The sun beat down on the white sand, heat radiating through the soles of Ari's sneakers. Groups of students clustered near the shoreline. Laughter and the rhythmic thud of a volleyball hitting palms filled the air. Second-year girls stood nearby, adjusting swimsuit straps and shaking sand from towels.
Ari kept his head down, shoulders hunched. The sheer number of people made his chest tighten.
"Ari! You're just going to sit there?"
Keiko stood over him, her shadow blocking the glare. Her bright yellow swimsuit stood out against the blue of the ocean. Behind her, a broad-shouldered third-year leaned against a cooler with his arms crossed.
"Hey, Matsuoka! You coming or not?"
"I'll be there in a second!"
Keiko turned back to Ari, resting her hands on her knees. Ari looked up, the salt air stinging his eyes. "I'm fine here. You can go ahead."
After a brief pause, Keiko sat beside him. Her shoulder brushed his. Ari's face warmed, the contact catching him off guard.
"The ocean is loud today. It drowns out the thoughts, doesn't it?"
"Yeah..."
He reached out toward her hand. Suddenly, the roar of a truck engine filled the air, followed by the screech of metal and a violent impact.
Ari jolted upright, his breath hitching. He stared at the dirt-packed walls of the burrow, waiting for his heart to slow.
Just a dream... I've been seeing her so often lately.
He stood and stretched, his exoskeleton shifting with a faint rustle. A purple glint caught his eye. He reached for the mandible blades sheathed at his side, the cold metal familiar against his palms.
"How did Valeria do it so easily?"
He stepped into the center of the small chamber and lashed out. The blades hissed through the air, but the weight felt wrong. His left hand led the movement with precision, while the right lagged behind, clumsy and out of sync.
No... this is impossible. My left side is too dominant to balance both.
He sheathed the weapons, the blades sliding in with a metallic click.
"Well then. It's time for my training to begin."
He turned toward the exit, his antennae twitching as he stepped out into the dim light of the tunnels. As Ari reached the exit tunnel of the colony, sunlight hit his face. He lifted an arm to shield his eyes and stepped out.
The ground outside the tunnel opened into a wide stretch of dirt and packed soil. The training grounds sat farther ahead. His armored feet pressed into the earth as he walked toward it. Each step made a light scrape against the surface.
Voices carried across the distance. Ari slowed as the area came into clearer view. Groups of recruit ants stood across the field. Some talked quietly. Others shifted their stance or adjusted their sheaths. More recruits kept coming into view the closer he got.
A few hundred at least. Ari looked across the grounds again, scanning from one side to the other.
"...Huh."
"I thought there'd be way more than this."
Judging by the military system here, worker ants should outnumber the soldiers at least five to one. And with a colony this size… the population's probably around six thousand at most. That's a lot smaller than the colonies back in my world.
Ari rested his hand on the hilt of his mandible. His fingers tightened around it. A slight tremor ran through his arm.
I wonder what kind of training they have planned for us... And why would Valeria give me the last memory of her father?
His voice came out low. "I'm not worthy of it."
I don't think I have the strength or the will to face the things in this world.
He looked down for a moment.
Who am I kidding? I barely helped during the invasion.
His jaw tightened.
If Aixen had decided to harm Emilia… I wouldn't have been able to stop him.
Ari clenched his teeth.
"Wait… that's him! Hey, you! Over here! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
A female ant ran toward Ari, raising her arm as she called out. A male ant ran beside her. Her brown hair moved with each step. Her voice carried across the training grounds. The sudden call pulled Ari out of his thoughts.
"Uh… do you need something?" he asked, slightly confused.
"You're that ant who's not part of the colony… Ari, right?" the female ant asked. She slowed to a stop in front of him, bending slightly with her hands on her knees. Her breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. She lifted her head and looked up at him, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Uh, yeah… that's me. How did you know?" Ari asked.
"Oh, come on. How could I not know? You outsmarted Queen Helena's entire army. And you exposed Aixen's plan while you were still a prisoner."
She leaned forward, her breathing still uneven from the run. The words came out quickly. A few nearby recruits turned their heads toward them.
"I've heard everything about it. You're kind of famous now."
"Yeah, and don't forget," the male ant said, his tone firm and steady. He had dark red hair and was slightly bulkier than Ari. He stepped closer and studied Ari carefully.
"You went up against General Ivan without any formal combat training. That's not something just anyone can do." He paused briefly. "You earned respect on that battlefield."
"While we were cowering, not knowing what to do, you just stepped up like it was nothing! And you're not even from here!" the female ant blurted. "Seriously… how did you stay so calm? I would've completely panicked! Your guts… your strategy… it's what pushed a lot of us to stop playing it safe."
A nearby recruit frowned and called out, "Can you stop rambling? I'm trying to concentrate over here."
The female ant turned toward them and scratched the side of her cheek. "Sorry… I get carried away sometimes."
The male ant placed a hand on Ari's shoulder. "I don't like falling behind people like you. That's why I joined the army. I want to prove I can do just as much. Maybe more."
What's their deal…? Ari thought, shifting slightly, antennae twitching awkwardly.
"Oh, that's right—I totally forgot!" the female ant piped up. "I'm Isla! I was a top-tier worker ant for two years… I was really good at it! But then I heard about what you did, and I couldn't just stay in the tunnels stacking berries anymore. I wanted to be like you. So… um, thanks for that."
The male ant crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "What she's trying to say is… she is a born soldier ant who hid away to become a worker. Worker ants cannot defend the colony."
"Hey! You did not have to put it like that!" she snapped, frowning.
"Since we are introducing ourselves, I might as well do it." The male ant opened his eyes. "My name is Lancelot, but you can call me Lance. I was training to be a warden ant. I used to think staying safe was smart… but you made me realize there is no point in hiding if you are too scared to fight for what is out there. I am aiming to be stronger than you one day just so you know. So I hope you do not slack off, Ari."
Ari blinked a few times, then let a small, genuine smile spread across his face. "I will work hard… and nice to meet you both. I guess… I am glad I made a difference."
"Nice? That's it?!" Isla yelped, her antennae flicking sharply as she threw her arms up in frustration. "Come on! You just changed our lives! You've got to give yourself more credit than that!"
Rory snorted quietly, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He shifted his weight on his armored feet. "Yeah, don't get soft on us now. You've already set the bar. We'll see if we can match up to it."
The ants continued to chatter, their voices carrying across the jagged rocks of the terrain.
"Silence!" Valeria barked, her voice sharp and commanding.
She stepped forward, standing tall above the mass of recruits. Her brown exoskeleton and sheathed mandibles caught the sunlight, gleaming with a faint metallic sheen. The recruits stiffened immediately. All talking stopped as they shifted into disciplined formation.
"For those who do not know, my name is Valeria, Captain of the Queen's military ants," she began, her voice steady as she scanned the recruits. "As you all know, our former and only Captain, Aixen, was tasked with protecting the princess. But due to his recent treason, we lost a high-value soldier. This has left our colony significantly weaker in military strength and more vulnerable to enemy attacks."
"The only remaining high-ranking soldiers are myself, Draven, the commander of the warden ants, who is still recovering from his injuries—and a few lieutenants," Valeria continued, her gaze sharp as it swept over the recruits. "We aim to increase both our numbers and our skill, so I expect you all to work diligently toward that goal."
She walked three paces, then turned to face them again. "I have been put in charge of getting you battle-ready by our Queen. I will be overseeing your training to ensure that. With me is Corporal Beatrice, who will be leading most of your training. The few who prove themselves will be specially trained by me. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Captain!" the recruits shouted in unison.
Valeria is so strong and cool, a female recruit whispered. I heard she was the one who fended off Aixen and saved our colony.
"I respect your enthusiasm." She paused, letting the silence settle. "For the first part of your training, you'll travel in squads of thirty. Each group goes in a different direction for four days. Then you'll have three days to get back to the colony before we move on to the next phase."
"At the end of each route, there's a unique plant marking the checkpoint. That plant is proof that you reached your assigned distance. If you fail to collect the plants or return on time… you're out of the training."
"What? But how are we supposed to last that long?" a worried ant called from the crowd, their antennae drooping.
"If we were given such a long time limit, does that mean we will be traveling really far?" another asked, their voice slightly unsteady.
"What if there are other insects out there like the grasshoppers?"
Valeria's head turned toward them. Her eyes narrowed. "You knew what becoming a soldier meant. Stop acting like spineless cowards." She leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on the trembling ants. "You were born with strong mandibles for a reason. To protect and to serve. If you are attacked, you will rely on each other, and you will trust your instincts to survive."
She paused briefly. "Fail, and you will not only fail yourselves. You will fail the colony. You have ten minutes. Form your squads and move out," Valeria commanded.
The recruits flinched at the force of her command. Their antennae twitched as urgency spread through the group. Ari swallowed. A tight feeling settled in his chest.
Wow… Valeria is really serious about this. She is like a completely different person when it comes to military business. No… scratch that. She is exactly the same.
Before his thoughts could continue, Isla moved to his side, a bright smile on her face. "Well, I guess we will be sticking with you on this journey then!" she said, her voice eager.
"Yes, we are better off staying with Ari anyway," Lancelot said.
Ari exhaled and gave a small nod. "Okay… let us make it back together in one piece."
"Alright. Now that the squads are formed, you may leave," Valeria declared. The recruits began moving immediately, jogging away in groups in different directions.
On the outskirts, Evelyn was plucking berries from a low branch when she noticed the squad moving out. Her eyes widened. When she spotted Ari among them, she straightened and raised both arms.
"Hey, Ari! Up here!" she called, her voice bright. Ari blinked in surprise, then lifted a hand in return. A small smile formed on his face. Seeing someone familiar eased the tension in his chest.
"Be safe, Ari!" Evelyn called again, her voice shaking slightly. "Please do not die on this journey. Come back to us safely!" She kept waving as the squad moved farther away until Ari disappeared from view.
"Commander Valeria," Beatrice said as the recruits disappeared into the distance.
"What is it, Corporal Beatrice?" Valeria replied.
"Do you think they will be alright on this journey?"
Valeria folded her arms across her chest. Her expression did not change. "I understand your concern, but they should be fine. The route I assigned them has already been scouted. An encounter with another ant or any insect is highly unlikely."
Beatrice exhaled through her nose, her eyes following one of the paths the recruits had taken. "I will take your word for it," she said quietly, though the concern in her eyes remained.