Chapter 25 Last Stage

Chapter 25 Last Stage
Nolan, Nina, and Nadine took their stances. The soldiers surrounding them prepared to fire, pressing their faces against their rifles to take aim. Several spherical drones swarmed in, opening up to reveal mini-guns on their left and right sides.

"Nadine, can you do that thing again?" Nolan asked.

"I can't... I’m too full," Nadine answered.

"Ugh... if I’d known that, I would've had you wait to eat until now," Nina snapped.

"Give up. You won't make it out of here alive... hmm, you're actually quite beautiful, the last woman from the Red Tower town. It might be interesting to keep you as my pet," Harold sneered, perched casually as he stared down at Nina from above.

"Hah... in your dreams," Nina shot back.

"Fine. I'll handle these soldiers," Nolan said.

Suddenly, Nolan grabbed Nina and Nadine, pulling them close until he had an arm wrapped firmly around each of their waists. He closed his eyes, took a breath, and exhaled. When he opened them, his eyes had turned entirely gray. They instantly shifted into the fourth dimension, dragging the surrounding soldiers and hovering drones along with them.

"Huh... what... aaaaaah!"

Suddenly, a soldier’s body began to unravel into pixelated fragments before vanishing. The others followed suit; no one could survive within the fourth dimension. After every soldier perished and their weapons disintegrated, and the drones were stripped down into tiny parts before disappearing, Nolan closed his eyes and opened them once more. They reappeared right in front of Harold. Harold was still perched on the second floor, looking at Nina, with Heidi standing beside him like a zombie. He was instantly bewildered, jolting to his feet with a pale face as he scanned the area below.

"Hey... what happened? Why did they disappear?" Harold asked in a panic. To him, it felt as though he had simply blinked and his entire force, along with his AI drones, had vanished into thin air.

But before he could process his shock, Nolan appeared by his side and "pow," Nolan’s fist landed squarely on his cheek, sending him spinning across the balcony. Nolan immediately pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Heidi’s naked body. When Nolan touched her while adjusting the jacket, Heidi turned to look at him.

"You... Nolan?" Heidi asked, appearing unable to believe that Nolan was actually standing beside her.

"Yes, Heidi, it’s me, Nolan. Wait here, this isn't over yet," Nolan answered with a smile.

"Okay... Nolan," Heidi replied, smiling back as she clutched the jacket to cover herself.

Now wearing only a tight black t-shirt that showed off his physique, Nolan turned and walked away, cracking his neck and knuckles. He approached Harold, who was struggling to get up while clutching his mouth; blood was visibly seeping through his fingers. Nina ran to join Nolan, her fists clenched and her eyes sharp, while Nadine stayed back to help Heidi. Harold stood up unsteadily, leaning against the wall for support. But before he could even stand straight, a jab flew into his face, followed by an uppercut delivered from below by Nina.

Harold was sent sprawling backward once more, tumbling into a room with an open door that appeared to be a study. His back slammed hard against the floor as he fell. "Cough," Harold hacked, the blood pooling in the hand covering his mouth becoming even more grisly. Nina stood over him, then crouched low and immediately drove her fist into his face again. Harold was forced to move his hands, revealing a face that was battered and drenched in blood; his nose was twisted in the wrong direction, and several of his white teeth had been knocked loose.

"This is for my town," Nina said.

She slammed her fist into Harold’s face again, making his head bounce off the floor. She wound up for another strike.

"This is for my parents," Nina said.

"Boom." Nina smashed Harold’s blood-soaked face once more, but he still hadn't lost consciousness. As she raised her hand again, Harold managed a grin.

"If my heart stops... then... there... will be... a surprise for you all..."

Before Harold could finish, Nina punched him squarely in the mouth, shattering almost all of his remaining teeth.

"That was for Jasper," Nina said.

"Ha... ha... ha... go ahead, kill me... you... won't... be able to... escape... them," Harold gasped.

"Who are them?" Nolan asked, standing beside Nina.

"You... will... find out... soon," Harold answered.

"And this... is the last one... for me, Nolan and Heidi," Nina said.

Nina’s fist was suddenly engulfed in flames, and she drove it down with such force that Harold’s head sank into the broken floor tiles. He stopped moving entirely. Nina slowly withdrew her trembling hand from his face; tears streamed down her cheeks, and her expression was one of pure relief, even as she gasped for air. She stared blankly at Harold’s mangled, unrecognizable face until Nolan suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder from behind. Nina snapped back to reality and turned to look at him, then reached up to grip his hand where it rested on her shoulder.

Nolan helped Nina to her feet. As soon as she was up, she buried her face in his chest, pulling him into a tight embrace. Nolan remained still, letting her hold him; he raised one hand to rest on her head while the other wrapped around her waist. They stood there in silence for a few moments until Nina finally lifted her head to look at him.

"Thank you, Nolan," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome... now, we should probably get out of here," Nolan replied.

"Heidi... why, Heidi!"

Nadine’s sudden scream made Nolan and Nina lock eyes before they both bolted out to the balcony. They found Heidi groaning in agony, clutching her stomach as she collapsed. Nadine hovered over her, frantic. Nolan and Nina rushed to their side.

"What is it? Heidi!" Nolan said, dropping to his knees in front of her.

"My stomach... it hurts... run, Nolan... leave me... hurry," Heidi whimpered through the pain.

"Huh... what?" Nolan asked.

"Aaaaaah!"

Heidi suddenly shrieked, head snapping back. Nolan’s jacket fell open, and his eyes widened. A green, crystal-like organ was pulsing inside Heidi’s abdomen, with thick green veins spreading across her entire body.

"What... the Nature Orbs," Nina muttered.

"Heidi... hang on, Heidi!" Nolan shouted, gripping his sister’s shoulders.

"Thud." Heidi’s palm suddenly slammed into Nolan’s chest, throwing him backward. Nina and Nadine caught him, and the three of them watched as Heidi’s body began to transform. Her legs split into six; from the waist down, her body tore open. Her internal organs pushed outward, swelling into a massive, bulbous shape that formed the abdomen of a spider. Her arms elongated, her fingers stretching into blades as long as swords.

"No... no... no... Heidi!" Nolan screamed, struggling to move forward even as Nina and Nadine held him back.

"Run... Nolan... while... I... still... can... hold it... hurry!" Heidi shrieked.

But then Heidi jerked violently. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and a long, curved horn erupted from her forehead. Her hair instantly turned white as two more eyes opened beneath her original ones. Heidi’s entire body began to swell, growing so large that Nolan, Nina, and Nadine had to look up, their forms cast in her massive shadow. Heidi had transformed into the monster known as an Arachne.

Nolan stood before her, unable to believe his eyes. He had clearly lost the sister he had wanted to save for so long—the very person who had become his purpose for living. His emotions were in shambles and the pain in his heart was so overwhelming that he began to tremble, forced to admit that he had failed. Meanwhile, Nina and Nadine, who were completely blindsided by the turn of events, unconsciously shed tears; they understood all too well the agony tearing through Nolan as he watched his own sister turn into a monster right in front of him.