The Queen recoiled as the heat flared, searing her carapace and burning her sensitive antennae and eyes. The demon roared, tongues of flame lashing the air as healing magic flowed over the Queen once again.
Around them, the Colony and demons continued their ongoing battle. Dramatically outnumbered, the demons struggled to make any headway against the massed ranks of ants who bombarded them with acid and spells, yet the arrival of this tier seven demon had complicated the situation to no end.
Advant ground her mandibles in frustration as the stalemate continued. The Queen could withdraw if she wanted, even a tier seven wouldn't be able to punch through the formation they'd assembled before she managed to get away, but the burning aura the monster projected was a wonderful counter to the Colony's numbers.
If their mother was to fall back, it would cost thousands of lives to bring this demon down without her. So she stayed. Yet it was difficult for the ants to support her in this battle. So potent was the fire that emanated from the demon, even Advant couldn't get within fifty metres of it without beginning to take serious damage.
If she were to draw near enough to actually bite it, she would likely be burnt to a crisp a few seconds later. And would she even damage it?
The only reason the Queen had been able to hold on was due to her healing magic, but that had a limit.
"Mother! We need to retreat!" she implored the Queen once more.
The Queen didn't look down.
"I will not allow my children to die in my place," she said calmly.
"If we take any longer, then even more powerful demons may rise from the depths! If that happens, then we all will die."
If the tier eight demons climbed out of that hole in the ground, then maybe not even an army of hundreds of thousands of ants would be able to defeat them. Certainly, the Queen would refuse to leave, probably ordering them to flee while she tried to buy time, but she would fall instantly.
Then Advant and her siblings would charge in to avenge her, leading to innumerable casualties.
She desperately cast her thoughts about, trying to find some way to avert this disaster. All around her, her siblings fought against the demons who continued to rise from below in a neverending tide.
Artillery spells and huge blasts of acid rained down from above, wreaking havoc amongst the demon ranks, yet still that burning demon stood tall. The unnaturally searing heat that surrounded it acted as a perfect shield against acid attacks, evaporating even the most dense barrage with ease. Their spells also seemed to do less than they should, as if the flame burned their mana away.
A sufficiently dense and powerful enough spell would surely punch through, but the Eldest wasn't here to deliver their strange, horrific purple spell.
She couldn't hesitate any longer. Advant made her decision.
"We will charge together," she told the Queen. "We must defeat the demon as quickly as possible and then retreat in good order."
"You mustn't," the Queen said, "the heat will destroy you."
"I will not stand by and let you die in my place, just as much as you won't allow me to do the same. So we go together, and whatever happens, happens. Are you ready?"
The mother of the Colony wasn't happy about it, but she could see the sense in her daughter's words.
"Very well, child," she said. "Gather the others behind me and I will shield them as best I can."
Advant bit back her protest and nodded. This was as good a compromise as she would get, so she would take it.
"Quickly!" she called the others, spreading her scent as wide as she could. "Gather behind the Queen! We will charge the monster and overwhelm it so the Colony can retreat. Somebody contact the mages and coordinate their artillery with our charge."
As efficient as ever, the ants scrambled into position with their customary rapidity. In less than a minute, the long range firepower was being concentrated on the giant demon as the ants formed a column behind the Queen.
"Stay close to me, children," the Queen said, her scent determined. "I will shield you from harm."
"FOR THE COLONY!" Advant roared.
"FOR THE QUEEN!" The others roared back, their collective pheromones spreading like a tidal wave across the ant horde.
Once more, the flame-wreathed demon bellowed its fury. Heat radiated from the beast beyond that of a hundred smelters, enough to sear and crack even the Queen's thick carapace.
The space between the charging ants and the roaring demon flickered.
A giant ant appeared, sprawling onto the ground and sending thousands of demon larvae flying as it skidded to a halt, face buried in the rock.
"Holy moly!" the Eldest groaned. "Brilliant, are my insides back on my inside?"
"I - I think so, Eldest," a small ant said, gripping onto the back of the other for dear life. "At least mine are."
"Didn't you say this would be safe?"
"I didn't not say it wouldn't be unsafe."
"... I'm going to throw you in Invidia's mouth and leave you there for a hundred years," the Eldest declared flatly. "In fact, a hundred might not be enough."
The little ant waved an antenna weakly in protest.
"I don't think you quite appreciate what an incredible feat I just achieved… Eldest. Most would say I have done… the impossible."
"Just get off of me, would you? I feel like my guts are about to be yanked out of my eyeballs."
The little ant released its grip, rolled to the side and thudded into the ground.
"Good enough."
The Eldest groaned as they forced themselves to their feet, then gave their antennae a quick clean.
"Right then. Mother, wonderful to see you again. Have you been well?"
One of the Queen's antennae twitched, and the giant ant, far larger than the mother, flinched backward.
"Just trying to be polite! Show some respect and all that. Okay, deal with the demons first, chat later. I get it."
The enormous, dark-coloured ant turned itself to face the fiery demon.
"You guys can leave now," the Eldest said. "This won't take long."
"Are you sure?" Advant asked. "You are the same tier. Shouldn't we work together to bring it down?"
The Eldest chuckled, the scent of amusement spreading far and wide.
"I mean, technically you are helping just by being here. How many of us are around here right now?"
"Maybe two hundred thousand."
The Eldest crouched down, bracing their legs, then exploded forward. The rock cracked under the force, sending shards flying as the giant ant rocketed ahead.
Mandibles peeled back, glowing with terrible purpose.
The demon screamed in rage, then brought both arms down as the air itself ignited and burned.
The jaws closed.
Advant couldn't describe it later when asked. A terrible silence fell upon them. Then a terrible roar.
And the demon was no more.