The Laughing Swordsman

The weavers were flashing in and out of his vision.

He had transitioned partway into the third layer.

He did not remember eating any fruits of light, but now wasn't the time to question the specifics of the situation.

The weavers spat out dark green venom, surrounding him on all sides.

The muscles in Apollo's arms and legs tightened.

He spun in a circle, leaving two big divots with his feet.

Apollo's bokken twirled.

A large gale of wind rose, blowing back the venom coming for him.

So, how did Apollo get into this situation?

Well, after collecting the three eagle berries, he found another eagle berry bush nearby.

This one had a whopping four eagle berries. As such, he enthusiastically ran over to it.

If he could just collect them, his grand total would reach nine!

Nothing stopped Apollo from grabbing the four eagle berries. However, right after, he was encircled by four weavers.

A few drops of venom fell on Apollo's cheek, burning it away. He didn't even flinch, treating it like a few drops of water.

There was a dangerous smile on Apollo's face.

He leaped towards the weaver in front of him and raised his bokken with both hands.

The weaver took advantage of the fact Apollo was suspended in the air, shooting out its leg.

Apollo did not try to bat away the leg. Instead, he gripped his bokken tighter.

The weaver leg pierced his stomach but did not slow his descent.

Apollo let himself be skewered.

There was a wild look in his eyes.

Suddenly, his bokken slammed down.

A deafening bang rang out.

The weaver was squashed like a bug. Its carapace had shattered into pieces while its flesh splattered outwards.

The weaver's now detached leg was still within Apollo's stomach, but he ignored it.

The three remaining weavers did not sit idle. They charged towards Apollo, shooting out one leg each.

A gleam flashed in Apollo's eye.

He was reminded of the beams of water.

What if he could divert these weaver legs as well?

Apollo's bokken flashed.

The three legs recoiled upwards. A wave of force traveled down them, rupturing the flesh as it passed.

Once that wave reached the body of the spiders, their legs directly snapped off.

Apollo laughed like a maniac.

To Apollo, the weavers were just babies flailing their arms.

The weavers shrieked in pain and anger.

They were thrown off balance by the loss of their leg but continued attacking with resolution.

Eight weaver legs shot out. Half of them missed, while the other four shot towards their target.

Apollo traced the side of his bokken. Then, it snapped out.

The four weaver legs recoiled as a wave passed through them. Like last time, the four legs broke off once the wave reached the weaver's body.

The weavers were thrown off balance, allowing Apollo to approach unhindered.

Apollo swung his bokken upwards, tracing an arc towards the sky.

One of the weavers directly split apart, dying on the spot.

Like it was calling for destruction, after Apollo's bokken raised, it slammed down on another weaver.

The weaver's head was crushed, blowing apart into bits of flesh and blood.

The last weaver had regathered its bearings by now.

It grabbed the leg that was still within Apollo's stomach and lifted him up through it.

Apollo was disoriented. His legs and arms flailed about.

"Let me go!"

The weaver did not acquiesce to his request. Instead, it spat dark green venom.

It was a point blank shot. The venom mercilessly splashed onto Apollo's body, burning his skin.

Some of the venom inevitably splashed on his bokken, but it was as though the venom became a docile kitten, slipping off harmlessly.

The same couldn't be said for the venom on Apollo.

His face melted like it was made out of wax.

Apollo let out a deranged cackle, pairing nicely with his deformed face.

Red scars formed on Apollo's wrist.

With a whip, his bokken tore through the air.

A large gust of wind was stirred up. The Weaver's carapace abruptly split in two, sending it to the afterlife.

As the weaver was no longer holding Apollo up, he fell to the ground with a smack.

Apollo groaned in pain but mixed a few laughs within.

The venom slowly died down while Apollo's body repaired itself. He gasped for air until his lungs were satisfied.

Apollo's pupils shook.

With a giggle, he stood up.

He pried out the leg stuck in his stomach. A fountain of blood sprayed out but died off quickly.

Apollo was more or less back to normal now.

He blinked a few times, then took a step forward.

Suddenly, his foot sank into the ground. Something was grabbing onto him.

In a panic, Apollo swung his bokken against the ground.

"Eh? What was that for? Even when you were the one that left me!"

Layla was holding onto Apollo's foot. Her head popped out of the ground while her arms wrapped around Apollo's ankle.

Apollo's attack ended up bonking Layla on the head, to her displeasure.

Layla pouted angrily.

"How could you just leave me!"

The corner of Apollo's lip twitched.

"...But you were the one that just left."

Layla looked to the side, avoiding eye contact.

"Well... that was because I saw something!"

Apollo tilted his head to the side.

"So how is it my fault?"

Layla scratched her cheek with a finger. Her furry ears drooped to the side.

"...I don't know."

Apollo bonked Layla on the head again.

"So why are you blaming me!"

Layla covered her head with her hands.

"Sorryyyy!~"

Apollo sighed.

"...Seriously."

Layla pouted with puppy dog eyes.

"Forgive me?"

Apollo furrowed his brows. After a few moments of contemplation, he shook his head with a sigh.

"Yeah, whatever."

Layla burst out of the ground with a big smile on her face.

"Yay!"

A few gentle chimes rang out from the bell around her neck. Along with that, her tail wagged back and forth, letting out accompanying jingles.

Apollo rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

He needed just one more eagle berry.

Apollo remembered what he asked of Layla.

"Ah, right. Do you still have the eagle berry?"

Layla nodded.

"Oh, yeah!"

She stuck out her palm. It was empty, there was only a black stain left.

Apollo gave Layla a blank stare.

Layla tilted her head to the side. Then, she looked at her empty palm.

"Ah, right! I ate that one."

She reached into her pockets and pulled out an eagle berry.

"Hehe, this is the one I saved!"

Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Thanks."

Layla gave him a thumbs up.

Now, it was time to turn in that quest.

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