Ari stood before more than six hundred soldier ants. The packed soil pressed under his feet. Rows of bodies filled the clearing. Antennae shifted.
A drop of sweat ran down his cheek. He swallowed hard.
Here goes...
"Can all of you hear me?" His voice came out rough. A few soldiers straightened. Ari drew in a slow breath after clearing his throat. "Everything is already in place. Today, the enemy will advance."
He paused, scanning the army. "And when they do… we counter. As we speak, your scouting team is on their way to locate the rival colony." A bead of sweat rolled along the ridge of his carapace in the humid morning air.
He paused, letting the distant rustle of leaves settle before continuing. "Once they give the signal, everyone will get into position and prepare to defend the colony."
A few murmurs rippled through the assembled ants, the soft scraping of legs against the dirt filling the brief pause. "He may not be one of us, but… he's okay, I guess." A military ant shifted his weight from one leg to the other, his tone grudging but respectful.
Beyond the outskirts of the colony, southwest of the main walls, the scout group moved. "To think I'm taking orders from a prisoner…" Valeria muttered, her voice low.
If this is a trap, and my unit falters… I'll kill him myself.
She crouched low beside her squad, the hilts of her sheathed mandibles pressing against her sides. The sharp, earthy scent of damp soil filled her senses as she adjusted her posture, keeping her exoskeleton flush with the ground. Her squad melted into the undergrowth, muscles coiled, limbs ready.
Every subtle vibration in the soil, every faint shift of air, made her antennae twitch. Above them, the scouts moved with precision along the tall stalks and twisted bark, limbs gripping tightly until their silhouettes vanished into the canopy. Moments later, sunlight glinted off their signaling shards—three quick bursts.
"So, there really is a colony in this direction. I didn't expect it to be this close," a soldier ant said.
Valeria froze, antennae quivering. She yanked the soldier down, pressing him into the dirt. "Stay quiet," she said, her voice low and sharp. She scanned the surrounding undergrowth.
The rhythm of synchronized marching grew steadily louder. Tiny vibrations pulsed through the soil beneath her feet. Dust stirred as hundreds of enemy ants advanced, their dull brown exoskeletons catching the weak sunlight. She could feel their approach long before they came fully into view.
"Their army is more than twice the size of ours. There's no way we can win," an ant said nervously beside her, knees pressed into the dirt as he shifted uneasily in his crouch.
"Remain calm, we can't afford for our position to be compromised," Valeria said calmly.
I hate to admit it, but that ant was right…
Her eyes widened as she noticed a flower-shaped mark on one of the soldier's shoulders.
No way… a General-level ant in their ranks. Without Lieutenant Brooks or Captain Aixen, the colony would be crushed. What do I do?
She clenched her jaw, her pounded faster for a second… then shook it off.
There's no time to hesitate. I have to act. Looks like I have no choice… She took a steady breath, her expression firm.
But… I'm putting all my faith in Ari's plan. It's the only hope we've got. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even know we were about to be invaded. What would have happened if we hadn't listened?
"General Ivan , at our current pace, we should reach the colony in about two hours," a soldier near the front reported, voice wavering slightly before he steadied it under Ivan's piercing stare.
"Focus on your mission. Remember, your survival depends on you," Ivan said, his voice low and controlled. The soldier's eyes widened in fear, and he stepped back, tightening his stance in line.
"Based on the little, but useful, information Aixen and that other ant gave us, I have no doubt this invasion will succeed," Ivan continued, his gaze scanning the troops with calculated intensity. "Your orders are simple. Leave no ants alive… and you'll survive."
The soldiers froze for half a breath before answering. "Yes, General!" they shouted, the sound thunderous but edged with fear.
Back on a tall stalk, a scout adjusted the reflective shard between his hands, angling it just right to catch the sunlight and flash the signal three times.
Ari narrowed his eyes. The sharp glint of light struck his face before fading, leaving a faint afterimage in his vision.
Looks like they're close… and not just that, there are a lot of them. Since he flashed it three times…
Ari's chest tightened as he exhaled.
Now's not the time to question if my plan will work.
He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. He turned and raised his voice. "I received the signal from the scouts. The army is closing in. Get into formation," he said.
The soldiers straightened. Their exoskeletons creaked softly as they shifted into stance, mandibles sliding out of the sheaths at their sides.
The air turned heavy. Vibrations trembled faintly through the soil, steady and growing stronger with each passing moment. Antennae twitched across the line of waiting soldiers. At the colony's edge, clusters of defenders pressed shoulder to shoulder, their breathing tight and controlled.
Soon, the enemy arrived. General Ivan came to a stop, his legs sinking slightly into the loose dirt as he studied the silent colony ahead.
The area is too quiet. No worker ants in sight at this hour…
General Ivan's gaze swept the colony outskirts.
So this is Aixen's choice.
The silence cracked apart with a roar.
"Charge!" a soldier from Queen Celeste's forces shouted from behind the wall at the colony's entrance. The shout echoed, bouncing across the packed dirt and stone.
The line of soldiers in front of Ivan crouched low, shoulders tense. Hands tightened around weapon hilts. Some flicked nervous glances toward each other instead of at the enemy. Their antennae shifted restlessly, betraying the fear etched across their faces.
Ivan's eyes narrowed, cold and sharp. "Remember why you're here. I gave you a choice. Don't make me regret it."
The words cut through them. Spines straightened. With fear driving their limbs, the army pushed forward only to be struck at once by a sharp, coordinated assault from both flanks. The enemy was surrounded.
"Hold formation!" Ivan shouted, his command snapping across the field.
From the tall grass and shallow trenches, squads burst forward. Their movements were razor-sharp and silent, mandibles flashing as they struck into exposed sides. Blood splattered across the dirt. Screeches split the air. Exoskeletons cracked under heavy blows.
Then, as if on cue, they pulled back again regrouping in tight crescent formations that curved around the other colony.
Ivan's eyes widened. Surprise flashed across his face for a moment before he smirked.
Looks like they were really prepared for our assault. Not bad. They are even better than I expected.
One of his soldiers trembled, crouched low with antennae twitching violently. "General Ivan… how is that possible?"
Another staggered closer, voice shaking as much as his hands on his weapon. "General… what should we do? Please… tell us."
Ivan's cold gaze didn't shift from the enemy lines. His silence pressed heavier than words.
Behind the barricade, Ari caught sight of the towering figure at the rear of the enemy's ranks. His chest tightened. "There he is," Ari muttered. "That has to be their commander. I need to let Valeria know."
Ari sprinted across the chaotic battlefield, armored feet striking the dirt with sharp thuds. He ducked beneath swinging mandibles, sidestepped lunges, and slid beneath flailing limbs, feeling the heat of dust and grit against his exoskeleton. He burst toward Ivan, swift and silent.
The general's eyes locked on him instantly. He quickly unsheathed one of his mandibles, the polished curve glinting in the sunlight, and swung at Ari's neck. The rush of air from the strike brushed against Ari's cheek, but he ducked in time.
With a deft motion, Ari slapped two gooey materials onto the general's shoulders. The sticky substance squelched as it clung to Ivan's exoskeleton.
Ivan's eyes narrowed. He muttered calmly to himself, Wait… what are these? It won't come off. He tugged at the goo, feeling it resist. The material stretched and stuck, fusing his hand to his shoulder. A faint chemical tang filled his nostrils.
"Well… looks like it's stuck." He shifted on the uneven ground, feet scraping against dirt and grit. How did that ant just now manage to slip through our formation and do this to me? Dust prickled his exoskeleton as he flexed his legs. That takes extreme skill.
He glanced at the faint scrape marks where Ari had dodged his mandible strike. He was also able to dodge my blade… maybe he's a Lieutenant at best.
"We just lost a hundred and fifty ants, General Ivan! What should we do?!"
A female soldier trembled nearby, antennae quivering slightly. "General… please help us…" she cried, her voice trembling. "I don't want to die…"
Ivan clenched his teeth. I expected them to at least put up a fight… but I guess they're useless, as expected. His gaze swept the battlefield, noting the chaos: fallen soldiers, flying dirt kicked up by scurrying ants, the scrape of exoskeletons and mandibles clashing. I mean, look at their sheer numbers… and yet we're cornered. He exhaled sharply, feeling the tension on his shoulder. Well, at the very least, whether we lose this battle or not, our colony still gains.
"We must retreat. All of you, fall back and regroup," Ivan commanded, voice steady despite the chaos.
Before any of his soldiers could move, a glint of sunlight caught something moving rapidly toward them. Valeria's squad surged forward, mandibles glinting sharply. "You really thought escaping would be that easy?" she said, stepping over the fallen with precise, rapid movements.
They were waiting to ambush us this whole time? Ivan thought, his gaze sweeping the battlefield without urgency. I thought this colony would be easy to crush, even with a low-rank force. But apparently, we're up against a strategist. Their formations are clever, precise… makes me wonder who's in charge. Maybe that ant. He remembered Ari sticking that sticky, cold goo onto his shoulders, an unexpected, oddly meticulous move.
Ari crouched on a rise overlooking the battle, eyes scanning every movement. His heart pounded, sending sharp thuds through his chest.
I can't believe it… I almost died again, he thought.
Dust and grit clung to his joints, and the scrape of mandibles from nearby combat made him flinch.
That ant… he was insanely fast. I thought I lost my head back there. His chest rose and fell in shallow, rapid breaths, and a thin film of sweat slicked his exoskeleton. "Other than that, everything is going just as I planned," he murmured, voice low. "They're boxed in. We can't possibly loose."
The battle raged below. Screams cut sharply through the air. Mandibles clashed against exoskeletons with metallic scrapes. Antennae snapped beneath the scurrying soldiers. Dust rose in swirls, drifting over fallen bodies as the pale moon climbed higher.
Ivan watched calmly from the center of his forces, every movement precise and measured. His face was calm, unbothered by the chaos around him. The shattered remnants of his army, a mere hundred scrambled around him, but he did not flinch.
Something is not right… All these soldiers on the enemy's side are privates and Lance Corporals at best. Coming to war with such powerless soldiers doesn't make much sense. "Whatever the case, we have to win," Valeria whispered, her pulse hammering against her exoskeleton.
She spotted Ivan. The resin still bound his hand. He stood upright, calm, his posture steady. Despite the handicap, every movement radiated strength and control. Valeria lunged forward. Ivan's eyes tracked her instantly. With measured precision, he unsheathed his free mandible, ready to strike.
Their mandibles collided with a sharp clang, sparks scattering into the air. Ivan swung again, his restrained hand useless, but his free arm delivered heavy, exact strikes. Valeria twisted and dodged, dust and grit scratching her carapace. Her breaths came harsh and ragged.
His strength was formidable. Even restrained, his movements were precise and controlled. Still… something felt off. Valeria shouldn't have been able to match him, not with the difference in rank and experience so evident.
He's still this dangerous, even like this? she thought, her arms trembling slightly and she winced as she blocked the force of his swings, the vibration rattling through her carapace.
Ivan's gaze stayed steady. A faint smirk touched his lips. "I assume you're their strongest soldier deployed, am I right?"
"And what if I am?" Valeria replied in a cold, even tone, her breath coming fast.
"It doesn't matter," he said calmly. "What concerns me is thinking that your strength alone can defeat me."
He lunged, slashing upward with his large cleaver-like mandible, moving only his free hand. Valeria rolled aside just in time, scraping her side across the rough dirt and feeling grit dig into her carapace.
He's pushing me back… No, I can't lose here. The colony depends on it. I can't be the weak link!
His swings drove her closer to the edge. The scent of blood and sweat mixed with dust in the air, sticking to her antennae.
"You will fall here, Lieutenant and so will your colony. "
"Not a chance!" she shouted, deflecting his mandible with both of hers and forcing him back.
Not bad… he muttered under his breath, breathing steady.
This colony might just be the one to help us with our situation...
The resin held his left arm limp. His legs wavered slightly under the effort. "Hey, soldier, why don't you just give up?" he asked, calm but calculating.
Valeria's grin was grim. "Because I'm not fighting alone. I've got everyone backing me up. And I'm not letting you tear that apart."
He swung wide. She ducked left, spun, and slashed deep across his chest. He flinched. Valeria dropped low and swept his legs. Ivan toppled. His mandible slipped from his grip, clattering against the dirt. He tried to rise, but she immediately leveled her mandible at his throat.
Ivan's eyes flicked to her grip, noticing her mandible tremble slightly. Yet she held it steady enough to keep him pinned. "It's over now, General. Your army has been defeated. If you move an inch, you'll join them in death."
His head lolled back. His army was gone. The battlefield was silent, littered with corpses nothing remained. A faint breath left him as he exhaled a single word. "I… surrender."
The soldiers cheered, voices echoing across the colony. Valeria lowered her weapon, trembling. "Take him away. Make sure he's well secured."
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
She remained in place, mandibles still shaking from the fight. The soldiers dragged General Ivan away. The sound of his surrender echoed hollowly in her ears. As the distance between them grew, she let out a long, shuddering exhale, shoulders finally slumping.
I can't believe we did it… I really can't. Against all odds… we pulled it off. I don't even know how many times I doubted him and his plans. But he never wavered. Not once.
She wiped a smear of dust from her carapace and turned, spotting Ari standing among the troops. Moonlight glinted off his armor, and the faint smell of sweat and crushed leaves hung in the air. She sheathed her weapon and walked over, her legs still aching from the fight.
"It's just as you said. We were going to be invaded, and your counterattack plan worked perfectly, not to mention that stunt you pulled on their general. How did you even manage to reach him unscathed?"
Ari brushed dust from his shoulders and smirked. "I'm not even sure myself, but it had to be done. I was certain you wouldn't have been able to spot who was in command on your own. And let's be real," Ari said teasingly. "You couldn't have beaten him one-on-one if your life depended on it."
"Tch. You sure like running your mouth," Valeria said, swinging a fist into his gut.
Ari bent over, wheezing and laughing. "I never thought I'd hear something like that come out of your mouth."
Around them, the soldiers carried the injured back to the colony under the pale moonlight.