And Genoa could take it. Getting within range was a somewhat distressingly rare occurrence, but they were the best part. Arachne had nearly torn out Genoa’s throat on one occasion.
The woman just kept on fighting. She wrapped some earth around her throat and downed a potion without breaking her stride. Half the potion spilled out and she didn’t even blink.
Arachne had lost five legs and a good chunk of her abdomen before Genoa finally passed out.
Eva’s professor had teleported the two friends after Arachne failed to pick up Eva that day. Eva teleported herself. Upon finding out what had happened, Eva sat a lethargic Genoa and Arachne down for a long rant about acceptable damage during spars.
Being slightly more careful did not lower the intensity of their fights at all. It proved somewhat enlightening for Arachne. A problem of forcing a ranged opponent to submit without causing excessive physical harm. An interesting thought experiment, though not something Arachne intended to use outside their little spars.
Genoa had altered tactics in an attempt at finding a way to contain Arachne without allowing escape. A deep enough pit with slick walls and a hardened lid might have worked, but Arachne had been getting very good at avoiding sudden pitfalls. Thus far, Genoa had failed.
As successful as Arachne had been as of late, their current battle was not going in her favor thus far.
Her legs pounded into the ground, leaving minor craters with every step. The leg picked up before the dust reached its peak and continued to move like a mechanical piston. Again and again. Brush and weeds disintegrated upon contacting her body.
Arachne ran at top speed yet Genoa was still ahead of her.
Genoa had something of a head start–she blinked out of the prison the moment Nel mentioned an army at Brakket–but she was slowly increasing the distance between the two. It didn’t help that she could blink to the top of a hill whereas Arachne had to use her legs.
It was infuriating. Arachne had no idea how to increase her own speed. Every leg was pumping at maximum capacity.
Times like these made Arachne wish she knew magic.
Nothing to do about it now. They’d be entering the city soon enough. Due to her little one-sided race, she’d almost halved the time it usually took to travel.
She could already see the smoke.
Genoa blinked up to the rooftop of the nearest building.
With a spring of her legs, Arachne joined her. It didn’t take more than a few leaps and blinks before the two stood overlooking the plaza between the Rickenbacker and the Gillet.
Her grin widened all on its own as she stared at the assembled group.
“Huh.”
“I guess she wasn’t joking about an army. What are they?”
“You’re asking me?” Genoa glanced to her side. “I figured you would be more informed.”
“They’re not any demons I’ve ever seen and they don’t quite smell like it. Parts of them are? Not sure.”
“We don’t need them alive, do we?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. In fact, I believe that would be detrimental to everyone.”
“Excellent,” Genoa said. She was trying to suppress herself, but Arachne could see the beginnings of a grin mirroring her own. “I’ll take the left fifty, you take the right fifty?”
It was tempting. Arachne wanted nothing more than to jump right in the center of the horde. She would rend all without remorse. It took some effort, but she managed to shake her head. “Nel said that Eva was inside the Rickenbacker dormitory. I can see a good number of the things filing into the front doors.”
The burgeoning grin on Genoa’s face slipped into a frown. “Where’s Juliana?”
“Didn’t ask,” Arachne said as her own smile widened. “You shouldn’t have run off so soon.”
“Hmph.” Genoa crossed her arms. “She’s probably with Eva.”
Arachne just shrugged.
“Fine. We’ll go in. Clear out the dormitory.”
“If we hurry, there may be some of the army left outside.” Arachne pointed a sharp finger off towards the academy building. “Ylva’s making quick work of the ones that get too close, but they seem to be learning that.”
A monster’s limb turned to dust, revealing the pristine form of Ylva as the debris settled. A second monster forced Ylva to back up and sidestep a spray of poison. Or acid. Some caustic liquid that caused steam and boiling asphalt. Red beams swept across the area, forcing another back-step from Ylva.
“Let’s get moving then. Wouldn’t want to keep our kids waiting in this mess.”
Arachne was about to protest the inaccuracy of that statement, but Genoa had already blinked away.
After running and jumping to the roof of the Rickenbacker, Arachne positioned herself straight above the main entrance. A few steps forwards and Arachne was in a complete free fall.
She let out a laugh as she felt the satisfying snap of bones, squish of flesh, and more as two things were crushed beneath her bulbous weight. Arachne wasted no time in drawing herself to her full height and assisting Genoa in the clearing of the entryway.
