Third Watch regretted that what held void ants back most was their frail bodies. Some might not have considered them as such. They possessed exoskeletons, and they were proportionately more durable than the majority of humans. Yet even so, they had to endure forces beyond others. Humans could bypass some of the restrictions of acceleration via natural energy. Void ants didn’t have that option.
Though, they could use technology. It was mainly useful for boarding enemy ships, which had more predictable movement patterns. Humans could easily change trajectory in a moment, leaving void ants dangling into space uselessly. There was only so much energy for speed, acceleration dampening, and ship durability that could be packed into a single place. Void ants didn’t have limitless materials to construct their vessels. Thus it was that it was often more reliable to find a human partner.
Corentin was the best option that Third Watch was aware of in the current system. He was only an early Enrichment cultivator, but the Lower Realms Alliance wasn’t bloated with so many of them that they were throwing them away like the Holy Stars were with their angels. The main qualifications Corentin had was that he was fast, both in movement and attack. Perfect for carrying void ants along… to an extent. Obviously he had to know how to dampen acceleration for void ants in particular or he would crush them, but Third Watch had been preparing him for this day for some time.
“Get us to the strongest foe,” Third Watch declared.
“I’ll do my best, but I’m pretty sure I can’t,” he explained. “That divinity is here. Daria.”
“The other one, then.”
“That’s a bit…” Corentin stared vaguely into the stars, “Risky.”
“Do you not wish to go down in history as a hero?”
Corentin laughed. “I would love to be a hero that is alive. How about this… I’ll take you to other foes while we observe that second one. Whatever their name is.”
“Sharp Spinner,” Third Watch said. “Based on this energy. That shall be a sufficient moniker.”
“Or just the other one,” Corentin shrugged. He rested his spear over his shoulder, his eyes frequently returning to Third Watch to interpret her sign. Technically there were computerized systems that would translate void ant sign, but most of those who rose to higher ranks took the time to learn it properly. It was simple enough, and void ants already understood common speech. They just didn’t have vocal chords or the right sort of energy control to reproduce sounds without vast effort.
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The battle began soon enough, after which point direct communication with the void ants riding him became difficult. Corentin would continue with the plan until he received a prod from them, should it be important.
His spear was well balanced, and covered in void ants. He watched the incoming forces. Daria and the other one were both there. There was no way the Alliance won this battle… but that didn’t mean they had to lose. If they held on long enough, incoming reinforcements would arrive- with Devon. They had to delay as long as possible.
Already, ships had taken away the most vulnerable people. There were never enough to completely evacuate a planet in one pass- though it would be preferred, the Alliance simply didn’t have the resources. It was impractical… especially when there were thousands of planets that could be threatened.
The second divinity was an axe cultivator, as was demonstrated when he chopped his way through one of the orbital platforms. Three or four swings in just a few moments, and then the massive structure was in pieces. That vastly reduced its functionality- but they were not so fragile that they would simply fail just because of being chopped into segments. Something of that size without some redundant systems would be exceedingly vulnerable.
Corentin was absolutely positive he couldn’t even get close to the guy. The axes would cut him apart a hundred kilometers away without even trying. But if he grew more familiar with the style… no, he wouldn’t promise anything to either himself or the void ants. But he could at least start with more reasonable foes.
As they descended, Corentin picked out a crowd of appropriate foes then launched himself upwards, slightly surpassing the rest of those at the front of the battle lines- blurry as they were. He darted around local ships, piercing the hull of a couple larger enemy troop carriers until he was accosted by axemen.
“The Executioner’s Axe will bring you down!” declared one of their angels. He carried two war axes with wide blades- heavy and cumbersome, but in the right hands swift and deadly.
The larger blades were more easily blocked, but Corentin wasn’t willing to risk his spear or its riders. Instead, he danced around the area, jabbing out with his spear occasionally as he focused on avoiding the weapons. Though his spear thrusts never pierced defensive energy, they were still optimal attacks for his circumstances. Each movement gave void ants an opportunity to latch onto energy, though sometimes they were not properly arranged in the moment. He just had to give them the opportunities, again and again.
“Running won’t save you forever!” the haughty man called after him. He swung his axes, cleaving apart space in a cross where Corentin had stood a moment before. A deadly attack, but no good if it didn’t land.
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Corentin thought to taunt him, but he didn’t have the wit for it. He would likely give away his intentions too early. Instead, he focused on his movements. He carefully shifted his grip on his spear- the void ants were instructed to avoid certain points. Even then, he was restricted in how he manipulated his weapon.
Usually he maintained a short grip, viable for quick stabs and blocking. He could protect both the void ants and his weapon against weaker foes. Occasionally he would jab the butt of his spear into a foe coming from behind.
Enemies were beginning to fall, even if he hadn’t personally injured any of them. No doubt they were going to become wary of the void ants soon enough. But before that, he found a moment to face off with the angel.
“You will die the moment my spear pierces your throat,” Corentin declared. He wanted the man to be focused on his weapon, without really focusing around it. Maybe it was a mistake, but Corentin was fairly certain that Third Watch was still waiting for her opportunity. She was bigger than the others, as a royal guard. Corentin was very sensitive to the specific balance of his weapon, so even a gram or two was something he took note of.
Two axes swung, cutting space into four quadrants. The planes of attack remained, cutting off the space Corentin could move through unless he was willing to break through the lingering energy. He imagined that he could, but was uncertain if it would be worth it. Two more swings, and he was boxed in by his foe- only a vague corridor towards the man. Corentin readied his spear, shifting his balance as he pushed off of an imaginary platform.
He moved forward at a speed yet unseen, but his trajectory could easily be predicted. One axe swung across his path, while the other was held in reserve for his dodge. Corentin thrust forward his spear and… let go.
As expected, the man targeted his weapon. It was much closer, and barely protected by Corentin’s energy. Cutting energy connected halfway down the shaft, and Corentin’s energy was broken through. But the spear held strong.
How could it not, with a whole contingent of void ants? The man’s actual blade had not struck the weapon. And the spear reached him before he could reorient his weapons. It stopped a meter from his chest, and Corentin immediately used what remained of his energy connected to his spear to draw it back.
The axeman began to make a move to chase after Corentin- his blade paths had faded, so the spearman was free to move in any direction. But he noticed something.
Too late, though. A mesh of void ants had spread out in all directions as they were knocked off of the spear. One or two void ants didn’t stand out, points of nothingness, but so many close to a foe? Even if they subtly pried open defensive energy, it rarely lasted.
But the man’s wide sweeping axes were useless for void ants, and he was too reliant on his weapons to try anything else for his first attack. He never got a second. His energy was instantly devoured, from his wrists down to his shoulders and from his torso spiraling outward near his heart. He had more inside of him, but he had another flaw. A lack of head-to-toe covering. That left his body vulnerable to bites of even typical void ants- instead of only those with killing insights, the sort that could turn energy inside their foes into blades, even if only for a moment.
Corentin rushed forward, his spear stabbing towards the man- but stopping. It might not conceal what had happened, but he did need his spear to be close to the angel to retrieve the void ants. He would also be patrolling the battlefield to gather the others, while taking down new foes as he got the opportunity.
There was something freeing about focusing on the perfection of his movements and not his attacks. Corentin wished they were fighting in atmosphere, because his movements would be even sharper. Maybe even enough to get close to that divinity…
But not today. The assault was slow enough he didn’t need to risk that. They were focused on the largest cities. They thought that would give them control of the planet, and that was true to some extent. But the Alliance cultivators were prepared to fight from the wilderness, with their void ant companions. Tracking them down would be easy enough for the divinities, but it was difficult for them to fight without destroying the planet.
It didn’t seem to be their intention, so they were somewhat hampered. Corentin wondered if he might reach Unity and have that level of power. Then he smiled at himself, for he was only early Enrichment. He needed to look at the next step on the path, not the end. Or at least… the highest peak he had yet seen.
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First and Second Watch were quite content to let enemies come to them. Humans like the Holy Stars preferred to take buildings intact, and the valuables inside. There were a few locations left as bait, and others that simply hadn’t been cleared in time. The void ants were waiting for humans there, ready to spring their traps. Even if they couldn’t catch the most prized foes, they often brought down Life Transformation cultivators. Sometimes saints, and one or two angels.
And everyone weaker than that? They didn’t bother themselves. Humans could kill the weaker cultivators in vast numbers, at a distance. Void ants were similarly effective no matter how strong their opponents- which is why they were terrifying.
As one of the first prolonged engagements in the war, the Holy Stars were clearly still unfamiliar with void ant battle tactics. Whether they had faced any before, in their own territory, the Alliance members would be quite divergent. They had their teeth, of course, but they also had special tactics aided by humans.
They could trigger explosives from a distance, ones that didn’t register as anything special to energy senses. Pure tech. They could spread poisons that were deadly to humans- the contaminated area would have to be purged later, but void ants had different risk factors.
Every human had to watch their step. Some tried to always fly, but they found that many void ants had kept their wings- or mutated new ones. Only a small portion of the total, but sufficient that they could fly up behind a cultivator. Once they reached them, the only thing a cultivator could do was try to slap them to death. As effective as it could be, they had to realize that their sharply honed axes were no good. Their armor only as good as its smallest opening.
Their defensive energy? Lunch. As well as breakfast and dinner. The void ants would be growing stronger here. They were usually conservative with their meals, happily growing slowly alongside their human partners. But here, they could take whatever their bellies could stomach. Royal guard were especially voracious with their size and closeness to the lineage of the Great Queen. They took what power they could for the sake of all.
Plus, it was delicious.