"BEATRIX, GET US UP! NOW!" – Lathz shouted the moment she saw the tide of monsters coming from the tunnel.
"Y-YES!" – Beatrix couldn't see that far into the tunnel due to her being in the far back but she felt something clearly wrong ever since the first shriek shook the cave.
Chanting something, a pale blue platform started to materialize itself into existence around her.
"MAGES, GET ON AND PROVIDE COVE-!" – A mantis slammed on her shield and she winced from the force behind the attack – "EVERYONE, DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP!"
The moment she shouted this, Olivia's blue eyes glowed and she threw her shield with immense force forward, making the thing cut in half the insects before her.
Then, she clenched her gauntlets and took a more offensive posture before starting to punch holes in the monsters that came closer but she still remained majorly on the defensive and didn't advance.
Darlan also threw his shield away and pulled another sword, thus dual-wielding, before starting to attack the enemies in a frenetic manner.
"IT'S DONE!" – Right on cue with Beatrix's shout, a salvo of magic rained on the monsters close to the vanguard, giving them some breathing room.
"Start going up! Roxanne and Diana, get on the platform and provide cover!" – Lathz managed to calm herself down even if little – "Nyza, Akihiko, I trust you two to take care of the stray ones!" – She started to slowly walk backward – "Pull back the frontline!"
Olivia and Darlan also started to move along with her.
Roxanne grabbed Diana by the arm and lightly jumped, almost flying before shortly landing on the platform and spinning around taking aim and shooting, hitting a bug in its head.
Akihiko meanwhile, took advantage of the chaos to vanish before starting to kill monsters.
Jumping on the ceiling, he threw a salvo of shurikens at the monsters the vanguard was holding back.
Not stopping, he propelled himself toward the ground and took one ninja-to out, after the blade formed, he thrust it into an ant's head and pulled the blade through its body, splitting the bug into two.
Taking out a tanto with his free hand, the mouth area of his mask opened, briefly revealing his lips.
In the same instant, Akihiko spat on his tanto's blade before his mask closed again.
Then, he slashed the tanto at one mantis on his side, decapitating it as he spun his body and used the ninja-to to cut a centipede in half.
Even without its head, the mantis raised one of its arms to attack Akihiko but its body was suddenly paralyzed.
Not bothering with it, Akihiko sheathed his tanto and threw more shurikens.
"BEATRIX, RAISE AT FULL SPEED!" – Lathz shouted before the cave's shaking increased, and a loud buzzing with several other sounds mixed in started to get louder and closer – "EVERYONE, RUN TO THE PLATFORM! NOW!" – Lathz threw the shield away, turned around, and sprinted toward the platform.
Darlan and Olivia didn't waste time and both followed her.
Nyza used her tentacles to throw herself at the walls and then propel herself to the platform.
Akihiko also started to retreat but he took out some small bottles and threw them on the ground before climbing the walls and jumping on the platform.
"BEATRIX!" – Lathz shouted as soon as she saw that everyone got on the platform.
"Y-YE-YES!" – Even though stuttering, Beatrix acted quickly and made the platform fly upwards.
Akihiko then made three talismans but those were made by bright red outlines instead of purple ones, and threw them down the hole.
The talismans flew at high speed and crashed on the floor.
The moment they collided with the floor, the talismans burst out in flames, which caught the liquid the now-broken bottles released and increased in size, becoming something akin to a big firewall.
Right on time, the cover they made on the tunnel exploded and a sea of enemies gushed out, just for the insects to become restless as they tried to turn around to flee from the fire, however, the insects behind them pushed them forward, throwing them in the fire.
The situation repeated itself again and again, and the tide lost momentum even if briefly.
"Nice, Akihiko!" – Olivia commented when she saw the situation down below.
Seeing this, Lathz remembered something – "Akihiko, please use the talismans you put among the eggs."
Akihiko wordlessly turned to face her.
"Wouldn't this make them even madder?" – Diana asked with uncertainty.
"…" – Lathz closed her mouth. She hadn't thought of this.
"It would be best to do it after exiting the nest." – Anna suddenly chimed in.
The group looked at her and she smiled wryly as Leonard glanced her way.
Understanding that she couldn't say more, Lathz nodded – "When we get out of the nest, use them. Roxanne and Diana, go toward the building the helicopter is on. Mages, follow them and if the need arises, don't hesitate to use your magic." – She then glanced at the others – "Olivia, Darlan, Nyza, and Akihiko, we will be the rearguard. We'll retreat to the helicopter." – She judged the situation to be out of their control.
A few seconds later, the platform exited the hole and they were back outside.
"Run!" – At Lathz's shout, everyone jumped off the platform, and as instructed, Roxanne, Diana, Eric, Melissa, and Beatrix ran toward the building where the helicopter was.
Akihiko made some hand gestures and the earth shook.
*SHRIEK*
Another loud shriek echoed from within the nest.
The group, however, paid it no mind and after Roxanne and the others took some distance, Akihiko and the others also started to run.
"Their leader is surprisingly good for an examinee." – Kali commented as she along with Leonard carrying Anna, jumped from building to building while observing the group.
"Yeah, she was able to make the right call with the retreat." – Anna agreed – "However, is this really okay? I mean, this mission was…" – She didn't finish the sentence as there was no need to.
"This is Ms. Evelyn's decision. She's the one in charge of training them, we have no say in this." – Leonard replied with a calm tone, not showing any particular reaction about it.
*Buzz*
*Shriek*
*Click*
Breaking the brief and fragile moment of respite, a geyser of insects spurted from the hole and flew several meters in the air before most of the monsters rained down while some remained in the air and flew toward the group.
Seeing bees, flies, beetles, mosquitoes, and other monsters flying toward them, Lathz shouted – "Focus on the flying ones!"
Akihiko pulled out shurikens and started to throw them without stopping running.
Nyza also made some blobs of that metallic-looking substance and hurled them at bugs that came closer, hitting their wings, and making them crash on the ground.
The chase got fiercer when the monster tide divided itself and bugs started to jump from the buildings or appear from crossroads, however, the group didn't stop and manage to make it to their destination.
"GET ON!" – Beatrix shouted when she made another platform that started to float upwards.
Roxanne and Diana pulled their weapons and started to rain down bullets and arrows on the insects to provide some cover, even if minimal.
Calculating the distance, Akihiko made a quick decision.
His figure vanished before reappearing behind Nyza.
Then, he grabbed her by the arm and spun before throwing her toward the platform.
Taking advantage of the momentum, he sprinted toward the others, grabbed Olivia by the back of her collar, and threw her on his back before grabbing Darlan and Lathz, each in one arm.
He increased his speed and before any of them could react, he put more strength in his legs and leaped into the air, landing on the platform.
Letting them down, he took out another bottle and made a red talisman.
As he threw them down, another firewall appeared, briefly hindering the monsters on the ground from coming close.
"Thanks." – Olivia thanked him from earlier and the others nodded at him.
When the platform finally arrived at the top of the building, they saw Evelyn still seated on a chair and drinking coffee.
"You're back already?" – The group didn't waste time thinking about her sarcastic words and they all jumped on the roof.
"Ms. Evelyn, I don't think we're able to take care of the situation anymore." – Lathz was the first to speak and she didn't try to make the group look strong.
"Indeed." – Surprisingly, Evelyn nodded, which almost made the group sigh in relief – "However, so what?" – But her next words broke whatever hope the group had.
"What?" – Melissa blurted out, stunned by her answer.
"I said that this was a practical exercise for you to have a taste of what the frontlines are like." – She smiled – "Most if not all missions from there are virtually or straight-up impossible. We need to deal with it, after all, we're fighting a losing war." – She shrugged and the building along with the whole city started to shake.
"Wh-Wha-" – Beatrix's stutter was quickly drowned by an explosion around where the nest was.
*SHRIEK*
From the cloud of smoke, a giant being shot up toward the sky.
A centipede body but with spider legs, and butt, twelve big red eyes coupled with a carapace filled with seemingly small blades. The thing didn't look natural in any sense or from any perspective.
"…" – The group blankly stared at the monster that abruptly snapped in their direction.
The other monsters stopped moving, even the flying ones.
"That's a brood mother." – Evelyn explained and the group slowly turned to look at her – "Your mission was to exterminate the nest, and now, you're looking at the reason the nest exists in the first place." – Her smile widened – "Fight until you can't anymore, and when you are at death's door, then we will rescue you. After all, this is only a practical exercise. You not being able to complete it doesn't mean you can just retreat." – She put down her cup – "There are no reinforcements and you're surrounded from all sides."
*SHRIEK*
The brood mother shrieked again and started to move in their direction.
The insects also woke up from their trance and resumed their unorganized march.
Evelyn snapped her fingers and the helicopter closed its doors before taking flight and vanishing in the night sky.
"Welcome to the war." – She said before the building shook and cracks appeared on it.
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