A deafening silence washed over the battlefield. Dust still swirled in the aftermath of Ari and Sly's last violent collision. The impact had cracked the earth and split the remnants of ancient pillars in half. Both combatants stood, breathing heavily, facing each other from opposite sides of the cratered ground.
Ari closed the distance.
The next exchange was brutal. Mandible strikes were traded with lightning speed, each one dodged or blocked in a blur of motion. Ari ducked under a high strike and landed a slash to Sly's ribs—but Sly responded instantly, driving his knee into Ari's gut. The air fled Ari's lungs, and he stumbled back, coughing.
Sly gave him no time to breathe. He surged forward with an upper mandible slash, narrowly missing Ari's chin. Ari blocked the follow-up, but the sheer force of the blow sent him skidding across the battlefield.
Beatrice's eyes narrowed. "They're both pushing themselves past their limits."
"But Ari's taking more hits," Isla whispered, her knuckles white against the rock she clung to.
"He's playing a dangerous game," Lily added. "If he doesn't turn this around soon…"
Isla's eyes followed the flurry of violent movement. Each time Ari was hit, she winced. He was bleeding, stumbling—but still refusing to fall.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest.
Why… why does it hurt so much to watch him suffer like this?
Images flashed through her mind.
She remembered the first recruitment day—Ari, Rory, herself, and a few others running along a rough path to complete a task. She recalled the termite attack—how they melted ants before her with their acid-like substance. She had cowered, too afraid to fight back. Her body had frozen, but Ari hadn't hesitated. He'd fought off two termites on his own, holding them at bay without faltering.
And Rory too.
He had rushed in to cover her when fear had paralyzed her. His voice had snapped her out of her haze. His hands had steadied her when her legs gave out.
They had both protected her when she couldn't even protect herself.
Now Ari was on the brink of collapse, and all she could do was watch.
Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.
He stood up for me without question. Even when I was useless. Even when I cried and screamed and wanted to give up… he never did.
A loud impact jolted her out of her thoughts—Ari crashing into a pillar, his body crumpling against the broken stone.
Her chest tightened.
You've always been strong for us, Ari… But how much longer can you keep carrying that weight? How much more do you have to bleed before we're strong enough to help you back?
Ari wiped the blood from his mouth and steadied himself. He rushed in again, slashing his mandibles toward Sly's exposed side—but Sly caught them in a cross-block, his own mandibles locking against Ari's. They wrestled in the center of the battlefield, muscles straining, neither giving an inch.
They were practically evenly matched.
But it didn't last.
With a feral roar, Sly lunged forward, his upper mandibles glinting beneath the harsh rays of artificial light. Ari didn't have time to react. Sly's strike slashed across the center of his chest, tearing through his hardened shell and drawing blood. The force of the blow sent him reeling, his footing slipping on fractured stone.
Sly didn't relent. He moved with terrifying speed—like a blur of destruction. Mandibles flashed. Each strike precise and deliberate. Ari barely managed to raise his arms, shielding his face as best he could, grunting beneath the weight of every blow.
"What's wrong?" Sly sneered, voice low and taunting as he drove his mandibles into Ari's jaw. "Why has your expression changed from bravery… to fear?"
Beatrice's eyes widened, panic tightening in her chest. "He's pushing Ari into a corner."
"He's too much, even for Ari," Isla added, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of a jagged wall.
"And we can't help him," Lily said through gritted teeth, her fists clenched at her sides. "We'd just get in the way."
Sly's mandibles fell like a storm. A sharp strike sent Ari crashing into a crumbling pillar, the stone exploding outward on impact.
"So this is all the strength you possess?" Sly asked, striding forward with casual cruelty. "Disappointing. I thought you'd be stronger." He glanced back with a shrug. "Well, at least I had fun."
He turned.
"Wait…" a hoarse voice called.
From the rubble, Ari stood. Bruised, bloodied, barely able to keep his knees from buckling. One leg trembled as he took a shaky step forward.
"We're not done yet," he growled, eyes burning.
Sly raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You're one tough ant. But there's no way you can win against me. Just give it a rest—and die."
"I don't have a choice," Ari said, voice low and raw. "I have to win. If I don't beat you here and now… I'll never be able to face Hopper."
I tried to save her. I really did. When they came to hurt Tanya, I didn't hesitate. I charged in, reckless and desperate, thinking my will alone would be enough. But Hopper… he was no ordinary insect. Towering, merciless, far beyond anything I was prepared for.
He swatted me aside like I was nothing. I hit the ground hard, too broken to stand, too weak to protect the one person who mattered most to the colony. I could only watch as they dragged her away, her voice echoing in my ears. And with that, the promise I made—to protect her, always—was shattered.
She's still in those dark chambers, somewhere in the fortress, held in that bastard's claws. And I'm here. Alive. Breathing. While she suffers.
Since that day, I've forced myself through pain most couldn't imagine. Training until my legs gave out, enduring wounds that cut deeper than flesh, all to become stronger. All to make sure I never feel that helpless again.
And I'm not alone. Lily, Beatrice, Isla—they didn't follow me out of duty or routine. No. They chose this fight. They saw what Hopper did, and they wanted to stop him too, to put an end to this, to set our colony free.
They came because they believe he must be stopped—because they believe Tanya deserves to be saved. Because they believe we can do it together.
Sometimes I wonder why they put their faith in someone like me—a former human who used to tremble at the thought of danger, who used to run from everything hard. I was weak. Useless. Always afraid.
But not anymore. Not after everything we've been through.
I don't care how strong Hopper is. I don't care how many scars I carry. I'm not that fragile person anymore. I'll get her back. And with them by my side—we'll end this. No matter the cost.
His vision wavered. The edges of his sight pulsed with exhaustion. Every nerve in his body screamed. Every breath burned. Still, he stepped forward.
Sly chuckled, shaking his head. "Finally… your eyes are back to normal. You're not afraid of death anymore. Good. I'll finish you with one blow."
In a flash, they launched at each other.
The air cracked. The ground cratered beneath them from the force of their movements.
Ari leaned forward, mandibles sharpened and gleaming. Sly moved like a missile, his mandibles sweeping in a deadly arc. They clashed midair—an eruption of light, sound, and dust exploding around them as they passed in a blur.
They landed on opposite ends of the battlefield, backs turned to one another.
Time froze.
Then, Ari dropped to one knee, panting. Blood trickled down his chest.
Behind him, Sly chuckled—but his breath caught. A moment later, he turned, revealing two deep slashes across his chest, bleeding heavily.
"…Your mandibles," Sly said with a faint smile, "have a far greater resolve than I thought."
He staggered.
"To think… I finally found someone capable of defeating me… after ten years."
I was a rogue grasshopper from the beginning. Even as a child, I had the strength to overthrow my own kind. I never had a home—never cared for one either. I wandered without purpose, seeking only a worthy fight.
I tore through ants, crushed flies, and defeated grasshoppers. But none could match me—or so I thought.
Then one day, deep in the forest, I met a young grasshopper. He was being trained by a battle-hardened warrior. Something about him… he carried himself differently. Strong. Focused. I didn't hesitate. I attacked.
He blocked me without flinching. We fought. I gave it everything I had—but I lost.
Yet, he didn't kill me.
When I woke, my wounds were bandaged. He watched me quietly.
"You're strong," he said. "Just like me. Join me. Help me bring my dream to life—to become the strongest warlord this world has ever seen."
His words lit something inside me. A purpose. And I agreed.
But deep down, I made a vow: One day, I would surpass him. One day, I would be the one left standing.
Sly collapsed, his body thudding against the earth.
Silence blanketed the battlefield.
"I can't believe it…" Isla whispered. "Ari… defeated a General."
I'm so glad he's alive…
"We might actually win this war," Beatrice said, hope flickering in her voice. "We can save the princess… and free the colony from Hopper's grasp."
Lily blinked, then grinned wide. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's taken down a General. Good work, my little hero."
Ari stumbled forward, caught by Lily. He looked at her with a faint smile.
"Still… that fight was one-sided. I only won because of luck."
"Forget the details, shemetails," Lily laughed, pressing a hand against his chest. "You won. That's all that matters. We took two Generals down and now there are only two left, along with Hopper. We've given the others that came with us the edge they need."
"You're right…" Ari murmured, lips curling faintly. "We still have a chance."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'the others'?" Ari asked, blinking up at Lily with a tired but curious expression. "You mean you're not the only ones who came?"
Lily smiled, brushing dust off her armor. "Of course not, silly. We wouldn't have lasted this long without them."
Beatrice nodded beside her. "Anastasia, Rory, and Lieutenant Brooks are all here with us. And thanks to our treaty with Queen Helena's colony, General Ivan and Ruth have joined the fight—along with two of their top lieutenants."
Ari's eyes widened. "I had no idea it was this big. That means… we really do have a chance."
Lily gave a confident grin. "Exactly. We're not alone in this war."
Ari exhaled slowly, a weight lifting off his chest. "When all this is over, I'm definitely going to thank both General Ivan and Ruth. They've done more for us than I ever imagined."
"Don't thank them," Isla said, shaking her head as she caught her breath. "Thank Anastasia. She's the one who orchestrated all of this. She spoke directly with their queen and rallied everyone together."
Ari nodded thoughtfully. "I see… Anastasia really is a strong leader, isn't she?"
"Oh, Ari, and before I forget," Beatrice approached, her expression unreadable. She pulled a flask from her satchel and shoved it into Ari's face.
"Here. Drink up."
Ari groaned. "Ugh. No matter how many times I drink this, it still tastes horrible."
Beatrice smirked. "I've been waiting to do that ever since you made me drink this garbage. I'm glad you won. Gave me the perfect excuse, and now we're even."
Lily chuckled, brushing dirt from Ari's shoulder. "Still… that fight was something else. You were amazing."
Ari didn't reply right away. His eyes turned toward the artificial sky above—tired, but shining.
It wasn't just the training, he thought. It was the reason behind it. The desire to protect, to fight for something beyond myself. That's what gave me the strength to keep going.
He thought of Tanya—imprisoned, alone, waiting.
And he made a silent promise:
I'm coming.