Samael had never felt anything like this before.
Or rather... that should have been true, had he never encountered a Corrupted Deity.
Even so, this feeling was different.
His Animalistic Reflexes sensed dozens... no, hundreds of lesser presences scattered throughout the forest. Each one carried such overwhelming killing intent that it made his skin crawl.
It was impossible.
The forest ahead trembled beneath the weight of the advancing creatures. Trees swayed violently, branches snapped, and the ground shook in a steady rhythm.
Or perhaps it was only his imagination.
Samael could no longer tell the difference.
— Where did they...?
The question escaped in a whisper.
When he had run toward the mountain, there hadn't been a single spider there.
Now...
It was as though the nightmare itself had awakened.
For a brief moment, he looked at Vanitas and Elizabeth.
His chest tightened.
It's my fault...
The thought cut through his mind like a blade.
His heart felt as if it were bleeding.
No...
I can't let them die.
He had just decided to start over.
He had just promised himself that he would stop running from who he truly was.
If either of them died here...
...
He would never forgive himself.
Samael took a deep breath, hiding the tremor running through his right hand behind his back.
As though everything were under control.
— Hey! — he shouted. — I'll draw these three away! You two run and get the others! They're not that far!
His voice remained steady.
But the hand hidden behind his back continued trembling uncontrollably.
— I'll borrow your power, Yuji...
The moment he whispered those words, his soul essence began to drain away.
Blue lightning engulfed his body.
The air crackled.
In an instant, the forest's silence was shattered by the roar of thunder.
It was as though a storm had been born.
Without hesitation, Samael shot forward.
In a single lightning-wreathed strike, he slammed into the spider fighting Vanitas, sending the creature flying several meters away.
— Go!
For the first time, every trace of kindness vanished from his golden eyes.
Only absolute coldness remained.
Vanitas hesitated for a brief moment before nodding.
Then he looked at Elizabeth.
She remained frozen.
But...
That was the only word she could think of.
She wanted to protest.
She wanted to say she would stay.
She wanted to stop him.
Yet...
She took a deep breath.
She wasn't the leader of their group.
Samael was.
Clenching her fists, she took a step back.
— Come and get me! — Samael shouted, glaring at the three spiders.
It was an invitation.
A challenge.
Or perhaps...
A death sentence.
Just as Vanitas and Elizabeth were about to leave, Samael spoke again, as though he had suddenly remembered something completely trivial.
— Oh, Liz...
She turned around.
— When we get back... I want to have a cup of coffee.
Elizabeth blinked in surprise.
Even in a situation like this...
He could still think about that.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
— Ah... you're really hopeless.
She took a deep breath.
— Sure. Drink as much as you want.
Samael smiled.
It was exactly the answer he had hoped for.
Then he disappeared.
Bursting forward at explosive speed, he charged straight at the three spiders.
Folly sliced through the air while bolts of lightning coiled around his body.
Every step was accompanied by the roar of thunder.
Every strike shook the entire forest.
The sound spread for miles.
The three spiders immediately turned their attention toward him.
And not just them.
Deep within the forest, dozens of scarlet eyes slowly opened.
The thunderous storm had awakened the entire nest.
Samael kept running.
Behind him, dozens of gigantic spiders emerged from between the trees.
Then came more.
And more.
Like an unstoppable white tide.
Hypnotized by the deafening thunder and Samael's presence, the creatures simply flowed around Vanitas and Elizabeth, completely ignoring the two of them.
The entire swarm had only one target.
Samael.
As he ran, he crossed paths with several Nightmare Creatures.
Without slowing down, he used every tree, every boulder, and every uneven stretch of ground to evade them by mere inches.
The lightning enhanced his movements.
But there was a price.
His soul essence was being consumed at an alarming rate.
The longer he used Vanitas's Dormant Ability, the more he felt his soul core being drained.
That should be enough.
With a single thought, he dismissed the lightning.
The roar of thunder ceased.
His body slowed abruptly.
Without that enhancement, escaping the swarm was impossible.
Samael stopped.
Then he looked behind him.
His heart sank.
Dozens of Fallen Demons stood perfectly still, staring at him.
And at their front...
A Fallen Tyrant.
— That doesn't even make sense...
Samael frowned.
— A Tyrant shouldn't be able to command creatures of the same Rank.
His expression turned bitter.
— What an incredible day... The first Tyrant I ever meet decides to break the rules.
A dry laugh escaped his lips.
Heavy with sarcasm.
— ...
Ah, no.
I promised I'd stop feeling sorry for myself.
The brief relapse made him sigh.
Before him, the entire nest remained motionless.
Hundreds of eyes stared at him.
Hungry.
Cruel.
It was the same look every Nightmare Creature possessed.
The instinctive desire to tear apart everything that lived.
Then...
The crowd parted.
A gigantic white spider slowly stepped forward.
It was far larger than the others.
Each step made the ground tremble.
When it finally stopped before Samael, something happened.
The flesh covering its upper body began to split apart.
The wet sound of tearing skin echoed through the forest.
From within that mass of flesh emerged the torso of a woman.
Pale skin.
Long white hair.
Delicate arms.
A beauty that was almost supernatural...
Stitched onto the grotesque body of a colossal spider.
A chimera.
A nightmare.
— Elisa...
At Samael's call, a massive white serpent appeared beside him.
Its silver scales reflected the surrounding light.
Its mere presence caused the temperature to plummet.
The air turned icy.
Even the nearby leaves began to freeze.
Samael gently stroked the serpent's head.
— In the end... I guess I'll never find out if I can grow wings.
He smiled bitterly.
— Or drink that cup of coffee.
What a shame...
His hand trembled.
This time, he didn't bother hiding it.
He was afraid.
Terrified.
Meanwhile, the chimera continued advancing.
Slowly.
Like someone already certain of victory.
Samael lowered his gaze to Elisa's silver scales.
His reflection appeared before him.
Golden eyes.
Hair woven from strands of white and gold.
For some reason...
It made him smile.
I have to admit...
I'm ridiculously handsome.
Even in the face of death, his mind remained strangely calm.
Or perhaps...
He had already accepted his fate.
Samael looked back at the creature.
Tilting his head slightly, he smiled.
— You're so handsome, Samael...
He paused before flashing an ironic grin.
— ...that even a woman-spider chimera fell for you.
He paused once more.
— So enchanted that she wants to kill me.
His eyes wandered across the creature's face.
— I just have no idea which one of your eyes is actually looking at me.