Aethercross-Real Game，The Borderland of Reality and Fantasy

Chapter 21: The Endgame

"How is this possible? How did it come to this?" Sky was still grappling with the reality of Arachne's death in his arms. The mission had failed, bringing the specter of a death penalty closer. He wondered about his fate - was this where he would meet his end? Could he ever find his way back to the real world?

His thoughts swirled, all centering on the girl nestled in his arms. Sky opened the faceplate of his helmet, silently gazing at Arachne's face. He recalled a phrase he heard in the real world, which said that tragedy is when something precious is brutally shattered right before one's eyes. Now, he felt the deep truth of that statement.

For 17 years, the girl in his arms had peacefully accepted her fate, striving to live. She was gentle, empathetic, and always mindful not to trouble others. She resembled a resilient bud, enduring storms, silently awaiting its moment to bloom.

But in a cruel twist of fate, just as she began to reveal her beauty, her life was tragically cut short. A mix of emotions - sadness, anger, and defiance - began to smolder within him.

Meanwhile, Raimondo's cries of agony echoed again. Shaking, with blood seeping from his armor, he writhed in pain. As his armor plates fell off, revealing cracked skin, his veins bulged, threatening to burst.

Overwhelmed by pain, Raimondo collapsed, shrinking back to his original size. His body's bone spurs retracted, and the armored skin shed off.

The Swarm Master, initially stunned, then burst into ecstatic laughter. "You're breaking down, kid!" he taunted. Genetic collapse, a terrifying fate for mutants, genetically enhanced warriors, or even higher-level awakeners, inevitably leads to death.

With a sinister grin, the Swarm Master cautiously approached the fallen Raimondo, surrounded by his ant guards. He commanded his mutant ants to impale Raimondo's collarbones, lifting his body for a closer inspection.

After a meticulous observation, the Swarm Overlord, certain that Raimondo no longer posed any threat, swiftly grabbed Raimondo by the neck, lifting him off the ground. He approached Sky, his face contorting into a twisted, sickly sneer. "It appears this man is of great importance to you," he mocked.

Barely able to open his eyes, Raimondo looked at his brother and managed a sad, self-mocking smile. "Sky, I'm sorry. I've failed in protecting you all." Before Sky could utter a word, he saw a chilling sight - a sharp hand brutally impaling Raimondo's chest. Blood erupted, staining Sky's face and clothes in crimson.

The raspy laughter of the Swarm Overlord resonated through the air, his sadistic delight palpable. "The despair etched on your faces, you pitiful ants, always amuses me." Behind him, a horde of monstrous giant ants inched closer, while the enormous mutant beetle, having recovered, loomed ominously, its head adorned with a fearsome halberd.

The malevolence of the mutant swarm engulfed the space before Sky. His mind was a blank slate, interrupted only by a sound like glass shattering, emanating from deep within his soul. It was as though chains binding him had been shattered, unleashing an infinite fury from the depths of his soul.