Soon, the combined assault of Hafen, Stark, Matteo, and the spiders began to turn the tide. They surrounded the uninvited intruders of The Sacred Forest.
Zombie guards fell one by one. Their bodies became riddled with fang marks and burns. Pushed back, they formed a defensive circle around Prince Kain. Dark blood gushed out of their wounds and pooled on the ground.
Hafen and Stark stood near each other and readied themselves.
Simultaneously, Matteo gripped his elemental rapier and heard a familiar hiss beside him. He glanced over with a slight smile and recognized the injured spider from earlier. "You're here," he whispered with surprise.
The spider, with its one eye, nodded and clicked its fangs in response. It turned back to the fight and prepared itself to pounce.
Stark pointed at Prince Kain with his sword. "Stop hiding, giant baby! Come forth and fight me," he demanded. He stood with a challenging smirk.
"No," Prince Kain scoffed with a disgusted look. He turned to his guards and sat down. "Kill... Dumb spiders... And... Shameless humans," he ordered.
The zombie guards nodded and lunged toward their enemies.
"Let's watch each other's back," Hafen urged and clenched his teeth as another brawl ensued.
Matteo jumped in front of the one-eyed spider and thrust his rapier. A jet of flame, hotter than before, shot out and struck a charging zombie guard.
The charging zombie guard shrieked in agony and staggered back.
The one-eyed spider, seizing the opportunity, pounced on another zombie. She sank her fangs into his neck, injecting a stream of potent venom.
The zombie guard gurgled and collapsed to the ground. Acid burned through his insides and oozed out of his wounds.
Matteo looked down at his new ally, who chirped with gratitude. "We make a good team," he smiled and patted its head.
In the meantime, the trio of clawed zombies surrounded Stark and Hafen. A familiar grotesque zombie joined them and sneered.
Stark and Hafen fought back-to-back. Their elemental weapons glowed with power.
"You're getting stronger, Hafen," Stark commented while blocking a swipe with his claymore.
"You too, Stark," Hafen replied and sliced one from the trio with a swift strike. His katana crackled with electricity and sent an electric jolt to the others.
Suddenly, a deafening cry echoed from the trees.
A massive spider, larger than Anya, emerged from the canopy. It landed in the middle of the battle with a thunderous crash. Shimmering, green, spiked armor covered its carapace. There was a large scar on its back. Its fixated red eyes glared down on Stark and Hafen.
Stark and Hafen stared in shock.
"Isn't that?! The spider we fought away," Stark stammered.
"The one with the gash," Hafen affirmed. His grip on the katana tightened, and the lightning along its blade crackled more intensely.
The armored spider let out a low, menacing hiss. Unexpectedly, it turned its gaze from them to the remaining zombie guards. With a chilling deliberation, it skittered towards the infant zombie prince.
The zombie guards, in a desperate attempt to protect their prince, lunged at the armored spider.
The armored spider roared and shot a large ball of web.
The ball of web flew through the air and ensnared any zombie guards in the way. It crashed into a tree and exploded into a huge mass of energy.
From Anya's back, the boy watched the armored spider with a look of admiration. "Big brother Aiden. I knew you'd come," he murmured.
Stark and Hafen gawked in disbelief.
Prince Kain sat in a corner with an annoyed face. "Want... Mommy," he groveled. He imagined himself being fed and cradled by his mother and smiled.
Just then, Aiden's venomous fangs pinched his leg.
Prince Kain let out a deafening screech. His petulant cry created a massive shockwave that radiated across the clearing. It was so powerful that it threw everyone back like ragdolls. Then, he slapped Aiden into a distant tree as a feat of strength. He stood like a quadruped and angrily roared at the spiders, "Ugly... Bugs! I... Destroy... Everything!"
Hafen slammed against a tree and grimaced. He coughed up blood and slid down to the ground.
Stark crashed into a pile of dirt and leaves, and he struggled to get back up.
Matteo rolled to a thorny bush.
The zombies and spiders were also flung back. Some crashed into each other while others landed with limbs bent at unnatural angles.
The one-eyed spider lay motionless with a pool of blood forming around it. Its single eye stared blankly at the sky.
Matteo saw it and gasped. He scrambled to his feet with a slight wince and ran to the one-eyed spider's side. "Are you okay? Please, be okay," he begged with tears welling in his eyes.
The one-eyed spider let out a weak click and slowly raised a trembling leg. It gently touched Matteo's arm. Then, with a final, shuddering breath, it went still.
Matteo flinched back as if he had been struck. He stared at the lifeless body. He clenched his fists, and a tear ran down his cheek. He turned to Prince Kain with a look of grief. "Prince Kain, I will avenge my fallen friend," he seethed. He stood up with a newfound resolve. The elemental rapier in his hand burned brighter than ever before.
Prince Kain ignored him. He scowled and stomped his foot on the ground.
A shockwave of energy pulsed outward and rippled across the ground.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo lost their balance. They tripped down with a yelp.
Prince Kain stomped on a spider. Its armored exoskeleton shattered with a sickening crunch. He rampaged around and stomped on anyone in his way.
From the safety of the branches, the boy on Anya's back watched in horror. He saw his spider brethren fall and narrowed his eyes with fury. He looked down at the massive spider beneath him. "Anya, we have to stop him." They began to weave a new web.
Thick, shimmering strands stretched across the clearing and connected one giant tree to another.
Prince Kain, too preoccupied with stomping the grounded spiders, didn't notice the massive trap being constructed above him.
Anya dropped their creation.
In a flash, a colossal net covered their adversary.
Prince Kain, instantly tangled and webbed, wailed in frustration. He thrashed with all the might in his chubby arms and legs. With a snap, he escaped.
'I, Anan the spider, will take you down," the boy, Anan, yelled and swung from a web stuck to the giant branch. He zipped through the air and kicked the side of Prince Kain's head.
Prince Kain wobbled, and rage filled his face.
Anan swung back towards him again and attempted another kick.
Prince Kain caught him with a chubby fist and held him in the air. "Little... Bug," he snarled and opened his mouth to bite.
Suddenly, Anya leaped and sank her fangs into his arm.
Venom pulsed into Prince Kain's veins, and he screamed in a high-pitched fury. He flung Anan away.
Anan crashed into a bush and groaned in pain.
The zombie guards closed in around him.
Anya shot a web at the guards, momentarily blinding them. She scuttled back to Anan's side.
Anan clutched his stomach and winced. "That brute's stronger than I thought," he grumbled. He looked at Anya and patted her head. "Thanks, Sister," he muttered and passed out.
The zombie guards tore through the webbing and advanced.
Anya carried the injured Anan and crawled away. They disappeared into the dense foliage.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo fought the zombie guards with grim but determined looks.
The grotesque zombie guard lunged and swiped at Hafen's face. "Human... Scum," he roared.
Hafen ducked under the attack and countered with a swift kick to the gut.
The grotesque zombie guard grunted and stumbled back. He clutched his stomach and glared.
"We have to finish them off quickly," Stark noted and delivered a devastating punch to his face.
The grotesque zombie guard flew back and crashed into a tree.
The clawed zombie trio surrounded them. "We... Rip," one of them threatened.
Stark smirked and interrupted, "Not this time!" He slammed his claymore into the ground and focused on the earth beneath them.
The ground rumbled and shook.
The trio lost their footing. They stumbled and fell.
Stark's face wrinkled with effort, and he declared, "Take this!"
Spikes of hardened dirt erupted from the ground and impaled the trio.
Finally, Matteo faced the last of the zombie guards. He pointed his rapier with a firm grip and took a deep breath.
The elemental rapier's blade glowed with a faint, brown light. From the point, a sharp rock materialized and shot out. It hit the final zombie guard in the arms and legs with an immense force.
The zombie guard, with his limbs blown off, collapsed to the ground. His face snapped towards Matteo with a growl. He attempted to crawl towards him with a stammer, "I'll... Kill you!"
Hafen rushed in and sliced its head with a swift strike. "That's all of them," he softly announced.
Meanwhile, Prince Kain also stood over the battlefield as a monstrous victor. Unfazed, he kicked a spider carcass aside. "So... Weak," he taunted.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo stood at the other end of the clearing with battered and bruised bodies. They faced the baby prince with fierce expressions. Their elemental swords, though dimming, still crackled with untapped power.
Prince Kain waddled forward with a slow, deliberate pace. He drooled and gnashed his teeth. "I... Will... Succeed," he proclaimed with a menacing growl.
Prince Kain has defeated the spiders. Stopping his conquest over their domain, Hafen, Matteo, and Stark surprisingly stand in his way. They have learned new powers with their elemental weapons to defeat the royal zombies. Is it enough against Prince Kain? Will they defeat Prince Kain, or will they fall to him like the spiders? Will they witness the destruction of their home as well?