Chương 42: Aftermath

"Medic!" Ace shouted, his arms trembling while lowering Kurisu's unconscious body onto the broken asphalt.

"We need a medic here! Why the hell didn't he teach us the healing Mudra?" Soldiers swarming over the barriers pulled the boys away from the disaster zone while, flanked by a pair of Guardsmen, Steven dropped to his knees on the pavement, checking Kenji's pulse.

"He's got a pulse," he said, looking up at Kellevra.

"He's alive." Screeching tires drew their attention as a silver sedan skidded to a halt ahead of an unmarked Taurus and a Highway Patrol Charger blocking the intersection. The passenger door flew open, Gloria storming out before the vehicle even settled, shoving past a Guardsman to slide onto the ground and frantically look over Kenji.

After stumbling out of the backseat, Charlotte caught her balance, running toward the group and collapsing between Ace and Kellevra to pull both boys into a hug, burying her face in Ace's hair before kissing Kellevra's temple.

"I've got you," she sobbed.

"I've got you." The street rumbled beneath them, soldiers shouting warnings, raised their weapons when the broken spider began to stir. Despite being on its last legs, literally, the thing pushed itself up, hemolymph pouring out of its many wounds as it dragged its mangled body forward.

"Open fire!" a Sergeant yelled. Dozens of rifles chattered in unison, 5. 56 rounds finding purchase in the cracks of the spider's broken armor, splattering the ground with more of the creature's fluids. Enduring the barrage, the monster pulled its way toward the metal fencing. Past the perimeter, Kellevra pulled away from his mother's embrace with a groan.

"I've had enough of you!" he said as he walked back onto the battlefield, sinking into the wide stance of the Banryu no Kamae and rooting himself to the asphalt. He slammed his forearms together vertically in front of his chest, forming the Iron Gate as two pillars of granite erupted from both sides of the street, driving inward to crash into the armored sides of the beast's cephalothorax before lifting it into the air. Suspended, the spider was left to thrash and scrabble ineffectually against the concrete.

Hands at his hips, Kellevra took in a slow breath before releasing it in an explosive kiai. With a downward snap of his right fist and a pull of his left, he opened a sinkhole beneath the arachnid, large enough to completely swallow the creature. Releasing the beast, he let the stone pillars crumble inward, crashing down onto the spider's back to bury it further.

He thrust his palms forward to rain chunks of rock and concrete down into the hole, leaving the spider to fight the rubble in a futile attempt to climb out. Wreathed in orange flame, Ace stepped up beside his brother, extending his arms as he poured a torrent of fire onto the trapped spider while Kellevra channeled a relentless stream of earth and stone. Battering the monster individually, the two elements mixed in the air, the earth smoldering as it caught the heat of the flames.

Eyebrow raised, Kellevra shot a glance at Ace, who just shrugged as he maxed his output. The fire and earth fused into a churning river of molten rock that cascaded into the pit to flood the hole. As the magma flowed over the spider's carapace, it poured directly into the shattered ruin of its mouth. Swallowed by the rising tide, the Tsuchigumo twitched against the viscous sludge, attempting to fire its spines before the melting rock clogged its bristles, sealing the projectiles beneath a layer of slag.

Sweat stung Ace's eyes as he strained against the output, his Tanden cramping under the pressure. Refusing to let up, he glanced over, seeing Kellevra's jaw clenched in the same struggle as they held the stream, incinerating the monster until the pit filled, sealing it beneath a cooling layer of rock. Exhausted, Ace and Kellevra fell back onto the pavement, panting as the air above the mound distorted from the radiating heat.

They stared at the black rock, searching the slag for any sign it might get back up before looking back to the group. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"You were doing ninety in a thirty, and I think I can see why," the Trooper said, approaching Roland.

"I should be taking you to jail, but..." He glanced at the agent gathering personnel nearby.

"It's your lucky day. No ticket from me, but it looks like you're about to have a lot more to deal with."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Roland said, leaning against the car as the Trooper turned and left. Groaning from his spot on Gloria's lap, Kenji shifted on the pavement, his eyes blinking open, darting around the intersection.

"Is it dead?" he croaked, looking past his mother's shoulder.

"I think so?" Ace replied.

"We buried it in lava."

"Lava?!" Kenji asked.

"Yeah, no clue," Ace said.

"Something to ask him about, I guess," he added, motioning to Kurisu. Beside them, Kurisu convulsed, rolling onto his hands and knees, retching bile onto the asphalt. Blinking from the afternoon glare, he jumped at every sensation, his head swiveling to look for the spider.

"It's gone," Kellevra said.

"We buried it." Gloria glared at Steven from the ground, keeping her arms tight around Kenji.

"You brought them here," she hissed, her voice cutting through the sirens.

"I entrusted my son to you and Charlotte for the day. I trusted you to keep him safe, yet you drove him straight into a war zone!"

"Mom, wait," Kenji said, scrambling to his feet.

"You be quiet!" Gloria snapped as she stood up, turning her glare on Kurisu.

"And you! I agreed to training, Kurisu. I allowed you to teach him control so he could have an easier time, not so you could conscript him into hunting monsters!" As Kurisu squeezed his eyes shut, an ache bloomed in his chest, compounding the copper tang of blood in his throat.

"You were supposed to protect him!" Gloria screamed. Agent Cox stepped into the circle, raising his voice over the dispute as he flashed his badge.

"Federal agents! This perimeter is locked down. Nobody moves! You are all under arrest."

"Under arrest? What are you talking about?" Steven asked, stepping forward before a National Guardsman placed a hand on his shoulder. She was right. Gloria was right. Tuning out the arguing parties, Kurisu realized he had nearly died. He had nearly gotten Ace, Kellevra, and Kenji killed, the shame of it burning in his gut, his vision darkening around the edges. The world tilted on its axis, his lungs refusing to fill with air. Cox yelling orders. The darkness of the spider's mouth returned.

The weight of the chelicerae against his ribs and the smell of rotting flesh, the pounding of his heart in his ears. Charlotte's muffled screaming. Failure. His mother's skull under an armored boot. The hole in his father's chest. A high-pitched ringing. Weak. A violet spark arced from the choker, pain distant, the thumping of his heart in his ears. More ringing.

"Kowase." Pitch black. Rin's gap-toothed smile, consumed by fire. The deafening beat of his heart. That incessant ringing!

"Subete." Silence.

"I said it was my idea!" Kenji shouted. The afternoon light was blinding, and instead of looking at the panting Kenji, the adults stared past him, their eyes widening. A nearby National Guardsman took a slow step backward, raising the barrel of his rifle.

"Jesus, is the stupid spider back again...?" Kenji asked, turning around to follow the muzzle of the gun with a frown, before freezing as his gaze fell on Kurisu.

"Uh, Kurisu?" he whispered, his voice shaky.

"Bro, you okay?" Kurisu went to answer, but his mouth felt fuzzy... off somehow. His head tilted to the side. Then the corners of his mouth stretched upward, pulling his lips back in a painful grin, a wisp of red flickering in his peripheral vision. No, oh no, no, no... A low chuckle bubbled from his throat.