IMPERIUM INSECTUM

1, 2 and 3. 3 prey for me to play with, and by looking at how they stand, they must be a little bit experienced, a perfect test bed to see my new abilities. However, just as a precaution….

“You wouldn’t mind if a few of my children joined the party, right?”

Their eyes bulged. “C..ch…ch… children!” The girl muttered. Her already slightly shaken frame started shaking more. Oh, how adorable.

I snapped my finger, and on cue, 40 of my warriors slowly crept out of the ground into a circle around us. The group looked around in a panic as the realisation struck them.

“Don’t worry, they are just here to watch after all,” I said. However, the look in their eyes screamed that they didn’t believe me.

I leapt from the tree onto the ground and landed without missing a step. Immediately, they turned their attention to me. I could see a singular thought wash across all of their minds. If they beat me, maybe then they can escape. Fools, beating me isn't a simple task. I slinked onto all 4s, my tail instinctively curled upwards, ready to strike. It all feels so natural to me, my body. I have so much more control than I did before. How did I ever manage to do anything before now? This “Fight” will be a walk in the park. I can feel it.

I watched and waited for the perfect moment. I scanned their bodies like a hawk, waiting for the perfect time to strike, and then it happened, a rare one in a million chance. The 3 of them all blinked at the same time. Before, I could never have reacted to it, but now it's different. My legs shot me forward. Crossing the gap in mere moments as I did, I kept watching them. Their eyes are opening now, and it looks like the big guy has noticed. I raised my claw up in the air and swung it down on him; however, as it approached, gold light erupted from his arm, and in less than a millisecond, a gold shield erupted.

A loud scream came from his magic shield as my claws dug deep into his shield with ease. This one is by far the most competent. I'll have to be careful around him.

“You're fast”, I said to the big guy. I brought my claw down harder into his shield, causing him to strain.

“But something tells me reacting to that took a lot out of you.” I said to him as I poured more of my strength into my attack, he groaned and spluttered as he tried to hold back my strength, but it was hopeless. I was the boot, and he was the ant. I poured a bit more strength into my attack immediately, and the giant dropped to one knee.

“You have the speed and the reactions. But you lack the strength.” He looked up towards me, eyes filled with defiance and anger. How delicious, sadly, I can't savour those eyes.

My tail reacted quickly, arching around and blocking the swordsman's swing. I glanced to the side to see 2 dazzling rainbow swords. Despite their look, I could tell they were dangerous.

“Tchk, of course it isn't that easy”, he suddenly crossed his hands, and the blades shimmered and multiplied into several more blades. The man waved his hands towards me, and the blades suddenly rocketed towards me. Interesting. My eyes locked onto the 9 or so blades heading towards me, and as I did, time seemed to slow down. I could easily move out of the way. But where is the fun in that?

In a flash, my 4 back pincers shot out, and, moving with speed they’ve never shown before, the pincers easily swatted every blade away. It felt like 5 minutes to me, but to them it must have been a few seconds.

“I hope those pointy sticks can do more than that, or you're never making it out of here .”I mocked. Suddenly, I felt a deep vibration come from his shield. I looked down just in time to see the shield suddenly erupt in gold light. I had just a few moments to react, But In that moment I leapt just in time to catch his shield exploding.

Suddenly in the corner of my eye 6 shimmering flying blades rocked towards me. Using the blast as a distraction in the hopes of catching me off guard. A good plan might've worked on the old me, but now it's just a cheap joke. Let's show these kids just how outmatched they are. Let's throw some magic into the mix.

<Denial rift>

Several black rifts erupted in the path of the blades, intercepting and swallowing the blades' hole and leaving nothing. at the same time I bolted towards the tank. A blast like that takes a lot out of you, meaning he is vulnerable.

I crossed the gap between us with ease, and before he could even move, I was on top of him. I grabbed him by the chest and hurled him towards a nearby tree. There was a deep thud, and a solid crack appeared in the tree bark where his body hit. That’s 1. Who's next?

My gaze flicked to the girl, and like a deer in headlights, she froze. She didn't look like a fighter, but I shouldn't make guesses. I glanced towards her hands. The glowed bright blue with mana. Shes channeling a spell. But for what? I'm curious, but let's not risk it.

“That can't… It's not possible! Monsters can't use magic like that!” the girl yelled. I turned to face her and laughed.

“If you think that’s special, wait till you see my many other tricks”

Mana surged to my hands, forming a familiar black trident. Oh, how ive missed using this. I lunged towards the girl as I did i glanced towards the spellsword. He had already moved, rushing towards me to defend his friend. Perfect.

With a quick turn of my heel, I snapped away from the girl and towards the man. His blades erupted in an array of rainbow colours before, but it was too late. In that same moment, I dropped my trident and ducked low and swept my legs through his, sending him toppling to the ground. and then instantly straddling him

“You lose”

The man's eyes danced in confusion as he tried to figure out what had happened. It would be so easy to kill him here, but alas, I need him alive. I grabbed his head and held him still. The man tried to kick and squirm, but unless you have the training, being on the ground is practically an instant loss. I think I'll use another new ability on him. I tapped into the alternative force, my psychic force and sent it towards him. It was a strange feeling, like my mind was physically touching everything around me.

“w…what is this?” he babbled. As his body stiffened in my psychic presence. I drew air into my lungs as I focused more and more of my psychic power until

SCHRIEEEKKKKKKK* A powerful screech, combined with my psychic power, pounded into his mind. Instantly, his body convulsed before just as quickly going limp. Instantly out cold.

I dropped his body and turned to see the girl crawling in agony towards the tank. I guess my psychic shriek has more range than I thought. I started moving when suddenly I noticed that, despite her condition, she still maintained that spell she was channelling.

“Serenade of power”, she uttered through her throbbing head as she did. The blue mana grew into a large orb. She glared at me, thinking I was gonna attack, but I just nodded.

“If he defeats me, you can run,” I said. She nodded and placed the orb into his body. Suddenly, the man yelped in pain as his body crackled in unnatural power. Power so strong I could feel it prickling against my chitonous armour. I glanced towards the girl in awe . To think she was hiding something like that the entire time may have to impregnate her when I'm done here.

Suddenly, the tank surged upwards, his eyes searing with blue mana as well as his body emitting a blue ghostly aura. I dropped into my fighting stance, my pincers stood tall and ready. The man's eyes met mine, and like two kindred spirits, we launched with each other and collided with a force strong enough to shake the trees.

“Impressive”, I said as a set of black ebony grasps shrouded my hands. I threw a right jab at him. The man raised his hand to block, but as he did, his. He suddenly leapt back. Just in time for a black bolt to shoot by where he was standing.

“Good, you were paying attention.” Behind him, a small black ball fizzled out of existence. My ever watchful eye. It’s a small orb that fires umbral piercer shots at anything I desire.

“Hahaha, I'm honestly shocked you were able to dodge that. I guess whatever she did wasn't a joke.” My 4 back pincers all trained onto his position.

“But don’t get too excited. I have more than one way to kill you.”Mana surged down the pincers until it reached the tip. Then, without warning, 4 umbral pierciers shot out from my pincers. The man quickly dodged just in time to see a tree with 4 holes punched right through it. I sent another volley at him; however, this time, he summoned a golden shield crackling with blue mana

The bolts collided with the shield, instantly shattering it with ease. However, that didn’t stop him; he dashed towards me. I sent more piercers at him; however, this time, he summoned several smaller shields in the path of the piercer shots. Intercepting everything I sent towards him

“Clever”

I opened my arms wide as he shot an inhumanly fast jab, too fast to dodge. As it approached, time slowed down again; however, I could block this. I glanced towards the girl; her hands still glowed blue. Does that mean that for this spell to work, she must keep channelling it? Must be, Incapacitating her is a top priority, but I need to be smart, like me; he watches everything. In the meantime, let's take the hit.

Time sped up again. His fist connected with my body, sending a dull thud throughout my armour.

-2 health

I exaggerated the pain as he followed through with his punch into my gut. At the same time, mana rushed up one of my pincers and just as he was about to deliver a second blow, a black streak shot out towards the girl. His eyes bulged as he tried to follow it. But he wasn’t expecting it. He desperately tried to summon another shield into existence, but it was too little too late. The piercer smashed through the weak remnants of the shield and into the girl's side, leaving an apple-sized hole in the place where her liver was.

The blue mana she was channelling vanished, and with it his ghostly aura. Time to return the favour. I formed a fist, and with one swift motion, I delivered a devastating blow to his sternum. The blow was so strong that an audible snap was heard as several of his ribs were reduced to dust. However, I wasn’t done. I continued following through with the blow and sent him hurtling towards a tree with the force of a stampeding elephant. He was out cold.

I quickly turned my attention back to the girl. She lay on the ground trying to stem the bleeding from her pierced liver.

Her eyes met mine. And I must say I haven't seen eyes so terrified since the orphanage. Panic filled her as she tried to run, but the warriors were quick and in no time, she was grabbed and held down by the warriors.

“Thank you, children,” I said as I knelt over her body.

“Does that hurt?” I asked the quaking leaf that was the woman in front of me. She trembled in fear as she nodded.

“P….please….I don’t….. I don’t wanna die.”

I chuckled. “We all die, dear”, I said, stroking her dark black and white hair. She’s quite the looker with a great ability to boot.

“We all die. But whether you die here or later is up to you. Do you wanna die here?”

She trembled as she shook her head in fear.

“Good”

I placed my hand over the wound, and suddenly green and black mana erupted as I cast a minor heal on her body. She groaned in pain as her liver and flesh stitched themselves back together perfectly.

“From today. You live for me.”

I grabbed her head, and like the man from earlier, I let out a psychic shriek that knocked her out cold.