Kenzo did not need long to understand what he was sensing. The moment those presences began multiplying around them, spreading higher and becoming more numerous, the truth became obvious. This was not a lone creature. It was not even a wandering group.
It was something much larger.
— « We haven't seen them once since we entered… » he said, his voice tense. « It has to be them. If Madame can navigate through the Mist, then they can probably see through it too. »
He turned slightly toward Naty.
— « Got a plan? »
Naty opened her mouth to answer, but a violent coughing fit cut her off. She covered her mouth with one hand, and Kenzo saw blood stain her palm. She struggled to breathe, closed her eyes for a moment, then forced herself to speak.
— « We can't stop… »
Her breathing was irregular.
— « Madame's been running at full speed through this Mist for hours. I'm sure we passed the place where you first appeared a long time ago. »
She caught her breath before continuing, her voice more serious.
— « And we can't turn back anyway. Lucian won't survive it. »
Ophelia nodded, staring straight ahead.
— « We push through. Avoid fighting if we can. Our objective is to get out of this Mist. »
Then she turned toward Kenzo.
— « What stage are they? »
Kenzo immediately concentrated. He nearly closed his eyes, allowing his perception to spread despite the will of the Mist trying to suppress everything around them.
— « One thing's certain… They're all Unconscious rank. »
He paused.
— « As for their stage… I'd say Condemned. »
His chest tightened.
— « There are way too many. It almost feels like a colony. »
He raised his head.
— « We go straight through. Get ready. »
They had barely passed near the first spiders when everything changed.
The creatures reacted as one.
They immediately began pursuing them, emerging from the Mist as though they had been waiting for that exact moment. More were already appearing ahead, blocking certain paths and constantly forcing Madame to change course.
They were smaller than Madame, but far more numerous. Their shells were a dull yellow, while the black markings across their backs formed face-like shapes similar to Madame's, frozen in empty expressions. They moved quickly, their legs striking the ground with an unsettling clatter.
The group fled.
They did not fight.
Lucian's condition simply would not allow it. He could barely hold his sword. His arms trembled and his breathing was shallow. Every jolt from Madame seemed to weaken him further. Kenzo could see it clearly. They could not afford a prolonged battle.
But the spiders were getting closer.
More and more of them.
Their numbers made every possible route dangerous. Then, little by little, Madame began to slow. Her movements became heavier and less fluid. Spiders clung to her legs and abdomen, biting and striking her from every direction.
Ophelia understood immediately.
— « Jump. »
Her voice did not tremble.
— « We're leaving Madame. »
Kenzo stared at her.
— « What? »
— « The will of the Mist isn't blinding me as much anymore, » she replied bluntly. « We're close to the exit. Follow me. »
Naty nodded and prepared to jump. Ophelia did the same.
But Lucian could not.
His hands slipped.
His body no longer responded.
Kenzo did not hesitate.
He activated [Serpent].
The world slowed.
He grabbed Lucian, hauled him up without ceremony, and jumped with him. The landing was brutal, and the instant they hit the ground, more spiders rushed toward them. Kenzo immediately sensed a presence behind him.
He understood.
There was no time.
He hurled Lucian forward with all his strength just as the danger reached him. At the same time, Kenzo summoned his guandao, spun around, and tried to deflect the spider leg aimed directly at his chest.
He succeeded.
But not completely.
The leg pierced his shoulder.
Pain exploded through him.
Violent.
Burning.
A cry escaped him almost by reflex, but he had avoided the fatal strike. Ophelia and Naty rushed back immediately and drove the spider away just enough to create an opening.
Then Madame surged in behind them.
She seized the spider attacking them and crushed it between her legs, but she herself was being attacked from every direction. Her body almost disappeared beneath the sheer number of creatures swarming over her.
There was nothing they could do.
They used the opening.
And ran.
Kenzo's shoulder was badly damaged. Pain throbbed through it with every movement, deep and relentless, as though the spider's leg were still buried in his flesh. His arm sometimes refused to obey him completely, numb and trembling, forcing him to grit his teeth just to keep pace. Ophelia carried Lucian, supporting almost all of his weight with one arm around her shoulders, dragging him forward without ever stopping.
Naty began bleeding from her ears. Warm blood slowly ran down her skin and neck, but she said nothing and kept moving despite the obvious dizziness affecting her. Beside her, Lucian was far worse. Blood flowed continuously from his eyes, nose, and ears, tracing dark lines over his pale face. He struggled for every breath, his entire body shaken by uncontrollable tremors.
They ran.
Again.
And again.
The Mist still surrounded them, opaque and suffocating, making every step uncertain. The ground seemed endless, and the silence that had fallen was almost more unsettling than the attacks themselves.
No clattering legs.
No growls.
No immediate presence behind them.
As though the spiders had stopped chasing them.
The absence weighed heavily on everyone, but no one dared slow down. They kept running, driven entirely by adrenaline and the fear of what might appear if they stopped for even a second. Their breathing was short and ragged, their bodies close to breaking, yet none of them looked back.
They kept moving.
Because stopping meant dying.
Then, in the middle of that silent escape, Lucian spoke.
His voice was broken.
— « No… »
He was crying.
— « Madame… she's dead. »
No one answered.
They kept moving.