The moonlight blanketed over the forest and the church. Owls began waking up, their round eyes searching for prey in the darkness, their sharp claws prepared to strike.
It was a peaceful night, a calm and quiet night, where everyone closed their eyes in the brief respite given by the drowning of the sun and the rising of the moon.
Yet deep underground, it was different.
Dread and doom filled the room, accompanied by tension and fear.
In the soldiers' eyes were reflected the giant ant swarm, towering over their measly shield wall and worn out weapons. Fear once painted in their shaky eyes, replaced by the unbreakable spirit upon hearing Clasius authoritative voice.
The ant queen looked up at her masterpiece, family, and children. Her eyes glinted in love and care for them.
Henry's fingers curled up on his rapier like a tightening snake around its prey, ready to slash at it. Clasius clenched his shining great sword. Kira gripped her rusty chains of a flail.
"Ah… My children," the ant queen echoed. Her scratched, dented and serrated claws on her arms readied itself to be used.
Then the giant ant swarm advanced forward, like a wave in the sea gathering and violently making its way to the shoreline. Its harmful presence devoured every ripple of water in its path, in this case, corpses of ants.
"Brace for impact!" Clasius shouted, his commanding voice rang in the soldiers' ears.
"Augh!" the soldiers roar echoed.
"Magicians, cast!" Clasius commanded.
"Ignem ruptis!" Mages casted and chanted their magic. From their hands, came a great and continuous burst of red and fiery flames.
The flame made contact with the swarm. The flame burnt part of the giant swarm, eradicating and sending the ants to the afterlife.
But it was futile. Their flame akin to a stone thrown at a tsunami, it did nothing.
"Continue!" Clasius ordered. The magicians continued through gasping breath and exhausted muscles, their mana dwindling.
Kira's coil-like muscles pumped with blood as she sprung forward from the place she stood.
Woosh!
She flew, her chains followed her like an obedient and loyal dog to its master.
Mid-air, she rotated her body as the earth pulled her down, her speed increased and escalated.
Soon, she became the embodiment of a small tornado, her body created shockwave in the air as she rotated. The spiky and rusty metal ball attached in the end of her flail became the edge of a tornado.
Her presence made impact with the giant ant swarm. Like a tornado cutting through the giant wave, eliminating many of its piece and slowing down its momentum.
Then the tornado passed the wave.
Kira's attack on the swarm might not be futile, her technique of rotating herself created a measly hole in the middle of the swarm. Of which the ants closed in just a few moment with their countless members of family.
"Tch, weird woman," Clasius clicked his tongue and muttered softly, his voice filled with annoyance, weirdly disturbed by the fact Kira disappearing behind the ant's swarm.
Then he readied his great sword. His muscles fiber warmed and pulled, his long and wide sword slashed onto the incoming wave, creating shockwave and clouds of dust.
His yellow-like energy passed and cut through dust and air.
His attack made contact with the swarm of ants. The swarm was cut, like a wave being dissected by a steel chain. But it too was futile, like water regrouping with itself, the ants did the same thing.
The sound of metal-like surface rubbing each other made from the ants could be heard. The smell of sweet pheromone struck the soldiers' noses as the swarm made it way closer.
"Coachman, the demise of the queen is the only way this swarm of ants would die," Clasius said to Henry, his gaze resolved and sharp as he reasoned.
"I agree with you," his voice professional and direct as always.
"As much as my pride hate to admit to working with outsiders, you have proven yourself to be the only one capable of killing the queen, therefore, I ask of you," Clasius asked, his usual stern and pressuring tone replaced by that of a humbling one.
"Your trust won't be betrayed, Clasius," Henry answered, confirming his decision with a nod, determination reflected in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his mind focused and his muscle relaxed. He placed his rapier, dented and chipped, in front of him. Truly, his eyes appreciated the beauty of the weapon.
Thin and sharp, slick and graceful. Its handguard carved to that of a bloomed rose. Its intricate and detailed lines on its grip reminiscent of the branch. Its knuckle guard resembled that of a golden leaf of the rose.
"Haaaa…" he exhaled, with eyes painting his determination and muscles bulging of dedication, he dashed.
Woosh!
"Goddess be with you," Clasius muttered and hoped for Henry's success.
"Men! Get ready!" Clasius voice readied his men for the upcoming impact. His voice firm and assertive, like a bastion that the men could fall into.
Though he himself knew, the situation was dire, that this might be the last time he spoke and this place might became his tomb, along with all the other soldiers. He clenched his weapon, like it or not, he was readying himself for glory or shame.
Henry shot into the air, like being launched from a cannon, his presence shook the air around him.
His hand moved, rapier moved, slicing through the thick swarm of ants with deadly precision. Their exoskeletons, though thick and dampening, proved to be in vain, akin to the thin skins of fruits upon the contact of Henry's rapier.
A hole was created in the giant ant swarm by the attack. Just like what Kira did, Henry passed through the hole. The ants repeated their pattern of movement, closing on the hole in their formation with their countless reserve of ants.
They were closing in on the soldiers.
"Goddess bless us…" a soldier muttered, though his demeanor calm from Clasius's voice, the deepest part of his heart truly felt fear.
"Ignem ruptis!" the magicians continuous chanting slowly disappeared, overwritten by the rubbing of ants with each other.
Crash!
The pile crushed on the shield wall formation. Like a ferocious tsunami against the seawall made of firmed concrete.
Meanwhile, Henry was welcomed by an unpleasant sight as he passed through the swarm.
Kira was on the ground, laying there as her seemingly soft body caused cracks on the ground. Her flail was broken, the metal ball, the main part of the weapon, was cut in two and detached from the chains.
"Ugh…" she groaned in suffering.
Her body full of bruises and scratches, pain and jolts rushed into her nerve system. Kira's red eyes, once ferocious and powerful, shook in fear, exhaustion and desperation.
The ant queen stood on top of her, stepping on her abdomen with her scaly foot.
Henry's grip tightened around his rapier.
"Oho? You came again?" the ant queen questioned as she peered her eyes onto Henry.
"Here, take you friend!" she stomped into the ground, lifting Kira and dust alike into the air. After that, she kicked her, sending her to Henry's embrace.
Kira came out of the curtain of dust, launched toward Henry.
Henry was hit midair, his momentum broken, his speed dissipated after being hit by half-conscious Kira. The two fell to the ground, like angels descending from heaven. Henry landed, in his arms were Kira.
"Th… thank you.." Kira mumbled humbly, her usual pride nowhere to be seen, her voice shaky and her strength giving out in each passing seconds.
"…" his silence unbroken, only nodding before placing Kira on the ground, his eyes then darted to the curtain of dust.
Dash!
The ant queen launched into the air, her step like an explosion. Her lethal claws like a predator seeking out for blood, stretching over, aiming for Henry's neck.
Henry brought out his rapier, slashing it forward, a light-blue energy in the shape of a crescent shot toward her.
The ant queen placed her claw in front of her, blocking the attack effortlessly as she continued flying toward Henry.
"Is that all you got?!" she asked mockingly.
The ant queen reached him, though before her claws could swing, he leapt back, unleashing yet another strike of his rapier into her as he retreated.
The ant queen once again blocked it leisurely. Her calf bulged and she leapt forward, trying to catch Henry.
"Stop running! Coward!" she barked, slightly annoyed by Henry's tactic and pattern.
Henry reached the ground first. In front of him, the ant queen, suspended midair by her leapt.
"Haa…" he exhaled.
"Huuuup!" then inhaled.
His lung were stocked with air, his muscles were warmed up by all the fighting and his mind was focused of his duty, one duty to save them all from the grim and hopeless situation.
He placed his rapier in front of his eyes, then his arms and wrist began to move.
"Blue rose rapier technique, first technique, razor rose," he muttered.