Hydranomaly

Chapter 8: The Spider King

After a long, drawn-out trip navigating through Astrapi City-mostly with Ryujin fumbling his directions and leading them astray-the group finally arrived at the outskirts. The abandoned warehouse towered ominously, casting long shadows in the fading light of the evening.

"Whew... that took way too long... All thanks to Roronoa Zoro here..." Usagi groaned, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she shot a glance at Ryujin, who had reverted to his human form due to the prolonged journey.

"Huh? Who...? You know my name is Ryujin, right?" Ryujin responded, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I know, I know, dummy..." Usagi chuckled, nudging him on the shoulder before playfully knocking him on the head and winking. "Ain't got one brain cell in there, eh?"

"Huh?" He blinked, tilting his head with a vacant expression, the dumb look on his face betraying his utter cluelessness.

Before their playful banter could continue, Ruby, tightly cuddled in Usagi's arms, whimpered as she stared through the large, battered windows of the warehouse. Her fear was palpable, drawing Usagi and Ryujin's attention to the eerie interior.

"What the..." Usagi mumbled, her voice trailing off as she caught sight of the scene within. A towering, 20-foot tall spider-like anomaly descended from the wall, its grotesque form becoming more discernible with each step. Ruby squeaked in terror, burying her face into Usagi's shoulder like an ostrich into the sand.

The anomaly's appearance was a nightmarish blend of human and arachnid. Its head was an amalgamation of human skulls, packed tightly together like a macabre puzzle, held in place by thick, translucent webs. The top portion of its face featured eight human skulls with gaping jaws, from which eight large, glowing red eyes peered out malevolently. Its spider legs and body were similarly constructed from a grotesque assortment of skeletal remains, bound together by the same eerie webs.

Suddenly, the echoing steps of the anomaly reverberated through the warehouse's hollow interior, the sound reaching through the cracks and holes in the windows. Usagi acted swiftly, grabbing Ryujin by the hair and yanking him down to keep low.

"Ah-Ow! Hey! Did you have to pull that hard?!" Ryujin yelped, shoving Usagi off him as she released her grip, rubbing the back of his head.

"Shhh... someone's here, they're gonna hear us..." Usagi whispered urgently, bringing her finger to her lips in a shushing motion before slowly peeking over the wall, glancing through the window.

"Couldn't you have pulled anywhere else-"

Before Ryujin could finish his sentence, his voice loud and clear in the tense silence, Usagi clamped a hand over his mouth, forcefully silencing him. The intensity of the moment grew, the air thick with anticipation as they waited in strained silence.

As the mysterious figure-no, figures emerged from the shadows, Usagi strained to make out their features. Four young men, similar in build but distinguishable by their faces, stepped into view. They wore dark gray uniforms adorned with dark blue accents that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. The uniforms were oddly captivating, the blue details sparking a vague memory in Usagi's mind, a feeling of déjà vu she couldn't quite place.

However, it was the heavy brown sacks they dragged across the ground that truly seized her attention. The sacks left a sinister trail of blood, painting a macabre path behind them. Questions flooded Usagi's mind, each one more pressing than the last. Who were these men? Why wasn't the giant anomaly attacking them? What twisted scenario were they witnessing?

Ryujin, oblivious as ever, pressed his face against the window to get a closer look. His eyes caught sight of the uniforms, and a sudden flash of memory overwhelmed him. The vision was hazy, like a puzzle with missing pieces. He saw hundreds of men in those exact uniforms, brutally killing terrified bystanders. Gunshots echoed, screams filled the air, and chaos reigned. Despite his hardened nature, a chilling fear gripped him, rendering him helpless in the face of the memory.