"Are you two brothers?"
Almond's deep voice rumbled as his massive figure towered before Gumber.
Gumber tightened his grip on the spear, bloodshot eyes fixed on Lumber lying motionless in a pool of blood.
"Shut up, you damn shit!"
He roared and thrust forward with all his strength.
"Piercing Spear—!"
Almond did not dodge. The great sword in his hand swung upward.
CLANG!
The heavy strike knocked the spearhead off its path. Gumber tried to steady the shaft, but another slash immediately followed. He barely managed to raise the body of the spear to block.
"The Demon King will be quite pleased when I bring him your heads."
Almond sneered as he pressed forward relentlessly. Sparks burst and flashed between clashing steel.
CRACK!
The final blow came down. Gumber's spear was cut in a half. The broken halves flew from his hands and hit the ground.
"Ready for me to take your head off?"
Almond curled his lip and drove a brutal kick into Gumber's chest. He rolled across the dirt.
Almond's heavy body stomped down onto him, the crushing weight threatening to shatter his bones.
"Go on. Keep insulting me."
He pressed harder, savoring the sight of Gumber writhing beneath him.
Elsewhere, countless giant mushrooms had been cut down by Cashew, lying scattered across the battlefield.
"So? Nowhere left to run?"
Cashew mocked Omelet—then suddenly paused.
Tiny spores floated densely in the air like mist, gradually merging into a purple haze that blanketed the entire area.
"Ha. Little lamb, what do you plan to do with these?"
She laughed and spread her wings again.
"Dancing String. First Death."
A filament shot forward.
Slash!
It grazed Omelet's right arm. Blood seeped out.
The second cut into his right leg.
The third pierced directly into the old wound in his left leg.
"Well? I'm only letting them skim your body. A little lamb like you won't die that easily."
Cashew ignored the thickening purple haze around her and continued attacking with her strings.
Omelet did not retaliate. He hovered in midair, allowing the strings to tear into his flesh again and again.
A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
"You are not a coward."
A string sliced across his arm.
"My son is strong."
Another cut across his leg.
"You will save everyone."
A string slashed across his cheek. His body was soon covered in countless thin wounds carved by the razor-sharp strings.
Omelet clenched his fist. Determination ignited in his eyes.
"I will kill you! You bastard!"
He shouted straight at Cashew.
His body began to glow. Pure white fairy dust radiated outward, pushing back the purple haze.
His eyes blazed with brilliant white light. The wings behind him spread wide, growing larger, illuminating the entire mushroom forest.
In the distance, Shinji—still evading Kriz—saw the light.
"You wanted to see my Essence, didn't you?"
Omelet's voice resonated as though blending with the forest itself.
"Fine."
He raised both hands. A blinding light gathered between his palms.
"Great Storm. White Mark!"
A colossal pillar of wind erupted.
The ground was torn apart. Broken mushrooms, soil, rocks, and roots were swept into a violent storm and hurled toward Cashew. She was blown backward, claws digging into the earth in a futile attempt to hold her ground.
"Do you know why I lured you all the way here, Cashew?"
Omelet's voice echoed down as Cashew glared up at him.
"Damn it!"
The strings controlling the Anteria ant people began snapping one by one.
"That's impossible!"
Omelet poured in the last of his strength. The wind surged again, ripping up the very top layer of earth. Cashew was thrown violently away as shattered stone and hardened soil struck her body like countless blades.
Then—
Silence.
Every string was severed. The Anteria were freed.
Kriz, who had been chasing Shinji, suddenly halted—then collapsed.
Shinji panted, struggling to stay on his feet.
But—
Kriz rose again.
Only half of his body remained. Blue blood streamed down. His form swayed, yet his eyes were clear.
"Kriz… you…"
Instead of attacking Shinji, he turned and charged toward Cashew.
Shinji froze for a split second, then grit his teeth and followed.
In the distance, Omelet's wings gradually shrank. The light faded.
"I did it… Dad…"
He collapsed.
Cashew staggered to her feet. Pain spread through her body.
She looked down—the purple mushroom dust had coated her skin.
"…Mushroom poison…"
Her body felt heavy as lead.
"Fine, fine… I'll tear you into a hundred pieces!"
She staggered toward Omelet.
At that moment—
A figure lunged forward.
Kriz clamped the mandibles of the ant race onto Cashew's neck.
"What?! You filthy creature!"
He locked her in place with all the strength he had left.
"You… I must… take revenge…"
His voice was hoarse.
Cashew tried to form more strings, but they drooped uselessly, weakened by the poison.
"Get the fuck away!"
He tightened his grip.
"Everyone… forgive me…"
Shinji rushed in.
"Die!"
He swung his sword—but before it could fully reach Cashew's neck, the poison in her body began to fade. A remaining string lashed out, slicing a long cut across Shinji's cheek.
Another shot straight into his eye.
The pain made Shinji falter.
"Do it, Shinji!"
Kriz shouted.
Shinji gritted his teeth.
He raised his sword again and brought it down toward Cashew's neck. Red blood sprayed out, splattering across Shinji's face.
But if the blade went any deeper, Kriz would lose his head as well.
His hand trembled.
At that moment, Cashew's sharp claws raked across his calf. She spread her wings, preparing to strike again. Kriz used his remaining arm to lock her wing in place. Green blood gushed from the severed half of his body.
Shinji understood. This was Kriz's choice.
He tightened his grip. The blade drove deeper, cutting halfway through Cashew's neck. It had already touched Kriz's head—if he struck further, Kriz would surely be beheaded as well.
He closed his eyes and swung with all his strength.
"I'm sorry…"
One decisive slash.
Cashew's head separated from her body. The owl mask flew from her face. Her arrogance vanished, replaced only by a broken, trembling murmur as her head rolled away.
"Almond… I… im cold…"
Her thick brown hair spilled out, spreading across the ground, once bound beneath the owl mask.
Kriz's head was severed as well, yet his body remained standing for a moment longer. His head rolled away, blue blood scattering everywhere.
Shinji collapsed to his knees, his sword trembling violently in his hand.
"K… Kriz…"
Kriz's remaining hand lifted and touched the tip of Shinji's blade, slowly pushing it down.
"Well done… human…"
His body finally fell. His head lay still.
He died without fear.
He died so that everyone else could live.