Coran used his blades which covered his arms to slice away at the cocoons which contained the children, freeing them from their bondage.
Walter seemed to want to rush forward, but the older man held him back.
"Wait. We don't know what he's doing. Be calm and watch. Don't lose focus."
Walter nodded, but he had hatred in his eyes, aimed directly at Coran.
'How dare he call Abel scum.... he's just a killing machine.... I'll kill him myself, here and now!'
Coran threw off the weapons which covered his arms and grabbed the children on the ground, one by one letting them climb up onto each of his arms. The final one- the lightest girl, he allowed to climb up onto his shoulders, giving her a piggy back ride.
Since Coran was not a huge monster, but rather a bit shorter than a regular human adult, even though all the children were young and small they took up quite a bit of the space, completely covering his entire body and more.
"At this point, I really am not so sure whether I should curse or thank the woman who did this to these children. I mean, every single one of these corrupted and vile humans seem to be completely stuck in their own beliefs. Unreasonable beyond belief. However, because of the blatant brainwashing and horrid conditions, you all have become such lovely children."
Coran wiped another tear from the eyes of the girl sitting on top of him, his insectoid finger grazing the smooth skin of the child.
"There there. I know these men said some terrible things. But don't worry! I don't agree with them. I think they're completely wrong. This 'Abel' that they speak of isn't worth even a single one of you. Every single one of you is worth five- no, 100 of this person. These men simply don't understand the value of a life."
Cody was petrified at Coran's words and actions, and shouted out.
"He's using the children as human shields!! I can't get a good shot on him!"
"Are they really worth that much?", Byron said while looking down gravely.
"Eh?"
"I said are they really worth that much, compared to killing that thing?"
"What?"
"Which scenario is worse? Letting that thing go because he took a few hostages, or killing the hostages and living with the guilt?"
"That's.... I suppose letting it go would be worse....", Cody muttered.
"Wait a minute, Byron!", Walter exclaimed.
"What?"
"Think about Abel!! What would Abel have done if he were in this scenario?!"
"Abel would have been able to attack that thing without even harming the hostages.", Byron said without hesitation, stepping forward with resolve.
"But we're not Abel."
"But what would Abel want us to do!?"
"Would he want us all to die, only for those children to be killed off by that thing later!?"
"Well.... no.... but, firing on them!?!"
"He's right.", Logan chipped in. "We... don't have the power to save those children. By taking them as hostages, we have no choice. Either we kill them, and the monster will die with them, or we will all die here- and perhaps a whole lot more people too. If we let this thing live, who knows how many countless deaths this city will face. Do you think Abel would want us to hold onto our pride, spare the children who have been taken hostage, and let tens or even hundreds of people die in the process!?!?!"
"I..... but...."
Walter couldn't come to terms with this.
"Cody. Fire. If you don't want to, then I'll attack instead.", Byron said.
"I got it.", Cody said while biting his lips.
He pulled back the string of his bow.
"Oh? So that's what you think this is? The monster taking a group of children hostages, and using them as shields?", Coran stated in a raspy voice.
"What' else could it be!?! Die monster!! I'll at least let those children die quickly!"
Cody let off arrow after arrow, firing as fast as he could at the head of Coran which was covered by two of the children's bodies.
The arrows flew through the air with immense speed only to be blocked by one of Coran's arms, which no longer had weapons on them.
"Did you think I would let you just kill off my children like that? Did you really think that I was just using them as meat shields? You all are the only ones who could come up with something so evil. But you know what? Good idea. Let's put this little theory of yours to the test. What did you say before? Something about 'If we don't kill them, the monster will kill hundreds of other people.' Fine reasoning and all, sacrificing the few to save the many. But what if it was someone who you actually cared about!?"
Coran stepped forward and an immense pressure seemed to envelop the five.
"Could you so easily throw away that life?"
"That thing just keeps on talking!!! Let's attack it all at once, everyone!!"
"Yeah!"
"Be careful boys. I'll back you all up. I can weave arrows between the children, but if that monster decides to use their bodies to block then they'll likely die...", Mr. Gherbalt said with a grim tone and scrunched eyebrows.
"Thank you, Sir."
The three rushed forward in a group, with Byron at the front.
Arrows began pelting Coran, but he blocked every single one of them with his hands, as the children were resting on each of his elbows, so he could freely move both his two human arms and the spiderlike hands past the elbows.
The three boys approached in line, and Byron took a massive horizontal swing so as to take out the entire group.
However, the club was met with a spear, which Coran had unsheathed in just a moment, and using his human left hand to wield it, he had stuck the spear into the edge of the club, stopping it in it's path.
"I can't have you harming my children.", Coran said while bringing the spear back, thrusting the club out of Byron's hands.
His strength was unimaginable. Coran ripped the massive club away, flinging it across the room as it smashed into the wall with a ball of dust.
Byron was now weaponless, but Walter stepped forward to slice at Coran while Logan made his way behind the monster.
'He doesn't even have any of the children guarding his back. I can stab him in the back without harming them, and kill this thing. I just need to make it....'
Walter swung a few times from the front, only to be met by the spiderlike arms, which blocked his attacks. Strangely, the monster didn't try to attack Walter, only blocking his attacks. This threw Walter off guard, as he was used to slashing and then blocking, however there were no strikes to block.
'Carrying all those children has made it hard for that thing to attack. I can do this. I don't want to hit the children, but if I have to, I will...'
At the same time, Logan had made his way around Coran to stab him in the back.
"Don't you know that a spider's abdomen is on his back?"
Coran shot out a net as Logan lunged, his daggers aiming for Coran's neck. Logan, who was in midair at the time was propelled backwards by the net which trapped him to the wall.
"Agh! I've been caught! Kill him, guys!", Logan shouted.
Walter continued attacking. He couldn't allow Logan's capture to distract him, because right now if he killed the monster then Logan would be fine, but if he let it get away then Logan would be killed. He had to occupy it while Byron tried to regain his bearings. Arrows continued to fly in from behind him, so the other two were clearly providing support, but the monster continued to swat down the arrows like flies.
"Now.... I think it's time to put this to the test."
After blocking many of Cody's shots, Coran used the spear in his left hand to stab Walter- directly in the kidney.
Walter could not see the blow. It was far too fast. He puked up a burst of blood, and his mind became foggy. Unaware of what was happening, he felt something grab onto him. His shield was thrown aside, along with his sword which he dropped.
Coran had picked Walter up, hanging him by the neck, and was now using Walter as a human shield.
"Now let's see..... do you still think that the 'hostages' I take are 'necessary sacrifices', even when it's one of your own? Or are you merely false heroes who pretend like everyone is equal until things come down to it, and then only the strangers are worth killing?"
Squeezing the throat of Walter, a light whimper was let out of the boy that Coran held.
Thinning his eyes and grinning, Coran stared directly into the eyes of Cody with a sadistic expression.
"Are you unwilling to declare that your friend who has been captured isn't worth the many lives I will take should you not defeat me here and now?"
The arrows stopped.
"Walter!", Cody shouted. "Don't fire, Mr. Gherbalt! He caught Walter, and is now using him as a human shield after realizing that the children weren't working!!"
"This is...."
Byron was now holding his fists up, unsure whether to attack or not. He glared at the monster hideously, and shouted out in anger.
"Is that all you know how to do, monster? To take hostages and protect yourself?"
"Is that all you know how to do, imbecile? To shoot off insults at those who you see as monsters, and pretend like you're some sort of hero trying to save people by killing off the horrid monster?"
"What!?"
"You didn't so much as hesitate before. Here."
Coran walked over to the club which had been thrown to the wall, while keeping Walter facing towards his attackers to ensure that they wouldn't attack.
Coran kicked the club over to Byron, where it landed at his feet.
"I'll let you hit me, but only while I'm holding this guy. You said it before, didn't you? If you don't kill me that hundreds of people might die. That the children I held as hostages were merely sacrifices to prevent that tragedy. Well, I only hold one more person now. So? What's it gonna be? Are you willing to kill your friend, or not?"
Walter, who was held in Coran's hand by the neck was being choked so as to not allow him to speak, as blood seemed to make it's way out of his mouth.
Coran turned the body around so that the boys could see the face of their friend as he was held up by the beast.
Walter looked scared.
He was terrified.
Byron, on seeing that face of terror in his friend, picked up his club, but could not find it in him to step forward and attack.
'Walter...'
"What? You aren't going to attack!? Man, you humans are pathetic!!!! These children are seriously the only decent people I've ever met! Alright, I've had enough playing."
Coran crushed the throat of Walter, and his head fell limp.
"Yay! Dad killed one of the bad guys!", one of the boys in Coran's arms exclaimed while putting his arms up in victory.
"Just four more to go!", another girl stated.
"Wha-"
Byron couldn't handle the sight of Walter being killed so quickly.
His eyes were blank.
His head was hanging from his neck by what seemed to be a thread.
And those children....
Those children, who they came here to save....
They were celebrating!?
Celebrating the death of Walter!?!?!??!
HOW!?!
Just four more to go?
Byron couldn't handle this.
He became furious.
"Kill them.", he whispered.
Cody, who barely heard Byron, yet saw the limp head of Walter, spoke back lightly while choking up.
"W-what was that, Byron?"
"KILL THEM!!! KILL THOSE DAMN KIDS!!! THEY'RE CELEBRATING WALTER'S DEATH!!!!"
Cody could barely feel his arms, but he forced them to move. He was overcome by a sadness and fury as he grabbed an arrow.
He aimed.
Straight for the head of the young girl on top of the head of Coran, who seemed to be laughing and smiling.
His hands were quivering, but on seeing the smile on the girls face, then looking to the hanging head of Walter, Cody couldn't take it.
"I'll kill them...."
Cody let the arrow free.
"You worthless trash. Do you think I'll let you get away with firing at my children intentionally?"
Coran was staring back at Cody with dead eyes, and a look of complete disgust.
Coran threw the body of Walter up so that the arrow pierced the flopping head of the boy, defending the young girl who sat on his shoulders from the arrow.
Coran then caught the dead body, which now had an arrow in its head, with his free hand.
Sheathing his spear with his left hand, he ripped the arrow out of Walter and threw the body aside.
"You all understand what it means to deliberately attack a child younger than you, right? It means that in the best case scenario, you're a bully. But in the worst case scenario...."
Coran licked the arrow, poisoning it with his spit as he grabbed his own bow from his back.
"You're a murderer. If you're prepared to murder these young children, then I won't hesitate either."
Coran pulled back the arrow and ran around so that Byron and Cody were lined up in a row, and he fired it off without a flinch.
The arrow burst through the head of Byron, causing an explosion of chunks of flesh and blood, which Coran shielded the children from with a layer of cloth that he whipped up. He didn't want any poison touching them, after all.
The arrow continued on its path into the heart of Cody, bursting through his chest and slamming into the wall, where it continued piercing such that a seemingly endless hole was formed.
"Yay!! Just two more!!"
"Dad, you're so cool!"
"Thank you dad!"
"It should be obvious for a father to protect his children from those trying to harm them. But I suppose for you all, that is far from reality."
Coran sheathed his bow and pulled out his blowdart, quickly aiming at the old man.
'It... it can't be.... this thing is... it's unbeatable! It killed all those boys in mere moments!'
Mr. Gherbalt's life flashed before his eyes.
'Is... is this what a real monster is like? I've spent my entire life performing in archery tournaments. I became a champion... a master.... and yet, was that all for naught? Is every monster like this? If so, then aren't humans just destined to be killed off? How? How have we been sitting patiently behind that wall, pretending like we were safe the entire time, when this thing was out there waiting for a moment to attack! It's hopeless! We can't win! If this thing gets out of here, then it won't just be hundreds.... thousands! Perhaps even tens of thousands will die! But... my hands.... is this fear? They won't move! For the first time in my life, I have experienced combat.... but.... it was a complete failure! Real combat, with a real monster is far different from an archery competition! I underestimated it!'
Mr. Gherbalt was terrified, but looking back on his life...
'But.... I don't regret it. I've lived long, and not once do I regret how I've lived. I was able to meet many different people throughout my life, and I was able to spread my knowledge to people.... if only that knowledge were actually useful against this thing....I suppose that is my only regret.'
As Mr. Gherbalt had these thoughts running through his brain, a dart too ran through it.
He fell to the ground immediately, with a hole straight through his head.
"Only one more, and he's tied up!"
"What are you gonna do with the last one, dad?"
"Let's see..... I suppose we can have a look at him."
Coran walked over to Logan with a mischievous grin on his face- one that only a monster could make after performing a slaughter.
"Would you look at that? You're the last one! Hahaha. How does it feel to have all your comrades ripped from you? How does it feel to be the last one left? I wouldn't know. I killed my siblings with my own two hands, so I've never had any care nor concern for any others.... except for a few. My adorable little sister, and my masters. And I suppose I now have a wife and a lovely set of children to care for as well. How my own circle has grown."
Logan's face was filled with terror and anguish.
"Why have you done this!?!?"
"Why? Because, they attacked my children. You attacked me from behind. Was that in an attempt to save the children, or was it simply because you thought you could get the slip on me? Well, either way you agreed with them, did you not? That the children would have to become sacrifices for the greater good? Let me let you in on a little secret, since you're now all tied up and can't move. I'll tell you the whole story. Will you please hear me out, dear adventurer?"
Logan had completely lost all will to fight at this point.
After seeing his friends and one of their mentors slaughtered, his mind could not think straight.
He didn't hold anger anymore towards the spider. Only fear.
"What... what do you want from me?"
"Just for you to listen to my story."
"I.... I'll listen."
"Very good!!! Finally, someone who listens to me! Of course, that won't save you. You did offend my children after all. How could I live with myself if I let a monster like you go? Oh wait. Isn't that what everyone was saying about me? Haha! Well, anyways. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"
Coran placed each of the children down as they seemed to cling to him.
"What am I? I suppose to you, I am nothing more than an abomination. Well, I suppose that's right. That's what I've been from the day I was born, and that's what I will always be. But.... only to those who view me as one. These children, through the mental torment and physical neglect they were put through, have been able to see through this monstrous appearance of mine, and have accepted me as a father! And I have gladly taken up this role, with my beautiful wife. Who do you think that wife is? A human? Another spider, like me? Or perhaps a different monster? I'll leave that to your imagination."
Coran began to stroke the hair of the children, each with one of his arms as they hugged him and gave Logan looks of superiority. Some even stuck their tongue out at him.
"Since you're going to die here anyways, I'll let you in on it. I'm a servant. A slave. You all just lost your lives, not to a monster.... not to some wild beast... but to a lowly slave, who serves his masters with absolute loyalty. I am working under the orders of my masters, you know. It's not just me you're against. It's an entire nation."
"You.... you're working for a nation!?"
Logan was filled with dread on hearing this.
What nation could have possibly subdued this monster, and what purpose did it serve in killing all these people?
Was he not just here to attack people? Did he have some sort of greater purpose?
These questions ran through Logan's mind as Coran continued.
"I am a slave to their excellencies and her eminence, the antiheroes and the Determined. I am Coran, the humble spider who lives to serve them. Soon enough, this country.... no, this entire world.... will be theirs. And we are beginning with this town."
"What!?!?! T-the antiheroes!?!? You're working for them!?!?"
'This... this is very bad!!! Now that I know this, I have to get out of here!! I have to escape to warn everyone else! Not just the village, but the entire country is at risk!! No wonder this thing was so powerful!'
"Hahaha! So you know of my great masters! Wonderful. I am delighted to hear that their names are known far and wide beyond their domain. But now that I've gone and spilled the beans, it's time to get rid of the evidence."
Coran held up his humanoid hand, and shot out what looked like a matrix of thin strings, surrounding Logan.
He then pulled his hand back, and the strings tightened around Logan, slicing his body up like an egg slicer.
The body exploded into a rain of chunks and blood, and Coran picked up the children in his arms once again, heading back to the campfire.
"Come on, children. It's almost time for your mother to make you some dinner. I wonder if she can cook?"