Rangers Endgame

Chapter 92: The Crystal-fanged Weaver

30 MINUTES EARLIER:

The dry air thrummed with trickling debris, the heavily webbed walls and ceiling seeming to absorb the reverberation of the initial explosion. Itsuki had rolled into the weaver's den to avoid the collapsing ceiling but now found himself trapped inside. He looked back at where the entrance used to be, now a heap of rubble.

"Those scumbags," he cursed as he dusted himself off and inspected the debris.

In their short time together, he gathered that Kai wasn't a very offensive type of conjurer, but the ranger had really done a good job sealing off the entrance. He wasn't sure how much he'd need to excavate but if he truly wanted to, it'd be of no inconvenience to smash his way through. However, a new problem arose from the force of the explosion.

Itsuki glanced up and over his shoulder as a low guttural hiss emanated from behind him. "So, did you rest well?"

He watched the Crystal-fanged Weaver emerge from its burrow. The shifting red lighting revealed the true scale of the creature as it crawled out of its hole. The beast's human half was around fifteen meters tall while its arachnid half was around twenty meters long. Its beady eyes locked onto Itsuki with a predatory gleam, the floating relics giving them a crimson tint. Its pale skin from its human half stretched and morphed into plating where its flesh met its lower half. Its grey and black backside shimmered faintly in the light as its eight appendages moved with unsettling grace, its clicking exoskeleton echoing throughout its domain.

It opened its deformed mouth to an impossible degree, revealing a set of gleaming fangs, and unleashed a bloodcurdling screech that clawed at Itsuki's eardrums.

"Sorry. I think I'll skip the battle cry." He said, twisting a finger in his ear to relieve the ringing. Sliding his claymore from its sheath, he leveled it at the weaver. "So, why don't we get started?"

With another roar, the weaver arched its abdomen and fired glistening silk that Itsuki swiftly evaded as he advanced forward. Infusing his blade, he slashed at the air to launch a crescent. Using its uncanny agility, it dodged as the projectile crashed into the ceiling. Hundreds of silk threads snapped from the force and the web's integrity waned as it swayed the weaver.

"Not enough," Itsuki gritted as he prepared another projectile.

The weaver clung to its web tightly as it began hastily spinning more silk to repair the damage. However, before it could finish, another arc of radiance slammed into the ceiling and the web it had diligently created collapsed. The weaver crashed into the ground with a booming thud, producing a cloud of dust and debris.

"That's more like it." Itsuki smiled, charging the dazed beast.

The weaver recovered just in time to jerk its head back, barely avoiding the ranger's blade that was meant to decapitate. Itsuki didn't slow, letting his momentum carry him into a pivot and bringing his blade across his body again for another swipe.

Instead of dodging, the weaver opened its gaping mouth and clamped down on his claymore, using its near-indestructible fangs to stop the blow. A metallic screech pierced the air as they struggled to overpower each other.

Itsuki redirected his radiance from his sword into his arms and wrenched his blade free. He went for another swing but stopped midway and his eyes shot open. Twisting his body off its axis, he narrowly avoided being skewered by one of the beast's javelin-like legs, its sharpened edge glancing off his chest plate before burying itself in the stone floor.

Taking advantage of his initial surprise, the weaver used its powerful legs to blast itself off the ground to gain distance. Pouring radiance into his bottom half, Itsuki propelled himself through the air to pursue the weaver. His muscles throbbed in protest as his legs hadn't adapted well to self-infusion. He cursed himself for neglecting his bottom half as he went to swing but missed the creature's neck again by a few inches.

As he began his descent, the weaver fired another web down past him that fanned out into a net, encompassing the ground below him.

"Well aren't you a smart bug." He noted, sweat beading his forehead.

He'd battled many monsters in his time but rarely did a monster display intelligence that would force him to stay a step ahead.

Reorienting himself, he wound up his claymore as he infused the blade. He hurled it into the ground, producing a shockwave of amber that tore apart the web and stone. Rolling into the crater he'd created, he hurried to pry his claymore from its center as the weaver landed just outside the crater.

Using the high ground to its advantage, it fired another barrage of webs down toward him. Yanking his blade out of the stone, he twirled and sliced a web in two and dodged another meant to grab at his leg. He quickly advanced forward, evading and cutting his way toward the abomination.

As he closed the distance, he aimed for the beast's neck for a third time, preparing for a wide swing. The weaver, now accustomed to his predictable tactics, leaned back preemptively to stay out of range.

However, this only put a smile on Itsuki's face as he expected this outcome. "Gotcha."

Pouring radiance into his claymore, he shifted his focus to its front legs and fired an arc that ripped through its front appendages. A pained screech tore from the weaver's throat as blue liquid erupted from its severed legs, sending it doubling over.

Squirming and immobile, he had the creature right where he wanted it. Itsuki prepared to deliver the finishing blow when the weaver suddenly unlocked its jaw in his direction. He barely had time to process what it was doing when a streak of silk was shot from its throat.

Before he could stop himself, he reflexively threw his arm in its path before it could reach his head. The moment the web latched onto his forearm, tendrils of white hot pain burrowed into his flesh and seared his nerves. Itsuki howled in agony as the weaver whipped its head, taking its freshly caught prey with it and sending him crashing into a nearby wall with a dry explosion.

The smoke thinned and Itsuki was slouched in a depression within the wall, loose rocks trickling onto him. He clenched his eyes and groaned, clutching onto his left arm as blood flowed from a gash in his head. When he pried his eyes open, he was horrified to find his skin shimmering. 

His cells began to mutate, their molecular structure forcefully rearranging and hardening into a grotesque prison of glistening facets. His skin hummed with crystalline tones as the cold, lifeless substance painfully climbed up his arm, digging and tearing away at the fabric of his armor.

"Shoot..." He ground his teeth to try to keep the unbearable pain at bay as he dug into his satchel and pulled out a health elixir.

Popping the lid and downing the elixir, he felt its warmth comfort his wounds and soothe the throbbing. The gash in his head knit itself back together, but as expected, the elixir couldn't reverse his crystallizing cells; it merely slowed its progression just below his elbow.

"Good enough, for now..." He squeezed out, putting his trembling legs under him and pushing himself to his feet.

Locking his pained gaze onto the weaver, he realized it had mostly recovered. Two trails of blood wobbled behind it as it used its elongated arms to hoist itself up, but even then, its head was still relatively low to the ground.

He glanced down at his arm, the crystals fighting against the elixir's effects and clawing their way up. If he didn't do something about the crystals, he'd be completely immobilized for the weaver to devour him. But the elixir had little effect. The only way to stop the crystals before they reached the rest of his body would be to...

He swallowed hard. His attention snapped back to the beast as it unleashed a piercing roar that shook the chamber. Wasting no time, Itsuki wiped the blood from his eyes and took a step forward. Then another. Then another until he built up enough momentum to sprint as fast as the pain would allow.

The weaver opened its jaws once more and fired more webs in his direction. Fortunately, its missing legs made it difficult to stabilize its aim so evading wasn't too much trouble.

His claymore was out of range, and his deteriorating injury wouldn't allow him the luxury of retrieving it. He gritted his teeth, his speed wavering as the crystals now began to claw through the ligaments in his elbow.

As he closed the distance, the weaver grew more desperate and whipped its head back and forth to encompass a wider area to keep him back. Infusing his legs, he leapt over the continuous wave of webs then redirected the flow of his radiance to his left arm, coalescing it to withstand the backlash.

"Hope this works!" He gnashed, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

For the first time, the weaver's eyes shot open, terror flickering within its inky black gaze. Regardless of his inability to make a fist, Itsuki wound up his arm and sent it crashing into the creature's temple. Its skull caved in as Itsuki's crystalized arm shattered under the immense pressure.

His appendage exploded in a violent display of shimmering red infused with bone fragments that hadn't completely been crystallized. A primal scream tore from his throat as his arm was obliterated. The two crashed into the lair's entrance, the debris once separating him from Yakeru shattering as they tumbled into the cavern.