The sky above the frontline was a chaotic swirl of darkness and distant explosions, the faint glow of planetary defenses flickering in the distance.
Athena adjusted the strap of her tactical vest, her pulse steady despite the imminent danger surrounding them.
The wind carried the scent of scorched earth, tal, and sothing more putrid, the unmistakable stench of zerg carcasses left to rot under the cold moons of the Sinalta border.
She stood alongside Mors on the elevated ridge of their assigned sector, surveying the barren wasteland below.
The battlefield stretched endlessly, filled with jagged craters, rusted-out chs, and the remains of forr strongholds that had long since fallen.
In the distance, zerg activity stirred again. The horde was restless.
"This is worse than what I rember," Athena muttered, lowering her binoculars.
The caras floating nearby continued to capture every mont, broadcasting their survival in real-ti for millions of viewers.
Mors, standing beside her with his arms crossed, glanced at her with mild amusent. "Last ti, you weren’t experienced. You were an ordinary contestant."
"Still am." She tapped her earpiece, adjusting the audio channel to the production crew.
"Athena Derin, checking in. We’re at Sector Nine. No visual on enemy movent, but their energy signatures are clustering."
A reply ca through imdiately. "Copy that, Athena. Keep your guard up. We’ll send intel as soon as our satellites update."
Athena sighed and glanced at Mors, who had already started moving down the ridge. His presence was commanding even in the midst of destruction.
He carried his weapons with an ease that spoke of years of battle experience, and his dark uniform blended seamlessly with the shadows.
She followed, adjusting her gloves. The mont her boots hit the uneven terrain, she felt it, the subtle vibration beneath the earth. They were coming.
A sudden shriek tore through the night. The sound was guttural, inhuman, and too close. Athena’s instincts kicked in, her hand imdiately reaching for her blade.
"Left flank," Mors said calmly, already drawing his energy sword.
Athena pivoted, and in the dim light, she saw them. A wave of zergs, so crawling, so leaping, their bodies glistening with thick exoskeletons.
Their elongated limbs ended in deadly claws, their mandibles clicking as they communicated in their guttural tongue.
But what caught her attention was the one at the center. A level-eight zerg.
Unlike the mindless drones, this one stood upright. Its chitinous body had a humanoid shape, and its two burning eyes locked onto Athena as it spoke in a low, hissing voice.
"Humans… die…"
The words were broken, but the intent was clear.
Mors exhaled sharply, unimpressed. "Talking now, are we?"
The zerg’s mandibles widened, releasing a deafening screech. In an instant, the horde lunged. Athena moved on instinct, ducking low as razor-sharp limbs swung toward her.
She twisted mid-air, landing behind the first zerg and driving her blade through the back of its skull.
The creature spasd before collapsing, but she had no ti to breathe, another leaped toward her. She rolled, narrowly avoiding its claws.
The ground shook again as Mors activated his energy sword, its bright glow cutting through the night. He moved with deadly precision, slicing through the creatures with ease.
Athena fought beside him, her movents fluid and practiced. She had trained for this her entire life.
She had faced zergs before, but this battle was unlike the past, this was raw survival.
The caras continued to hover, capturing their every move. The audience was probably watching with bated breath. But Athena had no ti to think about them.
More zergs erged from the darkness. Too many.
She cursed under her breath. "They’re swarming too fast."
Mors’ eyes flickered toward the level-eight zerg still standing at a distance. It hadn’t moved, rely watching. Studying them.
"They’re evolving," he muttered. "The higher-level ones are controlling the lower ranks."
Athena exhaled sharply. That wasn’t good. If the zergs were learning, and adapting, this war was about to beco a nightmare.
Suddenly, the level-eight zerg let out another ear-piercing screech. The horde responded instantly, all of them turning their attention to Mors.
Athena’s eyes widened. "They’re targeting you."
Mors didn’t flinch. Instead, he smirked. "Good. Saves the trouble of chasing them."
And with that, he lunged straight into the swarm.
Athena cursed and followed.
The battle beca a blur of motion. Mors was a force of destruction, cutting through the creatures with rciless precision.
Athena covered his back, her blade flashing as she tore through anything that got too close. But no matter how many they killed, more kept coming.
She stole a glance at the level-eight zerg. It was watching her now.
Why?
Then, realization struck. It wasn’t just targeting Mors. It was observing their teamwork.
Athena clenched her jaw. They really were learning.
Her earpiece crackled with a sudden transmission.
"This is Command. Reinforcents are en route. Hold your ground for five more minutes."
Five minutes in a battle like this felt like an eternity.
The zergs screeched again, pushing forward with renewed aggression. Athena felt her energy-draining, but she refused to slow down.
She sidestepped an attack, flipping over a fallen carcass and slicing another enemy in mid-air.
Mors fought beside her, his strikes growing fiercer. Blood splattered against his uniform, but he didn’t waver.
Then, suddenly, the level-eight zerg moved.
It lunged straight for Athena.
She barely had ti to react. A clawed hand slashed across her shoulder, sending her crashing into the dirt. Pain seared through her body.
Mors was beside her in an instant, his expression dark.
"Athena..."
"I’m fine," she gritted out, forcing herself up. Blood dripped down her arm, but she ignored it.
The level-eight zerg tilted its head, as if amused.
Then, in its broken voice, it spoke again.
"…Strong."
Athena narrowed her eyes. It was testing her.
Mors didn’t give it a chance to continue. He surged forward, his energy sword flashing. The zerg screeched and dodged, but Mors was relentless.
Their battle beca a flurry of strikes, each move more aggressive than the last. Athena wiped the blood from her chin, gripping her blade tighter.
The reinforcents needed to hurry. Then, a loud explosion shook the ground. Athena turned just in ti to see warships breaking through the clouds. The cavalry had arrived.
Relief flooded through her as the sky filled with gunfire, missiles raining down upon the zerg forces. The creatures shrieked in pain, their formations breaking.
Mors pulled back, breathing heavily. "Took them long enough."
Athena smirked despite her exhaustion. "Let’s finish this."
And with that, they charged back into battle, determined to end the fight before the next wave arrived. This war was far from over.
Reviews
All reviews (0)