Buzz! Zap!

  A swarm of Zespzap wasps, these a particular black and slightly larger breed, swooped toward the village.

  I paid them no heed as the first of my defenders arrived. Oath, Dime, Mina, Tilz, and Kyrawl were already at the scene.

  The five monsters clashed with the Black Hornets, some type of shock troop division of the Zespzap—likely a subspecies made for war as well.

  The glades became a battleground between construction wasps and the Black Hornets. My forces fought with the construction wasps when I cried out, "Not them!"

  Zazeke charged at Gilbud, moving faster than lightning. I maneuvered through the field with ease, reaching Gilbud faster than he could. Black Hornet heads and abdomens flew into the air as I passed. Their numbers declined in the blink of an eye. But I did not target Zazeke.

  No.

  His intentions were good— to intercept and protect Gilbud. But I was faster than him.

  I focused on a particular hornet, the one with lightning bolts for wings and a coat pattern of black and storm-cloud gray.

  ???

  [Status Analysis] Black Knight Bee

  Faux Nym: [Black Knight Bee]

  Titles: "Black Hornet Captain"

  Species: [Zespzap]

  Alt Species Name: "Zap Wasp Zeldritchmon"

  APeX: [634,000 Units]

  Attributes: [Xensect] [Grim] [Voltage]

  Evolution Stage: [Dominant]

  Current Variant Grade: [Elite]

  Dominions: [Unleash] [Generalist]

  ???

  The chime of the defeated Zespzap Black Hornets echoed in my head as I pressed my ribbon appendages against their sharp L-shaped limbs. The glittering wood fibers finally hit the ground.

  [KiAera's APeX has increased!]

  APeX: ["651,161" Units] → ["859,338" Units]

  I didn't have a spare moment to truly check the interface that shimmered before me. Instead, I kept my gaze locked on the foe ahead. He didn't look pleased.

  "You don't seem to be under Zesza's rule. Why are you here?"

  He snapped his mandibles in frustration and sneered at my question.

  "You do not have the luxury of having that question answered. Though it would bring me great prestige to slay you, KiAera of the Chimera Crew."

  We resumed our assault against each other. I parried all his strikes with my ribbon appendages while he attacked with his stinger. His assaults were highly destructive, lethal, precise—extremely fast. Yet, none ever managed to reach me.

  I needed answers, which meant I couldn't crush him yet. Could he be reasoned with? Despite these questions arising in my mind, there was something unsettling about the vibes that all the Black Hornets gave off.

  ??? ???

  Mina, having just barely smashed her opponent with her club, could only glimpse the skirmish. To her, the Black Hornet Captain's movements appeared as a blur. The same was true for Tilz, whose perception would have been considered the greatest among the fighters on this battlefield.

  He struggled to keep up with the Black Hornet Captain's vicious speed. However, KiAera was keeping pace with him. Her counterattacks were impeccable as she held him at bay with frightening calm.

  "Yo?!" Gilbud exclaimed, shocked by the near attack. He had been buffeted by the gust created by KiAera's intervention. She had saved him.

  "Gilbud!" Jaejade cried out as she pressed herself against him.

  Gilbud could only gurgle his gasp as he struggled to process the existence of the girl before him. She couldn't have been real. Had he been sent to the afterlife after all, yo?

  Zazeke buzzed with laughter as he lowered his gaze to his rattled companion. "She is real, but we have more pressing matters to worry about."

  The wasp prince drew his dagger stinger like a samurai would draw his sword. He did the same by crossing his razor-sharp limbs, which glinted as if they were blades.

  "You three, stay close to me," he called out to Gilbud, Jaejade, and Emerapun. "Form a defensive wall for your sake."

  Zazeke resumed his attack after stabbing his drill-like limb through a Black Hornet's thorax. He electrocuted it in the same motion as his strike. The creature dissolved into particles when it was slain by the clean puncture.

  More arrived around their perimeter. Zazeke simply smiled with his mandibles. He blurred with lightning speed as he began to annihilate them with precise thrusts to the small midsection that connected their thorax and abdomen.

  ??? ???

  I managed to slam Black Knight Bee into the earth with a [MereEar Slap]. The ribbon that struck him demolished his exoskeleton. Black Knight Bee twitched and writhed as the blow sent him skidding across the ground. He tried to get up but failed, as a couple of his limbs had been mangled, along with one of his wings.

  I hovered above him and proceeded to ask again, "Who sent you here? I won't ask again before I finish you."

  The Black Knight Bee grimaced, his mandibles clicking together as he struggled to compose himself. "You think you can intimidate me with your threats? I am only a mere pawn of this war, General KiAera. You may have won this skirmish, but more will come. The Queen's will cannot be so easily thwarted."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Despite the confidence I heard in his words, his body betrayed him. The subtle movements of his crumpled wings and dislocated limbs spoke of his desperation and fear.

  I sought to press my advantage by using [Howl] point black in his face to intimidate him further.

  "Tell me where she is! Is she the ones behind this swarm? Are more coming for the village?"

  He hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he tried to gauge my resolve. "What do you care for this place? It is a mere blight on the landscape of true power," he sneered, attempting to regain some semblance of dignity.

  I clenched my fists, feeling the rage of mana coursing through me. The battle raged on behind me, but inside me was a fierce calm. I managed to subdue the beast that wanted to lash out within me.

  "This village is home. I defend it because it gives people a chance to thrive, to grow stronger, not to be crushed under the boot of tyrants like Fluzzerscreech."

  He let out a harsh, rattling laugh that echoed strangely within the air.

  "Protecting this place will only delay the inevitable. Zesza's might is infinite, and her minions are already mobilizing for a march. This was merely a preview. Your choices will lead to suffering, not just for you, but for those you care about."

  At that moment, I felt a burning anger ignite through me. He was trying to pin the blame on Zesza. But I knew better than to fall for such schemes. "If whoever you're working for dare come here, I will be waiting. And I will not show mercy."

  With a final strike aimed at the base of his neck, I pinned him down, my ribbons wrapping around his limbs like a vice. For a moment, his fierce demeanor faltered.

  "Let me go, and maybe we'll consider sparing your village," he rasped. There seemed to be no remorse in his tone.

  "You mistake my nature," I stared into his beady black eyes. "I am no tyrant. I will not negotiate with you. You have sown this conflict, and you will reap its consequences."

  Suddenly, the ground rumbled beneath us—a thunderous sound that sent shockwaves through the air. I glanced back, spotting a fresh wave of Black Hornets emerging from the forest. But they weren't alone.

  Among them were giant grotesque fly-like monsters clustered in their ranks. Then, just as they appeared. The sun rays were cast aside as a swarm of praying mantis-like creatures dived toward us with their sickles prepared to strike.

  There were nearly thousands of them, a horrific wave of chitin and malice that promised destruction. I quickly assessed the situation; we were outnumbered and far from ready for the onslaught.

  "Zazeke! We need to regroup!" I shouted, attempting to rise from my confrontation with the Black Knight Bee. He still squirmed beneath my grasp, but the threat of the approaching horde demanded my attention.

  Zazeke glanced over his shoulder, his electric lime wings flickering with urgency. "Hold the line! We cannot let them breach our defenses!" His words rang clear, a rallying cry that reverberated through the battlefield's din.

  I released the hornet captain, who was panting heavily, eyes now wide with both fear and disbelief. "You think you can survive this?" he spat, trying to regain his composure. He struggled against the restraints of my [Spectral Ribbons].

  "You're outmatched!"

  "Perhaps," I replied curtly, rising to my full height and stretching out my ribbons with determination. "But we fight on our terms."

  As I pivoted to face the oncoming swarm, a wave of resolve washed over me. This village, these people—they depended on me.

  With a gesture, I called upon Oath, Dime, Mina, Tilz, and Kyrawl, who immediately converged at my side, forming a protective barrier. Their eyes were fierce, reflecting the resolve within me. "We stand together!" I declared.

  Zazeke, still darting among the multitude of incoming foes, glanced back, a fire igniting in his eyes.

  "We will show them the strength of our resolve!"

  Kindling with fervor, he and his troops drew the attention of the Black Hornets and the colossal mantises, allowing us a brief moment to prepare.

  Buzz! Zap! Swift!

  The air was thick with the buzzing chorus of wings, a cacophony of fury that sent chills down my spine. But there was also a clarity, a purpose, as we readied ourselves for the imminent charge. I could see bloodlust in the eyes of the approaching enemies. They sought to claim our lives, our home.

  "Now!" I unleashed a wave of energy as I invoked [Spectral Whirlwind].

  The ribbons around me whirled as they became a vortex of vibrant energy aimed at the oncoming swarm. Ensnaring the first few waves of Black Hornets and flies, I watched as they were pulled into the tempest.

  Oath demolished their numbers with her erupting, radiant crystals. Tilz fought while riding atop Kyrawl's back, carving through the creatures with his curved sword.

  I fought in the sky alongside them, obliterating large groups of the opposition with fiery spheres of [Spectral Flame]. The enemies were highly susceptible to my flames, and their numbers were dropping fast.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nex arrive with reinforcements. Those who joined him were Skadi, Amber, and his siblings. The three bat monsters—Nex, Rox, and Viz—screeched their way through the clusters with their [Sonic Screech] attacks.

  The battlefield erupted with the sounds of dissonance, punctuated by the whirring of wings and the grating screams of my allies and foes alike. As the reinforcements poured in, I felt elated with renewed hope.

  I truly believed we could turn the tide of this battle, but it required focus and unity.

  Skadi landed near me with a powerful thud, shaking the ground beneath her. The pink critter yelled above the din, her happy-go-lucky eyes scanning the chaos for threats.

  "What's the plan, Ki?"

  "Hold the line! We need to contain them and protect the villagers at all costs!"

  Amber nodded in understanding. She then pressed her wingtips to her head as if she were concentrating.

  "LeeLee Loa says we'll rally toward the back edge of the village. If we can funnel them there, we can use the terrain to our advantage."

  Nex and his siblings screeched in agreement. "Let's push them back!" he roared, launching into the fray alongside his brother and sister.

  The air crackled with the bombardment of stray energies as we began to coordinate our attack.

  Skadi and I took to the skies, seeking out the larger foes amongst the swarm. The monstrous mantises were particularly menacing, their sickle-like claws poised for strikes that could cleave a lesser fighter in two.

  I swung my ribbons wide, striking the nearest one squarely across its segmented head. The impact sent it reeling, enabling Zazeke to swoop in with a deadly slice of his stinger, cleaving through the exposed underbelly. The creature let out a gurgled screech, collapsing into the muck.

  "Nice teamwork!" Zazeke called. His mandibles gleamed with an electric charge as he darted past to engage another opponent.

  But as I surveyed the battlefield, I noticed the Hornet Captain struggling to regain his footing. He was still trapped beneath my ribbons.

  Someone was assisting him.

  A Mantis with an immense energy signature and a distinct appearance tore the restraints off him. Her head snapped toward me in an instant as if she had sense my gaze and the moment our eyes met, I felt a jolt of recognition.

  ???

  [Status Analysis] General Blatt Knif

  Courtesy Name: [Blatt Knif]

  Titles: "Queen of Mantids", "General of Mantids"

  Species: [Mantipraiye]

  Alt Species Name: "Blade Mantis Zeldritchmon"

  APeX: [993,859 Units]

  Attributes: [Xensect] [Metal] [Relic]

  Evolution Stage: [Dominant]

  Current Variant Grade: [Elite]

  Dominions: [Augment] [Virtuoso]

  ???

  There was something deeply unsettling about her gaze—a knowing intensity that sent a chill down my spine.

  She was a [Queen]-type.

  The Mantis stood taller than the others, with a carapace that gleamed like a dark emerald and sickles that dripped with an ominous orange energy. Her wings glimmered with iridescence, casting a spectral glow that contrasted starkly against the murky battlefield. She exuded an aura that could only belong to a leader, someone who commanded respect among her kind.

  "You!" the Mantis hissed. Her voice carried an unmistakable weight. "You are KiAera, the one they fear. The General of the Chimera Crew."

  My ribbons became taut, and my pupils sharpened into pinprick slits. "And you are the one who has come to challenge that fear. Who are you?"

  Her mandibles clicked with contempt.

  "Call me Blatt Knif. I am the Harbinger of Fluzzerscreech's will. Your victory today will mean nothing tomorrow if you continue to resist."

  I could feel the weight of her words, the sense of foreboding they carried. As the battle raged around us, it was clear that we were now facing something far greater than mere numbers. This was a declaration of war.

  "I ask you to leave. This is your only warning."

  Blatt Knif's laughter echoed through the cacophony around us.

  "Warning? Threats? Such things are fleeting, little one. Your rallying cries may echo in the hearts of your friends, but they will crumble like dust before the might of my army."

  In that moment, I understood her role. She was here to instill fear, to shake our confidence and break our spirits. But she would not succeed.