Chapter 33 : Another collosal
The fight began with Ini and Arike standing back-to-back, their eyes scanning the approaching ants. The worker ants, with their razor-sharp mandibles and gleaming black exoskeletons, charged forward with reckless abandon.
"Here they come," Ini said, his voice low and even.
Arike nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She raised her hands, and a burst of lightning shot out, striking the lead ant with incredible force. The ant's body exploded in a shower of sparks, but the others just kept coming.
Ini charged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light of the cave. He struck down ant after ant, his movements swift and deadly. Arike fought alongside him, her lightning powers crackling with energy.
But despite their best efforts, the ants just kept coming. Their numbers seemed endless, and Ini and Arike began to tire.
"These are A-ranks," Ini warned, his voice tight with concern. "Be careful."
Arike nodded, but she was already starting to flag. The ants were too numerous, too relentless. She stumbled backward, her movements slowing.
Ini fought on, his sword slicing through the ants with deadly precision. But even he couldn't hold back the tide forever. The ants overwhelmed Arike, their mandibles snapping wildly as they attacked.
One ant struck at her abdomen, its mandibles slicing through her armor and into her flesh. Arike's blood gushed out, and she stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock.
Ini's eyes snapped to Arike's, and for a moment, he froze. Temi's face flashed before his eyes, and he felt a wave of rage wash over him.
With a sudden burst of speed, Ini deactivated his self-preservation instincts and unleashed a flurry of attacks so fast they were almost invisible. The ants stopped in their tracks, their bodies frozen in mid-air, before being cut into pieces.
Ini rushed to Arike's side, his face twisted with concern. He shoved a pill into her mouth, his hands moving with a precision that belied his worry.
"Hold on, Arike," he whispered, his voice tight with emotion. "I've got you."
Ini gently removed Arike's chest armor, his fingers carefully undoing the straps and buckles. He set the armor aside, his eyes scanning Arike's injured abdomen. The wound was deep, but the pill he had given her was already starting to take effect.
He reached into his space pocket and pulled out a spare cloth, which he used to dress the wound. His hands moved with a precision that belied his worry, his fingers gently cleaning and bandaging the injury. As he worked, he watched Arike's face, taking in the subtle changes in her expression.
At first, her face was pale and clammy, her eyes sunken with pain and exhaustion. But as the pill took hold, her pulse began to steady, and her heart rate slowed. Color started to return to her cheeks, and her eyes lost some of their glassiness.
Ini's gaze lingered on Arike's face, and he couldn't help but reminisce about all the time they had spent together. He remembered her fierce determination during training, her eyes blazing with a fire that seemed to burn brighter with every passing day. He recalled the way she would smile, her lips curving upward in a way that seemed to light up the entire room.
As he looked at her now, he saw the same determination, the same fire burning in her eyes. But he also saw something more, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was a sense of trust, perhaps, or a sense of reliance. Whatever it was, it made Ini's heart swell with emotion.
He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're going to be okay," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own heartbeat. "Backup will be here soon. Just hang in there."
Arike's eyes flickered open, and she looked up at Ini. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the only sound the quiet rustling of the ants in the distance. Then Arike's eyes closed again, and she took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with a slow, steady rhythm.
Ini watched her, his heart filled with a sense of relief. She was going to be okay. They were both going to get out of this alive.
After what felt like an eternity, Blaze's strike team finally arrived, their lights illuminating the dark cave. Ini stood up, his eyes scanning the team as they approached.
Blaze's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. "Ini, what's the situation?" he asked, his voice firm and commanding.
Ini nodded, his expression grim. "Arike and I encountered the queen ant," he explained. "But it wasn't what we expected. It was... different. And there's something else."
"What is it?" Blaze asked, his eyes locked on Ini's.
"I think this might just be a part of a larger colossal," Ini said, his voice low and serious. "If you follow the cave, you'll see what I mean. But be warned, the ants are going to get stronger."
Blaze's expression turned thoughtful. "I see," he said. "We'll need to report this to the guild and the Warrior's Association."
Ini nodded. "I agree. But we should also be careful. If this is a larger colossal, we don't know what kind of dangers we might face."
Blaze nodded, his eyes scanning the team. "Alright, let's get Arike out of here and report back to the guild. We'll leave three people to escort her back and provide a full report."
The team nodded, and three members stepped forward to escort Arike out of the cave. The rest of the team prepared to proceed deeper into the cave, their lights illuminating the dark tunnel ahead.
"Let's move out," Blaze said, his voice firm and commanding. "We don't know what we'll face, but we're ready."
The team nodded, and they proceeded into the tunnel, their lights casting eerie shadows on the walls. Ini led the way, his eyes scanning the tunnel for any signs of danger.
As they walked, the air grew thick with the smell of damp earth and decay. The sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnel, and the team's lights cast an eerie glow over the rough stone walls.
They walked in silence, their senses on high alert for any signs of danger. The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, the darkness pressing in around them like a physical force.
But they pressed on, their determination driving them forward. They knew that they had to uncover the secrets of the colossal, no matter what dangers lay ahead.