Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 3 - Chapter 10

Preemptive Attack 

With the naval assault having ended in failure, Frantz’s only remaining choice was to march on Schtraut with ground forces. The Popedom had an army of 250,000 men at its disposal, including the allied forces, and it was planning to send all of them into battle. 

“They’re coming,” I said, standing in the forward operating base we’d built between the two countries. 

“But we just thwarted them not too long ago,” Lysa pointed out. 

“They’ll be bringing in the allied army this time, the one they assembled during the International Council. They have a total of two hundred and fifty thousand men, cavalry and infantry. Actually, you could say their entire army is built around their heavy infantry. The enemy is learning, and they realize that using lightly armored troops against us is pointless.” 

In other words, the enemy had upgraded their units, too. They’d bolstered their forces with heavy infantrymen as a countermeasure to the Ripper Swarms. The Ripper Swarms were meant for early rushes, and they struggled to keep up with more advanced units. They couldn’t penetrate the enemy’s armor and were easily beaten by stronger, more powerful weapons. 

“Can we handle them, Your Majesty?” Lysa asked. 

“We’ll be fine. I figured this would happen, and that’s why I’ve upgraded our units. These new units will take the vanguard instead of the Ripper Swarms, which will be relegated to patrols and recon.” 

Ripper Swarm rushes were only viable for a short portion of the game. The Swarms themselves were easy to mass-produce, but in exchange, they were somewhat frail. Thus, I had done a little upgrading. Thanks to all the time we’d spent fighting Maluk and Schtraut and cooperating with the pirates, we’d had plenty of time to unlock said units and more than enough meat for their production. 

“First, we’ll crush the enemy’s offensive. Our walls aren’t as sturdy as they look, and they’ll be able to break through if they bring out siege weapons. But the walls are only there to stall them; once they break through, the real battle begins.” 

The fighting at the walls likely wouldn’t take too long. If they’d brought 250,000 soldiers, they would break down our defenses in no time. With the walls in their way, we could buy some time, locate their point of invasion, and concentrate our forces there. 

“Unfortunately, our upgraded units aren’t as fast as the Ripper Swarms, so using the walls to stall the enemy is a must. We can also whittle them down with the Toxic Swarms.” 

I had Toxic Swarms stationed in the Eyeball Spires so they could shower incoming enemies with their stingers. Of course, if the enemy were to bring siege weapons and use them to attack the Eyeball Spires, they wouldn’t last long. 

“Now then, this will be a match between their two hundred and fifty thousand troops and our four hundred thousand. I look forward to seeing who wins.” 

While victory seemed to be in reach, I couldn’t allow myself to be careless. I had promised the Swarm that we would win, so I had to do everything I could to ensure that we emerged victorious. I still didn’t know what sort of victory they desired, but I knew what they considered defeat: the extinction of their kind. 

With that in mind, it was time for our next battle. 

The allied army, led by Frantz’s forces, was heading north. 250,000 men marched toward the border walls, their boots loudly stomping on the ground as they went. 

A few Masquerade Swarms, hidden among the refugee camps at the border, kept an eye on the enemy army’s advance. 

“For the God of Light!” 

“For the God of Light!” 

Crazy fanatics. If you love your god so much, I’ll happily send you straight to him, I thought. 

Our enemy struck in the northeast. They rolled out battering rams and set up catapults as they prepared to invade. I had the Toxic Swarms fire at their engineers, but they worked too fast; it seemed we wouldn’t be able to stop them in time. 

“For the God of Light!” 

Frantz’s men began pushing the battering rams toward the walls and shooting their catapults at the Eyeball Spires. After ten or so shots, the towers fell apart, and the Toxic Swarms inside were crushed under the rubble. 

The battering rams smashed through the walls, and with the Eyeball Spires destroyed, there was nothing to stop them. The Toxic Swarms’ venom was only effective against living creatures, anyway, so they wouldn’t have been much use against the mechanical siege weapons. 

Now the enemy was knocking on our door. 

Ahh, if only they knew what’s waiting on the other side. 

“We’ve broken through the walls! Charge!” 

The soldiers pulled back the battering rams and rushed through the opening they’d created. Row after row of troops poured into our territory. 

Had I set Ripper Swarms here as our vanguard, they would’ve been quickly dispatched. The Toxic Swarms, standing behind them, would have been destroyed soon after, and our formation would have crumbled. Their exoskeletons would have been crunched in, their fangs and scythes snapped like twigs. 

But thankfully, none of that came to pass. 

“First infantry formation has crossed the walls!” 

“Wait... What the hell is that?!” 

The soldiers’ expressions contorted in disbelief. 

Oh yes, now those are the faces I wanted to see. 

Upon storming through the walls, the heavy infantrymen were greeted by several large Swarms with dense, weighty exoskeletons. They had curled fangs like a centipede, and their limbs ended in scythe-like blades that stabbed into the ground. Essentially, these units were the Swarm equivalent of heavy tanks. 

They were the upgraded version of the Ripper Swarm: the Genocide Swarm. As its name implied, this type of Swarm was meant for slaughtering the enemy in large numbers, no matter what that enemy might be. 

“Genocide Swarms, forward!” I ordered. “Give our enemies your regards in the only way you can—kill them!” 

The Genocide Swarms began their charge, and the Toxic Swarms behind them provided covering fire. The stingers didn’t do much to the heavily armored soldiers, but the occasional stinger penetrated the metal and reduced the victim to a pool of gore. I could see the fear these attacks struck in the hearts of the other soldiers, slowing them down. Things were going swimmingly. 

Now that the heavy infantrymen were rooted to the spot, frozen with fear, the Genocide Swarms overwhelmed them. With their fangs, the new Swarms cut through the enemy all too easily; they were so strong that they could bisect a man’s body with a single bite. Their power was on display for all to see. 

“Help m—” One man couldn’t even finish his scream as his upper half was swiftly separated from the rest of his body. 

The soldiers’ metallic armor screeched unpleasantly as it was torn apart. As the men were literally ripped in two, the sticky sounds of their flesh tearing like rubber could be heard all over the battlefield. 

“Don’t let them scare you! Fight! For the God of Light!” 

“For the God of Light!” 

Still, the infantry fought back against the Genocide Swarms. The halberds and greatswords they wielded would’ve been effective against Ripper Swarms, but they did very little to the upgraded version. Even when repeatedly bludgeoned by a steel weapon, the Genocide Swarms continued their composed attacks. 

“Their defense is on another level,” I mused. “Those men have no chance.” 

There was a huge gap in defense between the Ripper and Genocide Swarms. Naturally, the increase in defense came at the cost of speed. The Genocide Swarms were slow and bulky, which was their major flaw. Or perhaps the Ripper Swarms just moved so fast that the Genocide Swarms looked sluggish in comparison? 

“Your Majesty, the enemy is retreating from the walls. What shall we do?” Sérignan asked. 

“We move forward and give chase. We’ll show them the power of the Arachnea.” 

Onward, onward! Onward to Saania, where Isabelle’s killers are. Let the military cadence be played for our march! The surge of death called the Swarm will soon be upon our foes! 

“Fall back! Retreat! Go, go, go!” shouted one of Frantz’s officers. 

The soldiers who’d stormed through the walls had been massacred. Faced with those terrifying monsters, the remaining men had no choice but to run for their lives. Their attacks didn’t so much as scratch the enemy, which had torn the soldiers apart without even flinching as the heavy weapons struck them again and again. 

“I did not give you permission to retreat!” barked an inquisitor, thrusting a saber into the officer’s throat. 

“What are you doing?! Do you want all of us to die?!” another officer cried out. 

“We have the God of Light’s blessing on our side! We cannot lose.” The inquisitor pulled his bloodied blade out of the man’s body. “Anyone who says we will be defeated is a heretic, and heretics will be met with death. Onward, I say! We must take Schtraut back from the clutches of these abominations!” 

The inquisitor took over for the officer and started giving instructions to the soldiers. Confused as they were, the soldiers abided by his commands. Yet all that lay ahead of them was death; advancing meant willingly marching into their own graves. 

“Go forth, for the God of Light!” 

“The bugs are crossing the walls!” 

But while the mad inquisitor continued barking his orders, the Genocide Swarms and Toxic Swarms came after them. As they approached, the Genocide Swarms tore into the heavy infantry with their fangs. The Toxic Swarms clambered over the walls, shooting off their projectiles and turning anyone they hit into puddles of goo. 

“Archers! Open fire!” 

Crossbowmen were deployed to engage the Swarms’ advance. They fired thick bolts at the Genocide Swarms all at once, successfully managing to fell a few. 

But the Genocide Swarms behind them climbed right over their comrades’ bodies, and at the same time the Toxic Swarms finished crossing the walls. 

“Keep firing! Victory is o—” Just as the inquisitor was proclaiming their victory, a Toxic Swarm’s stinger pierced through his chest. 

He was assailed by indescribable pain and quickly fell to the ground. In mere moments, he had completely melted into liquified flesh. 

“Are we really going to keep fighting?!” 

“Those are our orders!” 

As their commanders died one by one, the army’s chain of command was also falling apart. Many of the soldiers had even seen their officers cut down by inquisitors for ordering retreats. And all the while, the Arachnea’s queen snickered where no one could see her. 

“Oh, the enemy’s certainly divided, aren’t they?” she said, her tone ecstatic. “There are lunatics who believe in their god and sane people who don’t. Perhaps I should thank Paris for giving the inquisitors so much authority.” 

The queen then turned her eyes to the Swarms engaged in battle. She watched them with a mixture of joy and sorrow as they crushed the enemy and perished from the crossbow bolts. 

“Those crossbows are annoying. And their archers are heavily armored, too, so the Toxic Swarms can’t take them out. Oh well. Winning with numbers is the Swarm’s style, I suppose.” 

There was no need for a change in plans. The Swarms continued their rush into the enemy’s formation with the Toxic Swarms raining their venomous stingers on enemy lines. Every once in a while, an unfortunate crossbowman took a hit in the flesh and quickly melted. 

As ever, the Arachnea’s charge was relentless. The Genocide Swarms cut through the enemy’s front lines while the Toxic Swarms dropped soldiers in the rear guard. This surge of death, this black tidal wave washed over the border walls to drown the soldiers beyond. 

The soldiers couldn’t hold the Swarms back and were thus reduced to corpses in a heartbeat. Those who survived began thinking less like an army and more like a frenzied mob. All the conflicting orders and agendas drove them to act erratically. Some tried to retreat while others thought to charge, and others still tried to simply hold their ground and prevent the enemy from moving forward. 

It was complete chaos. 

“Your Majesty, what shall we do next?” Sérignan asked. 

“You know, the classic move would be to overwhelm them with our numbers, but I feel like doing that alone would be terribly tasteless,” the queen replied. “If we force our way into the rear guard and kill their commander, they’ll lose their line of communication. Then we can surround them. Sérignan, Lysa, Roland—I want you three to join the battle.” 

The vanguard force, which consisted of Genocide Swarms, was already closing in on the commander in the back row, who was desperately trying to regain control of the army. His death would be the last nail in the coffin of the enemy’s pecking order, and then it would be all too easy to back the rest of the soldiers into a corner. That was the Arachnea Queen’s plan. 

“By your will, Your Majesty. We will take to the vanguard at once,” Sérignan said with a bow. 

“Leave it to us,” Roland added. 

The two of them quickly sprinted ahead, catching up to the other Swarms, while Lysa hung back and shot down anyone who tried to flee. Before long, Sérignan had severed the commander’s head, and the battle came to its effective conclusion. With their line of communication severed, half of the enemy’s army—roughly 120,000 troops—was surrounded by the Genocide and Toxic Swarms. As that deadly circle tightened around them, the soldiers’ fate was sealed. 

“All right, now it’s time to put our tricks aside and squash them.” 

Frantz’s zealous inquisitors had been too confident in their army’s meager equipment upgrades. They would suffer the consequences at the hands of the Arachnea, which continually built up its strength. 

There was no one to save them now. 

After that battle, the allied army completely collapsed. All its surviving soldiers fled back to their countries, and the rest of Frantz’s own men were forced to retreat. It would go down in history as one of the fastest, most cowardly and unsightly retreats by any army on the continent. 

At this moment, the Popedom’s remaining soldiers were running away from the border, the Swarm hot on their trail. There was only one problem left for me to deal with: the refugees. Those who’d managed to flee the Dukedom in the midst of our conquest were now huddled in camps near the border between Frantz and Schtraut. 

“What do we do about these guys...?” I wondered aloud, gazing at them from a little ways off. 

“Perhaps we could reduce them to mincemeat? The Arachnea is always in need of it,” Sérignan suggested. 

“We could, but indiscriminately killing refugees doesn’t sit well with me.” 

Those people had only fled Schtraut because of the needless fight that idiot Leopold had picked with us. They didn’t have a home to go back to... And admittedly, it was mostly my fault. Killing them and turning them into meatballs might’ve been the Swarm-y thing to do, but I didn’t like the idea one bit. 

Or rather, it didn’t suit me because of the kind of people I’d associated with thus far. Linnet, the people of Marine, Isabelle... They wouldn’t have approved of slaughtering homeless refugees. It would just be another case of the strong tormenting and killing the weak—the same way they’d met their own ends. 

“Roland, I want you to make them an offer. If they want to go back to Schtraut, would they be willing to live under the Arachnea’s rule?” 

“By your will, Your Majesty.” 

I decided to leave this matter to Roland, since he was originally one of Schtraut’s citizens. Roland approached the frightened refugees cowering nearby and called out to them. 

“Men and women of Schtraut! Her Majesty, our benevolent Queen of the Arachnea, says she is willing to accept you into the Dukedom with open arms! Any who wish to return to their former homeland, raise your hands! We promise to do you no harm!” 

The people of Schtraut had suffered enough already, and there was no need to torment them further. I decided to let them return to their homeland, where they might live out the rest of their lives and die in peace. 

“I want to go back!” 

“Me too!” 

Schtraut’s refugees raised their hands one after another. 

“Very well. Welcome home,” I said, stepping forward. “Let us put the deaths of the war behind us and start a new relationship. A new future, where the Dukedom of Schtraut and the Arachnea work together.” 

I gestured toward the opening in the walls made by the battering rams. I’d had the remains of the dead Swarms and soldiers removed, so with the exception of some blood on the grass, it led to a peaceful expanse of grassland beyond. It was a view of their homeland. 

“Can we really live alongside these creatures...?” 

“Better that than get executed by Frantz’s inquisition, I suppose...” 

The fact that Frantz’s heretic hunt was driving the refugees to side with us seemed awfully ironic to me. 

“Roland, please take care of the refugees who want to immigrate. We can’t let anything happen to them.” 

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” 

Recklessly accepting anyone and everyone could cause an assortment of problems, and so I left Roland to take care of the matter and filter the influx of refugees. The new Schtraut had no place for thieves or people with a grudge against the Arachnea. 

“Well, that’s one problem solved. Let’s continue our march. We have a Popedom to cover with corpses and a capital to wash with blood.” 

At my order, the Swarms resumed their pursuit of Frantz’s fleeing soldiers. For now, we would ignore the allied army and whoever else; they could be trampled later. Right now, we had our eyes fixed on Frantz. 

Crush the Popedom of Frantz. Crush it, crush it, crush it. 

The only forces Frantz had who were any threat were the crossbowmen and heavy infantry, and apparently we’d done away with every last one of them. Now all that was left were the lightly armored troops. 

I began to firmly believe that this war would be an easy one. But, as my luck would have it, an intruder would soon step in to interfere with our plans. 

We continued our advance into Frantz, taking over half the Popedom’s territory in the process. After slaughtering anyone we came across, we reduced our victims to meatballs, which were sent to the flesh depositories and Fertilization Furnaces in the FOB in order to add more troops to our ranks. Ripper Swarms served as scouts while the Toxic and Genocide Swarms made up the bulk of our forces. 

I had assigned most of our units to our campaign against the Popedom as it was our primary objective at present. 

“Our next obstacle is passing through the mountains.” 

A vast mountain range spread out before us. These mountains divided Frantz into northern and southern regions, and the only way through was via a single paved road. Predictably, the Popedom’s army was blocking that road to impede our progress. 

“We have no choice but to force our way through. We could ask the pirates to ferry us across the sea, but that would take too long and give our opponents too much time to prepare. And besides, if something were to happen to the ships, all the Swarms on board would drown.” 

If the enemy realized we were using the pirate ships and decided to sink them, the Swarms would be lost to the depths in the blink of an eye. I couldn’t afford to lose my army of Genocide and Toxic Swarms this way after spending so much of our precious meat stores to create them. 

That said, if we simply decided to charge in headfirst, we’d lose these units just the same. We needed a strategy. 

“Maybe we don’t necessarily have to take the mountain road.” 

Yes... If I recall correctly, during the Korean War... 

“Genocide Swarms, break through the enemy’s formation. I’ll send you further instructions in a moment.” 

“By your will, Your Majesty.” 

“Toxic Swarms, I want you to shoot suppressing fire from the foot of the mountain. Keep the enemy pinned on the mountain road. I also want a separate force of Genocide Swarms to go around the mountains and create a diversion. In general, I want the enemy absolutely convinced we want to use that road.” 

“Understood, Your Majesty,” the Toxic Swarms replied. 

We needed to make sure the enemy didn’t understand our true intentions and stayed where they were. 

“All right, get to it. Commence the operation.” 

Would it go well? I wasn’t going to pray to that annoying God of Light, so I instead directed my prayers to Oinari, the Japanese god of luck and good harvests. 

The Popedom of Frantz was divided into northern and southern regions by the Indigo Mountains. At present, the sole road leading through the mountains was completely closed off by Frantz’s military. Wooden fences were set along the road, and rocks had been rolled down the cliffs to block the way. At this point, the army had completely abandoned the refugees, citizens, and remaining soldiers who were still in the north. 

“Anything out of the ordinary?” asked an officer. He was inspecting one of the companies handling the blockade. 

“Everything’s in order, Captain!” a young soldier chirped back. 

“I hear your betrothed lives in Saania, soldier.” 

“Yes, and it’s a real load off my shoulders. If she lived in the north, I’d have put my life on the line to go save her.” The young man smiled. 

“I’d bet you’re itching to see her again, eh?” 

“Frankly, sir, I really am. I wish this damnable war would just end already...” 

The soldier’s beloved was a waitress in a restaurant. They’d met when he was on an outing with the rest of his unit. It hadn’t taken long for the well-mannered girl to open her heart to the soldier, and they had quickly become an item. 

They’d been exchanging letters ever since the war broke out, and returning to her arms was the soldier’s greatest mission. Naturally, he also wanted to keep her safe from the ruthless army of monsters. 

“Oh! Enemy sighted, Captain!” 

From a distance, he could see their foes advancing down the road. 

“Prepare to intercept the enemy!” the captain shouted. “Man the ballistas! Don’t let a single one of those bugs through!” 

“Yes, sir!” 

The soldiers assumed their positions, preparing to stop the approaching monsters. 

“Looks like they’re sending in the heavy-duty melee units and the bugs with long-ranged attacks... Those long-rangers are problematic,” said one of the soldiers. 

As he’d pointed out, Genocide and Toxic Swarms were marching on the army’s position. 

“The enemy is beginning their attack!” 

“Get ready! Watch out for those stingers; you’ll die from a direct hit!” 

Frantz’s soldiers already knew full well how potent the Toxic Swarms’ stingers were. Anyone hit by them melted into mush, dying in the most agonizing and undignified way imaginable. The crossbowmen were covered by other soldiers holding up steel shields, guarding them from the stingers. 

The next moment, the Toxic Swarms fired their stingers, and the shower of death began. 

“Gaaah!” 

A few unfortunate soldiers were struck by the stingers, writhing in agony as they melted. Despite those losses, Frantz’s soldiers refused to fall back. 

“Ballistas and crossbows, ready to fire!” 

To the soldiers, this was the last line of defense. If the enemy were to pass through here, they would be free to rampage through the plains beyond this mountain range. At that point, Frantz would have no chance of victory. 

Thus, they would have to make this battle a decisive one. With that resolve in their hearts, the soldiers fired their weapons at the Genocide and Toxic Swarms. As one Swarm after another collapsed, the ferocity of their attacks seemed to wane. The Toxic Swarms kept firing their stingers off one at a time, but they were gradually forced to flee because of the ballistas. 

“They’re retreating!” 

“How do you like that, you vermin?!” 

The soldiers cheered as they watched the Swarms fall back. Now the Popedom was safe. The enemy units, unable to force their way through the Indigo Mountains, would be pushed back to the north. And one day, the Popedom would retake the north and even liberate the lands of the Dukedom. 

“We did it... Karen, darling, I’ll be coming for you on my next leave!” cried the soldier romantically entwined with the Saania waitress. 

But this flickering flame of hope would soon die out, leaving nothing but the darkness of despair. 

“Wait! Enemy units sighted!” shouted a soldier, his voice quivering. 

“Well, yeah, we just drove them back,” said another, stifling a laugh. 

“No, from behind! They’re attacking us from the rear!” 

Indeed, a force of 500 Genocide Swarms had materialized behind their rear guard and was closing in on the blockade. 

“From behind?! How?! Where did they come from?!” The captain began to panic. 

His bafflement was to be expected. The Swarms had climbed over the peaks of the Indigo Mountains on foot. They were capable of traversing obstructions and obstacles unfazed, so of course they could climb over steep mountains to launch an unexpected counterattack on their enemies. 

While the Swarm might have struggled with crossing bodies of water, mountains didn’t hinder them in the least. The Arachnea’s queen had ordered this group of Genocide Swarms to cut through the mountains in order to get around the blockade and ambush the enemy from behind. 

The plan proved extremely successful, as the soldiers were so focused on the idea of a frontal assault that they hadn’t realized the enemy had gone around them until it was too late. 

“Turn the ballistas to the back! We need infantry to guard the rear, so—” 

The captain’s words were cut off as a massive arrow pierced through his torso. 

“I did it! All the ballista operators are taken care of, Your Majesty!” 

“Good job, Lysa,” replied the Arachnea’s queen. 

Needless to say, the enormous arrow had been shot by Lysa. 

“Sérignan, pressure them from the front, too. It’s time for a pincer attack.” 

“By your will, Your Majesty,” said the knight with a bow. 

Lysa and Sérignan joined the forces attacking the blockade from the front. 

“Even more enemies incoming! The monsters are attacking us from the front again!” 

“Archers! Archers! Fire your crossbows—aack!” 

Sérignan’s slash sent a soldier’s head flying. The rest of his body fell to the ground, spurting blood. She then cut down another soldier, and another, quickly building up a mountain of corpses. 

“Raaagh! You will not pass!” The soldier who’d been looking forward to seeing his sweetheart aimed a crossbow at Sérignan. 

“Not good enough!” She hacked at the crossbow bolt flying toward her, deflecting its trajectory so it only skimmed her cheek. 

Sérignan then lunged at the soldier and rapidly closed the distance. 

“Ugh...” The soldier sagged as Sérignan’s blade stabbed into his chest. “Ka...ren...” 

And with that final word, the soldier breathed his last. 

“Your Majesty, we’ve taken over the mountain road and regrouped with the Genocide Swarms,” Sérignan said. “The enemy’s rear guard is in shambles. We should be able to take the road now.” 

Frantz’s attempt at a blockade had been thoroughly ruined. The surprise attack from the Genocide Swarms had killed most of the enemy’s rear guard, and the pincer attack had finished off the rest. 

“Good work, you two. This war will be over soon.” 

The queen of the Arachnea was confident in her victory, but she was unaware how easily that confidence could be wrested away... 

After our successful surprise attack on the Indigo Mountains, I had our army cross the mountain at a snail’s pace as we prepared to advance south. With the natural mountain range conquered, all that remained were open fields. There was a paved road leading to Saania, and once the Swarm began its march, it wouldn’t be long before the city—and the Popedom as a whole—lay in ruins. 

According to the Parasite Swarms, the army’s operations were mostly managed by Paris and Frantz’s generals. Now that Paris had gained control of the Department of Punition, no one could oppose him anymore. His word was effectively law. I could still use the Parasite Swarms to disrupt the enemy’s chain of command, however. I already had three cardinals and an archbishop under my control. 

Paris... I’ll make sure you pay an especially bitter price. 

“Your Majesty, there’s trouble!” Sérignan hurried toward me in a panic. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“The Empire of Nyrnal has launched an invasion on the old Kingdom of Maluk. They’ve declared war on the Popedom of Frantz as well. That country pulled the rug out from under our feet!” 

What? We’ve been completely had... 

The majority of our army was focused on attacking Frantz. Since I had made sure Nyrnal was completely isolated during the International Council, I’d assumed they wouldn’t be taking up military operations anytime soon. At the very least, I’d expected that they would resolve their tensions with their neighboring countries before doing so. 

But reality, as it turned out, wasn’t quite so kind. The Empire of Nyrnal intended to crush the Arachnea and the surrounding countries all at once. I had to bitterly acknowledge their adventurous spirit, if nothing else. They were fighting on two fronts just like we were, but they weren’t afraid to go for it all the same. 

Now our situation was turning critical. We only had unreliable walls and Eyeball Spires standing between the former Kingdom of Maluk and the Nyrnal Empire. We didn’t even have any Toxic Swarms stationed there to fend invaders off from a distance. 

The enemy’s siege weapons could easily break through those feeble walls and destroy the Eyeball Spires. All we had were 500 or 600 Ripper Swarms, which weren’t effective at dealing with heavily armored foes. 

“What should we do, Your Majesty?” 

I had to make a decision. Now. 

“Defending the Kingdom of Maluk is impossible; we’ll have to abandon it. Have the Swarms engaging them right now buy as much time as they can while the Worker Swarms in the rear cross into Schtraut. Also, have as many of the Ripper Swarms as possible positioned to defend Baumfetter.” 

We had no choice but to give up on Maluk. Northern Maluk had mines full of gold deposits, and we had bases all over that territory equipped with an assortment of facilities, but we lacked the numbers to protect them all. Unfortunately, we had to hand the deserted kingdom over to Nyrnal. 

But we had to protect Baumfetter. We’d promised to keep them safe, and I couldn’t go back on my word. To that end, I left a small force of Ripper Swarms to hold the border while the rest headed for Baumfetter. I could then use the Fertilization Furnace in my base near the elven forest to produce more Genocide Swarms and keep the village safe. Thankfully, I still had a small store of extra resources set aside in case of emergency. It wasn’t much, though. 

“We can’t pick up all our forces and move out fast enough. Especially not after everything we’ve done to cross through the mountains. Losing Maluk is a painful blow, but there’s a chance the enemy might go through Schtraut’s territories to attack us from behind, too.” 

“Then I alone shall head out to stop them!” 

Marching an army through the Indigo Mountains was a difficult task. The road was only wide enough to accommodate two Swarms at a time. Besides, pulling our army out of Frantz when we essentially had the Popedom at its knees wouldn’t be worth it. 

In light of the fact that we had no idea which enemy was the larger threat, turning our backs on Frantz would put our main force at risk. If these troops were to be destroyed, we would find ourselves in a truly hopeless position. 

However... 

“Sérignan, you’re a seasoned knight and a one-woman army. Even so, you can’t stop an invasion meant to take down a country all by yourself. Everyone has their limits...” 

At that moment, I realized that my own limits were staring me right in the face. 

“Your Majesty, no one could have imagined this would happen. Nyrnal’s movements were completely unexpected. Do not torment yourself over this.” 

“I wish that were true.” 

Thinking on it some more, I should have assumed Nyrnal might try to invade. I should have had the Masquerade Swarms infiltrate the Empire and look into what they were up to. Any news of our attacking Frantz would have taken seven to eight days to reach Nyrnal, and Nyrnal had declared war exactly one week after we began our invasion. 

I should have moved things along faster. My sluggish actions might have given Nyrnal the impression we were struggling against the Popedom and prompted them to launch an invasion against us. 

“No... There’s no point brooding over this now,” I told myself. 

Hindsight was 20/20, of course. Right now, I had to focus on looking ahead. 

“Have the Fertilization Furnace in our main base produce as many Genocide Swarms as possible, and send them over to Baumfetter. All other facilities in Maluk can be abandoned.” 

“Is this defeat, Your Majesty?” 

“Have we lost?” 

Voices from the collective consciousness reached out to me all at once. 

No, we haven’t lost. We’ll definitely get back at them for this. In order to do that, we need to bury Frantz as quickly as possible. Mark my words, Nyrnal: once we’re done with this despicable country, you’ll be next. 

“Prepare for landing! I repeat, prepare for landing!” 

A military battalion from Nyrnal was crossing the Themel River, located on the border between the old Kingdom of Maluk and the Empire of Nyrnal. Their catapults had destroyed the walls built along the river, after which the troops had begun crossing the river in rowboats. 

“To think that we can now cross the Themel so easily...” murmured Emperor Maximillian, watching the soldiers crossing the river and charging into Maluk’s territories from his vantage point on a nearby hill. He, too, was clad in Nyrnal’s military uniform. 

At this very moment, he was watching an operation unfold which would later be called the “Deceptive Deployment.” He had made it appear as though Nyrnal were intending to invade Frantz, when in fact he had planned all along to send his men across the Themel and into Maluk’s old territories. 

“With this, Maluk is effectively ours, Your Majesty. It was well worth the wait. We owe it all to those bugs; we ought to thank them.” 

“That’s right. We truly can’t thank the Arachnea enough for eliminating the Kingdom of Maluk. Let them rampage as much as they want and throw this world’s equilibrium out of balance. We will only reap the benefits.” 

The Empire of Nyrnal had chosen to capitalize on the threat of the Arachnea. Now that the armies of the world were either scorched or scattered, Nyrnal could conquer other countries with ease. 

Frantz’s current situation was one such example. The Arachnea’s invasion had left the Popedom in shambles, which meant the Empire was guaranteed to get at least some of its land by attacking it now. 

Emperor Maximillian’s grand ambition was to see Nyrnal’s banner—a dragon brandishing a sword—flying high over every single country on the continent. And soon enough, his dream would be realized. He knew the Arachnea couldn’t drop everything and leave Frantz at this point; doing so would only invite a counterattack. Besides, the Arachnea was otherwise poised to deliver the killing blow. 

Frantz’s pathetic army as it was now would easily be crushed by Nyrnal’s forces, and then the Empire could creep up on the Arachnea and strike it from behind. Put simply, the current state of affairs presented a golden opportunity for Nyrnal. 

“The Popedom of Frantz has been dealt some much-deserved divine retribution, I’d say,” Maximillian continued. “The headquarters of that arrogant Church of Holy Light will be wiped out by the power of a true god. Well, perhaps their fate is nothing quite so poetic. They’ll simply be devoured alive by bugs.” 

Bertholdt von Bülow, the Empire’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, was listening intently to his lord’s words. Not a single utterance that left the emperor’s lips was to be missed. Doing so would incur the emperor’s wrath, and that would end with Bertholdt being torn apart. Among all the emperors in Nyrnal’s history, Maximillian was one of the most coldhearted and merciless. 

“Your Majesty! The first landing force has engaged the insects in battle! Their resistance is weak!” one general reported. 

“Hmph. The so-called queen of the Arachnea disappoints me. She likely didn’t expect we’d cross the Themel River.” Maximillian shrugged. “Now, advance. I want Maluk’s territories under our control within the next month. After that, we march on Schtraut. We can only take a small portion of Frantz’s land at the moment, but we need only focus on defending it. Once we offer the other allied nations protection from the Arachnea, the entire continent will be ours.” 

They were already applying diplomatic pressure to the countries in the alliance. The allied nations were given the choice of being overrun by the insects or coming under Nyrnal’s protection. Most countries were showing signs of cracking under the pressure; it was only a matter of time until they caved. 

“That only leaves the Eastern Trade Union and the Nabreej archipelago,” Maximillian said, turning his gaze to Bertholdt. 

“Yes. Worry not, Your Majesty; the investigation is already underway. However, I believe both merchant nations will likely reject an alliance with us.” 

Bertholdt’s intelligence network had already sent feelers out to these countries. The Eastern Trade Union’s relations with Nyrnal were poor to begin with. Its relationship with the Popedom was rather frigid as well, but ever since Nyrnal had started aggressively expanding and uniting the southern countries under its rule, the Eastern Trade Union had treated the Empire with outright hostility. The merchants likely feared the prospect of becoming Nyrnal’s next conquest. 

“Those fools... Now they’re trapped between us and the Arachnea, and they’ll be unable to move. Well, no matter. We can get rid of them however we wish later on. For now, we’ll allow them to act freely. By the way, let’s have our Dragon Roosts increase their activity. I hear the insects have taken to using some unusual tactics, so wyverns alone may prove insufficient.” 

Maximillian turned his gaze back to the troops crossing the river. They were just human soldiers, but the wyverns soaring in the sky above were different. This life-form was not found anywhere else on the continent. They were too obedient to be monsters but too ferocious to be animals. These creatures only existed in the Nyrnal Empire. 

The existence of the wyverns was mysterious and incomprehensible. The only ones who knew the truth behind it all were Emperor Maximillian and Bertholdt von Bülow. 

No... there was one more who knew. A devil frolicking in the darkness as she chanted away in manic verse. 

We had to take down the Popedom of Frantz as quickly as possible. Objectives often changed or updated in single-player mode, but never before had I been blindsided like this. The Swarm’s strength must have lulled me into a false sense of security and made me overconfident. 

I needed to reflect on this experience. I’d learned the painful lesson that there were things even we couldn’t do. 

“The enemy soldiers aren’t approaching Baumfetter,” I said quietly, observing the village through the collective consciousness. “That’s good. And we’ve managed to produce those Genocide Swarms in time, so they won’t be completely defenseless.” 

Baumfetter, sandwiched between the Kingdom of Maluk and the Empire of Nyrnal, had been exposed to danger ever since our arrival. If we were to leave it unprotected, it would eventually be discovered, and the elves would all be killed for not worshiping the God of Light. 

I couldn’t let that happen. I promised I’d protect them. 

“Baumfetter should manage to survive, somehow. Right now, we have to focus on the Popedom.” 

We had made it through the Indigo Mountains and had begun sweeping through the plains, hurrying toward Saania while avoiding contact with Nyrnal’s forces. I had to evade a skirmish with them if I was to topple Frantz without a moment to spare. 

“Sérignan, what’s our marching speed?” 

“We’re making good time, Your Majesty. We should reach Saania within two or three days.” 

It might have been a bit hard on the Swarm, but speed was our greatest advantage right now. We had to keep going at full throttle and put a quick end to the Popedom of Frantz. After that, we’d be able to use its former territories to surge into the Empire of Nyrnal. 

There was also the option of going back to Schtraut, but I quickly discarded that idea. With us in position to directly threaten the Empire, they’d have no choice but to respond. And besides, we didn’t have the time to head all the way back to the Dukedom just so we could retake Maluk. 

Eventually, we would retake Maluk and put the elves at ease... but not right now. 

“I’m kind of tired...” 

“You should rest, Your Majesty. You haven’t slept for three days.” 

That much was true. Ever since the situation with Nyrnal had escalated, I hadn’t slept a wink. 

“But I can’t afford to rest right now, Sérignan. We are in dire straits. The Nyrnals already have most of Maluk under their control, and who knows when they might attack Baumfetter. We’ve begun preparations to fortify Schtraut, but I don’t know if we can actually push them back.” 

Nyrnal’s soldiers had already taken over half of Maluk’s territories. The Ripper Swarms had bravely tried to fend them off, but all they could do was stall for time. Nyrnal’s infantry was heavily armored, so the Ripper Swarms really couldn’t do much more than that. Thanks to their delaying the enemy, however, we were able to increase our defenses around Baumfetter. I could say with confidence that the Swarms’ deaths were not in vain. 

“Besides, Nyrnal has airborne forces. And that’s problematic for us.” 

What set Nyrnal apart from the other nations we’d fought so far was that they employed wyverns. We knew they were capable of ferrying up to three people on their backs and breathing fire, as well as diving in and biting their opponents. 

My preparations so far hadn’t accounted for airborne forces. The Arachnea did have units capable of shooting them down, like Fire and Toxic Swarms, but none were stationed in the Kingdom of Maluk. 

The only silver lining was that Baumfetter was hidden and protected by the trees, which meant the wyverns wouldn’t be able to spot it from the sky. Our main base and the tunnels I’d originally woken up in had avoided detection for the same reason. 

But man, I’m seriously exhausted. 

Maybe I was accessing the collective consciousness all too often, but my perception of who I was was growing more and more vague. Thus, I decided to try and remind myself of my own identity. 

I am Grevillea. My goal is to return to Japan at some point. I am 18 years old and a freshman in college. I mustn’t forget that. That’s who I am. I am part of the Swarm, but the Swarm doesn’t define me. 

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but you really must rest,” Sérignan continued, fretting. “You’re awfully pale. If you collapsed from exhaustion, it would be the biggest loss imaginable for the Swarm.” 

She must have been terribly worried; I could see tears in her eyes. I was happy to see how deeply she cared about me. 

“Fine. I’ll rest for a while. Wake me up if anything happens, though.” 

“Understood.” She nodded. 

With that said, I headed for the rear seat of the carriage we were riding in and curled up into a ball. 

Can I really win this war? Can I really keep my promise to the elves... and my promise to the Swarm? 

Oh, and there was one more promise I made, but I couldn’t remember what it was. 

I just... couldn’t remember... 

My ears were tickled by the sound of someone playing a piano. It was a cheerful, upbeat tune that prompted me to open my eyes. I was in an unfamiliar theater, sitting in one of the seats. Up on stage, a girl was playing piano with deft, delicate motions. 

“Oh, you’re awake.” 

She retracted her hands and turned to face me, then motioned for me to approach. Her frilly gothic outfit was very familiar. 

“Samael?” 

“Yes, it is I, Samael. What do you think of this place? Personally, I’m pretty pleased with it. Impressive, no? I think it gives the Teatro alla Scala a run for its money. And I think my little recital was exquisite, too, if I do say so myself.” 

It was... okay, I thought to myself in what probably passed for defiance. I mean, it wasn’t bad. 

“Where’s Sandalphon?” 

“Oh, her? She’s not here at the moment. How about you try to handle things by yourself for once? Try to face and resist me, the allure of malice and pleasure, all by yourself.” 

Sandalphon, who was always around in times like these, was nowhere to be found. 

“You’ve been in that environment for a while now, and yet you still haven’t gone mad. Such a shame. You should loosen up and let yourself go a bit crazy.” Samael lowered her voice to a whisper. “Surrender yourself to the Swarm, and stain your soul with senseless mass murder. That’s the path you ought to take.” 

“Why would I do that?” I shook my head violently. “I want to hang on to who I am. I don’t want to be consumed by the Swarm’s collective consciousness.” 

“Well, that’s a pity. Had you surrendered yourself to the collective, you wouldn’t have had to endure so much hardship, now would you?” 

Samael pressed a key on the keyboard. The harsh sound rang loudly in my head. 

“Give yourself up to the collective consciousness. Devour everything in your path, and reproduce again and again and again. With those superior numbers, crush everyone in your path. If you were to do that, you would never fall behind the Empire of Nyrnal,” Samael said, turning to face the piano again. “I’m sure some of the Empire could’ve been yours by now. Do you still think becoming one with the collective is a pointless act? If you ask me, clinging to your paltry humanity and resisting the Arachnea’s spirit is what’s really pointless.” 

She began playing the piano again. This time, the piece was Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. 

How long has it been since I was able to idly gaze at the moon and appreciate its beauty? Have I even been in the frame of mind to enjoy such a thing ever since all this horrible killing began? 

“That’s just pointless bloodshed,” I said bitterly. 

“Massacre is massacre, no matter what. It cannot be categorized as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’” 

Samael wasn’t wrong about that. I was always making up reasons to justify the murders I’d committed. But no matter how many ways I tried to spin it, I had still killed people. The fact that I’d taken people’s lives wasn’t going to change. 

I had always believed my battles were done for all the right reasons, but that could very well have been a mistake. Regardless of my intentions, I had eventually done as the collective consciousness bade me. 

Massacre can’t be called “good” or “bad,” huh? You could say the same about war, too. 

“Still, I refuse to surrender myself to the collective,” I declared. “I’m going to stay human, just the way I am now.” 

“What a disappointment,” Samael said, her music becoming more plunky and dissonant. “Keep that up and you’re going to break your promise. Yes, the victory you promised the Swarm. Why make such an oath, then? Because you were afraid they’d eat you alive, right? Then you can just give up now. The Swarm is already loyal to you; they won’t oppose you anymore. But you already know that, don’t you?” 

“I won’t betray the Swarm. Just as they wouldn’t betray me, I won’t turn my back on them. I’ll keep my promise, but in my own way.” 

She was right. I fully understood how loyal they were. Even if I were to ignore my promise and turn a blind eye to the war, or turn up my nose at the deaths of countless Swarms, they would not retaliate. 

Regardless, I would remain a woman of my word. I fully planned to grant them the victory they sought. Even if they were grotesque, inhuman monsters, I would make good on the promise I made to them. 

“Oh, bother. I can see why Sandalphon’s so taken with you.” Samael lightly pressed a single key in exasperation. “But doing that would be utterly pointless. That whole world is pointless. It’s no different from a dream... No, perhaps that’s going too far. It’s a dream, but it’s also reality.” 

She heaved a sigh and flicked her gaze to me. 

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. Tell me, are your parents still alive?” 

“Of course they are.” 

Come to think of it, when was the last time I spoke to Mom and Dad again? 

“Oh, now that’s just tragic. In truth, my dear, they’re both dead. And your mother...” 

Samael rose from her seat and approached me, fixing me with her piercing gaze. 

“Well, she died by your hand.” 

As soon as those words left her lips, my mind went blank. 

“Excuse me...?” 

“You heard me. You killed her, you monster.” 

No... but... Mom and Dad should still be alive! I couldn’t have killed them! 

“You’re lying!” I shouted. 

“No, I’m not. Your memories were just conveniently altered. Go on, look at the audience.” Samael gestured toward the rows of seats. 

There sat a doctor, holding some documents and a biometric scanner. He was saying something—something I wasn’t willing to listen to. Deep down, I knew that I absolutely couldn’t let myself hear a word he said. 

Yes, I knew that doctor. I knew who he was, despite knowing I’d never seen him before. 

A sudden dizziness came over me. The world was swirling and tumbling around, as if I’d suddenly been tossed into a washing machine. 

“See, you remember now. You killed your own mother.” Samael sneered at me. “You realize it now, don’t you? You’re a horrible human being, the worst kind of person imaginable. Do you understand how you can resort to murder as easily as you do? It’s because you’re the lowest of the low, a walking piece of human garbage. A natural-born killer.” 

I crouched down and plugged my ears, trying to shut out Samael’s mocking words. 

You’re wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! I didn’t kill her. I didn’t, I didn’t! 

“You’ve gone far enough, Samael.” A dignified voice echoed throughout the theater. 

“Oh, Sandalphon. I’m surprised you found this place.” 

“Devils like you are predictable creatures.” She glared at Samael. 

“Sandalphon, I... I...” I stammered. 

“Listen to me, _________. You did not kill your mother. You mustn’t lend an ear to this devil; she only seeks to fool humans and toy with their souls. Don’t trust a single word that leaves that forked tongue of hers.” 

Sandalphon then pulled me into a gentle embrace. I didn’t really know who she was, but her presence was soothing. My heart had been riled up by Samael’s words, but it was now calming down because of Sandalphon’s kindness. 

“Excuse me, Sandalphon, but I was merely stating the facts,” Samael said. “She killed her mother.” 

“No. She did not,” Sandalphon retorted sharply. “_________, you’ve been leading a respectable life. You never neglect to keep your promises, even when the other party happens to be a legion of grotesque monsters. That’s something you should take pride in. Hang on to that virtue, no matter what malice might come your way.” 

“I will.” 

I wouldn’t neglect to lead the Swarm to the victory I’d promised them. I had made this vow to countless Swarms, to Sérignan, to Lysa and Roland. I had to fulfill it, even if they weren’t human like I was. If I abandoned them, I had a feeling Isabelle would turn over in her grave. She had hung on to her promise with us monsters to the bitter end, after all. 

“No matter what agony may befall you, never forget your human heart. You mustn’t become too emotional. Always stay calm.” 

“Yes, I understand.” 

I’d lost so many people I cared about, so perhaps I’d become a little unstable as of late. While the emotions were valid, I still needed to get myself under control. 

“Then let us meet again soon, _________. I promise I will save you from this devil’s malicious game. I swear it.” 

As soon as Sandalphon finished her sentence, I felt myself sinking into darkness. 

“But Sandalphon, did I really...” 

Did I really not kill my mother?