high upon her enormous legs.

Her body was adorned with Japanese style clothing, the sleeves of her robe hanging down her arms, exposing her shoulders and neck. A large cloak hung off her large abdomen, black with gold symbols and elegant pieces of white and red fabric ornately decorating every single one of her legs, held on by numerous red roped ribbons and tassels.

She was beautiful, with long purple hair held in a ponytail flowed behind her. She looked more like a shrine maiden, rather than a murderous princess with delusions of grandeur.

Moments later dozens of similar magical matrixes appeared as a small army of spider girls began appearing out of thin air.

Alice wasted no time launching an attack at Kumo, moving faster than Will could perceive. She flash stepped to the spider princess as a jet of flame exploded around her, burning away the webs that covered the cavern and filling it with the smell of burnt silk. The spiders recoiled in fear at the sudden explosion, scurrying backwards to avoid being consumed by the raging fire.

Will lept into action an instant later, moving to flank the spider princess and attack her bulbous rear. Kumo turned unnervingly fast for such a large creature and swung her sword in a wide arc, shooting out a wave of fire aim at the duo. Will threw himself low to the ground to avoid it, momentarily halting his advance, while Alice smoothly dodged through the attack, her serpentine body flowing like water.

Kumo scuttled away from Alice, re-positioning herself to put her blade between her and the duo. Will pushed himself off the ground, practically launching himself at the spider princess, swinging his club upwards. Kumo leaned back and angled her blade to deflect the blow without stopping its momentum, causing the club to sharply turn higher than intended and miss her head by a hair's breadth.

Will smoothly spun the kanabo in his hands, pointing the handle towards Kumo and jabbing it into her gut. Shock and rage played across her face as the blow winded her. She immediately retaliated, her foremost spider leg sweeping Will's feet out from under him, knocking him to the ground.

Kumo brought down another other leg, seeking to pierce his torso. Alice intercepted the chitinous limb with a palm strike, shattering the carapace with a sickening crunch and staining Kumo's clothing with ichor. The spider princess let out an involuntary cry of pain and leapt back, landing with an unsteady stance on her remaining seven legs.

"A few lucky blows means nothing!" Kumo declared as her blade seemed to dance through the air with grace as she sent wave after wave of fire. The smirk upon her face grew larger. "You aren't the only one that's mastered the Cursed Sword!~ I'll cut you down where you stand!~"

Alice easily dodged the attacks and immediately closed the distance. She lashed out with a flurry of blows as her fists and tail aimed to strike Kumo's legs and cripple the spider. Fire erupted with every move that the two made, both seemingly able to counter and deflect each other's flames.

The dance of death lasted but a few intense seconds as Will recovered and spotted an opening in Kumo's ever shifting stance. He swung his kanabo, catching Kumo off-guard as his great club broke off one of her legs, causing a foul smelling torrent of ichor to spray onto the floor. The spider princess let out a cry of pain, stumbling for an instant as she lost her footing. Flat-footed, she was unable to bring her sword up in time to block Alice's blow as she drove her fist into Kumo's chest.

Kumo stared back at Alice in pain and horror as blood poured down her chest, staining her elegant robes red. Alice withdrew her fist, letting Kumo collapse dead onto the ground.

The army of spider girls looked upon the scene with muted horror, before one held out her blade and shouted. "For Kumo no Miko! Death before dishonour!" The call rallied them as they leapt from the ceilings and walls, charging Will and Alice with suicidal abandonment.

The two were pressed close together, preventing Alice from unleashing her more destructive spells. Skill mattered little in the mosh pit of violence they found themselves in. Will having little room to swing his weapon without it getting caught on dying monsters, their chitin covered corpses slowing his movements.

Threads of silk threatened to enveloped his limbs, however Alice would constantly burn them away. The few that she didn't, Will would yank towards himself, tearing spinnerets from spiders or the monsters themselves towards him.

The cave's floor was stained with an ever growing pool of blood and ichor, mixing with the viscera of their battle.

Eventually the onslaught came to an end. The last of Kumo's army killing themselves at the duo to make amends for their failure to protect their princess.

Will was breathing heavy, his body covered with cuts and bruises and soaked in the blood of the spider girls. His hands were shaking and he struggled to steady himself at the sight of the corpse ridden cave horrified him. His nerve broke as he hunched over and vomited. The stench of death overwhelming his senses.

Alice rubbed his back in sympathy as she surveyed the carnage, forcing a stoic expression onto her face. "They choose to die on their feet rather than accept defeat. That was their decision. We did what needed to be done."

Will finished emptying his stomach before responding between haggard breaths. "Yeah… Yeah, no argument here," he pulled out a cloth and wiped his mouth. "How the hell were they hiding anyway? I couldn't sense them until they were right on top of us."

Alice lifted some string from the ground using her tail and examined it further, taking a tentative taste of it. She hummed in thought before discarding it. "They had woven a web with magical silk so fine that it created a pseudo-pocket dimension. They ran normal webbing through it so they could sense movement on the outside while remaining hidden. It's an extremely rare technique."

Will let the information sink in before shaking his head. "That's some fucking bullshit right there."

"The webs are dinged with the presence of a primal darkness," Alice placed a hand on her chest, "similar to myself. I suspect the only reason they could manage the technique was because of a magical boon given to them by Black Alice."

"Wonderful," Will flatly replied, exhaustion creeping into his tone. "Come on, let's just get out of here."

"Before we do, I sense some prisoners deeper into the cave," Alice remarked as she turned her head towards a tunnel. "They're still alive."

"We should go get them then." Will pulled out his flask of water and took a swig, swishing it around in his mouth before spitting it out in an attempt to wash the taste out. He screwed the cap back on before putting it away and grabbed his kanabo, wrenched it from the cracked spider abdomen it had been buried in.

He followed after Alice as they traveled deeper into the caves. The scent of humans amongst others soon hit him, confirming there were indeed prisoners.

Wrapped up in cocoons on the walls were humans, still alive and mostly unharmed. They were unfortunate travelers who strayed too close to the spider's territory and nearly paid for it with their lives. It took little effort to get them down and free them.

Alice and Will escorted roughly a dozen people out of the cave. The act certainly made Will feel like more of a hero than the brutal fight. The group managed to scrounge up their former belongings and supplies from the spider's living quarters, so they could safely travel to the nearest village and go from there.

"Thank you, young sir and lady," an elderly Japanese-looking man bowed his head to Alice and Will. A shorter man with a bald head, hunched over a cane. He lingered behind as the rest of the survivors began traveling westwards. "Your kindness will not be forgotten. I will tell my people of your great deed. If you ever wish to visit Yamatai then the roads shall be open to you."

The praise made Will awkwardly smile as he idly scratched the side of his cheek. "You're welcome. I think we'll probably going to be heading to Yamatai Village sooner or later, so that'd be appreciated."

He recalled that the local elves in the region had taken it upon themselves to stop outsiders from traveling the roads, save for a few exceptions. He doubted they'd be a serious hindrance but thought it'd be nice not to be harassed by anyone.

"Then I will make sure the elven patrols know your descriptions," the elderly man replied, nodding towards Will.

Alice looked between the elderly man and the snow covered mountain behind him. "And how do you plan on reaching Yamatai?"

"Oh a local yuki-onna has a fondness for me," he cryptically answered with a faint smile on his wrinkled face. "I'll make it over the mountains just fine," he laughed and stroked his chin. "Just fine indeed."

"If you say so," Will replied, seeing no need to press any further. If the man said he could make it, he probably could. Having a monster as a guide would certainly make the trip much more survivable.

"I do. Thank you once more, and farewell." The elder man nodded to them and began a slow but steady march towards a path leading through the woods and towards the mountain, disappearing from sight.

"So long," Will called back, lazily waving at the retreating figure before turning to Alice. "He'll be fine, right? We aren't letting a senior citizen walk off to his death, right?"

"If he's telling the truth about a yuki-onna then he'll make it to Yamatai Village," Alice shrugged as she looked back towards the cave entrance. Her gaze lingered on it for a moment before she raised a hand and shot out a ball of fire. It flew deep into the cavern, exploding seconds later.

Will could smell flesh and chitin burning as the pile of bodies inside were quickly incinerated, smoke already pouring out of the entrance.

"It's better than leaving them to rot or to be fed upon by vermin," Alice explained, answering his unasked question and momentarily closing her eyes in thought. "And burying them would take too long."

"A pyre's fitting then, certainly easier for us," Will replied as he stood beside her. "I think that also takes care of the queens backing Black Alice, assuming the mermaid queen isn't giving Kraken and Poseidoness too much trouble."

"The two of them will manage. They're the queens of the seas for a reason," Alice crossed her arms, opening her eyes and staring at the black smoke. "Regardless, our job here is done. Our next stop is Succubus Village. The Purple Sabbath is fast approaching. We can't afford to miss it."

The Purple Sabbath was the night that the succubus of the village would conduct a ritual to convert any human women in the town into more succubus and attack any man in it. Some would flee the village, but many couldn't afford to do so and some came to the village, hoping to fight or fuck a succubus. It also only happened once every a hundred years. It was no exaggeration to say it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Yeah, we've got a ritual to hijack, and by we I mean you and Tamamo," Will motioned from himself to Alice.

The plan was simple. They were going to rework the ritual used to convert women into monsters, and the mana the succubus had been saving for hundreds of years from previous Purple Sabbaths, to turn Will into an actual reworking was necessary, since no one wanted to accidentally turn him into a succubus.

"It's good that you acknowledge your laziness in this matter," Alice dryly remarked, turning away from the cave and faintly smirking. "I wonder how Sphinx's genes will manifest themselves." She rubbed her chin as she looked him over. "I'm still hoping you get cat ears."

"I can tolerate being a cat boy as long as I don't get another pair of legs. I do not want a centaur-like body," Will remarked as he gestured down to his legs and behind him.

"I'll see what I can do but I can only promise so much," Alice replied with a shrug.

Turning away from the cave, Will climbed onto Alice's back. An instant later his senses screamed out in primal terror a second before something slammed into his jaw. The force of the blow drove his body into the ground with a thunderous boom, carving a trench into the blackened stone and kicking up a cloud of debris. His mind reeled in shock as the taste of blood filled his mouth and ears rang in pain.

Staring down at him were piercing red eyes framed by blonde hair that belonged to the one person he'd hoped he'd never see: Black Alice. She covered her mouth and giggled as a visible aura of power flared around her that sent violent waves of energy rippling through the air. Her hair and blue dress wildly fluttered in the whirlwind of her own creation.

"Aw, it seems I was too late to stop you from killing Kumo but I caught you before you two could leave," she remarked in a dark tone that juxtaposed her young, innocent sounding voice and appearance. "Did you think I wouldn't notice you attacking my subordinates? You two have been so bothersome-"

"Die," Alice's eyes flashed pure white as power surged outwards,the ground beneath the blonde instantly shattering. The air suddenly turned heavy with darkness as the sheer amount of magic instantly wrapped itself around Black Alice with enough physical force to crush her body and destroy her very soul.

Black Alice was unperturbed as her own eyes flashed, sending out an equally ungodly amount of magical power. The opposing auras slammed into each other strong enough to send clouds of dust and rocks flying.

"Oh I think not!" Black Alice cheerfully laughed as she smiled widely in excitement, practically squirming with anticipation. "I'm here to reclaim my throne! There's no point waiting around anymore since you've discovered my scheme!"

"You can try," Alice's voice reverberated as her eyes shined white with power. "You will fail."

It was then that Will understood how insignificant he was compared to the wellsprings of power that stood before him. Despite how strong he had gone, he realized he was a man about to witness a battle between gods.


For people who still think i original author i repeat:
This is NOT my story. I have reposted it from forums spacebattles com. Original author is Fission Battery. I have permission to post this story here.