The creature lunged at Zem with amplified savagery, every movement betraying its murderous thirst. Yet in a flash, everything shifted. Veid—once overpowered and vulnerable was now unrecognizable. A violent gust of wind, rising from nowhere, lifted the Spider Prince and sent him hurtling through the air like a ragdoll, leaving him in total shock. The man he could have crushed with a flick of his wrist only minutes earlier had just humiliated him in the span of a heartbeat.
The monster's gaze locked with Veid's, and for the first time, it read something other than weakness: an unyielding resolve and uncontrollable power. Suddenly, searing pain ripped through the Prince's sturdy body. Before his eyes, crimson splattered his own blood. Stunned, he watched as two of his arms spun through the air, cleanly severed. With a single strike, Veid had unleashed a murderous slash of wind, slicing through his limbs with merciless precision.
All of this had unfolded in barely ten seconds. Ten seconds that were enough to completely turn the tide of battle.
The creature crashed heavily to the ground, its guttural cry echoing with both pain and rage. But it did not stop there: in an explosion of fury, it unleashed its remaining arms, spewing a swarm of threads and razor-sharp thread-blades, all aimed at tearing Veid apart. Yet this time, something was different. Several thick, impenetrable barriers of wind formed around Veid. The threads once capable of cutting through anything now bounced off harmlessly or were flung aside like mere twigs.
The Prince howled, multiplying his assaults, striking harder and faster, escalating the rhythm of his attacks to the point of exhaustion. But it was all in vain. His fury mounted with each failed attempt, while Veid, wrapped in an ominous green light, now seemed untouchable. Green sparks crackled around him, surging outward in violent bursts.
Cracks also spread across his skin, from which that unleashed mana poured out a clear sign of the terrible price he was paying for this fleeting strength.
"The roles seem to have reversed, don't they…?" Veid said, his voice implacable, as he effortlessly absorbed the frenzied assaults of the raging monster.
Around him, the wind began to swirl, becoming denser, more threatening with each passing second. It felt as though he was on the verge of unleashing a cataclysm.
"Unfortunately, I don't have much time to waste… In the end, instead of simply holding you back, I'll take you down with me."
[Time remaining before the end of Brother Until the End: 1 minute.]
In the blink of an eye, Veid propelled himself forward at blinding speed, nothing more than a green streak in the air. The Prince, realizing the danger, immediately ceased all offense and erected an immense cocoon of threads, layered thick and deep. Veid's sword, infused with the energy of the wind, came crashing down with devastating force on the fortress. But it did not give way: the Prince, once again proving his cunning, had woven layer upon layer, sacrificing offense to maximize defense.
The monster was buying time, and Veid knew it. The creature understood that his power was temporary, bounded by an invisible countdown. It had already proven time and again that it was cunning, capable of analyzing its opponents. Seeing Veid's skin tearing in places from the overwhelming mana, it realized it only needed to survive. No need to strike just endure a few more seconds, and the man would die by his own hand.
Strike after strike, every layer Veid severed was immediately replaced by another. The cocoon re-formed without pause, a living fortress animated by the Prince's fear and determination.
[Time remaining: 45 seconds]
"Until the end, huh…" Veid growled, his jaw clenched, the madness of despair gleaming in his eyes.
Without hesitation, he stepped back, raising his sword high above his head, channeling every last drop of mana into the blade. The steel ignited with a blazing green light, the aura around it swelling before their eyes, pulsing like a living heart. The glow grew ever brighter, devouring the dungeon's shadows. The Spider Prince, however, was not fooled. He saw his chance to strike.
Blades of thread shot out from the cocoon, hurtling toward Veid at terrifying speed. He raised walls of wind, but most of his energy was locked into his final technique. The weakened barriers cracked under the onslaught. Several blades pierced through, stabbing deep into his flesh.
Four thread-swords ripped violently through him, two lodged into his ribs, forcing a choked gasp from his lips. Another drove into his stomach, blood pouring freely from the wound. The last, merciless, pierced into his right eye, blood streaming down and obscuring his vision.
Yet Veid did not falter, did not waver. Not a cry, not a plea only the courage of a man.
"Is that all you've got, you son of a bitch?!" he roared, a deranged smile plastered across his face, blood dripping down his cheek.
The aura around his sword had now swelled to colossal size, shaping a blade of wind so massive it nearly scraped the dungeon's ceiling. A deep rumble echoed, the condensed mana vibrating through the air, ready to obliterate everything.
"Try and stop this, if you can!" Veid bellowed.
He brought his sword down with all his might. The impact was titanic: the entire aura exploded in a deafening roar, shaking the dungeon's foundations. A shockwave ripped through the chamber, hurling debris, threads, and stone in every direction. A violent gale tore the smoke apart, revealing the carnage.
Veid's blood dripped steadily to the ground, his gaping wounds bleeding freely, but he still stood driven by an indomitable will.
Before him, the Spider Prince was nothing but a shadow of its former self. Nearly all its arms were gone; not a single one remained. Its once gleaming, impenetrable carapace was riddled with cracks and gaping wounds, torrents of violet blood leaking from its pores and eyes. Only a single eye remained, burning with hatred and fear.
The two adversaries, staggering, were separated by mere meters. Veid, his legs trembling, struggled to catch his breath, his mana almost spent.
"Even after that, you're still standing… Damn spiders really are stubborn bastards…" he rasped, his gaze burning with a fierce glimmer of admiration.
[Time remaining: 30 seconds]
Veid advanced slowly toward the Spider Prince, each step costing him energy he no longer had. His body reverted to its human form, tattered and broken. Across from him, the creature, also on the brink of collapse, conjured five thread-swords from its back. Despite its resilience, fatigue weighed heavily on its movements. It swung the blades with everything it had left, desperate to halt Veid's advance.
The weakened winds around Veid diverted some of the strikes, but not all. Each thread-sword carved into his already ravaged flesh; with every step, a new wound opened, blood dripping to the ground. Still, he pressed forward, a smile on his lips, carried by the strength of his memories. Visions of his brothers, of battles fought together, of nights spent listening to their parents' stories, flooded his mind. These memories were his crutch, holding him up as his body broke down.
Step by step, the wounds multiplied. With his mana depleted, Veid could no longer defend himself. The blades pierced him over and over arms, side, chest. His body was nothing but a mass of wounds, streaming blood. Yet his smile never faltered, even as pain tore him apart.
At last, standing before the Prince, Veid gathered his final strength and seized the creature with both hands. At that touch, a wave of emotions washed over him older memories resurfacing: children's laughter in open fields, clumsy sparring matches, nights under the stars dreaming atop a mountain.
In one final breath of peace, Veid closed his eyes, still smiling, and let go. His body exploded in a burst of mana, dragging the Spider Prince with him and shaking the entire dungeon. The sacrifice ended the monster—the dungeon had been cleared.
Veid had not merely stalled the creature. He had slain it at the cost of his own life.
When Zem and Elias returned to the scene, they were consumed by unfathomable grief. The loss of their brother the one with whom they had shared childhood, laughter, and countless adventures—left an immeasurable void. All that remained of him was his golden sword, Liberty. His body had been completely erased by the explosion, leaving only the shattered corpse of the spider behind.
They themselves bore the terrible news to their parents. The grief hit the family like a storm: never again would they see Veid's radiant smile.
Months passed, the tears slowly subsided, but the wound remained. Then came the time to honor their brother's final wish.
"Zem, I name you Commander of Sigma's Royal Knights for your countless exploits as an adventurer!" declared the King, a wide smile on his lips before the gathered crowd.
The square erupted in cheers, hailing the man who had become a symbol of courage and protection.
After the ceremony, Zem found Elias aside.
"So, are you sure you don't want to become vice-commander of the Royal Knights?" he asked, half-teasing.
"Positive. I even asked the King to assign me to a remote city. He agreed—I'll be the new commander there," Elias replied calmly.
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow. Monster appearances are on the rise, and the region needs help."
"I see… Don't hesitate to call if you run into trouble. We're knights of the kingdom now, after all."
Elias nodded, his eyes shining with nostalgia.
"It's what Veid wanted…"
"Yes. It's up to us now to fulfill what he expected of us."
Elias placed a hand on Liberty, Veid's sword.
"And what will you do with his sword?"
"I'll keep it. But I had it examined… The examiner told me the sword is incomplete."
"Incomplete?"
"Yes, he said this: This blade awaits its new master and the two missing fragments."
Elias frowned.
"You think it's connected to the fact that our three swords came from a dungeon?"
"Most likely. But the description and this trait only appeared after Veid's death."
"Strange…"
The two brothers eventually parted ways, each off to fulfill his duty—faithful to the promise made to Veid.
Back to the present
Zem, who had never stopped observing Maïli since the beginning, let his thoughts drift.
"A new master, huh…?" he murmured, thoughtful, his gaze fixed on Liberty resting at his side.