Chrysalis

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.

surely punch through, but the Eldest wasn’t here to deliver their strange, horrific

longer. Advant

must defeat the demon as

Queen said, “the heat will

and let you die in my place, just as much as you won’t allow me to do the same.

the Colony wasn’t happy about it, but

me and I will shield them as

back her protest and nodded. This was as good a compromise

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

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

close to me, children,” the Queen said, her scent determined.

THE COLONY!”

collective pheromones spreading

fury. Heat radiated from the beast beyond that of a

between the charging ants and the roaring demon

ant appeared, sprawling onto the ground and sending thousands of demon larvae flying as it skidded to a

moly!” the Eldest groaned. “Brilliant, are

Eldest,” a small ant said, gripping onto the back of the other for dear life.

this

say it wouldn’t

leave you there for a hundred years,” the Eldest

an antenna weakly

appreciate what an incredible feat I

get off of me, would you? I feel like my guts are about to be yanked out

little ant released its grip, rolled to the side and thudded

“Good enough.”

to their